Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 410: Miles Route

The next day, Fan Qiuchan, dressed in a Taoist robe and a fluttering scarf on his head, with red lips and white teeth, looked like a male vixen who had walked out of a painting. He followed Lu Jin into the Marshal's Mansion with a pile of blank manuscripts in his arms. Along the way, he attracted the attention of many officials, who thought that Lu Jin had found this young scholar from somewhere.

"Marshal." The guard at the gate of the Marshal's Mansion saluted immediately when he saw Lu Jin.

"Yes." Lu Jin nodded. "I asked someone to invite Mr. Huanzhang. Is he here?"

The guard said quickly, "I have sent someone to invite him. He will be here soon."

"When Mr. Huanzhang arrives, take him directly to the classroom in the other courtyard at the back."

"Yes." The guard immediately bowed in agreement.

After Lu Jin finished speaking, he took Fan Qiuchan directly to the villa at the back. There were guards guarding the gate of the courtyard. The defense was so strict with layers upon layers that it was astonishing.

Lu Jin then said to the guard at the gate, "This is Miss Fan, the painter I invited. She can also come in and out of the villa from now on. Remember?"

The guard looked at Fan Qiuchan, and when he heard Lu Jin's address, he realized that this was actually a woman dressed as a man. He remembered her appearance, then looked away and said, "Yes."

When Lu Jin led her into the courtyard, she couldn't help but grin and stick out her tongue, "The defense here is so tight, doesn't the Marshal usually not allow the officials in the Marshal's Mansion to enter this courtyard?"

"Of course, no one can come in unless they get my permission."

"Then what's in this villa?" Fan Qiuchan asked curiously.

"You'll know if you go in and take a look."

Lu Jin took out the key and unlocked the door, then took her into the main room, where they saw four octagonal tables lined up in a row to form a long desk. In the middle of the long table was a three-foot-long ship model, and on the table were scattered some drawings, pencils, rulers and other drawing tools.

There are two blackboards hanging on the east and west walls of the room, one of which has a world map drawn on it. In the corner, there is also an extra-large globe with a diameter of one meter, with longitude and latitude clearly marked on it. The strangest thing is that the zero-degree longitude mark on this globe is the main peak of Nanjing Purple Mountain.

This is obviously the secret room where Lu Jin usually draws maps.

"What an exquisite ship, but I have never seen this type of ship before. The bow is pointed, and there are four masts. The sails are also much higher than those of ordinary ships."

Fan Qiuchan looked at the boat model on the table and asked curiously, "Is this some kind of magic weapon that can change size and enlarge when it encounters water and can carry people?"

Lu Jin rolled his eyes speechlessly and complained, "I told you there are no gods in this world, how could there be a ship that can be big or small?"

Fan Qiuchan was immediately puzzled and asked, "But this boat is so lifelike, just like the real thing. If it's not a magic weapon, why would they make such a small boat and put it here?"

Lu Jin explained, "This is called a ship model, which is a model of a ship. When you women make shoes, you will first cut out a shoe shape with paper. This ship model is the shape of that shoe. First make the ship model, and then let the craftsmen make a real ship based on it."

"Oh, I understand. Gongshu is really smart. He makes a prototype of something he has never seen before so that the craftsmen can learn from it and won't make mistakes." Fan Qiuchan understood immediately.

"You are quite smart sometimes." Lu Jin commented with a teachable expression.

Fan Qiuchan heard that Lu Jin was insulting her, snorted, put down the manuscript, saw the globe again, walked up to him and asked.

"Then what is this big ball? Is it also a model? There are words on it, Jiankang, Xuzhou, Dadu. Could it be a map? But why should a map be drawn on a ball? Could it be that the earth beneath our feet is a ball?" Thinking of this possibility, Fan Qiuchan looked at Lu Jin in surprise, wanting to get Lu Jin's confirmation.

Lu Jin nodded, "It is indeed a model of the earth. It is also called a globe. You can also regard it as a kind of map."

After getting Lu Jin's affirmation, Fan Qiuchan became even more surprised. He began to squat in front of the globe to examine it carefully. He also saw Goryeo, Japan, Ryukyu, Annan, Champa and other places. There was also a place called Ryugui Kingdom above Japan.

She gently moved the globe with her hand and found that it could still rotate. Then she discovered that there was a huge piece of land opposite the East China Sea, marked as Lizhou. Continuing to rotate, she saw Africa, Europe, the South Asian subcontinent, Australia, etc., which immediately shocked her even more.

"So the world we live in is actually so big besides China?! Is this what Gongshuzi said, that there are nine states outside the nine states?"

"Yes." Lu Jin nodded again in affirmation.

"But this Lizhou looks so huge, why has no one ever discovered it before?" Fan Qiuchan suddenly asked puzzled again.

Lu Jin raised his chin and said, "Do you see the Pacific Ocean between China and Lizhou?"

“Well, isn’t this the East China Sea?”

"The East China Sea you are talking about is more than 40,000 miles wide, from the coast of China to Lizhou on the other side. No one knew about it before, but that was simply because no one could cross it."

"Just a little over one foot on this ball is 40,000 miles long?!" Fan Qiuchan was stunned when he heard this.

"Has the Marshal ever been to Lizhou on the other side of the river?"

Lu Jin didn't tell her, "Guess?"

Fan Qiuchan curled his lips when he heard this, "If you don't want to tell me, then don't tell me."

Lu Jin then said, "I've been to some places, and not to some, but I know them all. This is something that every Gongshu disciple must learn. That's why I said that no matter where Fang Guozhen runs to, I can catch him. Anyway, no matter how far he runs, he can't escape from this earth. He can't fly to the moon."

She had also heard Dai talk about the letter that Lu Jin wrote to Fang Guozhen. Only now did she realize that Lu Jin was not bluffing. He really knew the four polar charts and the places on the globe. Fang Guozhen probably only knew these places along the coast of China.

At this moment, Wang Dayuan was finally brought in by the guards. As soon as he entered the yard, he saw Lu Jin through the open door.

He quickly bowed and said, "My lord, what do you want from me?"

When Wang Dayuan entered the house, he saw that there was another person in the house.

Lu Jin immediately introduced, "Nothing, just asking about your boat, and also telling you about the route plan. This is the painter I invited, Miss Fan. I plan to ask her to draw a picture album of Lizhou's crops, so that you can find them by following the map when the time comes." Lu Jin also introduced Fan Qiuchan, "This is Wang Dayuan from Jiangxi, Mr. Wang Huanzhang. He went to sea alone at the age of 20, sailed more than 100,000 miles, and visited India, Persia, the Mediterranean and other places. He is the Chinese who has sailed the farthest overseas."

Wang Dayuan hurriedly bowed and said, "Compared with Gongshu, how dare I claim to be the one who sailed the farthest? My lord, you really flatter me. I am honored to meet this Miss Fan."

Fan Qiuchan also hurriedly bowed and said, "Greetings, Mr. Huanzhang."

After the two of them exchanged greetings, Lu Jin then asked about the main business, "Tell me, how is the shipyard going?"

Wang Dayuan immediately reported his work in a serious manner.

"My lord, Captain Longjiang's Dock No. 1 has been dug, and the inner wall is lined with blue bricks. The herringbone gate is ingeniously designed and has been made by craftsmen. It is made of elm and iron supports, and water injection and drainage experiments have been done. The dock is now capable of construction, and the gantry crane above is currently being installed and debugged.

"There is also a timber yard supporting the shipyard. Now we are processing timber while building it. We built several steam kilns and salt ponds according to the method suggested by the lord. The newly cut timber is put into the steam kiln for four steaming and four drying. We steam it three days a week and dry it four days a week, repeating four times. The dryness of the timber when it leaves the kiln is equivalent to that of ten years of natural drying in the shade. It is really a sharp tool for woodworking!

"The old carpenters in the shipyard were all amazed, saying that Gongshu was indeed the ancestor of all craftsmen, and that there were such miraculous carpentry techniques in the world."

Lu Jin waved his hand, "That's just a steam drying process, but you have to remember that after the newly cut wood is dried once, it must be soaked in concentrated salt water for a month, soak the wood thoroughly with salt water, and then dry it for another month. Only in this way can the wood be resistant to insects and tougher, and can it be used to build ships.

"This ship is going to cross the ocean. The lives of all of you on board depend on it. If the workmanship is not up to standard and it breaks down halfway, you will be helpless. You must strictly supervise every aspect of the construction at the shipyard."

"Yes, I will personally supervise every aspect of it." Wang Dayuan responded solemnly.

"Yeah." Lu Jin nodded, then came to the world map on the blackboard and said to him.

"I have already drawn the globe, and I will tell you the route this time."

Lu Jin casually drew the various ocean currents of the Pacific Ocean on the map and then spoke.

“Rivers have upstream and downstream. When a ship goes downstream, the current is strong and it can travel a thousand miles a day. The ocean also has currents. When planning a route, it is best to have both favorable wind and favorable current so that the ship can travel faster.

"Looking at this ocean current map, which route do you think is best to take from the western Pacific Ocean to the west coast of Lizhou across the way?"

This was the first time that Wang Dayuan heard about ocean currents in the sea. He immediately came to the blackboard, and Fan Qiuchan followed him.

After carefully examining it, Wang Dayuan said, "It seems that if we follow this North Pacific warm current, we can drift to the other side smoothly? But this North Pacific warm current seems to start from Japan. Do we have to go to Japan first, and then start from Japan and cross the Pacific Ocean to the east?"

Lu Jin explained, "This is indeed the best route. We sail from Japan's Edo Bay and head east along the warm current of the North Pacific. With full sail and favorable wind and current, with the speed of our fast ship, we may only need thirty days to cross the 40,000 miles to the other side. But this route is also very dangerous. Do you know where the danger is?"

Wang Dayuan frowned and nodded, "There are deep seas and oceans along the way. There are no landmarks. We can only use star-pulling to navigate. It is easy to get lost. There are no supplies along the way. Once we get lost, we will be trapped in this vast ocean forever."

Only then did Fan Qiuchan understand that Lu Jin was building ships and recruiting famous sailors because he wanted to send people across the ocean to Lizhou on the other side. She also just realized how dangerous it was to cross the ocean. No wonder no one had ever known the world on the other side of the East China Sea before.

Lu Jin also nodded and then spoke.

"So for your first trip to Lizhou, I planned a longer route for you to be safe. This route is equally dangerous. The downside is that it is farther than the Pacific warm current, and the weather along the way is even worse. The upside is that there are places to get supplies along the way."

"My lord, please tell me, if there is a place where we can get supplies, then we can accept the bad weather."

Lu Jin immediately took the chalk and began to draw lines. "From the mouth of the Yangtze River, the first stop is Jeju Island. This place was obtained by the Koreans from the Yuan court. It was originally our Chinese territory, called Tamra. Now the Koreans raise horses on it. There are people and fresh water here. It will not take more than seven days to get from the mouth of the Yangtze River to Tamra Island.

"Continue northward from Jeju Island and cross the Tsushima Strait. Tsushima Island and Iki Island are the nests of the Japanese pirates. If you encounter Japanese pirates when you pass through here, you don't have to pay attention to them. Just fire your cannon to scare them away. Your ship is fast, and as long as you don't fight, no one can catch up with you.

"After crossing the Tsushima Strait, go directly to Sapporo in Chengzhou (Hokkaido). This is a river valley where you can replenish fresh water and firewood, or exchange some game with the locals. Just bring enough food on the ship. The journey from Tamra to Sapporo will not take more than ten days at most.

"Then continue northward from Sapporo, along the Kuril Islands to Ryuki Country (Kamchatka Peninsula). There is an estuary here, and you can also get fresh water and firewood. However, there are many brown bears here, up to tens of thousands of them. When you go ashore to get supplies, you must bring weapons to prevent attacks by wild animals. This journey will not take more than seven days."

Upon hearing this, Wang Dayuan laughed and said, "It is said that camelback bear paws are the most delicious. I have never eaten bear paws. If I were to come here, I would definitely hunt a few bears to taste them."

Lu Jin thought for a moment before saying, "You can stay here for a few more days, especially to replenish your fresh water and charcoal. You must bring enough, because we will officially start the journey eastward later, and it will be difficult for you to replenish your supplies."

"Yes." Wang Dayuan immediately wrote it down solemnly.

Lu Jin continued, "From here in Liugui Country, you have entered the prevailing westerly wind belt, which is the planetary wind of the earth. There is a wind ring at each of the North and South Poles. The westerly wind blows all year round. The wind is very strong and does not change direction throughout the year.

"After you finish replenishing supplies in Liugui Country, you can take advantage of this westerly wind and sail eastward with full sails. Following this string of Qingqiu Islands (Aleutian Islands), you can reach Lizhou on the other side. However, this place is extremely cold in winter and rainy in summer. You must be prepared for heavy rain for the next half month. You won't even be able to dry clothes and quilts by then."

Fan Qiuchan interrupted and said, "Isn't Qingqiu a legendary place in the Classic of Mountains and Seas? I heard that there are many fox fairies in Qingqiu?"

"There are no fox fairies, but there are indeed many foxes on these islands. Moreover, because this string of islands is located in the westerly belt, the strong winds all year round mean that not even a single tree can grow on these islands. There is only bare moss. From a distance, they look like green hills. In addition, there are many foxes on the islands, so Gongshu called them Qingqiu."

"So that's how it is." Fan Qiuchan nodded in understanding.

Wang Dayuan frowned and asked, "So, we can't cut firewood in this chain of Qingqiu Islands. Is there a place to shelter from the wind and get fresh water?"

"There are some. The largest of these islands is called Qingqiu Island. Although there are no trees on the island, there are freshwater rivers and several natural ports where you can temporarily anchor. However, I do not recommend anchoring here unless it is absolutely necessary. You are going there next summer. Qingqiu is prone to storms and bad weather in the summer. If you stay too long, accidents may occur."

Wang Dayuan nodded and said, "I'll remember this."

"After passing the Qingqiu Islands, you will reach Lizhou. You can check the remaining water and firewood on the ship. If you need to replenish, you can go to Inuit Bay (the capital of Alaska) to replenish fresh water and firewood. If you do not need to replenish, you can go south along the west coast of Lizhou, replenish once at Changchun Bay (Vancouver/Seattle), continue south, replenish once at Jinchuan Port (San Francisco), and then sail south again to reach the destination of this trip, the Maya and Aztec countries.

“Find the crops I want, then follow the North Equatorial Current and drift westwards. First, go to Manila on Luzon Island in the South Pacific for supplies, then go to Pingzhou (Taiwan) for supplies, and finally enter the Yangtze River and return to Jiankang.

"This journey is hundreds of thousands of miles. Do you remember it?"

(End of this chapter)