In the era of muskets, firearms were not yet king.
However, the rifled gun has greatly increased its firing range, and its accurate firing range is already about one hundred meters.
During the Civil War, there was an incident where a rifled gun blew off the head of an enemy general from a distance of 500 meters.
Therefore, now that rifled guns can be mass-produced through mold manufacturing, it is imperative for the Song Army to develop into the firearms era in the future.
As long as firearms are manufactured on a large scale, the steel industry blossoms everywhere, and productivity is greatly improved, it is expected that in ten years, we will be able to fully enter the steam power era.
So this is the general trend and cannot be changed.
However, what Zhao Jun himself did not expect was that his wife's family was actually involved in backward industries and ran several handmade weapon manufacturing workshops in Bianliang City.
As vested interests, they may naturally object. For this reason, he had to talk to Cao Cong.
But before that, he still had to investigate the information.
If you know yourself and your enemy, you can fight a hundred battles without danger.
Now that we have to deal with the three-redundancy problem, we naturally need to investigate who are the relevant stakeholders involved in order to formulate corresponding tactics.
In the blink of an eye, time has arrived in August.
On the morning of August 14th, shipping along the Bianhe River temporarily stopped. It can't be said to have stopped. It's just that the government ordered that all ships must stop at the pier in front to make way for ships in the rear.
The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is a great project, but unfortunately its average width is only twenty meters, and its water flow speed is comparable to that of a turtle grinding.
Therefore, ships often rely on wooden oars and trackers on the shore to pull them.
In the early morning, all ships coming from Yingtian Mansion have been stopped for one day. Although this will cause certain fluctuations in business, it is not a problem if it is only for one day.
I saw countless water transport ships coming melodiously from the direction of Datongmen. Pulled by at least thousands of trackers, they slowly sailed into Datongmen and headed towards the dock.
Bianliang Nancheng's trade was prosperous. In addition to the economic prosperity of the Song Dynasty, the most important thing was that the southeast corner was the entrance to Bianqu, where ships would unload their goods. Therefore, there were many warehouses, such as Guangji, Guangying, Fuguo, Wanying, etc. A large warehouse.
At this time, the dock was crowded with people, because many people had heard that this was a fleet returning from overseas, and it was a place further away than Japan and Korea. No one knew what they had experienced, and everyone was curious.
At this moment, the officials of Kaifeng Mansion slowly opened a passage, and a carriage, protected by many imperial guards, went straight towards the dock along this passage.
Everyone knew that this was the carriage of Zhao Zhiyuan, who was praised by the world in Bianliang, so everyone moved out of the way to allow the carriage to pass smoothly.
Soon the carriage came to the dock.
Zhao Jun got off the carriage and looked toward the dock.
At a glance, there are already countless ships on the canal, with almost no end in sight.
I saw more than 200 water transport ships being slowly dispatched, filing in, and entering the berths one after another.
Since the ships used by the ocean-going fleet are all large maritime ships, although they are not as large as the treasure ships used by Zheng He, which can reach 151.18 meters long and 61.6 meters wide, they are definitely not small.
They are all large ocean-going ships with a length of 120 meters and a width of more than 30 meters. There are six or seven masts on the ship alone, representing the highest level of sailing ships in the Northern Song Dynasty and even the entire world.
It was impossible for such a large ship to enter the canal, so when they arrived in Mingzhou, they switched to water transport ships. The original more than 20 ships were replaced by more than 200 water transport ships. How much stuff would they have to carry?
While Zhao Jun was watching blankly, Cao Xiu had already led people over. The first ship docked and put down the planks. The person walking at the front was an official with a vicissitudes of life and dark skin.
Wearing a brand-new official uniform with a patch on the cuffs, he walked down with his head held high.
In fact, when the fleet arrived in Minzhou from Tsushima Island last month, local officials from the Minzhou Shipping Department had already reported the situation.
The fleet sent out by the Song Dynasty was lucky. They took the map given by Zhao Jun and used the latest navigation ships. They were powered by wing wheels and paddles. Each ship carried more than a thousand tons of grain and hundreds of tons. Tea leaves are heading north like this.
They were in danger in the East China Sea, hit rocks in the Kuril Islands, were stranded in Siberia, even encountered a storm when crossing the Bering Strait, and were attacked by Indians.
Some crew members died at sea, some ships disappeared in the storm, and some people died in sudden battles.
For example, this official named Chen Haizhong was born in a merchant family. He once followed his father to do business in Korea and Japan. Later, he entered the imperial examination and passed the imperial examination. He was born with the same Jinshi and became a minor official in the Municipal Shipping Department.
Five years ago, he was selected by the imperial court as an official to go to sea. Since then, he has represented the face of the Song Dynasty. Every time he met local people along the coast, he would take out the official uniforms that were properly stored in the cabin box and represent the Song Dynasty. The imperial court communicated with local indigenous people.
As for the patch on the cuff, he was hit by a sudden bow and arrow when he arrived in the American continent. Fortunately, it only penetrated the wide cuff and did not cause any casualties.
But another official was not so lucky and died of an illness. Under the freezing temperatures, he had a high fever and eventually died of illness.
Chen Haizhong stepped off the board, and Zhao Jun walked over slowly.
Cao Xiu said to him, "This is the Imperial Academy."
"I have seen the magistrate!"
Chen Haizhong handed over.
"Supervisor Chen, it's been a hard journey!"
Zhao Jun looked serious and bowed his hands in return.
He couldn't imagine how many hardships the other party had encountered and how many dangers he had experienced.
In order for the Song Dynasty to expand overseas, the fleet paid a heavy price.
Maybe all this is worth it for Song Dynasty, but for them, it is sad.
"This journey has indeed not been easy, and we have lost a lot."
Chen Haizhong sighed.
Zhao Jun asked: "How did you get here?"
"Xiaoguan is just thinking, don't count the things you have lost. If you lose it, you have lost it. Think about what you have left."
Chen Haizhong said seriously: "Xiaguan still has the mission of the imperial court. There are still more than two thousand people left. I have seen different scenery and different appearances on the road. This is enough."
Zhao Jun held Chen Haizhong's rough hand and said with emotion: "This open-mindedness and wisdom may be the reason why the eunuch can overcome all obstacles and return safely. The Song Dynasty is lucky to have officials like the eunuch!"
"Zhiyuan is ridiculous!"
Chen Haizhong was really open-minded and just responded lightly.
The experience of these five years is probably the most unforgettable experience in his life for him.
"Let's go, the officials are waiting for you!"
Zhao Jun said.
The ship behind them was unloading, and boxes of local products were brought down, causing countless people to exclaim.
Because people saw that many of the boxes on the ship had no lids on them, and piles of gold and silver were exposed, and there were countless boxes full of them.
Subsequent ships also docked one after another, and many dogs were heard barking. When many sailors disembarked, they were followed by several dogs.
Zhao Jun heard the cry and looked back in confusion, then his pupils shrank.
He saw that the dogs following the sailors off the ship looked very familiar, with their black and white hair, their big tongues that kept breathing, and their eyes full of wisdom...
Isn’t this errand?
Seeing Zhao Jun staring at the dogs, Chen Haizhong thought he was curious about the dogs, so he explained: "Wandering at sea is hard. When we were crossing the strait, we encountered a glacier and ran aground. We stayed there for more than a year before repairing the ship. Many The crew saw that the local people kept such dogs, so in order to relieve their loneliness, they also kept some, but unexpectedly, they kept more and more dogs."
"Forehead"
Zhao Jun could only say: "It would be good to have some dogs."
Erha's scientific name is the Siberian Husky. It has been bred by the Inuit people to pull sleds since thousands of years ago. Unexpectedly, it was brought back by the crew.
But this is normal. In the later Age of Discovery, many other continents had no special products and were brought there in this way. For example, the peppers produced in America were brought to the Ming Dynasty by European traders from the Americas during the Ming Dynasty.
So it’s not unusual for the crew to bring some local produce.
Chen Haizhong was taken to the palace to meet Zhao Zhen. When the sailors got off the ship, someone naturally took him to find a place to live.
As for whether they will visit the prosperous Bianliang brothel next, or enjoy the food and wine, and brag about their overseas experience to others, that is their own business.
Anyway, the sailors must have made a lot of money on this trip, which is probably enough for them to spend their whole life.
Even those who died during the voyage had their widows and family members. It is estimated that this trip to the Song Dynasty will bring in thousands more millionaires.
Soon the group arrived at the palace.
It was noon, and everyone in the Chongzheng Hall had arrived. Zhao Zhen was sitting on the main seat, and the political institutions on both sides had already finished their work.
Under the leadership of Wang Shouzhong, Zhao Jun took Chen Haizhong into the palace.
When he saw the emperor, Chen Haizhong's originally calm face finally showed a touch of excitement. He hurriedly stepped forward and bowed with his hands in hand and said in salute: "I, Chen Haizhong, Supervisor of Mingzhou Shipping Department, have met your Majesty!"
"Chen Qing, get up quickly!"
Zhao Zhen quickly raised his hands to signal him to get up.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Chen Haizhong straightened up.
"Give me a seat!"
Zhao Zhen was loyal to Wang Shouxian.
Wang Shouzhong moved a chair.
Chen Haizhong cupped his hands again and sat down immediately.
"Chen Qing, how are you overseas?"
Zhao Zhen asked curiously.
He has actually seen what America is like.
After all, there are still many American blockbusters in movies.
But he had no idea what North America was like during the Song Dynasty a thousand years ago.
“There are places of desolation and places of abundance.”
Chen Haizhong took out the crumpled map from his arms. This map can be said to be where the wealth and life of everyone on the ship lies.
Although they copied hundreds of copies, with more than ten copies on each ship, this one was the most exquisite and detailed, so it was always kept close to his heart.
He took out the map and unfolded it and said: "Your Majesty, I have been to too many places over the years, and I have seen too many beautiful scenery. I don't know which place is better."
"It doesn't matter, why don't Chen Qing talk about this journey?"
Zhao Zhen said.
After saying that, he asked Wang Shouzhong to move a big table over. Chen Haizhong spread the map on the table, and everyone gathered around to listen to his introduction one by one.
"I went north along the Goryeo Sea, the Bohai Sea, and the East China Sea, and went eastward in the East China Sea, passing through these islands, to the Kamchatka Peninsula recorded on the map, and then continued northward, along the Chukotka Peninsula, and crossed the Bering Islands. Strait, continuing along the coast to America.”
"During this process, I encountered many things, such as the ship ran aground, which delayed the trip. I encountered a storm and lost more than ten ships. I was also attacked by the locals and repelled their attack with difficulty."
"However, I and Brother Zhang overcame all difficulties and continued to march along the map without any slack. Unexpectedly, Brother Zhang had already arrived in North America, but eventually fell ill and died in a foreign land."
"I can only take his bones back with me. After arriving in Mingzhou, I will ask someone to send his ashes back to my hometown in Yueqing."
"I still remember that before Brother Zhang died, he never forgot to entrust me to complete the mission. Therefore, I did not dare to neglect and galloped under the stars, hoping to go to America as soon as possible and get what I needed."
Chen Haizhong sighed: "What makes me feel ashamed is that I originally wanted to go south to South America. However, when I arrived at this place called Portland, I was suddenly attacked by the local indigenous people. I suffered heavy losses and was forced to return, unable to complete my mission. "
Zhao Zhen was also moved and said: "You and Zhang Xianwen are both pillars of the Song Dynasty. When I selected talents, you actively went there, which has proved that you put life and death aside, and you are both good!"
"I failed to go to South America and bring back what the imperial court wanted. Please punish me, Your Majesty!"
Chen Haizhong was quite ashamed.
"The court will not punish you, but will only praise your wisdom and reward your courage!"
Zhao Jun said with relief: "You have accumulated valuable navigation experience for the Song Dynasty. I hope you can write down this journey and compile it into a book."
"Thank you, Zhiyuan, I will do my best."
Chen Haizhong bowed his hand.
Zhao Zhen asked again: "What did you bring back?"
Speaking of this, Chen Haizhong perked up and said: "I have fulfilled my mission. Although I did not bring back the rubber and cinchona trees, I exchanged them with some friendly local indigenous people for silk, fine wine, and porcelain produced in our Song Dynasty." , tea, ironware, and a large amount of gold, silver, corn, sweet potatoes, potatoes, peppers, peanuts and other local vegetable and fruit seeds.”
As he spoke, he still didn't know what to say: "I really don't know where the map of Chiyuan came from. Not only were the locations clearly marked on the map, but also everything that was rich in the area was clearly marked. I didn't know until I went there that it turned out to be what Chiyuan described. Just like him, Zhiyuan is really a god."
"Very good."
Zhao Jun was not in the mood to accept Chen Haizhong's compliments, but became excited.
Rubber and cinchona trees didn't get it though.
But with products such as corn, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and peanuts, it is already very satisfying.
At this time, productivity will be greatly improved, and one can even consider dividing the land into acres, officially allowing the Song Dynasty to enter a period of population explosion.
Then under the questioning of everyone, Chen Haizhong talked about some of his experiences at sea.
His trip to North America was the most dangerous. He had to go through many obstacles along the way, and even ran aground. More than 20 ships were broken and leaking, and he had to dock for more than a year for repairs before he could set off.
It took him more than three years to travel from the Song Dynasty to North America, but he came back much faster. The crew members were eager to return home, and they arrived in just over a year.
If they hadn't consumed a lot of supplies on the road, they would have to find ways to exchange supplies with the locals wherever they went, or fish and hunt on their own to support themselves. I'm afraid they would be back even sooner, at most half a year.
After all, going from the Song Dynasty to North America seems far away. In fact, even if you walk along the coast like this, it is only about 11,000 kilometers. If sailing at full speed, the Song Dynasty ships can travel thirty or forty kilometers per hour, four or five times a day. One hundred kilometers is more than enough.
After eliminating possible risks, in the best case scenario, we can arrive in North America in 20 days.
But it is a pity that this situation only exists in ideals. In reality, they may not be able to save for more than a year. This is also the price that must be paid to open up a new world.
The cost of the Song Dynasty was actually very small and very lucky.
Last month, 302,933 words were updated, at least 8,000 words per day, with an average daily update of 9,770 words. High-intensity updates. I hope I can continue to do so in the new year, and everyone will continue to subscribe! Thank you everyone and Happy New Year everyone!
(End of chapter)
