The next day, Yang Fan called Xue Rengui and Su Dingfang.
Since he promised his women to see the super battleship they exchanged, of course he had to make some preparations.
Xue Rengui has been in Jiangnan for the past two years and is familiar with the nearby waters. Yang Fan wants him to protect this trip to the sea, and Su Dingfang is an excellent commander.
Xue Rengui heard that Yang Fan was looking for him, so he came over early to meet him. When he arrived at the Metropolitan Governor, he happened to meet Su Dingfang.
The two of them entered the study room under the guidance of their servants, and saw Yang Fan handing over a stack of paper from the desk.
Well?
It seems to be the blueprints and data of the ship. Could it be that the Grand Governor has designed a new ship?
Xue Rengui was immediately excited and took it respectfully with trembling hands.
As the actual person in charge of the navy, he naturally hopes that the ships will be as advanced as possible.
Some time ago, he commanded four warships to go to Fuso Kingdom, which made him obsessed with the thrill of riding the wind and waves on the sea.
Xue Rengui and Su Dingfang came together, heads next to each other, looking at the drawings and data in their hands. They couldn't believe their eyes.
The data of this battleship is really amazing.
Not only was it more than twice as long as the warships built in Jiangnan, but it also had forts and other things that transcended the times.
More important is the speed of the ship and the number of crew members.
It actually reached a sailing speed of nearly 300 miles an hour, and required more than 2,000 crew members.
Nimei.
What the hell is this?
Xue Rengui and Su Dingfang were confused.
Who can believe that it takes so many people to pilot a ship?
I don't blame these two for being rare and strange. It's really that the battleships exchanged by Yang Fan are too advanced for this era.
For safety, Yang Fan directly exchanged for a huge battleship that only appeared during World War II in his previous life.
You must know that the largest battleship is equivalent to a medium-sized aircraft carrier.
Xue Rengui and Su Dingfang naturally couldn't understand such a behemoth, so they were so surprised.
"Is there any problem in commanding such a warship?" Yang Fan asked after seeing the two of them read the drawings.
"What do you mean by the Governor, the ship has been built?" Xue Rengui and Su Dingfang looked at each other and took a breath of cold air.
This Grand Governor is too mysterious. When did he build such a large battleship?
Seeing the shocked expressions of the two of them, Yang Fan smiled bitterly, but did not explain.
After all, he would not reveal the golden finger of the system to anyone.
What's more, in order to exchange for this battleship, Yang Fan spent a full two hundred thousand taels of gold, almost depleting all the gold he had accumulated in the past few years.
"Yes, this ship has been built. The last time we selected literate crew members for training was to learn to drive this ship..." Yang Fan thought for a while and nodded.
As if there was something missing, Yang Fan said again: "This ship is still missing a commander, so I want you two to give it a try. I wonder if you dare to go to Ryukyu Island together..."
Although the ship is very advanced and there is almost no risk of capsizing, Yang Fan is still worried.
It's okay for him to say that if there is something wrong with a few women, he will blame himself to death!
Yang Fan really wanted to take a look at this treasure island in his previous life.
Of course, in addition to traveling with the girls this time, it also happened to allow the aristocratic families in Jiangnan to see their own strength.
"The Governor wants to bring people on board, and there are tens of thousands of people..." Xue Rengui's eyes were as wide as bells, thinking that he was hallucinating.
If you just go for a trial voyage, there will be no problem at all.
It would be really difficult to bring so many people.
After all, what if these people rebelled on the ship?
Of course, Su Dingfang also thought about this problem and asked: "The Governor called us not only because there is no one to command the ship, but also how to ensure safety..."
Yang Fan slapped his thigh and gave Su Dingfang a thumbs up: "Yes, in addition to needing the two of you to ensure the safety of the voyage, it is also necessary to clear out the pirates and scare the Jiangnan family again..."
Xue Rengui scratched his head and subconsciously looked at each other with Su Dingfang, both of whom were a little shocked.
Unexpectedly, it turned out to be three eagles with one shot!
No wonder we brought so many people with us this time and it was so grand.
Once the pirates receive the news, why don't they come out to attack collectively?
It is indeed possible to annihilate the surrounding pirates in one fell swoop!
Xue Rengui sighed: "Grand Governor, this plan is so good, it is simply beyond the imagination of anyone!"
Yang Fan's face turned a little dark.
That's right, you are not a human being!
However, Xue Rengui, a bastard, has long been in a difficult situation. He has not read many books and it is understandable that he does not know how to turn around when speaking.
After all, you can tell from the tone that he is complimenting you!
"Okay, you hurry up and get familiar with the ship. In addition, get the other four warships ready. They are responsible for receiving and covering."
Safety is the top priority. Whether the pirates can be eliminated and the family can be frightened is another matter.
"No!" Su Dingfang and Xue Rengui nodded, indicating that they understood.
Just at this moment, Li Tai wandered in from the door.
Since arriving at the Governor's Mansion, this guy has wandered everywhere except the backyard, coming in and out at will. He really regards this place as his own home.
Seeing the drawings and materials in the hands of Su Dingfang and Xue Rengui, they grabbed them and looked through them one by one.
Su Dingfang and Xue Rengui blushed, feeling extremely unhappy, but they did not dare to turn their backs.
Who let me be a prince?
What's more, their own governor didn't respond, what could they do?
"Eh...is this the Princess of Gaoyang that you mentioned?"
I have to say that Li Tai is really well-informed and can actually understand the drawings. He deserves to be known as a genius in history.
Seeing that Yang Fan didn't answer, Li Tai looked at Yang Fan with a strange expression and raised the drawing in his hand: "Brother-in-law, your ship is made entirely of stainless steel and is so big. How can it sail on the sea?" Well, you can also deceive Sister Gao Yang and the others?"
Yang Fan answered him lazily: "What does it have to do with you whether you can sail?"
"Oops, brother-in-law is angry..." Li Tai laughed heartily and gasped: "Do you think the bigger the ship, the more people it can hold?"
Yang Fan raised his eyebrows: "Isn't it?"
"Oh, I really laughed to death..."
Li Tai finally stopped laughing, pointed at Yang Fan and said, "Have you lost your mind? Such a big ship is so heavy. You can't even row it with 10,000 people on it, right? Could it be that your ship is so big and heavy?" Is it for viewing?”
It cannot be said that Li Tai has little talent and knowledge, it can only be said that he has little knowledge. After all, this is the generation gap of the times.
At this time, the power of ships still relied on people, and an inherent impression was formed in the minds of the ancients.
The warship Xue Rengui was responsible for manufacturing was strictly kept secret. Of course, others did not know the existence of the engine.
In comparison, Li Tai said it was good.
When Yang Fan gave Xue Rengui the design drawing, Xue Rengui almost dropped his jaw.
Looking at the arrogant Li Tai, Yang Fan rolled his eyes and said, "Since His Highness thinks this ship cannot sail, how about we make a bet?"
"How to bet?"
"Let's bet on whether the Princess Goyang can carry more than 10,000 people safely to and from Ryukyu Island. If it can, of course someone will win. If it can't, then His Highness will win. How about that?"
"What bet?"
Yang Fan smiled and said: "Although money is a vulgar thing, it is really attractive to people. Why don't we bet 50,000 yuan? What do you think, Your Highness?"
Hearing this, Li Tai secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Fifty thousand guan is an astronomical figure for ordinary people, but for him, the King of Wei, it is definitely not much.
But would Yang Fan be so kind?
Li Tai rolled his eyes and said with a smile: "Then we need to add some bonuses, otherwise it will be very boring?"
"Oh, His Highness wants to add as much as he wants, so and so will follow." Yang Fan's smile became even brighter. Who would think it was less if someone gave him money?
Seeing this, Li Tai stared at Yang Fan with a wary face and hesitated: "Well...ahem, using our relationship to add money to hurt feelings, it's better to do this. The bet is still 50,000 yuan. In addition, whoever loses will pay to the other party." I wonder if my brother-in-law would dare to admit his mistake?"
Li Tai was so frightened that he broke into a cold sweat. Only then did he remember that this brother-in-law had never lost in a gambling battle.
Even no one in Chang'an City dared to engage in a gambling fight with Yang Fan.
After arriving in Jiangnan, it seems that I have relaxed!
Thinking of this, Li Tai quickly changed his mind.
What is face?
If he loses another tens of thousands of coins, that would be a large sum of money, enough for him to attract many talents!
"It's a deal! In seven days, we will set off from the Huating County Pier for a trial voyage!"
"Okay, but I need fifty places to board the ship..."
"OK!"
Hearing Yang Fan's promise, Li Tai high-fived Yang Fan and agreed, and walked out happily.
Yang Fan looked at Li Tai's retreating figure, feeling a little strange.
Why did this guy suddenly change his mind just now? Could he see the difference between battleships and ships of this era?
No matter, fifty thousand guan is a lot.
Yang Fan raised his head and said to Su Dingfang and Xue Rengui: "You two have also seen it, 50,000 yuan, don't make any mistakes. What I need is safety. If you win, all the money will be given to everyone as a reward. If something goes wrong and you lose, I will deduct your salary to pay off the debt!"
"No!" Of course Su Dingfang and Xue Rengui knew Yang Fan was joking.
However, I secretly felt that I must be familiar with the operation of the Gaoyang Princess in the past few days.
It can be seen that the Chief Governor of my family is quite at odds with His Highness the King of Wei. He must not let his Chief Governor lose his face in front of the King of Wei!
…
Li Tai, on his side, returned to the wing excitedly, called his cronies, quickly wrote a bunch of invitations, and ordered: "Send out these invitations quickly and deliver them all to the master. If they are not delivered, You look good!"
"No!" The confidant carefully took the invitation and ran out.
Li Tai touched Rourou's chin and smiled proudly.
Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, do you think you are certain to win? You tricked me, Li Tai?
This actually made me, Li Tai, make a fortune.
It turned out that Li Tai had been wary of Yang Fan's evil smile since he secretly saw it.
Although he still did not believe that the Gaoyang Princess could sail freely, he thought of a way to ensure a win-selling tickets.
This is why Li Tai asked Yang Fan for 50 spots on the ship.
The invitations just sent out were to the wealthy families in the south of the Yangtze River.
In his opinion, with his reputation as King of Wei and the opportunity to ride on the largest ship in the Tang Dynasty, 5,000 yuan per ticket is not expensive!
Who can His Highness the King of Wei invite without giving face?
Not to mention whether the money is worth it, how could the wealthy Jiangnan family let go of this opportunity to make friends with His Highness the King of Wei?
Who doesn't know that His Royal Highness the King of Wei is a popular candidate for the position of crown prince?
Showing your face in front of His Majesty the King of Wei at this time is much more effective than flattering someone after he becomes the emperor.
Everyone is seeking profit, and there is nothing wrong with that.
In just one day, news spread throughout the south of the Yangtze River that Wei King Li Tai was selling a ship ticket for 5,000 yuan.
There was a lot of discussion in the streets and alleys, and everyone was curious about the huge sea ship Yang Fan mentioned.
How big would it be if it could hold tens of thousands of people?
The people are all waiting for the arrival of Yang Fan's trial voyage. Even if there is no chance to board the ship, it is okay to go to the dock to have a look.
After hearing this, Yang Fan was quite depressed.
He made a bet with Li Tai, and his original intention was to kill this brother-in-law's majesty. If this guy couldn't get the money, he would be kicked out of the Governor's Mansion.
But who knew that not only was Li Tai not deceived, but he also set up a trap to trap the wealthy Jiangnan family.
This guy is so weird!
A boat ticket costs 5,000 yuan, and 50 tickets are equivalent to 250,000 yuan. In this way, Li Tai is guaranteed to make a profit without losing any money.
If the bet loses, Li Tai will at most pay 50,000 yuan from the tickets he sold.
If he wins, it will be a one-time income of 300,000 yuan...
Even Li Er would not give so much money to the Wei Palace in a year.
Regardless of victory or defeat, Li Tai is destined to make a fortune.
This guy is so treacherous!
He originally thought he could trick Li Tai, but he was taken advantage of by Li Tai instead. Yang Fan suddenly felt unwilling.
It's just that he is a little curious. Isn't Li Tai afraid that if his trial voyage fails, the wealthy people in Jiangnan will think that he, Li Tai, is using his status to make money?
It is undeniable that Li Tai was able to leave such a great reputation in history, and it was not through opportunism.
His own strength is definitely impressive!
As the days passed, the time for trial sailing finally arrived.
Yang Fan also brought a group of ladies to the Huating County Pier.
At this time, the dock was surrounded by tens of thousands of people. If the government soldiers had not come to maintain order, they would have been trampled to death.
Although the pier was crowded, it could not stop the enthusiasm of the people.
On the one hand, it was the first time that such a huge sea ship appeared in the Tang Dynasty, and everyone wanted to take a look.
On the other hand, at the dock where Yang Fan appeared this time, everyone wanted to see what the governor who brought changes to Huating County looked like.
"Hello, Grand Governor...Hello, Grand Governor..."
When Yang Fan came to the dock, the overwhelming shouts shook the surrounding areas and echoed on the vast sea for a long time.
"Hello everyone! Thank you for your hard work!" Yang Fan quickly replied, waving his hands.
"It's not hard work!"
With such questions and answers, Yang Fan had a sense of déjà vu as he did during military parades in later generations.
Seeing the groups of navy soldiers clearing the way in front of them, Li Tai, who was following behind, said to Yang Fan: "Brother-in-law is really good at training soldiers. You have actually trained these guards to a high standard. It's not easy!"
Yang Fan waved his hand and said: "Most of them were selected from the fishermen. They have never experienced the battlefield at all. They just look good. They are not like the left and right guards of the Tang Dynasty. They are the real warriors. They are far behind." ”
This is not to say modestly. The steps are consistent and the military appearance is neat. These only need to be trained for a period of time to see significant results.
But a truly combat-effective army needs to go through the fire of war, only then can it be considered an invincible army.
Of course, in addition to being trained in war, they must also have faith!
Only for the sake of faith can we not be afraid of death, and only then can we be called an invincible master.
It is obviously unrealistic to expect this newly trained navy to explode into super combat effectiveness.
Unless the "political commissar" system of later generations is implemented in the military and these soldiers are constantly brainwashed.
But Yang Fan didn't dare to do this!
No one understands the power of this system better than him. If it is not operated properly and is maliciously misinterpreted by someone with malicious intentions, he will be in trouble!
Now His Majesty Li Er has great trust in him. Even if he kills people and sets fire, His Majesty Li Er will turn a blind eye. But if it concerns the issue of the army's allegiance, His Majesty Li Er will definitely kill him in minutes!
Of course, this does not mean that Li Er has the ability to kill Yang Fan. Yang Fan has no resistance.
But Yang Fan didn't want to bring disaster to life because of his own selfishness.
(End of chapter)
