Sky Curtain: My Great Qin must have an aircraft carrier!

The origins of the Age of Exploration can be traced back to the reign of Emperor Wu of Han.

"what?"

Liu Che was somewhat bewildered. What did the Western barbarians going to sea have to do with him?

The ministers looked at each other, racking their brains but unable to figure out how the two sides had made contact.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Zhang Qian made two missions to the Western Regions, opening up trade routes in Central Asia.

The Han Dynasty established a Protectorate in the Western Regions, and the Tang Dynasty also operated this route.

Goods such as silk, porcelain, tea, and iron pots from China arrived in Europe via this route and were wildly popular among nobles from various countries.

Silk and tea, in particular, were symbols of nobility in Europe at that time.

Due to the long distances involved, these items were outrageously expensive, yet nobles still flocked to them.

In ancient Rome, one pound of silk was worth as much as twelve ounces of gold, equivalent to five years' salary for an ordinary soldier.

"hiss……"

Even Liu Che, who had seen many storms, was shocked by this number.

Were the Romans really that rich?

A bolt of ordinary silk in the Han Dynasty cost several hundred coins, but when transported to Rome, it was worth ten times that amount.

Wow, this is incredibly profitable!

Liu Che's eyes lit up. "Could we bypass the middlemen and form our own caravans to sell?"

Sang Hongyang pondered for a moment, then finally shook his head. "I'm afraid it will be difficult."

"As Tianmu said, the journey is thousands of kilometers long. If we send our own people to escort them, it's not safe if we send too few, and it's not cost-effective if we send too many."

"Moreover, many countries along the trade routes rely on transshipping goods for their livelihood."

"We can't afford to offend every single country along the route just to make money, can we?"

"rational."

Sang Hongyang's words calmed Liu Che's feverish mind.

No wonder Westerners wanted to sail the seas; traveling by land was simply too troublesome, and they could be stopped at any checkpoint.

During the Tang Dynasty, trade flourished, especially fine porcelain, which became a necessity for European nobles.

At that time, they called China the land of porcelain, a name that has been used to this day.

Over a thousand years of trade have made luxury goods from the East an indispensable part of the lives of Western aristocrats.

However, in the 15th century, the Ottoman Empire rose to power in Central Asia and increased tariffs several times over.

The merchant was naturally unhappy, but he couldn't do anything about the Ottoman Empire, so he came up with the idea of ​​going to sea.

This coincided with technological advancements in shipbuilding and navigation across Europe, providing support for long-distance ocean voyages.

"I see……"

Upon seeing this, Li Shimin suddenly realized the truth.

No major event is accidental; there is a series of prerequisites behind it.

From Zhang Qian's mission during the Han Dynasty, to the flourishing of trade during the Tang Dynasty, to the rise of the Ottoman Empire, and finally to Europeans being forced to embark on long-distance voyages overseas.

Changsun Wuji shook his head repeatedly: "People die for wealth, birds die for food."

"These businessmen are willing to venture into the deep sea for money; they're really risking their lives."

Fang Xuanling chimed in, "After all, the profits are astonishing; even if it's a mountain of knives or a sea of ​​fire, people are willing to wade through it."

The crowd largely agreed.

Merchants value profit over parting, and it's not uncommon for them to be willing to take risks for money.

Given the advanced state of European maritime trade, how could it support voyages of several thousand kilometers?

After pondering for a moment, Li Shimin developed a strong interest in Europe.

"Have the Ministry of Works pull out all the shipbuilding blueprints and see how big a ship our Great Tang Dynasty can build."

Since seafaring could create nine world powers, the Tang Dynasty should also get a share of the pie.

At the very least, we should bring back those American crops.

As a pioneer of the Age of Exploration, Portugal established strongholds and trading posts in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, controlling the passage from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

As the voyages progressed, Europeans encountered a large number of natives who could exchange their inexpensive handicrafts for pearls, gems, and even gold.

Those uncivilized natives are very easy to fool; all they need is a deck of cards to get a dozen baskets of sweet potatoes.

The profits can be tens or even hundreds of times the initial investment.

Against the backdrop of the sky, the Portuguese fleet docked.

Red-haired, blue-eyed Westerners offered cheap handicrafts, and the poorly clothed natives excitedly offered gold and gems in exchange.

Iron knives and iron pots were incredibly valuable, and the items they traded for filled the deck.

The most absurd thing is that both of them had satisfied smiles on their faces.

The wealthy merchants and landlords of Jiangnan were stunned, dizzy with amazement, and wished they could take their place.

"Those playing cards, just a pile of cardboard, can actually be exchanged for dozens of kilograms of sweet potatoes?"

"What's so special about an iron sword? Those barbarians must be crazy to trade it for gold!"

"Why are these indigenous people, who are barely clothed, so wealthy?"

"My God, look at those barbarians, their weapons are all made of wood. Wouldn't they just kill everyone in a fight?"

"If it were me, I'd just rob it! Why bother with trading!"

A group of wealthy old men beat their chests and stamped their feet in despair, filled with regret.

They would fight tooth and nail with their competitors for a few pennies of profit.

Look at those red-haired barbarians, they're not doing business, they're practically picking up money!

Not only wealthy merchants and landlords, but also street vendors and farmers in the fields all stopped what they were doing.

Everyone counted on their fingers.

Facing the loess soil and turning their backs to the sky, they toil in the soil for decades, how much silver can they possibly save?

Westerners can earn enough money to last ten lifetimes just by taking a boat trip around the world!

This land is no place for birds to grow crops!

The contrast was so stark that it ignited ambition in many people's hearts.

After all, those barbarians don't have three heads and six arms. If they can do it, why can't I?

With the support of Spain, Columbus led his fleet across the Atlantic Ocean and arrived in the Americas.

Columbus thought he had arrived in India, so he called the local natives Indians, a name that is still used today.

Through colonization and plunder, the Iberian Peninsula created a myth of sudden wealth.

Between 1502 and 1660, Spain plundered 18600 tons of silver and 200 tons of gold from the Americas alone.

It accounted for almost 83% of the world's total gold and silver at that time.

The bloody plunder also brought utter destruction to the local civilization.

The once glorious Inca and Mayan civilizations were almost completely destroyed.

With their colonial expansion, Spain and Portugal came to control almost half the world.

With colonies spread across the world, Spanish also spread throughout the globe, becoming a semi-common language.

Even in modern times, many talented people from Latin American countries still choose to go to Spain to provide cheap labor for the local population.

In a sense, it can be considered as inheriting the property of one's ancestors.

Upon seeing this, Zheng He could no longer contain himself and immediately knelt down to plead for his life.

"Your Majesty, the barbarians are uneducated and behave like beasts."

"I wish to lead the navy to revisit the Western Ocean and cross the ocean to educate all people."

"Our Celestial Empire, having received the mandate of Heaven, should spread the teachings of the sages throughout the world."

"How can we tolerate these barbarians committing such heinous acts in this uncivilized land!"

Inside the main hall, civil and military officials whispered amongst themselves.

Even the Minister of Revenue, who was usually the stingiest, kept quiet at this moment.

Sailing is so lucrative; no one can resist the lure of money!

Zhu Di also looked down on those barbaric Westerners, and Zheng He provided the perfect excuse.

It is good to educate the people. The Ming Dynasty is a land of etiquette and should go and save the natives from their suffering.

"Sanbao is right. The Longjiang Shipyard should resume operations immediately and build another two hundred treasure ships!"

"Go and tell those natives what true imperial majesty is!"

Zhu Di strode down the steps and personally helped Zheng He up.

Spain isn't that great, they just have a lead, right?

Now that the Ming Dynasty has taken the initiative, let's see who is stronger!