The Black Sails of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 132 Yacht Holiday
With the typhoon season fast approaching, the Liaodong fleet was transporting more than 3,000 refugees, sailing against the southeast monsoon, which was too dangerous to take the open sea route.

Therefore, the fleet chose the safest route: sailing to the shore.

The Saint Anna initially sailed alongside the fleet, but by the time it reached the vicinity of Nanzhili, the fleet had exhausted the supplies carried by the Saint Anna. Therefore, Lin Qian took a shortcut and returned to Nan'ao Island.

Late at night. Captain's cabin.

Lin Qian was sitting at the nautical table reviewing official documents. On the table beside him, the documents were piled up three inches high.

These official documents were brought aboard as soon as the ship docked at Houjiang Bay, and they all contained information about events that occurred during his trip to Liaodong.

These include: personnel changes of officials in the four departments, the latest account details on the island, the progress of the Four Golden Residences project in Nan'ao City, the delivery of goods and purchase of firearms in Macau in May, and the recent situation of ships passing through the waters of Nan'ao, etc.

It can be said that everything is meticulous.

Reviewing these official documents is indeed hard work, but there is also a kind of pleasure that cannot be described to ordinary people.

This is the feeling of controlling information and wielding power.

This kind of pleasure can only be felt by being there in person.

Just like ordinary people who work as cogs in a machine in a company and get bored looking at all sorts of financial reports and making PowerPoint presentations, they can patiently review large amounts of data in simulation management games—especially hardcore strategy games.

This is why most entrepreneurs and officials work extremely long hours, not because they are workaholics by nature, but simply because they enjoy the process.

The same reason why Lin Qian could work late into the night for these tasks was the same.

For example, the official document he was reading was a report on the thoughts of Ma Chenglie, the deputy commander of Nan'ao, sent from Zhelin Bay.

Among Lin Qian's subordinates, Ma Chenglie was undoubtedly the most loyal in terms of appearance.

This person sent a report to Nan'ao Island every two weeks on average, which included the government affairs of the court and Chaozhou Prefecture over the past two weeks, Ma Chenglie's response, his considerations for making such a response, and the benefits to Nan'ao Island.

The author dissects his own thoughts very thoroughly, giving the impression that he wants to expose his heart and lungs to Lin Qian.

In his latest report, Ma Chenglie detailed the court's reaction to the Zhenjiang victory and the background of the victory.

Lin Qian's trip to Liaodong was kept highly confidential from Ma Chenglie, and it was also kept under strict secrecy while she was on the island.

Whether Ma Chenglie genuinely hadn't heard anything or was pretending, at least in his report, he acted as if he knew nothing about Lin Qian's actions in Liaodong.

After reading the report, Lin Qian couldn't help but chuckle. She had to admit that Ma Chenglie was indeed quite politically astute.

Lin Qian pinched the bridge of her nose. It was entirely within Lin Qian's expectations that the imperial court would attribute the Zhenjiang victory to Mao Wenlong.

His choice to enter Liaodong in April and leave in early July, as well as his decision to target Zhenjiang, were all premeditated, with the intention of relinquishing this "great achievement."

For Lin Qian, empty fame was poison; what she needed were the tangible benefits of the immigrants to Liaodong and the chance to vent her anger against the Tartars.

Setting down the official document, Lin Qian adjusted the wax core of the white insect amber to brighten the light, and then picked up a new official document.

This is a report from Chen Jiao, the Governor-General of Dongfan Island, sent from Dongfan Island.

Following Lin Qian's instructions, Chen Jiao landed on the southwest coast of Dongfan Island and chose a place the locals called Dayuanyu to establish a camp.

At this time, Dongfan Island was very different from that of later generations. The area around Dayuan Island was not land, but a vast lagoon, which the locals called the "inland sea".

There are several advantages to building a camp on Dayuan Island.

First, the Tainan Inner Sea is a natural deep-water harbor, suitable for berthing fleets.

Secondly, Dayuan Island is surrounded by water, making it less likely to clash with the local indigenous people. Even if a conflict does occur, it can be defended by water, and Dayuan Island can serve as a defensive barrier when a city is built on land later.

Third, the eastern shore of the Dayuan Inner Sea is the Chihkan area. The land here is flat and has freshwater irrigation from the Danshui River, making it suitable for building a large city and developing agriculture.

Fourth, the area around Dayuan Island is surrounded by flowing water connected to the sea, which does not breed mosquitoes. Mosquitoes from the Dongfan coast also find it difficult to cross the water to reach the island, thus reducing the spread of diseases such as malaria.

Chen Jiao has been on Dayuan Island for nearly four months, and the fortified village has already taken shape.

Currently, there are 124 houses, three watchtowers, one warehouse, and a simple stockade wall on Dayuan Island.

Chen Jiao has already sent people to conduct preliminary negotiations with the natives of Dongfan Island, and the trade of exchanging ironware, tools, and cloth for deer hides is proceeding smoothly.

The report also mentioned some difficulties in developing the eastern regions, including too few immigrants, malaria, and hostile forces from the north.

These problems cannot be solved by writing a few words, so Lin Qian put the document aside for the time being.

Pick up a new official document.

This was sent by the Government Administration Department, jointly drafted by the Construction and Armaments Department, and it is a report on the three newly built artillery positions on the island.

The three new forts are located on Fengyu Island, Yuanyu Island, and Xiawei Reef, respectively, guarding the western waters of the island, Qing'ao Bay, and Qianjiang Bay.

Including the three forts that had already been repaired: Guanyu, Anyu, and Lieyu.

Nan'ao Island currently has six fortifications, providing comprehensive protection for the entire island and leaving virtually no gaps in its defenses.

In this way, even without the protection of warships, Nan'ao Island would not fall in a short time, relying solely on the defense of the fortifications.

The report on the construction of the fort was very detailed, including the specific location, materials used, and construction time.

Lin Qian glanced through it, then yawned, looked at the documents in her hand, and saw that there weren't many left. She decided to finish reading the last one and then go to sleep.

The last official document was from Yandun Bay Shipyard, reporting that the ten eagle boats had been completed.

Lin Qian perked up and carefully studied the official document. She learned that of the ten eagle ships, five were equipped with Chinese-style hard sails and five with Bermuda sails. They were all docked in Yandun Bay and had not yet been tested.

The feeling of personally steering the sails at sea is completely different from directing operations from the stern deck of the St. Anna. Lin Qian felt an irresistible urge to get her hands on the sails.

Although he has appointments with shipwrights, stonemasons, doctors, and others tomorrow, and his schedule is already full, who says he can't make appointments while on a ship?
Having worked for so long without really enjoying herself, Lin Qian decided to take a day off tomorrow.

……

The next morning, before Qingmeifang even opened, someone was knocking on the door.

Su Kang put on his clothes as he went to open the door.

"Who is it?" Su Kang asked irritably.

Standing behind the door were crew members from the Saint Anna, whom Su Kang recognized, and a sense of foreboding immediately welled up in his heart.

This scene seems somewhat familiar. Back in Guangzhou, wasn't it the same way that the father and daughter were abducted to Nan'ao Island?

"Father, has a patient arrived?" Su Qingmei's voice rang out from the backyard.

"Stay inside and don't come out!" Su Kang said urgently.

Upon seeing this, the crew member smiled and said, "I am acting on the orders of the helmsman to invite you two to go out to sea for a cruise."

Su Kang looked on with suspicion.

Su Qingmei's surprised voice rang out from the backyard: "Really?"

The crew member laughed and said, "How could it be fake?"

Su Qingmei: "I'll pack my things right away."

Crew member: "No need..."

Su Kang: "Wait!"

The two spoke at the same time, and the crew member smiled, indicating that Su Kang should speak first.

Su Kang said coldly, "Qingmeifang has too many patients to leave. Please thank the helmsman for his kindness."

"Dad, I want to go!" Su Qingmei peeked out from behind the curtain.

Su Kang said irritably, "Go back inside!"

The crew member laughed and said, "The captain said that if Doctor Su can't get away, he can just take Miss Su with him."

Then the crew member approached, his warm smile turning sinister: "No one on the island can refuse the captain's invitation. Doctor Su, you'd better think it over carefully."

Su Kang felt helpless and had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Su Qingmei cheered and went to prepare food, but the crew member stopped her: "No need to prepare, the captain has already prepared it, let's go."

"Okay, let's go!" Su Qingmei said excitedly.

The father and daughter followed the sailor all the way to the dock and took a boat to Yandun Bay.

After disembarking, Su Kang discovered that there were five or six other people waiting there. He recognized that among them were the mute Huang and his apprentice, but he didn't recognize the others. Everyone greeted Su Kang.

Su Qingmei had never been to Yandun Bay before and was looking around curiously. Apart from the dry dock, the most eye-catching thing about Yandun Bay was the ten new-style seagoing vessels lined up in a row on the sea.

Su Qingmei hadn't been on a boat much, but having been on Nan'ao Island for so long, she had become familiar with all kinds of ships from the Ming Dynasty and had never seen a seagoing vessel like the one in front of her.

Just as she was wondering about this, another small boat came along, and Lin Qian stood at the bow.

After disembarking, Lin Qian received greetings from everyone and looked at the ten eagle ships at sea. She noticed that their size and shape were not much different from the sailing yachts of later generations, a type of ship that Lin Qian was most familiar with.

He immediately ordered everyone to board the ship.

Lin Qian, Bai Langzai, Su Kang, Su Qingmei, Dumb Huang, Xiao Jiu, and Da Bing all boarded the same boat.

The remaining crew members boarded two other eagle ships.

After boarding, Lin Qian, Bai Langzai, and Da Bing were the only three crew members. Under Lin Qian's command, the three of them worked together to raise the Bermuda sail and the bow sail.

When there is no wind, the two sails can almost be put together, like an isosceles triangle.

Lin Qian personally took charge, pulling the rigging and adjusting the sail angle. With a crisp "snap," the sail was adjusted to the right angle and billowed up in the wind, forming a smooth, outward-protruding wing shape.

The eagle ship moved slowly, and Lin Qian stood at the stern, steering the ship. She laughed loudly in the wind, "Hold on tight, we're setting sail!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the speed of the Eagle Ship gradually increased, its bow cutting through the waves like a knife, and the sea breeze blowing in our faces.

Lin Qian glanced at the wind flags. At this moment, the southeast wind was stable, and the bow of the ship was sailing eastward, which was exactly what Bermuda sails liked best, and also what Lin Qian liked best—a crosswind.

The wind coming from the bow is decomposed by the two airfoil-shaped triangular sails, creating a pressure difference. Using Bernoulli's principle, this generates thrust forward, and can even achieve an actual ship speed far exceeding the wind speed.

Bai Langzai and Da Bing are both experienced sailors. Each of them operates a sail and can maintain the most suitable wind angle without Lin Qian's reminder.

The three worked together seamlessly, and the speed of the eagle ship increased. The people on board gradually felt a strong wind blowing in their faces. This was the relative wind caused by the relative motion between the ship and the air. This wind blew onto the sails and, using Bernoulli's principle, further increased the forward speed.

This creates a positive cycle: increased speed → stronger relative wind → increased thrust from the sails → further increase in speed.

Benefiting from this, the Eagle Ship's speed increased rapidly, almost like a dolphin leaping across the sea. The bow cut through the waves, and the salty, damp vapor it kicked up was blown directly onto the deck by the bow wind, leaving everyone feeling icy cold.

It was midsummer, and the moisture and strong winds dispelled the heat, making people feel refreshed.

As the ship's speed increased, the starboard side of the hull rose high.

This is the resultant force generated by Bernoulli's principle. This resultant force generally rushes towards the bow on the leeward side of the ship and can be decomposed into two forces: one is the thrust that propels the sailboat forward.

Another force is perpendicular to the hull; it is this force that pushes the starboard side of the hull to rise.

If left unchecked, the force could capsize the ship.

Lin Qian smiled and said loudly, "Don't just sit there, go and weigh down the gunwale!"

Only then did Su Kang and the others realize that they had their own affairs to attend to on the ship.

Lin Qian didn't say which side to press against, but everyone wasn't stupid, so they all rushed to the starboard side.

With the added weight of Su Kang, Su Qingmei, Dumb Huang, and Xiao Jiu on the starboard side, and Lin Qian, Bai Langzai, and Da Bing also standing on the starboard side, the starboard side finally stopped curving upwards.

It simply maintained its position of being higher on the right and lower on the left, rapidly cutting through the waves.

The beauty of danger and stability, balance and imbalance, speed and passion is truly captivating, which is precisely why Lin Qian loves sailing.

The speed of the Eagle Ship continued to increase, far exceeding that of the Ming Dynasty's hard-line sailing ships, surpassing the Saint Anna, and even the Carrier Pigeon.

If the speed of the St. Anne is considered normal driving, then the speed of this Bermuda Eagle can be described as high-speed racing.

Especially the road where you're racing, which is also an endless ocean, really gives you a feeling of boundless joy and freedom.

"Ah—" Da Bing, at the bow, let out a joyful shout.

"Hahahaha..." Lin Qian and Bai Langzai looked at each other and burst into laughter.

As the speed of the eagle ship gradually stabilizes, the positive cycle of Bernoulli's principle cannot be used to directly reach the sky by stepping on the right foot. When the resistance of the seawater, the resistance of the wind, and the thrust cancel each other out, the speed limit of a sailboat is reached.

Lin Qian turned around and saw that the white foam trail was very long. Several seagulls in the sky were flapping their wings and barely keeping up with the eagle boat. The two eagle boats with Chinese-style hard sails were already far behind.

Based on experience, I judge that my ship's speed should be above ten knots.

Amidst the howling sea wind, Lin Qian shouted, "White Wave Boy, release the tugboat!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Langzai brought up an hourglass and a wooden plank from the cabin, with a rope wrapped around one end of the plank.

Bai Langzai found a rope on a mast, hung the hourglass on it, threw the wooden board into the sea, and at the same time turned the hourglass over.

Under the resistance, the rope attached to the plank quickly fell into the water, with a knot tied at intervals on the rope.

About thirty seconds later, the hourglass ran out of time. White Wave pulled the plank back, counted the knots that had fallen into the sea, and shouted, "Eleven knots!"

These hourglasses and knots were the tools the Spanish used to measure ship speed. The length of the knots was carefully calculated, and the number of knots that entered the water in half a minute corresponded to the speed in knots.

Of course, this method has errors and may not be accurate, but it is definitely more accurate than visual observation and urine observation.

Lin Qian was overjoyed to hear this. A fast ship was an invaluable treasure with great strategic significance in this era.

With a speed of eleven knots, it was almost unmatched in this era.

Moreover, this is not the final form of the Eagle Ship. Lin Qian still has ways to modify it further and increase its speed.

Thinking about the future improvement goals, Lin Qian felt full of energy.

At this moment, Su Qingmei could no longer hold back and finally asked, "Captain, where are we going?"

Lin Qian was in a great mood and joked, "Going to Dongfan Island? Have you been there before?"

Su Qingmei shook her head vigorously, like a rattle-drum.

Lin Qian continued jokingly, "If we head east from here, it'll be six hundred li. Don't worry, at our speed, we'll arrive by tomorrow at the latest!"

"Huh?" Su Qingmei was both surprised and worried, and asked cautiously, "Then... shall we come back?"

"Hahaha..." Lin Qian laughed loudly upon hearing this, then said to Da Bing, who was maneuvering the Latin sail at the bow, "Find a place with lots of fish!"

"Okay!" Da Bing's reply came with the sound of the wind.

Half an hour later, Da Bing found a spot in the sea, turned around and said, "Helmsman, this is it! There are definitely lots of fish here!"

Lin Qian and the others on the boat looked at the sea in front of them.

"Wow!" Su Qingmei exclaimed.

On the sea, indigo and dark blue waters intertwined, forming a distinct front, as if the entire sea had been sliced ​​open. The wonder of nature is truly astonishing.

Da Bing said, "This is a tidal barrier, there must be a lot of fish here!"

Lin Qian told Bai Langzai and Da Bing to lower the sails and stop the boat. She went to the cabin to take out fishing gear and distributed it to everyone, jokingly saying, "Those who don't catch any fish won't get lunch."

Everyone laughed and accepted, sitting on the gunwale to fish. In just a short while, they caught fish one after another.

Lin Qian discovered that she could catch fish even without bait on the hook, and couldn't help but marvel at the abundance of nature.

Su Qingmei kept catching fish, beaming with joy, and asked, "Uncle Dabing, how did you know there were so many fish here?"

Da Bing scratched his head: "The old folks often say things like 'clear water is good for casting nets' and 'the tide is separated by a thin line, revealing a sheet of golden scales.' You get the idea after hearing it a lot. It's just that most fishing boats can't go out to sea. Fishing boats rarely reach places like this."

Lin Qian knew that the so-called dampness barrier was a natural phenomenon caused by the convergence of cold and warm currents.

Specifically, the Kuroshio Current, which forms the Japan Current, flows northward along Luzon Island and splits into two branches after passing through Tofan Island. The western warm current merges with the cold freshwater currents of rivers such as the Yangtze and Qiantang Rivers, forming a marine front.

In areas where warm and cold currents meet, there is an abundance of food organisms, resulting in a large number of fish.

In fact, this is how the Zhoushan fishing grounds and the northern fishing grounds of Dongfan Island were formed.

Knowing the principle and seeing it with your own eyes are two different things.

No matter how much is written in books, nothing is more impressive than the force of a school of fish struggling as felt on a fishing rod.

Da Bing knew there were many fish in this place, but he didn't expect there to be so many. In just half an hour, the group had caught enough fish to make a small mountain, enough for three meals.

He regretted it and exclaimed that he should have brought a fishing net.

Lin Qian comforted him, saying that once they returned to shore, she would give Da Bing one of these eagle boats.

Of course, what they gave away was the regular version of the Eagle Boat; the Bermuda sail has too much strategic value, and using it as a fishing boat would be a waste.

Even the standard version of the Eagle Boat used hard sails and Latin sails, along with a V-shaped hull and streamlined body, making it faster, capable of long-distance sailing, and more seaworthy than ordinary Ming Dynasty fishing boats.

Only then did two eagle ships with hard sails catch up.

While Da Bing was cooking fish in the cabin, Lin Qian strolled over to Su Kang's side.

"Malaria, how do you treat this disease?"

Su Kang unhooked a large yellow croaker from the fishhook and casually replied, "The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic says that malaria is caused by external pathogenic factors and internal loss of vital energy, which is a disease that is half-exterior and half-interior. It requires the use of Changshan and Bupleurum as medicine, supplemented with..."

Lin Qian listened patiently while fishing, and then asked, "What about artemisia?"

Su Kang stared at Lin Qian with wide eyes, thinking to himself, "Regardless of his character, the captain is certainly knowledgeable. He knows everything about houses and ships, and he even knows about herbs. I only missed mentioning artemisia annua in a few words in the Compendium of Materia Medica, and the captain immediately noticed it."

Su Kang put down his fishing rod, cupped his hands, and said, "What the captain says is true!"

Lin Qian: "Hey, don't let go of the fishing rod!"

Before he finished speaking, a fish had already taken the bait. The sea fish here are all big and strong. In the blink of an eye, the fishing rod was pulled into the sea.

Su Kang looked at the fishing rod as it sailed away, his expression awkward.

Lin Qian waved her hand and said, "Bai Langzai, bring another one for Doctor Su."

Su Kang took the fishing rod, knowing Lin Qian was about to get down to business. He simply held it in his hand, no longer fishing, and said seriously, "The Compendium of Materia Medica states that this herb is also called Artemisia annua or Fangkui. It is mainly used to treat malaria with chills and fever, and can be used in two ways: by squeezing out the juice or by decocting it in water..."

Lin Qian tried hard to recall the documentary she had seen in her later life about Tu Youyou's extraction of artemisinin. After a moment, she said, "I'll tell you, remember this."

"Please give your instructions, Captain."

"The effective component of artemisia for treating malaria can be tentatively named artemisinin. This substance is not resistant to high temperatures, so decoction is ineffective. It must be extracted at low temperatures, and there are two methods."

First, chop and mash fresh artemisia annua, wrap it in gauze, soak it in cold water for an hour, then wring out the gauze to extract the juice and swallow it directly.

2. Soak fresh artemisia in wine and vinegar for two hours, then swallow directly.

Take small amounts frequently for several days consecutively to cure malaria.

Su Kang's face turned red with anger, clearly showing his disdain. However, out of respect for Lin Qian, he did not lash out. He suppressed his temper and said, "The 'Elbow-Side Emergency Prescriptions' does indeed record the method of squeezing juice, but it can also be used to soak wine... This is truly unbelievable and unheard of. From which classic does it come? How did you, Master, know this?"

"I've cured people using this method before," Lin Qian said casually.

Su Kang was speechless. Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes practicality, especially since the "orthodox school" to which Su Kang belonged advocated surgical treatment and valued effectiveness above all else, without blindly believing in medical books.

Hearing Lin Qian say this, Su Kang swallowed all his questions about the artemisinin production method.

Lin Qian continued, "Moreover, malaria is not caused by inhaling miasma as described in medical books. This disease is transmitted by mosquitoes. As long as we actively eliminate mosquitoes, we can reduce the disease from its source."

Su Kang was furious again. It was common knowledge that malaria originated from miasma.

To Su Kang, Lin Qian's words were as absurd as telling a modern person that the earth is flat.

If it weren't for the fact that Lin Qian had treated their family fairly well, Su Kang, with his bad temper, would have already started cursing.

As they were talking, Lin Qian felt a fish bite the hook again. She stood up and, while reeling in the line, said, "If you don't believe me, go to Dongfan yourself in a month."

Malaria was prevalent in Lingnan, and countless people died from the disease. Traditional Chinese medicine has studied it for thousands of years, but has never been able to eradicate it.

If, as the helmsman claims, he can truly cure malaria in one fell swoop, then Su Kang, if not on par with Bian Que and Hua Tuo, would at least be a master on par with my teacher Chen Shigong.

Such temptations were simply irresistible to Su Kang, who was so devoted to medicine.

Even if malaria cannot be cured, it at least proves that what the captain said was nonsense, and it vindicates the theory of miasma. No matter how you look at it, it's not a loss.

Thinking of this, Su Kang stood up and said loudly, "It's a deal!"

(End of this chapter)