and whether he has been to the Americas or not, Zhu Cihong can't be sure, but things still have to be done.

For two years, he has been preparing for the preparation and selection of personnel for the Western Ocean.

In order to complete this feat of going to the West beautifully, Zhu Cihong finally chose Wu Zhong, the personal eunuch, as the envoy of the ocean-going fleet, and Zhu Chenggong as the deputy envoy.

Eighty large and small warships of the Ming Royal Navy were dispatched, as well as more than 100 ocean-going ships of different purposes and types, and more than 20,000 soldiers and sailors, including Zhang Dabiao, Li Xing and other businessmen, went to sea.

In addition to military purposes, the development of overseas transportation and overseas trade is also very urgent.

China's silk fabrics and porcelain are welcomed by Western countries and have won a high reputation, while China also has a greater demand for spices and other materials that cannot be produced by itself.

On Zhu Cihong's dragon case, there are also some drawings of the new ship type, which were sent by Yang Wanli, the waiter of the Ministry of Works.

Yang Wanli is a Ming ship designer and manufacturer, Chongzhen has followed Zhu Cihong since fifteen years, (Zhu Cihong met in the south of Ningbo Mansion, the first copycat of the Spanish three-masted warship), these years he has made great contributions to the shipbuilding of the Ming Dynasty.

Yang Wanli sent the drawings of the clippers, and he has developed dozens of clippers with high performance, and the sailing speed is called a fast, just like flying.

Such a ship is not large in size, there is a smaller superstructure on board, which not only improves the stability of the ship, but also gives full play to the role of sails.

The underwater shape of the clipper ship is designed to achieve resistance to increase the speed, and it is almost close to the surface of the water when sailing, and it can cut the waves to reduce the wave resistance at sea, so it is called the clipping boat.

The clipper boat has no other characteristics, in one word, it is fucking fast! It's incredible!

According to the current speed of the sailboat's route, under normal downwind, it is generally five or six knots, and a few clippers can reach seven or eight knots. (One section is one nautical mile per hour, which is equivalent to 3.7 miles)

And the speed of the clipper ship takes off directly to fourteen knots! The fastest clipper boat even reached a speed of twenty knots per hour!

When Yang Wanli developed the clipper, he deliberately conducted an eye-catching long-range navigation test and racing competition. (After many sea trials before)

On May 30 of the previous year, under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry, five clippers set off from Quanzhou, Fujian, and the destination was Europa!

This voyage test can be said to be the prelude to the return of the Ming Dynasty to the Western Ocean, and it is also the first time that the Ming Dynasty sent envoys to Europe.

More than three months later, on September 26, the seventh year of Tianwu, five clippers passed through the English Channel and arrived in London, England.

The speed difference between the second and first places was only half an hour, the third place was one day behind the first place, and the fourth and fifth places were two days behind the first place.

From Quanzhou in Fujian Province to London in England, there are more than 16,000 kilometers in total, and it generally takes half a year to eight months for a one-way route of ordinary sailing ships, and even a year for ink.

However, it took the flying shear boat to complete the whole course in ninety-nine days, and the slow one only one hundred and one days. (Refer to the real record)

In the age of sails, this was almost a miraculous speed!

Between the vast Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, there are countless pirates who live by robbing merchant ships to eat, but in the face of the Ming Dynasty's clippers, they just chased after them, but found that they couldn't even see the other party's tail lights!

The pirates' eyes were straightened, thinking that they had seen the ghost ship in broad daylight!

In recent years, Jinyiwei in Europe has relied on clippers to transmit information back and forth, and Zhu Cihong can also obtain information from European countries in real time.

On this trip to the West, Zhu Cihong used 50 clippers to escort the escort and was responsible for maritime reconnaissance work.

Clippers are not difficult to build, there is no technical difficulty, once shipbuilding experts see the type of ship, a little fumbling for a few years can be copied.

Daming can't hide it even if he wants to, so he can only pull it out generously and use it, and use it early to enjoy!

After the chief and deputy envoys to the West were finalized, Zhu Cihong sent eunuchs to summon the national abbot Xu Haitai and the national uncle Xu Bohan.

This session of the national ruler is very good.

Over the years, although the Xu family has soared, Xu Haitai has also become the vice president of the Daming Merchant Association, and has invested in the Royal Group, but the Xu family has always been very low-key and has a very strict family style.

Xu Haitai also heard that today, even Zhou Guozhang of the Chongzhen Dynasty dared to kill him, and as the Guozhang of the Tianwu Dynasty, he can't follow in the footsteps of his predecessors......

At noon, Xu Haitai and his son entered the palace to face the saint and caught up with the meal, and Zhu Cihong left his father-in-law and brother-in-law to eat in the palace.

After finishing the imperial meal, Zhu Cihong mentioned the matter of going to the West and asked the Xu family to send a representative to follow, but the father and son could only go to one.

For no other reason, Zhu Cihong was worried that they would go together, what if they encountered irresistible danger and the whole army was wiped out?

Xu Haitai is a person who often runs on the sea, and knows everything about the South and Western seas.

For example, the European Renaissance, the rise of Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands, the conflict between Catholicism and Protestantism, and the religious disputes in Europe are all well understood.

Xu Haitai became the national ruler in recent years, and gradually delegated the management of the Xu family to his eldest son Xu Bohan.

Uncle Xu Bohan stood up and said, "Your Majesty, let the ministers go!" ”

Xu Dakun, a young man who liked to borrow money back then, has now grown up.

Especially after getting married, this kid seems to have changed as if he has become a different person, and he has become more and more calm.

Xu Bohan married Fang Yizhi's daughter Fang Yu, who is a famous talented woman in the south of the Yangtze River, not only beautiful, but also exudes the cultural atmosphere of a scholarly family everywhere.

Her poetry style is elegant and elegant, or heroic, and she has the spirit of not letting her eyebrows go, and she is deeply sought after by talented and beautiful people in Jiangnan.

Fang Yu is an open-minded classical woman, it is conceivable that husband and wife should be able to cooperate in many postures, Xu Dakun, this kid is blessed!

Zhu Cihong also heard that this brother-in-law always liked to sneak to the Qinhuai River, but now he doesn't go, as if he has suddenly changed his ways.

Zhu Cihong waved his hand and said, "Sit down and talk." ”

Xu Bohan said yes again and again, sat down cautiously, and continued to express his wishes.

As the young owner of the Xu family, he has also gone to sea several times over the years, going back and forth between Taiwan and Nanyang, running the tea and silk business of the Xu family, but he has never been to the West.

Xu Bohan wanted to go to Europe in person, but due to various reasons, he has not been able to do so.

Zhu Cihong looked at the old man and asked with a smile: "Guozhang, what do you think?" ”

Xu Haitai replied: "It's all up to Your Majesty's arrangement, and the minister personally thinks that the dog should go out to hone and take charge of it alone." ”

Zhu Cihong nodded slightly, and said, "Then it's decided, go to Kunning Palace to see the queen and the crown prince, and Da Kun stays." ”

"Obey the order!"

After Xu Haitai retreated, Zhu Cihong walked to Xu Bohan's side and suddenly asked mysteriously: "Da Kun, do you like Yanmar?" ”

Xu Bohan was stunned, and a series of question marks seemed to pop up on his head.

Zhu Cihong continued: "Say, if you want to go to the West, do you want to find a Yanma? ”

"Yanmar...... The minister didn't have that idea! ”

Xu Bohan seemed to think for a while, and then directly denied it.

Zhu Cihong pointed at him with a smile and said, "You kid, you are still pretending to be here with me, don't you like the Western girl in Meixianglou the most?" I also gave her a tip! ”

Xu Bohan's face changed at first, and after a while, he suddenly smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, that was all in the past, and I can keep a low profile now." ”

He leaned over and said meaningfully: "If my brother-in-law has any ideas, my younger brother can do everything for you when he goes to the West this time, such as the princess of a small Western country or something......

Hearing this, the emperor was very different, and said: "But! ”

.......