Hearing Li Zhi's words, Cha Yunke pondered for a while and did not speak. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

Li Zhi also wants to run to the sea.

As a businessman, Chayunk did not want a competitor to compete with him for buying and selling. With one more competitor, the purchase price of raw silk in Tianjin will be higher, the price in the Wa Kingdom will be lower, and Chayunke's profit will be lower.

But Chayunk is not only a businessman, but also an official businessman. The most important thing for officials and businessmen is their connections. Li Zhi is extremely powerful, and helping Li Zhi go to sea can earn Li Zhi's favor, and there will be endless benefits in the future. For example, the relationship between Cha Dengbei and Li Zhi doesn't seem to be very good, and he does Li Zhi a favor, and he may be able to use it at a critical time in the future.

Cha Yunke weighed it again and again, and finally said: "Lord Taibao, these shipbuilders are doing illegal and private ship construction, and ordinary people can't inquire about them. If an ordinary person wanted to ask me about a shipbuilder, I would never say it. But since Lord Taibao has spoken, I must help with this favor. ”

Li Zhi smiled: "Gongzi Cha is an interesting person!" ”

Cha Yunke said: "I will bring the shipbuilder to meet Lord Taibao tomorrow, and Lord Taibao will wait for me in the mansion." ”

Li Zhi arched his hand and said, "Then Li Zhi is waiting for Mr. Cha at home." ”

Early the next morning, Chayunke entered the General Military Mansion with three craftsmen with thick turbans and headscarves.

"This leader is the shipbuilder Wang Boss of Wangjiawan."

Li Zhi looked at the leading craftsman and saw that he was low in stature, with dark skin and calluses on his hands, and he looked like a fisherman.

Li Zhi asked, "What kind of ship will you build?" ”

That Boss Wang seems to have seen a lot of big officials, and when he saw Li Zhi, the prince Taibao, he didn't flinch when he saw the prince Taibao, but just said calmly: "Lord Taibao, the small one will build a local pointed boat in Dagu." This ship is sharper than the bow and flatter than the ship, which is especially suitable for running on the northern seas. The general pointed head ship is made of 2,000 materials. The captain can have ten zhang, three decks on the water, and the cabin is divided into more than a dozen watertight cabins, which can run the East Ocean. If you are brave, you can run in the South Seas, as long as you don't encounter a hurricane, you will be fine. ”

In the Ming Dynasty, one foot was similar to one foot in later generations, three feet and one meter, and ten zhang was thirty meters. Li Zhi pondered for a while, and felt that the ship that Wang Datou was talking about had a displacement of more than 200 tons.

Cha Yunke explained: "My lord, the two thousand materials that Boss Wang said are civilian materials, and they are different from official materials!" ”

Li Zhi asked, "How much silver does it cost to build such a ship?" ”

Boss Wang said: "It depends on what kind of ship the adults want to build!" These woods for shipbuilding are good and bad, and they also need to be dried in the shade, and the price is different for different years of drying. If a man wants to build a good ship, and to repair a ship that can be used for six or seven years, he will need four thousand taels of silver, six hundred and two cedar wood, two hundred and ninety-eight miscellaneous wood, forty wood trees, four elm rudder rods, four chestnut wood, and seventy-six oars. If it is worse, only two or three years of inferior ships, the wood used is very different, and the joint does not need to be soaked in snakeskin and inner ointment, and it can be nailed with iron nails, and the cost of two thousand taels is enough! ”

A good ship of more than 200 tons costs 4,000 taels of silver, which is not cheap.

Li Zhi said: "What if I want to build a bigger ship? For example, a big ship with 4,000 materials. ”

The craftsman looked at Li Zhi and said, "Then I can also build it, but I need more labor, if I want to build a big ship of 4,000 materials that can be used for six or seven years, it will cost about 10,000 taels of silver." ”

"If you want to build two big ships of 4,000 materials, if you want to be faster, how many months?"

"The little one will find all the craftsmen who are familiar with each other nearby, and it will be made in five months."

Li Zhi nodded and said, "Do you know the ribs of the ship?" ”

The craftsman was stunned, thought for a moment and said, "The little one doesn't know." ”

Li Zhi said: "If I want to install cannons on the ship, I must lay wooden ribs on both sides of the keel to support it. If you don't understand, I'm not afraid, I can teach you. ”

In the Ming Dynasty, seagoing ships generally adopted a watertight cabin structure, which was very technologically advanced and allowed the ship to sail as a whole even if it was partially damaged. The hatches of the watertight compartment also provide lateral support for the vessel. However, this support is relatively limited and cannot withstand the recoil of heavy artillery. The recoil watertight compartment of the six-pounder gun was able to support it, but if you wanted to fit an eighteen-pounder gun on board, you had to lay the ship's ribs.

After the eighteenth century, the Western-style sailing ships that sailed across several oceans were all built with ribs. Li Zhi had previously learned about the structure of the ribs of a wooden sailing ship, and this was the time when it came in handy. With Li Zhi's knowledge and the experience of these old shipwrights, I believe that he will be able to build the ribs of the ship.

The bow didn't expect that this chief soldier still knew the technology of shipbuilding, and he was skeptical there.

Cha Yunke knew that Li Zhi was a craftsman, and knew that Li Zhi had invented many new things, he believed that the ribs of the ship that Li Zhi said must be useful new things, and said to Boss Wang: "Boss Wang, you are lucky, you can learn new skills to help the Metropolitan Governor build ships, and you will make a lot of money this time!" ”

Boss Wang scratched his head and said, "I really don't know what a ship rib is, and I need to be instructed by the Governor." ”

Li Zhi nodded and said, "Two big ships of 4,000 materials cost 20,000 taels of silver?" Can it be cheaper? ”

Boss Wang said calmly: "My lord, all we earn is handicraft money, and the materials are sufficient. Buy as much money as you can and build as much material as you want. If the adults give us less silver, we will have to buy less materials to make smaller ships, or buy less materials, and the ships will not last for so many years. You can give as much silver as you want, but the boat you end up making is different. ”

Cha Yunke also said: "Your Excellency, rest assured, these shipwrights are all craftsmen, just to earn a piece of craft money, and will not be greedy for Lord Mo's silver." He also built my ship, and he has repaired it every year over the years, and the money spent on it is worth it. ”

Li Zhi thought for a while, nodded and said, "Okay, I believe in you, I'll give you 10,000 taels to buy wood first, but I'm going to send someone to purchase with you and register for accounting." When the wood arrives, I'll teach you how to make ribs. In addition, I will build two paddle wheels, and I will teach you together when the time comes. ”

Boss Wang said, "Okay! Don't worry, your capital is so sufficient, I will definitely buy the best materials to ensure that your ship can last for seven or eight years! ”

Li Zhi smiled and nodded.

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The cost of shipbuilding of 20,000 taels is not a small number, and Li Zhi wanted to send someone to supervise the shipwright's expenses, so he sent Zheng Kaicheng's younger brother Zheng Kaida to supervise Wang Laoda's purchase. Han Jinxin is trustworthy, Li Zhi believes that no one is staring at Han Jinxin, and this former Jinyi Wei Baihu will not spend money indiscriminately. Zheng Kaida, the deputy envoy of the secret guard, first went to be the shipbuilding superintendent.

After arranging the shipbuilding, Li Zhi calmed down and began to study the steam engine. (To be continued.) )