Taiheiki

Chapter 317 Shipyard
"Please follow me this way! Please!" The official led the way, "What's being built here is the latest large ship. Compared to it, all other ships are a joke! Yes, this is it!" He pointed to a huge object in the dry dock ahead.

Inside the dry dock, the skeleton of a large ship was already taking shape. On the thick, sturdy keel at the bottom, two rows of neat ribs resembled the ribs of a giant whale. The hull was long and slender, with raised bow and stern. Even though it was not yet finished, it already conveyed a sense of swiftness, ferocity, and aggression. Craftsmen, like ants, clung to the keel and ribs, skillfully using chisels to nail oak planks into the frame. Then, the "boatmen," carrying buckets, filled the gaps between the planks with a mixture of tung oil, lime, and coconut fiber. The foreman carefully inspected the joints, ensuring the interfaces between the planks were perfectly sealed. From the surface, the hull's lines were smooth and fluid, like a piece of naturally formed timber.

From the workshops flanking the dry dock, the sounds of blacksmiths busily forging various iron parts and tools could be heard. During the construction of seagoing vessels, many unique tools and connectors had to be made on the spot. Further away, in sturdy warehouses built of stone slabs, large quantities of rigging and sail-making cloth were stored.

Both Duan Jiong and the Liangzhou people who came with him felt an atmosphere of efficiency and urgency permeating the entire shipyard, something they had never experienced elsewhere. Duan Jiong glanced at his younger brother, Duan Wei, who, understanding, coughed and asked, "May I ask, how much money and grain does it cost to build such a large ship?"

"This boat?" The official walked to the side and pointed to a wooden plaque hanging on the wall: "Look, it's clearly written here. The budget is 934,000 coins, plus 300 bolts of cloth. However, the exact cost will only be known after it's completed and launched; it's uncertain now!"

Duan Wei walked to the wooden sign and saw that the ship's budget, the shipbuilding schedule, and the quality requirements were clearly written on it in neat handwriting. At the bottom of the sign, there was also the name of the supervisor in charge of the project.

"Du Fu?" Duan Wei muttered the foreman's name. "This foreman is truly shouldering a heavy responsibility! Such a large ship requires careful attention!"

"What you say is true, sir!" the official said with a smile. "I am Cheng Du, and this boat is also my family's. Naturally, I will do my best to help it!"

"Is this yours?" Duan Wei was taken aback. "Isn't this big ship the government's?"

“That’s not wrong!” Cheng Du laughed. “It should be said that it belongs to the government, and it belongs to my family!” He explained with a grin: When Wei Cong was in Jiaozhou, in order to strengthen his navy, he issued a decree. All ships willing to build large vessels could receive a subsidy from the government (roughly equivalent to one-quarter to one-fifth of the ship’s construction cost). The ships had to be built in shipyards designated by the government, according to the prescribed design. Once the ships were built, the owners could use them normally, but in the event of war, the owners were obligated to equip the ships with personnel and weapons and obey the government’s orders.

"So you mean you only need three-quarters or four-fifths of the money to get a good ship, on the condition that you must lead that ship into battle once war breaks out? Am I right?" Duan Wei asked.

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean!" Cheng Du laughed. "Besides that, after this ship is built, I will be granted the title of Grand Master and the position of Commandant in the Governor's Office! Because once we go to war, I will automatically become the captain of this ship, which will have four hundred sailors and soldiers!"

"How many ship owners like you are there in Jiaozhou?" Duan Jiong asked.

"There were thirteen of us in my batch, and I was the first to sign up!" Cheng Du said proudly. "I heard the government is going to post a second list, but all the shipyards here are packed. There will be a lot of people waiting!"

Dangdang Dangdang!
A bell rang, interrupting their conversation. Duan Jiong turned around and saw the craftsmen putting down their tools and going to rest in the shade. Some were scooping water from wooden buckets on their carts. Many more were wiping their sweat as they walked toward a fish porridge stall not far from the dry dock. Of course, some also took out their own lunchboxes and ate while talking.

"What are they doing? Why did they stop work?" Xia Yu asked.

"This is lunch break time. It's too hot at noon, so we have an hour to rest and eat! Is this a rule set by the General?" Cheng Du asked.

"What are they eating? Aren't they supposed to eat two meals a day?"

“In Panyu, people in physically demanding trades like boat-making are basically eating three meals a day!” Cheng Du laughed. “Besides, they just eat fish porridge. In Panyu, seafood is practically worthless, and fish porridge is very cheap. You need to be full to have the energy to work! You all have worked hard. I’ve already prepared some snacks. Why don’t you go over there and rest a bit?”

Duan Jiong nodded and followed Cheng Du to a nearby bamboo shed, where reed mats, tables, honey water, and snacks had already been set out. A maid was turning a huge wooden fan. Under the shade and with a cool breeze blowing, everyone ate the honey water and snacks, and their mood became much more cheerful.

"Brother!" Duan Wei took a bite of jujube cake. "Everyone says that General Wei is arrogant to his superiors but not to his inferiors, and that he cares for his soldiers, which is why they are willing to die for him. Look at these craftsmen, they can have three meals a day and even rest for an hour at noon. Just for that, countless people are grateful to him!"

Duan Jiong remained silent, his gaze fixed on the large ship in the dry dock not far away. Duan Wei realized that his elder brother was pondering something, so he stopped speaking as well. After a moment, he suddenly heard Duan Jiong sigh, "I understand why he did this!"

"Brother, what are you saying?" Duan Wei asked, puzzled.

“If I’m not mistaken, someone of this caliber should come from a merchant family!” Duan Jiong said.

"Merchants? How is that possible? Merchants are of low social status; how could they be granted titles, let alone become captains!"

"If he weren't a merchant, what would he need such a large ship for?" Duan Jiong laughed. "Not even considering the cost of building the ship, just the expenses for the sailors and boatmen alone wouldn't be a small sum. In the hands of a merchant, this ship can generate profit, but in the hands of an ordinary person, it will just rot away. When Wei Cong needs it, there's nothing left!" "That's true!" Duan Wei understood. "Then why would he need to subsidize it himself? As a general, if he needs ships, he can simply issue a decree and requisition all the ships!"

"Seal off?" Duan Jiong laughed. "You're thinking too simply! Yes, the General can indeed requisition merchants' ships, but you need to have ships to do so. Look at these sturdy, large ships; they're clearly designed for warfare. Their construction costs must be incredibly high. Which merchant would pay for their own construction? Even if they did it themselves, not to mention the cost of building the ships, the maintenance and repair costs alone would be enormous. But by doing it this way, he only needs to spend a quarter of the money to have ready-made, good ships. The merchants can handle the maintenance and crew themselves, and they can be used immediately when needed. Moreover, these merchants will be grateful. Isn't that killing two birds with one stone?"

"Yes, that's a really good idea!"

Duan Jiong thought he had thought things through thoroughly, but there was still one thing he hadn't considered. As a time traveler, Wei Cong's greatest advantage over his contemporaries was his excellent modern education. For an ancient person, wanting a powerful navy meant issuing decrees to conscript craftsmen, forcing them to bring their own rations to shipyards, paying them nothing, at most exempting them from taxes and labor. But in Wei Cong's view, this was completely counterproductive, killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. First, the conscripted craftsmen's work ethic would certainly be poor; the quantity of ships built might be guaranteed, but the quality was questionable. The more high-tech the industry, the more likely resentful workers were to find ways to persecute the rulers who forced them to work.

Secondly, many of the artisans forced into this way would die or flee under harsh working conditions, which would undoubtedly cause great damage to the accumulation and inheritance of skills. Moreover, after seeing the tragic fate of these artisans, fewer and fewer people would be willing to engage in this industry, and eventually the entire industry would decline or even be destroyed.

Wei Cong's idea was to expand the shipbuilding market as much as possible, allowing those in the industry to earn higher profits and attracting more people to join. To achieve this, Wei Cong encouraged the development of downstream industries such as fishing, whaling, transportation, and maritime trade, and standardized these sectors beforehand by enforcing government contracts and adopting new technologies. This would allow Jiaozhou to possess a large fleet of merchant ships and fishing vessels, upon which a military fleet could then be built.

The reason he went through such a roundabout way was because the navy and the army are different. If the army costs money, the navy is burning money (in 5th century BC, building a trireme in Athens cost about one talent of silver, enough to arm 300 heavy infantrymen. Besides that, regular maintenance and cleaning were required for the warships to patrol and operate normally, along with ancillary facilities like docks, and the salaries of oarsmen and other technicians). Given the level of productivity in ancient times, few countries could maintain a professional navy solely through government funds. The only way was to integrate military operations with fishing and commerce during peacetime, and then recruit the necessary personnel and ships from these fleets during wartime. Using this method, only a small amount of capital and a title were needed to maintain a fleet of warships and skilled sailors free of charge during peacetime, expand shipyard orders, and attract merchants—a triple win.

“Brother, if that’s the case, then perhaps the southern expedition will be much easier than we imagined!” Duan Wei suddenly whispered.

Duan Jiong's heart skipped a beat, but he was much more shrewd than Duan Wei. He wiped the sweat from his face and said, "It's too early to talk about these things now. Let's observe more first!"

Duan Wei understood his brother's meaning perfectly well. He smiled and said to Cheng Du, "Commander Cheng, bring some wine and water! This honey water is refreshing, but it doesn't cool you down!"

“That’s easy!” Cheng Du said with a smile. “Someone, quickly go and get some coconut wine!” He smiled at Duan Wei and said, “This coconut wine is a local wine, and it’s the best for cooling off in the summer. Please have a taste later.”

A moment later, a servant brought the wine, and Cheng Duling filled everyone's cups. Duan Wei was the first to raise his cup: "Come, come, today let's taste the wine of Jiaozhou and see how it differs from the wine of Liangzhou!"

"Yep!"

Everyone raised their glasses and drank heartily. Upon tasting the wine, their mouths watered, and a cool sensation spread from head to toe, instantly dispelling the summer heat. They couldn't help but cheer. Seeing everyone's enjoyment, Cheng Du had more brought, smiling, "This coconut wine is a local specialty; it's quite mild. You can drink it without worry. Even if you drink too much, a nap will do the trick, and you won't get a headache! Please, please—"

Duan Jiong's entourage were mostly seasoned veterans, and seven or eight out of ten were fond of drinking. However, military discipline usually prevented them from indulging. But today, seeing that Duan Wei had asked for wine, it was clear that Duan Jiong had tacitly approved, so they all drank heartily. The wine was indeed as refreshing as Cheng Du had described, so they no longer held back and drank freely.

After several rounds of drinks, everyone was quite tipsy and their voices were getting louder. Suddenly, a loud bang came from not far away, followed by cheers. Duan Jiong got up and looked over. It turned out that a newly built single-masted oared boat was being pushed into the water along a greased slipway, stirring up a sky full of waves. The boatmen around scrambled aboard and began to outfit the boat. The scorching sun shone on the sails and metal fittings of the hull, making it look like a young warrior who had just put on his armor, ready to step into battle.

"The blazing sun shines brightly in the boundless blue sky!" Duan Jiong sighed.

"Brother, what did you just say?" Duan Wei, his face reeking of alcohol, looked at his brother in bewilderment, clearly not having heard what his brother had just said.

"It's nothing, just casual conversation!" Duan Jiong sighed and said to Cheng Du, "Commander Cheng, we've looked at the shipyard enough, let's go back to Panyu!"

On the return journey, Duan Jiong was unusually silent. Even Duan Wei sensed the change in his brother. He stood silently to the side, not daring to say a word. After the boat docked, Duan Jiong boarded the carriage and said, "I have some matters I wish to discuss with Minister Kong. Please inform him!"

"Here!"

That evening, Duan Jiong was invited to Kong Gui's residence, a villa near the foothills. The house wasn't large, with only two courtyards, but the back garden was exquisitely maintained. Kong Gui enjoyed strolling and lecturing with his students in the back garden, discussing classical texts. When Duan Jiong arrived, he saw Kong Gui standing at the gate, smiling at him. Duan Jiong quickly stepped forward and ascended the steps: "Prefect Kong, your courtesy is too much for me!"

"Why do you say that, Chief Secretary? You came to Jiaozhou this time to replace the General and command the various armies of Jiaozhou! So you are above us!" Kong Gui took Duan Jiong's arm and walked inside side by side. He saw that every three or four steps along both sides of the corridor, there was a maid standing with a candlestick in her hand, and the lit white candles emitted a faint fragrance.

(End of this chapter)