Quanzhou Shipyard may not be the largest shipyard in the Song Dynasty, but it is definitely the largest shipyard in the Song Dynasty for building sea-going ships.
Standing in front of the huge finished and semi-finished warships, Zhao Hong felt like an ant under the feet of an elephant, extremely small.
When these big ships are in the vast sea, they seem so small.
"Zhao Qing, Wu Qing, it is urgent for the imperial court to vigorously develop the navy. In your opinion, how many ships with 1,500 materials can be built in the Song Dynasty in one year? How many warships with 3,000 materials can be built in one year?"
Zhao Hong frowned and asked thoughtfully.
He went south from the coastal road in eastern Zhejiang. The water villages along the southeast coast were in poor military condition and were in need of improvement. This also verified his need to establish a naval academy and reorganize the navy.
1500 materials, with a displacement of about 500 tons, which is similar in size to the main warships in the later Age of Discovery, and should be suitable for the needs of naval battles in this era.
As for the 3,000-material warship, it can be used to replenish the navy in small quantities. Firstly, it is needed for combat power, and secondly, it is purely for deterrence.
"Your Majesty, just in Quanzhou and Guangzhou, warships with 1,500 materials can build around 200 ships. As for sea-going ships with 3,000 materials, 50-60 ships a year should not be a big problem."
As the coastal system envoy of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Shanxiang was quite familiar with these basic operations.
"Your Majesty, the maritime power of the Jinmen and Tatars is insignificant. The number of warships must be based on their capabilities. Moreover, the expansion of the navy will require the recruitment of a large number of sailors and several years of training."
Wu Qian bit the bullet and tried to dissuade Zhao Hong from his impatience.
Zhao Hong nodded slightly, feeling proud in his heart.
The sea-going ships built in Fujian and Guangdong were very durable and were the first choice for sea-going ships during the Song Dynasty. During the Southern Song Dynasty, ships built in the Song Dynasty were used all over the world, so quality was naturally not an issue.
Across the ocean, Song Dynasty has complete hardware facilities, but it depends on the software.
"Wu Qian, do you think I only want to go north and not south?"
Zhao Hong told the truth and didn't mince words at all.
"Next year, I will send 3,000 naval officers and more than a dozen warships to Champa. This is the first step. Therefore, sailors, you must train for me!"
As Zhao Hong spoke, he looked at the huge warship and hesitated again.
Starting next year, perhaps starting this winter, he is preparing to start the development of steam engines. With the efforts of the whole country, if the steam engine succeeds in advance and is used in new warships, will the warships mass-produced in recent years be a waste?
Whoever controls the oceans controls world trade and, by extension, world wealth.
This sentence came to Zhao Hong's mind unconsciously.
"Your Majesty, the Coastal Warfare Department is recruiting sailors. By the beginning of next year, about 20,000 navy officers will be trained and ready to be dispatched by your majesty. If your majesty wants to deploy the navy overseas, it will be necessary to continue to build warships equipped with artillery. Just to occupy the city with 3,000 soldiers and 1,500 men, there will be more than ten or twenty warships. If you include Liuqiu and newly built warships, you will need at least two hundred large and small warships."
Zhao Shanxiang was thinking and interjected.
The Coastal Warfare Department alone has 20,000 sailors and hundreds of warships. Not to mention what is needed for Liuqiu and Champa.
"Qing Zhao, I will issue a decree to Fujian and Guangdong, asking them to build 100 sea-going ships with a cost of 1,500 materials each year, and 30 sea-going ships with a cost of 3,000 materials. The Coastal Construction Department will send special personnel to check from time to time."
200 warships with a cost of 1,500 materials and 60 sea-going ships with a cost of 3,000 materials would not be difficult for Fujian and Guangdong.
At this time, Zhao Hong's mind was completely awake.
To become a maritime power and to obtain freedom of movement at sea, four conditions must be met:
1. As a commodity-exporting country, it must produce enough products for export and commodity exchange.
2. Must have a transport vessel as a maritime means of transportation.
In other words, even if these warships currently produced cannot be adapted to ocean warfare, they can still be used as merchant ships to travel across the seas.
3. Must occupy colonies and bases that can protect and develop overseas trade and obtain huge benefits.
4. Must have a strong navy to protect overseas territories and lines of communication with home bases.
These are the four golden rules of later generations' "On Sea Power". Zhao Hong secretly rejoiced that the books he read were too complicated, and sometimes they were beneficial.
The four major laws require the Song Dynasty to vigorously develop industrial production and occupy the global market with its own products.
This also meant that the Song Dynasty not only needed warships, but also a large number of merchant ships.
However, most of the territory of the Song Dynasty was occupied, and the border defense was in danger. Where could the colonies come from? It seems necessary to occupy those unclaimed lands.
Australia, Southeast Asia, Africa, South America, North America...
And the Song Dynasty must have a powerful ocean-going navy.
"Your Majesty means to build 260 sea-going ships every year!"
Zhao Shanxiang was shocked and opened his eyes unconsciously.
"Your Majesty, as a result, the shipyards along the coast and the Jiangnan Arms Manufacturing Branch will be busy! But are there too many sea-going ships?"
Wu Qian's heart was beating wildly and his eyes were wide open.
In less than five years, the Song Dynasty would have thousands of ships at sea. The number of sea-going ships has increased, but what is the use of so many sea-going ships?
A 1,500-ton warship carries 40 artillery pieces, which is thousands of artillery pieces every year, not including ammunition.
If you add river boats...
The emperor preached every day that the Tatar army was invincible. Could it be that building so many warships was for the purpose of escaping south in the future?
"When they get busy, the expansion of the Song Dynasty can be guaranteed! As for whether it is too much, time will always prove it."
Zhao Hong laughed, not without pride.
"Zhao Qing, Wei Qing, I plan to reduce export tariffs by 30 to 40%. What do you think?"
Just as Chinese manufacturing became popular around the world in later generations, the world during the Southern Song Dynasty also used Southern Song Dynasty ships. The development of the shipbuilding industry in the Southern Song Dynasty can be seen.
The shipbuilding industry in the Southern Song Dynasty was developed, and watertight cabin technology ensured the quality of ships; due to the widespread use of compasses, the long-distance navigation capabilities of merchant ships in the Southern Song Dynasty were greatly enhanced, and private maritime trade developed greatly with the encouragement of the Southern Song Dynasty.
In order to prevent the outflow of coins, in the twelfth year of Jiading (1219), the Southern Song Dynasty court ordered silk and porcelain to be exchanged for foreign imports. In this way, the amount of Chinese silk and porcelain spread to the outside world increased day by day, and the scope expanded. More than 50 countries, including Japan, Goryeo, Boni, and Dashi, were all trading countries in the Southern Song Dynasty, and the farthest places could even reach Africa.
Therefore, it is not unreasonable to call the trade route of the Song Dynasty the Maritime Silk Road.
"Export tariffs reduced by 30 to 40%!"
Zhao Shanxiang and Wei Liaowen were both surprised.
"Your Majesty, if this happens, won't the royal court's taxes be greatly reduced?"
Zhao Shanxiang asked suspiciously.
Overseas trade in the Song Dynasty was divided into two modes: government management and private business management, of which private foreign trade accounted for the bulk. If the tariff is reduced by 30 to 40%, it will be at least one million dollars per year.
"Of the major exports of porcelain, silk, tea, and fabrics, more than half are produced by the imperial court. Lower export tariffs and sell more, and taxes will naturally rise. Not to mention soaps, soaps, swords, etc. produced by the imperial court Opening up overseas markets for goods and lowering tariffs will greatly stimulate exports."
During the Song Dynasty, silk production and manufacturing in Europe had initially taken shape. The demand for Chinese silk was declining year by year. However, because the quality and craftsmanship of European silk were not as good as those of the Song Dynasty, although the silk exports of the Song Dynasty declined, they could still occupy the high-end market. .
The second is porcelain. Sea voyages require a large amount of cargo ballast, and porcelain is no more suitable. Longquan and Jingdezhen, near the ports, became important porcelain towns. Longquan celadon was sold to Southeast Asia, while Jingdezhen celadon was mostly sold to Islamic regions. Due to the natural advantages of porcelain, it surpassed silk and became the protagonist of the Maritime Silk Road.
As for tea, it is mainly exported to Japan and Korea, and a small amount has been sold overseas. As for Chinese tea becoming popular in Europe, it started after the Age of Discovery and the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.
If porcelain and tea can be sold in large quantities to Europe in this era, the profits can be expected.
Coupled with the glass, bone china, blue and white porcelain and other products being developed by the imperial court, once they are launched, it is urgent to occupy the overseas market.
"Do you know how many industries can be driven by the production of sea-going ships? How many jobs can be created?"
Looking at the artillery beside the warship in front of him, Zhao Hong suddenly asked.
A shipbuilding industry, coupled with a firearms manufacturing industry, the various industries it drives, as well as the number of employees involved, are probably astronomical.
He looks forward to the export and import driven by the shipbuilding industry, the so-called open sea and rich country.
Most importantly, the huge benefits generated from overseas colonization are immeasurable.
"Your Majesty, just a cast cannon, iron ore, coal mine, copper mine, lead mine, sulfur mine, etc., transported, iron smelted and cast along the way, eating, drinking and sleeping, it's hard to estimate."
Wu Qian shook his head and spoke with some thought.
Among other things, iron smelting requires coal mines, and just one coal mining operation requires many related personnel.
"Your Majesty, just a few shipyards in Fujian already have more than 3,000 craftsmen, and together with the helpers, there are no less than 10,000 people. Tens of thousands of people means tens of thousands of households, with a total of 30,000 to 40,000 people. As for the needs of wood cutting, transshipment, and shipbuilding nails, paint, etc. After all, at least 60,000 to 70,000 people are needed.”
Zhao Shanxiang took a guess and said it.
There were shipyards and shipyards in many places during the Song Dynasty, especially Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Mingzhou, Wenzhou and Hangzhou on the southeast coast. They were important bases for manufacturing sea-going ships. There were not only official shipyards but also private shipyards. Even many of the ships that go out to sea are civilian ships, and shipbuilding and ship repair have already used shipyards and used slipway launching methods.
The combined government and private sector builds three to four thousand ships every year, and there are hundreds of thousands of people working on ships. It is definitely a big industry.
"That's right. If export tariffs are lowered, more businessmen will engage in exports, stimulate more exports of goods, and the production of sea-going ships and various items such as artillery and ironware will flourish, forming a virtuous cycle."
Zhao Hong kept talking, saliva flying everywhere.
"From iron ore and coal mines, to swords and plows, iron pots and shovels, etc., in the end, they are not sold. This cycle often repeats. If the products are only sold domestically, this is just an internal cause, and the people can barely eat enough. That’s all. If the Song Dynasty wanted to be strong and prosperous, and the people wanted to live a good life, the Song Dynasty had to produce more and better products, not only to sell domestically, but also to sell abroad. Only by prospering all industries can we achieve the goal of enriching the country and strengthening the military. Purpose."
Whether it is the navy or the army, the expansion of territory and overseas colonization are just to grab from outside and continuously nourish the Song Dynasty.
Like most of the scholar-bureaucrats in the Song Dynasty, if they stick to the rules and do not think about progress, they only care about their personal interests and only want to extract from the people, it will really bring disaster to the country and the people.
Since the Ming Dynasty, the Chinese people's carelessness and slackness in overseas development made Zhao Hong very helpless.
Sail was not allowed to go to sea and the country was closed to the outside world. It missed the great era of navigation and the opportunity for the rise of the Chinese nation.
And the shame and bitter consequences this brings will only be endured by future generations.
