After setting foot on the treasure ship, Ala was like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world. He even wanted to fiddle with the ropes and anchors of the ship.
Whenever I discover something new, I can’t help but jump to my feet and exclaim.
Chen Kan smiled and said nothing, just letting him look at it.
This time Chen Kan came to Nanyang. In addition to rescuing Zheng He and re-planning Nanyang, he also had the purpose of displaying and selling the Ming Dynasty's warships.
Jiangnan Shipyard is currently studying a new generation of treasure ships, which are said to be more than sixty feet long and nearly thirty feet wide.
It is one-third larger than the existing treasure ships of the Ming Dynasty, and uses the latest human-driven propeller power.
Researching big ships costs money.
There are so many warships in the Ming Dynasty that are about to be eliminated, and they have to find a place to go.
Compared with taking them directly to the shipyard for scrapping, selling them to small countries like Nanyang is undoubtedly a very cost-effective thing.
This time Ala also went to Daming with the purpose of buying a sea ship. If he wanted to see it, then he could do whatever he wanted.
The envoys were arranged to stay on the ship, and the soldiers took their places. After Chen Kan gave the order, the fleet, which had shrunk by more than half, sailed towards the east.
Under the bright sun and the blue waves rippling, Chen Kan could finally take off his armor.
During the days after entering Sumatra, Chen Kan was basically wearing armor, covering his body with large areas of heat rash.
The accompanying military doctor poured a sticky liquid on Chen Kan and spread it evenly. It looked disgusting, but it felt cool when applied to his body.
Chen Kan was only wearing a pair of four-leg shorts, lying comfortably on the recliner.
A huge parasol blocked the strong sunlight, and a small table was placed next to it.
There are all kinds of snacks on the table, and of course, wine is also indispensable.
A mouthful of snacks and a sip of wine, Chen Kan can only use two words to describe it - comfortable.
Most of Chen Kan's personal guards are from Jiangnan and have good water skills.
Many people took off their clothes, jumped into the sea, and swam in the sea for a while. They always caught many strange gadgets for Chen Kan.
There were fiery red sea fish, conches longer than Chen Kan's wrist, and even a bunch of sea urchins.
As a result, Chen Kan’s dinner included a dish of raw submerged sea urchin.
The sea in this era is incredibly rich in products.
A wooden knife and a small spoon are the tools Chen Kan uses to open and eat sea urchins.
Of course, Chen Kan just ate this kind of thing that was full of thorns on the outside and not much meat on the inside.
What can really fill your stomach is the giant rattle snail.
Just put it in fresh water and spit out sand for an afternoon, and the huge snail shell can be used as a cooking tool.
The cooks in the army have absolute authority on how to cook these precious seafood.
Put a pot of charcoal and a wire mesh on top of the snail and bake it. After the snail meat shrinks, take it out and cut off the internal organs.
Then put the white snail meat back and pour the strong wine brought from Daming Dynasty into the soup.
The snail meat is filled with fine wine, minced with onions, ginger and garlic, and poured in with the sauce made from Shanxi's mature vinegar and Shaanxi's soy sauce.
Seal it with tin foil, put it back in the charcoal pot, and bake it over low heat for a stick of incense.
With just one shell of fragrant snail meat, Chen Kan finished three large bowls of rice.
"Hiccup~"
After taking the last bite of rice from the bowl, Chen Kan couldn't help but burp.
The journey back was much easier than when we came here, and even the cook's skills had improved a lot.
After deciding to eat fried squid with green onions tomorrow, Chen Kan put down his bowl and chopsticks.
The weather at night was still a bit sultry. After eating a full stomach, Chen Kan walked to the edge of the deck and blew in the sea breeze.
On the sea, dots of starlight are scattered, making it difficult to tell whether they are the stars in the sky or the firelight on the ship.
At this moment, more than ten points of light lit up from the other side of the sea, and quickly headed in the direction of Chen Kan.
Chen Kan immediately asked his personal guards to come over to see the telescope.
After seeing the standard of the ship, I couldn't help but grin.
The ship is a naval warship of the Ming Dynasty, and it must be Song Qing.
Not long after, the two fleets merged. Song Qing climbed up the ship's ladder and trotted up to Chen Kan.
"Master Hou, it's all done."
Chen Kan naturally knew what Song Qing meant by getting it done.
From now on, the world will only know that the Japanese envoys disappeared after entering the sea, and no one will connect this matter with the Ming Dynasty.
As long as the reputation of Ming Dynasty can be preserved, it is not in vain for Chen Kan to personally plot against a little girl like Housong Masako.
"Well done."
After praising Song Qing, Chen Kan didn't say much. After all, it was not a glorious thing.
"Master Marquis, as for the Japanese country, are we, the Ming Dynasty, really just sitting idly by and doing nothing?"
Hearing Song Qing's question, Chen Kan could only say that Song Qing was sincere. Until now, he still believed that his prince attacked the Japanese envoy because he simply did not want to save the Japanese.
Chen Kan smiled mysteriously, shook his head and said, "Of course not. The Japanese country is also a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. If the Jurchen savages dare to invade the Japanese country, the Ming Dynasty will naturally send troops to investigate, but not now."
Considering that Song Qing was also his confidant, and that he also intended to promote Song Qing as the governor of Fujian, Chen Kan revealed some information to him without leaving any trace.
Of course, it's impossible to say it all.
How much Song Qing can realize is his own business.
Before Song Qing could ask again, Chen Kan waved his hand and said, "Okay, you've been busy for so long, go down and take a good rest."
Song Qing was stunned, clasped his fists and said, "Then, I will retire."
Chen Kan hummed and walked towards his room first.
It was late at night, and the fleet gradually fell silent.
Chen Kan fell into sleep, and most of the soldiers on the fleet fell into sleep with Chen Kan.
The rest are all night cruisers.
The night watch is to guard against enemies at sea, and the cruise is to detect whether there are reefs in the channel in front of the fleet.
Generally speaking, it is basically impossible for reefs to appear in mature waterways.
But the sea is uncontrollable. No one knows what is going on under the sea. An earthquake or the eruption of an undersea volcano may destroy a mature waterway.
...
...
When the fleet left the strait and passed through the Lion City, Chen Kan specifically asked the fleet to stop at the port in front of the Lion City for a day.
Originally, I wanted to reciprocate the favor and support the Lion Kingdom.
But after learning that the king of the Lion Kingdom had changed, Chen Kan had to endure the pain and prepared a generous gift for the current king and former prime minister of the Lion Kingdom.
Although the gift Liu Ye prepared for Zhu Di was more generous, Chen Kan's personal gift could not be transferred to the public account.
It's really impossible not to feel pain.
One day later, Chen Kan said goodbye to Liu Ye, who was reluctant to leave the Ming Dynasty, and continued on his way with the fleet.
Just after walking a short distance, I heard the report from the cruising warship in front that the fleet was about to sail into a thunderstorm area, and the thunderstorm area was also accompanied by hurricanes.
Chen Kan did not expect to encounter thunderstorms and hurricanes so soon, so he had to order the fleet to move closer to the land and reduce its sailing speed.
The fleet gradually entered the thunderstorm area, and huge wind and waves hit us. Even the treasure ship Chen Kan was riding was bumpy like a rootless duckweed.
All the ships had their masts and sails furled.
Chen Kan found that the emergency plan he had made in advance to deal with thunderstorms did not work at all, and everyone could only huddle in the cabin.
"Commander, the wind and waves are too strong, let's drop anchor."
Song Qing's roar came, and Chen Kan gritted his teeth and clung to the pillars in the cabin with both hands.
"No, give the order. All ships must pass through the thunderstorm area at full speed."
When encountering a thunderstorm at sea, the best way to deal with it is not to enter the thunderstorm area and wait until the thunderstorm passes before continuing to sail.
Chen Kan misjudged the power of the thunderstorm and led his fleet into it.
The sun was obscured by dark clouds, and Zhu's lightning was like a dense crack in space and time.
Chen Kan knew very well that anchoring now was definitely not the best choice.
Once anchored, it meant handing over his life to God. Although Chen Kan could bet that lightning would not hit the fleet, he was not afraid of anything but ten thousand.
Moving on was also difficult and in some ways even more dangerous because no one knew how widespread the thunderstorms were.
What is waiting for them in front is likely to be bigger waves, but it may also be calm.
The ship swayed more and more, and Chen Kan's face became more and more ugly.
He wanted to scold his mother now. Who could tell him why there was such a big thunderstorm near the sea?
Don’t thunderstorms generally only appear in the depths of the ocean?
At this time, the communication equipment between ships has basically become a decoration. Whether it is war drums or horns, they cannot compare with the deafening thunder.
The only one that could send a signal to the fleet was the huge treasure ship Chen Kan.
As long as the treasure ship is still moving forward, the other warships will not stop.
"Master Marquis, we can't continue sailing. The wind and waves ahead will only get bigger and bigger. Let's drop anchor."
Zhang Dong also became a little anxious.
The treasure ship was swaying more and more, which was enough to show that they had not yet entered the true core of the thunderstorm area.
"Can't stop, keep going!"
Chen Kan would never choose to anchor here.
He believes that the offshore thunderstorm area will never extend too wide.
If there was a large-scale thunderstorm area near the coast, there is no reason why Zheng He's chart would not record it.
Moreover, there has never been a large-scale thunderstorm near the coast in later generations.
So, he must keep going.
Otherwise, many of these fifteen thousand people would die under the raging thunder and lightning.
The waves became bigger and bigger, and small cruise ships were gradually capsized by the huge waves.
At this time, the contingency plan that Chen Kan and a group of generals had made before finally came into effect.
The soldiers who were overturned in the sea immediately grasped the hemp ropes hanging from each warship.
There is a great risk in things like chaining boats, especially when encountering enemies. They can easily be burned up by a fire, but when used to save people, they can play a very good role.
The blown rope became a life-saving straw for the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty who were overturned by the huge waves.
Holding on to the rope, they were able to climb onto the nearest ship and somehow save their lives.
As for the ships that had been overturned by the waves, they would definitely not be able to be saved. Everyone could only watch helplessly as those warships that could be sold for sky-high prices gradually sank into the sea.
The ships of the Ming Dynasty were quite sturdy. Although they would be overturned by the waves, at least they would not be smashed into pieces by the waves.
Chen Kan withstood all pressure and ordered all ships to move forward at full speed.
The final facts proved that he was right.
After three days of traveling through the thunderstorm area, everyone finally saw the long-lost sun.
Stepping out of the treasure ship that had stabilized again, Chen Kan couldn't help but burst into tears with excitement.
He just knew it, he just knew it.
He knew that there could not be a thunderstorm area of too large scale offshore.
Although his ships sailed in the thunderstorm zone for three full days, the actual distance they advanced was only a hundred miles.
"Go down with the order, count the battle damage, and determine the course."
Just after sailing out of the thunderstorm area, the entire fleet became busy.
They need to know how many men and warships they lost due to this thunderstorm.
As the warships on each warship gradually gathered together, the expression on Chen Kan's face became increasingly ugly.
In the evening, Chen Kan held the first military meeting on the treasure ship after leaving the strait.
In the conference room, the expressions on the faces of the three naval commanders Song Qing, Tan Cong, and Dou Xing were exactly the same as Chen Kan's.
Chen Kan conveyed the compiled data to a group of generals with a sad look on his face.
"This thunderstorm caused us to lose six cruise warships. A total of 126 brothers are missing, including two hundred households, one general flag and four small flags. If no miracle occurs, they There is a high probability that there is no chance of survival.”
After Chen Kan finished speaking, a group of generals suddenly felt as if they were mourning for their heirs.
During this trip to Southeast Asia, the battle damage was unprecedentedly small.
Only Song Qing led the three thousand people and killed about five hundred people, and the other dozens of unlucky ones died in the rain forest.
But now, a thunderstorm has cost them more than a hundred elite brothers. How can they feel better?
Seeing everyone's expressions like this, Chen Kan felt very uncomfortable.
Throwing the list of the missing soldiers on the table, Chen Kan said with a sad face: "The fault lies with me. I thought that there would be no thunderstorms in the offshore sea, so my plan was a little hasty. This incident The thunderstorm taught me a hard lesson."
Chen Kan began to reflect on himself. After hearing this, a group of generals began to comfort Chen Kan in a few words.
"Commander, there is no need to blame yourself. A thunderstorm is a natural disaster. No one can guarantee when or where it will appear. As for the more than one hundred brothers who are missing, I can only say that their lives are bad."
As soon as Song Qing opened his mouth, he immediately received a burst of agreement: "Yes, Commander, what does this matter have to do with you? Brothers are all serving as soldiers to eat food, and what they do is to put their heads in the waistband of their pants. No matter what happens to this matter, It’s not the commander’s fault.”
"If a man dies or a bird looks up to the sky, he will not die for tens of millions of years. Our fight against natural disasters can be regarded as a war. Our brothers died well..."
As Chen Kan's self-examination began, the painting style in the big tent gradually went awry.
Chen Kan took a deep breath and suddenly said: "I want the fleet to dock on the shore. After the thunderstorm stops, we can go find the bodies of our brothers. After all, they were brought out by me. If we let them die like this, Fish belly, I can’t bear it, what do you think?”
As soon as these words came out, all the generals suddenly lost their voices.
A group of generals looked at each other and saw embarrassment in each other's eyes.
Chen Kan frowned and said, "Why, aren't you willing?"
Song Qing, Dou Xing, and Tan Cong, the three highest military officers except Chen Kan, looked at each other. In the end, Song Qing was the first to speak.
He glanced at Chen Kan with some embarrassment and said in a low voice: "Come back to the commander-in-chief. It's not that the brothers are unwilling, but the material resources on our ships are limited. Now we have lost six more ships. If we are in such a deserted place, If we stay here for too long, we may not be able to keep up with supplies. After all, none of us know when the thunderstorm will stop."
After Song Qing opened his mouth, Tan Cong understood and added the second sentence: "Yes, Commander, it's not that we don't want to take our brothers home. The main thing is that we have not only the more than one hundred brothers under our command, but also more than ten thousand people." Where are the people.”
Chen Kan didn't know this, but if he was asked to lead the fleet north now, he really had trouble with his conscience.
After a moment of silence, Chen Kan stretched out three fingers and said with difficulty: "Three days, the fleet will stay here for three days. If the thunderstorm stops after three days, we will go look for the missing brothers. If the thunderstorm continues, it will be too late to return. What do you think?"
Listening to Chen Kan's almost pleading tone, the generals opened their mouths and finally agreed to Chen Kan's request.
After waiting in place for three days, the supplies on the ship could barely sustain it.
Song Qing sighed, nodded and said, "So, the general will order the fleet to sail into the shallow sea?"
"good."
Chen Kan agreed to Song Qing's request to deliver the order.
There is no dock nearby, and the fleet is said to have stopped in shallow water, so it is naturally impossible to actually drive the ship to the coast.
After all, ocean water ebbs and flows.
If the water where the anchor is anchored is too shallow, it will be difficult to run aground.
After all, warships are not small fishing boats and can be towed into the sea by manpower.
Ordinary soldiers did not have any objections to Chen Kan's order. Not only did they have no objections, they even had a lot of praise.
After all, what soldier wouldn't want to meet a kind commander?
They also hope that after they die in battle, someone can take their bones back to their hometown for burial.
Not to mention that this coach is not only kind, but can also lead them to win battles and gain military glory.
The place where the fleet stopped was not far from a mangrove forest. Although many soldiers were used to staying on the ship, they still couldn't help but go up and explore when they saw land.
Chen Kan did not get off the boat, but asked Ala to follow him and take a look.
No one knows the dangers or benefits in the rainforest better than the Nanyang natives under Ala's command.
Moreover, the envoy didn't know whether it was luck or something, but they didn't suffer any losses this time.
This made Chen Kan a little unhappy.
Why did he lose so many men under his command, but Allah could not lose any of them.
Since you are so lucky, then go be a bodyguard for the Ming army.
Watching the cruise ships transporting teams one after another to log in, Chen Kan returned to the room.
During the three days he passed through the thunderstorm area, he didn't dare to close his eyes. Of course, under the rolling waves, he couldn't sleep even if he wanted to.
He doesn't have as much energy as the soldiers under his command. He hasn't slept for three days and is still in the mood to explore unknown places.
Not long after Chen Kan fell asleep, he was woken up by a loud noise.
The voice sounded like it was Allah.
Chen Kan got up from the bed angrily and walked out of the deck. Suddenly, Chen Kan found that the soldiers on the treasure ship were all excited.
"what happened?"
Chen Kan's voice sounded, immediately attracting everyone's attention.
Ala came forward with excitement on his face, pointed to the mangrove forest in the distance and said: "Master Hou, that... that is a spice island. The island is full of spices, and this season is just the time to pick them."
Chen Kan glared at Ala dissatisfied.
He thought it was some big deal, but this is what happened?
There are many spice islands in Nanyang. It is not a secret at all. Chen Kan knew it in his past and present lives.
Ara was a little confused and asked cautiously: "Master Hou, that is the spice of an island. Aren't you tempted?"
Chen Kan looked around at the people on the deck and saw that everyone was very excited.
He could only let out a long sigh and said: "Yes, that is a spice island. If the spices from one island are transported back to the Ming Dynasty, everyone will make a fortune, but we have no room to transport them on the ship."
It wasn't that Chen Kan insisted on pouring cold water on them, he just told the facts.
Sure enough, as Chen Kan finished speaking, the group of soldiers suddenly looked like eggplants beaten by frost.
Yes, I discovered the Spice Island and made a fortune, and then what?
Ala's face looked a little anxious: "We can build a ship. The little man saw that there are many towering trees on the island, which are good materials for building big ships."
Unfortunately, everyone who had been poured cold water on by Chen Kan was now completely rational.
Shipbuilding is easy to say.
There are only so many supplies on the ship, so where can they find the support to build a ship?
Spices are different from gold and silver. Gold and silver can be transported on rafts because the actual value of gold and silver will not be affected by water.
If the spices are exposed to sea water, they don’t even need to be exposed to sea water. As long as they are damp, they are waste, and waste is worthless.
Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Ala quickly walked up to Chen Kan and said anxiously: "Master Marquis, please say something."
Chen Kan yawned and squinted: "What are you talking about? Don't think about it. Instead of picking spices pointlessly, it's better to write down the coordinates and come back next time."
After saying that, Chen Kan yawned and walked back to his room.
Ala looked at Chen Kan's back with some reluctance, then turned to look at the island not far away, the reluctance in his eyes became even stronger.
It's a pity that he only has more than a thousand people. Without the help of the Ming army, he couldn't build the ship at all.
In the end I had to give up.
Time came to the third day. During these three days, Chen Kan sent people countless times to find out whether the thunderstorm area had dissipated.
But every time the soldiers who went to inquire about the news brought back information, Chen Kan couldn't help but feel tired.
It has been three days, and the thunderstorm area has not only shown no sign of dissipating, but has become more and more intense.
Chen Kan's mood was so gloomy that even the others on the boat couldn't be happy.
However, the reason why Chen Kan was in a bad mood was different from the others. Chen Kan was in a bad mood because of the thunderstorm, while the others were unwilling to face the fact that the Spice Island was right in front of them, but they couldn't take it away.
At noon, facing the scorching sun, Chen Kan couldn't help but sigh.
"Commander, let's go."
Song Qing urged, but Chen Kan was still looking at the sea in the distance, hoping that the next wave of messengers would bring him good news.
