After the lunch break, one of the main things Zhu Yuan planned in the afternoon was to build a lighthouse navigation system.

In this era, there were already prototypes of lighthouses.

A few days after Zhu Yuan arrived in Mingzhou, he built a simple beacon on Zhaobao Mountain outside Dinghai City according to the information he had seen before, which was the 'lighthouse' of this era.

It has a similar appearance to the border beacon, however, the border beacon is for warning, and it cannot be easily ignited without hostile conditions.

The coastal beacons are lit around the clock, with smoke raised during the day and fires lit at night, to guide ships from all walks of life near Dinghai.

But that's not enough.

Zhu Yuan's goal is to make the lighthouse navigation system all over the Daming Sea Frontier.

It's still the same 'fear comes from the unknown'.

If a voyager travels everywhere, especially in an emergency, if he can see a lighthouse guiding the way, it is tantamount to a drowning man grabbing a long pole handed from the shore.

Can save lives.

In addition, the reason why it is a lighthouse, no longer a beacon, is also a necessary improvement.

The structure of the beacon is too simple, and once it encounters bad weather such as storms, the open-air beacon can no longer ignite fireworks, and bad weather is precisely the time when ships at sea need fireworks navigation the most.

Therefore, Zhu Yuan hopes to build a lighthouse like the one in his memory.

At the same time, it is necessary to adapt to the times.

At the same time as the fire is lit at night, the lighthouse must also be able to ignite wolf smoke during the day and have some resistance to bad weather. After all, later lighthouses were mainly used to guide the way at night, but in this era there were no modern equipment, and daytime navigation was also very important.

Let's talk about the present.

Let the long-term goal of lighthouses spread all over the Daming Sea Frontier first, first of all, it is necessary to serve the immediate grain transportation.

Therefore, after referring to the drawings he gave and discussing the general construction plan with the craftsmen selected by Yao Feng, Zhu Yuan discussed with the officials of the Surveying and Mapping Department and planned to lay out two lighthouse navigation routes first.

The first route was off the coast of Mingzhou, extending from the port of Dinghai all the way to the northeast until the later Shengsi Islands area.

According to the results of recent surveying and mapping, the Shengsi Islands are about 200 miles away from Mingzhou.

After the Shengsi Islands, a little further east, the grain convoy will almost reach the open sea with a northwest current, and can turn north to Shandong.

It's too far to reach, but since the beginning of this section can be navigated through the lighthouse layout on the islands such as Zhoushan, Daishan, and Shengsi, of course, it must be done.

In addition, the islands where the lighthouse is planned to be built must also be selective, and one of the key conditions is that it must have a natural harbor, so that in case of emergency, the food fleet can be docked and repaired as long as it goes in the direction of the lighthouse.

The second line is in the eastern coastal states and counties.

For the time being, the south is not considered, but from Mingzhou to the north, all the way to Jiaozhou.

The location chosen to build the lighthouse must also have a harbor, and a certain depth survey will be carried out on the corresponding coastal area to determine the inbound route to avoid grounding and other situations.

When the grain convoy is traveling in the open sea, it is certainly impossible to see the land-based lighthouse hundreds of miles away.

However, in the event of an emergency, the entire fleet, or part of the ships, can directly turn west and dock at the port according to the guidance of the coastal lighthouse.

Not only that, Zhu Yuan also plans to set up rescue guards on both lighthouse networks.

Ships in the open sea can also send fireworks signals, and as long as they receive the signal, the relevant health stations must take the initiative to rush to the rescue.

What is the danger of going to sea in this era?

First of all, as Zhu Yuan learned more recently, he gradually realized that the sea movement drifted by more than 30%, which is obviously exaggerated.

But, even if it's only one percent.

Behind the loss of 10% of the grain, there is a problem that has been deliberately ignored by many historical materials.

What about people?!

Zhu Yuan planned to transport 200,000 stone of grain at a time, and it would take 10,000 people to escort the soldiers and soldiers. In this way, if you want to reach the 3 million stone level of the Yuan court, you need 150,000 people to escort the soldiers and people.

According to the proportion of food loss, if half of the people can be rescued, the remaining half is equivalent to the loss of 7,500 people per year.

Note that it was 'person-time' before and 'person-time' after that.

According to Zhu Yuan's plan, 30,000 people, twice a year, can transport 1.2 million stones. To reach 3 million stone per year, it is easy to calculate, and a team of 75,000 people is needed.

As a result, the loss of manpower happened to be one percent.

On the surface, the annual loss of one percent of manpower does not seem to be much, but the transportation of grain is not only for one year, the transportation of grain before the Yuan court began in the Yuan Huizong to the Yuan Dynasty, until Zhang Shicheng, Fang Guozhen, Chen Youding and other pro-Yuan forces have been wiped out, which lasted for more than half a century.

Not to mention a few decades, even if it is calculated according to 10 years, the 75,000-person grain transportation team loses 7,500 people every year, and after ten years, the theoretical initial 75,000 people will have to be replaced again.

Because, it's all gone!

With such a risk factor, one can imagine the degree of resistance of coastal residents to participate in the transportation of grain to the north.

The Ming Dynasty could not give the Yuan court the kind of high grain foot price that was equivalent to more than twice the price of grain itself, which could make people ignore life and death and take risks, in fact, the Yuan court itself could not afford to pay, and the rapid collapse of the sea grain route in the later period was fundamentally financially unsustainable.

Then, what Zhu Yuan can do is to provide the greatest security guarantee for the sea grain transportation team under the existing conditions.

Don't say any beautiful words of compassion, the simplest logic, the safety is guaranteed to the greatest extent, and no longer make the participants feel that going to the sea is a life of nine deaths, then, all the soldiers and soldiers who are responsible for transporting food, up and down, will also work more together, give full play to the maximum efficiency, and do the whole thing the best.

And, sustainably.

Just a preliminary discussion with a few officials and craftsmen, it still took more than half an hour, sending them to execute, Zhu Yuan stood at the door and looked at the sky, it should be four or five o'clock in the afternoon.

Another day is coming to an end.

Seeing that Zhu Yuan had finished handling the matter, Zuo Qi and Li Gui came over with a group of people, it was Liu Laoqi's family.

Apparently it took quite a while.

Liu Laoqi and the third son of the Liu family brought all five of their grandsons over to let Zhu Yuan look at them. The youngest boy was only three years old, and he was held by a little girl with very smart eyes.

Zhu Yuan asked a few words and confirmed that the eldest son of the three brothers of the Liu family was old enough, the oldest was thirteen years old, and the youngest was seven years old, both of which were suitable ages for school.

As for the rest.

For example, a girl from the Liu family with a younger brother is the daughter of Liu Da, and she is also a 'second mother', eleven years old, Zhu Yuan feels very smart when she looks at it, and is suitable to be sent to Jinling to enter Houhu Medical College, and will be trained as a female medical officer in the future.

However, in order to avoid the recurrence of discord between the father and son of the Liu family, he did not mention it.

Do not suffer from few, but suffer from unevenness.

If the brothers are not angry, the Liu family can only lack this blessing.

While speaking, I learned that the three boys did not have serious names, and it was also very common in this era, Zhu Yuan thought about it a little and named it on the spot, from big to small, Liu Chaosheng, Liu Chaoqi, Liu Chaoping.

Liu Laoqi was obviously very satisfied with the name, and asked his three grandsons to kowtow to Zhu Yuan.

In this era, apprentices can't be too hasty, they have met people, and Zhu Yuan let them arrange the rest of the things by themselves, and for this reason, he also called someone to order Liu Laoqi to take three months' worth of money in advance.

Waiting for the Liu family to leave, Li Gui followed Zhu Yuan into his office with an inquiring expression on his face.

After Zhu Yuan came to the desk, he didn't sit down, picked up a charcoal pencil and lay on the table to continue to study a map of the offshore islands of Mingzhou, while saying to Li Gui: "Learning should be gradual, for the three children, the key is to teach the word 'li' first." ”

The choice of Li Gui is also for this purpose.

Li Gui and Li Zhen brothers, the third and his sister's personalities are somewhat similar, probably because of their similar age, they have been influenced by similar families for a certain period of time during their growth process, which is a bit roundabout. Of course, compared to the young lady who is not enlightened, Li Gui is not stupid, but just abides by Confucian etiquette, so Zhu Yuan is more relieved to use it quickly.

The fourth Li Zhen is too active, and he has to grind it again.

Zhu Yuan didn't do this to cherish feathers or anything else, to a large extent, it was for the good of the people around him.

Because of Lao Zhu.

Lao Zhu is very tolerant of his relatives, but he is really angry, and he is more inclined to take the side of his relatives to open the knife.

The most typical period of wild history, Li Wenzhong constantly advised Lao Zhu to reduce the use of eunuchs to avoid the disaster of eunuchs interfering in politics in the previous dynasty, and repeatedly persuaded Lao Zhu to make Lao Zhu anxious, Lao Zhu did not punish his nephew, but ordered to kill all the nephew's doormen.

If you don't let me use eunuchs, don't use doormen!

In the official history, some of Lao Zhu's sons did ridiculous things, the princes were fine, and the heaviest punishment was only to shave the hair of the whole body, but the unlucky ones were the subordinate officials of the palace.

Zhu Yuan's goal now is very big.

Some people can't find flaws from Zhu Yuan, and they inevitably turn to the people around him. Zhu Yuan didn't want something to happen, so he could only take precautions.

Li Gui listened to Zhu Yuan's instructions, and probably knew what to do, so he agreed.

While he was talking, Zhao Xu hurried over.

There was a group of pirates who turned themselves in, about a hundred people.

posted a notice, except for the group brought back by Hua Gao, this was the first batch of people who ran to report in recent days, and Zhu Yuan immediately decided to go and see it for himself.

The people are next to the Mingzhou Wei station on the bank of the Yongjiang River in the east of the city.

In the process of taking a sedan chair out of the city, Zhu Yuan also learned a rough idea.

This gang of pirates...... In fact, they are not professional pirates, but islanders near Daishan, who fish on weekdays and occasionally encounter them, so they will do some illegal things.

Recently, I saw the notice, and saw the mighty and majestic naval fleet stationed in Mingzhou, the more I thought about it, the more afraid I became, worried that I would be denounced by the people around me, and I missed the opportunity, so I simply ran over with all the men from the village.

Zhu Yuan almost wanted to go back directly after hearing this.

It's so unfulfilling.

However, it was still outside the East City.

After seeing a group of islanders who were simply tied into a string of ragged clothes, as well as the old people, women and children crying outside the camp, Zhu Yuan didn't bother to ask, and directly made a decision, all of them served hard labor for a year.

Then write it off and go back to their respective homes.

It happened to be the evening when the smoke was curling, Zhu Yuan called the highest military attache who was on the side of the station, commanded Zhang Yi, and asked him to arrange meals, not only a group on the ground, but also those old and young outside, and then quickly set up the tent, so that people could not be frozen at night.

After Zhu Yuan's order was finished, he found that Xue Shu and Liu Lian came together at some point.

Seeing that there seemed to be something wrong with Liu Lian's expression, Zhu Yuan said, "If you have something to say, just say it?" ”

Liu Lian arched his hand: "Hanlin, troubled times...... When using a heavy code, this disposal is too rash, at least it must be screened. ”

Zhu Yuan seemed to smile: "Use heavy codes in troubled times? All right! I'll give you a mission, I live next door to a big boss who was born as a water thief, so you can go and 're-pawn' him." If you agree, I'll give you a thousand soldiers now, how about it? ”

Liu Lian's face suddenly turned bitter.

This......

Unreasonable!

Who dares to go to the 'heavy ceremony' from the naval governor of the first product!

Seeing that Liu Lian didn't speak, Zhu Yuan turned to Xue Shu: "You are a flexible person, don't get too close to him, be careful of being fooled." ”

Xue Shu just smiled and didn't say anything.

Zhao Xu and the others beside Zhu Yuan also couldn't help laughing, it was very hard.

After a few words of ridicule, Zhu Yuan raised his hands, watched the officers and soldiers come over to untie the ropes behind the people of the islands, escorted them to set up tents by themselves, and someone went to call the women and children in, sighed lightly, and said in a serious tone: "It's right to use heavy codes in troubled times, but it also depends on the situation, some things can't be sorted out, and the more you rationalize them, the more chaotic they will be." Only by quickly cutting through the mess and resolving the Haikou matter as soon as possible can we benefit the people of the southeast. It's been chaotic for decades, and the people want a stability, not something black and white. Moreover, if this matter is solved, we will have less interference in transporting grain. ”

Liu Lian listened quietly to Zhu Yuan's words, paused, and still bowed his hand: "Hanlin, the lower officials are taught." ”

While he was talking, another soldier came with a group of people.

Zhu Yuan looked over.

Seeing this, Zhao Xu leaned over and explained in the ears of his own petty officials.

This is the batch of Zhang Shicheng's old department that he brought back with Hua Gao last time when he went to sea with Hua Gao.

Zhao Xu also pointed to one of the big men, indicating that it was the leader captured by Qiao An, or a descendant of Yan Shu, a famous minister of the Northern Song Dynasty, named Yan Xun, because there were only three fingers left in his left hand, and he also had a nickname, called Yan Sanzhi.

Zhu Yuan was interested, and let people call Yan Xun over.

Yan Xun noticed a group of officials here from a distance, one of them was a young man who was still wrapped in a robe in the spring was very eye-catching, and he guessed that it should be the rumored 'five hundred years of national glory' outsider master.

It is...... It's too small.

Hearing that the little adult wanted to see him, Yan Xun didn't dare to disobey, and hurriedly followed an officer and soldier over, and took the initiative to bow and greet him without introduction.

Zhu Yuan asked Yan Xun to get up, looked at the former Zhang general, and asked, "Are you a descendant of Yan Shu?" ”

Yan Xun hugged his fists: "Xi is the seventeenth grandson of the Yan family, and he is really insulting to the reputation of his ancestors." ”

Zhu Yuan wanted to say that it's a pity that you are not the twenty-third grandson, otherwise it would be a coincidence.

Thinking like this, Zhu Yuan changed his mind and asked again: "Have you read a book?" ”

Yan Xun nodded: "I have read it." ”

Zhu Yuan thought about it again before asking, "Do you want to revive your ancestor's reputation?" ”

Yan Xun hesitated.

The Zhang clan was destroyed, and if he wanted to surrender to Western Wu, he would not take people out of Pingjiang and flee into the sea.

Recently, though......

At that time, he had no choice but to surrender, thinking that after being escorted to Mingzhou, he would encounter some difficulties and even worry about his life, but he didn't dare to fully believe in Nahuagao's promise.

Therefore, they have already discussed with several brothers in private, and if they have to do so, they still have to find an opportunity to escape again.

Unexpectedly, things are much better than expected.

For example, he himself, who soon had results, worked hard for ten years.

Yan Xun felt that it was not too much.

Except for him, none of the brothers below were more than ten years taller, and even, the women and children's families who brought them over together did not even say anything, but were only sent to sew sails, weave cables and other light work, and the female dependents did not encounter any harassment.

Living at the camp of Mingzhou Wei like this, except for the daily order and a few pairs of eyes around them when they work, they don't feel like hard labor prisoners at all.

Because, those jobs are not too heavy.

Yan Xun could understand that this must be Mingzhou making use of them, but it has only been a few days, and many of the brothers below have gradually lost their other thoughts.

Everyone thought that it would be much better to be safe and secure in the future after serving the service in this way, leaving their homes behind, than to be adrift at sea and uncertain about life and death. After all, just looking at the scene of the sails and masts in this Dinghai port, can you still go to the sea to make a living in the future?

Yan Xun also thinks so.

Unexpectedly, suddenly, the little adult in front of him ...... It seems to have meant to solicit him.

Yan Xun was not happy, but more vigilant.

Recently, the Navy Governor's Office has sent people to lobby him several times, hoping that he will provide information or write letters in person to help recruit those old Zhang troops at sea, but he has chosen to refuse.

He felt that the person in front of him might still think the same way.

After a short silence, Yan Xun was about to speak, when Zhu Yuan waved his hand and interrupted: "I don't want to recruit you, nor do I want to use you to recruit other pirates, but another opportunity." However, I just had an idea, you don't have to answer, think about it first, even if you don't want to, you plan to settle down, you can also ask your other brothers, if you are willing to go to sea to fight for a glory and wealth, well, it is to go to sea, I don't force you to serve the Ming Dynasty, the southern expedition and the northern expedition or something. ”