Sitting on the modified New World, Su Ze closed the book in his hand, stood up and looked at the waves in the distance.
Lin Mojun walked up to him and said, "I asked you to stay in Nanping. If you have to come together, isn't it just a trip to Macau?"
It is now late October, the storm at sea has gradually dissipated, and the busy navigation season has entered again.
This is the first overseas voyage of the New World after completion of repairs, and its destination is Macau, the Portuguese stronghold in East Asia.
For this voyage, Changning Guard can be said to have made sufficient preparations.
Several ships were dismantled and the lower gun decks were replaced with the finest wood so that they could withstand the recoil of the cannon fire.
After Su Ze's design and modification, the New Century has eight cannons on each side of the ship, and one cannon on the bow and stern. This kind of firepower is top-notch in the entire East Asia.
In addition to artillery, a team of fifty gunners was the largest combat force on this trip. In order to carry so many people, Su Ze even carried a lot less cargo.
Alfonso, the former captain of the New World, and Pierre, the ship's priest, were also brought aboard by Su Ze.
Maritime trade has become increasingly busy, and without the "Deer King" to maintain order in the Fujian waters, it has quickly degenerated into the dark forest period of jungle law.
When an armed merchant ship enters the port, it becomes a merchant ship, and when it reaches the sea, it becomes a pirate ship. All of this reminds Su Ze of the big fish eating small fish game on his mobile phone before time travel.
The small fish need to carefully avoid the big fish to avoid being swallowed by the big fish, while the small fish also have to chase smaller fish.
The only good thing is that the New World is currently the largest "fish" in the South China Sea. When all ships see the New World, they keep far away and do not dare to approach.
"If you want to trade, just go to Yuegang. Why go to Macau?"
“Some places have to be seen with one’s own eyes, and some transactions have to be negotiated in person.”
Lin Mojun didn't understand why Su Ze went all the way south to Macau to find some kind of business store owned by Franz Jiren.
But it's not a long distance. With the New World's sailing speed, it only takes seven days to sail from Changningwei to Macau. The sea route is much faster than the land route.
Su Ze also lamented the efficiency of the Age of Discovery. Although it was not comparable to the ability of airplanes to circle the earth in more than ten hours in later generations, maritime navigation did greatly shorten the travel time.
It only takes thirteen days with favorable winds from Macau to Malacca, and it only takes a few months to sail across the ocean. However, the mortality rate on cross-oceanic routes is still very high, and most routes still follow the coastline.
For Lin Mojun, this is also her first time sailing a sailboat to such a distant destination.
The main task of the Coastal Guard is to patrol the sea area. In the past, Changning Guard's blessing ships rarely left Changning Guard too far.
Lin Mojun is new to operating this sailboat. She has a strong learning ability. After studying with Captain Alfonso for a period of time, she has mastered the method of maneuvering this sailboat.
Lin Mojun enjoyed the feeling of sailing on the sea. The only thing that bothered her was Su Ze who insisted on following her.
In Lin Mojun's view, the son of a rich man could not sit down in the palace, and Su Ze, a dignified Jieyuan from Fujian, had no need to go on adventures at sea with her.
From Lin Mojun's point of view, going to sea is something rough people like them do. Every time they go to sea, there are great risks. Even a large ship with sufficient firepower like the New World has no ability to resist the waves at sea.
Fortunately, according to Captain Alfonso's chart, we are approaching Macau soon, and this voyage is finally coming to an end.
Everything else was fine, except that every night when the stars rose, Su Ze would pull Lin Mojun to look at the stars, map the stars, and then calculate the latitude and longitude. It was too annoying. Lin Mojun felt dizzy when he saw these complicated calculations. I don’t know how this guy Su Ze’s brain grew.
Lin Mojun glanced at Su Ze again. A few days ago, he tentatively asked him if he wanted to dock at Quanzhou Port. Su Ze said that he was going to Macau to do business, which made Lin Mojun feel better.
The New World's firepower surpassed the entire South China Sea, and there were only other ships to let him go along the way. Lin Mojun also began to enjoy this voyage.
"Last time you said that the Japanese pirates fighting in Zhejiang belonged to the Bungo daimyo Otomo family. Are these Japanese daimyo the princes entrusted by the Japanese king?"
Su Ze shook his head and said: "It is better to say that it is a military envoy than a prince. The Japanese country is in constant war and all kinds of careerists come to the stage to sing. The Bungo Otomo family is just a powerful daimyo in northern Kyushu."
Lin Mojun asked: "In other words, the one who cooperated with Xu Feng is Bungo Otomo's family?"
Su Ze nodded and said: "The reason why the Japanese pirates have been repeatedly wiped out is that their lairs are overseas."
"The collaborator behind Gomine Captain Wang Zhi is the Shimazu family of the Satsuma clan. This is a daimyo entrenched in southern Kyushu. Kagoshima is also the Satsuma clan's sphere of influence."
"Do you scholars really know some magic? How do you know everything about this thing thousands of miles away?"
Lin Mojun would feel deeply frustrated every time like this. Although Su Ze had never been to the sea at all, he could analyze things at sea very clearly. He even knew the situation of the Japanese country.
I am afraid that the general manager of Fujian was not as knowledgeable about the Japanese as Su Ze.
Su Ze raised the book in his hand and said, "I learned all about it from this book."
Lin Mojun looked over and saw only letters on the book that looked like ghostly drawings. She had seen these characters from Captain Alfonso's logbook and couldn't help but ask: "Isn't this the French script?"
Su Ze nodded and said: "This is a book written by Pinto, a Buddhist adventurer. The name is "Travel Notes". Pinto once took a boat to the Japanese country. He cured Bungo daimyo Otomo Yoshiken's disease. I was treated as a guest by Otomo Yoshiken. He published this book after he returned from Japan. I found this book in Yuegang."
A book written by Folangji and published in Folangji language that introduces the situation of Japan.
Lin Mojun found it even more bizarre that Su Ze actually learned about the situation in Japan thousands of miles away.
"What else does the book say?"
Su Ze opened the page and said:
"The Bungo daimyo was very interested in bird guns and asked Pinto to buy the bird guns. However, during the test firing, the barrel exploded and almost killed Otomo Yoshiken's successor, Otomo Gijin. Pinto was also almost executed by the Japanese. .”
"Then what?"
"Pinto discovered that Otomo Uizhen's injury was not as serious as it seemed. He just broke his thumb. He used egg liquid to save Otomo Uizhen's thumb and his own life."
"After that, the Dayou family purchased bird guns from Pinto and formed a bird gun team."
Lin Mojun was silent. He did not expect that the Japanese country would come into contact with bird guns so early. These famous Japanese people also realized the importance of bird guns and began to purchase bird guns from the Folangji people.
Su Ze closed the book and said: "The Journey was written more than ten years ago, and now the Otomo family has long changed its name. Five years ago, Otomo Yoshiken wanted to make his youngest son his heir in his later years, but Otomo Yoshizaki suppressed him. It was discovered that Otomo's retainer Iruda Yinchei, who supported the younger son, was killed in rebellion, and Otomo Yoshikan also died in the mansion on the second day of the younger son's rebellion."
Lin Mojun covered her mouth and said, "Patricide?"
Su Ze nodded and said: "This kind of thing is not uncommon in the Japanese country. The current governor of the Dayou family should be Dayou Yizhen. He has more contacts with the Folangji people and converted to Catholicism."
"A Japanese military governor converted to Fo Langji's sect?"
Lin Mojun found it very incredible. She was not interested in Father Pierre's theory at all. These missionaries could actually persuade a Japanese famous man to convert.
Su Ze did not underestimate the missionary enthusiasm of the Jesuits in this era.
In the next few decades, the Jesuit missionary work in Japan achieved great development, and even developed hundreds of thousands of believers in Nagasaki. Nagasaki became the most important port for Japan's foreign trade.
The Portuguese managed trade in East Asia through the "big shipowners" and Jesuit leaders elected by the Portuguese in Macau.
The Portuguese stayed in Macau and refused to leave, just to trade with the Japanese.
From Captain Alfonso's mouth, Su Ze learned that the upper class of Japan had a great demand for silk from the Ming Dynasty, and almost all the upper class of Japan were proud to wear silk.
If you transport silk from the Ming Dynasty to Japan, you can earn nearly ten times the profit!
With the mining of the Iwami silver mine, there was also a lot of silver on the Japanese market. Whether this silver was transported back to the mainland in the Ming Dynasty, it could make a lot of money.
Now Macau has established routes to Nagasaki and other Japanese cities.
"Ship! Big ship!"
The lookout shouted, and Su Ze immediately took out his binoculars and saw a huge merchant ship docked on the sea not far from the shore.
Lin Mojun also picked up the telescope. The displacement of the New World has reached 200 tons, but it is still nothing compared to the big ship in front of him. This huge merchant ship is still under construction, but judging from the size of the deck, , the displacement of this ship must be more than 500 tons.
Lin Mojun was completely shocked.
Captain Alfonso pointed into the distance and said: "Langbai Ao has arrived!"
"Langbai'ao? Aren't we going to Macau?" Lin Mojun asked.
Su Ze said: "Currently, the Guangdong Haidao Yamen only allows the Folangji people to dry their goods in Macau, and they are not allowed to stay on the island at night. The Folangji people basically live on Langbai'ao Island outside the sea."
Su Ze knew that a few years later, the Portuguese provided the Guangdong Haidao Yamen with a rent of five hundred taels per year. This rent was not turned over and was called "Haidao Bribery." Guangdong Haidao Yamen then relaxed its policy on them. control, allowing them to land in Macau overnight.
"What is this big ship?" Lin Mojun asked.
Captain Alfonso proudly said: "This is the 'Far East' that the Governor of Goa recruited all the shipbuilders in the Far East and built it in Langbaiao. Once this ship is completed, it will be the largest merchant ship in the Far East. The owner specially used this merchant ship to trade with the Japanese!"
"Who is the big shipowner?"
Su Ze explained: "All businessmen in Macau who go to Japan to do business will vote for a general contractor responsible for the business. This businessman is the big shipowner. The big shipowner monopolizes the trade routes from Macau to Japan. He only needs Provide dividends to other merchants, and other Franconian merchants are not allowed to trade privately with Japan without the prohibition of the big shipowners."
Lin Mojun asked doubtfully: "Is this useful?"
Captain Alfonso lowered his head, and Su Ze said with a smile: "Of course it's useless. The Ming Dynasty still banned the sea. The big shipowners only monopolized a few ports in Langbaisha and Japan, but this is enough to make huge profits."
Lin Mojun nodded. She looked at the "Far East" that was being built. She really couldn't understand that the Guangdong Haidao Yamen allowed the Folangji people to build such a large ship in Langbai'ao.
You must know that although Langbai'ao is an island in the open sea, it is actually not far from the Pearl River Estuary. Fishermen in Zhongshan County only need to use small fishing boats to sail to Langbai'ao and trade directly with the Folangji people.
If Fujian smuggling is still a bit of a cover-up, merchant ships from Zhangzhou Yuegang also have to enter the river from Haikou for trade.
When it comes to Guangdong's maritime smuggling trade, it is already blatant.
Before he even got close to Langbaiao, Su Ze saw ships flying various flags docking at the port for trading.
Su Ze even saw some small sampans and canoes paddling to Langbai'ao, bringing food and various handicrafts to the island.
Lin Mojun was also shocked and asked: "Don't the Guangdong Haidao Yamen care?"
Su Ze lowered his head and said, "Whatever, didn't you see that those Guangzhou ships are just here to collect taxes?"
Lin Mojun raised his head, and sure enough he saw several Ming Dynasty navy ships heading towards the New World.
"Let Captain Alfonso negotiate with them. Let's get down to the cabin first."
Although it was normal for a Ming Dynasty face to appear on Fo Langjiren's ship, Su Ze still acted on the principle of caution and pulled Lin Mojun out of the cabin.
Seeing such a huge merchant ship like the New World, the Guangzhou ship of the Ming Dynasty did not get too close. Only a small flagman rowed a small boat and slowly approached.
Seeing the black gun muzzle on the New World, the flagman was also very careful. He didn't even count the cargo after boarding the New World. He just collected some symbolic shipping tax and asked his men to row away immediately.
"Guangdong's coastal defense is so lax?"
Su Ze smiled bitterly and said: "The great maritime victory in Guangdong a few months ago was caused by the Japanese pirates hired by the Guangdong Haidao Yamen to repel the Japanese pirates. Let alone the Guangdong Haidao Yamen, aren't we in Fujian also suppressed by you and dare not go to sea? "
Thinking of his colleagues' crotch-stretching performance, Lin Mojun nodded. After communicating with Captain Alfonso, Lin Mojun also understood the vastness of the entire maritime world.
Langbaiao cannot even be regarded as the center of the Folangji people in East Asia. It is said that the Folangji people have a larger port in Malacca, let alone the city of Goa where the Folangji Governor of the Far East is stationed.
"Are you here in person just to buy cannons from the Folangji people?"
Su Ze shook his head and said, "Buying cannons is one thing, but I'm here for a bigger deal this time."
"What deal?"
"Buy ambergris."
new volume
I checked a lot of information here
I couldn't find a Chinese version of Pinto's "A Voyage" and only read a part of the summary.
Foreshadowing for the new volume, please vote for me.
(End of chapter)
