My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 254: Building a Seagoing Ship and Opening the Maritime Silk Road

Liaodong.

Outside Pyongyang.

Li Chengqian summoned thousands of shipbuilding craftsmen from all over the country.

inside the house.

Seven shipbuilding masters who had long been famous in Goryeo and Silla were kneeling on the ground trembling with fear.

"Okay, excuse me."

"I asked you to come here so that I can build a new ship for you, a ship that can effectively withstand storms on the sea."

"Today, we will pool our wisdom to finalize the prototype of the newest large ship."

Shipbuilding is a very important matter for Li Chengqian.

This involves the entire Tang Dynasty's external development and education, including the opening up of maritime trade.

During the dynasty era, the prosperity of maritime trade originated in the Tang Dynasty and reached its peak from the Song Dynasty to the early Ming Dynasty.

The Maritime Silk Road in the Song Dynasty was unprecedentedly prosperous, with merchants’ footprints all over Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean, as far as the east coast of Africa. From Jiaozhou Bay in the northeast, to Hangzhou Bay and the Golden Triangle of Fuzhou, Zhangzhou and Quanzhou in the middle, to Guangzhou Bay and Qiongzhou Strait in the south, there were many ports for maritime trade. Silk, porcelain, tea and other commodities of the Song Dynasty were widely traded to Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and even Africa.

Li Chengqian wanted to build the Maritime Silk Road in advance, and sea vessels used for trade were indispensable.

Although the shipbuilding technology in the early Tang Dynasty was good, it was mostly used for inland navigation. When it came to ocean trade, it was rather poor and was considered a water ship rather than a sea ship.

Now, what Li Chengqian wants to build is a ship that can sail on the sea for a long time.

Liaodong has many mountains and trees and rich timber resources. In addition, its coastal location provides many conditions for building seagoing ships.

We also have certain technical reserves in the manufacture of sea vessels.

What Li Chengqian wanted to do was to let these shipbuilding masters, who were originally self-centered in their technology, discuss and research together, and add some of his own suggestions to build ships capable of ocean trade.

"What I want to build is a large ship that can sail across the ocean. First, you should tell me how a ship is generally built."

Li Chengqian waved his hand, and the guards brought seven chairs over for the seven shipbuilding masters to sit on.

The seven shipbuilding masters looked at each other and took their seats at the prince's command.

After a look at each other, the sixty-year-old, white-haired Master Li finally broke the silence. He bowed respectfully to Li Chengqian, his voice carrying a hint of vicissitudes and professionalism.

"Your Highness, the first problem in building an ocean-going ship is the selection of materials, and we cannot be careless. Although the mountains and forests in Liaodong are vast and there are countless woods, it takes a lot of effort to select the ones that are truly suitable."

"Take teak for example. It is as hard as iron and has fine and tight texture. Even if the seawater corrodes it for years, it can hardly be damaged in the slightest."

"But teak grows slowly, and it's not easy to find in these mountains. We have to send people to search all over the mountains to identify it. Ironwood is also a good choice. It's heavy and sinks in water. It's very resistant to decay. But when you cut it with an ordinary axe, the blade will bend after a few strokes. You have to use a special sharp blade."

Li Chengqian listened attentively, nodding from time to time, signaling him to continue. Master Li took a breath and continued, "Choosing the right wood and drying it are also very important. Newly cut wood is wet and full of moisture. If you use it rashly, the boat planks will crack like a tortoise shell within half a year."

"You need to find a well-ventilated and dry place, stack the wood neatly, and let it dry slowly in the shade. This drying process can take a few months at the shortest and more than a year at the longest, and you have to send someone to check on it from time to time. If it rains continuously, moisture will seep in, and not only will all your efforts be wasted, but the good material will also be ruined, which is even more heartbreaking."

Master Park from Silla took the opportunity to talk, and continued the topic with his hands clasped: "Your Highness, after the wood is dried properly, cutting it is a delicate job."

"The craftsmen had to follow the blueprints that had been drawn in advance, not even a millimeter could be wrong."

"When using a saw, the teeth must be sharpened from time to time. A dull saw not only requires more effort, but it can also easily tear out burrs on the wood, ruining its appearance."

"When the axe is used to chop, the angle must be correct. If there is a slight deviation, the thickness of the planks will be uneven, and it will be a big problem to splice them together later."

As soon as the two of them started talking, the atmosphere suddenly became much more relaxed from being solemn.

Several masters also understood that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was really planning to build an ocean-going ship.

So people started to make suggestions.

Master Jin from Goryeo said immediately: "The splicing of shipboards is of utmost importance. The mortise and tenon joints commonly used in the Tang Dynasty need to be improved and refined when used on ships at sea."

"The nails must be made of fine iron and repeatedly forged in a furnace to make them thicker and longer. Before being nailed into the planks, they must be soaked in tung oil for three to five days to prevent them from rusting."

“When splicing, it is not enough to just have a flat joint. There must also be diagonal joints and dovetail joints that fit together so that the planks can be seamlessly integrated.”

"Speaking of the keel, it is the lifeblood of a ship. You need to find a huge log that is so thick that two people can hug it, peel it, and then grind it until it is smooth. When embedding it into the bottom of the ship, you need to use wedges and nails to double reinforce it. There can't be any gaps. Otherwise, if there is a big storm, the keel will loosen and the whole ship will fall apart."

Li Chengqian couldn't help but interrupt and asked, "Master Jin, I heard that when building a ship, the wood doesn't fit well together and is prone to insects. Is there any way to deal with it?"

Master Jin nodded hurriedly, "Your Highness is wise. This ship has been soaking in water for a long time. The hot and humid environment is the most attractive to termites. My method is to put the ship planks in a large pot and steam them. Then add some insect repellent herbs, such as chinaberry bark and tripterygium wilfordii, to the water. After they are thoroughly boiled, no matter how cunning the termites are, they will not be able to gnaw on the ship planks."

Master Park of Silla took over the conversation again: "Your Highness, the watertight bulkhead inside the hull is also a key link. This bulkhead looks simple, but in fact the craftsmanship is complicated. The bulkhead must be made of thick wooden boards, and the joints with the hull must be sealed tightly with hemp and tung oil putty, and there must be no air or water permeability. However, when making this bulkhead, the size is the most difficult to control. One point larger or smaller will affect the layout of the cabin, and it must be measured and calibrated again and again."

The master who was good at sailing equipment stood up and bowed slightly, saying, "Your Highness, the requirements for sails are just as important as those for the hull. The existing sails are too thin and weak for the open ocean. To make new sails, we need fabrics first. Although the new silk fabrics from Lingnan are light, they are not tough enough. We need to mix some hemp thread into them to increase the pulling force."

"When cutting, the shape must be a polygonal trapezoid. Every angle must be carefully calculated. If it is too blunt, it cannot hold the wind, and if it is too sharp, it will be easily damaged. Also, for the sail rope, ordinary hemp rope cannot withstand the long-term sea breeze. It must be a special cable made of three strands, and fine steel wire must be sandwiched inside to make it durable."

Li Chengqian nodded, and had a general understanding of shipbuilding.

However, this was very different from what he had imagined, especially building a ship, which was obviously not an easy task.

It takes at least a year and a half to build a ship. Even if a standardized shipbuilding process is established, it may not shorten the time too much.

Some processes, such as wood processing, cannot easily save time.

"Masters, what you said makes sense. I am very pleased. But when sailing on the ocean, the wind and clouds are unpredictable. What if we encounter a storm? How can we strengthen the stability of the ship?"

This poses a difficult question.

Everyone pondered for a long time before Master Li slowly said, "Your Highness, when encountering a storm, the center of gravity of the ship must be lowered. Ballast stones can be added to the bottom of the ship and fixed with iron cables. Thick guard plates must also be installed on both sides of the ship and locked firmly with mortise and tenon joints to block the waves in the storm."

"Just in case, we need to prepare more emergency repair materials, such as spare shipboard, tung oil, and hemp, so that if the hull is damaged, it can be repaired in time."

Li Chengqian understood.

Shipbuilding is mainly carried out in six steps.

Material selection, drying, cutting and board making, splicing and assembly, sail making, and finally the configuration of protection and auxiliary facilities.

Of course, in addition to this, there is also the most important hull structure design.

Ultimately, new construction standard procedures will need to be established.

This is undoubtedly a big project.

But you must start preparing now.
-
Seven days later.

Shenwu Palace.

Li Chengqian felt a little tired, but at least the general shipbuilding plan was decided.

Next is the summary and optimization of various aspects of hull manufacturing technology.

For example, optimizing the keel structure, improving the way the shipboard is connected, optimizing the watertight compartment technology, improving the shape and material of the sails, increasing the number and layout of the sails, etc. These technologies cannot be mastered by Li Chengqian himself, and he still needs to slowly gather talents and then gradually improve them.

Of course, at least now, we can start the shipbuilding process.

"Your Highness, good news."

Li Dejian hurried over to report.

"What good news?"

Li Chengqian put down his pen. He was writing the charter for the shipyard.

Li Dejian replied with a look of surprise: "Your Highness, I just received news from Chang'an that His Majesty approved your new policy in the court. After discussion among all officials, it was decided to try it out in some counties first. If it works, then the reform will be implemented throughout the Tang Dynasty."

This news is indeed a surprise.

Even Li Chengqian himself did not expect that Erfeng would choose to apply his new policy.

The symbolic meaning here is greater than the practical meaning.

By doing this, Li Shimin was almost announcing to everyone that his support for the crown prince's new policies also meant his support for the crown prince's legitimate position.

In the eyes of others, this new policy was most likely discussed by His Majesty and the Crown Prince, and is now being implemented in Liaodong and will then spread to the Tang Dynasty.

“That’s really good news.”

Li Chengqian expressed his affirmation.

Li Dejian hesitated for a moment and then said, "Your Majesty's actions must indicate that you are very sympathetic to His Highness."

"Perhaps after we conquer Baekje, we can return to the Tang Dynasty."

It was impossible for Li Chengqian to stay in Liaodong forever. After unifying Haidong, he would naturally have to return to the Tang Dynasty.

Otherwise, he would just be in a precarious situation and would no longer be able to maintain the throne of the Tang Dynasty.

If we really have to wait until Erfeng dies, who knows how many years it will take, and there is no need for that either.

"Let's wait until we conquer Baekje."

Li Chengqian skipped this topic and said, "It is said that Baekje has joined forces with Japan and seems to have agreed to many conditions from Japan, asking Japan to dispatch hundreds of warships to harass the coastal areas."

"Right now I am planning to train a group of naval forces. Now that Silla is almost stable, I need to find someone to replace General Su. Who do you think should go?"

Su Dingfang was an all-round player. He was talented not only in land warfare but also in naval warfare in history.

During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, in the battle against Baekje, Su Dingfang led the navy across the sea, successfully landed and defeated the Baekje army, made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty's conquest of Baekje and expansion of its influence on the Korean Peninsula, and demonstrated outstanding amphibious combat command capabilities.

After much thought, Li Chengqian decided to let Su Dingfang take charge of the naval training.

On the one hand, those who are capable should work harder.

More importantly, Li Chengqian currently lacks outstanding and independent generals under his command.

After all, famous generals like Pei Xingjian and Xue Rengui have not fully grown up yet.

"I think maybe we can let Helan Chushi go."

Li Dejian named his candidate.

Li Chengqian frowned slightly: "Why is it him?"

Not killing Helan Chushi was already a favor, but handing Silla over to him was a bit unreasonable.

Li Dejian said helplessly: "Helan Chushi has served in the Eastern Palace for many years and is very experienced. Right now, we are training the troops and preparing for war. After all the calculations, there is no one more suitable than him."

Li Chengqian's brows relaxed.

This is true.

Helan Chushi was not good at local governance or military management, but he had been an official for many years and had experience in political struggles.

"Well, let him go."

Silla's current problems are more about the suppression of the nobility, the struggle for power, and trying to make the transition as smooth as possible.

In this regard, Helan Chushi is capable.

At present, Silla has not experienced any major storms because it has not experienced the military sweep like Goryeo, but it still has many minor troubles.

This requires sufficient manpower and time to do it.

the other side.

Helan Chushi was ecstatic when he got the news.

These days, he was basically idle at home, because after his father-in-law was arrested, the prince's neglect towards him became more and more obvious.

This has always made him feel very uneasy.

Now that I have a new appointment, I feel much more at ease.

"The prince still cares about me."

Helan Chushixin soon felt ashamed for his previous misunderstanding of the prince.

I think it's because I'm not capable of governing the place and training the army.

Now that he had a chance to use his talents, the prince immediately thought of himself.

end of April.

The crown prince Buyeo Long of Baekje, along with his followers, finally arrived in Chang'an.

Looking at the huge Chang'an city gate and the solid, tall and majestic city walls.

At this moment, Buyeo Long finally realized how big the gap was between Baekje and the Tang Dynasty.

"There is not a single crack in this huge wall. It looks like a single huge rock. It is truly a work of art beyond compare."

Fu Yulong sighed subconsciously.

This is because the walls of Chang'an city have now been paved with a layer of cement under the order of Li Shimin.

So at first glance, people who don’t understand would think that the entire Chang’an city wall was carved out of a huge piece of stone.

"Where did this bumpkin come from?"

A Chang'an merchant who was passing by happened to hear this and couldn't help but sneer.

(End of this chapter)