Everything is ready, and the Ming Navy fleet set sail in May.
Most of the ships set off in the Taicang area east of the capital; while only a small number of ships set off from Longjiang Port.
After all the ships go to sea, the entire army will form a huge formation of 200 ships of all sizes. When they move, the sea surface occupied by the fleet is about a wide area of twenty miles.
The officials of the Ministry of War chose a good day, which was the sunny and light breeze.
Liu Ming and others performed some etiquette on the shore and said goodbye to the emperor and colleagues from the court who came to see him off.Then they got on the boat and rowed with the soldiers on their oars and approached a treasure boat.
The magnificent treasure ship on the river is extremely dazzling in the sun.
The solid hull looks as stable as Mount Tai, and the hull is very thick and sturdy; the only disadvantage of this flagship-level large treasure ship is that it is slow reaction.
The antique window lattices on the hull and stern of the boat shine under the sun, as if there were many gems inlaid.
It is said that they are all decorated clam shells, and their main function is that the inner wall of the clam shell reflects light into the cabin so that the cabin can be more light.
When Liu Ming climbed onto the deck, he saw that the commander Tang Jing had arrived first.Liu Ming suddenly felt good. Being able to be with his acquaintances always made his heart more stable.
Tang Jing welcomed him and said: From today on, Envoy Liu and I will be together day and night.
Liu Ming bowed his hand and returned the gift.He thought to himself: It's Ah, I'll spend several months together on the boat, and I can't go anywhere else, and the relationship will definitely become more familiar.
When the treasure ship had just raised its sails, the soldiers' military appearance was still clean.The troops lined up on the deck and said goodbye to the emperor dancing flags on the distant shore.
However, as the scenery in the capital became blurry from the sight, the atmosphere on the ship quickly changed.
The sound of light instruments came from the cabin, and the laughter of hahaha.
People were busy and loud, and the crew members who had just set off seemed to be in a good mood.
Liu Ming looked at the chaotic scene in front of him and walked on the deck for a while.At this time, Tang Jing, who had gone to arrange everything, walked towards him again.The two stood on the deck to greet each other.
Tang Jing said: I am the commander of the five ships and the commander of this ship.We specially arranged a separate cabin for Envoy Liu, and I took Envoy Liu there for a while.
Liu Ming bowed and said: I have General Tang.
The two walked side by side on the deck dozens of steps.Tang Jingyao pointed to the ship on the water and said: Our commander has three warships, a grain ship, and a treasure ship under our feet.
Liu Ming followed Tang Jing's guidance and looked at the sails on the water, nodding from time to time to respond.
Tang Jing said again: There are officers and soldiers in this ship, with 923 people.Including various people such as scribes, medical officials, medical officers, and servants, the total number is more than 1,000.
After hearing this, Liu Ming exclaimed slightly: It’s simply a military town.
Tang Jing smiled and said: Yes, right?
He continued to point to the wooden building at the stern of the boat and said: There are eight floors in total, four floors below the deck, and four floors on the stern of the boat there.There are rudder cabins, medical cabins, official halls, and command buildings.The rudder operated by the rudder cabin uses an open-hole balanced rudder. This is the latest rudder made after the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Even if the large ship is steering, there is no problem.I will live in the official hall with Liu Envoy, located on the second floor. I will take you up to settle down.
As the two walked side by side, Tang Jing continued to say with great knowledge: The hard sail we used has a heavy skeleton and canvas, and when encountering strong winds and waves, the center of gravity may not be stable and the ship will capsize. Fortunately, it is lifted with a sliding rope, and the sails are quickly lifted and can avoid strong winds more easily, which is a great benefit.The soft sails used by the Persians were indeed lighter, but sailors needed to climb up the mast, which was very complicated to lift.Each has its pros and cons.
Liu Ming listened with great interest.
When General Tang got on the boat, his face became bright and his demeanor was different from when he was in Beijing.
Perhaps, for some people, the wandering voyage is his destination?
Just like a camel, she likes a harsh and harsh desert.
Tang Jing lay on the railing, looked at the side of the ship for a while, and said: This ship is equipped with twenty-four Hanwang cannons with a font of "Tian". There are two in front and back, ten in left and right sides, and countless muskets of various types.In my opinion, if the enemy ship wants to face us head-on, the best way is to escape; after all, the treasure ship is bulky and sailing is really slow.
After saying that, he laughed, with confidence and generous expression on his face.
While talking, the two walked up the wooden stairs to the official hall.
They came to the door of a room, and Tang Jing pushed open the door.
I saw a small room inside. Although the space was not large, it was already very good to have a separate cabin on the boat.
After a while, four more people came to meet.Two soldiers, one sergeant, and the other sectarian were all people who were specifically waiting for Liu Ming's dispatch.
The room has all the cost, and there is a wooden table near the window lattice.
Liu Ming walked to the wooden desk and sighed again.
Next to the wooden table, the four treasures of the study are all placed in a very exquisite way.
There is a rope at the end of a row of brushes, which is hung on the pen holder and shakes slightly.
The inkstone is replaced by a copper bottle and a wooden stopper, with a special bamboo pocket woven with bamboo strips and nailed to the wall of the boat.
Another marble paperweight is also fixed in the ship wall position.
Tang Jing explained: When encountering storms, things in the cabin will bump around everywhere, so you must keep things in order to avoid hurting people.
Liu Ming nodded and said: I know, I have also been on a sea boat before.But there is no such detail on the items.
Tang Jing nodded gently.
In order to show that he had sailing experience, Liu Ming found a wooden box, took out the tea leaves from it, twisted a small poke with his finger and handed it to Tang Jing's palm, and said: Please tea.
Tang Jing immediately smiled knowingly, put it in his mouth and chewed it, and then took the cowhide water bag from the guards.
He said: Our days would be good at the beginning, and the boat was loaded with many seasonal fruits and vegetables.But after a while, I could only eat jealous and soak the cabbage and bean sprouts.Generally, there is no fire on the boat. If you want to raise the fire, you have to move some sand and gravel under the bilge.
Liu Ming said: This is the only way to go out.
Tang Jing chatted here for a while, then said goodbye.Liu Ming sent him to the door.
By the evening, the boat became even more lively.
Some of the distilled white wine brought from the capital were distributed to the soldiers before dinner, and everyone had a more joy to drink.
Liu Ming was in the cabin and heard military music and the drummers playing music on their own, and the ship was filled with noise.
He walked out of the cabin, stood beside the railing and watched, and saw the soldiers on the deck as if they were having a festival, some singing and dancing, and some wrestling in the competition.
There were also onlookers and cheering soldiers yelling on the deck.
In the early days of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, many Mongolians were surrendered by the army. Decades later, the soldiers mainly became Han people, but some Mongolian customs were also preserved in the army, and there were many soldiers who liked to fall.
People trained and prepared for a long time, and were very happy when they first set out, and there was no depressed morale that the court officials were worried about.
But this is a protracted journey, and it may be different after a while.
As expected, the atmosphere gradually cooled down a few days later...
At this time, the fleet had left the river and entered the sea area one after another.
Countless ships first formed formations and dispersed the dense formations on the river, so that the distance between the two ships was more than 1,500 feet (avoid sudden collisions).
On continuous sunny days, the wind is small and the waves are low and the sky is clear.
The signals of the flag bearer and drummer are very clear, and the air is filled with drum sounds of different rhythms from far and near.
Some slender small sailboats shuttled through the queue and conveyed military orders in time.
The entire fleet gradually formed a formation similar to a goose-shaped formation, but Liu Ming could not observe the overall situation; because the fleet occupied too wide, and could not be seen clearly without the naked eye.
However, he heard that the ships of Wang Jinghong and the chief general Chen Xuan were all in the center of the brigade to promptly inform the intentions of the Chinese army to the two wings.
As the sun sets, the drums gradually stop.The sea and sky seemed to be quiet, and only uniform and calm sounds of waves and wind could be heard.
Liu Ming was outside the official hall on the second floor, watching the scene on the treasure boat, as if he remembered the atmosphere after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and all the joy stopped.
There were still people coming and going up and down the deck, and the sailors and officers and soldiers were doing their own things in an orderly manner.
However, the situation is still very optimistic, and there is a calmness and comfort on people's faces, and everything goes well.
It was getting late today, and Liu Ming planned to go to the command cabin on the fourth floor to observe tomorrow morning.He returned to the room and looked at the four treasures of the study on the wooden table. He felt impetuous and had no intention of writing articles.
So he got up again and took out the guzheng from the package on the wall.
Liu Ming's family was not wealthy when he was a child. He only read books on the Four Books and Five Classics and other imperial examinations since he was a child. He only learned the music after he had fame, so his fingers were not very flexible and his skills were relatively poor.
However, bringing the Guzheng with you does not require too much skill when you are enjoying yourself on the journey.
He first debugged the strings, and then chose the pipa song "Sunset Flute and Drum" he had practiced, and played it with the guzheng.
The elegant sound of the piano spreads along the antique window lattices. The shimmering sea surface and the shadow of the boat on the water seem to be full of poetry and painting in the song.
In a trance, Liu Ming seemed to be on the banks of the Qinhuai River, and the boat towers in the distance were the pavilions and towers in the beautiful capital of the Ming Dynasty.The wild ocean is also given the artistic conception and sentiment of Chinese civilization.
After the song, Liu Ming simply faced the wooden window with his hands behind his back and started singing in the sea breeze.
The spring tides are connected to the sea level, and the bright moon on the sea is full of tides.The waves are rippling for thousands of miles, and there is no spring river without the moon.The river flows around the fragrant land, the moon shines on the flowers and forests all look like sludge; the frost flows in the sky without flying, and the white sand on the ground cannot be seen.JiāngTiān is a color without dust, and the lonely moon in the bright sky.Who sees the moon for the first time by the river?When did the moon in the river shine?
But I saw the gorgeous clouds in the sky, dotted between the sea and the sky, and the scenery was extremely magnificent.
Most of the ships set off in the Taicang area east of the capital; while only a small number of ships set off from Longjiang Port.
After all the ships go to sea, the entire army will form a huge formation of 200 ships of all sizes. When they move, the sea surface occupied by the fleet is about a wide area of twenty miles.
The officials of the Ministry of War chose a good day, which was the sunny and light breeze.
Liu Ming and others performed some etiquette on the shore and said goodbye to the emperor and colleagues from the court who came to see him off.Then they got on the boat and rowed with the soldiers on their oars and approached a treasure boat.
The magnificent treasure ship on the river is extremely dazzling in the sun.
The solid hull looks as stable as Mount Tai, and the hull is very thick and sturdy; the only disadvantage of this flagship-level large treasure ship is that it is slow reaction.
The antique window lattices on the hull and stern of the boat shine under the sun, as if there were many gems inlaid.
It is said that they are all decorated clam shells, and their main function is that the inner wall of the clam shell reflects light into the cabin so that the cabin can be more light.
When Liu Ming climbed onto the deck, he saw that the commander Tang Jing had arrived first.Liu Ming suddenly felt good. Being able to be with his acquaintances always made his heart more stable.
Tang Jing welcomed him and said: From today on, Envoy Liu and I will be together day and night.
Liu Ming bowed his hand and returned the gift.He thought to himself: It's Ah, I'll spend several months together on the boat, and I can't go anywhere else, and the relationship will definitely become more familiar.
When the treasure ship had just raised its sails, the soldiers' military appearance was still clean.The troops lined up on the deck and said goodbye to the emperor dancing flags on the distant shore.
However, as the scenery in the capital became blurry from the sight, the atmosphere on the ship quickly changed.
The sound of light instruments came from the cabin, and the laughter of hahaha.
People were busy and loud, and the crew members who had just set off seemed to be in a good mood.
Liu Ming looked at the chaotic scene in front of him and walked on the deck for a while.At this time, Tang Jing, who had gone to arrange everything, walked towards him again.The two stood on the deck to greet each other.
Tang Jing said: I am the commander of the five ships and the commander of this ship.We specially arranged a separate cabin for Envoy Liu, and I took Envoy Liu there for a while.
Liu Ming bowed and said: I have General Tang.
The two walked side by side on the deck dozens of steps.Tang Jingyao pointed to the ship on the water and said: Our commander has three warships, a grain ship, and a treasure ship under our feet.
Liu Ming followed Tang Jing's guidance and looked at the sails on the water, nodding from time to time to respond.
Tang Jing said again: There are officers and soldiers in this ship, with 923 people.Including various people such as scribes, medical officials, medical officers, and servants, the total number is more than 1,000.
After hearing this, Liu Ming exclaimed slightly: It’s simply a military town.
Tang Jing smiled and said: Yes, right?
He continued to point to the wooden building at the stern of the boat and said: There are eight floors in total, four floors below the deck, and four floors on the stern of the boat there.There are rudder cabins, medical cabins, official halls, and command buildings.The rudder operated by the rudder cabin uses an open-hole balanced rudder. This is the latest rudder made after the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Even if the large ship is steering, there is no problem.I will live in the official hall with Liu Envoy, located on the second floor. I will take you up to settle down.
As the two walked side by side, Tang Jing continued to say with great knowledge: The hard sail we used has a heavy skeleton and canvas, and when encountering strong winds and waves, the center of gravity may not be stable and the ship will capsize. Fortunately, it is lifted with a sliding rope, and the sails are quickly lifted and can avoid strong winds more easily, which is a great benefit.The soft sails used by the Persians were indeed lighter, but sailors needed to climb up the mast, which was very complicated to lift.Each has its pros and cons.
Liu Ming listened with great interest.
When General Tang got on the boat, his face became bright and his demeanor was different from when he was in Beijing.
Perhaps, for some people, the wandering voyage is his destination?
Just like a camel, she likes a harsh and harsh desert.
Tang Jing lay on the railing, looked at the side of the ship for a while, and said: This ship is equipped with twenty-four Hanwang cannons with a font of "Tian". There are two in front and back, ten in left and right sides, and countless muskets of various types.In my opinion, if the enemy ship wants to face us head-on, the best way is to escape; after all, the treasure ship is bulky and sailing is really slow.
After saying that, he laughed, with confidence and generous expression on his face.
While talking, the two walked up the wooden stairs to the official hall.
They came to the door of a room, and Tang Jing pushed open the door.
I saw a small room inside. Although the space was not large, it was already very good to have a separate cabin on the boat.
After a while, four more people came to meet.Two soldiers, one sergeant, and the other sectarian were all people who were specifically waiting for Liu Ming's dispatch.
The room has all the cost, and there is a wooden table near the window lattice.
Liu Ming walked to the wooden desk and sighed again.
Next to the wooden table, the four treasures of the study are all placed in a very exquisite way.
There is a rope at the end of a row of brushes, which is hung on the pen holder and shakes slightly.
The inkstone is replaced by a copper bottle and a wooden stopper, with a special bamboo pocket woven with bamboo strips and nailed to the wall of the boat.
Another marble paperweight is also fixed in the ship wall position.
Tang Jing explained: When encountering storms, things in the cabin will bump around everywhere, so you must keep things in order to avoid hurting people.
Liu Ming nodded and said: I know, I have also been on a sea boat before.But there is no such detail on the items.
Tang Jing nodded gently.
In order to show that he had sailing experience, Liu Ming found a wooden box, took out the tea leaves from it, twisted a small poke with his finger and handed it to Tang Jing's palm, and said: Please tea.
Tang Jing immediately smiled knowingly, put it in his mouth and chewed it, and then took the cowhide water bag from the guards.
He said: Our days would be good at the beginning, and the boat was loaded with many seasonal fruits and vegetables.But after a while, I could only eat jealous and soak the cabbage and bean sprouts.Generally, there is no fire on the boat. If you want to raise the fire, you have to move some sand and gravel under the bilge.
Liu Ming said: This is the only way to go out.
Tang Jing chatted here for a while, then said goodbye.Liu Ming sent him to the door.
By the evening, the boat became even more lively.
Some of the distilled white wine brought from the capital were distributed to the soldiers before dinner, and everyone had a more joy to drink.
Liu Ming was in the cabin and heard military music and the drummers playing music on their own, and the ship was filled with noise.
He walked out of the cabin, stood beside the railing and watched, and saw the soldiers on the deck as if they were having a festival, some singing and dancing, and some wrestling in the competition.
There were also onlookers and cheering soldiers yelling on the deck.
In the early days of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, many Mongolians were surrendered by the army. Decades later, the soldiers mainly became Han people, but some Mongolian customs were also preserved in the army, and there were many soldiers who liked to fall.
People trained and prepared for a long time, and were very happy when they first set out, and there was no depressed morale that the court officials were worried about.
But this is a protracted journey, and it may be different after a while.
As expected, the atmosphere gradually cooled down a few days later...
At this time, the fleet had left the river and entered the sea area one after another.
Countless ships first formed formations and dispersed the dense formations on the river, so that the distance between the two ships was more than 1,500 feet (avoid sudden collisions).
On continuous sunny days, the wind is small and the waves are low and the sky is clear.
The signals of the flag bearer and drummer are very clear, and the air is filled with drum sounds of different rhythms from far and near.
Some slender small sailboats shuttled through the queue and conveyed military orders in time.
The entire fleet gradually formed a formation similar to a goose-shaped formation, but Liu Ming could not observe the overall situation; because the fleet occupied too wide, and could not be seen clearly without the naked eye.
However, he heard that the ships of Wang Jinghong and the chief general Chen Xuan were all in the center of the brigade to promptly inform the intentions of the Chinese army to the two wings.
As the sun sets, the drums gradually stop.The sea and sky seemed to be quiet, and only uniform and calm sounds of waves and wind could be heard.
Liu Ming was outside the official hall on the second floor, watching the scene on the treasure boat, as if he remembered the atmosphere after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and all the joy stopped.
There were still people coming and going up and down the deck, and the sailors and officers and soldiers were doing their own things in an orderly manner.
However, the situation is still very optimistic, and there is a calmness and comfort on people's faces, and everything goes well.
It was getting late today, and Liu Ming planned to go to the command cabin on the fourth floor to observe tomorrow morning.He returned to the room and looked at the four treasures of the study on the wooden table. He felt impetuous and had no intention of writing articles.
So he got up again and took out the guzheng from the package on the wall.
Liu Ming's family was not wealthy when he was a child. He only read books on the Four Books and Five Classics and other imperial examinations since he was a child. He only learned the music after he had fame, so his fingers were not very flexible and his skills were relatively poor.
However, bringing the Guzheng with you does not require too much skill when you are enjoying yourself on the journey.
He first debugged the strings, and then chose the pipa song "Sunset Flute and Drum" he had practiced, and played it with the guzheng.
The elegant sound of the piano spreads along the antique window lattices. The shimmering sea surface and the shadow of the boat on the water seem to be full of poetry and painting in the song.
In a trance, Liu Ming seemed to be on the banks of the Qinhuai River, and the boat towers in the distance were the pavilions and towers in the beautiful capital of the Ming Dynasty.The wild ocean is also given the artistic conception and sentiment of Chinese civilization.
After the song, Liu Ming simply faced the wooden window with his hands behind his back and started singing in the sea breeze.
The spring tides are connected to the sea level, and the bright moon on the sea is full of tides.The waves are rippling for thousands of miles, and there is no spring river without the moon.The river flows around the fragrant land, the moon shines on the flowers and forests all look like sludge; the frost flows in the sky without flying, and the white sand on the ground cannot be seen.JiāngTiān is a color without dust, and the lonely moon in the bright sky.Who sees the moon for the first time by the river?When did the moon in the river shine?
But I saw the gorgeous clouds in the sky, dotted between the sea and the sky, and the scenery was extremely magnificent.
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