Daming Crazy Emperor

Chapter 246
Carinho went shopping frantically for two days, and finally went back satisfied.

As soon as the Spanish ocean-going fleet left, Taichang summoned a group of civil servants and generals to the Chamber of Shipping, preparing to explain in detail before returning to Beijing.

He habitually raised his head and glanced around, and was about to start explaining, when he saw the expressions of everyone, he couldn't help being stunned.

These guys are even more like eggplants beaten by frost, they are all wilted!
He couldn't help asking: "Shigao, Liangfu, what's wrong with you?"

Bi Maoliang couldn't help sighing: "Your Majesty, I really didn't expect that the barbarians have become so powerful. There are more than ten cannons on their merchant ships. It is estimated that the largest lucky boat in our navy can't beat them." It's a merchant ship."

Wang Zheng also couldn't help sighing: "Yes, Your Majesty, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I really wouldn't believe that the barbarians have become so powerful. Listen to what Carlinio said, so what Dutchman actually There are tens of thousands of armed merchant ships, hundreds of high-rise ships and gunboats, and there are not so many warships of our Great Ming Navy combined!"

Oh, I have been worrying about this for a long time.

Taichang nodded slightly, and then said with emotion: "You know the gap now, right? In fact, during the Yongle Dynasty, all the European barbarians combined did not have as many warships as our Daming Navy. Moreover, at that time they couldn't make any warships. This kind of giant ships, they were also a bunch of small warships at that time. It’s a pity that it’s the other way around now, and it’s become a bunch of small warships for us, and a bunch of giant ships for them. Alas, our Ming Dynasty has been asleep for too long. Let others overtake, we should wake up!"

Yes, it's time for Daming to wake up.

All civil servants and generals nodded their heads in agreement when they heard the words.

Wang Zheng thought about it again, and then said cautiously: "Your Majesty, I have tentatively asked Nacarinho, and he said that the Dutch shipbuilding capabilities are quite terrifying. In less than 20 years, they built Tens of thousands of ocean-going ships have been built, that is to say, they can build at least more than 500 ocean-going ships a year, Your Majesty, do you think we can catch up with them?"

In other words, can Daming still be inferior to a little barbarian?
Taichang thought for a while, and then solemnly said: "It's good that you can see the reality clearly, see the gap, and suddenly wake up, but you can't lose your confidence because of it.

Those barbarians developed while we were sleeping, so what?
Their small population is nothing to be afraid of. You probably don't know that they are actually small countries with a population of only a few million or even hundreds of thousands.

We are a great Ming Dynasty with a population of billions. Once we wake up, all nations will surrender, and we are mere barbarians, so why not be afraid!

What's the matter with more than 500 ships? If our Ming Dynasty really goes all out like them, it will not be a problem to build a thousand or even thousands of ocean-going ships a year! "

This is not bragging, if all craftsmen were really called together and put all their efforts into shipbuilding, Daming could really build thousands of ocean-going ships a year.

Daming is already on the alert, a mere barbarian, why not be afraid!

Wang Zheng hurriedly cupped his hands and said: "The emperor forgives the crime, it's because I'm worrying too much."

Taichang nodded slightly and said: "Okay, everyone don't have to worry about this. The reason why the European barbarians can cross the sea is nothing more than guns, cannons and giant ships. We can build these, and what we can build is even more powerful than theirs. It is only a matter of time to catch up with them, the most important thing now is how we catch up with them."

After that, he directly took out a rubber tree seed from his pocket, and said with a little pride: "The barbarians don't know how important this rubber is. Now, we already have the seeds, and they will send [-] of them every year." , as long as we can plant this rubber tree, steam engines can be built without limit. At this time, they don't know what a steam engine is, this is our greatest advantage! How about people, do you have the confidence to make this The rubber tree is planted?"

Chen Zilong couldn't help being taken aback when he heard this.

He really didn't expect that the emperor would suddenly point to him.

He thought about it carefully, and then said cautiously: "Your Majesty, although I have never seen this rubber tree, I have seen many other trees and tried to plant many. I am not familiar with the habits of various trees. I have some experience. This rubber tree will definitely be no problem when planted, but it needs some time to study its habits."

Uh, tree habits?
I don't understand this!

Taichang said with a little embarrassment: "What are the habits of the tree? How long do you estimate it will take to grow this rubber tree?"

Chen Zilong quickly explained: "To plant a tree, you must first know its cold and heat, because some trees like cold, and some trees like heat.

There is also the choice of soil, because the roots of trees grow in the soil, and different trees are suitable for different lands.

As long as these two things are fine, other things such as seedling raising, watering, maintenance, etc. are similar to growing crops.

It's okay to choose the soil. After planting the saplings, take a closer look at his root system and it's almost the same.

Weichen just doesn't know whether this rubber tree likes cold or heat. It may take a few years to try it out in various places in the north and south. "

It turned out to be this, so you don't have to try it everywhere!

Taichang said without hesitation: "This kind of tree must be hot, because the place where the barbarians found this kind of tree is very hot, it seems to be still at the seaside, so I have ordered Ma Shilong, the general soldier, to bring fifty thousand guards to guard against it. More than [-] captive rebels have gone to Qiongzhou Prefecture, which should be the most suitable place for planting rubber trees, you just go and choose the soil.”

It's that simple!
Chen Zilong couldn't help cupping his hands excitedly and said: "Your Majesty, it doesn't take much time to select the soil. You just need to plant a little bit of saplings in various types of soil, and then carefully inspect them. One year is enough!"

OK!

Taichang said without hesitation: "Okay, you will temporarily serve as the procuratorial envoy of Guangdong Province, who will be responsible for bringing [-] elite guards and more than [-] captives to plant trees and food in Qiongzhou Prefecture. Rubber trees are the key. If you want to grow food well, it’s almost enough for them to grow the food themselves to support themselves.”

Putting punishment on the affairs of the procurator and Siqian, that is also the fifth grade!

Chen Zilong hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness."

Taichang nodded slightly and said: "There are not many people over there anyway, you just need to choose the land, and after you have chosen it, just enclose it and plant rubber trees. As for the more than [-] captives, let them go to open up wasteland and plant land when they are free. I will give you ten years, and I hope you can plant rubber trees all over the Qiongzhou Prefecture within ten years, and plant hundreds of thousands or even millions of rubber trees."

Chen Zilong heard the words, thought about it carefully, and then said carefully: "Your Majesty, this rubber tree seed is a bit like a tung tree, and a tung tree usually takes three to five years to bear fruit. I have not yet Knowing how much fruit the rubber tree bears, if there are not many fruits, should I use it to cultivate the saplings and expand the plant, or to squeeze the rubber?"

Ugh, this kid thought rubber was squeezed from rubber tree seeds like tung oil!
Taichang couldn't help but said embarrassingly: "Renzhong, I forgot to tell you that this rubber is actually a kind of gum, the kind that will flow out when the bark is cut, it is not squeezed from the seeds, so you just take it. Cultivate the saplings vigorously with the seeds and expand them as much as possible.”

It turned out to be the case.

Chen Zilong hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "I understand."

Taichang nodded slightly, and then said to Wang Zheng: "Liangfu, the Haihe shipyard is full of farmland, right?"

Wang Zheng nodded again and again and said: "Yes, Your Majesty, there are all the farmlands of Tianjin Sanwei."

Taichang then asked: "Has the Ministry of Industry counted how many blacksmiths, carpenters, coppersmiths and other craftsmen related to shipbuilding and weapon making in Ming Dynasty?"

Wang Zheng said with a little embarrassment: "I have to ask Lord Bi about this, I don't know much about it yet."

Taichang asked again: "Is there always a few hundred thousand?"

Wang Zheng reckoned, "If you count the Tunwei military craftsmen, there should be hundreds of thousands."

That's it.

Taichang said decisively: "After we go back, let Menghou issue a document to mobilize all relevant artisans to build factories in Sanwei, Tianjin, to build ships, guns, guns, and various weapons and equipment."

what?
It doesn't seem to work like this!

Wang Zheng carefully reminded: "Your Majesty, it seems that craftsmen are still inseparable from localities. For example, blacksmiths are inseparable from making farm tools, and carpenters are inseparable from household utensils. , the folks may lack a lot of things!"

This is not easy.

Taichang said without hesitation: "These can all be made by the artisans organized by the Ministry of Industry. The speed of making them must be much faster than that of a single artisan. If you add steam machine tools, it is probably enough for folks to use it. At that time, it will be enough for the merchants to purchase directly from the Ministry of Industry and then transport them to various places for sale, and the price will definitely not be higher than the original ones made separately."

All farm tools and household items are trivial matters.

At this time, since Daming is not short of money or materials, he naturally wants to let go and build all kinds of weapons and equipment!
Once the sleeping lion wakes up, it will become the king of beasts!
(End of this chapter)