Chapter 399 The power to promote the progress of the times
Speaking of navigation in Chinese history, there were actually times when the world was glorious...especially during the Ming Dynasty, when Zheng He even reached Africa as far away as possible.
It's just a pity that due to the rulers' isolation policy, navigation gradually declined. Even by the Qing Dynasty, the ability to sail on oceans was completely lost.
In fact, no one has ever seen Zheng He's treasure ship. Although there are many studies and imitations of Zheng He's treasure ship in modern times, the specific shape, structure and size of Zheng He's treasure ship have always been controversial.
There is even a saying that Zheng He's treasure ships are the general name for the sea-going ships in Zheng He's voyage fleet. Zheng He's fleet was composed of many different types of ships, different scales, and different purposes. They are just collectively called Zheng He's treasure ships.
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Regardless of whether Zheng He's treasure ship really existed or not, Lu Yan couldn't imitate it... Even if the system provided the blueprints, it would probably take countless time and manpower to create it.
But now the drawings of this three-masted sea-going ship are just around the corner. As long as there are slight changes and combined with the shipbuilding level and technology of this era, it should not be a problem to launch the ship into water.
With this kind of more flexible warship, Cao Jun will have more choices in water warfare tactics. If he can defeat Liu Biao first, and then go down the Yangtze River to deal with Jiangdong, it will be a huge advantage!
Just having a boat may not be enough in Lu Yan's opinion.
Water warfare in this era was mainly based on two ships connecting and boarding the ship. If they were farther apart, they would be assisted by long-range attacks such as bows and arrows and stone throwing.
There is also a big ship with a hard hull, which will directly hit the opponent. However, this method of killing one thousand enemies and damaging oneself eight hundred is rarely used.
If the mobility is sufficient, the combat effectiveness must also keep up. Today's trebuchets are actually quite good, but the bows and arrows are indeed quite inferior.
But isn’t the trebuchet itself just excessive? If you want to play, then play with a big one!
Lu Yan rode a white dragon horse, wearing only the simplest clothes, and hurried to the general prison.
Many craftsmen who were about to serve as supervisors also brought their families here.
Thanks to the fact that it can retain its own sales department and channels, Jiang Zuojian can now be regarded as the richest group of people in various departments of the Han Dynasty.
The craftsmen's salaries and rewards did not even need to come from the imperial court's pockets. The general and supervisor himself could satisfy all the officials and craftsmen.
Moreover, the prisoner would be given subsidies, incentives and the like every now and then. I don’t know how many literati would die from envy.
When the craftsman's family came, they needed a house; when a crowd gathered, they naturally needed a living...so the wealthy general built a circle of houses outside the original workshop for the craftsman's family to live.
Gradually, the residential area became wider and wider, nearly doubling the overall area of the prison.
From a distance, it looks like a bustling town.
At the outermost edge of the prison, there are still field soldiers responsible for the most basic security and protection measures.
Someone saw Lu Yan's arrival from a distance, so when Lu Yan passed through the outer residential area and arrived at the workshop at the core of the town, Geng Liang and Ma Jun had been waiting for a long time.
Geng Liang's official position was not high, but he made countless people jealous. After all, he really controlled huge interests.
But he was an old man who had followed Lu Yan from a young age, and no one dared to attack Geng Liang or Ma Jun at this time.
Geng Liang has been following Lu Yan for more than ten years. He knows that every time Lu Yan comes in a hurry, it means that he has a new idea or something new to come out!
"Lu Qiaoqi, long time no see!" Geng Liang has become too lively now, and even bowing to salute seems to be difficult.
"See...See...Lu Piao...Piao...Ride!" Ma Jun's stuttering problem is still not cured, but he is a technical geek, and his stuttering does not affect his performance.
Lu Yanyang raised the drawing in his hand and said crisply: "Call me the best carpenters and blacksmiths in the workshop! Also, call in all the veterans of gunpowder!"
When Geng Liang and Ma Jun saw the formation, they immediately knew that there must be something remarkable in the drawing!
Not to mention Ma Jun, who has been pursuing new technologies, even Geng Liang, who has been at ease for a long time, can't help but feel a little excited in his heart!
"Lu Qiaoqi, please come with me to rest first. I will summon all the best craftsmen to see you right away!"
After Geng Liang said something, he immediately disappeared from Lu Yan's sight at a speed completely inconsistent with his body shape.
...
An hour later.
Beside a table, a group of blacksmiths were gathering around half a sheet of drawings placed on the table, racking their brains and debating something fiercely.
At another table, a larger group of craftsmen gathered around the complete drawings placed on the table, looking at each other in silence.
Half of the drawing was naturally made by Lu Yan, which is a classic long-tube, spindle-shaped front-loading cannon used on battleships. This cannon was introduced to China in the late Ming Dynasty and was quickly copied. Later, all similar designs
The artillery is collectively called the Hongyi cannon, also known as the red cannon.
The red cannon seems to have a relatively simple structure, but there are still many details in it. The point of contention among these blacksmiths lies precisely in these details.
But the three-masted battleship with complete blueprints had too many things and lacked craftsmen with actual shipbuilding experience, so no one dared to express their opinions.
Lu Yan walked to the table of the three-masted battleship. After understanding the actual situation, he knew that the three-masted battleship was in no hurry.
So, he said to Geng Liang: "Old Geng, you should start recruiting craftsmen with shipbuilding experience now."
Geng Liang responded: "Here!"
Lu Yan thought for a while and added: "Be careful not to be too obvious when recruiting. You should know why I built the ship, right?"
Geng Liang nodded and said softly: "I understand!"
"Very good!" Lu Yan walked from the three-masted battleship table to the artillery table with his hands behind his back, and said: "Although the ship is not in a hurry, the artillery should not be a problem with our current level of iron-making and forging.
Bar?"
“Absolutely no problem!”
The most prestigious old craftsman among the blacksmiths, although he is already over sixty, can still beat the tendons on his chest loudly. "Don't worry, Lu Qiaoqi. If you can't make a cannon, I'll come here to see you."
!”
Lu Yan smiled and said: "Old Huo, I can't bear to part with a precious craftsman like you!"
The old blacksmith, who was called Huo Lao, grinned and said, "Haha! You are the only one who treats us like your treasure, Lu Qiaoqi!"
"No, no, no, once the artillery comes out from now on, the most precious people in the world will be you craftsmen." After Lu Yan finished speaking, he pointed to the three-masted battleship and said, "And you, the same thing.
Precious...because you are all the greatest contributors to the progress of the times!"
"Promote the progress of the times..."
"Are we..."
The vast majority of craftsmen do this profession just to make a living... People like Ma Jun, who come from a noble family but do craftsmanship out of interest, are rare.
But unfortunately, none of them thought that craftsmen would one day be called "the greatest contributor to the progress of the times."
In future generations, what all countries will value most are scientists and engineers. So no one here understands better than Lu Yan the ability of this group of people to change the world.
He saw not only the craftsmen, but also Ma Jun and Geng Liang staring at him in surprise...
Lu Yan didn't panic at all, nodded as steadily as a mountain, and said:
"Believe me! You will eventually leave your name in history!"