Chapter 1,273 Before setting sail, the scholar’s misfortune
"The king's edict: appoint the knight Bruno Kang as the captain of the exploration fleet, and the knight Francisco Silvera as the deputy of the exploration fleet, form an exploration fleet of two caravel sailing ships, and explore the Atlantic Ocean together..."
"Tsk tsk! The leader has become so powerful that he actually became the captain of the fleet! Uh, who is this Silvera knight? The name sounds familiar..."
"He's the third son of a run-down baron's family. He has no inheritance rights... He was a newly promoted captain last year. His qualifications are very junior and he can't compare to the leader..."
"Ah, exploring the vast Atlantic Ocean sounds very dangerous! This mission... can... can you refuse..."
"Haha! Ivo, this is an important task ordered by the king himself, how could he refuse it..."
The dry season on the peninsula is a bright and dry blue. Bruno looked solemn, sitting in his courtyard with long grass, seeming a lot more haggard. Several old sailing brothers also gathered around, watching the royal family's announcement.
Documents and records. Boatswain Haroldo took the king's edict, frowned and read the beginning, then turned the page and looked back.
"This is a secret mission for the kingdom. When the east wind blows in September, we will set sail from Setubal Port in the south... The main goal of the voyage is to find a new route to the East and explore the connection between the Atlantic Islands and the East... In the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, about
3000-4000 nautical miles to the west, between 20 and 22 degrees north latitude, there is an extremely vast island... The native kingdom on the island is very warlike, but it has definite connections to the east... The fleet needs to find the big island here, be cautious and
Contact with the Native Kingdom to explore Eastern intelligence..."
"Hiss! 4,000 nautical miles deep into the Atlantic Ocean? Doesn't that mean we have to sail in the endless sea for two or three months? Lord! This is really, really dangerous!..."
"A warlike kingdom of natives? What kind of army do they have? Are they the same as those chicken-feathered warriors from the Kingdom of Congo in the south?"
"Hmm...Looking at the interrogation record, the native navy has galleys, equipped with small cannons, fire arrows, and throwing oil and fire cans...Oh, it also said that we should beware of the native archers, their archery is very accurate..."
"Ah! The Aboriginal Kingdom on this big island actually has artillery?! Damn it! Then it will be difficult for them to be deterred by our artillery. This is stronger than the Aboriginal Kingdom on the southern continent!..."
"Otherwise? The Castilians have said that their fleet of three ships with seventy or eighty people encountered repeated attacks and pursuits by the natives, and in the end only one ship with ten people was left to return..."
"Damn it! The king is asking us to die!..."
"Stop arguing! This task is indeed difficult, but how we complete it flexibly and to what extent we complete it depends on ourselves!...I called you guys over just to think of a solution together...Mattim,
This is the Kingdom’s permission for material transfer, take a look, is there anything else to add?…”
With that said, Bruno handed another document to Quartermaster Mattim. After Mattim took it, he started reading it directly.
"Two caravel sailing ships, each carrying 20 sailors and soldiers, stored dry food for three months...Each ship was distributed 10 matchlocks, 10 pairs of breastplates, an 8-pounder cannon, two boxes of 40 iron bullets and necessary supplies
Gunpowder...huh? Boss, you want to replace the four small cannons on the ship with a large 8-pounder? Bring 40 iron bullets?..."
"That's right! According to the Castilians, the natives also have 2-3 pound cannons and many bows and arrows. Their galleys also attack very quickly. We must not clash with each other at close range, especially to maintain
Distance! The shooting range of the 8-pounder cannon is much farther than that of the small cannon, which is more suitable. And 40 iron bullets and gunpowder are about the limit of the remaining cabins on the ship, otherwise I would like to bring more... Of course, we
It's an exploration ship. If you can avoid conflicts, try to avoid them..."
"Boss, you have thought everything through. I have nothing to add for the time being..."
"Don't be in a hurry, think about it slowly..."
Bruno pondered for a moment and handed another prison document to the old carpenter Ivo. Behind the document, there was a list of Castile's crew.
"King Ling, Knight Bruno Kang, can participate in the interrogation of the Castilian spy crew. Likewise, he can call on the non-noble Castilian crew... The crew list is as follows..."
The old carpenter Ivo took a look and immediately asked in surprise.
"Hey! There is actually a native sailor? Boss, we need a translator to negotiate with the natives. Get this native over! There are still a few months left, enough to teach him simple Portuguese!..."
"Well... I have made a request to the warden, but the other party told me tactfully that this native sailor has been booked by the distinguished court scholars, saying that he wants to study some 'Oriental scripts and languages'... I have to continue
Think of a way to find Nuno, the palace director..."
"That's it! When dealing with the natives, it's best to have a translator..."
The old carpenter Ivo scratched his head and looked over it for a while, then reached out and pressed a name.
"Boss, the other sailors are of no use, and the two nobles are not allowed to move... Then only this guy is useful, you must get him! Navigation records and real navigation are always different..."
After hearing this, everyone came over to take a look and saw a very important position on the ship with an inconspicuous name, "Navigator Pedro".
"Okay! I will go to the prison again today to ask him to come over!..."
Bruno didn't waste any words and nodded directly in agreement. Bosun Haroldo also put down the king's edict, touched his chubby chin, and his cunning little eyes flashed.
"Boss, this voyage is very dangerous! There is not a single important person on both ships, and both ships can be easily abandoned by the kingdom... I think... we also need a noble with ability and status that is not on the list.
!...In this way, even if we get stuck on those native islands, the Kingdom's follow-up fleet will consider looking for us and rescuing us..."
"Huh? Harold, what nonsense are you talking about? This voyage is a gamble with your life! Which noble noble in the kingdom is willing to board the ship?..."
"Haha! Mattim, no one wants the nobles of the kingdom, so what if they are not nobles of the kingdom? Don't forget... the noble scholar who sailed south with us before, and then fell into our hands, leaving behind the devil's clues...
"
"Huh? You mean, the distinguished astronomer, the royal court counselor, Martin Beiheim?..."
Hearing this, Bruno was startled, and thoughts flashed in his eyes. This is indeed a noble person and a truly capable scholar. If the other party can get on the ship, he will have excellent results in terms of navigation, surveying, and latitude observation.
Help! Not to mention the status of the other party, which is even higher than that of many palace scholars. I am afraid that with just a piece of paper, the native sailor can come. It’s just...
"Haroldo, Scholar Martin, left the royal court three years ago! He is a nobleman from Nuremberg. We can't go to Germany to find him, right?"
"Haha! Boss, I have been paying attention to this scholar secretly for a long time! His father once served as a member of the Council of Venice, and his father-in-law was the governor of the Azores. He and his noble wife live in Azores.
Faial Island in the Zore Archipelago... It is only a few days' voyage from Lisbon, and it is also an inevitable supply point for exploration westward..."
Speaking of this, Haroldo narrowed his eyes, lowered his voice, and made a bold plan.
"We first make inquiries to make sure he is on the island before setting off... Then the fleet arrives, stops at the Azores for supplies, and invites him to meet in private... He has information in our hands, and he will definitely come to see us, and he is likely to
Come secretly and alone!…”
"As long as he comes, we will 'invite' him to get on the ship, and then lead the fleet to leave!... As long as this noble-born scholar gets on the ship, he is not at our mercy... Haha!..."
"If we can't come back, then there is such a big nobleman who is lost in the Atlantic Ocean. The nobles of the kingdom, at least the family of the Governor of the Azores, will definitely send people to look for him! ... If we can come back alive, such a long voyage will be difficult.
, he will have more deadly clues that fall into our hands... When the time comes, he will take the initiative to help us smooth things over. And with his participation in this voyage, he can better claim credit in the kingdom!..."
"hiss!!…"
Hearing that Haroldo actually had an idea for the big noble, everyone present looked at each other in shock, and their expressions changed again and again. After a while, Bruno took a deep breath and said in a low voice.
"Okay! Scholar Martin is our nobleman and our old friend! We are going to invite him on the ship and ask him to voluntarily participate in his most beloved voyage exploration! ... And when he gets on the ship, everyone must treat him with courtesy.
