Zhu Youzhen did not reprimand Liu Kongzhao for his sincerity, on the contrary, he also thought that in the future, Liu Kongzhao might be allowed to enter the Ministry of Rites and be responsible for the foreign affairs of the empire, because in Zhu Youzhen's current eyes, Liu Kongzhao is very suitable to be a diplomat.

And Liu Kongzhao also put his mind at ease and began to tell Zhu Youzhen how huge the hull of the first-class sail battleship was and how fierce the artillery fire was.

Zhu Youzhen also has some understanding of the first-class sail battleship, and also knows that this kind of battleship is the most advanced warship in the world, and before the appearance of steam-powered ironclad ships, the status in this era is undoubtedly equivalent to the "aircraft carrier" of later generations.

You know, even when Britain became the world's strongest maritime empire in the mid-eighteenth century, there were only five such first-class sail ships.

Liu Kongzhao was undoubtedly able to get one for Daming, at least Daming has a template for building a first-class sail battleship, which can be of great help to Daming Zhijiang Shipyard.

Zhu Youzhen officially named the battleship "Stubborn John" as the "Sincerity Bo" in recognition of Liu Kongzhao's merits.

Although this is not a first-class sail warship built by Daming himself, it can be regarded as the beginning of the first world's most advanced warship owned by Daming.

Of course, there is still a big gap between such a first-class sail warship and the treasure ship built by the Ming Dynasty at the beginning of the country.

However, the treasure ship consumables are huge, in today's Ming Dynasty, it is difficult to make sufficient and suitable wood, and Zheng He left behind the shipbuilding technology and navigation technology when he went to the West was hidden or burned by Liu Daxia, the military secretary of the Hongzhi Dynasty, so far it is also very difficult to determine the Ming court.

In addition, when the southward migration was also in a hurry, the six classic archives were also hurriedly packed and taken away, and no one knew whether they could be found in the end.

Zhu Youzhen could only let the officials of the Daming Academy of Sciences in the old files of the Ministry of War and the old files of the Nanjing Military Department, and even let Dongchang secretly investigate whether the private bibliophiles in the world would have any information about Zheng He's voyage to the West and the treasure ships, and also let the spies of Jinyiwei go to the Qing court to investigate.

It can be said that Liu Daxia, a civilian official at that time, has caused great difficulties to the revitalization of the Ming Navy by Zhu Youzhen today.

The reason why Zhu Youzhen did not directly issue an edict to ask for information from Zheng He's trip to the West.

It is because Zhu Youzhen knows that in today's Ming Dynasty, most civil officials are quite resistant to the eunuch dictatorship and the matter of going to sea, and it is not much different from Liu Daxia back then.

No further ado.

When the towering mast and shiny tall hull appeared on the river outside Yingtianfu City, it had attracted the attention of many people, such as Song Yingxing, the scholar of the Ministry of Scholars of Dongge University, who was hurriedly asked to see Emperor Chongzhen Zhu Youzhen.

As soon as Zhu Youzhen announced that Song Yingxing had come in, Song Yingxing made a request to Zhu Youzhen, hoping to give the "Chengyi Bo" first-class sail warship to the Ministry of Industry, and the Ordnance Institute of the Ministry of Engineering would conduct research.

But at this time, Liu Kongzhao, who had not yet retired on the side, was a little anxious when he heard this, and he spent a lot of money to get the first-class sail battleship, not for the purpose of conducting research for Song Yingxing's Ministry of Industry.

Liu Kongzhao was afraid that Zhu Youzhen would agree to Song Yingxing like this, so he hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, our navy is now in a meagre force, and there are only about 80 large warships, but it has to control a large area of sea from Shandong to Zhoushan, and it also has to balance the Zheng family, so it urgently needs such a warship!" Can't give it to Song Ge Lao! ”

"I said that I should give priority to technology research and development, since Song Ge wants it, it is natural to give it, but I want to ask, Song Aiqing, how are you going to study it?"

Zhu Youzhen asked.

"Back to Your Majesty, Wechen plans to bring it back to the Shipbuilding Bureau of the Ordnance Institute to dismantle it, and then melt a few cannons, to see how these Westerners built such a big warship, how to make such a big cannon, and whether the barrel of the cannon is only copper, with the skills and sacred knowledge taught by Your Majesty, Wechen can judge it according to the different melting points, so that it can be imitated or even improved."

As soon as Song Yingxing finished speaking, Liu Kongzhao became anxious: "No, Your Majesty, you can't promise Song Ge Lao, this is a first-class sail battleship that Weichen finally got his hands on!" ”

"Elder Song Ge, do you know how many warships there are in the world, there are only five! Even the red-haired fan has only two in his hands! ”

Liu Kongzhao excitedly raised five fingers to Song Yingxing.

"Okay, the battleship doesn't have to be dismantled, it is still used by the navy, but the officials and academicians of the Ordnance Institute are allowed to enter the observation and research, and the artillery can be given to the Ordnance Institute twice, one is melted down, and the other is for reference", Zhu Youzhen made a decision directly, but Liu Kongzhao still wanted to persuade again, and still couldn't bear to give the two giant cannons to Song Yingxing, but he also had to compromise: "Your Majesty, it's okay to give the Ordnance Institute two giant cannons, but can you not let them melt them, if you can't restore it, it's a little embarrassing, isn't it, it's a pity." ”

"Why, according to the meaning of Uncle Chengyi, our ordnance station can't imitate such a cannon."

Song Yingxing was a little dissatisfied at this time, he didn't want others to say that his ordnance technology was not good.

"Hmph, Song Ge Lao, it's not that Liu looks down on you, but in fact, you don't have this Western machine to build guns and shipbuilding, even the latest navy new artillery and field guns are not all developed and improved on the basis of the Franc machine's artillery, have you ever developed a new artillery?"

Liu Kongzhao is now angry, and he is simply dissatisfied with the ordnance station.

"You!" Song Yingxing is not very good at arguing, his face is red and his neck is thick, but he doesn't know how to refute, but he has to admit in his heart that his ordnance institute is still learning from the West when making guns and cannons, and he has not independently developed a better type of artillery.

"Enough, the Manchu Dynasty only knows Tang poetry and Song lyrics, the world's scholars can only know four books and five classics, and most of the craftsmen can only know their skills but not their reasoning, how can the original technology appear easily, and now the ordnance can be imitated and improved, it is not easy, what are you shouting here, or give you the ordnance to take care of, you can build me an ironclad warship that can travel thousands of miles at sea every day?"

As soon as Zhu Youzhen asked, Liu Kongzhao was speechless for a while: "This Weichen can't do it, but as long as there are Weichen in this world, you can get it!" ”

"Your Majesty, Wechen will make a military order here today, and the ordnance will definitely cause ironclad warships to come one day, although Wechen is ignorant, I don't know how ironclad battleships can be built and they will travel thousands of miles a day."

Song Yingxing couldn't care much for a while, so he made an oath when Zhu Youzhen proposed the ironclad battleship.

Zhu Youzhen just smiled and didn't reveal the difficulty here, after all, it was good to give the Ordnance Institute a direction.

(End of chapter)