Chapter 222: Wherever the sun and the moon shine, it is Han territory

Chapter 222: Wherever the sun and the moon shine, it is Han territory

Chapter 222: Wherever the sun and the moon shine, it is Han territory
The large ship had already started moving, and the No. 15 ship where Lu Yunyi was located was in the center of the entire fleet.

The huge sail had been erected, it was particularly bulging, and the edges were snapping.

At the bottom of the ship, there are hundreds of helmsmen.
When the wind is weak or the boat needs to be maneuvered at close range, the crew will use oars and poles to row the boat to adjust the direction.

From Yingtian to Huguang, although the journey was by water, most of the time the travel could not rely on water flow, but on wind power and manpower.

Once you reach Dongting Lake, you can go south along the Xiangjiang River and rely on the terrain and water flow to go downstream.

Therefore, the journey in Southern Zhili was particularly slow.

Two hours had passed since the ship set sail.

The rivers on both sides became wider and wider, and the sun in the sky cast orange-red light, making the slightly flat water surface sparkle.

Although it is a river shipping route, the troop transport ship is particularly stable.
However, many soldiers on Ship A15 still felt unwell and vomited continuously.

It was just because he couldn't stand the strange smell in the enclosed environment of the cabin, and the slight shaking.

The comfort of soldiers was taken into consideration when the troop transport ship was designed. Each cabin is no longer as narrow as before and can only accommodate four people.

There are small windows on both sides of the cabin for ventilation, but most of the cabins are without windows after all.

Originally, the soldiers were not allowed to come to the deck to get some fresh air and could only stay in the cabin.

But when Lu Yunyi patrolled the cabin, he found that nearly three hundred soldiers on ship No. 15 alone were seasick, which was 30% of the total number of people on the trip.

Among them, more than a hundred people vomited, and the condition was quite serious.

In this regard, Lu Yunyi made a decisive decision and argued with Xu Sima, who was transporting the troops.
We managed to get an opportunity for the scouts to leave the cabin and move around.

You can even be on deck after dark, just need to conceal your presence a little.

At this time, the sky gradually darkened.
More and more soldiers could no longer hold back and could not wait to go out and breathe fresh air, making the atmosphere in the cabin a little noisy.

The sound even reached the upper cabins.

The cabin where Lu Yunyi was located was on the upper floor. It was a single room, about 20 square meters, and had everything.
The bed is a little smaller than usual, and there is a long table, wardrobe, desk, and bookcase on one side.
There is also a separate washing area. There are ice cubes in the four corners of the cabin, giving off a light cool air.

Compared to the cramped four-person room, this is already very good.

Lu Yunyi was wearing casual clothes at the moment, sitting cross-legged on the ground, fiddling with the bottles and jars in front of him.
There were about ten jars of various kinds.

Liu Heiying was leaning against the window and sleeping soundly. From time to time he heard a noise and looked up blankly. When he realized there was nothing unusual, he continued to sleep.

At this time, the sound of light footsteps was heard.
The wooden door of the cabin was quickly opened, and Li Jinglong appeared at the door.

He immediately saw Lu Yunyi sitting cross-legged on the ground and the bottles and jars in front of him.
There was also Liu Heiying, who was sleeping sprawled not far away, and he couldn't help but have a strange look on his face.

These two were the strangest generals he had ever seen. One was heartless, and the other was tinkering with weird things all day long.

He learned from Xu Zengshou that when he was in Liaowang County,
In order to have time to develop the backpack, Lu Yunyi even put the war aside and let his subordinates take care of it, while he himself stayed in the military tent all day.

Li Jinglong came closer and looked at the pots and pans, with a hint of doubt in his eyes.
"Yun Yi, what is this?"

Lu Yunyi raised his head with some doubt: "These are fine porcelain and earthenware jars."

Li Jinglong rolled his eyes, looking a little helpless:
"I didn't know this was porcelain? What are you doing?"

“Grow bean sprouts.”

Lu Yunyi didn't even raise his head, and carefully examined the porcelain in his hand.

He carefully laid a layer of gauze at the bottom, touched it with his hand, and found it was a little thin, so he laid another layer on top.

"Sprouts? Why grow them?"

Li Jinglong was stunned. Sprouts are a dish that every household in Nanzhili eats.

It tastes delicious no matter what dish it is paired with, and most importantly, it is cheap enough. Your Majesty likes to eat sprouts very much.

Seeing that he did not answer, Li Jinglong continued:
"Yun Yi, if you want to eat it, can't you just buy some when we dock next time?"

Only then did Lu Yunyi slowly shake his head, looking serious:
"It's different. Now we are traveling on an inland river, so we can stop at the shore at any time to replenish fruits and vegetables.
But if it is shipped by sea, there is a vast ocean all around, and fruits and vegetables cannot be preserved.

I can only supplement my nutrition through sprouts, so I won’t get scurvy, er, or nosebleed.”

Li Jinglong was still confused and didn't understand why he did this.

At this time, Lu Yunyi slowed down his movements, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, and he asked quietly:
"Do you know where our Ming ship has sailed to?"

"A ship for sea trade." Lu Yunyi emphasized.

Li Jinglong became alert and straightened his upper body:
"Why are you asking this? Maritime trade is now the biggest way for the court to make money. No one can get involved."

"Hey~" Lu Yunyi waved his hand:
"I'm from the north, so why would I go to the sea when I have nothing to do? I'm just curious whether there are bean sprouts grown on the ships of our Daming Dynasty."

Lu Yunyi's eyes flickered. If there were no bean sprouts planted on the ship, it meant that the maritime trade ships had been sailing along the territory and had corresponding supply ports, and should still be wandering around the South Sea countries.

If there are bean sprouts, it means that the sea trade ships followed the old path of the Song and Yuan dynasties and rushed to Arabia and even the east coast of Africa.

Li Jinglong thought for a long time, and finally shook his head:
"Maritime trade is a secret of the imperial court. It is managed by the Maritime Customs and some palace eunuchs. As for whether they grow sprouts, I don't know."

Lu Yunyi's eyes flickered and he smacked his lips. He guessed that there must be one.

The Ming Dynasty inherited the Yuan system, so the Yuan Dynasty established trade relations with more than 100 regions. The ships of the Maritime Customs served from Japan and Goryeo in the west to Northeast Africa and Southwest Asia.

The Yuan Dynasty adopted the Song system, and the Song Dynasty's Maritime Customs Office was also opened to all parts of the world, which made the Song Dynasty prosperous for three hundred years.

The Ming Dynasty, a dynasty established on the corpses of two dynasties, absorbed their essence and removed their dross. It should have developed maritime trade and been able to sail on the oceans.

After all, this is the most profitable business in the world.

Lu Yunyi moved closer and asked in a low voice:

"Has our Ming fleet ever been to the Timurid Empire? I mean by sea."

The Timurid Empire was founded by Timur, a noble of the Western Chagatai Mongol Empire in the Central Asian region of Amu Darya in 1370, the third year of the Hongwu reign.
Its territory spanned Central Asia, West Asia and other regions, and controlled the ancient Silk Road's main east-west communication route.

It served as a trade transit country between the Ming Dynasty and the Western Ottoman Empire, the Eastern Roman Empire, and Western European countries at that time.

In the 20th year of Hongwu, Timur sent envoys to the Ming Dynasty and presented many camels and horses as tribute.

Lu Yunyi knew how to get to the Timurid Empire by land, just take the Silk Road.

But he didn't know whether the Maritime Silk Road was open now.

He searched through almost all the documents he could get his hands on, but could not find a single word.

All I know is that every year there are large ships sailing out to the Southeast Sea for trade, heading to Korea and the South Seas.

He stared at Li Jinglong with a burning gaze, causing Li Jinglong to look strange, and emphasized again:
"Why do you care about this? You can't try to engage in maritime trade. This is a capital crime."

Lu Yunyi rolled his eyes:

"Jinglong, I am a border dweller in the north, and I have never had any great talents or plans.
I just want to live a good life on my own little piece of land. I don't really like money.
I just want to know how important maritime trade is to our court, so as to judge the future situation.
It will also prevent us from falling into some trap for no apparent reason, like we were used as a knife for no apparent reason this time."

Lu Yunyi's expression was sincere, his eyes were no longer cold, but rather had a hint of innocence.
At this moment, he looked like a young man of his age.

Li Jinglong thought about it, hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth, lowered his voice and said:

"I don't know where those people went after they went out to sea, but I know that they were close to the enemy once they went out."

Li Jinglong used his body to cover his arm and raised two fingers.
Two years? Lu Yunyi's breathing suddenly quickened.

"Almost two years, and the last time they came back,

His Majesty ordered the Maritime Customs to build a large ship of 2,000 tons. The money did not go to the Ministry of Revenue, but to the imperial treasury. It was built at the Longjiang Treasure Shipyard in Yingtian.
So, I think, it’s just what I think!!”

"I think he has. In recent years, there have been some new and unusual things in your Majesty's palace that I have never seen before.

Your Majesty did not tell me where it came from, but I guess it must have come from foreign countries."

Lu Yunyi's heart was pounding at this moment, and a smile appeared on his face that surprised Li Jinglong!
Lu Yunyi was extremely excited at this moment, and couldn't even control himself. He slowly laughed out loud, and then burst into laughter.

Zheng He's first voyage to the West was in the third year of the Yongle reign, with a total of 27,000 people and more than 200 treasure ships.

Lu Yunyi had always been confused.

In the third year of Yongle, Zhu Di had just ascended the throne for three years and was not sure about the internal affairs.
More than 200 treasure ships appeared out of nowhere.

Technology is not achieved overnight, but is a gradual process.

He had always guessed that during the Hongwu Dynasty, there was already a Maritime Customs Office engaged in ocean trade, and these ships might be left over from that time.
Now, he's experiencing it.

I learned from Cao Guogong of the Ming Dynasty that Longjiang Baochuan Factory was building a large ship with a capacity of 2,000 tons.
Such large ships could only be used for ocean voyages and reached the Timurid Empire in the early years.

What does this mean?
The Age of Discovery was initiated by the Central Plains.

Lu Yunyi sat on the ground, holding a ceramic jar in his hand.

The gauze inside became messy due to the tilt, but he didn't care.

He looked at Li Jinglong, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and his voice came slowly:

"Jinglong, thank you very much. We must fight well and make achievements. If we have the opportunity, we will also visit the country thousands of miles away."

"What are you going there for?" "To see if there is a brilliant country like the rumors say.
If not, I will definitely write it down and bury it in the grave after I die to warn future generations."

For some reason, Li Jinglong suddenly felt that the cabin was a little colder, and Lu Yunyi's voice also became gloomy.

He asked inexplicably:
"What if there is?"

Lu Yunyi pursed his lips and smiled gently:

"Wherever the sun and moon shine, all is Han territory; wherever the rivers flow, all are Han subjects."

In the blink of an eye, an hour passed and the sky was completely dark.

The cabin became noisy, with footsteps constantly coming.
The soldiers had endured a day of dizziness, and now they could finally get some relief.

They rushed onto the deck, greedily breathing in the fresh air.

In the cabin, Lu Yunyi had already placed more than ten pots and pans, each covered with wet gauze.

There are many kinds of pots and pans, including porcelain, ceramics, and wooden barrels.
The purpose is to observe the development of bean sprouts under different environments.

After doing all this, Lu Yunyi stood up and brought over the soaked soybeans on the side.

The book says that soaking in clean water for three to six hours will help the seeds absorb water and swell, increasing the germination rate.

At this moment, the seeds have become plump and especially round.

It is no longer as dry and hard as before, and it feels soft when you pinch it gently.

Lu Yunyi grabbed a handful of it, put it in his hand, and drained the water.
Then he placed more than a hundred soybeans in his hand into one of the ceramic jars.

"Don't crowd the seeds too close together to avoid affecting germination and growth."

While thinking, Lu Yunyi separated the gaps between the seeds.

He took two pieces of gauze, soaked them with water, and covered the soybeans with them to maintain humidity and temperature.

In the following days, you need to spray water frequently to keep it moist and ensure ventilation so that the seeds will not rot.

Lu Yunyi stood up carefully holding the ceramic tube and looked around for a place to put it.

Soon his eyes lit up.
The bookshelf on one side of the cabin is facing the window, which is a good place for ventilation.

He placed the ceramic jar on top, and then used it to put soybeans in the dozen or so jars, and placed them on the bookshelf one by one.
Nearly half an hour had passed, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on Lu Yunyi's forehead.

He let out a long sigh, stood there with his hands on his hips, and looked at the bookshelf with a satisfied look on his face.
Although the Ming Dynasty is full of people who can grow bean sprouts,
But it is still better for you to do it yourself than for others to do it. When the critical moment comes, the only one you can trust is yourself.

The growth cycle of bean sprouts is usually between three and seven days, and the specific difference is affected by weather temperature changes.

When the plant grows to a few to more than ten centimeters, it can be harvested. Then gently remove the gauze covering it without damaging the roots.

"Brother Yun'er, what are you doing?"

At this moment, a voice suddenly came from behind, which frightened Lu Yunyi and he turned around quickly.

Liu Heiying, who was sleepy, rubbed his eyes and sat up.

The dark face was not noticeable in the slightly dim cabin.
Lu Yunyi blinked his eyes. He had forgotten that Liu Heying was still in the cabin.

"Come on, Black Hawk, come and see."

Although Liu Heiying was reluctant, he still rubbed his eyes and stood up, then walked to his side with a shaky figure:
"what are you looking."

"In front."

Liu Heiying tried to open his eyes wide, looked at him for a while, and nodded repeatedly:

"Brother Yun'er has a good eye, they are all good items, but these accessories are a bit too mixed."

Lu Yunyi rolled his eyes, pulled him closer, took the candle, and approached carefully:

"Look inside."

"What is this?"

Liu Heiying had a strange look on his face. He tilted his head to look around. There were some yellow bulges under the white gauze.

"Bean sprouts, I tell you, this is a good thing, a must-have when sailing."

Lu Yunyi kept talking, and Liu Heiying just nodded and listened hurriedly.

Over the years, he always sees new things whenever he has free time, and he has long been used to it.

After talking for about a quarter of an hour, Lu Yunyi finally stopped and it was Liu Heiying's turn to speak:

"Brother Yun'er, it's already dark, why haven't you started dinner yet?"

Lu Yunyi's face darkened and he said with disdain:
"Eat, eat, eat!! Either you think about women or you think about eating. We have to have some pursuits.

In a few years I will take you to the sea to meet some people who are different from us, some white and some black."

Liu Heiying blinked his eyes, looked at the two of them, showed his understanding, and said "oh".

Lu Yunyi's face darkened:
"We are yellow, and we are black and white,

I heard others say how powerful they were at that time...but why didn't I believe it?

We must go and take a look, and take the historian with us to record everything we hear and see."

Although Liu Heiying didn't understand, seeing his solemn look, he also became serious and nodded vigorously:

"it is good!"

"Okay, let's go see how the brothers are doing. I hope you're not dizzy."

Liu Heiying shook his head: "I am swaying and want to sleep. It would be nice if there was a woman hugging me."

"Go, go, go!!"

Lu Yunyi didn't want to argue with him, so he opened the door and pulled him out.

As night falls, the September sky is deep and vast, dotted with stars that have not yet fully revealed their brilliance, only vaguely revealing their outlines.

Lu Yunyi brought Liu Heiying and walked onto the deck of the troop transport ship in the cool night breeze.

Soldiers were scattered on the deck.

Their faces looked even more sallow under the torchlight, and they looked weak and unwell.
Seeing Lu Yunyi walking onto the deck, many soldiers who were staggering hurriedly corrected themselves and wanted to stand up and salute.

Lu Yunyi quickly opened his hand and pressed:

"Don't be polite, just breathe in and out deeply. This is only the first day. You will get used to it after sitting for a few days."

Lu Yunyi and Liu Heiying walked while comforting the soldiers.

He lifted their clothes and looked at their belly buttons, and saw that they were all covered with ginger, then he nodded with relief.

Lu Yunyi said again:

"The ginger needs to be changed frequently to keep it fresh. We will stop along the way.

Even if the ginger runs out, I will order people to buy more. This is the court's money, so we should spend it, don't save it!"

At once, many soldiers present began to move around and started to change positions.

Lu Yunyi smiled as he came to the edge of the deck. The ship was tall.
The breeze became a little stronger, bringing with it a bit of moisture and coolness, blowing gently, making people feel comfortable.

The dark river surface glowed faintly under the faint moonlight.

A series of warships were scattered on the wide river, moving slowly forward.

The ship's lights and torches were intertwined, and the outline of the ship was looming in the night.

The sound of a few oars mixed with Feng Sheng's, echoing on the empty river, sounding clear and distant.

Lu Yunyi's eyes passed through the darkness of the night, moving his sight away from the warships and looking towards the merchant ships.
They looked dwarfed by the huge troop transports, and their drafts were uneven.

Soon, Lu Yunyi frowned and leaned forward, trying to see more clearly.
Seeing this, Liu Heiying on the side quickly handed over the telescope:

"Brother Yun'er, what's wrong?"

Lu Yunyi took the telescope and looked at the many merchant ships coming towards him.

They were traveling along the shore, and their speed was much faster.
However, the draft was too deep, and more than half of the boat was submerged in water.

If he remembered correctly, in order to prevent merchant ships from capsizing and causing accumulation in the river,

There are specific laws regarding the weight of cargo that merchant ships can carry, and everything must be done to ensure that the ship does not capsize due to heavy winds and rain.

"Black Hawk, go find me a navy soldier. I have something to ask him."

"it is good!"

(End of this chapter)