Tang Ming did not have any stay, the welding technology has passed, and the iron output has also learned from Tie Xiong that only Foshan, Guangdong can reach about 8,000 catties a day, and the keel of the treasure ship only needs more than 30,000 catties.

If it weren't for the fact that Zheng He's treasure ships were a bit large, Tang Ming would still want to try to build a steel sea ship, but this could only be thought about in his mind, and if he really wanted to do it, he didn't know how many difficulties he would encounter. Besides, even if you do it now, it will be for nothing, and in the end, it will not be occupied by Zhu Di, the emperor who picks the door, and it is estimated that he will have to be rewarded by then, and he will not think of any other hair.

Longjiang Bao Shipyard is located in the Zhongbao belt near the Sanchai River in the northwest. Its scope reaches Chenghao in the east, Qinhuai Guards and Mintang in the west, Yifengmen First Carriage Residence Guanlangfang Base in the northwest, the base of the Right Guard Barracks in the south, and the alfalfa land of the Nanjing Military Department and Pengchengbo Zhangtian in the north. It is 138 zhang wide from east to west, and 354 zhang long from north to south. It covers an area of more than 50 million square meters.

Tang Ming was deeply shocked when he arrived at the Treasure Shipyard, he couldn't imagine that a shipyard could reach such a scale in ancient times. And this is just one of the many shipyards in the whole Ming Dynasty. The entire shipyard is densely packed with craftsmen at work.

Especially in those newly expanded places, there are many craftsmen digging docks, and such a large area of the project must be completed by hand, Tang Ming can hardly believe that such a speed can catch up with Zheng He to use shipbuilding.

"Father-in-law, how does this shipyard distribute personnel, types of work, and how do they work together? Will this speed be able to keep up with the date of your shipbuilding? Tang Ming asked Zheng He beside him blankly, at this moment, he really believed why Zhu Di was crying poor, with such a big scene in front of him, the daily cost must be an astronomical amount.

Zheng He smiled slightly, Tang Ming's look of disbelief at the moment made him very useful. He does have the capital to be proud of, after the expansion of the treasure shipyard will be the largest in the Ming Dynasty, such a shipyard is also unprecedented.

Glancing around, Zheng He said lightly: "There are staff members, directors, promotions, helpers and commanders here. There are nearly 100 first-class low-level team leaders alone. The shipbuilders and craftsmen come from Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Huguang, Fujian and Jiangsu provinces, all of whom are top masters in various fields. ”

While speaking, Zheng He and his entourage have come to a dock in the old factory area, where a dragon keel of a treasure ship that has been formed is being built, and its length is 44 zhang long, and hundreds of craftsmen are busy fixing the keel. Tang Ming pulled Tie Xiong to look at it from beginning to end, and finally said to him: "Uncle Tie, if the keel of the treasure ship is changed to iron, do you think such a huge keel can be forged?" ”

Tie Xiong was stunned for a moment when he heard this, snatched a small wooden stick from the hand of a craftsman who was holding palm oil next to him, and began to keep gesturing on the ground. Looking at the look of his face frowning for a while and his face showing joy, he should be fascinated.

Zheng He's face was different, and he whispered to Tang Ming: "You kid don't want to use iron to make a keel, such a big and long iron bar to replace the ancient wooden keel, not to mention whether it can be made." Even if it is built, it will crush the whole ship, and the iron itself has no buoyancy, and although the treasure ship is large enough, its buoyancy is also limited. Even if it doesn't crush the ship, after the ship is built, his buoyancy is not much, how many things or people can his boat hold? ”

Judging from Zheng He's words alone, it was not difficult for Tang Ming to guess that he also had the idea of using iron to make a keel, otherwise he would not have thought of the key to it so quickly. The wisdom of the ancients cannot be underestimated, and the wisdom of thousands of years of Chinese precipitation is undoubtedly evident at this moment.

Tang Ming's face was serious, and he clenched his fists and said: "The righteous father's words are really powerful, but it is not that iron has no buoyancy, but it depends on what shape you shape him." For example, if you use a copper pot for cooking on the surface of the water, it will not sink, and it can bear different weights depending on the size of the copper pot. ”

It was really a word to wake up the person in the dream, Zheng He's eyes were full of brilliance, in order to confirm Tang Ming's words just now, he ordered someone to bring a copper pot with a mouth of more than ten inches and throw it into the water. Then he ordered someone to pour sand and soil into the pot, and it was enough to fill half a pot of sand before he saw that the copper pot had sunk seven-tenths. Now the doubts in Zheng He's heart have been gone, and the troubles that have made him anxious for months have finally been resolved.

Tie Xiong didn't know when he came to Zheng He's side, and he naturally saw it clearly when he tested the buoyancy of the copper pot just now. His ancestors have been wrought iron for three generations, and it has been passed down from generation to generation that he is the fourth generation, but he still doesn't know that iron still has buoyancy, which makes Tie Xiong surprised and curious.

Just now, he was obsessed with calculations, and he had come up with a method for casting the keel of the treasure ship, but if it was according to the number of treasure ships that Zheng He needed, it was far from enough to rely on Nanjing's steel inventory alone. ”

Tang Ming didn't reply, but looked at Zheng He, now everything is only owed to Dongfeng, and where to find it if there is not enough steel is his business.

Zheng He, who understood it, waved his hand and said arrogantly: "The amount of steel is insufficient, Tie Xiong can rest assured, the miscellaneous family will ship it to you, you can start preparing for the casting of the keel now, and if you need anything else, you can list it into a piece of paper and hand it to the miscellaneous family, and I will arrange it for you." ”

Tie Xiong immediately took the order and left, Zheng He's time was urgent, he naturally knew it, so he didn't dare to delay more.

Tang Ming looked at the departing Tie Xiong thoughtfully, in his heart he recognized Tie Xiong quite a lot, and was thinking crookedly about how to pry him to his side. It's a pity that this must be impossible at the moment, so I can only sigh secretly and force down this sudden idea.

The matter has been settled, and the rest of Zheng He will naturally arrange it, Tang Ming does not need to stay here anymore, and Zheng He also needs to return to the palace immediately to report to the emperor. The two of them rushed to the palace together, on the way, Tang Ming remembered about Fang Xiaoru, and originally wanted to ask Zheng He about it, but he felt that it was difficult to speak, so he had to swallow the words back into his stomach and leave it to the palace to find an opportunity to ask Yao Guangxiao.