Just when Ding Haishan was about to go to the Guangdong Political Secretary to report, the Guangzhou Guangdong Political Secretary Yamen, the two political envoys on the left and right were also discussing one thing.

What do they discuss? The discussion is about the ships that Columbus brought......

Columbus came to Daming this time with a total of three ships - a 500-ton warship and two 250-class armed merchant ships. Two armed merchant ships of the 250 class are not too noticeable. There are not many ships of this size, Guangzhou Port. But that 500-ton battleship is in the wind......

Since Zheng He's fleet was abandoned, the big ships gradually disappeared because of the implementation of the retreat policy in the Ming Dynasty, and the main force of the sailors was only a few hundred ships. Those who can reach the level of thousands of materials definitely belong to the big ship.

And a large ship of 1,000 materials, taking the Fu ship as an example, if it is a civilian ship, the general displacement is about 250 tons, which is about the same as a 250-class armed merchant ship. And if it is an official ship, it can reach a displacement of five or six hundred tons.

However, because of the retreat policy and the fact that the Chinese officials of the dynasty wanted to save expenses, the Ming court vigorously reduced the expenses of the sailors. This also led to the fact that the main force of the later Daming Navy Division was generally a ship of 400 materials. There are very few that can reach a thousand materials, and they are generally used as the flagship of the sailor.

Therefore, for the docking point of the Fanbang ship at the Guangzhou wharf, there was a "thousand-level" ship, and the two political envoys still felt very novel. In particular, Liu Meng, the political envoy of the Right Bu, was awarded the position of the military department for the first time after he joined the junior high school, and later, he also served as the (Fujian) construction to participate in politics. Therefore, Liu Meng has a little understanding of ships and military affairs, not a layman. You must know that the Fu Ship is the main warship of the Daming Naval Division. Liu Meng, who served as a member of the (Fu) construction and participated in politics, is no stranger to ships.

Therefore, Liu Meng said to Shen Rui, the political envoy of Guangdong Zuobu:

"Wen Jin Gong (Shen Rui character Wen Jin), Meng Wei never thought that Fan Ghost actually had such a big ship. Just now, Meng passed by the dock and found that the ghost ship was not only big, but also looked very beautiful. ”

Shen Rui is a native of Renhe County, Hangzhou, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and is naturally no stranger to ships. Therefore, Shen Rui said in surprise:

"Is there such a thing? Can a ghost build a big ship? ”

"However, according to Meng's observation, the big ship of the ghost is estimated to be as big as a thousand official materials. And the two ghost ships that defend this big ship are estimated to be as big as a thousand civilian ships," Liu Meng said with certainty......

"In this way, the old man wants to see it."

……

Just when the two political envoys were chatting about Columbus's fleet, the Guangzhou Municipal Governor raised Ding Haishan and also brought Ma Lin's tribute letter to the Yamen of the Political Secretary and asked to see the two political envoys.

After Shen Rui and Liu Meng, the two political envoys, read Ma Lin's letter of state, they looked at each other. Liu Meng said in surprise:

"Is there really such a state overseas?"

Where did Ding Haishan know, he could only answer:

"The lower officials don't know, but they came with the envoy of Manthorn. But the Manchurian envoy said that it was not certain whether the North Sea Kingdom really existed. Moreover, according to the book, the voyage from Beihai to Guangzhou is 50,000 miles, which is unbelievable! ”

Shen Rui thought for a while and said:

"You send someone back to the city, ask the merchants of the other feudal countries, and ask if any merchants of the Fanbang have heard of this country."

"Yes!" Ding Haishan hurriedly sent his deputy back to the city to inquire about the news. Then, he himself returned to the political envoy's yamen to listen to instructions.

When Ding Haishan came back, Liu Meng was discussing the matter of the tribute book with Shen Rui. I saw Liu Meng pointing to the last paragraph of the tribute book, and said with disdain:

"This man is full of respect, but when it comes to firearms, his tone is very loud. The old man also knows a little about military affairs, and if he wants to fool people, he is in the wrong place. ”

Ding Haishan thought about it, so he interjected:

"Lord Liu, anyway, those ghosts have brought artillery and firearms. Since you always understand, why don't you go and take a look, so as to puncture the cowhide of those ghosts? ”

Liu Meng was stunned, but soon laughed:

"Well, that's a good idea! It just so happens that the old man hasn't seen a cannon for many years. Haishan, you go and ask Lord Xu Yong, the commander of the Guangzhou avant-garde, to bring a group of soldiers to inspect the firearms of those ghosts. Remember, let Master Xu Yong bring a group of gunners and gunners over! ”

After speaking, Liu Meng stood up and said:

"Wen Jingong, do you want to go and have a look with Meng? If he has the chance, Meng still wants to board the ship to have a look. ”

"Boarding the ship?" Guangdong Zuobu Political Envoy Shen Rui's eyes suddenly lit up. He is not interested in firearms, but as a native of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, he is still interested in big ships.

As a result, the two political envoys on the left and right who were in charge of Guangdong's financial and taxation powers, with a cadre of soldiers from the Yamen of the Political Division, rushed to the Guangzhou City Bureau......

Xu Yong, the commander of the Guangzhou avant-garde who received Liu Meng's message, did not dare to slack off, and hurriedly mobilized 500 sergeants, plus a group of gunners and musketeers, and hurried towards the city boss.

Although Xu Yonggui is the commander of the third grade, Shen Rui and Liu Meng, the two political envoys, are of higher grade and are from the third grade. Moreover, the Ming Dynasty was "to use literature to control the military", and the status of civil officials was higher. Mo said that he was one level higher than Xu Yong, even if he was only the prefect of Guangzhou Prefecture who was from the fourth grade, he dared to act as an uncle in front of Xu Yong, the commander of the third grade.

What's more, the political envoy controls the financial resources of a province, and even the food and salary of the guard are allocated by the yamen of the political secretary. Therefore, Xu Yong definitely did not dare to provoke the two bigwigs of the Political Division. Otherwise, you will have no place to reason for withholding your salary. What the? Go to sue? You dare to sue a civil servant? Don't want to mix it up? This is the Ming Dynasty......

Therefore, in the face of the summons of the two "God of Wealth", Xu Yong immediately took people to the audience......

When Xu Yong rushed to the city with a large group of men, Liu Meng was reprimanding Ma Lin's envoy Kong Tai. Columbus stayed in the post house because he didn't understand Chinese. And Kong Tai, as a deputy envoy, understands Chinese, so he naturally came out to stand up to the thunder......

"You are waiting for a small country, and you dare to claim that firearms are better than the Ming Dynasty?"

In the face of Liu Meng's questioning, Kong Tai was not in a hurry. Because, this situation, Marin had expected it a long time ago. So, after making a Chinese salute to Liu Meng, he said unhurriedly:

"My lord, our Grand Duke once said that Kong Sheng once said, 'If you are a threesome, you must have my teacher', although the Ming Dynasty is extremely powerful, it is not ahead of the world in everything. For example, firearms, the Grand Duke learned that the current artillery range of the Ming Dynasty is only 120 steps (180 meters), while the range of our Beihai country's Furlong machine guns can reach more than 100 zhang, that is, more than 200 steps......"

In addition, the Grand Duke once said that the main fire weapon used by the Ming Dynasty is the three-eyed gun, which has great power within 30 steps, and it is difficult to hurt people 50 steps away. And the fine fire of my North Sea Country......"

"Wait...... How did you know the performance of my Great Flame Gun? Liu Meng, who had been in the military department, stared at Kong Tai and said with a serious face.

"This ......," said Conté, remembering Marin's advice:

"Our Grand Duke said that it was because he had worshiped a Taoist chief named Xiaoyaozi. That Xiaoyaozi Daoist is a native of the Ming Dynasty, so he is naturally familiar with the performance of the Ming Dynasty's firearms. And the firearms of my Beihai Country also have the help of Daoist Xiaoyaozi to improve them. That's why it's so sharp......"

After listening to Kong Tai's nonsense, Liu Meng breathed a sigh of relief - this is right, when will the firearms invented by the barbarians be able to surpass the Ming Dynasty? It turned out that the Ming people helped improve it......

Ma Lin can be regarded as having a thorough understanding of the virtues of this group of civil officials in the Ming Dynasty, so he made up such an excuse. Moreover, it is very much in line with the taste of the Ming civil officials.

"Is it really sharper than a big open firearm, you have to try it to know!" At this time, Shen Rui, the political envoy of Guangdong Zuobu, said.

At this time, Xu Yong came with the gunners and gunners of the avant-garde in Guangzhou, and Liu Meng said:

"It's okay, let Xu Yong's people try it......"

So, a group of people followed to carry the firearms on the ship......

And Shen Rui and Liu Meng, two political envoys, also took the opportunity to visit the ship......

"Tsk, Wen Jin Gong, this ghost's ship is really good, the hull is tall and majestic. Moreover, so many artillery pieces can be listed. ”

Kong Tai accompanied him, and after listening to Liu Meng's words, he said:

"Adults don't know, from Beihai to Daming, the journey is 50,000 miles, and there are many pirates on the way. If it weren't for these cannons and guns, we might not have reached the Ming Dynasty before we reached the Ming Dynasty, and we might have been killed by those murderous pirates on the way. ”

"I see...... It's really barbarian overseas......" Shen Rui and Liu Meng said, quite loudly.

Kong Tai, who was on the side, listened to the words of the two of them, and rolled his eyes in depression - you are a barbarian, and your whole family is a barbarian......

However, thinking of Marin's instructions, he didn't have a seizure. Of course, if he dares to attack here, he will definitely not be pleased.

After the two political envoys had a good discussion on the boat, they followed the group to the shore and went to the shooting range of a thousand households of the avant-garde in Guangzhou nearby to test the power of the guns of the Beihai State......