Speaking of the domestic whaling industry, it probably began to flourish in the Ming Dynasty.
Whaling in Leizhou Prefecture, later Guangzhou and Zhanjiang, was already well-known at that time.
At that time, fishermen would use whale blubber to make oil and pay tribute to the court as a kind of fishery tax.
Because there was no kerosene in ancient times, whale oil was used to light lamps. It is smokeless, odorless and durable. It is the most popular tribute in the palace. In the capital, only the royal family and nobles can use it!
According to historical records, in the 24th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty, Leizhou Prefecture paid more than 3,000 kilograms of whale oil as tribute.
Tang Ping is not the Holy Mother. Although there is no shortage of food in the Tang Dynasty now, the peaceful living environment and the lack of family planning will definitely lead to an explosive period of population growth in the next few decades. In ancient times, the ability to withstand natural disasters was weak, so marine fisheries had always been something Tang Ping was considering.
However, because there were no coastal cities, it could not be carried out.
Now that the East Yue and Miao Mans have surrendered, the Tang Dynasty has basically semi-unified the entire Central Plains continent, and the coastline of the entire continent has begun to open to the Tang Dynasty.
In the future, these coastlines will provide not only prosperous maritime trade, but also maritime fisheries.
And the beginning of all this actually started when Li Shimin took his brother and son to hunt whales.
There was no harpoon on the Taihao ship, but there was no shortage of various cold weapons. Under Tang Ping's guidance, he made a few harpoons with spears and made some modifications. Tang Ping ordered people to connect the harpoons to the back. The thick hemp rope was then given to Li Shimin and the others.
From just now, the Taihao ship has been following the whale from a distance.
This whale reigns supreme in the sea. It has never encountered a natural enemy and has no idea what it means to be afraid.
Several Taihao ships were sailing aside, and it even provocatively used its tail to create huge waves to hit the Taihao ship.
Tang Ping called a few people to surround Li Shimin and others. They were about to fall into the sea, which was no joke, so they had to be careful.
Xue Rengui also carried his big guy up to the observation deck. If something went wrong, he would shoot the whale. Even though the whale was so big, he didn't take it seriously.
Only he knows how powerful the power of this guy in his hand is when fighting against flesh and blood.
Li Yuanji disagreed, picked up a modified harpoon with his hand, shook it in his hand, then stepped back a few steps, took a deep breath, took a step forward, and threw the harpoon with a strong wave.
Although Li Yuanji is not a peerless general like Li Xuanba, he is also a general on horseback. Although it has been neglected in recent years, his foundation is still there. The harpoon flew towards the whale in an arc.
However, because of the windy sea, Li Yuanji had never used such a harpoon. In the end, the harpoon almost missed the whale and fell into the sea.
Such a move was regarded as a provocation by the whale, and he actually came towards the Taihao ship.
"Be careful!" Tang Ping shouted, and those people with ropes tied to their bodies firmly protected Li Shimin and others in the middle.
After all, Tang Ping underestimated a steel behemoth like the Taihao Ship. After the whale hit, the entire Taihao Ship only shook slightly, without any accidents.
"Get out of the way!" It's rare to find this whale so close. It's a perfect opportunity. Li Shimin shouted, picked up a harpoon and threw it out. .
This hit hit the whale's body squarely, and then all the remaining harpoons were thrown out.
The whale let out a scream and violently shook its body, and the sea area was dyed bright red.
At this time, it finally realized that it was afraid and struggled violently to escape from here.
But the more the barb on the harpoon struggled, the deeper it sank, and one even got stuck directly in its bones.
The other side of the harpoon is firmly tied to the Taihao ship. With the tonnage of the Taihao ship, how can it be dragged?
Soon more and more blood flowed out, and the whale's struggles became weaker and weaker.
The sailors on the Taihao ship did not expect that the seemingly arrogant giant whale would actually fall in front of them, and they all cheered.
As the main force of whaling, the three brothers of the Li family had a rare experience of the past when the Tang Dynasty had not yet been established. The three of them galloped side by side on the battlefield, and they all burst into laughter.
"Okay, there is an island in front of us. We will rest there today. This big whale is just for extra meals!"
Li Shimin gave the order directly, and no one else thought there was anything wrong. Even Qian Laosan and Luo Siye accepted the order happily.
I have to say, this is leadership and charisma.
The island is quite large. Although it is not suitable for large ships to dock, there is a huge beach. It is not difficult to hold a barbecue party or something on it.
Tang Ping and others came to the shore in a small boat, and of course they brought their trophy, the huge whale.
The scarred whale now looks a little bloody and ferocious, but for people like Li Shimin who have conquered the world, they have had the experience of touching the blood and eating among the dead. Such a scene is even more difficult for them to experience. For Tang Ping, who had been in life and death fights several times, it was nothing.
When the whale was dragged to the shore, Li Yuanji asked others to stop first, and then found a good position for himself.
"Tang Ping, come here..." Li Yuanji, who almost revealed his identity, paused, and then said: "Come and take a picture of me, and when you get back, spray me with that spray paint of yours and put it on my house! "
Tang Ping reluctantly nodded in agreement. As a fisherman, it is understandable. If someone catches a big fish, he will not go to several districts in the community when he returns home. It's impossible.
Maybe if someone asked him if he had eaten, he would reply with "How do you know I caught a big fish today?"
Therefore, Tang Ping could completely understand Li Yuanji's mood. The whale captured in this way might be the first whale in this era, and the photos he took might be recorded in history books.
After picking up their mobile phones and taking pictures, Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin initially maintained their identities and were unwilling to go there.
Later, they were teased by Li Chengqian and Tang Ping, and then Li Yuanji pulled the two of them to take several photos in front of the whale.
"Okay, gentlemen, if there are any good things on the ship, take them all!" Tang Ping shouted: "Anyway, after eating today, we will go to the Ryukyu Kingdom tomorrow. Not only can we replenish supplies there, but I also have a big I have a surprise for everyone!”
"Ping Guo Gong, have you received the reward from the imperial court?"
A young leader asked, but was kicked in the butt by Qian Laosan: "You talk a lot. I haven't seen you so active during the war, but now you are out to ask for rewards."
This man was Qian Laosan's confidant. He was not upset after being kicked. He just laughed and said, "Isn't it just a casual question?"
"That's right, you're a clever boy, and you've indeed received a reward."
Tang Ping's words made everyone cheer.
To fight, you have to tuck your head in your trousers, and it is natural for you to be paid as a soldier. Now that Tang Ping has announced the reward, it is naturally what everyone wants to hear.
