My Pen Pal Zhu Yuanzhang

Chapter 336: Brand New Battleship

After Li Wenzhong finished speaking, before Tang He could speak, Xu Da hurriedly asked, "Your Majesty, is it true? Did the strange man really send a method to move the cannons onto the ship?"

As he spoke, his expression became more and more proud. "As early as when the first steamship of the Ming Dynasty was on trial voyage, I had already said that these cannons would be installed on the ship sooner or later. Hehe, it seems that I, Old Xu, am still very foresighted."

Then he saw Li Wenzhong and Tang He looking at him with contempt, as if they were silently saying, how shameless!
"What's the matter? You still don't accept it. Who are you trying to show off to? Don't deny it. Was it me, Old Xu, who first brought it up during the sea trials?"

"Oh, yes, yes, it was you who suggested it, okay?" Tang He said unhappily.

"Hey, Lao Tang, you admitted it!" Xu Da smiled happily, but was unanimously despised by several people.

At this time, Tang He asked Zhu Yuanzhang, "Your Majesty, your summoning of us to the audience this time is not really related to the artillery on board the ship, right?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, and then said something that surprised several people.

"It is related to artillery, yes, but it is not about moving artillery onto ships."

Several people looked at each other, not knowing what Zhu Yuanzhang was up to. Zhu Yuanzhang kept them in suspense and said, "There are still two people who haven't come yet. Let's wait a little longer."

"Two people?" Xu Da was stunned. "Isn't it that old guy Li Min? Oh, yes, there is also Yang Siyi. After all, he is needed to pay, right?"

Zhu Yuanzhang had completely learned his lesson. Xu Da was so foul-mouthed that he wanted to sew his mouth shut as soon as he opened it.

After a while, Li Min and Yang Siyi also arrived. Xu Da started yelling again, "Your Majesty, the two ministers are here too. Just tell me what you want to say. Don't keep me in suspense. I'm getting anxious."

Zhu Yuanzhang glared at him, too lazy to argue with him, looked at everyone, cleared his throat and said:

"Since everyone is here, let me speak frankly. There are three things. First, regarding the issue of installing artillery on ships, Tang He proposed this suggestion after returning from the last sea trade. I believe that in view of the growing development of Ming Dynasty's sea trade, there will be more fleets going out in the future, and the threats from the sea will also become greater and greater. Therefore, it is imperative to build one or even several fleets capable of combat."

"I, Old Xu, was the first to propose this suggestion!" Xu Da muttered softly to the side, but everyone chose to ignore him.

"This matter is related to the future development of the Ming Dynasty, so we have to be cautious. After asking the strange man Li Han, he gave us a suggestion."

Everyone looked at Zhu Yuanzhang curiously. If the extraordinary man Li Han took action, this matter would become much easier, and the effect would far exceed everyone's expectations.

"However, Li Han's suggestion may be very different from what you think. He proposed to abandon the idea of ​​moving artillery onto the ship."

When Zhu Yuanzhang said this, everyone was shocked!
"Huh? Aren't we going to move the cannons onto the ship?" Xu Da stared with his eyes wide open, looking confused. How could this idea that he had originally proposed be so brilliantly rejected by this strange man?

"So how do we fight pirates at sea? Use guns? But the power of guns is only enough to make a few holes in the ship. If we want to sink it, that's simply a dream!"

Tang He was much calmer, but he couldn't figure it out. "Your Majesty, if we don't put the cannons on the ships, what kind of weapons will we use to attack?"

Li Min said calmly, "Why are all of you warriors so impatient? Since the strange man rejected the idea of ​​moving the cannons onto the ship, he must have a better suggestion. Can't you just listen to what His Majesty has to say?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, please ignore them. Please continue to help me solve my doubts." Yang Siyi also said at the right time.

Scholars still speak better. Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with satisfaction and continued:
"Of course the strange man has a better suggestion. According to his idea, he should start from scratch and build a brand new warship specially designed for naval operations!"

"Build a brand new warship?" Several people were even more confused. In their impression, ships have been used to transport people and goods since ancient times. Even if they are used in wars, they are only auxiliary. However, the Ming Dynasty does have warships specifically used for fighting, but...

Li Wenzhong asked: "Could it be that the warships that the strange man mentioned are naval warships?"

The warships that Li Wenzhong mentioned are a type of ship specially used for naval battles. There are several models, including tower ships and warships. They are all built with wooden boards and driven by sails. After the emergence of steamships, these ships were basically never used again.

"No, no." Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile: "This warship is a new type of ship that is far superior to naval warships. It is called an ironclad battleship. You follow me."

Everyone followed Zhu Yuanzhang curiously and came to the imperial study. Zhu Yuanzhang picked up the introduction of the Dingyuan-class ironclad battleship and explained it to everyone.

"The details are all written above, you can all take a look."

"Dingyuan class, an armored battleship?" After taking a closer look, everyone gasped and was shocked by the parameters of this huge steel ship.

"It has a displacement of more than 7,000 tons and is equipped with four main guns and four secondary guns. No wonder the idea of ​​moving artillery on board had to be completely abandoned. It turns out there are such powerful artillery!"

Tang He couldn't help but say.

"It can actually reach a speed of more than 100 miles per hour. This speed is simply unbelievable!"

Li Wenzhong was also shocked. "If this ship is built, it will be a terrifying steel monster. It will roam the seas and no one will be able to defeat it."

"That's right. With a hull made of fine steel and an unmatched speed, we can smash the pirates' sampans into pieces just by ramming them, without firing any cannons!"

Xu Da was also sighing with emotion for a while, and even began to imagine himself standing on this majestic and domineering warship, killing everyone in the ocean. How majestic that would be!
Seeing the three old men looking forward to it, Zhu Yuanzhang was very satisfied. Every time Lao Li sent him something different, what he most looked forward to was actually the reactions of these people.

Looking at their surprised and ignorant expressions, Zhu Yuanzhang felt extremely happy.

However, Li Min and Yang Siyi's considerations are completely different from those of the three old men.

“Your Majesty, I have taken a look at the design drawings and construction process and found that the steel used in shipbuilding requires a completely new material to ensure the stability and durability of the hull while also making the hull lighter.

At the same time, the steam engine is also brand new, and the main guns and secondary guns are completely different from the previous artillery of the Ming Dynasty. I believe that if this ship can be successfully built, it will promote the rapid progress of the Ming Dynasty's steel, steam engine and other industries, and will greatly enhance the overall industrial strength of the Ming Dynasty. "

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with satisfaction. The depth of thinking of this businessman was much stronger than those warriors. It seemed that it was completely right to hand over the shipbuilding project to Li Min.

"That's right!" Yang Siyi also nodded in agreement.

“Although a large amount of funds will need to be allocated for the manufacture of the Dingyuan-class ironclad battleships in the early stages, this deal is still very cost-effective.

Once three or four ironclad battleships are built, they can go out to sea with the fleet to ensure that the route is unobstructed, and the benefits brought back by maritime trade are far beyond the initial investment. "

Yang Siyi paused, and then continued: "Moreover, once each technology can be broken through, it will bring about the rapid development of the entire industry, and the profitability of each industry will also be greatly improved.

Therefore, this is an absolutely worthwhile investment! ”

(End of this chapter)