Daming: I, Yang Xian, really govern Yang!

It is naturally impossible for these students to sail around the world alone.

First of all, funding is the biggest problem.

Neither the ships nor the various materials needed for sailing can be afforded by these students. Even though many of them are from powerful families, such a small amount of assets is insignificant in the face of the big issue of circumnavigating the world.

Safety is also a big problem. You will inevitably encounter various accidents during the voyage. It is better to encounter civilized countries. If you encounter those indigenous tribes, conflicts are very likely to break out due to language barriers.

Without the intervention of armed forces like the army, these students alone would never be able to cope with this situation.

Even Magellan completed this great voyage only after receiving the support of the Spanish royal family.

If they were really allowed to build a small broken boat to travel on their own, there would be only one outcome, and that would be to be buried in the belly of a fish.

After receiving Yang Xian's promise, all the students from Beijing University present could not hide their excitement.

Now it seems that everyone has reached a consensus that what Yang Xian wants to do can be done.

After graduating from Beijing University, Xu Miaoyun's head was still buzzing.

In order to verify that the sky is round and the earth is round, we actually have to sail to the end of the world? !
This sounds really crazy.

Yang Xian looked at Xu Miaoyun holding back and hesitating to speak. He raised the corners of his mouth slightly and chuckled: "If you have anything to ask, just ask. How hard it is for you to hold back like this."

Xu Miaoyun asked: "Mr. Yang, do you really plan to let these students do this?"

"why not."

Yang Xian said with a smile: "The core of science lies in practice, and as the old saying goes, it is better to travel thousands of miles than to read thousands of books. The journey they are about to embark on is more than just a journey of thousands of miles, which is important to them. Saying it is also a kind of learning and a kind of practice.”

Xu Miaoyun raised her head and looked at Yang Xian. Even if the man in front of her said something that ordinary people thought was crazy, it would not make people think it was outrageous. Instead, it would feel normal.

This has nothing to do with his identity. Regardless of Yang Xian's official position and title, this is the feeling he brings to Xu Miaoyun and everyone else as an individual.

The two walked for a while and finally parted.

Xu Miaoyun couldn't help but ask again: "Mr. Yang, if someone questions whether the sky is round today, do they still need to go to heaven to see the end of the sky?"

Yang Xian said with a smile: "One day, we people will be able to fly, and when the time comes, we will naturally have to go to the end of the sky to have a look."

"If such a day comes, Mr. Yang, can you take me with you?" Xu Miaoyun raised her head, looked into Yang Xian's eyes, and said.

Yang Xian didn't evade at all, and said with a smile: "Definitely."

On the second day, Yang Xian proposed the proposal of circumnavigation at the meeting of the Military Aircraft Department.

Of course, from the perspective of the Ming Dynasty, the significance of this voyage is far more than just verifying that the sky is round and the earth is round.

If Yang Xian's world map is true, then the unknown continent on the other side of the ocean has a large number of silver mines, much more than the silver mines in Iwami Ginzan in Japan.

Zhu Yuanzhang had long been determined to conquer the world.

For this reason, a lot of previous preparations have been made over the years, to enrich the country and strengthen the army, first to solve the Northern Yuan Dynasty, and then to control the small countries surrounding the Ming Dynasty to avoid trouble.

And now the time has finally come.

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately waved his hand and agreed to Yang Xian's proposal.

The decision to go overseas has been made, and the next decision is about the candidates.

With such a large ocean-going fleet, the person who leads it must not only have sufficient qualifications and majesty, but also have experience at sea.

The position of fleet commander is really not something that can be filled by just a random person.

Zhu Yuanzhang thought for a long time, and finally gave the idea to his brother Xu Da.

When we played Little Japan before, it was the team led by Xu Da.

He has practical experience in maritime navigation, and no one in the army disapproves of him.

The most important thing is that this time I went to the ocean with a special mission. As Xu Da, who has also entered Zhu Yuanzhang's mysterious hall and seen the true magnificence of the world, he is undoubtedly the best candidate.

If it had been anyone else, Zhu Yuanzhang wouldn't be worried.

Moreover, some students from Jingcheng University and Yangzhou University will also sail with the fleet this time. This group of students focused on learning astrology and navigation knowledge during their college years, and there is no problem with theory.

Xu Da's practical practice is combined with the theories of these students.

In the eyes of Zhu Yuanzhang and others, this fleet is perfect.

Xu Da did not refuse Zhu Yuanzhang's request.

Because after seeing the world map, he also wanted to see the vastness of the world with his own eyes.

That's how things were settled.

Next comes all the preparations before going to sea.

Including screening of the list of people going overseas.

There is nothing to say about the soldiers. After all, from the moment they join the army, all soldiers are ready to sacrifice their lives for our country.

The students were completely different. Yang Xian had to explain to them in advance the dangers of going to sea.

Nothing happens at sea, let alone a voyage that lasts for several years.

It is very possible that if you go, you will never come back.

After being informed of the stakes, if in the end some of these students choose to go, then it will be their own choice.

Yang Xian will choose to respect.

Then they will sign an agreement with the imperial court and join this ocean-going fleet.

In terms of supplies for going overseas, fortunately, canned goods are now widely available. Various fruits, canned meats, compressed biscuits invented last year, and the latest spirits are all arranged.

As for the fleet, they all use the latest ocean-going vessels manufactured by Ming Kee Shipyard. They are equipped with the latest steam power, which can solve the problem of vessel power at the most critical moment.

These ships are strong enough to withstand any wind and waves at sea. At the same time, Yang Xian also designed rainwater collectors on these ships to collect rainwater in rainy weather. After all, fresh water is the scarcest resource at sea.

In addition, the accompanying Daming Shuijun were all equipped with the most advanced firearms. In the face of such absolute strength, they would be able to crush both the small countries along the way and the indigenous tribes on the unknown land.

What Yang Xian can do is to provide the Ming Dynasty's ocean-going fleet with the best basic conditions in the world. The preparations this time were much more sufficient than those of Zheng He's voyage to the West in the original time and space, let alone compared with those of Columbus and Magellan.

The rest can only be left to Xu Da and the others.

Unlike crossing the Sea of ​​Japan, this was a true ocean voyage, and they might not encounter any islands along the way.

Sailing on the vast sea can be said to be a completely unknown journey, which is still a great test for people's will.

half a month later.

Zhu Yuanzhang even took a group of ministers directly to the port of Laizhou Prefecture in the east of the Ming Dynasty to bid farewell to Xu Da in person and give him wine to practice.

"Tiande, we have nothing more to reward you. I will reward you with this sea. Take the glory of the Ming Dynasty and my majesty to open up this unknown sea. This world is so big, I am afraid that we will not have the opportunity to see it with our own eyes. I see it, I hope you can take a good look at it for me." Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hand and patted Xu Da on the shoulder, and said with stern eyes.

"I will fulfill my mission!" Xu Da bowed and said.

This is a unique secret between the two of them.

Seeing that the time was almost up, Zhu Yuanzhang signaled Xu Da to set off.

Xu Da clasped his hands and took a few steps back until he reached the port, then stood up and turned around to board the ship.

While boarding the ship, Xu Da shouted loudly: "Under the imperial decree, orders are sent to all ships."

"Weigh the anchor!"

"Uncable (uncable)!"

"Set sail (set sail)!"

In this way, Xu Da led the world's most advanced ocean-going team and opened a new chapter for Ming Dynasty.

As the large fleet led by Xu Da began to sail across the ocean, the Great Navigation Age of the Ming Dynasty completely kicked off, more than 100 years ahead of Columbus's discovery of the New World in the West.

Although in the same time and space, decades later, the Yongle Dynasty of the Ming Dynasty also launched the vigorous Zheng He's voyages to the West.

But Zheng He's voyage to the West is completely different from Xu Da's ocean voyage.

The background of Zheng He's voyages to the West did not involve land reclamation or plunder. It was mainly about courtesy exchanges between countries. It is precisely because of the different purposes that Zheng He's voyage route to the Western Ocean was completely different from the route of the large fleet led by Xu Da this time.

Zheng He's voyages to the West were mainly in the south and west directions after arriving at the seaside from Yingtianfu. This was because the Ming Dynasty had information at that time that there were many countries in these areas, so the purpose was relatively high. powerful.

Xu Da's voyage expedition started from Laizhou Prefecture, crossed Japan, and headed east.

The purpose is equally strong.

For the students, it was to verify the earth's circle, while for Zhu Yuanzhang and Xu Da, it was to determine whether the continent drawn on the world map really existed.

The Ming Dynasty's ocean voyage also aroused heated discussion in the court.

Even though it has been some time since Xu Da and the others went to sea, the heat has not diminished.

Zhongshu Province, Prime Minister Zuo's room.

Tu Jie walked in with a pile of official documents, carefully placed them behind the table in front of Hu Weiyong, and said, "Father, these are the latest official documents handed over by the Ministry of Industry."

Hu Weiyong did not look up and continued to work at his desk.

"Is there anything else?" Hu Weiyong asked when he saw that Tu Jie hadn't left.

Tu Jie hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help but ask: "Father, in the past few days, all the civil and military officials in the court should not say that even the entire streets of the capital are discussing the matter of King Zhongshan's voyage to the sea."

"Father, do you think King Zhongshan and the others can really go to the end of the earth?"

Because until now, the world map Yang Xian gave to Zhu Yuanzhang is still the highest secret of the imperial court.

Therefore, this ocean-going fleet was promoted by the imperial court to help the students verify the fact that the sky is round and the earth is round.

When Hu Weiyong heard what Tu Jie said, he sneered, put down the official document in his hand, raised his head and glanced at Tu Jie, and said, "How can we reach the end of the earth just by walking?"

"It is possible that we will never be able to see King Zhongshan again in this life."

Hu Weiyong murmured, while thinking in his heart that after waiting for so long, the opportunity was finally coming.

In Hu Weiyong's view, the Ming Dynasty lost a military god Xu Da, so the possibility of success of his plan increased. It was simply a blessing from heaven.

In fact, Xu Da's real destination for this voyage was only the American continent.

The straight-line distance from Damingrai Prefecture to America is about 10,000 kilometers.

Why in the original time and space, the Ming Dynasty's navigation technology was clearly ahead of the world, but the real reason why the American continent was not discovered lies in the monsoons and ocean currents on the sea.

Why are there so many Chinese people in Southeast Asia?

It is the result of the Chinese colonial migration to Southeast Asia.

So, why did the Chinese always go south when going to sea in ancient times? Instead of heading east?
Take the winter monsoon as an example. If boat people sail from Fujian and Guangdong to the south, they will be in the downwind direction. In summer, the southwest monsoon blows back to mainland China from Southeast Asia.

This means a Ming Dynasty person sailed the ship. In winter, he could follow the wind and sail south from the coast of China to Southeast Asia smoothly, where he sold porcelain and various Chinese goods. Then in summer, he could return leisurely by the wind.

Nature seems to be encouraging the Chinese to sail south and west. If the Chinese insist on going to America, they must go all the way north after bypassing Kyushu, Japan, where the climate is getting colder and colder. Only then can we catch up with the North Pacific warm current and rush into the depths of the Pacific Ocean with a desperate mentality in the endless ocean. And he didn't even know if there was land on the other side.

Therefore, even judging from the peak level of ocean navigation technology and geographical and ocean current knowledge of the Ming Dynasty during the Zheng He period, I am afraid that it does not have the ability to accomplish this feat.

The reason why in history it was Columbus who accomplished this feat.

First of all, it is only 6368 kilometers from the Portuguese port to the Bahamas, Columbus’s first landing place in America.

When Columbus led three exploration ships to sail west, the ocean was so calm that the crews could use small boats to travel between the three ships. It took just over a month to get from Portugal to the Bahamas.

But even though they only had such a short time, Columbus and his sailors still hesitated in the face of the ocean ahead, and once considered returning. If Columbus set out from the Ming Empire, he would probably have given up returning halfway.

Of course, with the development of science in Ming Dynasty, this problem has been solved.

The emergence of steam-powered ocean-going ships meant that Xu Da no longer had to rely entirely on wind direction and ocean currents for his voyage.

According to Yang Xian's estimation, Xu Da and his fleet could theoretically reach the American continent in about a month.

Therefore, it is best for Hu Weiyong to plan quickly, otherwise it may be too late. (End of chapter)