After staying on the embankment for a while, Jia Rui followed Jia Yan to the shipyard.

"This dock is one hundred and twenty feet long and fifteen feet wide. In those days, when large ships were built, four or five large ships with a length of 20 zhang could be built at the same time. ”

Twenty zhang, at least sixty meters, such a big ship, even in Jia Rui's previous life, is very impressive.

This huge dockyard, in particular, is a behemoth.

If nothing else, this huge dock alone is enough to show the prosperity of the shipyard back then.

According to Jarry's knowledge of history. At least in the Tang Dynasty, the shipbuilding industry in China had already begun to apply watertight cabin technology.

In this era, core technologies such as keel structure, sail misalignment configuration, balance rudder, and marine compass have been applied.

The shipbuilding technology of Middle-earth is not inferior to that of Western technology. The shipbuilding technology of the South Seas and the East is even a copycat version of the Middle Earth technology.

Nowadays, the development of the shipbuilding industry outside is in full swing, but Middle-earth itself is so decaying, it is embarrassing to sigh.

"At that time, we could build a four-story building ship, and there were a lot of firearms on it."

"And firearms?"

"Yes, the largest warship, there are more than sixty guns. The largest artillery piece is more than 2,000 catties, a total of 12 guns. Twenty-four guns of more than 1,000 pounds and 30 guns of 500 pounds were arranged on both sides of the ship's side, stretched out when they fired, and they were withdrawn into the cabin at ordinary times. ”

"Most of the sergeants on the ships also used firearms. When the big ship came to the sea, whether it was a pirate or a pirate, they all hid far away. Where, as it is now, when the sailors see the pirates and pirates, they either flee or retreat in the harbor. ”

"Aren't there tens of thousands of sailors now?"

"Hmph, what's the use of just talking about how many people there are? It's all empty, just to eat empty salaries and cheat money from the imperial court. ”

"We have more than a thousand people on the imperial court's roster. Where else is there now besides the three of us? ”

"Does the court pay back the money?"

"Give what money? There are no soldiers and horses here, and they were not given decades ago. We didn't ask the court for money by getting some people to put on a show like we did in other places. ”

"It's okay if they don't give money, they don't have soldiers and horses, and they don't come to us when they use soldiers, which is a lot easier."

Not far from the dock is an iron furnace, surrounded by a lot of slag.

"This is where the artillery was cast."

"And you can cast artillery?"

"Natural energy, large and small artillery are cast here. Even firecrackers, gunpowder, and projectiles can be crafted. ”

It's not just a shipyard, it's an arsenal.

Jia Rui still remembers that there are some descriptions in Dream of Red Mansions.

It is said that when the Grand View Garden was built, I was going to Suzhou to buy some excellent lings back.

At that time, there was a Mama Zhao who went to Wang Xifeng to find errands for his two sons, Zhao Tianliang and Zhao Tiandong.

At that time, Mama Zhao told Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng about the construction of warships by the ancestors of the Jia family.

Mama Zhao tried her best to describe the grand occasion of shipbuilding that year, and her tone was extremely proud.

Now it seems that Mama Zhao does have reason to be proud.

"The small building over there is the office of Rong Guogong back then, go over and take a look."

This small building has three floors and is a very exquisite building. Although it is very old, it is still well preserved.

Jia Yan unlocked the door, and the two entered.

The house was quiet, not like it had been uninhabited for a long time. Inside, the tables and chairs and some wooden cabinets are well preserved.

"It's so clean and tidy, can anyone live here?"

"Rong Guogong's place, where will there be people. I come here every month on the fifth day of the new year to clean up. Without Rong Guogong, we would not be where we are today. We must never forget the kindness of his old man. ”

Jia Rui looked at Jia Yan and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

I can't think of anyone who remembers Rong Guogong here. Even in the Rongguo Mansion, few people remember Rong Guogong back then, and they have long forgotten that their current family business was left by Rong Guogong.

The annual ancestor worship is just a ritual.

But the descendants of these Rongguo brothers-in-law still remember his shadow.

"Back then, Ning Guogong and Rong Guogong were both civil and military, and when Rong Guogong was here, he couldn't let go of the scroll. Read books often. In the bookcase over there, there are still a lot of books left by Rong Guogong. ”

"Shall I go and see?"

"Naturally, no one has come to see you for so many years, you are the first one."

Jia Yan opened the bookcase and saw that there were hundreds of books inside. In addition to the Four Books and the Five Classics, there are also some books such as wild histories, anecdotes, and illustrated chronicles.

A stack of drawings caught Jarry's attention.

When I opened it, it turned out to be a pattern of shipbuilding.

"This is the shipbuilding pattern of the year?"

"I guess so, no one can understand it now. I have been staying here, not only these, but also a lot of patterns, some of which are nautical charts, as well as water schedules, and things left behind by people who went to the West back then, indicating the products of various places, customs and customs. ”

"Where? Let me see. ”

Jia Yan helped Jia Rui find these things.

One of the things that intrigued Jarry the most was the nautical charts.

Navigation, shipbuilding technology, crew operation skills, etc., are important, but even more important is the knowledge and information about the route.

On the surface, the sea looks calm, with vast expanses of blue water and water everywhere.

Laymen think that the ship can go casually at sea.

This could not be more wrong.

Although they look similar on the water, the situation under the water is unpredictable.

Wherever there is a reef, where there is an ocean current, where there is a trench, where there is an undercurrent, if you strayed into such a place, it is very dangerous. The shipwreck and death are a high probability event.

Therefore, when a ship sails at sea, especially in the open sea, it must take a fixed and safe route.

The reason why some pirates and smugglers dared to take risks, and the officers and soldiers could not catch them, was because they had mastered routes that were not known to the general public.

Therefore, the information of the route is the information that must be mastered for safe and successful navigation.

Nautical charts are mainly used to record information about the route.

Jia Rui looked at the chart carefully on the table, and was more and more surprised.

Judging from this chart, the route has reached South Asia, and even reached as far as the east coast of Africa.

Accompanying the charts is also a waterlog, or odometer, which records the mileage and sailing time from a certain place to a certain place.

There is also a diary-style travelogue, which records the customs, products, countries, cultures, religions and other conditions of various places.

In fact, this information is very precious.

If later generations of historical researchers discovered these things, they would be ecstatic.

Even now, these charts and information are of great reference significance for navigation.

In addition to these things, there are also a lot of materials left over from the guards, shipbuilding technology, casting technology, and musket manufacturing process.

Even the rosters of the guards and shipyard craftsmen are well preserved.

"Second Brother Yan, these things were left by Rong Guogong, they are very precious, and they must be kept safely, if an outsider comes to ask for them, no matter who they are, they can't be given."

"Brother Rui is too worried, no one will come to ask for it. A few years ago, when I was cleaning up this house, I wanted to hand it over to the government, but they came to take a look at it, and when they saw that there were no valuable antique calligraphy and paintings, they thought it was troublesome to take them back and there was no place to put them, so they told us to take them and burn them. ”

"Last year, my eldest brother wanted the cabinet here, so he wanted to take it out and burn it. I said that this is something left by Rong Guogong, and it can't be destroyed like this. For this reason, my eldest brother is quite dissatisfied with me. ”

Loser, loser, not only the people in the government are losers, but his eldest brother is also a loser.

It is a sin to burn such an important thing!