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Zhang Zhun and his team first came to the wood treatment workshop.

This wood treatment workshop is very large, covering at least a few hundred acres, all covered with high tile roofs, but there are no walls, but they are just supported by huge cement columns. A large amount of wood is piled under the roof. Because there is too much wood, it is piled up into hills, and the vision is seriously blocked. Walking in it is like walking in a maze. If Xue Zhidie hadn't been very familiar with this place, Zhang Zhun would have lost his way by walking alone.

The wood sent from Wulong River or other places is sent here for processing. The wood caught from the sea is wet. After being transported by rollers, it is hung up by pulleys and piled into small hills. What is the value of the wood here? It is definitely not less than 100,000 taels of silver.

The first procedure to build a ship is to obtain dry wood. Wood containing too much moisture cannot be built. Why do some warships experience severe cracks? It is because the wood is not well dried and cut corners. The best way to dry wood is to air dry naturally. Generally speaking, as long as the wood is left in a ventilated place for four or five years, it can be completely dry.

However, natural drying takes a long time, Zhang Zhun can't wait, and the Hu Ben Navy can't wait either. Therefore, Xue Zhidie used special drying technology. She built many underground heating stoves on the other side of the wood treatment workshop, and used charcoal to roast the wood on the land day and night. Under such baking, ordinary wood can be processed in just three months.

It seems that some of the wood on the Cangshan ship and the sword-tooth ship were made temporarily using such drying technology. Otherwise, the Hu Ben Navy would not have been able to obtain so much shipbuilding wood. In addition, the cost of this technology is also very high. Building such an underground oven and burning charcoal for twelve hours a day is a lot of money. This is also the reason why the shipyard spends money like water. If you have to hurry up, you can only pay.

However, drying technology is about pulling seedlings to help grow, which has hidden dangers. When building small warships, these hidden dangers are not obvious, and large warships cannot do it. The recoil of the flying dragon cannon is not very large, and ordinary wood can withstand it. The recoil of the red-clothed cannon is so huge that ordinary wood can't bear it. Once the wood cracks and is shaken by the recoil of the red-clothed cannon, the cracking will become more and more serious, and eventually fatal cracks will appear.

“These woods are all ready to be air-dried.”

Xue Zhidie explained.

The wood she refers to is very large in shape. Many big trees require two people to hug each other, and some even three people to hug each other. The largest wood that Zhang Zhun saw probably requires five people to hug each other, and he didn't know how he dragged it up at the beginning. Those who cut it down should have good skills. If there is a slight negligence and the direction of the big tree falling down will be deviated, and more people will die.

The transportation along the way should have consumed a lot of people's brain and physical strength, and was finally sent here. The tree that can grow to such a big tree is at least a hundred years old. In fact, Zhang Zhun calculated the annual rings and found that this wood has a history of more than two hundred years, which is really amazing.

"This century-old old Tan was sent from Weihaiwei."

Xue Zhidie said with a smile.

"Weihaiwei?"

Zhang Zhun was slightly stunned.

He thought it was sent from Wulong River, but he didn't expect that it was sent from the Weihaiwei, which was so great. It was really not easy to send it here from Weihaiwei! Transportation on land is definitely impossible, it can only be transported by sea.

"A merchant ship dragged it on the sea for five days before entering Mawan. It took another one more day to finally get it here. Fortunately, God blessed me, I didn't encounter any storms along the way, and I was in danger."

Xue Zhidie explained with a smile.

"Oh, no wonder!"

Zhang Zhun said thoughtfully.

I knew that shipbuilding was a great and trivial job, but I didn’t expect it to be so powerful. Such a large piece of wood is very dangerous even if it was dragged by a merchant ship. Once there is a storm, the big waves surge the wood and hit the merchant ship, and it must be knocked into a hole. Fortunately, God still gave face and there was no bad weather.

Xue Zhidie further explained that these woods are all intended to be used to build the Dragon God Ship. The Dragon God Ship is the future main battleship of the Tiger Ben Army Navy, with a displacement of up to 600 tons, equipped with 64 flying dragon cannons and 16 red-clothed cannons. To build such a large warship, the requirements for wood are naturally very high, and the accumulation of wood is very critical.

The lifespan of ships such as Cangshan Ship is basically negligible. Therefore, the requirements for wood can be basically negligible. For medium-sized warships of the Sword Tooth Ship, just pay attention to the quality of the wood in the key parts. If some subtle problems occur, the consequences will not be very serious. Judging from the current usage of the Sword Tooth Ship, the quality is quite satisfactory.

However, the Dragon God Ship is different. The design service life of the Dragon God Ship is at least twenty years. It is necessary to ensure that there will be no major fatal problems in twenty years. In terms of materials, the highest standard specifications must be adopted without any omissions. The red-clothed cannon has a great recoil force, and a small crack may burst under the vibration of strong recoil force, pouring into a large amount of sea water, causing the Dragon God Ship to sink.

Many of the lucky ships and treasure ships that Zheng He had voyage to the West were placed for more than 30 or 40 years, and there was no maintenance at all during this period and they were basically intact. In addition to the advanced construction technology and superb construction quality, it was also inseparable from the high standards of the wood itself. At that time, the Longjiang Shipyard concentrated high-quality wood from all regions of the country and selected the best ones for shipbuilding.

The Hu Benjun cannot get so much high-quality wood at present, so it is very critical to drying the wood. Generally speaking, it must be stored for at least three to five years to meet the basic needs. Fortunately, because the weather in Shandong has always been very drought and the air is very dry, this time can be slightly shorter, and about two years is enough.

“Is these little wood enough?”

Zhang Zhun asked with concern.

"not enough!"

Xue Zhidie's answer affirmatively.

She explained that because the Dragon God Ship is a large warship, it has high requirements for wood. In addition to its hardness and flexibility, there are clear regulations on the age and diameter of the wood. Don’t look at the lot of wood in front of you, like hills. In fact, the ones that can be used to build the Dragon God Ship are less than half a century, but less than 5%. The others can only be used to build other warships.

The keels, masts, purlins, and gun mounts of the Dragon God Ship must be solid and flexible, and the higher the specifications, the better. The higher the quality of the wood in other parts, the better. How to say this quality? The detailed parameters are too cumbersome. Simply put, it is best to have a large number of trees over a hundred years old. If the tree is over three hundred years old, that would be even better. If there are thousands of years old trees as keel bones, the quality of this Dragon God Ship will be even better.

"Big trees over a hundred years old... are hard to find!"

Zhang Zhun said hesitantly.

The trees in Shandong are at most decades old. In a large forest, there may be only a few trees over a hundred years old. If only dozens or hundreds of hundred-year-old trees are found in Shandong. However, what Xue Zhidie needs are thousands of hundred-year-old trees. This is not easy.

Zhang Zhun once carefully studied that the main timber production areas in Shandong are in the mountainous areas of Qingzhou Prefecture and Jinan Prefecture. There are also some mountainous areas in the central part of Dengzhou Prefecture. However, the number of trees in these timber production areas is relatively small. It seems that it is necessary to set up a special timber survey team to register and protect all the timber that can be built in ships in all areas controlled by the Hu Ben Army.

In those days, in order to build wooden sail battleships in large quantities, Britain numbered all the big trees in the country. No one else could harm any numbered big trees, only the Royal Navy could use them. The British Empire also used its powerful force to cut down all the big trees in the Jutland Peninsula and the Scandinavia, and then cut down the big trees in the Americas.

The current Hu Ben Army did not have the conditions of the British Empire back then, and could only look for trees within its own control. Perhaps, there were more discoveries in the depths of mountainous areas such as Mount Tai, Mount Kulai, and Mount Yimeng. As for the northern Zhili, southern Zhili, and Henan, don’t expect wood that meets the conditions.

Zhang Zhun immediately told Xue Zhidie about her thoughts. Xue Zhidie said there was no problem, and the wood investigation team could be composed of her. However, the corresponding other powers, such as protecting big trees and prohibiting others from cutting down, were issued by the Ministry of Government of the Great Governor's Government of the Huben Army.

"There is no problem with the law!"

Zhang Zhun said affirmatively.

"Brother Yulin, there are many thousand-year-old trees in the hands of the Tartars."

Xue Ningying said with a smile behind her back.

"Um."

Zhang Zhun responded unconsciously.

Of course he knew that there were a large number of ancient trees in the Tatars. The Northeast under the control of the Tatars, especially the Changbai Mountains and the Daxinganling Mountains, have always been the largest timber production areas in my country. In these two places, there are many big trees over a thousand years old. The problem is that the Hu Ben Army has no good idea to cut down the trees in Changbai Mountains and the Daxinganling Mountains.

There is no big problem in sending people to attack the Tartars ashore. After fighting, they ran away. The Tartars could only sigh of bad luck. However, if they cut down the big trees that a few people hugged, they would still have to be pulled back, which was that even the gods could not do. The distance between Changbai Mountain and Daxinganling was quite far from the coast. Huang Taiji was not a fool, and he would definitely not let his plan succeed.

Damn it seems that there is not so much wood in North Korea. There is quite a lot of ordinary wood, but not many can be used to make Dragon God Ship. The northern mountainous areas of North Korea are in the hands of the Tatars. As long as the Tiger Army approaches, they will inevitably be noticed by the Tatars.

The only way is to exchange with Huang Taiji. Now the Hu Ben Army has a lot of chips, which Huang Taiji needs. If Huang Taiji wants to exchange with wood, there should not be too much problem. However, it is still necessary to think about what kind of exchange price is here. Huang Taiji is very cunning. If he notices that the Hu Ben Army needs a lot of wood, he will definitely raise the price. This guy cannot be taken lightly.

"Brother Yulin, there are also many big trees in Yunnan."

Xue Ningying suddenly said again.

"Um!"

Zhang Zhun still responded unconsciously.

Of course, he knew that there were also big trees in Yunnan, and the Hengduan Mountains were all primeval forests. The trees in tropical rainforests grew fast, and the years of trees were made of much less than those in the north. There, there were many big trees that were decades old that needed to be hugged by several people. However, the shortcomings of these trees were also obvious.

First of all, tree species may not be very suitable. It does not mean that all trees can be used for shipbuilding. Special tree species are required. Such as fir, pine, cypress, teak, elm, red wood, camphor, nanmu, elm, cephala, cypress, cypress, etc. Secondly, the trees in tropical rainforests take a long time to dry. Why? They are full of water!

In addition, the biggest resistance to trees from Yunnan is artificial. Big trees in Yunnan must be put down from the Yangtze River, come out from the estuary of the Yangtze River, and then transported from the sea to Shandong. Not only Yunnan, but all the wood in Jiangnan must follow this path. Even wood purchased from Annan and other places must also go north through the sea.

This will inevitably alarm a person.

who?

Of course it was Zheng Zhilong.

Perhaps, Zheng Zhilong is indeed a little busy now and doesn't care about him. However, once Zhang Zhun has a lot of wood and is put down from the Yangtze River, if Zheng Zhilong doesn't send warships to intercept him immediately, he will be a fool. Idiots know what Zhang Zhun wants to do. Once the Tiger Army Navy becomes stronger, it will definitely have a conflict with Zheng Zhilong. One mountain cannot accommodate two tigers, and one sea can accommodate two dragons?

Zheng Zhilong's power on land may not be very good, but his power on sea must not be underestimated. There is a big difference between naval warfare and land warfare. Sun Tzu's art of warfare is basically useless in naval warfare. The decisive factor of naval warfare is still the strength of both sides. Even if the Hu Ben Navy strives to catch up, he will not be able to catch up with Zheng Zhilong in the short term!

"I'll solve the wood problem!"

Zhang Zhun said with a big bag.

He has always actively taken on himself and will never shirk responsibility for problems that his subordinates cannot handle. This is the enlightenment of a leader.

"As long as there is enough wood, other aspects will not be a problem."

Xue Zhidie said confidently.

Zhang Zhun nodded.

A group of people walked around the wood treatment workshop and appeared in the dock.

All the docks at the Quail Bay Shipyard are working hard. All the docks are built with warships. There are almost 3,000 people working at the same time. Even Zhang Zhun is a little shocked at such a large-scale shipyard. The navy is really piled up with money.

The most eye-catching thing is of course the sword-tooth ships that are about to be completed. According to the progress of the project, these sword-tooth ships will be completed in early March and then launched into the water for trial. If there is no accident, they will be handed over to the Hu Ben Navy for use in April.

There are 18 sword-tooth ships that are about to be launched in March. In other words, by April, the Hu Ben Navy will have 30 sword-tooth ships. Thirty sword-tooth ships can form three great white fleets and three great white fleets! Haha! Even if Zheng Zhilong goes north, the Hu Ben Army doesn’t have to worry.

Xue Zhidie was also quite satisfied with the construction speed of the sword-tooth ship. Looking at these battleships that were constantly completed, she felt very good. She spent all her energy here, and no matter what changes happen outside, she could not change her feelings for this place.

"What do you think of these sword-tooth ships?"

Zhang Zhun suddenly asked a little strangely.

"fine!"

Xue Zhidie subconsciously answered.

"How is it a good way?"

Zhang Zhun asked further.

"Shou, very powerful maritime power."

Xue Zhidie thought for a moment and answered slowly.

She turned to look at Zhang Zhun and said with some dissatisfaction: "I want me to compliment you, I think you are very powerful? Well, you are indeed very powerful now."

Zhang Zhun shook his head and said slowly: "Your Xue family matters should be able to be told now, right?"

Xue Zhidie's face slightly darkened, and then his eyes turned red.

She worked hard to build a ship to help Zhang Zhun strengthen the strength of the Hu Ben Army. Isn’t it just the day to avenge revenge? Now, this day is finally approaching.

After choking for a moment, Xue Zhidie said slowly: "My father..."

In fact, if you carefully investigate the matters of the Xue family, it is not very complicated, it is just a life-and-death struggle in the officialdom. The only thing that is a bit special is that it involves the Zheng Zhilong Pirate Group.

Xue Zhidie and Xue Ningying's father were members of the Donglin Party. Ma Shiying was a member of the eunuch party. After Emperor Chongzhen came to power, although he did kill many eunuch party at the beginning, he later felt that the people of the Donglin Party were not very good, so he gradually began to promote the eunuch party to curb the development of the power of the Donglin Party. In this way, the struggle between the Donglin Party and the eunuch party became even more cruel and more complicated.
To be continued...