Seiwa

In Renshen in July of the third year of Yongle, several loud noises suddenly came from the outskirts of Nanjing.

Residents in the city stopped their work and looked up at the direction of the loud noise. When they saw black smoke rising and lingering for a long time, they knew that the Military Weapons Bureau and the Military Warfare Bureau were testing artillery again. Clearly, what should be done is still unaffected in the slightest.

Since the second year of Yongle, the Bureau of Military Warfare and the Military Weapons Bureau often test-fired firearms outside the city, and everyone has long been used to it.It would be strange to not hear such a loud noise in any month.

However, today's cannon sounds seem to be louder and denser than in the past.It is not surprising that it is either multiple bursts of fire, or a more powerful artillery than the general is created.

The foreign envoys in the hall heard the loud noise and gathered in the courtyard one after another. Looking at the direction of the wind from the loud noise, their hearts jumped.

The envoys of the Ming Dynasty have more or less seen how powerful the army of the Ming Dynasty was and how sharp the weapons they used.Especially those who have dealt with Mu Ying and Mu Sheng father and son who guarded Yunnan, they are even more afraid of the firecrackers and artillery of the Ming Dynasty.

Powerful firecrackers and iron balls that can break giant trees are the nightmares of many foreign warriors.

Listening to the deafening gunfire, Prince Chen and the Champa envoys were full of excitement.With such a powerful cannon, it goes without saying that Daming's army is strong.It is indeed a wise move to hug the thigh of the emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

Ruan Jingzhen and others dispatched by the Annan Hu clan did not look so good-looking.

Not long ago, the Son of Heaven issued an edict to reprimand the Hu family for usurping power, Annan's army invaded the border of the Ming Dynasty, and oppressed neighbors.The words are quite impolite, and there is a murderous look between the lines.All he had to say was that if the Hu clan didn't take the initiative to abdicate, welcome the Chen clan back to the country, and didn't withdraw troops from the occupied land, Daming wouldn't mind doing it for him.Annan is responsible for all the consequences arising therefrom.

This was a blatant threat, but Annan didn't dare to show it, so he could only send envoys to bring Shangwu and Hu's letter of pleading guilty to Daming to pay tribute, begging Emperor Yongle to show mercy.

Whether he is sincerely submissive or using this to delay time, only Hu himself knows.

Whether the former or the latter, Zhu Di doesn't care.

With strength in front of him, everyone is happy for Hu's submission, and if he is not convinced, there is naturally a way to make him submit.

Ruan Jingzhen's heart sank more and more as the cannons continued to ring outside the city.No wonder the members of the mission mission to Ming Dynasty all complained of illness and resigned after returning home, or hid in their own villages, no matter what the king ordered, they ignored them and refused to come out to die.This is clearly to draw a clear line with the Hu family in order to protect themselves.

From this point of view, if the Ming Dynasty did not take the initiative to welcome Prince Chen back and return the occupied city-state, would the Ming Dynasty really send troops?

Comparing the eyesight of the two sides and imagining the outcome after the war, Annan's envoy couldn't help but turn pale, showing panic and panic.

The merchants who gathered in the city were startled by the sudden sound of cannon at first.After learning the details from the residents of the capital, the shock suddenly turned into surprise.

"it is good!"

A merchant laughed and clapped his hands, praising Daming's prestige.The people around echoed and applauded loudly.

The passing Yamen servants of Yingtian Mansion followed the sound and slapped the iron ruler twice on their palms, but they didn't step forward to reprimand these people for being too loud and affecting the appearance of the city.On the contrary, the speaker consciously lowered his voice when he saw the yamen servant in soap uniform, but the excitement and excitement on his face could not be dispelled no matter what.

Several warriors from the Wuliangha tribe who were separated by two tables had personally experienced the giant cannons of Ming Dynasty in Jingnan. The Jurchens at the next table had also seen the frontier army using artillery in Liaodong. Hearing the sound, they could not help themselves There was a chill.

The loud noise that can deafen the ears, the choking black smoke, and the huge iron ball that smashed people and horses into meat.

Just thinking about it makes my hands and feet feel cold.

Wu Liangha has been attached to Daming for a long time, suppressed the fear in his heart, and soon returned to normal.

The Jurchens looked at each other, thinking that the plans of the tribal leaders were simply whimsical.With such a powerful dynasty, it was too late to join, and he wanted to think about other things. He was completely confused about how high the mountains were, how high the mountains were, and how deep the seas were.

Outside the city, the two cannons donated by Daning stopped roaring, and the frontier army opened the barrels and took out the sub-cannons.

A few hundred meters away, the black smoke dissipated, and several deep pits smashed by the iron ball and the shattered wooden figures were impressively visible.

Zhu Dice immediately stepped forward, looked at the [-]-jin cannon, and asked, "Is this the barbarian's cannon? It's so powerful, it's really amazing."

Zhou Rong, who escorted the cannon into Beijing, knelt down and proclaimed Long Live. After Zhu Di called out, he said, "Return to Your Majesty, this cannon was indeed made according to the drawings of the Yi people. It is not easy to explode the chamber, it is really a big difference."

"Good!" Zhu Di stroked the short mustache under his chin, and knowing that the artillery had not yet been named, he immediately named it "Falang Machine Cannon".That is to say, the Yi people presented the blueprint, so it should be named after it.

In this way, Meng Qinghe and Emperor Yongle teamed up to make a butterfly for the historical Flang cannon, and it appeared in the Ming army 100 years earlier.

Since then, it has been continuously improved by the craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty, and it has become the world-famous "Daming version of the Frang machine artillery", which made the pirates intimidating and Europeans rushed to imitate.

Dias, who brought the artillery drawings to the East, left a great mark in the history books.

Although the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope was overwhelmed by someone, the descendants of Dias did not decline because of this.On the contrary, in order to establish friendship with the Ming Dynasty and obtain the right to trade silk and porcelain, this family rich in adventurers and navigators was sought after by kings and nobles from various European countries, and the wealth and glory they gained were incalculable.

In addition to artillery, Daning also presented high-yielding crop varieties.Along with the fine varieties of artillery, there is a list of craftsmen and soldiers who have developed and manufactured artillery and improved grain.After the list are the officials of the Bingzhan Bureau and the Daning Dusi who supervised the construction of artillery and participated in this matter.

Everyone's department is clearly marked, and they don't conceal the report or be greedy for credit.

After seeing it, Emperor Yong Le couldn't help sighing, this is the person who does practical things!

In a good mood, with a swipe of the pen, the Daning Dusi, the Beijing Bingzhan Bureau and the Daning Miscellaneous Bureau were all rewarded heavily.Duke Dingguo and Bo Xingning were even more praised by name.The eunuch Bai Yanhui, the chief of the military battle bureau, was not called, but was honored by the emperor. He put on new clothes, paced back and forth, smiling so hard that he couldn't see his teeth.

In Meng Qinghe's memorial, it was mentioned that barbarian artillery can be further improved, not only for land warfare, but also for sea warships, and Emperor Yong Le paid more and more attention to this.

Zheng He's fleet was about to set sail, and it was definitely too late to temporarily install artillery. He simply ordered Zhejiang and other capitals to gather skilled craftsmen, build shipyards, and manufacture sea-going ships in large quantities.After the ship is built, the artillery can naturally be installed however you want.

The funding for shipbuilding is not a problem. The Ministry of Households does not have it, and it comes directly from the internal warehouse.

Shipbuilding materials are not a problem either. Water and soil protection is implemented in Liaodong and Southwest China, and logging is not allowed at will. They can be purchased from foreign countries such as Annan Champa and Siam.Wood and rope can be sold for money, and bamboo and iron ore can also be exchanged for food. Even if the king and ministers of Fanbang do not take the bait, the chieftains and villagers below will take the initiative to trade with the Ming Dynasty.

It's just cutting down a few trees and selling them in exchange for some cloth and grain, can the king control it?

To punish?The chieftain can lead everyone to naturalize to Ming Dynasty.People who became Daming were naturally protected by the Ming army, and the King of Fanbang, who had to issue an edict from the Emperor of Ming to enjoy the legal right of succession, naturally had nothing to do with it.

The emperor gave money, officials selected talents, and then went to various places to buy materials. Sea and water transportation prospered together, and post stations were set up one after another.After the Northern and Southern Ministry of Households and the Ministry of Industry jointly signed Shangshu, the treatment of boatmen and postmen and postmen in various places has improved, but various non-governmental organizations, such as Caobang, have also appeared in advance.

From the beginning of its establishment, Cao Gang has been thoroughly investigated by Jin Yiwei in various ways, and it has become completely transparent.Based on the continuously detailed "Law of the Ming Dynasty", the officials of the Yongle Dynasty were more powerful. At this time, the Cao Gang was far away from the X society. Unions.

In this regard, Meng Qinghe could only touch his chin, looked at the beam at a 45-degree angle, and sighed, the history is so wonderful.

According to the imperial decree, the sea-going ships manufactured by shipyards in Zhejiang and other places, in addition to official use, can also be purchased by merchants to obtain profits.The imperial court takes the lion's share, while the local government takes a small share, and the officials who supervise the shipbuilding can also get a dividend.

This is permitted by the emperor, and it is much safer than reaching out in private.

However, the officials in Zhejiang and other places who received the shipbuilding task scratched their heads. The emperor is not short of money, so he is naturally generous. He initially planned to build 180 sea boats. Even if money and materials are not a problem, where can we find the needed craftsmen?

The craftsman is here, what should the handyman do?

It is impossible for farmers. The imperial court has high-yielding grain seeds, and everyone is busy farming. Except for the refugees who were hit by the disaster, no one will go to the shipyard to find work.Forced?Jin Yiwei's driving invitation will come to the door immediately.

There are craftsmen, but there are still too many monks and too little porridge.

Military households don't even think about it.There are Tartars in the north, Japanese pirates along the coast, and the southwest is planning to use troops against Annan. In addition, they have to sail to the west with the fleet.

With the increase in salary, military households, especially those in the north, no longer suffer from military service, and it is becoming more and more difficult to recruit people from Yu Ding, a close household.

The capitals from all over the country who received the shipbuilding task are worried.

It was like a cornucopia dropped from the sky, and it slammed down in front of him, watching helplessly, drooling, but he couldn't reach it, was it troublesome?

It is not just the prefectures and counties along the coast that are short of people, famines have also occurred in various parts of northern Xinjiang.

The imperial court allowed the army to be recruited from the subordinate Tatar tribes. There were military households, but there were still not enough artisan households.

There are Jurchen tribes in Liaodong to fill in, Beijing has immigrants from Shanxi, and Gansu and Ningxia are constantly attracting tribes on the grasslands, which can be relieved to some extent.

Only in Daning, more people go out than come in.Not only was there a shortage of craftsmen, but even the incoming court officials and border guards began to divert a large number of people.

Looking at the list of personnel transferred to Suncheon, Meng Qinghe's heart was bleeding.

After finally cultivating a few talents, is it easy for him?

Emperor Yong Le oppressed him, Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui exploited him, why even Shen Xuan came to join in the fun?

Even if it's wool, you can't just squeeze it on a sheep, right?

Where is the axiom, where is the morality, and where is the justice!

But the situation was stronger than the people. The Beijing branch came to ask for someone, but insisted on refusing to give it. Meng Qinghe's previous action of poaching people from the branch was used as a bargaining chip in the negotiation.Don't bother, Zhao Tongyi in the uncle's mansion is the proof!

The previous act of poaching got permission from the emperor?

It's easy to handle, the lower officials also have the emperor's edict in their hands, Xing Ning Bo can read it in detail.

Meng Qinghe has a headache, is this necessary?

People from the Ministry of Industry said that it is very necessary.

Xingningbo flipped the table.

It's a pity that it's useless to lift the table, and people still pull it away.Even if there are several gold and silver banknotes reissued by the emperor, it will not be able to make up for the loss of talents.

Holding his chest, Meng Twelve Lang wanted to cry but had no tears.

His eyes were red with anxiety, and he turned evil to the side, and he simply played the idea of ​​​​overseas foreigners.

The eight Japanese craftsmen gave him inspiration, and the neighbors who are stripped of water are by his side, so if you don't grab white, don't grab it!

What's more, Yuan Daoyi wrote a letter of guarantee, and the trouble of Japanese pirates has not been eradicated. Since he "admires" Shangguo so much, why not come to Shangguo to work and study.

The process may be violent, but if the situation requires it, there is no other way.

Meng Qinghe knew that this idea would be scolded by the scholar-bureaucrats and recorded in the history books, and it would be even more famous as a traitor.

He doesn't care.

Don't work hard when you are the strongest, and regret it when you go downhill?

This is not Meng Shierang's style.

However, Meng Qinghe was not afraid to fight with the officials, but he didn't want to cause too much trouble before the matter was completed.After discussing with Shen Xuan, the plan was approved, but the eunuchs for the emperor could not go through formal channels.

The Jinyiwei who stayed in Daning once again acted as a messenger. Yang Duo, the commander of the Jinyiwei who received the note, pinched his brows helplessly. In addition to spying on intelligence, the Jinyiwei served as the guard of honor for the emperor, and also worked part-time as an urban administrator, supervising the dredging of urban pipelines. Specialist and multi-skilled, very busy, is it necessary to add a deadline?

Serving the emperor, you can accommodate.But if you do a lot of work, shouldn't your salary go up?At least the round-trip travel expenses must be reimbursed, right?

Putting down the note, Commander Yang, dressed in bright red brocade, sat in the lobby of Beizhen Fusi with an unpredictable expression.

The school lieutenant and Lishi who passed by the door did not dare to show their aura, thinking that Commander Yang was thinking about which high-ranking official should be invited to stay in the imperial prison for a few days.

If it is said that Yang Duo is thinking about giving the emperor a job and applying for a salary increase, no one will believe it 100%.

Commander Yang would think about this?

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

In the seventh month of the third year of Yongle, Yihai, a few fast horses galloped out of Daning City, and rushed to Nanjing with Xingningbo's secret music.

In Yimao in the same month, the Deming Fleet assembled more than 350 sea-going ships and more than [-] personnel, and set sail from Liujiagang, Taicang, Jiangsu Province.

The fleet carried the gold-sealed robes given by Emperor Yongle to the kings of the Western countries, as well as a large amount of porcelain, silk and goods produced in Ming Dynasty.In addition to the rewards given to the various nations, they were mostly used to trade with the locals in exchange for gold, silver, precious stones and spices.

In the center of the fleet are two treasure ships, Zheng He and his deputy Wang Jinghong are standing at the bow, tall and majestic.The warships are in the shape of "pin" to guard the treasure ship, followed by horse ships, grain ships and merchant ships.

Drums sounded simultaneously on the shore and on the ship. Several large flags were erected on the treasure ship, and twelve sails were raised one after another. Looking down from the air, it looked like a giant beast with bulging scales, entrenched on the sea.

With the experience of going to the East, the arrangements of the fleet are in order.The guards, representatives of the vassal kings, and civil and military personnel all obeyed orders.

It is worth mentioning that after seeing the scene of the military officers queuing up to receive the money, the Korean and Chinese officials also donated money one after another to contribute to the trip to the West.Xia Yuanji, Minister of the Household Department, didn't have to jump into the river with a stone in his arms, and the amount of money recorded in the booklet was also rising steadily.

In addition to the above personnel, there are also Wuliangha, Tatar and Jurchen teams boarding the ship one after another.Standing at the bow of the ship, seeing the seemingly endless fleet and the sails covering the sky, the shock in the hearts of the warriors is beyond description.

Perhaps it was too shocking, but there were very few people with symptoms of seasickness.This made Zheng Gonggong and Wang Gonggong on the treasure ship extremely envious and jealous.

They both came from landlubbers, so why is there such a big difference?

On the sea level in the distance, a big fish that has never been seen jumped up, and the golden sun shone, and seabirds soared in the sky.

Zheng He led the members of the fleet to worship again in the direction of Nanjing, got up, stood upright, and gave the order to set sail.

The fleet is like a giant dragon, following the guidance of the water compass, heading for the distance.

The leading ship has gone away, and the last merchant ship has just set sail.

Cloud sails block out the sun, and sea dragons roar.

Ding Qianhu, who was sailing with the fleet again, stood at the bow and gripped the side of the ship.

Seven years ago, he was banished to northern Xinjiang for his crimes.

Seven years later, he set sail with the envoys of Ming Dynasty for his meritorious service.

In the past, he was an arsenal officer of the Ministry of War, just like a frog in a well, fighting for power and profit with his colleagues in a narrow space.Today, he is guarding thousands of households under his command for Daning. He has made great military achievements and sailed overseas. None of his former colleagues dared to underestimate him.

All the changes started seven years ago, when he met Xing Ningbo, who was still a teenager, so weak that he couldn't even lift a waist knife.

The snow-white seabird slid across the air, leaving a blurry shadow on the sea surface, which was quickly broken in the waves.

Unknown big fish trail behind the boat, or cross the bow, chasing each other, sometimes jumping up, as if playing among the waves split by the bow.

The crew and frontier soldiers were surprised and exclaimed. Ding Qianhu smiled brightly and looked further away.

He believes that all changes are just the beginning, following Xingningbo, he will stand higher and see further.

However, what will be encountered on this voyage is still unknown.Ding Qianhu is very much looking forward to whether he will bring back a few barbarians from the sea like last time.