Bai Chun, Li Chongyi, other officials, and the people watched in disbelief and dumbfounded as the three giant ships slowly revealed their true colors.
Like endless mountains and long dragons, the four-masted sails on the three giant ships are like waterfalls hanging in the air. At this moment, under the command, they slowly fall down with majestic momentum. , so majestic that even from a distance, one can feel the huge intimidating power that the three giant ships bring to everyone at the dock, and even to the entire Hangzhou.
Li Hong also looked a little stunned. He only occasionally communicated with Li Chunfeng for advice, and told him some of the ship knowledge he had learned when he was a crew member in one of his lives, explaining what kind of structures and structures could enable giant ships to sail long distances. , can increase the flexibility of the ship, I said it superficially, but I didn’t expect that in this short period of time, Li Chunfeng actually brought three giant ships over!
He originally thought that even one of them could be considered a miracle, but seeing these three ships with similar names to the "Gallen Ships" in his previous life still filled his heart with shock and disbelief.
Galen ship, the largest Galen ship in the previous generation could reach a displacement of 2,000 tons, a draft of eight meters, and a deck at the stern that could reach seven levels.
Moreover, the most commendable thing is that before the end of the sailing ship era, the Galen ship has always been the standard for the design of warships and battleships. Its influence, combat effectiveness, and practicality are completely unmatched by other sailing ships.
Different from the traditional design of ships in the Tang Dynasty, a small sprit was erected at the bow of the three giant ships, which was originally used as an observation tower. The so-called observation tower was It was moved to the stern, forming a place where the commander of the ship commanded the ship and lived.
The lower deck of the bow is a space for soldiers, cargo, etc. On the hull, except for the two-masted railing sail in the front and the two-masted jib in the back, there are some ordinary things.
All daily necessities, supplies during the war, etc., along with nearly a thousand soldiers, were placed on the lower deck.
In this way, it not only makes the surface of the deck tidy, but also creates more space for the soldiers on the deck to move during naval battles, so that they can be more effective whether they are facing enemy sneak attacks or active attacks. Able to carry out effective combat on the deck and the first layer of the deck with ease.
Even the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty who are now standing on both sides of the hull deck on the ship have had their armors modified. Unlike the soldiers on land, who are covered with armor from top to bottom, they have become more armor-like. It is a partial armor that can be used on ships to enable soldiers to move more flexibly when sailing and fighting on rough seas.
"Your Highness, is this a giant ship that you personally proposed to build back then?" Li Chongyi pointed at the giant ship that was about to dock at the dock with trembling fingers, as if facing a hill, and asked in a trembling tone.
"Yes, but I didn't expect that Li Chunfeng could build three ships in such a short period of time. It's unbelievable. It seems that I underestimated Li Chunfeng's determination and desire to sail." Li Hong was also impressed by the three ships in front of him. The giant ship shook its head in shock.
It can be seen that these three giant ships have obviously been fully installed. They are the kind that can be used in naval battles at any time. They are real sea-killing weapons. They are definitely not just superficial and useless. A simple big ship.
Bai Chun was a little confused, watching the giant ship dock at the dock. The people on one side, and even some officials, involuntarily stepped back twenty or thirty steps when faced with such a huge behemoth approaching them.
Only Li Hong, Li Chongyi, and Bai Chun were still standing there, looking at the moored giant ship, and talking about it.
"Your Highness, didn't you say there were five ships? Why do you think they were built much faster? What's more, before this, there was already that..." Bai Chun did not dare to say any more. She was afraid that the Crown Prince would be angry. , threw himself into the Qiantang River.
After all, if the ship that was sunk into the sea was such a majestic ship, Bai Chun didn't know if Li Hong would be distressed. Anyway, she was quite distressed. How much money would it cost.
No wonder the ministers in the court, including His Majesty and the Queen, criticized Li Hong for spending huge sums of money to build such a behemoth.
Although His Majesty and the Queen finally confiscated the prince's silver to prevent Li Hong from continuing to throw money at the Quanzhou dock, the more than 10 million taels of silver he had previously thrown into the sea made Li Hong Every time I think about it, I can't help but feel a little pain in my liver.
Furthermore, if such giant ships can be sunk by the violent storms on the sea, wouldn't these giant ships in front of us also sink if they enter the so-called deep sea? Wouldn’t it be that these ten million taels of silver would eventually sink into the sea
This is also the current dissatisfaction among those in the court regarding Li Hong's desire to continue investing money in Quanzhou.
"It's different." Li Hong was filled with emotion. He looked up at the sides of the three giant ships and murmured: "Don't say sinking four ships, but sinking five, six, or even more, it still doesn't matter to me. It was all worth it to the Tang Dynasty, not to mention that the sunk ships were just empty shells and were not fully armed and ready to go into battle like the three ships in front of us now. "
Li Hong's words were full of emotion. No matter it was Bai Chun, Li Chongyi, or the officials who were approaching behind him, no one understood what Li Hong meant by what he said, and why the huge ship that had been built at a huge cost sank. What a loss to His Highness the Crown Prince. Is it still a good thing
Could it be that His Royal Highness has too much money and no place to put it, so he has to throw it into the sea to reduce the pressure of inventory!
Li Hong looked at the confused expressions of everyone around him, smiled and said: "You will understand in the future. If you want to let the Tang Dynasty go out, and if you want to make the Tang Dynasty more prosperous and powerful, not only the Lu The Tang army has been victorious in hundreds of battles to protect the Tang Dynasty. Domination of the sea is actually the only way for the Tang Dynasty to continue to be prosperous and prosperous and to last for hundreds of years! "
"Cui Zhibian and Li Chunfeng have met His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Miss Bai." Cui Zhibian and Li Chunfeng, leading their former students, quickly walked off the boat and stood in front of Li Hong and said.
"Li Chunfeng, Cui Zhibian, you have tasted the sweetness. You all know how to thank Miss Bai. Are you asking for something?" Li Hong looked at Li Chunfeng, who used to be fair and fat, but has now become dark and thin, and motioned Li Chongyi to go to Hangzhou. Inside the city.
As for the three giant ships behind them, there have been soldiers standing on the dock for a long time, guarding the three giant ships and not allowing anyone to get close!
"Your Highness is wise, it seems that I can't hide anything from you. Now I really hope that Miss Bai can allocate another fifteen million taels of silver to me. In this way, I can guarantee that within ten years, I will be able to do everything Come, my ships of the Tang Dynasty are traveling in every corner of the world." Li Chunfeng was in high spirits, and when he mentioned business, his whole person immediately became excited and excited. Compared with the previous mysterious and unpredictable Li Chunfeng, he was simply incomparable. They are completely different.
When Cui Zhibian heard Li Chunfeng's words, he nodded in agreement and said: "Your Highness, I think what Mr. Li Chunfeng said is reasonable. If you are willing to allocate another fifteen million taels of silver to me, I promise to return it double in time."
Li Chongyi was completely confused. He pretended not to hear the various corners of Li Chunfeng's world. Anyway, it was always difficult for ordinary people to understand what this magic stick said, so he simply passed by.
But Cui Zhibian actually followed Li Chunfeng and shouted, hoping that His Highness the Crown Prince would give them another fifteen million taels of silver. This obviously didn't sound that simple. Could it be that there really are endless treasures in this sea
What surprised and astonished him even more was that when the two people got off the boat, they didn't even say a few polite words to His Highness, and started asking His Highness on the pier.
This shows what? It shows that the two of them have definitely tasted the sweetness. Li Chunfeng and Cui Zhibian are both noble people who regard money as dirt, especially Li Chunfeng. No one knows what his pursuit in this life is. If there is one, it is Ethereal stars and the sea.
Cui Zhibian has always pursued the power of the navy. He has spent most of his life at sea, and he feels more free at sea than on land.
Therefore, these two people hope that His Highness the Crown Prince will continue to allocate funds, not because they are greedy for money when building the giant ship. It is definitely because the giant ship has provided them with a platform and path to pursue their ideals throughout their lives, which is why they are so anxious. I cannot bear it, and hope that His Highness the Crown Prince will allocate funds to them immediately.
Facing their requests, Li Hong just shook his head and smiled bitterly. The two of them didn't care how crowded they were in the court.
Not to mention others, the father and mother extorted nearly 30 million taels of silver from themselves. In addition, the court had no idea what kind of wealth the giant ship could bring to the Tang Dynasty as it sailed to the sea. They are all skeptical.
What's more, in their minds, when Xu Fu went to sea to obtain the elixir of immortality for Emperor Qin, he eventually disappeared without a trace on the sea. Some people think that Xu Fu drove a white boat and gold and silver treasures to a remote island and lived a life of immortality. In order to give him a luxurious life, he deceived Emperor Qin.
Moreover, if the commander of the giant ship rebels, it will have a huge impact on the court. Therefore, the officials in the court have always had an ambiguous attitude towards Li Hongjian's plans for the giant ship and ocean voyages.
Most voices believe that ocean voyages are a complete waste of manpower and material resources. No matter how abundant the resources are on the sea, fishermen in coastal areas will not live such a miserable life.
Li Hong got on the carriage, while Li Chunfeng and Cui Zhibian, obviously determined not to give up until they reached their goal, did not even get on the carriage Li Chongyi prepared for them. Instead, they each rode a horse, following the carriage of His Royal Highness. Side, trying to persuade His Highness the Crown Prince to agree to their request in the shortest possible time.
(End of chapter)