The two of them returned to the palace with their mouths in a daze.

Zhu Zhangui went to the Shang study, and Zhu Qirui went to the Wenqu Academy with a bitter face and accepted after-school tutoring from countless new students.

Hmph, the little cub dares to say that your father is ugly, don't think about being idle during the three-day vacation, and backing you to death by doing homework.

Thinking of the stinky boy who looked like he was forced to go to the tutoring class, Zhu Zhangui felt a burst of joy in his heart.

"I'm back, how is my eldest grandson's performance?"

As soon as he entered the study room, Zhu Chubby, who was criticizing the performance, hurriedly asked how his eldest grandson was performing.

Zhu Zhangui snorted.

"The performance was good, but I wanted to beat him up when I watched it."

Zhu Fatpang is a little strange, he performed very well, why should he be beaten?

"What's that saying?"

Zhu Zhangui snorted twice, and then briefly told Zhu Chupang about the performance.

"Hahaha..."

After listening to it, Zhu Chubby laughed happily.

"You, don't think too much, this is just a stage performance, the role is needed, I don't know what the character of my grandson is, don't worry about this!"

Afraid that his son would really beat his precious grandson, Zhu Chupang explained it with a smile.

Then he turned around and came to the Imperial Eucalyptus, picked up a piece of music and handed it to Zhu Zhangui.

"This is news from Quanzhou, saying that the first generation of steam engines has been installed on the ship, I want to ask if you want to go and see it, and also ask about the naming of the first generation of steam ships!"

Zhu Zhangui, who was still depressed in his heart, heard his father's words and hurriedly stepped forward to take over the music.

The Quanzhou chapter not only reported the shipbuilding, but also a general drawing of the ship.

Looking at the steamer with sails and chimneys, Zhu Zhangui looked awkward.

But there is no way to be awkward, the helplessness of the times, the ship can only be built like this.

The first-generation steam engine was not yet stable, and this ship was an experimental product, so in order to prevent the ship from breaking down while sailing, the steam engine could not continue to provide power, so it had to continue to rely on those sails.

It is precisely because of this that the ship was built to have this four-like appearance.

"It just so happens that I'm fine these days, the new banknote will not be issued until next year, and I have already set the tone for the eucalyptus of the treasure banknote, so I'll go over and take a look!"

The launch of the first generation of steamships, this kind of historical moment, Zhu Zhangui must witness, he even plans to have the painter paint it, and then pass it on to future generations as an heirloom.

It's a pity that the supermarket has been in the supermarket for so many years, and I have never drawn a camera or the like, otherwise I wouldn't have to pose for so long for the artist to paint.

Zhu Chupang nodded, took another piece and handed it to Zhu Zhangui, "It's okay to go, and by the way, I'll deal with the matter of the widows!" ”

Zhu Zhangui was stunned for a moment, and took the piece handed over by his father.

The recital was sent by the Zhejiang Political Division, saying that in the coastal area of Ningbo, traces of Japanese pirates had been found again.

Clapping the music in his hand, Zhu Zhangui's brows furrowed slightly, and he sneered in his heart.

"These little gourds seem to have forgotten the pain of a few years ago."

Zhu Zhangui wanted to go to the Wa Kingdom again, but the war in the Western Regions was about to break out.

The old man handed over the task of going west to Zhu Zhangui and asked him to go to the Western Regions to lead the Shenji Battalion westward after issuing the new currency next year.

I'm afraid it will take a year or two to go, and the affairs of the Wa Kingdom can only be put aside for the time being.

After determining the itinerary, Zhu Zhangui did not stay in Jinling for long, and on the second day, he told him that after his stinky boy studied hard, he took a boat to the naval base at the mouth of the Yangtze River.

With the development of the Ming Navy, the Ming Dynasty has set up a total of 4 naval bases.

They are Tianjin Wei in the north, Haiwei at the mouth of the Yangtze River, Quanzhou Wei in Fujian, and Qiongzhou Naval Base in Hainan.

Zhu Zhangui plans to split the navy into four major fleets in the future.

They were the North Sea Fleet, which was responsible for the north, the East China Sea Fleet, which was the main force of the imperial court, the South China Sea Fleet, which patrolled the islands and protected the shipyards against pirates, and the West Sea Fleet, which was responsible for patrolling and deterring the colonies.

In Zhu Zhangui's plan, four fleets will be formed, and it is expected that there will be nearly 3,000 large and small ships. (including supply ships and troop carriers)

Of course, this was only in the era of sail battleship artillery, and in the later period, with the introduction of various new ironclad battleships into the sea, this number would slowly decrease.

The navy is a big money-swallower, if they are all replaced by ironclad steam warships, nearly 3,000 warships, and the annual consumption and maintenance can make Daming feel painful.

"Your Highness!"

As soon as Zhu Zhangui boarded the main battleship of the navy, Li Hu and the others walked up excitedly.

After the decisive battle with Arutai, the navy was also brought back by Zhu Zhangui.

The navy is a precious branch of the army, and every navy needs to be smashed with silver to cultivate, and Zhu Zhangui doesn't want them to be consumed as an army.

It's not that one side is lighter and which side is heavier, but it's really difficult to train a navy.

Ten years of the army and one hundred years of the navy, this is not a talk.

"Your kid's back molars are all out, what's wrong? Your daughter-in-law gave birth to a big fat boy for you. ”

Seeing Li Hu's anxious appearance of scratching his ears and cheeks, Zhu Zhangui couldn't help but tease.

"Hahaha..."

The admirals around laughed.

"Go, go, you bastards dare to laugh at Lao Tzu."

Li Hu glared at the subordinates around him, and then looked at Zhu Zhangui with an urgent look.

"Oh, my Highness, don't tease me, this time, let's go see the ironclad ship and the steam... Steam... What a chicken! ”

Probably in a hurry, Li Hu forgot the name of the steam engine for a while.

"Steam engine!"

The deputy next to him reminded him in a whisper.

"Oh, yes, yes, steam engine! Isn't this new type of warship going to be launched! ”

The other admirals also stared at each other with their ears pricked up, expecting them to hear an answer in their dreams.

Looking at a bunch of forty or fifty-year-old old men, all like young children looking forward to toys, Zhu Zhangui couldn't help but smile and nodded at them.

"You guys, you're also a senior admiral, why are you so breathless!"

"Hey, hey, hey, hey..."

Everyone must have laughed embarrassedly.

"That's right, the first-generation armored ironclad steam battleship has been built, and I went to Quanzhou this time to welcome the launch of this battleship, now you are satisfied!"

Zhu Zhangui didn't plan to keep it secret, and directly told the admirals.

This secret is confidential to outsiders, and to these admirals, it is not a secret content.

"Roar!"

The generals instantly cheered.

They have been looking forward to this moment for almost 10 years.

When they followed Zhu Zhangui to sea and were idle and bored on the ship, Zhu Zhangui told them about the future development path of the navy.

Emphasis was placed on ironclad warships and steam warships that could sail quickly at any time without sails.

They were even given simple drawings, which left them with the feelings of ironclad steam battleships in their hearts.

But a year, two years, three years, nearly 10 years have passed, and there is still no shadow of a steam engine and an ironclad battleship.

This made the generals a little anxious, just when they thought that they might not be able to drive an ironclad battleship in their lifetime, they received gossip a few months ago.

The steam engine technology in the craftsman camp is already mature, and the first batch of steam engines has already been manufactured.

As far as they learned, these steam engines would make locomotives, as well as various mechanical machines and tools.

They don't care about locomotives and mechanical machines, they care about their navy, when they can drive a steam warship.

But wait, wait, wait, there is no news yet.

And just last month, a transport ship of their navy transported an oversized guy from the artisan battalion to Quanzhou.

They didn't care at the time, thinking it was some kind of shipbuilding tool.

After all, the news that the navy is going to be divided into four fleets has long been spread, and now that there is a shortage of warships, they have not yet been separated, so they are waiting for several shipyards in Quanzhou to speed up and make warships for the major fleets.

But just a few days ago, the transport ship that had gone to deliver something had returned.

The captain of the transport ship mysteriously found Li Hu and whispered to him.

Since then, Li Hu has not been able to sleep, and every day he looks at the sea in a daze with his chin pestle.

His deputy, from time to time, can faintly hear what ironclad battleships are all about.

This deputy was not an old man in the navy, and he didn't understand what an ironclad was, so he curiously asked the commander of a detachment and asked him if he had ever seen an ironclad.

When the other party heard the words of the ironclad battleship, and then fell into dementia like Li Hu, and then the entire high-level commander of the navy couldn't sleep.

Just yesterday, they received an order that His Royal Highness Taisun was going to Quanzhou and asked them to send a few warships to escort them.

Good guys, everybody went crazy in an instant.

His Royal Highness's injury is just a little better, what can he do if he goes to Quanzhou in a hurry regardless of his injury, he must be going to see the ironclad ship.

So as soon as Zhu Zhangui got on the ship today, all these admirals surrounded him, and they all wanted to find out the news from Zhu Zhangui, is the ironclad ship going to appear?

Now that it has been confirmed, everyone's hearts are full of joy.

Although they also knew that with Li Hu here, the first battleship would not be able to take their turn.

But with the 1st, there will be the 2nd, the 3rd later.

They didn't believe it, and before they were decommissioned, they couldn't get a single ironclad command ship.

"Okay, let's be happy now, let's all go back to everyone!"

Seeing a bunch of men jumping and jumping happily like children, Zhu Zhangui shook his head helplessly.

"Let's go together!"

How is it possible for everyone, now that there is no war, how boring it is to patrol the sea every day, isn't it fragrant to go to see ironclad battleships?

Besides, the north is going to be closed to the sea, and the battleships are parked in the military port all winter, and it is idle every day, so it is better to go and see the new warships.

In the end, the entire naval fleet, except for those who stayed behind to cruise, all the others went to Quanzhou on the grounds of winter.

Along the way, everyone was full of expectations, discussing how powerful and majestic the ironclad battleship was.

Listening to everyone's conversation, Zhu Zhangui just smiled and said nothing.

The first ironclad battleship may be going to disappoint these guys.

On the shipyard side, since it was the first time to build a tin steam battleship, a lot of experience was insufficient.

Therefore, the first ship built was built according to small specifications, and in terms of tonnage, it was only about 800 tons.

In the existing warship establishment of the Navy, it can only be regarded as small and medium-sized warships.

Compared to the large warships of 2500 and 3000 materials, it can only be regarded as a small gadget.

Zhu Zhangui had some expectations in his heart, when these guys saw the small and poor ironclad battleship, would they feel too far behind and be disappointed.

Sail all the way to Quanzhou.

didn't let Zhu Zhangui rest, a group of admirals begged and coaxed, and Zhu Zhangui went to the naval shipbuilding base.

"This is the Ironclad?"

A large group of admirals, large and small, looked at the ironclad battleship in the dock and scratched their heads.

It's not what they imagined.

In their imagination, the ironclad battleship should be larger than the largest treasure ship, and the cannon port on it could not be hugged by one person at all.

But this little gadget in front of them, no matter how it looks, is not the same as they imagined.

"How's the preparation going?"

Ignoring the somewhat disappointed navy, Zhu Zhangui asked the general manager of the shipyard next to him if he had made preparations before launching.

"Your Highness, all the procedures have been prepared, just waiting for you to watch it go into the water!"

The head of the shipyard is an old shipwright, whose ancestors have been building ships for generations.

Since receiving the drawings of the steam ironclad ship, he has been deeply attracted, and then every day he lies on the shipyard, watching the battleship be completed little by little.

Zhu Zhangui nodded with satisfaction, "Okay, pick a good day and let the world's first ironclad steam battleship be launched!" ”

"Yes!"

The person in charge responded excitedly, and then took Zhu Zhangui and boarded the iron steam battleship.

This iron-clad steam warship is said to be a new warship, but it is actually an improvement of the Baohai ship.

The main change is that the keel and important parts of the hull of the ship are covered with iron sheets, as well as the addition of steam power.

The vessel has a displacement of 850 tons, a hybrid sail steam engine, and a three-layer design with upper, middle and lower layers, and the top deck is a plywood.

Below is the power compartment, as well as the artillery compartment and the soldiers' lounge.

Due to the fact that it was a small and medium-sized ship, plus some space improvements, the number of assembled guns was not large.

When the entire battleship is fully equipped, it can be equipped with 45 guns.

There are 20 guns on the left and right, 20 guns on the upper and lower sides, and 5 guns on the front and rear.

"How fast do you expect this ship to run?"

Coming to the steam power room, Zhu Zhangui looked at the steam engine that exuded the smell of steel, and asked the person in charge what was the expected sailing speed?

The naval officers who were bumping around also hurriedly looked at the person in charge.

For the navy, the three major characteristics of warships are speed defense and attack power.

As long as these three items can be satisfied, in the minds of the navy, it is a very perfect battleship.

The iron steam battleship in front of him is definitely better than the wooden battleship in terms of defense, not to mention the attack power, and it is equipped with new artillery.

At present, this kind of artillery of the Ming Navy can be the most advanced weapon in the world, and there is no one.

Both sides were recognized for their performance, and the only thing they worried about was speed.

This is a battleship covered with iron, and if there is no sail battleship that runs fast, then this ship is meaningless.

The person in charge did not look at the small notebook in his hand, he was already familiar with these data, and glanced at the naval officers who were looking at him expectantly and said loudly.

"The normal cruising speed of this battleship is about 10 knots, and if you go all out with a tailwind, the limit can run about 15 knots!"

"Shhh

As the person in charge said the data, the generals present gasped.

With the gradual regularization of the navy, many modern words have been added to the terms in the mouth of the Ming navy.

For example, the speed of a battleship has changed from how many miles it can run in a day to how many knots it can speed!

(One section is equal to 1.852 km.) ）

The warships that the navy now has can run thirteen or fourteen knots at the earliest.

But this has a premise, in the case of a tailwind and a current, if it is in an environment of headwind or headwind, it is as slow as a turtle, not to mention how many knots it runs, and it would be good to be able to get to the place before the boatman was exhausted.

But the new ironclad battleship is different.

The 10-knot cruising speed mentioned in the hands of the person in charge can be run in non-bad weather.

If you are not afraid of comparing people, you are afraid of comparing goods.

If the new warships, as the person in charge said, can run at such speeds, then the warships that the Navy now has can be thrown directly into the garbage heap.

For a while, everyone was looking forward to the scene of the high-speed movement of the battleship when it was launched.

In the blink of an eye, 10 days passed, and the day reached the eighth day of the lunar month.

The weather was good today, and although there was still a cold wind blowing on the sea, it could not affect the enthusiasm of everyone in the slightest.

On the naval side, except for the soldiers who stayed behind on the battleship, the rest of the people came to the shipyard dock.

As the gate of the ship slowly opened, thousands of men who had been waiting for a long time shouted and pulled the rope, and dragged the steel battleship towards the sea.

The interesting thing is that these men who pull the rope are all from the navy, and the leaders are Li Hu and other generals of various warships in the navy.

"Brothers, work hard!"

"One, two..."

With Li Hu shouting, everyone exerted their strength together.

The battleship in the dock was slowly pulled out with the blessing of the rolling logs.

"Whoa, whoa..."

Looking at the tin splint that was illuminated by the sun's rays and exuded a cold cold, the naval soldiers who watched roared loudly.

This is a moment in history, and it is also the most glorious moment of the Navy.

From this moment on, the history of the world's oceans will be rewritten.

From now on, the Ming warship with the battle flag of the Ming Navy will be invincible in the whole world.

From today on, no one dares to speak out loud to Da Ming anymore.

From today on, whoever dares to speak in a heavier tone will not usher in the forgiveness of the Ming Dynasty, but countless steel warships and ferocious shells.

The truth is within cannon range.

Only when your cannon is pointed at the enemy can you gain the respect and fear of the enemy.

What bullshit is that harmony is precious, Lao Tzu likes to point a cannon at your head and watch you kneel there and talk to me.