"Is there anything faster?" Liu Renyuan could hardly believe it.
Liang Renfang nodded and said: "Just now, the Marquis told me about a brand new ship type. This ship uses a dump-type hull, and the bow and stern are also modified. The maneuverability is worse, but the sailing speed is higher. It continues unabated.”
Liu Renyuan was completely impressed by Fang Jun.
Fang Jun was right when he said that he was the weakest when it came to leading troops in battle. Not only was he not as good as Su Dingfang, but he and Liu Rengui were also better than him, but he knew how to make equipment! This kind of warship goes to the battlefield and is equipped with artillery that can kill enemies from a hundred feet away. What kind of tactical and military formations are needed?
Just crush it!
Things like fighting seem to become very relaxed and comfortable in Fang Jun's hands...
Fang Jun looked out the window at the river bank, feeling very touched in his heart.
Galen boats are flexible and have better maneuverability. They have a relatively long and narrow shape, fast speed, and excellent maneuverability in headwinds. At that time, the majestic "Carrack" type sailing ship of the Spanish Empire Armada was defeated in the naval battle by the British fleet mainly composed of the smaller tonnage "Galen" type sailing warships due to poor maneuverability. This marked the beginning of Spain's The Decline of Maritime Power and the Rise of the British Empire.
The clipper sailboat is more suitable for ocean sailing. This type of ship has relatively small freeboard and less superstructure, which not only improves the stability of the ship, but also can give full play to the role of the sail. The ship sails almost close to the water. The length-to-width ratio is generally greater than six to one. The ship shape is long and thin, with a sharp and protruding front end. The speed is fast but the tonnage is not large.
Its underwater shape is designed to minimize resistance in order to increase the speed, but maintain a certain lateral resistance profile, resulting in a particularly beautiful waterline. There is even a concave surface on the bow waterline, and a long and sharp curved scissor-shaped bow column. A posture suitable for racing. It can advance through waves to reduce wave resistance, just like scissors cutting the waves, so it is called flying shear.
Two of the most classic ship types in the history of world sailing were "plagiarized" by themselves and brought to the Tang Dynasty and the Far East. I wonder what the Spanish Armada and the British fleet will use to establish hegemony across the ocean in the future?
Fang Jun had an inexplicable sense of accomplishment.
I am not an inventor, I am just a porter of black technology...
After leaving the Yangtze River Estuary and sailing along the long coastline, the stability of Galen's ship became increasingly prominent. Unlike the Five-Tooth Battleship, which would be bumpy and capsized at the slightest wave, the bow of the Galen Ship broke through the waves, and a large part of the long and narrow hull was below the waterline, which could bring maximum stability to the hull.
The wind on the sea was strong, and the sail was so bulging that it was about to burst. The sufficient kinetic energy propelled the sailboat forward quickly, as if the wind was speeding!
Liu Renyuan and Xi Junmai jumped up to the observation deck and wandered on the blue sea facing the salty sea breeze, feeling the pleasure brought by unprecedented speed!
Fang Jun frowned, pointed at the piles of thick smoke rising by the coast, and asked Pei Xingjian next to him: "Is that boiled salt?"
Pei Xingjian has now almost become Fang Jun's long history. All internal affairs must be handled by his hands, and he seems to be more interested in political affairs than the military. He knows that this is a rare opportunity to train himself, and he will not complain or complain. Tired, work hard without complaint.
Hearing this, Pei Xingjian nodded and said, "Yes, Wu County has been famous for cooking salt since ancient times. Even every family in Wuyuan Town makes a living by cooking salt." He pointed to the endless rolling reeds behind the coastline and said, "Here They are all saline-alkali land and swamps, and it is difficult for trees to grow, so these reeds are the fuel for boiling salt. Seawater is inexhaustible and can be boiled into salt anytime and anywhere, but fuel is scarce. Reeds are flammable but not durable, and they do not have enough firepower. The reeds are hard, so boiling salt requires a large amount of reeds. The reeds in front of them have long been occupied by major families, and they even sent their own dead warriors to guard them. Others are absolutely not allowed to get involved. From time to time, families in Jiangdong have disputes over cutting down reeds. When fights break out across boundaries, lives are often lost.”
Fang Jun asked curiously: "This should be the area of Huating Town, right?"
Pei Xingjian naturally knew what Fang Jun was thinking, and said with a wry smile: "That's useless. Your predecessor, Yang Xiuwu, has rented these reed marshes to various aristocratic families. I have seen the accounts of Huating Town, and it is written in the contract The rent is for thirty years. Guess how much it cost in total? Three hundred guan, haha..."
Fang Jun felt angry in his heart.
This is my territory. If ordinary people just make a living by cutting reeds and boiling salt, why do those aristocratic families occupy this place to take advantage of me?
"Hmph, how can we allow those aristocratic families to run wild in my place?"
Pei Xingjian was startled. He had such a bad temper as the general manager, so he quickly dissuaded him: "General manager, you are not afraid of trouble. Most of the Jiangdong nobles regard salt cooking as the focus of the family. Selling salt and sea trade have always been the focus of the family." The main business of the Jiangnan gentry is relatively speaking. Although they regard land as their foundation, they will never give up the huge profits from boiling salt and sea trade. Now that you are about to build a shipping company, it is equivalent to cutting off the sea trade business of the Jiangdong gentry. , if you come up with the idea of boiling salt again, these Jiangdong nobles won’t be able to fight you even if they don’t!”
The Shibosi is equivalent to cutting off a leg of the Jiangdong nobles, forcing them to either join the Shibosi and let the court collect taxes obediently, or engage in smuggling secretly. With the profit from boiling salt, they could still endure it. But if even the boiling salt is broken, it is equivalent to cutting off both legs of the person, and there is no way to survive!
Wouldn't it force the Jiangdong nobles to take desperate risks and cause big troubles?
Even though the emperor is now completely obedient to Fang Jun, if Jiangnan is made into a mess or even a war, it will definitely not make it easy for Fang Jun!
Fang Jun chuckled and said casually: "Do you think I will forcefully take back these reed marshes? No, no, no, there is no need. I can make these reed marshes completely useless with just a few tricks."
"hehe……"
Pei Xingjian laughed dryly and curled his lips secretly...
Without the violence of sea trade, boiled salt would be the last piece of fat in the mouths of the Jiangdong gentry. They are accustomed to living a luxurious life of fine clothes, fine food, fine food and fine wine. How can those gentry masters and children of aristocratic families who claim to be "heirlooms of farming and studying" can bear it? Just living off the little output from the fields?
Pei Xingjian firmly believed that whoever dared to touch these reeds would cut off the salt-making foundation of the Jiangdong gentry, and the Jiangdong gentry would fight to the death!
Not even the emperor can!
Fang Jun looked at Pei Xingjian with a smile: "What, don't believe me? Do you want to make a bet?"
Pei Xingjian looked at Liu Renyuan who had just lost completely, his face stiffened, and he quickly shook his head and said: "You are the chief manager, you will do what you say, and I will not gamble in the end."
Fang Jun was quite disappointed and said displeasedly: "Tell me, where are the children of aristocratic families like you? Whoring, gambling, fighting, and walking dogs are simply embarrassing the Pei family in Hedong! If your ancestors knew the Pei family under the Quanxia If you have an unworthy descendant like you, I can scold you in my dreams every night! You have no future!"
After saying that, he got into the cabin with his hands behind his back.
Pei Xingjian was left gritting his teeth in anger...
With a member of a noble family, you have to go whoring and gambling to the point where you know how to fight and walk your dog?
This is simply unreasonable!
Fang Jun returned to the cabin and saw Zheng Kunchang dozing against the wall. He couldn't help but sigh: "Tell me, why are you running around at such an old age? You just stay in Laizhou with this old body. My hometown enjoys peace and happiness, but do you think you have a long life?"
Zheng Kunchang opened his eyes, smiled bitterly, sat up straight and said, "The unpaid debt to my children..."
"Ouch? This is another story. Come on, come on, tell me what unhappy things you always have, so that I can be happy..." Fang Jun walked to Zheng Kunchang's side with a smile.
Zheng Kunchang was so angry that his eyes widened when he heard this: "How can your noble Lord be so lazy?"
Fang Jun didn't take it seriously. He poured two cups of tea himself and handed one to Zheng Kunchang.
He still has a good impression of this old man. If there is really any difficulty, I will do my best to help.
Zheng Kunchang naturally knew that since Fang Jun was willing to listen to him, it meant that he was willing to help, and he was grateful. However, as he spoke, he said: "His Majesty plans to appoint Zhang Liang as the deputy general manager of the Canghaidao March. Has the chief general heard about it?" ?”
