Off the coast of Minnesota

In Changguozhou, there is Huangdashan Island in the northeast of Zhoushan Island, and the nearby ocean surface is therefore called Huangdayang, which is the first stop of the large yellow croaker flood north to the Zhoushan archipelago area.

It's sunny again.

Liu Lian sailed into the Yellow Ocean on the famous 5,000-material boat of the Yinghai Envoy, standing on the top deck of the upper cabin, looking at the thousands of large and small fishing boats that were busy on the vast ocean around him, Liu Lian only flashed two words in his mind.

Spirit!

Only in a prosperous era can there be such a scene.

Liu Lian did not forget that when the Navy Governor's Mansion and the Naval Division were first established in February, the sea off Mingzhou, because the war was initially decided, was still in a chaotic state where the remnants of the army were entrenched and the sea was rampant. At present, only three months have passed, the sea is quiet, the people are stable, and there is even a grand occasion of more than 3,000 fishing boats competing to go to sea.

Liu Lian privately heard some old people say that the last time this was the case was twenty or thirty years ago, and the era name at that time was still Zhiyuan.

Subsequently, the southeast group rose together.

The righteous army fought with the government, the righteous army fought with the righteous army, the righteous army made peace with the government, and the government fell out with the righteous army.

Until now.

At that moment, looking at the situation on the sea, Liu Lian remembered a certain teenager again. There is also a little farce before going to sea this time, and I can't help but smile.

The giant boat passed through the crowded area of fishing boats amid the attention, cheers and even bows of the surrounding boatmen and fishermen, came to a school of fish, and anchored at the anchorage.

On deck, hundreds of boatmen began to move out a wide variety of fishing equipment.

Mainly related to sea fishing.

Along the sides of the boat with a length of tens of zhang, hundreds of small winches were soon fixed, and someone lifted out a basket of small fish and shrimp, and the boatman on the side of the winch hung the fish and shrimp as bait on the large hook attached to the winch rope, and while hanging the bait, someone turned the winch to lower the rope.

Liu Lian left the top deck and came to the side of the boat, watching the operation of the boatmen and fishermen, thinking that he would have to wait for a while like river fishing, but as soon as the three-zhang long rope on the winch was released, the boatman directly began to reel in the rope.

Liu Lian stopped and stood by a winch to watch, and soon, the first fish had already appeared, and it was still a big fish that was three feet long and weighed more than ten catties.

A boatman who operated this winch was also an interesting person, took off the big fish, immediately held it in front of Liu Lian, and said with a smile: "Thanks to the big man, the first one is fifteen catties of miles, look at it." ”

Liu Lian didn't like the fishy, he reached out directly to take it, just started, the big yellow croaker that was caught bounced up, the boatman and Liu Lian's entourage hurriedly stepped forward, together to help or catch or support, the boatman also smashed a fist on the head of the big yellow croaker, and suddenly stopped.

Liu Lian, whose clothes were wet, still didn't care, and checked it with a smile, it was indeed more than ten pounds.

Next to the winch is still retracting the rope.

At the end, when the stone pendant was hung on the bottom, there were a total of six fish on a string of hooks, and they were all big fish two or three feet long, with a total of forty or fifty catties.

The catch is brought onto the boat, and the fishermen are processed on site, cut, salted, basketed, and carried off the deck to the cabin.

Streamline operation, all in one go.

Liu Lian kept walking around the deck, not saying much, just watching.

Problems were also found.

When dealing with the fish, except for the swim bladder and the fish liver, the former does not need to be said, and the latter also has medicinal value according to the Hanlin theory, and the rest of the water is thrown directly into the sea.

Liu Lian felt that it was a bit of a waste.

If you think about it, you can't help it.

Fish intestines may be edible, but they are not easy to preserve.

If it is salted together, there is no shortage of salt, but it is not as easy to process and transport as whole fish.

It is more convenient to throw it into the sea.

After turning around like this, Liu Lian returned to the entrance of the lower cabin at the back of the big ship, where there was a scale, and the clerk recorded while weighing.

Liu Lian looked at the account books.

In just two quarters of an hour, 37 boxes of about 1,800 catties of preliminarily processed fish were sent into the hold.

The giant boat brought 500 people out, and the goal set by the envoy was to bring back 5,000 loads of fish, and each person had a task of 10 loads.

Liu Lian was initially a little worried that he would not be able to complete the task.

After all, 5,000 quintals is 500,000 catties, which is not a small amount. What's more, if you fish by sea fishing, how can it be compared with net fishing?

Standing on the side of the boat and seeing the dense schools of fish in the water, and then watching the fishing operations of the boatmen and fishermen, Liu Lian was relieved.

I even think that the goal of 5,000 quintals is lower?

After all, this giant ship is no problem with a full load of 20,000 or 30,000 stone of grain, in this case, 10,000 quintals of fish, perhaps, is only a matter of time.

Then stay a few more days.

Liu Lian was about to look again, when a thousand sea boats approached, stopped when they were a hundred zhang away, and someone took a small boat to turn to the big boat here.

The people who came were another Yinghai Shilang, Zhongli, Xu You, the governor of Changguo, and Li Gui, the concubine of his own Yinghai envoy, and several other officials.

Since it was a full-scale sea fishing, it was not appropriate to put Li Gui of Zhengbapin in charge, so the burden fell on Fang Li, and Li Gui, as the manager of Mingzhou Fishery Production Company, was of course one of the backbones. As for Xu You, this is the border of Changguo, and it is not surprising that he appeared.

Liu Lian knew that there was also a commander from Sipin, Zhang Yi, who led 2,000 troops and 30 ships, to be responsible for the protection of this sea capture.

Zhang Yi was obviously not with Fang Li and the others.

After seeing each other, Fang Li was still puzzled, and Xu Youxian, the governor of Changguo, couldn't help but ask: "Liu Langzhong, as far as the lower officials know, this is the boat of the envoy of the camp?" ”

Liu Lian understood what Xu Yu meant, shook his head and said, "Hanlin has never been to sea. ”

As he spoke, he remembered yesterday.

Before leaving the port, everyone realized that the envoy of the camp wanted to be together, and thinking of the strict order of the naval governor, no one dared to sail the ship.

Then, the Governor hurried over and forcibly carried the Camp Envoy off the boat.

Liu Lian still clearly remembers the appearance of the camp sea envoy 'fluttering' on the shoulders of the naval governor, and shouted at the same time, "What does it mean for me to be a sea envoy who can't even come out of the sea to be this official", at that moment, that scene, Liu Lian, who couldn't help laughing with many people, realized again that his own camp sea envoy was just a little teenager.

Boy!

Liu Lian has always felt that being an official can't always live in the temple, but for his own naval envoys, he feels that it is good to live in the temple, and such a weak body can't be tossed.

Things they do.

After all, that little boy has actually done too much.

Whether it is shipping or sea fishing, Mingzhou can have the current situation, and the sea envoy must definitely take the lead. Without him, Liu Lian felt that his group of people would definitely not be able to do it, because they didn't know how to do it.

Now.

Xu You heard that Zhu Yuan didn't come over, looked around again, and arched his hand: "Forgive your official for bluntly speaking, Lang Zhong, how can Lord Yinghaisi's boat be used for fishing, so that this boat is full of fishy?" ”

Xu You's words came out, and Fang Li, Li Gui and the others also looked at it, with puzzled faces.

Looking around, everyone also felt that there was something wrong with this.

Although he is only a young man's skin, but unconsciously, Zhu Yuan's status in their hearts has become higher and higher, since His Majesty the Emperor gave this ship to the Lord Yinghai to serve as a boat, how can it be so ruined? ”

Feeling the gaze of the people around him, Liu Lian explained: "This official doesn't dare to make an assertion, this is Hanlin's own arrangement. ”

The camp sea envoy's own arrangement?

Hearing this, several people paused, thought about it again, and felt that someone had really done such a thing.

Liu Lian explained, then turned to Fang Li and got down to business: "Fang Langzhong, under the order of the envoy of the camp, brought 50,000 pieces of silver over for the purchase of private fish, and the silver money has been unloaded in Zhoushan Beigang, dare to ask how the fish have been caught recently?" ”

Today is the ninth day of the fifth month.

It had been nine days since the fishing fleet began to go to sea in early May.

Fang Li listened to Liu Lian's question, looked back at the surroundings, and said with a little unconcealable joy: "Fortunately, there have been no wind and waves recently, and the preliminary estimate is that 120,000 quintals of 7,000 quintals of fish have been caught in Zhoushan Beigang, including 68,000 quintals of official catches and 59,000 quintals of private catches." Oh, if Liu Langzhong doesn't send the money over, I really have to worry about how to continue to buy fish later. ”

When Fang Li went to sea, he also brought 50,000 pieces of silver.

According to the quotation of 1,000 wen a load of fish caught by Yinghai Division, it has been consumed at the moment, Fang Li also asked people to send a letter back yesterday, talking about the silver money, but he didn't expect Liu Lian to send the money.

Liu Lian nodded and continued to talk to Fang Li, but he was a little surprised by the total of 127,000 quintals of fish.

It's been less than 10 days.

However, when you think about it, it is exactly the right one.

From the beginning of May to the middle of June, in less than 50 days, Yinghai Division previously estimated that according to the weather and sea conditions, a total of 300,000 to 500,000 quintals of fish could be caught in this fishing flood, and 127,000 quintals were harvested in 9 days, which was completely expected.

It's just that it's really surprising.

127,000 quintals, converted to 12.7 million catties.

Ten million pounds!

Liu Lian couldn't help but feel the urge to go to the side of the boat to take a look at the fish in the sea again.

This sea is really as rich as the envoy of the camp sea said!

In addition, Liu Lian also noticed a detail, this time, the number of official arrests exceeded that of private arrests.

This should be the result of the addition of a large number of fishing equipment to compensate for the lack of nets.

Moreover, the total number of ships that Yinghai Division went to sea this time is actually quite a lot, more than 300 large ships above the 100 material level, and more than 800 small boats brought by Mingzhou fishermen who were previously incorporated into the Mingzhou Fishery Production Company, totaling more than 1,100 boats.

Compared with the total number of more than 3,700 fishing boats, accounting for nearly one-third, the total number of official vessels was only in the early 300s, but there were more than 1,300 private fishing vessels.

While a few people were talking, there was a sudden commotion on the north side of the ship, near the bow.

The voice came: "Shark, shark young!" ”

Immediately, everyone felt that the huge hull of the ship seemed to tremble slightly, and a group of people ran over to help.

Liu Lian and others also hurried over.

As soon as they approached, in the midst of the hustle and bustle, a dozen boatmen and fishermen dragged a large guy with hooks or harpoons onto the deck.

More people gathered around and watched the shark struggle and bounce on the deck.

"Basking shark."

"It's only a foot, and it hasn't grown yet."

"This basking shark lives in groups, and there must be other ones around."

“……”

Listening to the surrounding discussions, watching a group of boatmen and fishermen cautiously step forward, as if they had scruples, Liu Lian said loudly: "Killed, killed, don't hurt people." ”

As soon as Liu Lian's words fell, Xu You followed and spoke: "Be careful, don't hurt this good skin." ”

Fang Li saw Liu Lian glaring at Xu You, and was about to speak again, so he hurriedly explained: "Liu Langzhong don't worry, this is a basking shark, it doesn't hurt people." ”

Liu Lian relaxed a little at this time, and signaled to the people around him: "Don't get together, everyone is scattered, and everyone is busy." ”

When the surrounding boatmen and fishermen dispersed again, someone here had already found a fishing net to cover the shark, and the others stepped forward and carefully grinded to death this basking shark, which was a minor but also five or six hundred pounds.

After confirming that the shark was dead, Liu Lian and the others stepped forward.

Xu You didn't seem to remember the details of Liu Lian's glaring at him just now, and just admired: "Thousands of fishing boats have only caught more than 200 sharks in total these days, but as soon as Lang Zhong arrived, he had this kind of good goods." ”

Fang Li squatted down, opened the fish's mouth to look at it a few times, and said, "It's a pity that it's a little smaller, and an adult basking shark can have three feet." ”

Li Gui squatted down, stroked the shark crest and said: "The skin of the shark is the best material for making armor, and it was called 'Jiaojia' in ancient times, which is as famous as 'rhino armor', and it is rumored that it is invulnerable, but this one can make several sets of good armor." ”

Xu You saw that Liu Lian also squatted down, so he could only follow the crowd, squatted down and pointed to the fins: "This is delicious." ”

Liu Lian glanced over: "Hanlin has already designated this shark fin as the monopoly of the Yinghai Division, and it needs to be recorded." ”

Xu You said with a smile: "The lower officials know, because they are emotional, they have no mouth." ”

After everyone had said a few words, Liu Lian instructed the boatmen to handle the shark carefully and make a record, and then led a few people to the conference hall on the second floor of the upper cabin.

Not long after discussing in detail the details of this sea capture in the council room, a boatman suddenly came in a hurry to report that a large number of ships had come from the southeast.

Liu Lian and the others did not panic.

At present, in the southeast border, only his own people can gather a large number of ships, and Liu Lian happens to know that the Southern Expeditionary Army will send a batch of captured ships over in the near future.

Coming to the top deck of the upper cabin again, everyone looked southeast.

More than ten miles away, the sail mast is like a forest, and the sense of oppression is full.

Liu Lian looked through the binoculars and looked carefully, and confirmed that it was his own boat through the military flag, but there were still several military boats near the fishing ground to meet him.

Discuss a few words with Fang Li and Xu You, and a boat was also sent here.

Liu Lian hopes that the fleet will be able to bypass the fishing area and not disturb the fishing operations.

After more than half an hour, the military ship where Zhang Yi, the commander of the battalion Haiwei, and the flagship of the new fleet approached the giant boat together, and Liu Lian and his party knew the specific identity of the comer.

It was indeed the Southern Expeditionary Army that once again sent captured ships.

The commander of the fleet was a deputy commander of Yixingwei, named Chen Su, who led more than 2,100 people in the headquarters of Yixingwei, plus more than 1,700 soldiers under the command of He Zhen in Guangzhou, and more than 11,000 people in Guangzhou, totaling about 15,000 people.

The total number of large and small vessels was 726.

Among them, there are 337 ships of 500 materials and above that can be used to transport grain to the north, with a total of 270,000 materials, which is the same 270,000 stone load.

The remaining 389 ships have a total of 110,000.

Not only people and ships, compared to Wu Zhen and Zhang Cundao who came empty-handed before, this time the fleet also carried 130,000 stone of grain.

Seeing these ships and people, Liu Lian once again thought of the phrase that his own naval envoy often chanted, 'The plan can't catch up with the change'.

The change is that there are more and more ships.

The original plan, Yinghai Division planned to build 800 new ships with 500 materials, with a total load of 400,000 stones, Yao Feng's estimate, if the materials are enough, and there are enough manpower, 800 new ships can be completed in two months.

Actually, it's pretty much the same.

At present, shipbuilding factories have been opened in Suzhou, Hangzhou, Mingzhou, Wenzhou, Taizhou and other places, and recently, new ships with 500 materials have been launched like dumplings.

Although it took a long time to prepare for the timber and craftsmen in the early stage, so that only about 130 ships have been completed, all 800 new ships will be completely completed by the end of June after everything is ready.

Now, another batch has come from the south.

Liu Lian roughly calculated that in the second half of the year, Yinghai Division would only be a ship that could be used to transport grain north, and theoretically, the total load would exceed 1.2 million stones.

Moreover, after the completion of the first batch of 800 new ships in the shipbuilding program, the Camp Haiji will not stop.

Whether it is used for sea transportation or sea fishing, the Ying Hai Division will always build the boat.

This is likely to mean that next year, even if the old ships continue to be eliminated, after the new ships are replenished, the total load of the Yinghai Division's grain transportation fleet is expected to easily reach more than 1.5 million stones.

1,500,000 stones, two round-trips a year, that's 3,000,000 stones.

The peak of the Yuan Dynasty's maritime grain transportation was only about 3 million stones.

How long it took for Yuan Ting to achieve a transportation volume of 3 million stones from scratch, Liu Lian does not know, but it may only take a year or two for Yinghai Division to complete this goal.

Two years!

Moreover, the limit of the Yuan court is 3 million stones, but it does not mean that the limit of the Ming court is also 3 million quintals, and it is not impossible to double the 6 million stones in the future.

Thinking of this, Liu Lian really couldn't bypass his own camp to make the little adult.

It was the boy who did it all.

If this goal can be successfully achieved, Jinling will not have to be troubled by the silting of canals, and there will be no shortage of food in the north.

On top of the giant boat.

After getting to know each other and greeting each other, Zhang Yi, the commander of the battalion Haiwei, and Chen Sui, the deputy commander of Yixingwei, quickly got off the ship, and Zhang Yi will be responsible for leading Chen Su to lead the fleet to berth in Zhoushan North Port.

Zhoushan Beigang, which is the name set by Zhu Yuan, is located between Zhoushan Island and Changbai Island at the northwest end of Zhoushan Island, because the coastline is facing north, when the place name is determined, it is named Beigang.

In the current sail era, this port is an important transit stop from Dinghai through Zhoushan Island and then east or north.

】

Although Zhoushan Island is very close to Dinghai, there are only more than 70 miles of waterway left from Zhoushan Beigang again, but it is already afternoon, Chen Suo led the fleet to cross the Huang Dayang and then enter Zhoushan Beigang, it is expected to be dark, there is definitely no way to arrive at Dinghai today, can only anchor in Zhoushan for one night.