The map of the universe provides a panoramic view of the universe.
Zhu Yunwen pointed to the map and told Zheng He, Yang Rong, Li Jian and others: "The current situation has changed. The voyage route may need to be adjusted, but adjustment means taking risks. Whether to accept it or not is decided by the Navy internally. I only have one idea."
Li Jian looked at Zheng He, who looked solemn.
For the navy, the route traveled is the safest route, because you know where you can stay, where there are supplies to replenish, and where there are reefs and dangers.
Even if you have walked it once, it is much safer than a completely unfamiliar route.
Now that the emperor wants to change the route, that means that the navy will enter completely unfamiliar waters.
Zhu Yunwen picked up the bamboo joint and pointed to the large map: "You were ordered to go to South America. The route you took was to start from Jinling and go south, passing through Champa and other places, entering the old port, and then sailing from the old port, Manlajia and other places to Ke. Zhi, Guri and other countries waited for the monsoon ocean currents to change, and then headed to Africa. From the south of Africa, they bypassed the southernmost tip and went north, crossing the sea on the west coast of Africa to South America."
"This is a long route, and it is also the safest route I can think of. For you, the biggest difficulty of that voyage was not the voyage to Africa, but the vast sea area from the west coast of Africa to the Americas. In fact, There is not only one route to America, you can also see it from the map."
Zheng He, Li Jian, Yang Rong and others looked at the map and nodded solemnly.
Zhu Yunwen stared at the map with a heavy heart.
There have always been many roads to America.
For example, take the land route, starting from the northeast all the way to the north, and running all the way to Baidu.
Ling Strait, taking advantage of the frozen sea, can enter Alaska, reach North America, and then go all the way south to reach South America sooner or later.
But this is a dead end.
Ancient times were not as good as later generations. The clothes of the ancients could not withstand the knife-like cold on the vast ice fields, and their logistics could not add enough heat to ensure safety.
Extremely cold weather is not an obstacle that Ming people can easily overcome. Once they set foot on this road and send a thousand people, it is estimated that 90% of them will freeze to death and suffer from frostbite. And how to ensure the logistics of these thousand people, who will provide Are they sending logistics?
Carry the food yourself and get a sled to pull it?
The amount of food they need to haul is enough for them to walk for several months, not to mention the ice and snow. A severe cold is enough to kill everyone.
Can we send the navy from Sakhalin to the northeast and reach North America through the Bering Strait?
This road is also unworkable.
The wind is not favorable in winter, and there are countless ice floes in summer. The Titanic cannot carry the ice floes, let alone the wooden ships of the Ming Dynasty. Once the ship is crashed or surrounded by ice floes, all the ships will be destroyed by a cold wind. They will be frozen on the sea and unable to move. With the swords, guns and limited gunpowder in the hands of the Ming Dynasty sergeants, they may not be able to open a road.
The northeast route is extremely dangerous. Even if it succeeds, the damage will probably exceed 80% or 90%, and there may even be a risk of the entire army being destroyed.
As for starting from the Nanyang and crossing the Pacific Ocean directly to South America, this road is still full of dangers.
You must know that in the early years, the Ming Navy had no experience in sailing across the sea. Whether it was going to Nanyang, Guli, or Africa, most of them sailed along the coastline.
….
Yes, it is a long-distance voyage by sea. Even if you leave the coastline for a while, this time is usually not too long.
Without the experience of directly crossing the ocean thousands of miles away, directly throwing everyone into the vast Pacific Ocean is almost the same as sending them to death. Compared with crossing the Pacific Ocean, the sea route from the west coast of Africa to South America is thousands of miles shorter. And this less traveled sea route is where the life of the Ming Dynasty sergeant and the chance of a successful voyage lie!
In terms of the navigation technology and experience of the year, and in terms of maximum safety and possibility, it was most appropriate for the navy to choose the west coast of Africa for sailing across the sea.
However, times are changing and the situation has also changed.
Zhu Yunwen pointed at Bogu and said seriously: "Compared to your first cross-sea voyage, the Ming Navy has undergone earth-shaking changes.
changes in land. In particular, the emergence of steam engine ships changed the previous constraints on navigation. The navy can sail directly without waiting for ocean currents or monsoons. The fleet can sail faster and save manpower. "
"In addition, you have accumulated rich voyage experience and deep-sea experience. You know how to find your direction in the vast sea, and you know how to deal with strong winds, huge waves, and sea monsters. You have grown up, and the navy has also grown up, and you have the conditions to change the route. . I think we can start from Bogu and go up here, that is, countercurrent to the equator, to reach the narrow strip of land between North and South America."
Zheng He looked at the route. There were almost no islands to stop along, it was just the vast sea. This voyage was more difficult than before.
Li Jian was a little worried: "Your Majesty, this sea area is so vast, there are probably a lot of dangers. Is it possible to follow the old route and steam it?"
With the help of the steam engine, the round trip won’t take too long. "
Yang Rong also felt deeply uneasy. The wider the sea area, the more dangerous it is. Who knows how terrifying the wind and waves inside can be.
Zheng He didn't speak, just looked at Zhu Yunwen.
Zhu Yunwen put down the bamboo joint and sat down: "This route is also very dangerous. I can't say whether the navy can go through it or how much damage it will cause. There are two reasons why I chose this route. Please listen to it."
Zheng He looked deeply at Zhu Yunwen. His arrangements for things were often made after careful consideration, and he could not send his navy to take risks without any reason. The first time we went to South America, everyone risked their lives to go there because of the high-yielding seeds and the greatness of solving the famine.
This time, the emperor must have his reasons.
Zhu Yunwen looked at the map with a penetrating gaze: "The first reason is the Wuyi fleet. After the Imperial Academy Navigation Institute and a group of voyage sergeants participated in the discussion, the most likely guess was finally given: the people from the Wuyi fleet appeared in Dingyuan The province indicates that it is probably on the west coast of America, but it’s hard to say where exactly.”
Zheng He nodded heavily.
The Wuyi fleet uses sailboats, which means that they must rely on ocean currents and winds to sail long distances. Therefore, when Wuyi's subordinates live far away, they only need to find out the direction of the wind and the direction of the ocean currents to know their approximate direction. Even if it wasn't, it was probably where it passed.
The complete direction of ocean currents was given by the emperor, and it has been verified by sailing and will not be wrong.
Looking at the map, the voyage route of Wuyi's subordinates must have been related to the west coast of America.
Zhu Yunwen knocked on the table and said in a deep voice: "As for the second reason, then
It is to verify that the earth we are on is round. The troops were divided into two groups, one from the west coast of Africa to the Americas, and the other from the Pacific into the Americas. After gathering in the Americas, they exchanged east-west ships with each other, all the way back from the west coast of America, and all the way back from Africa. The theory of a round earth requires a true circumnavigation, and only the navy can complete this mission! "
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