When Pu Songling and his son arrived in Haizhou by train and stayed in the hotel waiting for the arrival of the departure date of the fast ship bound for Qin, at the naval pier of Yuzhou Island, a schooner returning to Ben from tens of thousands of miles away sailed into the dock amid the salute of the naval battery, and the naval ships anchored in the harbor all fired salutes at it.

This scene was unprecedented, so that everyone on the "Endeavour" was moved, and these sea travelers who left Xin'an, the capital of the Qin State almost a month ago, finally returned to the mainland of the empire after more than a year of sea exploration.

In fact, since the third year of Xingqian, almost every once in a while, there will be a similar expedition of three-masted galleons sailing into Haizhou, in the past few years, whether it is the Royal Geographical Society, or the Beiyang Chamber of Commerce, Nanyang Chamber of Commerce have funded a large number of maritime exploration activities.

In the face of the Europeans who had sailed to the sea nearly two hundred years ago, and in the face of the blank spaces on the charts, it seemed that the officials and businessmen of the Ming Dynasty wanted to find out the routes that the Europeans had explored in a century and a half in a short period of time, so one after another expeditions sailed in from Haizhou, Ningbo, Xiamen, Guangzhou and other ports.

The people on the ship, either for fame or profit, explored new shipping lanes along the sea with the currents and monsoons.

"There are more than ten people who are in the sea, and there are six or seven fewer returnees."

Exploring new shipping lanes and filling up blank charts is an adventure in any era, and in order to monopolize the shipping routes, European countries have kept secrets from each other, and as for the Ming Dynasty, they also kept it a strict secret. The Ming who broke into the sea could only use will, courage and sacrifice to explore the waterway like the early navigators of European countries.

Charts continue to appear in the Chamber of Commerce and the Navy Yamen, and the gaps that once existed were constantly filled. But for all this, the officials and scholars of the Ming Dynasty are still dissatisfied, because in this era of great geographical discoveries, the world has not left the footprints of the Ming Dynasty - the world has been explored by the Europeans, at least to some extent.

They discovered new routes from Europe to Asia, discovered the New World of America, and established their own empire on which the sun never sets.

But what about Da Ming?

Daming has just entered the sea, and even the drawing of the sea chart has not yet been completed, so how can it be called the Celestial Empire!

The Ming Dynasty in this era is proud, and it is also humble, it is precisely because of modesty that they will recognize the leading position of Westerners, and then catch up, but the pride in their hearts makes the gentry and people of the Ming Dynasty unwilling to be this backwardness.

Da Ming must have his own discovery!

The Ming Dynasty must live up to the name of the Celestial Empire!

Da Ming will never close the door, immersed in the dream of "Heavenly Empire" there, even if someone knocks on the door, he is still there to say that it is just "grandson beating grandpa".

The Ming Dynasty will soon catch up with the Westerners.

The expedition fleet of the Ming Dynasty will use another great geographical discovery to prove to the world that the Ming Dynasty is the center of the world and a veritable "Heavenly Empire".

The search for the New World has nothing to do with wealth and land, only about reputation, it is the reputation of the Ming Dynasty, and it is also a personal honor, and it can even be said that this is the crown discovered by the Ming Dynasty's voyage, but who can wear this crown?

In the past few years, although some people want to try, but in the face of that blank sea, I don't know how many people choose to retreat, and I don't know how many people look forward to the ocean and sigh.

Life is precious, who is willing to sacrifice their lives for the unknown blank?

Especially if someone has already tried and failed, who wants to try?

Da Ming is waiting!

Everyone is looking forward to it!

It was at this time, just a month ago, that a thunderous news spread from Nanyang to Daming, setting off an unprecedented wave in the entire Daming.

"Endeavour has discovered a new world!"

A new continent has been discovered!

Isn't this exactly what the Ming Dynasty has always felt inferior to Europeans?

Where is the New World?

It's the Southern Continent!

What's in the Southern Continent?

There is no doubt that when this news arrived in Daming through a fast mail ship, Daming was looking forward to the return of the "Endeavour", and all the well-known newspapers in Zhongdu sent reporters to Haizhou, and they believed that the "Endeavour" would definitely sail into Haizhou Port, instead of sailing straight to Zhongdu, because the weather was cold, and now the Huai River has not frozen, but what if it freezes on the way?

Therefore, according to the habit for many years, at the end of October, the sea ships will not enter the Huai River, and the river boats of the Huai River will also begin to be towed ashore at this time, one is to avoid winter, and the other is to carry out maintenance. And the reporters of these newspapers all went to Haizhou to wait for the arrival of the "Endeavour".

It is precisely for this reason that Pu Songling and his son found that the housing prices here are very expensive after arriving in Haizhou, and the hotels are often full.

In fact, in recent years, in the Royal Zoo in Zhongdu, they have really seen a lot of fresh animals, like what is the "unicorn" from Africa, in fact, it is a giraffe, as well as zebras, orangutans, hippos and other animals, but the most popular is still the "cat bear" from Sichuan, which is always people's favorite.

As for the tropical plants in the botanical garden's greenhouse, they also attract curiosity, even if it is the valuable tropical fruits that make their mouths water. However, people are always curious, especially in this era of scarcity of entertainment. When a few of them are transported from Tianzhu, they can attract thousands of empty alleys, not to mention the new gadgets brought by the "Endeavour" from the New World.

However, in addition to the curious people, the navy's welcome with a grand ceremony really opened people's eyes, and at this moment, the sky over the strait was full of cannons, which was the navy's own way of welcoming the wanderers.

"I didn't expect that I, Zhao Dengke, would have today!"

Standing at the stern, holding the bulwark, Zhao Dengke muttered excitedly, when the returning fleet arrived in Qin, he was also welcomed by the Qin State, and the King of Qin also said that after His Majesty the Emperor rewarded him, Qin State would also reward him separately. The king of Qin may be a king, but he is also a minister of the Ming Emperor, he cannot exceed the etiquette system, and when the emperor does not commend him, he will reward Zhao Dengke. But a grand celebration banquet is indispensable.

"Captain, let's ...... developed"

Fang Cailiang said to Zhao Dengke with some excitement, not only him, but everyone believes that he is developed!

Not because of the reward given by His Majesty, but because of fame, they were all part of the expedition, and this voyage was enough for them to speak for a lifetime, and even their names were counted in the local annals.

"Oh, why did we go to Haizhou!"

Suddenly, one of the sailors complained loudly.

"What's wrong with Haizhou, isn't it the closest to go to the capital from here?"

"No, no, think about it, if our buddies go to Nanjing, how good it would be, Nanjing, can you come to Zhongdu differently?"

"What's wrong with Nanjing? Zhenjiang can't get through without a slender man, who has nothing to do with this trouble. ”

As sailors, they naturally know that the section of Zhenjiang to Nanjing is limited by the terrain of the waterway, and the sailing ship needs to be connected by a slender man, which is very inconvenient, so the sea ships of the Yangtze River often only sail to Wusongkou now, and then go upstream, which is the world of multi-oared inland river boats.

"I know, I know, but think about it, what is there in Nanjing?"

"What's in Nanjing?"

"There is the Qinhuai River!"

"Qinhuai River? You mean the girl inside! ”

"But no, those girls, if you talk to them about the New World, maybe you won't be charged for the overnight prostitution!"

"No, who doesn't want to hear new things!"

"When the time comes, you don't have to use all your resources to serve us, just to let us tell us what is new in the new world, if you take another thing, maybe people will rely on you not to leave......"

Suddenly, the big guys began to regret it, why didn't they think of this one?

Listening to the sailors, you and I said what is going on in the Qinhuai River, Zhao Dengke just grinned, he didn't care about this, he had even thought about it, and when the time came, he would pay out of his own pocket and let the brothers go to the Qinglou in Zhongdu to have a good time.

Soon, the "Endeavour" and "Hope" docked, but to the disappointment of those reporters, they did not interview the captain, as the captain Zhao Dengke and the crew of the expedition team with more than three officers, all of them had to enter Beijing to face the saint. Still, they interviewed the crew.

In fact, from the first moment the ship docked, the things brought on the ship surprised everyone, and there was nothing new about the dark-faced natives, although the Ming Dynasty forbade the entry of the natives, but people have long been no strangers to the natives over the years, and even as early as a few decades ago, there were generals in the army who used "yakshas" and other black family slaves.

The constant unloading of cargo from the ship attracts attention, and those goods are all animals - animals brought back from the New World.

Almost every animal has the ability to cause people to be amazed. "Oh, look, look. What's in that cage? Why do you stand on two legs like a human? ”

"But no, look at it, it's like, it's like ......."

"It's like a big rat......"

"Oh my God, why is this mouse so big......"

"Obediently, such a big rat can't eat up the crops that he can't eat......"

"Ouch...... Look, look...... Another head popped out of the belly of the big mouse......"

"What kind of monster is this, why do you have two heads......"

"It's not a goblin!"

Just when the people were amazed, someone over there covered the cage with a thick cotton curtain, lest they freeze these fresh things from their new world, after all, these little things are dedicated to the emperor......

Of course, in the end, these things will appear in the Royal Zoo and have fun with the people!

Even early on, people from the Royal Zoo had already docked with the expedition team, asking them in detail what they ate and what their preferences were. Unlike in the early years, what thought that the panda was an "iron-eating beast" and ate iron, after several years of animal popularization, especially the zoos that have been built in many places, the people of the world have long ceased to regard these animals as "auspicious", let alone what Fanbang tribute.

Now, the Ming Dynasty has been divided into the world for several years, and the people's view of the world has changed, and they will not be complacent because of the so-called "tribute", the "tribute" is fake, and the business is true.

"This envoy, what are we going to do next?"

As the captain of the ship, Zhao Dengke, in the face of all this, even if he was used to seeing the wind and waves, he became a little nervous, he looked at the greeter in front of him, bowed and asked.

"Do the train, you can get to Zhongdu in the afternoon, when you get to Zhongdu, you first have a good night's rest in the hotel, and tomorrow morning you will meet the holy ......"

Train?

What is a train?

For Zhao Dengke, who has been away from Daming for more than a year, he doesn't know what a train is at all, and he has never even heard of it.

He was like that, and so was everyone else.

So of course, when they came to the train station at the dock, they often looked at the railroad with some doubts in their eyes.

"Isn't this a railroad?"

"yes, this is the railway, how did it become a train?"

"You'll find out in a minute!"

The staff on the platform of the railway station, obviously accustomed to these "old hats", grinned and laughed again.

"Do you want to buy some "motion sickness pills" to prevent motion sickness for a while? ”

"Motion sickness?"

When these crew members heard this, they all said angrily.

"Look, what Lao Tzu is wearing! It's a sailor suit, I've seen the wind and waves, and I get motion sickness, what kind of car ...... I get sick."

Of course, the sailors who have seen the wind and waves will not get motion sickness, but when the train slowly leaves the station with a roar, these people who are used to seeing the wind and waves are still stunned.

"This car doesn't need a horse!"

"What's going on?"

In their surprise, the train left the railway station, and the "clang" went towards Zhongdu, and the carriage also swayed there from time to time with the seam of the rails, and the people in the carriage seemed very curious, they touched the east and looked west.

Sometimes, they would open the windows of the car, ignoring the soot pouring into the carriage, and they could not believe that the car was running so fast, and even the sailors, using their own specialty, measured the speed of the train there.

"At least forty miles!"

Despite the lack of tools, they quickly measured the speed of the car and exclaimed there.

"No wonder the man said that he could get to Zhongdu in the afternoon, at this speed, if he didn't stop, he would probably be able to go to Xi'an for a day......"

And when they were curious about this train, Zhao Dengke's expression still seemed a little excited.

Tomorrow I will face the saint, and when I face the saint, what should I say?