open sea

Chapter 625
"With a skilled person who has been to Majia Port, we can assign the pilot ship later."

The day before Chen Ju returned from Majia Port in North America, he just had a face-to-face meeting with Chen Mu at the port, and then directly changed to a river boat to report to the cabinet of the capital.

When he returns to the Beiyang Military Mansion, Chen Mu will have time to chat with him about the situation in North America.

The sea voyage for more than half a year, especially in the alpine region, made the elegant eunuch Chen Ju's face look more weathered, and his oval and rich oval face became more angular, making him look very tired.

Even though I have been resting for two days since returning to Beiyang, I still have dark circles under my eyes.

"Long-distance voyages are very dangerous. We guys have seen it this time. It's impossible without a pilot boat who is familiar with sea routes. The return journey is on the glaciers of the Blackwater Mohe Islands. There are about thousands of miles of headwinds and sea fog. It took a lot of effort."

"However, this road is short, and I am worried about accidents. I sent another three ships to go south to the equator and go north to the equator. The wind is smooth. This will probably still be at sea, and it should be in the waters of the Nanyang Military Mansion."

More than half a year of sea life made Chen Ju speak with the self-confidence of an old seaman, and said to Chen Mu: "Two fleets can be sent a year, one in March and April, and one in July and August. The length of the voyage is different. Wait for Chen Shuai to lead the Eastern Fleet Going to America, our supply ships can be like the big ships of Xiyi in the past."

As he said that, Chen Ju waved to his attendants. A long scroll of sea charts was spread on the table, from Daming in the west to the coast of America in the east. His palms covered the three big characters of the ocean area, and he said to Chen Mu: "Chen Shuai, please look. Here are the charts we drew along the way."

Chen Mu carefully looked at the beautifully painted sea chart with a new drawing method. On the map, a route was drawn in the north, and the mileage, wind direction, sea current direction, and islands encountered along the way were also marked.

But those three characters are not Pacific, but Cangmingzong.

Chen Mu was very pleased with this sea chart, just as he first saw Guan Yuangu making an exquisite breastplate—he can bring a certain degree of technological progress, but also loses the traditional Chinese culture through his hands. The aesthetic beauty of being.

Anything he directly participates in making is absolutely useful, including the vast majority of fast-track students in the martial arts hall who learn by subject. Military maps are military maps, and navigation charts are navigation charts, but should the value be higher?no way.

But Chen Ju is different. In his fleet, there are enough Jiangwutang admirals who have received professional education in different disciplines, which can make up for his shortcomings in drawing. Chen Ju himself has a good education, calligraphy and painting skills, political and military affairs. I know a little bit.

Chen Mu raised his hand to let Chen Ju wait a while, and picked and picked on the table, but found that there were only charcoal pens of various thicknesses, so he had to ask someone to offer pens and ink, and wrote "Chen Lingang Canghai Tu" at the end of the volume with a brush. Postscript time, Wanli Ding Chou Zhongchun.

Lingang is Chen Ju's number, and Chen Mu is not arrogant enough to write his own name on the charts that others worked so hard for.

After putting down his pen, he pulled back his sleeves and said with a smile to Chen Ju: "Why, Chen's handwriting is not disgraceful now, right? This is my first map of the sea in China. Hundreds of years later, it will be a national treasure. of."

Chen Mu's handwriting is indeed not as ugly as the rumors in the past, but it can't be called handsome and majestic.

After all, his main energy is not in reading and practicing calligraphy, and any scholar has worked much harder on this matter than him.

"National treasure? Then shall we draw another picture for Chen Shuai?"

Chen Ju's face showed no fluctuations except for his eyes, and there was no modesty in his words. He just looked at Chen Mu with a faint worry about whether the general Dongyang was still healthy.

He didn't feel that he drew casually, and it wasn't considered casual. He put in a lot of effort, but the things he drew became national treasures as soon as Chen Mu inscribed them. Are you Chen Mu's fingers consecrated?

Chen Mu was very serious, put the pen back and nodded heavily, his eyes lit up: "Yes, draw me another one when you have time later, using fine silk."

After laughing, he clapped his hands, pointed at the chart and said, "Let's talk about the business first. If you can't finish the business, you can go to Dagukou to rest for a few days. Beiyang has given special training to the flag army in the past two months, and sometimes it will be noisy at night. You just I'm afraid I won't sleep well after returning from the sea."

Heifang eunuch let out a long breath, subconsciously wanting to refuse with the vigor of not admitting defeat, he shook his head halfway, then sighed, nodded and said: "Well, go to Dagu."

After finishing speaking, he brushed the back of his hand across the picture, and said seriously: "Long voyages are mostly when the weather is calm, but the voyage is too far, it is not suitable to sail with a large fleet of more than ten. I have seen the ships of Xiyi, they are at the same time at the bow and stern. We all have lights, but their lights are much brighter than lanterns."

"It's brighter at night to go far. Next time we go on a long voyage, we need to install a few glazed lamps on the ship. Otherwise, the fleet will be more than ten, and the end to end will be two miles away, and it will be easy to get lost."

"Glass cup?"

Chen Mu understood that the lamps on the westerners' boats were glass lamps. Chen Mu nodded and said, "This is easy to handle. Four months ago, an oil refinery was built in the northeast of the Beiyang Yamen, and the fire oil was refined using the lighting method of the people in the northwest. Last time, now we can separate the kerosene for special lighting, let’s make a few lamps with colored glaze first.”

"If the cost is high, let's start with the high cost. We have to make the glass ourselves. Lin Afeng has messed up the western route. I don't know if Puyi who recruited to Haojing to open a glass factory will survive. Let Liuli It is convenient for the factory to figure it out and get the glass out."

It's best if you can get it out, and there's nothing you can do if you can't get it out. At worst, wait for the Dongyang Fleet to set sail and bring this method back.

"What about Magui's situation?"

"Ma Shuai is alright, the loss of troops has reached the point where he lives in Majia Port. There are only more than [-] people left, fishing, hunting and farming. This time, hundreds of reinforcements and supplies are left behind, enough to support him for a while. They plan to go west to trade with the local natives. , and properly recruit some people, and after Majiagang can support hundreds of people, then head east, and transport more horses and dogs to them for the next load."

Horse, horse is the lump in Chen Mu's heart. He nodded and said: "I won't be a good person this time, so I will ask the imperial court to transfer the horse. Find someone to sell it to me."

"Oh, by the way, this is the letter that Ma Shuai wants to give to Chen Shuai. He said that he wrote about his gains and losses on this Eastern Expedition. I hope Chen Shuai can read it carefully and listen to his suggestions."

The thin booklet was called "The Record of Cutting Thorns", and Chen Mu took it in his hands as if he was carrying a weight, and the hairs on his face burst out for a moment-for this thin booklet, they lost more than 700 masters.

When he opened the "Record of Cutting Thorns", all the problems of this expedition appeared in his eyes.

They thought they were crossing the ocean to fight a war, but in reality they were fighting to survive.

(End of this chapter)