The sun and moon flags were buzzing, and the strong wind was blowing endlessly.
Mao Zhoutai personally controlled the rudder, and the cold wind blew past him, as if his clothes had been stripped off and thrown into the ice and snow.
This severe cold is not inferior to the coldest period in Northeast China.
"There's ice floes!"
shouted the lookout sergeant.
Orders came out one after another, the portholes were opened in the cabin, and the eight-oxen crossbow was aimed at the ice floe. As it got closer and closer, the thick crossbow arrows were shot out instantly, and a four-foot-long ice floe was instantly shattered!
The fish soldier lay on the side of the ship, looked ahead, and said to Wan Qinglin: "Captain, we can't continue going north. The ice floes are getting bigger and bigger. Although these ice floes are not enough to pose a threat to the treasure ship, there are still some dangers in the navigation yard. There is an introduction that some ice floes are not as simple as they appear on the surface. Only a small part is floating on the top, and what is underneath is probably an iceberg!"
"Once we encounter a large ice floe, even if the surface is broken, these icebergs may hit the treasure ship, causing damage to the treasure ship and making it unable to move forward! What's more, it's so cold in the north, how can the surviving sergeants really survive in this kind of situation? Will you hold on in heaven and earth?"
Wan Qinglin put his hands on his neck to keep warm: "You have also read the logbook. If Yao Shun, Luo Feng and others are still alive, then they must have gone north! They can no longer build ships, and it is difficult to cross The only way to travel between east and west is to return to the Ming Dynasty from the extremely cold place!"
The fish soldiers know that this possibility does exist.
Everyone has seen the world map. Although the emperor said that some places have not been completely marked, and some places may not be marked in detail or accurately, America and Asia do have land connections, as long as they cross a place called the Bering Strait. , we can realize the interconnection between the two continents!
But the emperor also said that under the severe cold, countless people suffered from frostbite, and the floating ice was like mountains, making it impossible for ships to move.
In other words, this is a dead end!
If people walk, they will freeze to death on the road.
If the ship moves away, it will crash and sink in the sea, or it will be frozen in the sea!
Emperor Jianwen was a very far-sighted man. He never thought about letting the Navy take this route from the beginning. He must have fully considered it and knew that the risks involved were far greater than other routes!
But now, Zheng He took everyone on this sea route!
No one has any complaints. When I think of the tragedy recorded in the logbook, and when I think of those naval brothers who struggled to survive but never forgot their mission, no one will take a step back!
It is everyone's belief to find them.
Even the iceberg cannot be shaken!
Sun Xu walked towards Zheng He and said solemnly: "If we continue to move forward, the entire fleet may be in danger. Ice has appeared along the coast, but there are not such large ice blocks yet. These ice floes are very much like ice from farther away. It drifts from place to place, and the further north you go, the higher the chance of encountering huge ice floes."
It's not that Zheng He didn't know that the road ahead was an adventure where life and death depended on a matter of seconds.
Bad news comes one after another.
There are not many coal reserves anymore. Although in this long search, steam engines often only provide auxiliary power, and most of them rely on wind power and manpower to move forward. Even if they continue to save, they cannot withstand the consumption month after month.
Especially during this section of the journey, there were strong winds. The strength of the sergeant alone was not enough to guarantee the journey, so the steam engine could only be used to provide power.
Going against the wind and the current consumes a lot of coal.
Shen Wei, Wan Qinglin and other captains boarded Zheng He's flagship to discuss whether to continue heading north. To Zheng He's surprise, no one wanted to go back, but continued northward in unison!
Wan Qinglin said bluntly: "We can dig again if there is no coal. The navy has finders, and the emperor also gave us the approximate location of the coal replenishment. Now we need to put in the last coal and find the place where we can't move forward." One moment! If we don’t continue searching and return, then who of us can pat our chests and shout for the rest of our lives: I have a clear conscience?”
Shen Wei supported Wan Qinglin: "Now that we are here, if we turn back, wouldn't it be a failure? No matter whether those sergeants are in front or not, or even whether they are still there or not, we must continue to move forward. Do our best to find They! Even if we can’t find them, we can
Be an upright person. "
"If one day, the imperial court entrusts this place to other feudal kings, and discovers the navy officers and soldiers while developing this place, and finds the writings and records they left behind, it proves that they are still alive at this moment, still moving forward, and still working hard to complete their mission. ! Then we will be humiliated, and the entire navy will be humiliated! Our descendants will not be able to hold their heads up!"
Mao Zhoutai wiped his eyes and gritted his teeth and said: "Yes, no matter the coal, no matter the cost, we will continue to go north! Anyone who wants to retreat should read Zhou Shaoshan's logbook and listen to their last wish! "
Zheng He nodded heavily and finally made his decision: "Then continue north and plant the sun and moon flags along the way! If they sleep here, let the sun and moon flags protect them. If they are still alive here, then tell them that the water Master and Daming are here to pick them up!"
Go north!
The cold wind is like a knife!
It's almost blinding.
Looking up from the high platform.
Lan Dahai picked up the telescope and continued to look for traces. In the distance is the wilderness, it seems that there has been heavy snow, and the whole world is white.
Seeing too much snow can easily make your eyes uncomfortable.
Blue Dahai withdrew his gaze and looked towards the shore.
A group of sergeants were pouring black oil, and a pile of thick wood was supported in a circle next to a big tree. In order to prevent the fire from spreading out of control, the sergeant deliberately chose the edge of the woods. There was wasteland to the south and it could not burn.
Lan Dahai has long been familiar with this scene. The position of the coastline, and the sergeant pounding down wooden boards and planting the sun and moon flag. To show that the Ming Dynasty Navy has been here, and to tell people here that if they see it, they should go south and go all the way to a huge warehouse on the seaside, where the Navy left supplies.
Lin Shi shrank and said to Lan Dahai: "It's really too cold here. Do you think Luo Geng and the others can survive it?"
Lan Dahai picked up the telescope again and said seriously: "The navy soldiers will not be defeated by the wind and waves, and naturally they will not be defeated by the cold! I believe they are still alive, there must be someone alive!"
Lin Shi nodded heavily.
The avenue is fifty, Tianyan is forty-nine. In this world, there will always be a glimmer of hope left.
After they have overcome many difficulties and obstacles, they can create another miracle and find a way out!
Lin Shi shivered and said to Lan Dahai, who was shaking, "You can't bear it anymore. Squat down and warm yourself up."
"Smoke, smoke column!"
The blue sea mouth trembled a little.
Lin Shi looked at the smoke column rising not far away and nodded: "The smoke column is very big, but it is too cold today."
Lan Haihai grabbed Lin Shi and used too much force. His hands were so cold that the cracks in the red flesh could see blood instantly. Regardless of the pain, Lan Haihai pointed to the north: "Did you see, there is a plume of smoke there?"
Lin Shi glanced at it, leaned down to look at the deck, and opened and closed his mouth several times without making a sound.
Lan Dahai picked up the gong, banged it violently, and shouted at the top of his lungs: "I saw the smoke column!"
