The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Artillery was generally installed on ships during the age of sail.

And it was not installed on both sides at first, but on the bow.

The age of sail was more than two hundred years before artillery was installed on the side of the ship.

Yan Chengjin had no intention of going to Song Jing and asking him to get General Hongyi on the ship. He was afraid that it would take more than ten days and Chunwei would fail.

Xie Pi was under strict supervision by Xie Qian and could not be found.

He had no choice but to ride a carriage to Liangxiang and ordered Zhang Xian to summon all the engineers from the shipyard.

"Who among you has the most outstanding shipbuilding skills?"

More than twenty engineers all looked at Li Zhaofan. Li Zhaofan was a little embarrassed and walked out and whispered: "Students are not talented..."

Yan Chengjin choked, I am about to succeed, what are you doing in Liangxiang!

Li Zhaofan was extremely intelligent, and thanks to Xie Pi's efforts to teach him for more than two months, he was admitted as an engineer in Liangxiang.

After Li Dongyang moved into Jamsil, he moved to Liangxiang, building ships day and night, and eating and drinking all at the shipyard.

At first, Liangxiang's engineers didn't take it seriously when they saw this scholar.

But Li Zhaofan seemed to be born with physics and mathematics.

With just a few drawings, he could memorize all the dimensions of the keel, sails, and interior cabins, and order the craftsmen to start work.

Li Zhaofan looked at him without saying a word for a long time. After bowing, he raised his head slightly and asked tentatively: "What does Master Yan need from the students?"

The most powerful engineer is actually Li Zhaofan? Yan Chengjin glanced at the others and believed it.

Among these people, only Li Zhaofan was a scholar and received an excellent education.

The rest are all minor officials and children of refugees, and they are lucky enough to pass the exam.

Yan Chengjin asked: "Does your father know that you are here?"

Li Zhaofan's face changed continuously as if his life point had been stabbed. After a long time, he said: "My father doesn't know yet..."

"That's good."

Yan Chengjin took out a sketch from his sleeve. There were six artillery pieces on each side of the ship's side.

"Within ten days, install these six cannons on the ship. If you can't do it, get out of your hometown and go back to study."

Li Dongyang should be grateful to him, right?

Li Zhaofan hesitated for a moment and took the drawing.

The rest of the people rushed forward one after another. It was recorded in Song's Tiangong that General Hongyi's counterattack was so strong that it could destroy the wall.

If six-door Hongyi is installed on a ship, the huge backlash will definitely damage the hull.

Li Zhaofan bowed and said: "Students do their best..."

…

royal palace,

Emperor Hongzhi came to the door of Jamshi and suddenly turned to look at Xiao Jing: "Li Aiqing's eldest son, Zhaoxian, is in Hainan?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I am staying in Hainan." Xiao Jing responded quickly.

Emperor Hongzhi said: "I ordered you to go down and see the ministers of Li Qing's family. They are not allowed to mention Franji's attack on Hainan."

After that, he changed into sterilized clothes and walked into the silkworm room.

He saw Li Dongyang lying on the bed with a sad face.

"I see your Majesty!"

"Li Aiqing is ill, so there is no need to salute. I think you seem to have something on your mind. Why don't you tell me?" Emperor Hongzhi said with a smile.

Li Dongyang sighed: "I dare not worry Your Majesty. I just heard from the prince that the Franji people are going to capture Hainan, and Zhaoxian is also in Hainan. Speaking of which, he is no different from the people of Hainan, but I still..."

Zhu Houzhao...

The beard at the corner of Emperor Hongzhi's mouth twitched, and he turned to hold Li Dongyang's hand, patting it and saying: "I have ordered people to make preparations. This matter will be supervised by Yan Chengjin. The Li Qing family should rest assured about this son."

Yan Chengjin's official position was just that of a censor, far inferior to Jiuqing.

But this son could always give Emperor Hongzhi a sense of peace of mind.

…

Hainan,

There were hundreds of barracks stationed in a lush dry land. Soldiers were sitting or lying down, many of them wrapped in rags.

Two months ago, several large Franji ships landed at the port of Qiongzhou Prefecture.

Seeing the vast expanses of corn and rice, I became greedy.

Xu Jinzhong led the soldiers of the Tuntian camp to resist, but unfortunately the Franji people had firearms.

Medicines on Hainan Island are extremely scarce and can only be transported from Guangdong.

Now that the port of Qiongzhou Prefecture has been occupied by the Franji people, the medicine is no longer available.

Xu Jinzhong said to the soldiers in the camp: "Go south tomorrow and move to Yazhou."

Yazhou is the southernmost tip of Hainan. It has not yet been opened up, and the terrain is very suitable for fighting.

Li Kang shook his head and said: "If you want to defeat the Franji people, you need to send a big ship from the imperial court."

During this period, he also won battles with Franji people.

It's just that the firearms of the Franji people were too fierce and the casualties would have been too great if it hadn't been for the Li people who invaded the camp.

The outcome is difficult to determine.

This time I went to Yazhou to use it as a military camp to house injured soldiers and refugees.

A scholar was applying medicine to the soldiers. Li Zhaoxian said: "You must not touch water for ten days with this wound."

He has been weak and sick since he was a child, and he knows some pharmacology when he gets sick a lot.

Li Zhaoxian acted as a doctor in the military camp. He had killed several people in the past few days, and he blamed himself for a long time.

However, the soldiers were not afraid.

If left untreated, she would die faster, so she came to him for treatment with a glimmer of hope.

Li Zhaoxian has an excellent assistant, Hai Han.

Haihan is literate and can help him go to town to buy some prescriptions.

Suddenly, a loud shout broke the tranquility of the military camp. The spies came running on horseback. When they got close to the military camp, they got off their horses and said, "Qianhu, the Franji people are chasing us."

"Pass on my order, prepare to fight, don't give up, the court will send people soon." Xu Jinzhong cursed, he didn't believe it himself.

It would take at least a month for the court to send people to Hainan.

Hainan is a large island surrounded by the sea. Fortunately, there are not many people in the Fraji, otherwise, there would be no place to run.

"Captain Xu, you lead the people to feint, I will retreat to Yazhou with the refugees first." Li Kang said.

Staying behind would also hinder Xu Jinzhong.

Xu Jinzhong nodded and said, "Master Li, let's go. If I die, please send me back to the capital."

My wife and children are in the capital. It has been almost two years since I came out. I don't know if the child still has the surname Xu.

Li Kang bowed and said, "Captain Xu, great righteousness!"

...

Shuntian Prefecture, Liangxiang.

Yan Chengjin personally supervised the progress of shipbuilding. After three days, there was no progress at all.

Li Zhaofan slept on the boat for two nights with the blueprints.

He pondered how to install six cannons on the boat.

It was dark again. He sat on the deck with an oil lamp, and next to him was the Red Barbarian General.

"The Red Barbarian General has a huge recoil, and it needs the hardest thing to fix it, and the hardest thing on the ship is... the keel!

The keel is made of nanmu, and it is as thick as a man's embrace. If it is embedded in the skeleton of the hull with mortise and tenon joints, it will definitely not break!"

Thinking of this, he hurriedly wrote and drew on the drawings.

"Quickly notify the craftsmen to get up and work!"

The lights in the shipyard gradually lit up, and the craftsmen began to saw wood.

It was three days later when Yan Chengjin heard that Li Zhaofan had made it.

Two large ships were modified, one ship had six Red Barbarian Generals, three on each side.

Behind the three Red Barbarian Generals was a horizontal nanmu.

After firing the shells, the artillery retreated and hit the nanmu, and the nanmu was embedded in the keel of the hull with a mortise and tenon structure.

"Order someone to try." Yan Chengjin said.

Zhang Xian ordered to clear the merchant ships on the river, and the yamen runners started to light fires.

Li Zhaofan and the engineers in Liangxiang were a little excited and nervous.

There was a loud bang!

Three rounds of ammunition sprayed from the side and hit the barren hills in the distance, and the hull shook violently for a while.

Yan Chengjin excitedly ordered Zhang Xian: "Go and see if the hull is cracked."

A moment later, Zhang Xian came back to report: "Sir, the hull is intact."

Yan Chengjin looked at the extremely excited Li Zhaofan and shook his head slightly. The descendants of the Li family were indeed not suitable for the imperial examination.

It's really not my fault...

"It's done. I will go back to the palace and report to His Majesty."