On April 5th, Sun Tu led his troops to Haicang Town, Laizhou, and met Tong Guan and others waiting here, and finally confirmed that the other party was really going to sea this time.
The reason why the Song Dynasty was able to remain prosperous even when almost half of the country in the north fell into the hands of foreigners, and even far surpassed the Han, Tang, Ming and Qing dynasties in terms of economic strength, was traced back to the imperial court's policy of merging trade and opening up the sea. Because of the importance of commerce, the circulation of people and goods was much more active than in other dynasties. Moreover, the vision of the government and the people was broad enough. They knew that it was not enough to make more money on land, so they opened up maritime trade routes. This also opened up a maritime Silk Road that was passed down to later generations, comparable to the Silk Road opened in the Han Dynasty.
As its own land is not too fertile, but it is close to the sea, Shandong also supports and attaches great importance to maritime trade. As long as they are engaged in related professions, the government can even make concessions in some places. The reason Sun Tu and his family were able to open a tavern in Yuncheng County was because of the benefits their father and brother got from doing business overseas.
Although the high winds and waves at sea are extremely risky, because it can bring a lot of wealth to people, Shandong has naturally formed several large-scale merchant forces. Even if they cannot compare with some maritime merchants in the south, they are still doing well in the local area. An existence that can make the earth tremble. As Haicang Town is a very important sea port in Laizhou Prefecture, it goes without saying that it is lively and prosperous here.
This small town has a larger population than the average county town, and the city is lined with shops, gambling houses, and brothels. Every day from morning to night, the town is bustling with activity. Once a ship sails out to sea and docks, it will attract a large number of people who rely on the sea to gather at the dock. The scene is even more spectacular than the temple fair in Dazhou Prefecture.
Today, at the pier outside the town, there are more than a dozen large and small sea ships parked. Three of them are even twenty or thirty feet long, with five masts. Just one of them has exceeded All the merchant ships that have come and gone from here over the years. According to past practice, the dock area will be completely overcrowded today, but now it is quiet inside and outside Haicang Town, with almost no one visible.
It's not because the people here suddenly changed their gender, it's because three days ago, Haicang Town was besieged by the army. All the idlers were driven out, and even the residents here were restricted to stay. No going out is allowed at home. With such a commotion, everyone knows that a big shot will take advantage of this to go to sea, and even the local government must cooperate obediently. Naturally, ordinary people do not dare to have any objections.
So when Sun Tu and the others arrived at Haicang Town, what they saw was a slightly deserted scene, with only twenty or thirty large and small ships docked at the dock, waiting to set off. Seeing this, others didn't have much idea. After all, everyone knew that it was Tong Guan who was going to sea this time. It was reasonable for him to do this in his capacity. However, Sun Tu had some doubts. If he went to sea with such a big fanfare, if Is it too ostentatious to do what you really want
But Tong Guan didn't give him much time to think about the answer. In only half a day, they quickly boarded the ship under Tong Guan's instructions, and then the entire fleet slowly left the dock and sailed into the world where they are facing today. To many the sea is full of mystery and danger.
After the fleet sailed out to sea for half a day, Sun Tu discovered that the largest ship he was on gradually separated from the other ships. In the end, there were only three slightly smaller ships.
Some ships also followed left and right, heading north. It was only then that Tong Guancai finally called Sun Tu, who was full of doubts, to come to him, drink and watch the scenery on the upper deck, and at the same time talk about the ultimate purpose of the trip.
Before, Sun Tu stayed in the cabin after boarding the ship and didn't feel anything. Now that he was able to go to the upper deck, he truly realized how developed the Song Dynasty's shipbuilding industry was now. In this era when ships could only be built by hand and wooden boards, they actually built such a huge ship. Although this ship cannot be compared with later generations, it is still shocking enough. From beginning to end, this ship is seventeen or eighteen years old. It was ten feet long and five feet wide on the left and right sides. There were five masts on top. At this time, the five sails were pumped up at the same time, making the ship go very fast and truly ride the wind and waves.
When he heard that there was much maritime trade in Song Dynasty, Sun Tu was still thinking about what to do if he encountered pirates. Especially when he had fought against Fan Jiangjiao's gang in Jiangzhou City, he knew that these bandits on the water were probably no easier to deal with than those on land.
But after seeing this huge ship, Sun Tu felt that his worries were a bit unfounded. Such a large ship can kill most of the enemies on the sea just by ramming it without even using the guards on it. Compared with this boat, there was no difference between the enemy's and ours' boats and toys on the Xunyang River before, and they would be shattered into pieces if they touched each other.
What's even more frightening is that there are ten ballistae placed on both sides of the ship. They are sharp weapons used in siege warfare. They are several feet thick and can break through solid walls made of bricks and stones. Just that. The arrows are as thick as the mouth of a bowl, so most ships would be shattered if hit by an arrow.
In Sun Tu's eyes, the big ship at this time was a mobile maritime fortress. Unless steam ironclad ships appeared in later generations, there would be no opponent. And this is Tong Guan's main ship going to sea this time. Coupled with the five hundred elite soldiers he brought from Qingzhou and hundreds of Tong Guan's own soldiers, this combat power can destroy some small maritime countries. This made Sun Tu even more curious about Tong Guan's true purpose of going to sea.
Seeing Sun Tu looking at everything on the boat so seriously, Tong Guan laughed: "Have you ever been to the sea in the past thousands of miles? You know that the sea is full of dangers, so I will make more preparations this time."
Sun Tu also laughed and said: "Although I have never been to the sea, I have heard my father and brother talk about some dangerous things at sea. However, if I dare to say it, Tong Shuai did not make this arrangement to deal with the storm or waves at sea. A bandit or something."
"Haha, Qianli is really quick-thinking. Then guess again, why did I go to sea this time?" Tong Guan didn't feel dissatisfied. He smiled and sipped the wine before asking again.
Sun Tu looked at the two people who were guarding Tong Guan like sculptures, and then he said carefully: "Tong Shuai told me before that you would be sent as an envoy to the Liao Kingdom, but if that was the case, you would not appear at all." It is even more impossible for Shandong to go to the sea at this time. After all, although the Liao Kingdom is also connected to the sea, its four capitals are all inland. This approach is completely opposite. I am afraid that Tong Shuai did all this with a deeper meaning. Although the officials did not dare to guess carefully, they thought that this business was closely related to the Liao Kingdom, but it was not to make friends with them, but to avoid their eyes and ears... "
This analysis once again aroused Tong Guan's laughter: "Well said, Qianli, you really have a sharp mind."
Jiey, far superior to others. Yes, I went to sea this time just to deal with the Liao people, so as to take back the Sixteenth Province of Youyun as soon as possible! "While speaking, he looked at Sun Tu, only to find that there was a hint of understanding on the latter's face: "Why, you have already guessed the answer? "
"A few years ago, Xianguan proposed an idea to unite with the Jurchens to attack the Liao Kingdom from the north and the south. In this way, we, the Song Dynasty, would most likely regain the Sixteenth Prefecture of Youyun. Could it be that this is why Tong Shuai went to sea this time?" Sun Tu's face also became serious, but he didn't mean to hide his clumsiness.
Tong Guan smiled again, then nodded: "What you said is right, I am here for this reason this time! The Jurchens and I, the Song Dynasty, have been in contact for many years, but they have always been vassals of the Liao Kingdom, so most of these contacts are Hidden in secret. This time the matter is serious. In order to show the sincerity of our Song Dynasty court, the officials asked me, the privy envoy, to come and meet with the Jurchen dignitaries.
"In addition, in order to deceive others, especially the informants of the Liao Kingdom and some foolish and cowardly people in the Song Dynasty, we chose to meet at sea. No matter who is involved, I would have thought that we and the Jurchens would meet on this vast sea."
Sun Tu nodded to express his understanding. At the same time, he also knew that there might be something unclear in what the other party said. For example, why they met at sea instead of letting the Jurchens secretly come to Song Dynasty? It is probably because there is still suspicion between the two parties, and no one can trust the performance of the other. Only by choosing a place on the sea, where the two parties are not governed, can both parties feel at ease.
In addition, Tong Guan's statement about sending Liao this time was probably to cover up his meeting with the Jurchens. After all, his sudden departure from Tokyo as an important minister and privy envoy in the DPRK must attract attention. Only by using an excuse to go to Liao as an envoy can he appear justified. And who would have thought that he, the envoy to the Liao Kingdom, would secretly go to sea to form an alliance with the Jurchens to deal with the Liao Kingdom
After understanding all this, even Sun Tu had to express his admiration from the bottom of his heart. This arrangement was indeed clever and could be deceived by most people in the world, whether they were Liao or Song people.
Tong Guan's words continued: "The reason why I asked you to bring troops with you is for two reasons. One is to frighten the Jurchens. After all, they are also aliens. They may become formidable enemies in the future, so we have to be cautious. Secondly, we will go to Liao Kingdom again, so we must be prepared just in case."
Sun Tu understood, and then hesitated for a while and said: "Tong Shuai, are we not afraid of seeking skin from the tiger, but in the end we will benefit the Jurchens the most?" If he hadn't known the final result of the Northern Song Dynasty, he would have really thought that this was a good idea. Well, but now...he didn't dare to speak too clearly.
"No matter how strong the Jurchens are, they can't compare to the Liao Kingdom, and once a war starts, they will be damaged, which will make them unable to compete with us, the Song Dynasty. Once we, the Song Dynasty, are allowed to take back the Sixteenth Province of Youyun, then we will have By guarding the gates of the Central Plains, we can also obtain a large number of war horses. By then, with the wealth of the Song Dynasty, we will be able to restore the majesty of the Tang Dynasty in a few years. What does the mere Jurchen clan mean?" Tong Guan had his own opinion.
Sun Tu was speechless. He knew that no matter what he said now, it was all false, and neither Tong Guan nor the emperor would believe it. Only he, a time traveler, knew that with the alliance between Song and Jin, the countdown to the demise of the Northern Song Dynasty had entered, but he became a direct participant in this historical moment...