activa-t Chapter 32 Treasure Ship
Chapter 32 Treasure Ship
The Palace of the Prince of Zhongshan.
As the crowd dispersed, only the winding stream remained, a scene of utter desolation.
The brothers Xu Wenjue and Xu Yunjue walked alongside Duke Xu Hongji of Wei.
"Father."
"When will the deal with the merchants be completed? I want to see for myself what the Palace of the Heavenly Official, no, the Great Teacher of Virtue, looks like."
"Once the craftsmen have completed the construction of the treasure ship, you may set sail north. Travel with the five merchant fleets. Remember, we only do business, we have no political stance, and we should not easily get involved in the turmoil of the North."
They finally managed to shake off the massive military burden from the north.
How could we let those poor relatives get involved?
It's better to give them some money every year, even if it's just to let them freeload, than to collect taxes.
Xu Wenjue nodded with delight, "I can't believe there's such a grand event. I must go and see it for myself."
"They have the blueprints, we provide the craftsmanship. Cooperation benefits both, separation harms both."
Xu Wenjue left the massive Zhongshan Prince's mansion.
We arrived at the former Longjiang Shipyard.
The site of Zheng He's treasure shipyard.
This place has now been reopened.
Towering trees from Yunnan are continuously being transported here.
If restored according to the blueprints, the treasure ship would have eight decks, with oarsmen, boatmen, soldiers, and craftsmen, and could carry more than a thousand people.
It has twelve sails, a mast forty feet long, and sail iron balls weighing over thirty pounds. Only three hundred sailors working together can operate it freely.
"Didn't you say you were just building one? Why such a big fuss?" Xu Wenjue asked, pulling one of the people over at random.
Tian Gong, who was engrossed in the blueprints, looked angry until he saw Xu Wenjue's face clearly. "Third Master, it's about restoration after all. It's easy to talk about it on paper, but difficult to actually do it."
"Moreover, this is an unprecedented event, attracting craftsmen from all over the land. How could one ship possibly suffice?"
"After it's built, one of the carriages will be sent to Kuri during the dead of winter."
It was once the center of the trade in spices, cloth, and porcelain among various vassal states.
Today it has become the largest trading port.
Xu Wenjue pointed to the huge underwater shadows in the three rivers, "What is this?"
"Third Master, that's dragon bone."
"They were all obtained by slaughtering evil dragons from the west. Using these as dragon bones, the sea became as flat as flat land."
"Even northerners who can't swim can move around freely."
Large amounts of hot steam foam could be faintly seen rising from the riverbed.
Xu Wenjue excitedly ordered his men to retrieve it, saying, "Retrieve the evil dragon! I want to see what makes these evil dragons so different!"
He waved command flags to the left and right.
"Get up~"
The three hundred mountain-moving warriors, their arms bare, dragged mithril chains as thick as fingers, and the numerous mithril channels on their skin were ignited by the activation of spiritual energy.
Amidst the heavy snow, the surrounding area was filled with scorching heat, and melted snow poured down.
What is a mountain-moving warrior? Nothing more than immense strength.
Amidst the shouts and chants.
The wicked dragon gradually revealed its form.
A huge dragon horn burst forth from the water, and the steam slowly dissipated. Its entire body was nearly seven zhang long, with a single horn and no wings. A large, bright red hole pierced through its left eye from front to back.
Even in death, this ferocious beast still exuded a fierce aura.
Xu Wenjue looked around, utterly disappointed. "They're just wild beasts after all."
In Nanjing Yingtianfu, there was no shortage of craftsmen and weavers, as these were the skills to make a living.
The craftsmen possess skillful hands and creative abilities.
What I long for most is to participate in the construction of this wonder.
Their names will be remembered in history.
If it weren't for the Duke of Wei rallying everyone to contribute and agreeing to share these technologies, it would never have been so easy.
The clans in the south are incredibly powerful.
Each clan is a small, independent workshop.
This evolutionary trend is evident across various industries.
Although it hasn't evolved to the point of vertical isolation, it's not far off.
Every large-scale construction project is a feast for the craftsmen, serving not only as a platform for technical exchange but also as a spark of intellectual collision.
There is no skill that can be perfected without practice.
Moreover, each blueprint is a huge asset.
Even if it's just one link in the enormous technological chain of the shipbuilding industry.
The construction technology of ancient super-large ships was a culmination of metallurgy, woodworking, textiles, communications, machinery, military industry, astronomy, mathematics, chemical industry, and agriculture.
With thousands of years of accumulated technology and experience, there is a mature and observable development path.
They are loyal to their clan and to themselves, but not to their country.
Xu Wenjue left satisfied.
Zheng Zhilong was waiting at the door. "Third Master, please get in the car and we can talk in detail."
Xu Wenjue, holding his brocade hat, stepped into the carriage. Inside, it was a completely different world, more than ten times larger than it appeared from the outside.
"This is the Void Stone, which I obtained by chance," Zheng Zhilong proudly introduced his treasure.
"Wow, that's impressive. Now I'm interested to hear what important matter you, such a busy person, have to discuss with me."
"Please take my good-for-nothing younger brother with you, Third Master."
"What, the vast territory in the south isn't enough for you to roam freely, so you've even set your sights on the barren north."
Zheng Zhilong lowered his head respectfully, saying, "In business, there's never too much."
Xu Wenjue didn't think that so-called benefits could sway this person's heart. He casually played with the exquisite glass in the carriage and said, "Let me guess, are you trying to take this opportunity to transform into a dragon? Your achievements in the south are not enough to support you to cross the Dragon Gate, so you are trying to unify the entire ocean of the Ming Dynasty. You want to become the Dragon King of the Sea."
"If you try to eat alone, you'll be attacked by everyone."
One cannot ultimately betray one's origins. Zheng Zhilong, having relied on the power of the south, was naturally also subject to constraints.
"Don't think about it."
"This is not something you should be thinking about."
Xu Wenjue crushed the exquisite glass in his hand; it was a three-clawed dragon.
He snorted coldly and got out of the car.
Zheng Zhilong raised his head expressionlessly.
His younger brother Zheng Lian, along with Qian Qianyi and Qian Longxi, the two leaders of the Donglin Fushe Society, walked out of the secret room.
Zheng Sen lowered his head. "Elder brother, what should we do?"
"Of course, the Duke would never agree to us setting up our own household." Zheng Zhilong said expressionlessly, not taking it to heart at all. "But even the Third Master is the same. It seems they are determined to make us their dogs for life."
"Yi Guan, now you believe us, right?" Qian Qianyi had long been dissatisfied with the Wei State Duke's mansion's dominance.
"The Duke of Wei only wants to be the Qin Hui of the Southern Song Dynasty, but he doesn't know that we all have lofty ambitions."
"In particular, the Duke's Mansion and the Ming Dynasty are most concerned about each other, and they will suffer heavy losses when the country is destroyed."
"The best time is when the emperor dies."
"At that time, we will not take their lives, but let them live a peaceful and prosperous life."
"Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Zheng Lian lowered his head silently, his eyes slightly red, and his hands almost dropped the glass cup in his hands.
This immense wealth may be about to descend upon his family.
If one successfully transforms into a dragon, even if it's just a jiaolong (a type of dragon), as a blood relative, one can also benefit from it.
Qian Qianyi saw this and exchanged a smile with Qian Longxi.
Zheng Zhilong thought with disdain, "If the Duke of Wei and the others are having a hard time, how can you be comfortable? At that time, it is still unknown who will be the fish and the knife."
"For our common cause."
"Cheers!"