Seeing the emperor staring at him intently, and Chu Kuan and Hua Qi looking at him expectantly, Zhang Shou couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. It was strange to ask him to discuss such a matter - it was definitely not because he had unlocked the secret box of Emperor Taizu, but because of his suspected "overseas education" background.
Because the emperor and smart people like Ge Yong believed that his teachers must be famous scholars who had traveled overseas. Fortunately, no one asked him to find these teachers, otherwise he would really cry. Fortunately, there was Emperor Taizu as a role model, and fortunately he didn't make too many things, and many of them were achieved by the collective efforts of craftsmen, otherwise he would probably be dissected.
So, after thinking calmly for a while, he spoke again: "Are the people claiming to be the Chinese delegation still in Shanhaiwei, or have they been escorted all the way to the capital? Is the big ship still anchored at sea? Where are the other people on the ship?"
"The people have been escorted to the capital. Shanhaiwei was in a turmoil over this matter. The deputy commander who stayed behind even tried to figure out the superiors' intentions and planned to kill people and destroy the ship. Fortunately, they gave up the idea in the end because the ship owner said that they were afraid that the sea route was too long and that there were eight large ships coming. They had lost contact with the main team and didn't know where the main team was."
"The Shanhai Guards originally wanted to send people to the ship that is now at sea, but they are not naval forces and many of them are seasick, so they can only temporarily requisition fishermen's houses on the shore to monitor nearby. At the same time, they reported to the capital. The Zhenhai Camp and Dinghai Camp in Tianjin also received the corresponding emergency. The emperor has just summoned the three ministers of the cabinet and will send a ship immediately."
Chu Kuan said this, but in his heart he felt that the so-called lost story was not credible. The emperor also had a face full of sarcasm. Hua Qi did not comment. On the contrary, Zhang Shou's face seemed to be thoughtful. He asked, "Did Dr. Zhang think of something?"
"It's not that I have thought of anything. I just feel that Qinhuangdao, east of Shanhaiwei, has never had a dock or port built in our dynasty. Even if the ship claiming to be an envoy got separated from the main fleet at sea and drifted here, how could it be so skilled in anchoring there, and also be able to figure out the depth of the mud on the shore and land on the shore at a suitable distance?"
"That area is close to Shanhaiwei. Even desperate smugglers wouldn't take that sea route, right?"
The emperor and Chu Kuanhuaqi certainly understood his implication. If someone in their country really forged the Haidong Continental ship, why would they choose Qinhuangdao, which is adjacent to Shanhaiwei, to dock? This is simply deliberately putting their lives in the hands of others.
In comparison, although there are many patrol camps in the southeast, they are not so strict after all, so there are many small boats used for smuggling among the people.
If they landed in those small places and then claimed to be the Chinese envoys to make a big fuss, it would probably cause a much bigger commotion than in Qinhuangdao. Most Ming people would not consider Qinhuangdao as a port to go out to sea, let alone understand the geographical and hydrological conditions there. Therefore, the emperor could not help but have a very disturbing idea.
Could it be that he is really a descendant of Taizu