In July of the third year of Yongle, there were several loud noises suddenly heard in the suburbs of Nanjing.

The residents of the city stopped what they were doing, looked up a few times in the direction where the loud noise came, and saw that there was black smoke rising up, which did not disperse for a long time, and knew that it was the Ordnance Bureau and the Military War Bureau that were testing the cannon again.

Since the second year of Yongle, the War Bureau and the Ordnance Bureau have often tested firearms outside the city, and everyone has long been accustomed to it. What month would it be strange if you didn't hear such a loud noise.

However, today's cannon sound seems to be louder and denser than in the past. It is not surprising that either multiple bursts were fired, or more powerful artillery was created than the general.

When the envoys of the Fanbang in the hall heard the loud noise, they gathered in the courtyard one after another, looking at the direction of the wind from the loud noise, and their hearts were beating in shock.

How powerful the Ming Dynasty army was and how sharp the weapons used were, the envoys had more or less seen it. Especially those who have dealt with Mu Ying and Mu Sheng's father and son, who guarded Yunnan, are even more afraid of the Ming Dynasty's guns and artillery.

The powerful fire gun, which can smash the iron ball of the giant tree, is a nightmare in the hearts of many Fanbang warriors.

Listening to the deafening cannon sound, Prince Chen and the envoys of Zhancheng were full of excitement. With such powerful artillery, it is needless to say that the strength of the Ming army. Hugging the thigh of the Ming Dynasty Emperor is really a wise move.

The soft Jingzhen and others sent by the Annan Hu clan did not look so good-looking.

Not long ago, the Great Emperor issued an edict to reprimand the Hu king on the grounds that the Hu clan had usurped power and that the Annam army had invaded the borders of the Ming Dynasty and oppressed neighboring states. The words are quite polite, and there is murder between the lines. He only said that if the Hu family did not take the initiative to abdicate and welcome the Chen family back to the country, and did not withdraw from the occupied land, Da Ming would not mind doing it for him. Annan is responsible for all the consequences arising from this.

This is a threat of naked-naked-naked, but Annan did not dare to come out, so he could only send envoys to the Ming Dynasty with the above objects and a letter from the Hu family asking for guilt, asking Emperor Yongle to open the net and show mercy to his subordinates.

Whether he was genuinely convinced or used this to delay time, only Hu himself knew.

Whether it's the former or the latter, Zhu Di doesn't care.

The strength is in front of him, and Hu's submission is naturally very happy, and if he is not convinced, there is naturally a way to make him obey.

The cannon outside the city was endless, and Ruan Jingzhen's heart became heavier and heavier. It is no wonder that the members of the previous mission to the Ming Dynasty resigned after returning to China, or hid in their own stockades, and ignored no matter how the king ordered, and they did not come out. This is a clear attempt to draw a clear line with the Hu clan in order to protect itself.

In this way, if he did not take the initiative to welcome back Prince Chen and return the occupied city-states, would the Ming Dynasty really send troops?

Comparing the eyesight of the two sides and imagining the post-war results, Annan's envoy couldn't help but turn pale, and a look of panic and panic appeared.

The merchants who had gathered in the city were at first startled by the sudden sound of cannons. When the details were learned from the residents of the capital, the shock suddenly turned into a surprise.

"Good!"

A businessman laughed and clapped his palms, praising the power of the Ming Dynasty. The people around echoed and applauded loudly.

The officials of Yingtianfu who passed by glanced at the sound twice, and slapped the iron ruler twice in the palm of his hand, but he didn't step forward to reprimand these people for being too loud and affecting the appearance of the city. On the contrary, the person who spoke saw the official in a soap suit consciously lowered his voice, but the excitement and excitement on his face could not be extinguished.

Several warriors of the Wuliangha tribe across the two tables had personally experienced the giant cannons of the Ming Dynasty in the Jingjing, and the Jurchens at the adjacent table had also seen the use of artillery by the border army in Liaodong, and when they heard the sound, they couldn't help but shiver.

A loud noise that can deaf the ears, a choking black smoke, and a huge iron ball that smashes people and horses into flesh and mud.

Just think about it, it's all cold hands and feet.

Wu Liangha has been attached to the Ming Dynasty for a long time, suppressed the fear in his heart, and soon returned to normal.

The Jurchens looked at each other and thought that the plan of the tribal leader was simply whimsical. With such a strong dynasty, it is too late to be attached, and I want to fight other thoughts, but I can't figure out the southeast and northwest, and I don't know how high the mountains are and how deep the sea is.

Outside the city, the two cannons offered by Daning stopped roaring, and the border troops opened the chambers and took out the sub-cannons.

A few hundred meters away, the black smoke cleared, and several deep pits smashed by iron balls and broken wooden figures were impressively visible.

Zhu Tip immediately stepped forward, looked at the 300-pound artillery, and asked, "This is the artillery of Yiren?" It's so powerful, it's really amazing. ”

Zhou Rong, who escorted the artillery into Beijing, knelt on the ground, saying long live, and only after Zhu Di called out, did he say: "Back to Your Majesty, this cannon is indeed made according to the drawings of the Yiren." However, during the period of cannon making, the craftsmen have made many improvements, the power is greater, and it is not easy to explode, which is really different. ”

"Good!" Zhu Di stroked the short mustache under his chin and learned that the artillery had not yet been named, so he immediately gave it the name of "Franc Machine Cannon". That is, the Yi people offered the drawings, and they should be named after it.

The historical Franc cannon was joined by Emperor Meng and Yongle to appear in the army of the Ming Dynasty a hundred years earlier.

Since then, it has been continuously improved by the craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty, and has become a world-famous, intimidating pirates and emulating the "Ming version of the Franc machine artillery".

Dias, who brought artillery drawings to the East, left a heavy mark in the history books.

Although someone had been butterflyed by someone when he discovered the Cape of Good Hope, Diaz's descendants did not fall because of it. On the contrary, in order to forge friendship with the Ming Dynasty and obtain the right to trade in silk and porcelain, this family of adventurers and navigators was sought after by kings and nobles of various European countries, and obtained untold wealth and glory.

In addition to artillery, Daning also offered high-yielding crop varieties. Along with the improved varieties of artillery, there was a list of craftsmen and soldiers who developed and manufactured artillery and improved the types of grain. After the list, there are the officials of the War Bureau and the Daning Division who supervised the construction of artillery and participated in this matter.

Everyone has a clear indication of what they do, and they do not conceal it or be greedy for merit.

After Emperor Yongle saw it, he couldn't help but sigh, this is the person who does practical things!

In addition to the good mood, with a stroke of the pen, the Daning Division, the Beijing Military War Bureau and the Daning Miscellaneous Bureau were all rewarded. Dingguo Gong and Xingningbo were even praised by name. Bai Yanhui, the eunuch of the Commander-in-Chief of the War Bureau, was not named, but he was given by the Son of Heaven, put on new clothes, paced back and forth, and smiled so much that he couldn't see his teeth.

In Meng's recital, it was mentioned that the Yiren artillery could be further improved, not only for land warfare, but also for naval warships, and Emperor Yongle paid more and more attention to this.

Zheng He's fleet was about to set sail, and it was definitely too late to temporarily install artillery, so he simply ordered Zhejiang and other capitals to gather skilled craftsmen to build shipyards and manufacture sea ships in large quantities. When the ship is built, the artillery will naturally be loaded as it wants.

The funds for shipbuilding are not a problem, the household department does not have them, and they are directly from the inner treasury.

The materials for shipbuilding are not a problem, and the water and soil protection in Liaodong and southwest China is not allowed to be cut at will, and it is completely possible to purchase from the states of Annam, Champa and Siam. Wood and rope can be sold for money, bamboo and iron ore can also be exchanged for grain, even if the king and ministers of Fanbang do not take the bait, the Tusi Toumen and the villagers below will take the initiative to trade with the Ming Dynasty.

It's just a matter of cutting down a few trees and pulling them to sell them in exchange for some cloth and grain, can the king manage it?

To be punished? The head of the toast can lead everyone to naturalize the Ming Dynasty together. The people who have become the Ming Dynasty are naturally protected by the Ming army, and the king of Fanbang who needs the edict of the Great Ming to enjoy the legal inheritance rights is naturally even more careless.

The emperor gave money, officials selected talents, and then purchased materials from various places, and shipping and transportation prospered together, and post stations were set up one after another. After the joint promotion of the Ministry of Household and the Ministry of Industry in the north and south, the treatment of shipwrights and post men in various places has been improved, but various non-governmental organizations have also appeared in advance, such as the Cao Gang.

From the very beginning of its establishment, the Cao Gang has been thoroughly explored by Jinyiwei and has been completely transparent. Based on the constantly detailed "Da Ming Law", the officials of the Yongle Dynasty were more powerful, and the Cao Gang at this time was far away from the X society, and with the development of the economy and Cao Yun, it became more and more similar to the union-organization that defended the rights of shipwrights.

In this regard, Meng Ye could only touch his chin, looked at the beam at a forty-five degree angle, and sighed, history is really wonderful.

According to the imperial decree, the sea ships built by shipyards in Zhejiang and other places can be purchased by businessmen in addition to official use and obtain profits. The imperial court has the majority, the local government has a small share, and the officials who supervise the construction of sea ships can also share the dividends.

This is allowed by the Son of Heaven, and it is much safer than reaching out in private.

It's just that the officials in Zhejiang and other places who received the shipbuilding task are a little scratching their heads, the Son of Heaven is not short of money, and the handwriting is naturally large, and the initial plan is to build 1,180 sea boats, even if money and materials are not a problem, where will the craftsmen who need them go?

The craftsman has been found, but what should the handyman do?

It was impossible for the peasant households, the imperial court had high-yield grain seeds, and everyone was busy farming, except for the displaced people who had been affected by the disaster, no one would go to the shipyard to find work. Forced conscription? Jin Yiwei's driving post will come to the door immediately.

There are craftsmen, but there are still more monks and less porridge.

Military households don't even think about it. There are Tartars in the north, there are Japanese pirates on the coast, and the southwest is also preparing to use troops against Annam.

With the improvement of salary, military households, especially those in the north, no longer regard serving in the army as a hardship, and it is becoming more and more difficult to pull out people from the surplus households.

The local commanders who have received the shipbuilding task are worried.

This is like a cornucopia falling from the sky, smashing in front of you, watching with your eyes open, saliva flowing, just can't reach it, is it troublesome?

It is not only the coastal prefectures and counties that are short of people, but also famines have broken out in various parts of northern Xinjiang.

The imperial court allowed the collection of soldiers from the attached Tatar tribes, and the military households were there, but the artisan households were still not enough.

There are Jurchen tribes in eastern Liaodong that can be filled, Beijing has immigrants from Shanxi, and places such as Gansu and Ningxia are constantly attracting tribes on the grassland, which can be relieved to some extent.

Only Daning, there are always more people who go out than those who come in. Not only was there a shortage of craftsmen, but even the court prisoners and border soldiers began to be diverted in large numbers.

Looking at the list of people who were transferred to Suncheon, Meng's heart was bleeding.

It's not easy to cultivate a few talents, is it easy?

Emperor Yongle squeezed him, Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui exploited him, why did Shen Xuan even come to join in the fun?

Even if it's wool, you can't just pick it up on one sheep, right?

Where is justice, where is morality, where is justice!

Helplessly, the situation is stronger than people, and the Beijing branch came to ask for people, but they didn't give it, and Meng's previous action of poaching people from the department was used as a bargaining chip for negotiations. Don't bother, Zhao Tongyi in Bofu is the proof of this!

Did the Son of Heaven give permission?

Well, the lower officials also have the edict of the Son of Heaven in their hands, and Xingning Bo can read it in detail.

Meng has a headache, does it need this?

Someone from the line said that it was very needed.

Hinningbo flipped the table.

It's a pity that it's useless to lift the table, and people still pull it away. Even if there are a number of gold and silver treasure notes reissued by the Son of Heaven, it cannot make up for the loss of talents.

Holding his chest, Meng Shishilang wanted to cry without tears.

His eyes were red, and he was afraid to speak, and he simply started the idea of overseas Fanbang people.

Eight Japanese craftsmen gave him inspiration, and the neighbors with clothes and water were by his side, and he didn't rob them for nothing!

What's more, Yuan Daoyi wrote a letter of guarantee, but the trouble of the Japanese is still not eradicated, since he "admires" Shangguo so much, it is better to go to Shangguo to work and study.

Meng knew that this idea would be scolded by the scholars and recorded in the history books, and he would even be a traitor.

He doesn't care.

Don't work hard when you're at your strongest, and regret it when you go downhill?

This is not Meng Shishilang's style.

However, Meng is not afraid to fight with Yanguan, but he doesn't want to cause too much trouble before the matter is completed. After discussing with Shen Xuan, the plan was approved, but the sparseness to the Son of Heaven could not go through formal channels.

Jinyiwei, who stayed in Daning, once again acted as a messenger, and Yang Duo pinched his eyebrows helplessly after receiving the Jinyiwei command, in addition to spying on intelligence, serving as the honor guard of the Son of Heaven, he also worked part-time as a city manager, supervising the dredging of urban pipelines.

To serve the Son of Heaven, you can be accommodating. But if you work a lot, shouldn't your wages go up? At least the round-trip travel expenses must be reimbursed, right?

Putting down the strip, Commander Yang, dressed in a red brocade coat, sat in the lobby of Fusi in Beizhen, looking unpredictable.

The lieutenants and wrestlers who passed by the door did not dare to come out, thinking that Commander Yang was thinking about which senior officials of the court and central government should be invited to live in the imperial prison for a few days.

If Yang Duo is thinking about giving the Son of Heaven and applying for a salary increase, no one believes it 100%.

Commander Yang would think of this?

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

In July of the third year of Yongle, several fast horses galloped out of Daning City, and rushed to Nanjing with Xingningbo's secret music.

In the same month, the Ming fleet of more than 350 sea ships and more than 30,000 personnel was assembled to anchor from Liujiagang in Taicang, Jiangsu, and set sail.

The fleet carried the golden seal robes given by the Yongle Emperor to the kings of the Western Fan Kingdoms, as well as a large number of porcelain, silk and goods produced by the Ming Dynasty. In addition to the rewards given to the nations, they were mostly used to trade with the locals for gold, silver, precious stones, and spices.

In the center of the fleet are two treasure ships, Zheng He and his deputy envoy Wang Jinghong are standing in the bow of the ship, standing tall and majestic. The warships were guarded in a zigzag shape around the treasure ships, followed by horses, grain ships, and merchant ships.

On the shore and on the ship, drums sounded at the same time, several large flags were erected on the treasure ship, and twelve sails were raised one after another, looking down from the air, like a giant beast with scales and armor, entrenched on the sea.

With the experience of going to the East, the arrangements of the fleet are well organized. The guards, the representatives of the vassal kings, and the civil and military officers all acted according to orders.

It is worth mentioning that since seeing the scene of military attachés queuing up to receive money, the Chinese officials of the DPRK also donated money one after another to contribute to the trip to the West. Xia Yuanji, the head of the household, did not have to jump into the river with a stone, and the number of money recorded in the booklet was also rising.

In addition to the above, other teams of Uliangha, Tatar and Jurchen came on board one after another. Standing on the bow of the ship, seeing the seemingly endless fleet and the sails that cover the sky, the shock in the hearts of the warriors is indescribable.

Perhaps it was too shocking, and there were very few people with seasickness. This made Gonggong Zheng and Gonggong Wang on the treasure ship extremely envious, jealous and hateful.

It's the same landlubber, why is the difference so big?

In the distance, large fish leaped up on the sea level that they had never seen before, and the golden sunlight shone down, and seabirds soared in the air.

Zheng He led the members of the fleet to bow again in the direction of Nanjing, got up, stood with their heads held high, and gave the order to set sail.

The fleet was like a dragon, following the guidance of the water compass, heading west.

The leading ships had already gone far, and the last merchant ships had just set sail.

The clouds cover the sun, and the sea dragon roars.

Ding Qianhu, who sailed with the fleet again, stood at the bow of the ship and tightened his grip on the side of the ship.

Eight years ago, he was sent to the north for his crimes.

Eight years later, he set sail with the Ming envoys for his merits.

In the past, he was the arsenal of the military department, like a frog at the bottom of a well, narrow in the square inch, competing for power and profit with his colleagues. Now, he guards thousands of households for Daning Town, has made great achievements, sails overseas, and none of his former colleagues dare to underestimate him.

All the changes started eight years ago, from when he met Xingningbo, who was still a teenager and was so weak that he couldn't even lift a waist knife.

Snow-white seabirds glided through the air, leaving a blurry shadow on the surface of the sea, which quickly shattered in the waves.

Unknown large fish followed behind the boat, or crossed the bow, chasing each other, sometimes leaping up as if frolicking among the waves split by the bow.

The crew and border soldiers looked at it in amazement, and Ding Qianhu smiled loudly and looked farther away

He believes that all changes are just the beginning, and following Xingningbo, he will stand taller and see farther.

It's just that it is not yet known what you will encounter on this voyage. Whether it will be like last time, catch a few more Yi people from the sea and go back, Ding Qianhu is looking forward to it.