The third volume sailed in the Ming Dynasty

For the time being, the north is like this, and it is better not to touch the land of Gyeonggi and the northwest region, otherwise, the goal is too big. Although it is not afraid, the energy and strength are obviously not enough, so there is no need to work hard.

The second is the central Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions and both sides of the canal, which are naturally supplied by the Zhoushan Islands. It's just that how big a salt pan needs to be built here is a headache?

These places belong to the richest places in the Ming Dynasty, and the population is far from being comparable to the grassland tartars, like Dengzhouwei, the output of four million catties is obviously not enough.

Even if they are poor, each person only eats 15 catties of salt a year, and 4 million catties can only supply 2.6 million people a year, which is really a drop in the bucket.

Qin Haoming gritted his teeth, and made up his mind with a very regretful look, it is better to build a medium-sized one in the early stage, and it may be more appropriate to produce fifteen million catties of salt farm with an annual output.

A large population, a large market, and fierce competition mean that profits are also thin. Besides, this area is not its home turf, so it is better to run the base with all its might.

And the next supply of salt farms in Fujian and Guangdong is obviously something to consider after going back.

"Bring me the map you have drawn these days, and go out with Ben Governor to choose the address of the salt works."

After planning again and again, Qin Haoming soothed his eyebrows under the gaze of everyone, walked out of the house, and inspected the geography and topography of Liuheng Island.

It should be said that it was very suitable to choose Rokuyoko Island as a salt farm. The coastline here is long, the hinterland of the port is wide, and there is a beach along the beach in the southeast corner, which is the largest town in Zhoushan.

It is suspended in the ocean, on the main channel line, but not far from the coast, which is convenient for grain and grass. During the Wanli period, it was a good place for pirates to engage in the smuggling trade.

Historically, such as Zheng Fang, Jin Zilao, and Li Guangtou from Fujian, the three brothers of the Xu family from Anhui, and Wang Zhi, a famous native of southern Anhui, used this place as a pirate base.

Not only did they hire local helmsmen and sailors, but they also recruited some poor Japanese ronin as guards. At its peak, there were more than 10,000 people on the island.

Later, the Ming court sent a large army to encircle and suppress, that is, the Battle of Shuangyu Port.

After the battle of Shuangyu Port, because the distance was too far, the Fujian soldiers refused to defend it, and the Zhejiang soldiers were not at ease, so the imperial court moved all the people on the island to the mainland, so it became a desert island.

It wasn't until now, when the troubled times came, that Scar Six and other small groups of pirates used this place as a stronghold again. However, it was still wiped out by the Ming Navy again.

"It's a pity that such a beautiful scenery is wasted."

Walking around the coastline of the island with everyone in a half circle, Qin Haoming said with emotion.

There are many beaches on the island, the coast is tortuous, the strange reefs are numerous, the cliffs are towering, the caves are all over, the trees are shady, because the mountain is undulating and tortuous, walking a hundred steps, what you see is different, it can be described as a scene of a hundred steps.

"It's just like that after staying for a long time, the isolated island of barren mountains and mountains is not a little inhabited."

Cao Shengxin, a rough man, how could he have Qin Haoming's petty bourgeois mood, bored with his fingers, walked on the soft sand, and complained.

"Ah...... Qin Du forgives his sins, and the last general talks nonsense, he should be beaten! ”

As soon as the words came out, Cao Shengxin suddenly reacted and slapped himself, the soldiers around him were not soldiers who could fight on weekdays, but the Governor Governor.

"Cao Qianhu is doing something, and this governor is not a tiger, so he can't make a joke."

Glancing at him, Qin Haoming said disapprerovingly.

"Yes yes yes ......"

Cao Shengxin bent over and replied in a series of ways.

"Look at your unproductive appearance, where is your usual bravery, get out." Zhang Yun nudged him, turned his head and pointed to a tidal flat in front of him and said:

"Qin Du, the last general thinks that this place is good, and the water depth of the sea area is suitable for building a dock, and the northwest corner can be used as a dock, how about it?"

"Well, yes, that's it!"

The location chosen by Zhang Yun can make full use of the open space on the beach, after all, an excellent deep-water harbor like Liuheng Island is used to build a dock and wharf, and it would be a pity if it is only used to repair salt pans.

"Governor Qin, look, Gou Zhixin and they came back from going out to sea to fish, it's really fast, less than two hours."

Following the finger of Shen Shouchong's hand next to him, Qin Haoming saw that from the northwest corner of the sea, a lucky boat was following the north wind, quickly heading towards the shore.

Not long after, the fortune boat docked, and all the people on the shore were stunned by the mountains of fish and shrimp on the fortune boat. Good guys, fill the entire hull, and the harvest is not small!

As soon as the Fu boat landed, Gou Zhixin laughed and jumped off the boat.

"Governor Qin, fortunately, the brothers who are obligated to eat and drink for a day or two. This area is unfamiliar, and a lot of fish have been scared away, but next time, I will definitely catch more!

It's no worse than the South China Sea, and it's so big that it's so full that it can hardly be pulled by a winch."

Gou Zhixin smiled brightly, and his two small eyes narrowed into a slit.

"Well done, hard work, blow the snails, let the brothers help."

patting Gou Xiaoqianhu, who was obviously flattering himself, Qin Haoming praised with a smile.

In later generations, he was also a big soldier, so he naturally understood the mentality of the soldiers.

"It's not hard, it's not hard! Brothers, hurry up! ”

Being slapped so kindly by Qin Du, Gou Zhixin's bones seemed to be crispy, and after saluting, he turned around and ran back.

The site of the salt field was selected, and everyone carried out specific planning and design of the tidal flat.

In the eastern part of Liuheng Island, 500 acres are finalized as salt farms, which are called Liuheng salt fields, all of which are paved with thin bluestone slabs, filled with marl and glutinous rice juice, and built with green bricks to form a salt pan like a square grid.

These salt pans, through a number of curved channels, will be connected to the sea. The design principle of this salt pan using seawater to dry salt is actually very simple.

That is, whenever the tide is high, the floodgates are opened and the surging sea water is poured into the salt pans. The water is evaporated by exposure to the sun in the field, and the salinity is concentrated to about 15 degrees Celsius, and then the floodgates of the salt pan are opened.

It flows from the ditch into the brine tank, where the sediment is precipitated, and the clarified brine is pumped into the crystallization pool by a manual pumping truck, and continues to evaporate in a saturated state, and soon produces sea salt crystals with white flowers.

This novel method, compared with the traditional method of boiling seawater to make salt, is much more efficient, and it was originally a salt-making technology that has long been used in the Dengzhou salt farm.

It is a pity that such a new type of salt pan was destroyed by the rebels of Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming before it could produce benefits.

This design is basically close to the technology and level of the salt pan in later generations.

It has been calculated that in the summer and autumn of this southern region, the daily limit evaporation of the salt pans can reach 6 mm.

In this way, even if it cannot be produced on a rainy day, and the output is halved on a cloudy day, the most conservative output of these 500 mu of salt fields in a month is more than 1.5 million catties.

This amount seems to be very large, but in fact, it is a bit insignificant compared to the salt consumption of the entire Ming Dynasty.

This output, in front of the Ming Dynasty's population of more than 100 million, is really pitiful, that is, a drop in the ocean.

Even Qin Haoming was thinking that if the navy was strong in the future, in addition to the Mongol tribes, such as Korea, the Japanese people, Nanyang and other places, they could establish trade routes.

And these salt pans can be expanded again, which will bring him more huge income and wealth.

The profits from the smuggling of salt are really only in it that you can understand how amazing the amount of money is.