At about 9 o'clock in the morning, a carriage stopped at Chongming Bofu.

A young man about thirty years old knocked on the door of the Bofu, and after the gatekeeper of the Bofu opened the door, he looked at the people standing outside the door, and then threw himself into the carriage behind him, and his face naturally showed pride.

The carriage was a rental carriage from a carriage dealership, and apparently the person who came was an ordinary person who couldn't even afford to use a carriage.

But even so, the porter squeezed out a smile.

"What's the matter?"

"Come down to meet Chongming Bo, this is a name sticker."

After receiving the guest's name sticker, the originally proud porter's face changed slightly after seeing the name sticker.

The name sticker has a badge printed on it.

The round planet, only engraved with latitude and longitude, does not mark the sea and land, a streamer around the planet, the ribbon engraved with ten words.

Our journey is a sea of stars!

There is no clear written information on where and when this phrase came from, but one thing is certain, it is a "metaphor" from the palace and from the mouth of His Majesty. Because of this, these ten simple words have become the creed of the Royal Geographical Society.

And this coat of arms is the coat of arms of the Royal Geographical Society.

Not everyone can use this badge, only members of the Royal Geographical Society can print the badge on the business card, and because of this, the badge on the name sticker itself means status, and for the concierge of the noble family, they certainly know what this badge means.

Means that the visitor is a member of the Royal Geographical Society.

For more than 20 years, with the support of the Royal Geographical Society, the explorers of the Ming Dynasty have carried out expeditions around the world, and their main tasks are mainly exploration and mapping. Of course, in this process, the geography of the Ming Dynasty also showed rapid development, and under the encouragement of practical needs, each academy attached great importance to the development of geography education.

But one thing is for sure, with the funding of the Royal Geographical Society, the Ming Dynasty entered its own era of "geographical discoveries", although later than the Europeans, but with the support of a large population and financial resources, the latest to enter the colonial era of the Ming Dynasty, has the most extensive colonies and overseas territories in this era.

However, as we all know, Daming did not stop his steps. But no expedition is inseparable from financial support, and for many years, the Royal Geographical Society's expeditions have relied on royal funding, and private funding has also accounted for a considerable proportion.

And almost every explorer, after his plan has been approved by the Royal Geographical Society, often seeks funding from the private sector, and the same is true for Zhang Yuchuan. It is not easy for ordinary people to knock on the door of Chongming Bofu, but with a name sticker with the badge of the Royal Geographical Society, although Zhang Yuchuan is not famous, he still entered Chongming Bofu and met Chongming Bo Ganhui.

"Lord Gan, look ......"

After a brief politeness, Zhang Yuchuan unfolded a map he was carrying on the ground, which was a map of the world.

In fact, from the moment Zhang Yuchuan entered the mansion, Gan Hui was a little curious about the six-foot-high paper tube he carried, which would also be full of questions about why he brought this large map.

"It's ......"

This is the world map of the 25th year of Xingqian, from this map can clearly see the land owned by the Ming Dynasty in the world, those marked in red, clearly and intuitively show the world the hegemony of the Celestial Empire on a global scale.

The sun and the moon are shining, and the sun and the moon are shining!

And on the territory of the Ming Dynasty, the sun never sets.

"Just a map!"

Walking to the map, Zhang Yuchuan said casually, and then he pointed to the map on the ground and said to Gan Hui, this Chongming Bo.

"Sir, you see this is the Celestial Empire, here is Europe, and this piece in the middle...... You can ignore them directly, Europeans call Europe the "old continent", in fact, we are also the "old continent" here, whether it is Africa or the South Seas, they have long been discovered, relative to the "old continent", "the new continent" is the Americas, is the new summer, these are all discovered by navigators on the sea, whether for us or Europeans, the new continent means the future ......"

As an explorer, Zhang Yuchuan knows very well that for nobles like Gan Hui, they may have wealth unimaginable to outsiders, but they only have wealth, they do have power, but in addition to power and wealth, they are more eager for fame, why Xungui is willing to fund the expedition, it is precisely because overseas expeditions can bring them fame, and even more than ten years ago, Wanli also funded explorers to enter Tibet, which also brought him fame.

Fame!

These nobles wanted to gain fame by funding these expeditions, and of course in addition to fame, they also had the possibility of wealth, and the opening of new routes and trade routes would bring them wealth. That's why explorers like Zhang Yuchuan turn to these nobles for funding.

However, these nobles must be allowed to see enough benefits. Fame, wealth, at least the same. Otherwise, these nobles would never have taken out their money.

After explaining to Gan Hui the wealth and fame that the great geographical discoveries brought to Europeans, Zhang Yuchuan walked to the middle of the map, and he said as he stood on the vast ocean.

"Sir, where do you see me standing?"

"Pacific!"

Gan Hui grinned.

"Do you kid know that Ben Bo also went to sea with the surname of the country back then, and don't you know the Pacific Ocean."

Not only do you know that the Gan family has its own shipping company, sailing on the Pacific route, and Gan Hui can even directly mark the "Kuroshio route" on the map.

"The lord is well-informed, don't you know below, but the lord has ever wondered why there is no continent or even an island in such a vast ocean? Even if there were, it was only a few small atolls in the south, didn't the lord think it was strange? ”

Facing Gan Hui's smile, Zhang Yuchuan asked rhetorically.

"This ......"

Staring at the vast ocean on the map, Gan Hui fell into deep thought, his brow furrowed, and after a moment, he turned his gaze to the Atlantic Ocean, and then said.

"There are no islands in the Atlantic, and the islands in the ocean can't be like the South Sea, one by one, or it's still some ocean."

"The truth is indeed this truth, but the lord, I think that there must be islands in the vastness of the Aetheric Ocean, maybe somewhere in the middle of the ocean, there is a continent or a big island, who knows, at least in terms of probability, there is such a possibility."

"Probability?"

Gan Hui asked rhetorically.

"What kind of probability? Is that why you're on this voyage? ”

Although Gan Hui has never been stingy with funding expeditions, it doesn't mean that he will casually take out the money, at least not now.

"If there is such a probability, why do we have so many merchant ships flying to and from the Pacific every year, but we never find the existence of islands? Never! ”

Because of his own shipping company relationship, Gan Hui knows very well that there seems to be no surprise in the voyage of the Pacific Ocean, although he knows very well what the discovery of an island in the middle of the ocean means for the navigation of the Pacific route, but many people have even given up hope a long time ago.

"Even the captains have never found any sign of a land presence in the depths of the ocean."

Although the Ming Dynasty can accurately locate at sea through the "Nautical Astronomical Calendar", many traditional nautical knowledge has not been abandoned, at least in the discovery of islands or land, those signs are the most fundamental basis, without seabirds, floating objects and other signs as proof, Columbus simply could not have reached the Americas,

"No, doesn't mean no."

Zhang Yuchuan pointed to the map and said.

"One of the simplest reasons why we don't have surprises in the Pacific Ocean is because all our voyages are on the Kuroshio route and we never leave there, which means that we get here from here ......."

Drawing a huge range with his footsteps on the map, Zhang Yuchuan said with some excitement.

"Such a huge place is an uncharted territory, what exists in this vast sea? We just don't know anything, and who would say there is no land here? I swear, there must be land here! ”

Turning his gaze to Gan Hui, Zhang Yuchuan said excitedly.

"They are quietly waiting for us, waiting for us to discover them, sir, perhaps, for you, you have financed countless expeditions over the years, but I can assure you that there is no other voyage than the discovery of the new summer, and the opening of the voyage to the Pacific!"

Facing Zhang Yuchuan, who was excited, Gan Hui didn't speak, he just stared at the map silently, the map is very large, but it is even more vast but the Pacific Ocean, in the unknown sea of the Pacific Ocean, what exists?

Is there really land?

Where there is the sea, there is land.

"Possibly, just one or a few small islands."

Gan Hui said in his official dialect full of Hokkien accents.

"It's better to have a few small islands than nothing, and if they can be inhabited and have fresh water, they can be a transit point on the Pacific route in the future, right? Sir, such a transit station can also bring you rich returns. ”

Although everyone knows that Zhang Yuchuan's words are just a kind of prevarication, Gan Hui has to admit that even this prevarication is heartwarming. What does he need for him? It wasn't a transit point, all he needed was to discover the islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, which were of great significance to the Ming Dynasty and would change the history of the Pacific Shipping Route.

"You should know the risks of this!"

Gan Hui pointed to the huge blank space on the map, and he suddenly realized that the map was not perfect, and he did not leave the location outside the central route of the Pacific Ocean blank, but only marked "unknown seas". What's in this "uncharted sea"? No one knows, isn't there anyone who is curious? No one will be curious about this kind of blue, and if there is a blank space, it may arouse the curiosity of many people, and perhaps, there will be an expedition to march into that "uncharted sea" for a long time.

If so, how will it be your turn?

"I know what I'm up against!"

Zhang Bochuan nodded, without the slightest fear on his face, standing on the "unknown sea", he just smiled.

"In such a large area, how long you have to sail, no one has an accurate number, and what kind of risks will be encountered, there is no accurate number, not to mention, there is an equatorial windless belt in the middle, there are too many problems to face, maybe you have to work hard, and in the end you will gain nothing, and even your own life, will lose ......"

When mentioning these risks and possibilities, Gan Hui's eyes kept staring at Zhang Yuchuan, he wanted to see fear in the eyes of this young man, but all he saw was calm, not even the excitement before.

Perhaps, he will succeed!

After years of fighting, Gan Hui can see people very accurately, and he believes that the person in front of him will definitely not back down, which is the premise of success.

"Risk, everything is risky, even if you stay at home and lie in bed, there is also risk, I don't know how to spend this life ordinarily, sir......"

Grinning at Gan Hui, Zhang Yuchuan walked to a location on the map and said.

"I went on board at thirteen to be a trainee sailor, at nineteen as a first mate, at twenty-one as a captain, at twenty-five as a member of the Royal Geographical Society, and today I am thirty-two, perhaps...... Who knows? On the sea, there are too many possibilities, even in land exploration, there are too many possibilities, risks, everything has its risks, since you have chosen him, you need to face it and accept everything you face! ”

To Zhang Yuchuan's answer, Gan Hui nodded, he looked at the person in front of him seriously, and after a while, he said with a smile.

"Well, I can be the sponsor of your expedition, if you need a boat, I can give you the best boat, give you the best sailor, and I will give you no less than two years to sail, how about it, can this meet your needs?"

Two years!

When Zhang Yuchuan was still there surprised by Chongmingbo's generosity, he saw Gan Hui walk to the map, he walked to the place marked "Unknown Sea", and then said to Zhang Yuchuan.

"As long as you can get a clear picture of this sea area, let alone two years of sailing, it can be three years, five years, or even ten or twenty years, as long as you can persevere, I can continue to fund you! What do you think! ”

Staring at Zhang Yuchuan, Gan Hui said in a serious and serious tone.

"Are you willing to work with Ben Bo to find out this unknown sea for Da Ming?"