Chapter 740: Thousands of miles to Jiangling in one day
The advent of steam ironclad ships was of great significance to the future of the Ming Dynasty.
Even Zhu Yuanzhang once again had the idea of expanding his territory.
at this time.
The situation on Lan Yu's side has changed.
After leaving the jungle and coming to the seaside, Lan Yu realized that His Highness Taisun had directly sent a naval fleet over.
I felt itchy with hatred at the moment.
If he had known about this earlier, with tens of thousands of troops, he could definitely swallow up that elite army.
But now there is obviously no chance.
If we fight again, we will directly declare war. This requires the permission of the court, and it is not Lan Yu who can have the final say.
But this matter is not over yet.
The Ayutthaya Dynasty was also a nominal vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. A vassal state attacked the imperial envoys and killed so many people.
This is clearly the crime of gross disrespect committed by the following.
"Duke Liang, His Majesty Taisun has decreed that we are under the control of the Duke and will hold Siam accountable."
The leading general said respectfully.
Lan Yu nodded: "In that case, then send an order to the whole army to march to Ayutthaya. I would like to ask that little king myself why he dared to attack our Ming Dynasty soldiers."
Lan Yu felt relieved. Now that he had the support of his grandson and so many troops, he might as well go directly to the city to hold him accountable.
He really hoped that King Wutong didn't appreciate the praise and gave him enough excuses to take revenge.
Even if the other party confesses, it must be humiliated.
The naval fleet brought enough supplies this time, and the 50,000-strong army immediately sailed on the sea in the direction of the Ayutthaya Dynasty.
.......
Ming dynasty.
At the pier of Zhengyangmen, a huge crowd of people gathered again.
Yesterday's Capital Newspaper had already published news about the Dinghai Ship.
Most people don't really understand what is said above, but they know that this steam iron-clad ship is faster than an ordinary ship and does not completely rely on sails.
Today, His Majesty and the Grandson board the ship to check.
For the people in the capital, whenever your majesty or grandson does anything, it is a very important matter, and they must watch.
Therefore, a large number of people gathered on the dock very early.
Since yesterday evening, the entire dock has been under martial law and is under the control of the Imperial Guard.
"The Di newspaper said that our Ming Dynasty steam iron-clad ship is covered with iron clothes. It is so heavy, won't it sink?"
"These damn officials, have they ever considered the safety of His Majesty's grandson?"
"I came here today just to see with my own eyes who dares to fool His Majesty and Grandson like this."
The scholar wearing a blue gown said disdainfully to his friend next to him.
Since they were students of the Imperial College, they naturally did not need to crowd together with ordinary people. There was an open space specially planned by the imperial court.
In addition to the sense of ritual, martial law also has safety considerations for His Majesty and Grandson.
After all, there are so many people, who knows if there might be an assassin inside.
Everyone in the Imperial College knows the basics and is likely to be an official in the future, so it should be different.
"Just say a few words. Since this matter can be published in the newspaper, of course there won't be any problems."
"Didn't you read above? By then, this steam armored ship will sail from the outer Qinhuai River to the dock, and then His Majesty and Grandson will board the ship."
"If it really sinks as you said, how could it be possible to drive here and it would have sunk halfway down the road?"
My friend was speechless and subconsciously took a small step to the side.
Saying this seems a bit too brainless.
Things that can be reported to the residence newspaper must of course be confirmed again and again. Whoever dares to deceive His Majesty and Grandson will lose his head.
How iron bumps drive on water is indeed the most popular thing to discuss now.
Many people think that His Highness Taisun must have cast the immortal magic.
Compared with the people of the Ming Dynasty, those who are more interested in those merchants from all over the world in the capital.
They have been driving on the sea for a long time, and they all found it incredible after reading the Di newspaper.
If we go by what the newspaper said, then this iron ship is simply the invincible overlord of the sea.
How can wood compete with iron?
There's no need for artillery anymore, it's just a rampage, like a tiger rushing into a herd of sheep.
This time Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Ying allowed envoys from all over the world to watch the boarding of the ship.
A separate area at the front was divided.
Next to them are ministers who can go to Fengtian Palace.
Among the envoys from all countries, the most nervous one was Kanaya, the chief envoy of the Ayutthaya Dynasty.
Kanaye's expression revealed a bit of nervousness.
Although the news about the domestic attack on the Ming Dynasty's envoy to Zhenla was not announced in Di Bao yet, he already knew about it.
The hard work that once ridiculed the leader of Zhenla, Amona, is gone forever.
Obviously, Daming must be held accountable. The reason why he hasn't taken action yet is simply to let Lan Yu take revenge first.
Being able to come to the Ming Dynasty to garrison, Kanaye certainly knew the situation in this regard.
And now, the Ming Dynasty has built some kind of steam armored ship.
If we go by what the newspaper said, then Siam is under the nose of the Ming Dynasty.
It is even closer than other territories of the Ming Dynasty.
It can be reached in several days, which means that it only takes a few days for the Ming Dynasty's army to reach Siam.
This matter is extremely serious.
Kanaye has already thought about it. After seeing this steam armored ship today, he must write a letter to His Majesty the King, telling him never to become an enemy of the Ming Dynasty.
Unlike Kanaye, Amona's mood is very beautiful.
The stronger the Ming Dynasty, the more protection Zhenla can get.
Especially the princess Sultana has given birth to an heir for the great grandson of the Ming Dynasty. The future of Zhenla is bright.
He only needs to wait until the princess's son is crowned, and then he can return to Chenla to participate in the political power in the name of the princess.
Envoys from other countries don't have so much thought.
Most of them are just watching the excitement.
For example, Annan had an envoy in name, but in fact the entire Annan was managed by the Ming Dynasty. He was just a name.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Well, life here in the capital is quite comfortable.
The envoys who captured the city were even more at ease.
Champa City has become such a mess now. The king is powerless and the nobles are powerless. It is better to be like Annan and leave it to the Ming Dynasty to take care of it.
"The iron...iron ship really floats!"
"It's really an iron ship. Everything the newspaper said is true!"
"His Royal Highness Taisun is indeed a god descending to earth and making iron ships float."
Shouts of exclamation continued, and the crowd became turbulent and excited.
This completely broke their cognition, and the impossible became possible.
People like to attribute things that are incomprehensible and contrary to common sense to things about gods and ghosts.
Even though the newspaper had already published an explanation about the steam engine, the people still believed in what they believed was the magic of immortality.
The student in the Imperial College who said earlier that officials deceived His Majesty the Grandson.
At this moment, his eyes widened and his mouth opened subconsciously, with a look of disbelief on his face.
Although it is difficult to see from a distance, under the sunlight, the iron ship shines with a metallic light, giving it a texture that wood does not have.
This cannot be faked at all.
At this time, fierce shouting came from the other side of Zhengyang Avenue.
"Long live your majesty!"
"My grandson is a thousand years old, a thousand years old!"
Wave after wave of people kept shouting loudly.
In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Ying, who were sitting in the dragon chariot, could not hear clearly.
There is no organization in the people's chanting; they just kneel down and chant voluntarily.
This resulted in the people shouting "Long Live Your Majesty" here before they finished shouting "Thousand Years Old" to the great grandson.
All kinds of things are intertwined together, creating a cacophony of noise.
But Zhu Yuanzhang enjoyed this feeling very much.
This shows that the people still love us very much.
"Dasun, you see, as long as we are sincere to the people, the people will have us in their hearts. Such enthusiasm is not something that those officials can show to us."
"No matter how many corrupt officials we kill, it is all for the good of the people. If the honest officials left behind really do things for the people, they will remember our good deeds in their hearts."
Zhu Yuanzhang said with a bit of pride.
There are only a few emperors in all dynasties who can be so loved.
Zhu Ying naturally flattered the old man's words.
While chatting, Long Chaan quickly arrived at the dock.
This process and ceremony are all very particular.
The Dinghai Ship cannot keep His Majesty and Grandson waiting, so it naturally has to arrive in advance.
It doesn't work if you do it too early, you won't get such good results.
Being able to correspond to the time like this is naturally arranged.
"Dinghai Ship Commander Baihu Yu Jing, along with the Dinghai Ship Navy officers and men, pay homage to His Majesty, His Highness the Grand Sun."
Yu Jing and his people had been waiting early for Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Ying to come over, and immediately went forward to pay their respects.
"Plain body."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Next to the Dinghai ship, a wooden ladder has been set up.
Yu Jing bowed to lead the way, and his grandfather and grandson boarded the fleet with dozens of royal guards.
"After these few days of training, I have become familiar with this naval vessel."
"We are boarding the ship this time, but we want to feel the speed of the Dinghai ship. Don't let us be disappointed."
Zhu Yuanzhang said to Yu Jing with a smile.
He knew Yu Jing. After all, he was the son of Yu Tongyuan, the Marquis of Yuexun.
Yu Tongyuan was also involved in the Hu Weiyong case, but Zhu Yuanzhang, his father Yu Tingyu, his brother Yu Tonghai, and Yu Tongyuan were not blamed for their contributions.
Upon hearing His Majesty's question, Yu Jing immediately clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured that I and the soldiers have been familiar with each other for three days, and there will be no mistakes."
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Okay, let's set sail and let us see how fast this steam armored ship is."
As Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, Liu He who followed him on board the ship immediately shouted: "His Majesty decrees, raise the sails and set sail!"
"According to the order!"
As the navy on the Dinghai ship shouted loudly.
The soldiers in the cabin below immediately began to shovel large pieces of coal and put them into the boiler.
The steam engine started to run, and the powerful power drove the gears, making a roaring sound.
Black smoke rose from the smoke pipe above, and the propeller behind began to rotate.
The soldiers above also began to operate the sails to borrow power.
The Dinghai ship slowly sailed away from the dock and gradually disappeared under the eyes of hundreds of thousands of people.
The purpose of this voyage is Shanghai, which is hundreds of miles away.
In other words, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Ying will take the Dinghai ship and arrive directly in Shanghai County.
According to the current speed, it will only take about three or four hours to reach Shanghai County, which is 600 miles away.
Such speed undoubtedly breaks the limit of this era.
The sailing speed of a sailboat is about 25-30 kilometers, which is the speed per hour.
Of course, the actual speed of the ship is not specific, it mainly depends on God’s creation.
If the wind is favorable and the wind is strong, it will naturally be faster.
If the wind is against the wind and the wind is light, it will naturally be slower.
The steam ironclad ship Zhu Ying built this time can only be regarded as a semi-finished product if it is really serious.
It is indeed completely covered with iron sheets, but it is really just iron sheets. It looks intimidating, and the thickness is pitifully thin.
Not to mention cannons, firecrackers can be penetrated, and a knife can make a hole.
The main body of the ship is made of large wood. This is the true body of the Dinghai ship.
However, with the iron sheet, the defense will be stronger after all.
Then there are propellers and steam engines.
Strictly speaking, it is equivalent to adding steam power to assist driving in the case of sails.
This also involves issues of battery life and water depth.
If the load is too heavy and the draft is too deep, the ship's speed will definitely be affected.
The coal currently loaded in the cabin can run for at most twenty or thirty hours, which is a little more than two days. Any more will affect the speed of the ship.
It is impossible to go to the ocean. Even if you load more, you can only reach Champa, and you have to add coal to supplement it. Otherwise, it will be completely powered by sails, and the steam engine propeller will become a decoration.
At present, the significance of deterrence is far greater than its practical significance.
This would only be possible after the steam engine had been sufficiently improved.
This Dinghai ship didn't even have artillery mounted on it, it was all for speed.
In fact, there are still many disadvantages to Dinghai ships.
For example, the problem of steering.
Affected by the propeller, the steering is naturally not as flexible as a sailboat.
And there is no way to stop it quickly. Even if the steam engine is turned off, it will drag for a long time before it gradually stops.
Of course, these disadvantages are somewhat outweighed by the speed advantage.
"It's really fast."
Standing on the deck with iron sheets on the ground, Zhu Yuanzhang felt the strong wind and couldn't help but sigh.
"It will take a few hours to arrive in Shanghai County."
After hearing His Majesty's question, Yu Jing, who was accompanying him, immediately replied: "Reporting to Your Majesty, we will arrive at the port of Shanghai County in three hours."
When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he made some calculations in his mind and said: "Sure enough, it is more than twice as fast."
At normal ship speed, it takes about seven or eight hours to travel from Nanjing to Shanghai County, all the way along the Yangtze River waterway.
As for the naval ship, it can arrive in three hours.
It's morning now, that is, morning.
Three hours later, Zhu Yuanzhang could enjoy dinner in Shanghai County.
At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but chant: "The White Emperor's farewell to the colorful clouds, thousands of miles of Jiangling can be returned in one day."
This poem by Li Bai seems to be exaggerated, but in fact it is not.
A sailboat takes twelve hours to sail and can reach a thousand miles in one day.
Zhu Yuanzhang also recited this poem, but in one day he could sail thousands of miles.