Chapter 993: Decline
The ship continued to sail against the wind and waves. Under the command of the captain and the first mate, the sailors of the Liberty climbed the tall masts and adjusted the sails according to the wind direction at any time.

Unlike the ships of the Ming Dynasty, the European galleons used soft sails, and in order to better utilize the wind direction, these sails were often stacked, requiring relatively high sailing skills. In contrast, the Ming Dynasty ships used hard sails, which were relatively easy to maneuver, which also led to the difference in the navigation technology directions of the two sides.

Looking at the sailors climbing on the masts and the busy adjustments made under the orders of the first mate, their fleet was sailing at a relatively high speed. Wang Fuzhi could not help but sigh, the speed of this galleon was indeed fast, and he could clearly feel it standing on the deck.

"Yes, that's the good thing about European ships. They are fast and relatively flexible at sea. But our Ming ships are not bad either. The hard sails are not so complicated to operate, and the number of sailors used is slightly smaller. Moreover, the hard sails can use the wind from all directions, which is something their soft sails cannot do. It's just that they are not as fast."

Wang Fuzhi nodded. Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. The ancients were right. This voyage really broadened his horizons. He not only saw the vastness of the world, but also saw many things he had never seen before.

Just like the galleon they were on, he had discussed similar topics with Zheng Hongkui before, and even imagined what the powerful fleet of Zheng He was like when he sailed to the West. Unfortunately, Zheng He's fleet had long since become a thing of the past. Over the past two hundred years, the Ming Dynasty not only lost the ocean, but also lost the navigation technology it originally had. This is a pity.

It was not only the difference in navigation technology, but also the difference in ships. Although Wang Fuzhi also admitted that Zheng Hongkui made sense in some aspects, after all, Zheng Hongkui was a professional. But the two of them also thought that the strength of European ships was not only the ships themselves, but also the combat effectiveness of the cannons on board. The ordinary warships of the Ming Navy only had one or two cannons, and even the main battleships only carried a few cannons, but a galleon could have more than 30 cannons, which was incredible.

For example, the flagship Liberty had thirty-four guns, sixteen on each side, and one at the bow and one at the stern. When the battle started, she could face the enemy with one side of the ship and fire all the guns at the same time, which was extremely powerful.

How could such a warship be matched by the ordinary Ming warships? Moreover, according to the Portuguese commanders and captains, their ships were only ordinary in terms of firepower. The most powerful warships in Europe were the famous Spanish galleons. The strongest warships of the Spanish Navy had two to three decks and could be equipped with more than 60 to 80 guns. The firepower of just one such warship was two to three times that of their galleons.

In addition, the Spanish Navy has several of the most advanced warships with a tonnage of an astonishing thousand tons, carrying more than a hundred artillery pieces. These artillery pieces are fully equipped, including cannons, long guns, rotary guns, falcon guns, etc., from near to far, suitable for complex and changeable battle scenes.

The reason why the Spanish Navy was able to roam the world and was called the strongest navy at the time was because of its profound foundation. Even though it was defeated by the British in the naval battle with Britain because of underestimating the enemy, Spain is still the overlord of the ocean today, and firmly controls the shipping routes to the New World with its maritime strength.

However, they have not been able to see such large ships for the time being, because these Spanish sailing ships basically sail on the route from Europe to the New World, and they are very rare on the route from Ming Dynasty to Europe.

But no matter what, when they learned that Europe actually had such powerful warships, both Zheng Hongkui and Wang Fuzhi showed surprised expressions, especially Zheng Hongkui, who was looking forward to this mission to Europe. As the admiral of the Ming Navy, he was well aware of the great role of warships. Moreover, he was going to Europe as a deputy envoy. Before departure, the emperor told him that in order to obtain advanced shipbuilding technology from Europe, he must bring these technologies, including technicians, back to Ming, and then combine them with Ming's existing technologies to restore Ming's glory at sea.

"My two gentlemen, what are you talking about?" Adolf came out of the cabin at some point and came to the deck. Seeing Wang Fuzhi and Zheng Hongkui chatting, he smiled and came closer.

"Hello, Your Excellency the Viscount, why are you out too?" Zheng Hongkui greeted Adolf with a smile. Adolf was different from Wang Fuzhi and the others. As a member of the nobility, he dressed warmly even on the boat. According to him, this was the identity and demeanor that a noble should maintain.

I don't know what this guy was thinking. The weather in the Indian Ocean is already hot. Even on the ship, the temperature has reached over 30 degrees Celsius. If it were in the cabin, the temperature would be even higher. Wang Fuzhi and Zheng Hongkui were both wearing shorts, and the latter even opened his arms. He came to the deck to get some fresh air because he couldn't stand the high temperature.

On the other hand, Adolf was not only wearing a lace shirt and slim pants, but also a coat on the outside. His face was flushed red and sweat was dripping down his forehead. He held a handkerchief in his hand and kept wiping it, but he was unwilling to take off this burden.

"It's too hot today. Staying down there is like being in hell. So I can only come out like you to experience the vastness of the ocean." Adolf explained elegantly, wiping his sweat with a handkerchief. Seeing his embarrassed appearance, Wang Fuzhi and Zheng Hongkui both laughed. They both felt that this guy asked for it. Why should he be so restrained in such bad conditions on the ship? But Adolf insisted on doing so. After trying to persuade him once before, they never persuaded him again.

The three of them were also considered friends. Adolf had come into contact with Wang Fuzhi and Zheng Hongkui during the Ming Dynasty, and they were already familiar with each other. After arriving at sea, they were on the same ship almost day and night, and they became more familiar with each other.

During the days they spent together, Wang Fuzhi often asked Adolf about many things in Europe, in order to understand the current situation and complex situation of European countries, so as to prepare for the subsequent arrival in Europe. As for Adolf, he also gave a detailed explanation, and at the same time, he enthusiastically asked Wang Fuzhi many questions about the Ming Dynasty. Although Adolf had spent a lot of time in the Ming Dynasty before, because of his status, he spent most of his time in the guesthouse of the Honglu Temple. His understanding of many things in the Ming Dynasty was only superficial, and he was limited by the actual situation. In addition, he could not understand the language. Even if Adolf went to several places in the capital to play, he only saw the fur. Adolf was shocked and extremely curious about the Ming Dynasty, the most powerful and rich Eastern empire in the world.

Unfortunately, due to the short time and the lack of a suitable guide, Adolf only had a cursory tour of the Ming Dynasty and a preliminary understanding. But even so, it did not hinder Adolf's immense yearning and curiosity for the Ming Dynasty, because Wang Fuzhi was not only an official of the Ming Dynasty, but also the chief envoy to Europe this time, and a scholar of the Ming Dynasty. Especially after initially understanding the Ming Dynasty's imperial examination system, Adolf personally highly respected this advanced system of the Ming Dynasty, and he also admired Wang Fuzhi, a scholar who was selected as an official through the imperial examination system and was able to serve in the Hanlin Academy, which was the most respected by Ming Dynasty scholars.

It is for this reason that while Adolf is explaining the situation in Europe to Wang Fuzhi, he will also sincerely ask Wang Fuzhi for advice on various aspects of the Ming Dynasty, such as customs, etiquette, political system, and sometimes even talk about topics such as academics, poetry, calligraphy and painting, and music.

Adolf was extremely impressed by Wang Fuzhi's profound knowledge. As the two sides spent more time in contact, not only did they each gain a lot, but they also became good friends.

In addition, the two sides also learned each other's languages. Now Wang Fuzhi could communicate with Adolf in simple French and German. As for Zheng Hongkui, he also learned some, but his language ability was not as good as Wang Fuzhi's. He spoke haltingly and could only communicate barely.

On the contrary, Adolf had some talent for languages. He learned Chinese well, and his stiff Ming Dynasty Mandarin became more and more fluent in daily conversations.

With the arrival of Adolf, the three of them started chatting enthusiastically, starting with the damn weather and then talking about the upcoming arrival in Goa.

Adolf passed by Goa when he came. It was the colonial capital of the Kingdom of Portugal in this region and one of the most important supply bases for Portugal on its route from Europe to the Orient.

Not only would Portuguese ships stop in Goa for supplies and rest on their way between the East and the West, but also other European ships would stop here. In addition, Arab ships would also come to Goa for trade, but the Arabs generally only reached Goa and did not continue their voyage to the East.

"Why is that? The people of Arabia are much closer to Ming Dynasty from where they are, so why do they only go to Goa instead of continuing to Ming Dynasty?" Wang Fuzhi asked curiously.

The so-called Tianfang is the name given to Arabia by the Ming Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, Arabia was called Dashi, and in the Ming Dynasty, this name became Tianfang. But no matter what, the exchanges between Arabia and China have existed for a long time. The famous Silk Road runs from the Western Regions of China to Arabia, and then transits from Arabia to Europe.

It can be seen that Arab commerce has been prosperous since ancient times. Arab merchants have been involved in trade between Asia and Europe very early on. In addition, Arabia's location at the junction of Asia and Europe has further promoted the development of its commerce.

Moreover, in Chinese history, Arab merchants have arrived in China to do business since the Han Dynasty, and there are even many who have lived in China all year round. Especially before the Ming Dynasty, many cities were inhabited by Arabs. After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, this situation gradually decreased and was eventually replaced by Westerners from Europe.

Adolf smiled and said, "The Arabs did have their glory, but since the European Renaissance, their power in the ocean has been surpassed by the European countries. With the advent of the Age of Exploration, the European countries began to explore the ocean."

"At first, the Arabs could rely on their original foundation to compete with the European countries, but then Europe's navigation technology continued to develop, and the Arabs could no longer compete with us on the ocean. Moreover, over the past hundred years, the European countries have not only opened up routes to the East, but also occupied routes to the New World, and defeated the Arab fleet on the ocean, monopolizing the entire trade route."

"In addition, European countries, such as Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands, are also expanding overseas and establishing many colonies. The emergence of colonies and the use of force have further weakened the influence of Arabs in these regions. In addition, the Arab countries have been plagued by internal wars over the past century, and their national strength has continued to decline. Arabs have lost their initial glory."

"That's why it's hard for Arabs to enter the Far East and trade directly with China as before. Although Arabs are weak, they are still powerful in the Middle East, and European countries will not completely restrict Arab trade. For these reasons, the two sides have made a division. European countries allow Arabs to trade via Goa. Goa happens to be located in the middle of the route from Europe to China. From a geographical point of view, it is the most suitable transit trade port. This is also the main reason why Arabs trade via Goa at present."

(End of this chapter)

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like