"What the prince taught you is that my master passed away early, and without someone to encourage him, the boy will inevitably be a little slack in the past few months!"
In this situation, you cannot argue, quibble, or make excuses with your elders. The best choice is to follow their words and retreat in order to advance. This is what Li Zexuan has concluded in countless "struggles." Experience!
"Haha, a kid can be taught!"
Li Xiaogong's hearty laughter soared into the sky. He patted Li Zexuan on the shoulder and said: "I know that you have been assigned to serve in the Imperial College by His Majesty, but you must also find time to practice martial arts! Uh... ahem, I am a bit nosy. Yeah, don’t blame me, kid!”
As Li Xiaogong was talking, he realized that he was not here specifically to teach, but had other things to do, and he couldn't help but feel embarrassed for a moment.
"What did the prince say? If you could give me some advice, I would be very grateful! Please use tea! Uncle Qin, please use tea too!"
Although Li Zexuan was complaining in his heart, he calmly poured a cup of tea for the two of them and served it to them personally.
Taking the tea cup, Qin Qiong started talking about the topic.
"Xiao Xuan, I and the prince are here for the purpose of going south to exchange for food. There are some things that the prince needs to ask you in person. I hope you can answer truthfully. Some things are related to the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers! "
Li Xiaogong also nodded and said: "Shu Bao is right. It was you who predicted the locust plague, and you also came up with the three strategies to control locusts. After much thought, I still think it is better to ask you, the person involved!"
Li Zexuan had already expected this, so he held up his hands and said, "If you have anything to do with me, please feel free to ask. I will definitely tell you everything you know!"
"good!"
Li Xiaogong pondered for a moment, his sharp eyes stayed on Li Zexuan's face for a while, and said: "Boy, you told your majesty before that there will be a locust plague in June next year. Since your majesty and several important ministers believe you, I will also I believe you for the time being, but how do you know that this small country in Nanyang is rich in food? Could it be that you have also been to the sea?"
Li Zexuan felt Li Xiaogong's sharp gaze. He did not dare to hesitate. The relevant thoughts flashed through his mind and he answered. : "My master did take me to travel around the world in his later years. He also visited a small country in Nanyang several times. He had a little understanding of the customs and customs of that place. At that time, he was really amazed by the rice that crops three times a year in that place!"
"Then how did you get out to sea?"
Li Xiaogong asked next.
"The merchant ship, a medium-sized merchant ship about seven to eight feet long and more than one foot wide, entered the Yangtze River from Yuezhou with my family teacher (the Yangtze River was simply called Jiang in ancient times, and it was only called the Great River and Yangtze River after the Six Dynasties, that is, after the Sui Dynasty). , going down the river, passing through Ezhou, Hongzhou, Xuanzhou, and entering the East China Sea from Yangzhou. Since merchant ships are small in size and cannot withstand heavy winds and waves, our ships sail not far from the coast, all the way. Heading south, we crossed Liuqiu (taiwan was called Liuqiu in the Tang Dynasty, that’s correct) and entered the South China Sea. Finally, Master and I arrived in Myanmar. After traveling around the countries in the South China Sea for two months, Master and I turned back the way we came.”
He brags for free and tells lies without blinking an eye. This is Li Zexuan's current state. There is no way. If he doesn't tell the truth, Li Xiaogong will definitely not believe it and will be finished if he doesn't want to go. Of course, he just made up his experience and route. He wasn't talking nonsense, it was all a route he came up with after careful consideration.
Li Xiaogong touched the three-inch beard on his chin and fell into deep thought. He had never been to the sea, so naturally he didn't know whether what Li Zexuan said was true or false.
"Well, boy, can you draw a sea chart for me? To be honest, although I have commanded navy operations many times, I have never been to the sea. I have only heard of the risks at sea and have never experienced them. With accurate charts, the team heading south will experience much less risk."
Li Xiaogong thought for a long time, but could not find any loopholes in Li Zexuan's words, so he revealed the most important purpose of his trip.
Li Zexuan thought about it seriously. In his previous life, he was very good at geography. After high school was divided into arts and sciences, he once complained about why science students didn't study geography and had to study biology. It was really a trap! Now with his abnormal mental power, it should be no problem to recall a rough sea map. At most, he can ask others what the names of some places were in the Tang Dynasty, and it is related to the lives of tens of thousands of people. This map Must paint!
"The boy is happy to help. The prince can go back and stay for two days. After the boy has finished drawing, he will send someone to send the chart to the prince's palace. In the past two days, the boy will try his best to recall and ensure that the chart is as detailed and accurate as possible!"
Li Xiaogong said politely with a smile on his face: "Then there is Lao Xiaoxuan!"
Li Zexuan didn't even dare. He hesitated for a moment and said slowly: "Your Majesty, actually regarding navigation, I think there are several aspects that Your Majesty must pay attention to, otherwise the crew and soldiers will suffer a lot."
"Oh~? Then Xiaoxuan, tell me quickly. If it makes sense, I will definitely do it!"
Li Xiaogong's hand holding the tea cup suddenly paused and said hurriedly.
Li Zexuan nodded secretly. Li Xiaogong's performance showed that he indeed loved his soldiers as his own son, otherwise he would not be so courteous to him because of his status as a prince.
"First, the fleet should bring enough fresh water and food. I won't mention this, but the prince must have figured it out. Second, the fleet must go not far along the coast. In this way, on the one hand, when encountering strong winds and waves, , the fleet can dock to take shelter from the wind. On the other hand, when the fleet is short of supplies, it can also dock at any time for supplies.
Thirdly, all crew members must eat fruits every day. My family teacher once said that if crew members on an ocean voyage do not eat fresh fruits for a long time, they will suffer from septicemia and even lose their lives in severe cases. "
"Hiss~!"
Qin Qiong and Li Xiaogong gasped.
"Is there such a thing?"
Li Xiaogong looked in disbelief.
Li Zexuan nodded with great certainty and said: "It is indeed true. My master was also a master of medicine during his lifetime. Uncle Qin and the prince should believe what he said, right?"
"Believe it, believe it, of course I believe it."
Qin Qiong nodded and said.
"I believe it too, and I will do as you say when the time comes."
"Well, fourthly, ocean navigation is a very lonely and lonely thing. Being alone for a long time can easily cause mental problems. Many crew members did not die from the wind and waves, nor did they die from septicemia, but they eventually died. He died of mental disorder, which means losing his mind and going crazy. So I hope that the prince can organize the crew to communicate more together, and on the other hand, he can also allow the crew to go ashore to rest while they are docking for supplies."
"I have heard of this kind of thing before, but I didn't expect you to have a broad knowledge!"
Li Xiaogong touched his chin and sighed in admiration.
"Your Majesty, the fifth prize..."
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Thank you, I love you, for the two rewards that belong to me!
Thank you for your monthly votes from Forgetting, Countryside Life, Adoring Youth, 136..., Mu Ziyan!
(End of chapter)