Late Tang Dynasty Floating Life

Chapter 1708
It's already the beginning of November, and today's winter is not particularly cold, the Liaohai Sea is still open to navigation, and there is not even thin ice on the shore.Occasionally there are signs of freezing, but they are quickly washed away by the raging waves and disappear without a trace.

When you are in the unitary hour, the night is gradually falling, and the Huafeng is beginning to rise.

Shao Shude was wearing a thick fur coat, sitting in the grass pavilion, watching the sea lit by fishing lights.

The sea at night has a unique charm.

Turbid waves come and go like dust.

Quiet and noisy, gentle and violent, just like life.

He thought of wandering around the Dengzhou countryside during the day.

Over the years, he has been to many places.

Sometimes it's the war before the founding of the People's Republic of China, and sometimes it's the stable world after the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Sometimes it's just eating pots of pulp, and the gentry and elders support the way; sometimes it's full of desolation, and the people are afraid of them like snakes and scorpions.

More than 20 years have passed, the latter has almost disappeared, and the former is more and more.

Terengganu citizens are enthusiastic, and their lives have been improved like never before.All the resentment has been swept away long ago, replaced by infinite recognition of the new dynasty, after all, people are forgetful.

The sleepless old emperor felt relieved.

It's November, and the winter solstice is coming.

At this time, the Baishan Heishui, the soldiers in the winter training should be eating dried fish while thinking about their future life, right?

At this time, in Dongnae, Silla, the soldiers of the town army who have just landed for a long time, do they have any thoughts of going to the country and homesickness?
At this time, inside and outside Dahe, are the merchants still chasing profits, paying more attention to profits than parting?
In this small town in the south of the Yangtze River at this time, is the sound of machine guns still ringing out?Whose harvest is loaded in the awning boat?

In the north and south of the Qinling Mountains where the peaks are obscured by thick clouds, are there any old men with missing front teeth looking at the piled-up barns with smiles on their faces?
Under the setting sun in the desert, is there a young man riding a horse, driving the white sheep around the scene, peeking at the girl who is milking from time to time?

At the foot of the magnificent Gaoligong Mountain, is the bonfire still as spectacular as usual?

Amidst the heavy waves, are the warriors fighting against the wind and waves shivering with cold, but with a burning desire to return to their hometown?
At the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, are the night marching armies heavily fortified, chasing immortal military exploits amidst flying sand and rocks?
The old emperor stood there for a long time.

The sea breeze blew his white hair, whispering endlessly, like the call of old brothers.

After entering November, Xiao Fu, governor of Jiangxi Province, and Xu Hao, deputy envoy of Beiya Privy Council, died of illness one after another.

It is common for old people to wither.

Shao Shude couldn't sleep, so he insisted on going to the seaside at night to relieve the loneliness in his heart.

After all, this world has been changed, and everyone's contribution seems to be meaningful.

The north and south of the river, the inside and outside of the long river, the snow-covered plateau, the desert jungle, everything is going step by step and step by step.The national power is constantly increasing, and the influence is constantly expanding. Even the maritime affairs that he cares about the most, after taking a look, he is quite satisfied.

The elegant government of the new dynasty is unswervingly implemented.

The morale of the people is visibly stable with the naked eye.

The internal and external vassal states surrendered tremblingly.

What regrets?Appears to be gone.

It's time to set off.

Before leaving, he went to the shipyard for the last time.

******
The north wind was howling, and the boats on the Liaohai Sea were full of forests. A large number of ships left various ports in the north, full of cargo, headed for Hebei and Huaihai, and some even bypassed Dengzhou and headed for Huainan.

Shao Shude returned to the pier of Penglai Town, and personally boarded a ship that was anchored.

The bottom of the boat was wet and slippery.

This is normal, no wooden boat is leak-proof, no matter what kind of filler you use to fill the gaps.

Shao Shude shook off the support of the guards and walked slowly in the hold.

It is full of a strange smell, a mixture of salty fishy smell, rancid smell, etc., which is very touching.

A few iron candlesticks hung on the bulkhead, thick candles burning faintly, providing a faint light.

In the dim light, Shao Shude asked someone to open a tightly covered wooden barrel.

A fishy smell hit his face, and he reached out and took out a fish.

The red fish body is shriveled and hard, but its weight is still considerable after being severely shrunk.When held in the hand, it sways slightly with the waves, which is quite attractive.

This kind of food has become a bestseller in Henan, Hebei, Huaihai, and Zhili. In recent years, even Hedong and Huainan have begun to sell in large quantities, and the market has become increasingly broad.

This is Shao Shude's contribution.

During the Spring Festival (his birthday), every household must buy this item.Later, it was extended to Winter Solstice, Zhengdan, Lantern Festival, and Spring Festival. Over the past 20 years, it has almost become a tradition.

He once talked to the prince about the importance of cultivating food traditions, and the prince also agreed with this idea.The Shao family dynasty must persevere in this tradition from generation to generation, so that people all over the world will get used to this festive food, and make it penetrate into every corner of the culture. Authentic, white festival.

Demand creates markets, and markets lead to industries.Only by operating in this way can the fishing industry continue and never stop.

Shao Shude put the squid heads into the barrel, then walked to the other row and pointed.

The guards immediately stepped forward and opened the lid of the barrel.

Inside were chunks of tough jerky, mostly venison.

Liaodong Road found some islands with lush vegetation along the coast of Jinghai, and caught various animals and put them on the islands.Later, because there were too few islands, some narrow isthmuses were selected and blocked with wooden fences. Animals, mainly deer, were raised on the other end of the isthmus and hunted regularly.

Years of practice have yielded mixed results.

The good news is that animals are multiplying rapidly and meat production has increased significantly.The bad part is that the density of animals per unit area of ​​forest and grass is too high, so it is very easy to get sick and die in large numbers.

In short, it is hard to say, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, at least it provides a lot of cheap dried meat to Hebei and Henan.

Shao Shude tapped the hard jerky lightly with his hand, and said with a smile: "It doesn't look good, but it's not bad, it's better than being cheap."

After inspecting the cargo in the bilge, he went up to the deck and asked Ma Wanpeng, the ship's ship chief of the Ministry of Industry who accompanied him, "What do you think of the new ship construction plan I mentioned a few days ago?"

Generally speaking, in a ship capable of long voyages, in addition to loading cargo, the bilge is also the residence of the bottom sailors.

The environment is of course very bad, wet, smelly, and even rats.

Above the bilge is the deck, where the sailors work and control the ship.

Above the deck, there are buildings, which can be divided into one, two or even three floors depending on the situation.

These buildings are the residences of officers, officers, storerooms, galley lighting facilities are also located here.

This is a single-deck ship, which is relatively small and cramped as a whole, and the environment is not good, and there are not many materials that can be carried, and it is easier to get sick.

Yes, the denser and less ventilated the space, the more prone to outbreaks of infectious diseases.

Infectious diseases are often ferocious, infecting many people at once, incapacitating sailors, and paralyzing ships.

Therefore, when sailing at sea, the captain attaches great importance to infectious diseases.Once a sailor is confirmed to be sick, even if he is still alive, there is only one end: being thrown into the sea.

Navigation is not about democracy, and the crew is probably the most hierarchical group.Even the most arrogant Caribbean pirates in later generations, it doesn't matter how much they argue or fight before going to sea. Once they go to sea, there can only be one "god" on board, and that is the captain.

The captain said what he said, and his orders must be carried out if he understands them, and they must be carried out if he does not understand them.The psychological problems of the sailors who have been sailing for a long time are very serious, and they must be restrained by strict and high-pressure discipline. Once the captain's authority is lost, there will be incidents like Lu Rongyu if he fails to keep it safe.

Therefore, whoever the captain wants to throw into the sea is really dead.

Shao Shude decided to improve the living environment of the crew, so he put forward new requirements: build more double-deck ships, and if there is an opportunity in the future, develop and build three-deck ships.

It is true that the golden age of double-deck and three-deck ships was the era of battle line artillery.

When the traditional naval battle mode changed from jumping gangs to battle line artillery battles, because they could accommodate more artillery, double-deck and three-deck warships came into being.

Hundreds of large and small cannons were loaded on the huge mountainous hull. When the gunner gave an order, above the turbulent waves, the cannons densely arranged on the three decks fired sequentially, and the orange flames burst from the cannons. The windows flashed one after another, and the howling projectiles flew towards the enemy ships, destroying buildings, discounting masts, and breaking through the waterline...

Naval guns, both in caliber and barrel, are beyond the reach of land guns.The salvo of hundreds of cannons is a symbol of the supreme glory of a country-reasonably, there are not many armies that can make up hundreds of cannons, let alone a battleship equipped with so many powerful cannons, that is really is a war beast.

Shao Shude understood that his Great Xia Empire could not have such a dream for the time being.

However, double-deck ships are also very good for pulling cargo. They can accommodate more cargo and require more crew members. The efficiency of cargo transportation and transportation costs can be further reduced, and the ability to resist wind and waves is also geometrically improved.

No matter from which point of view, large ships are more cost-effective, and the only thing to worry about is construction technology and experience.

From the Tang Dynasty to the present, how many years has it been since such a large ship was built?
Large-scale engineering projects do not only need drawings, but also require a large number of experienced and skilled craftsmen, and it also tests the level of overall management.Not to mention, there are no blueprints now.

"Your Majesty. After discussing with my colleagues, I think we can try to build it." Ma Wanpeng said.

"Is there any difficulty?" Shao Shude asked.

"Your Majesty." Ma Wanpeng also told the truth: "This is the first time, and omissions are inevitable."

Shao Shude nodded, and said: "I will ask the Ministry of Industry to assist with all my strength. If the matter is successful, you will all be rewarded."

"This is what I wish, and I dare not invite rewards." Ma Wanpeng said: "I can participate in such a grand event, and I will die without regret."

Shao Shude was a little moved.

This is a very pure technocracy.

I have been immersed in shipbuilding for decades, and I have deep feelings for this cause.The family is a little wealthy, there is no need to worry about food and drink, and there are places for future generations to go. Now he wants to pursue something different.

"Do well, I'll wait." Shao Shude said.

"I obey the order." Ma Wanpeng looked at the saint's white hair and felt sour.

From Lingzhou era to now, 40 years...

Even if he tried his best this time, the sage had to see the big boat launch.

"The wish is fulfilled, let's go." Shao Shude patted Ma Wanpeng on the shoulder, and left with a smile.

(End of this chapter)