Compared to shipbuilding technology, waterways are a more important resource. The most painful part of East Asia is not only the towering Himalayas in the southwest, the endless Gobi Desert in the northwest, but also the sea in the east.

Due to the limitations of early navigation technology, it was difficult for the boat to go east through the Kuroshio. At most, they follow the Kuroshio to the north, and maybe, just maybe, the Funaki can follow the Kuroshio to the south of Japan, and follow the Kuroshio all the way to North America. This is the passage that the Yin people deduced to cross the Pacific Ocean, but it is not known whether this is actually the case.

Even if it can succeed, it is unlikely to succeed. Although shipbuilding technology and navigation technology were further improved in the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Sui and Tang dynasties could not sail like this. The so-called southern route of the Japanese envoys to the Tang Dynasty was from Fujian to Ryukyu, and from Ryukyu to the north to Japan (the other, more ancient route was called the Northern Road). That is, starting from Dengzhou, Shandong, crossing the Bohai Sea from the Miaodao Islands to the Yalu River, and then heading east along the west coast of North Korea. In the early stage, it was necessary to sail to Pusan, south of Korea, and float along the left-hand current to the west coast of Japan, and in the later stage, the navigation technology improved, and it was possible to cross the Tsushima Strait directly without passing through Busan. This waterway was abolished due to the unification of Korea by Silla).

It was not until the Northern Song Dynasty that the boat was able to cross the East China Sea and travel back and forth between Japan and Korea along or through the Kuroshio. However, the departure point of the Song Dynasty was Mingzhou (now Ningbo), not a direct voyage from the Yangtze River. Starting from the Yangtze River, the boat needs to go down to the Zhoushan Islands and cross Shuangyu Island (Liuheng Island) before entering the East China Sea.

In the Yuan Dynasty, in order to transport grain, this managed to sail directly from the Yangtze River to the sea. The first channel opened was out of the mouth of the Yangtze River, around Chongming Island along the coast north, to Chengshanjiao (the easternmost point of the Shandong Peninsula) into the Bohai Sea. Since this route runs north along the coast, the East Asian coast is affected by cold waves from north to south throughout the year, so it is upstream, and navigation is slow. In addition, the coast north of the Yangtze River estuary is full of shallows, which makes navigation even more inconvenient, and the whole journey can take several months or nearly a year.

Ten years later, the channel was opened for the second time. This time, instead of going north along the coast, it left the long beach north of the mouth of the Yangtze River, and followed the southwest wind to Qingshuiyang (the sea water near the coast is turbid, called the Yellow Water Ocean; To the east of the sea is clear, called the green water ocean; Further east is the Kuroshio, called the Black Water Ocean), and then the southeast wind crosses the Black Water Ocean, and enters the Bohai Sea at the corner of the mountain. This route can be reached in half a month, but at the latest in 40 days.

The following year, the channel was opened for the third time, and with the help of the experience of the last time, this time it sailed directly eastward into the Heishui Ocean as soon as it left the Yangtze River, and then sailed directly north into a mountain corner. This route is straighter and shorter, and it only takes ten days downwind to reach the mouth of the Haihe River in Tianjin. After the waterway was opened, it became the Cao Yun channel of the Yuan Dynasty, and there was no change.

Xiong Jing went to sea this time. However, now there is no Chongming Island at all, and Nantong and Shanghai are all in the sea. Rudong is an island, isolated from the mainland. The mouth of the Yangtze River is in Zhufang, and to the east of Zhufang is a trumpet-shaped bay. From Zhufang, head east to Kuroshio, and follow Kuroshio north to Korea or Japan.

Of course, the main purpose of this trip is not to go to Korea and Japan, but to Jeju Island. According to the agreement with Hu Tansuozhi the year before last, he would return to Chu with his horses this spring. Even the northernmost county of Ju in the state of Chu is not suitable for raising horses. Not to mention that the mares are difficult to conceive, and the foals they give birth to are not as good as their parents, and the characteristics of degradation are obvious, so it is necessary to find Jeju Island before the good horses and stallions of Hu Tansuo are transported to Chu State.

After finding Jeju Island, a route was established between Jeju Island and Langya Port (present-day Langya Town, Qingdao). Horses were transported from Langya Port to Jeju Island, and supplies needed for the island were also transported from Langya Port to Jeju Island. This year, a 520-ton sailing cargo ship and a 200-ton flying shear test ship will be launched, and these two sea boats will be responsible for the transportation of Jeju Island Racecourse. By this time next year, if all goes well, the Shoshi and the two large newly launched ships will sail to the Americas via Japan.

Late at night, in Zhu Fangyi's Lingfu, Xiong Jing once again checked the route of this voyage. The route is this route, but the problem is that he doesn't know how far the Blackwater Ocean is offshore and how long it will take to sail? Fortunately, Heishui Ocean is at the end of the East China Sea, more than 100 nautical miles wide, and it is impossible to miss it. However, Jeju Island is difficult to find, and although he can draw the approximate location of Jeju Island, it is not clear what latitude Jeju Island is at and how many days it will take to sail north after entering the Black Water Ocean.

A bad one is likely to go directly to North Korea, and then turn back. Now it's a southerly wind, and it's not convenient to turn around. And the ocean current is from north to south, which is equivalent to going against the wind and current, which is really troublesome. The ideal situation is to go to Jeju Island first, settle down and then sail to North Korea with the wind downstream, and then enter the Bohai Sea, go around Yandi and Zhao Kingdom, survey the port situation, and then turn around along the coastal current and sail to Qi State. Perhaps pay a visit to the King of Qi, and finally return to Langya Harbor, the northernmost port of Chu State, around Chengshanjiao.

Xiong Jing in the Yiling Mansion checked the route of this trip, and the laughter of the cadet sailors came from outside the Yiling Mansion, and they were about to sail into the deep sea tomorrow, and these young people did not have the slightest worry, and some only laughed happily.

"King, Yingdu is in a hurry." Chang Jiang walked in, holding a flight message from Jinling.

"There's urgent news at this late hour?" Xiong Jing put down the map and looked at Changjiang. He once again referred to what he had said before: "You ...... when you travel here into the deep sea."

Changjiang is the servant of the first king Xiong Yuan, he has served Xiong Yuan since he was a child, and he entered Qin together when he was in Qin, and the Qin people who were seriously ill were not let go, and Xiong Yuan only took him with him when he returned to Chu as a royal hand. Chang Jiang was dying, and Xiong Jing was very worried that he would not be able to stand the wind and waves at sea.

"The minister swears to follow the king to the death." When Chang Jiang heard this, he immediately bowed his head. "Wherever the king goes, the ministers go."

"But there are winds and waves on the sea." Xiong Jing knew what he wanted, but he was still worried.

"Don't worry, the king can still kill a Qin pawn in armor." Chang Jiang pretended to be majestic, and Xiong Jing couldn't help laughing.

"Okay. You live with me. Xiong Jing said. Hearing his promise, Chang Jiang got up and handed over the flying message, saying, "This is sent by Jinlingyi, and it was already dark when the flying news arrived in Jinlingyi." ”

"Yes." Xiong Jing opened the interrogation, and there were only two things in it: one was that Hu Shang Hu Tanshao had entered Muling Pass, and the other was that Concubine Zhao urgently summoned herself back to Ying, but she didn't say anything.

Of course, there is something wrong with the queen's urgent call, but what will happen at that time? Xiong Jing couldn't figure it out. At present, the government affairs of Chu are in charge of Qi Ao together, one person serves for one year, and seven people consult each other on major matters. Actually, it's not a big deal. Qin's Aocang was captured, and last year there was a great drought and a poor harvest, so it is reasonable to wait until autumn to start a war; The counties of the country are in their own countries and often quarrel with each other, but this is not a big deal.

"Reply to Yingdu," Concubine Zhao didn't say it explicitly, in fact, it was not easy to say it clearly, so Xiong Jing didn't know that the immortal medicine that shocked the Chu State and made all countries in the world salivate was about to enter Ying, so he decided to still go to sea as originally planned. "If you don't go to sea tomorrow, you will return to the capital in two months, please don't worry about the queen mother. The affairs of the kingdom have been entrusted to Qiao, and the affairs of the city have been entrusted to the city Yin, and if there is any major matter, you can consult with them......"

"King, since the Queen Mother is urgently summoned, there should be a big event. It's just that it's not good to say it explicitly in the news...... "Chang Jiang knows Concubine Zhao better than Xiong Jing, and he feels a little wrong when he hears Xiong Jing say that the news is over."

"Then you say, what's the big deal with Yingdu?" Xiong Jing looked at him and asked.

"I don't know. The minister thought that the queen had never been so eager to summon the king, if it wasn't for a big event...... "Chang Jiang said.

"It can't be a rebellion, right?" Xiong Jing laughed. He felt that apart from this matter, the queen mother should not be in a hurry to call him.

"Of course not." Chang Jiang laughed. The country of Chu is not calm in the country, and there are fights in various counties from time to time, but the political situation has never been as stable as it is now, and there is no way to talk about rebellion - the rebellion is meaningless, and if the rebellion is successful, it is only the lord of a city, and he cannot give a strong command to the whole country, and even the lord of a city is not as good as it, because he is not in the right position.

"That's it." Xiong Jing handed the reply to Chang Jiang. He was sure to go to sea this month. Only by going to sea this month, will it be possible to sail smoothly to North America next year. Although Zhao Guo destroyed Yan Kingdom, he always felt that time was running out.