The Rise of Ming Dynasty 1646

Chapter 514 Longjiang Shipyard
The sixi meatballs in Yuejiangge come in two flavors: steamed and roasted, both of which are exquisitely made, and can be opened with chopsticks.Zhu Lin took a piece and put it in her mouth, it was really soft and delicious, full of fresh fragrance.

Zhu Linmi raised her eyes and saw a big river in the distance branching off from the Yangtze River and rushing towards the northwest. This is the Longjiang River next to Nanjing City.

On the east side of the river bank, there is a large area of ​​well-regulated buildings. During this period, there are several square open spaces of different sizes, with many wooden frames and cables piled up on them.

These square spaces range from six to seven feet in size to ten feet in size, and they are the berths of the Longjiang Shipyard.However, after a long period of sea ban, there were only sparse personnel walking back and forth within the shipyard, which seemed quite depressed.

"One, two, three..." Zhu Linmi counted in turn, and said in amazement, "No, this Longjiang Shipyard has only four berths, big and small?"

While he was talking, a waiter from the shop came in to serve food, and he said with a smile: "The number of guest officers is wrong, there are only two slipways on the northernmost side, and the two to the east are drying yards."

Zhu Linmei frowned and asked, "Longjiang has always been the largest shipyard in Ming Dynasty, how come there are only two slipways?"

"The guest officer is not a local, is he?" the waiter said, "Originally there were four slipways. After the Tartars occupied Nanjing, they kept appropriating money from the shipyard, and the slipways gradually fell into disuse. The two small slipways on the north side were built next to each other. The fishing boats survived."

"I see." Zhu Linmei nodded slightly when she heard the words. Jianlu boasted that he was invincible with bows and horses.

However, since the Qiantang water battle, Jianlu has suffered successive losses in front of the Daming Navy, and he has paid the price for his arrogance.If they had ordered the Longjiang Shipyard to build warships at full capacity, it would have been a hundred times more difficult for Ming to go to the Northern Expedition than it is now.

Seeing that he seemed very interested, the waiter in the shop pointed to the south side of the shipyard and said courteously: "Guest officer, look there. Yes, it's just a few pieces of wasteland that is about thirty feet long and doesn't grow vegetation. The little one heard what my grandfather said. , that is the big berth of the Longjiang Shipyard, where the Fengzhou was built during the Jiajing period. It is said that the Fengzhou was more than 20 feet long, and the sails covered the sky, as straight as a mountain.

Seal the boat?Zhu Linming's heart moved, this boat was specially built by Ming Dynasty for the canonization of Ryukyu, and it was built extremely huge and luxurious to show the majesty of the Celestial Dynasty.According to the estimated size, the displacement of this ship is probably over a thousand tons.

He subconsciously said: "Why is it so deserted?"

The shop clerk smiled and said, "It's not because of the ban on the sea. It has been abandoned for seven or eighty years, and now there is only an outline visible. Speaking of it," he pointed to a village further south, "There used to be a slipway under that village. , but that was all during the Yongle period, and it was abandoned for more than a hundred years."

Zhu Linmi looked at the small village, and she could indeed vaguely see that it was built on a foundation of fifty or sixty feet square.He immediately remembered the word "Yongle" that Xiao Er had just said, and a word popped up in his mind - Zheng He's voyages to the West.

Sure enough, the shop waiter continued: "It is said that the big treasure ship driven by Grandpa Sanbao was built there. Speaking of treasure ships, that head..."

Suddenly someone downstairs shouted loudly: "Shi Quan, where did you go to be lazy?"

"Ah! The shopkeeper calls me, the guest officer eats slowly, and the young one takes my leave."

The store clerk left, but Zhu Linmi's thoughts were still on the treasure ship.During the Yongle period, Daming was able to build [-]-ton treasure ships, which was almost at the peak of the world's shipbuilding. These [-]-ton ships are quite strenuous.

In just over a hundred years, Daming has fallen all the way from being the overlord of the sea in the east.

This is simply a tragedy!He looked at the Longjiang Shipyard, which was no longer in existence, and thought to himself, this shipyard that once wrote a legend for Daming must not be destroyed like this!

If the Longjiang shipyard can be restored to the state of the Yongle Year, and combined with its latest warship blueprint, in time, Da Ming will be able to build the strongest warship in the world, and then possess a strength that even the old European maritime powers will look up to. Sailor!
In the age of great voyages, only by controlling the ocean can we stand at the pinnacle of this world!Daming wasted precious opportunities in history and gave up the sea with his own hands. Longjiang Shipyard is a silent complaint.

But now that I am in charge of the Ming Dynasty, this painful historical lesson will never be repeated!
With his heart racing, he couldn't taste the delicacy of Sixi meatballs, so he only took two bites of rice in a hurry, and then rushed to the Longjiang shipyard two miles away.

According to his previous instructions, some folks are already tidying up and cleaning in the shipyard.

Liu Sheng, who was originally in charge of the Longjiang Shipyard, heard that His Royal Highness the Assistant Government King was coming, so he rushed out to greet him.He is more familiar with the situation in the shipyard and has no bad deeds of seductiveness, so Zhu Linmi still let him stay in the shipyard.

When Liu Sheng saw the young man in coarse cloth in front of him, he was stunned for a while before bowing down to salute, and then he reported the situation of the shipyard's reconstruction, "Your Highness, the shipwrights who escaped when the thieves stole their money heard that His Highness was raised." Three times the wages, most of them have returned to the nearby villages. The officials ordered a lot of boat materials according to His Highness's instructions, and they will be delivered one after another in the next few days."

He led the way at the head, and when he reached the north side of the shipyard, he looked at the slipway and said, "Your Highness, the two slipways that can be used by the shipyard have been cleared and can be started at any time."

Zhu Linmi looked at the two small and pitiful slipways, frowned and asked Liu Sheng, "I wonder when the other slipways will be reopened?"

"Returning to Your Highness, there are a lot of materials piled up on the two larger berths next to it, and it will take at least seven or eight days to clear them out..."

Zhu Linmi pointed far to the south, "I mean those slipways that are thirty feet square."

Liu Sheng was stunned for a moment before he realized it, and said in surprise: "Your Highness, those three slipways have been abandoned for a long time, and I'm afraid it will be in a short time... Besides, even if they are repaired, they will not be able to build such a large ship right now."

"Wailang Pangzhu, a member of the Ministry of Industry, will bring the craftsmen from Nan'an Shipyard here in a few days. He intends to build a warship of [-] tons, which is about [-] materials." Zhu Linmi immediately said, "In the future We will build bigger ones, the two small slipways in front of us are far from enough.”

A warship with [-] materials? !Liu Sheng stared wide-eyed, since the Jiajing Dynasty, Daming has not built such a large ship for decades!
"You don't have to worry about the money." Zhu Linmi continued, "You can spend as much as you want. I will definitely restore the Longjiang Shipyard to its former glory."

Seven generations of Liu Sheng's family worked in the Longjiang Shipyard, and they also had great affection for the shipyard. Hearing that Longjiang was going to be revived, he thought about it for a while, and said excitedly, "Return to Your Highness, as long as there is enough money and food, the next official promises to order you within a month." The slipway on the south side is usable!"

(End of this chapter)