Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 677: Searching for High-Yield Seeds
"Your Majesty, I have several experienced navigators under my command. They are familiar with the conditions in the surrounding waters. I will ask them to refer to previous navigation records, and combine some rumors and speculations to develop a reasonable sailing route. However, during the voyage, adjustments may need to be made based on actual conditions."

Jia Changsheng said: "Everything will be handed over to Lord Zhou, please make sure the navigation route is safe and feasible."

After intense discussions and deliberations, all matters concerning the voyage were finally tentatively determined. Jia Changsheng looked at the ministers in the court and said solemnly: "This voyage is of great significance and is related to the future development of our Great Sui. I believe that with the joint efforts of all the ministers, our Great Sui navy will be able to successfully complete the mission and bring back those precious crop seeds. I also hope that all the ministers can work together to contribute their own strength to the prosperity of our Great Sui."

"We obey your order and are willing to serve your Majesty at our whim!" The ministers shouted in unison, and their voices echoed throughout the hall.

After leaving the court, Zhou Meng immediately returned to the naval camp and began to prepare for the voyage. He summoned his generals and navigators, conveyed the emperor's will to them, and discussed the specific action plan.

"This voyage is a great test for our Sui navy, and it is also a good opportunity for us to make contributions to the country." Zhou Meng looked at everyone firmly and said, "Everyone must go all out and make all preparations."

The generals said one after another: "Don't worry, Governor. We will definitely live up to the trust of your majesty and the Governor!"

At the same time, Chen Yuan also began to select translators in the court. He read through a large number of files, asked many officials, and finally found several talents who were proficient in foreign languages.

Li An was busy allocating supplies. He personally went to various warehouses to check the reserves of food, fresh water, medicine and other materials to ensure that every material met the standards.

The selected agronomists and horticulturists also began to collect information about crops in the Americas in preparation for the upcoming expedition.

The entire Sui Dynasty was busy because of this voyage, and everyone was looking forward to the fleet returning with a full load, bringing new hope and prosperity to the Sui Dynasty.

Days passed, and the fleet preparations were proceeding in an intense and orderly manner. Finally, on a sunny day, twenty large warships and several supply ships were neatly lined up at the port, the ships were full of supplies, and the officers and crew were all in their positions, waiting for the order to set sail.

Jia Changsheng personally came to the port to see the fleet off. Standing on the high pier, he looked at the mighty warships, his heart full of anticipation.

"My dear Minister Zhou, I will rely on you for this voyage." Jia Changsheng looked at Zhou Meng, his eyes full of trust and expectations.

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I will never fail my mission!" Zhou Meng knelt on one knee and said solemnly.

"Okay, I'll wait for your triumphant return!" Jia Changsheng said loudly.

With the sound of a loud horn, the fleet slowly left the port and headed for the vast sea. Jia Changsheng stood on the dock, looking at the direction of the fleet until it disappeared where the sea and the sky met. He knew that this voyage would be an important step for the prosperity of the Sui Dynasty. He looked forward to the fleet bringing back fruitful results and opening a new chapter for the development of the Sui Dynasty.

The vast sea, gently caressed by the early morning sun, should have been sparkling, gentle and peaceful, but what was presented to the Sui fleet at this moment was a turbulent and dangerous scene. Zhou Meng stood at the bow of the flagship, the sea breeze whistled across his resolute face like a sharp blade, and his cloak fluttered in the wind. His deep eyes stared at the front, with both determination for the unknown journey and alertness to the upcoming challenges.

"Report - Governor, there are large dark clouds in the sea ahead, and it seems that a storm is coming!" A lookout came running hurriedly, with a bit of anxiety in his voice.

Zhou Meng frowned slightly, raised his hand to block the dazzling sunlight, and looked far away. As expected, he saw dark clouds on the sea surface in the distance, rolling and gathering like a surging tide, approaching the fleet at an alarming speed. "Pass the order down, all soldiers should be prepared for the storm! Fold the sails, strengthen the masts, and check the cabins for leaks!" His voice was steady and powerful, and quickly spread among the fleet.

As orders were issued one after another, the fleet, which had been sailing in an orderly manner, immediately became busy. The sailors climbed and jumped between the masts like agile monkeys, and quickly folded the huge sails. The soldiers worked together to reinforce the masts with ropes to ensure that they would not fall down in the strong wind. At the same time, the personnel responsible for inspecting the cabins also carefully checked every corner, not missing any gaps that might leak.

However, the storm arrived much faster and more violently than expected. In the blink of an eye, the sky was completely covered by dark clouds, as if covered by a huge black curtain, and the day turned into night in an instant. The wind howled, raising huge waves several feet high, like ferocious beasts, rushing towards the fleet with bared fangs and claws.

"Hold on! Hold on, everyone!" Zhou Meng shouted loudly, trying to keep the troops calm amid the strong winds and huge waves. However, his voice was quickly drowned out by the strong winds and disappeared in the vast sea.

The warships shook violently under the impact of the huge waves, swaying like fallen leaves in the wind. Some ships were thrown high up by the huge waves and then fell hard, with the hulls making creaking sounds, as if they would fall apart at any time. Inside the cabin, items were scattered everywhere, and the soldiers and sailors held on to the fixed objects around them, trying to keep their balance, but they could not hide the fear on their faces.

"Oh no! The mast of ship No. 3 is going to break!" Someone shouted. Zhou Meng's heart tightened and he looked over. He saw that the mast of ship No. 3 was shaking violently under the raging wind. Several ropes had been broken and it was in danger of falling down at any time. Once the mast fell, it would not only damage the ship, but also injure the people on board. The consequences would be disastrous.

"Quick, send someone to support Ship No. 3!" Zhou Meng ordered without hesitation. A rescue boat was quickly lowered from the flagship, and several brave sailors rowed towards Ship No. 3 despite the strong wind and huge waves. They struggled forward on the rough sea, and every stroke seemed so strenuous. If they were not careful, they might be swallowed by the huge waves.

After a thrilling effort, the rescue boat finally approached Ship No. 3. The sailors quickly climbed aboard Ship No. 3 and, together with the crew on board, used spare ropes to re-secure the mast. With their joint efforts, the mast was finally temporarily stabilized, and the crew on board breathed a sigh of relief.

However, the storm showed no signs of abating. Another huge wave hit, this time targeting a supply ship at the end of the fleet. The huge wave was like a towering wall of water, slamming towards the supply ship. The supply ship was unable to dodge and was hit by the huge wave. The hull tilted by half in an instant, and a large amount of cargo slipped out of the cabin and fell into the sea.

"Oh no, the supply ship is in danger!" Zhou Meng was extremely anxious. He knew that once the supply ship sank, the fleet would be seriously short of supplies and the subsequent voyage would be more difficult. "All ships should move closer to the supply ship and rescue them with all their strength!" He gave the order again. The other ships in the fleet adjusted their courses and moved closer to the supply ship. In the strong winds and huge waves, it was not easy for the ships to move closer to each other. A slight mistake could cause a collision. The sailors carefully controlled the ship and finally approached the supply ship with their superb skills and tenacious perseverance.

Soldiers lent a hand and pulled the people on the supply ship to other ships one by one. Just as they were about to continue to rescue the goods, another huge wave hit, and the supply ship could no longer withstand it and slowly sank to the bottom of the sea. Looking at the supply ship gradually disappearing in the sea, Zhou Meng's heart was filled with helplessness and grief, but he knew that he must not be immersed in sadness at this moment and must lead the fleet to move forward.

The storm finally subsided after several hours, the sky began to clear, and the sun shone on the sea again. However, after experiencing the baptism of this storm, the fleet was already scarred. Many ships were seriously damaged, some had cracks on the hull, some had broken masts, and some had torn sails. There were also many casualties, and many soldiers and sailors were injured and rushed to the ship's infirmary for treatment.

Zhou Meng looked at the messy fleet in front of him and secretly made up his mind to lead everyone to overcome the difficulties and complete this long-distance mission. "Pass the order down, each ship should check the damage and repair it as soon as possible. The injured personnel should be carefully cared for and must recover as soon as possible." He arranged the follow-up work in an orderly manner.

After some intensive repairs, the fleet finally managed to regain its sailing ability. Zhou Meng looked into the distance, knowing that this was only the first challenge in their long journey, and there would be more difficulties and obstacles waiting for them in the future. But he was not afraid, because he firmly believed that as long as all the soldiers worked together, there would be no difficulties that could not be overcome.

The fleet continued to sail on the sea. As time went by, they gradually entered an unfamiliar sea area. The color of the water in this sea area was extremely deep, as if it was hiding endless secrets. A thin layer of fog often filled the sea surface, giving people a mysterious and weird feeling.

"Admiral, there's something strange about this sea area. We have to be careful." An experienced old sailor walked up to Zhou Meng and said worriedly.

Zhou Meng nodded slightly. He also felt something strange about this sea area. "Pass the order down. Be alert. Keep the distance between ships. Lookouts should pay close attention to the surrounding situation." He once again issued the order to sail carefully.

At this moment, the lookout suddenly cried out: "Oh no, there are reefs ahead!" Zhou Meng's heart tightened, and he looked over hurriedly, only to see some black reefs vaguely exposed on the sea surface ahead, appearing and disappearing under the beating of the waves. These reefs are like killers hidden in the dark, which may bring a fatal blow to the fleet at any time.

"Attention all ships, turn left and avoid the reef!" Zhou Meng shouted. The sailors quickly turned the rudder and the ship began to turn slowly. However, due to the complex water flow in this sea area, the ship's turning was not smooth, and some ships were even washed towards the reef by the current.

"Quick, paddle, paddle hard!" Zhou Meng was anxious, he looked at the ships that were about to hit the reef and shouted loudly. Soldiers and sailors took up the oars and paddled hard, trying to get rid of the control of the water.

With everyone's efforts, most of the ships finally managed to avoid the reef. Unfortunately, one ship hit the reef, and the hull made a loud noise, and was instantly cut by the reef. The sea water poured into the cabin like a surging tide, and the ship sank rapidly.

"Quick, lower the lifeboats and save people!" Zhou Meng ordered without hesitation. Lifeboats were lowered quickly, and soldiers and sailors jumped into the sea, swam towards the sinking ship, and rescued the people on board onto the lifeboats.

After an intense rescue operation, all the people on board were finally rescued. Looking at the ship gradually sinking to the bottom of the sea, Zhou Meng's heart was filled with anger and helplessness. He knew that in this unfamiliar sea, every step forward was full of danger, but he had no intention of retreating and had to lead the fleet to move forward.

The fleet continued to sail, and after several days and nights of arduous journey, they finally saw the outline of a piece of land. Zhou Meng was excited, he knew that they might have approached the American continent.

"All officers and men, listen up! Speed ​​up and head for the land!" he shouted excitedly. The fleet quickly adjusted its course and headed for the land.

However, when they approached the land, they found that the coastline of this land was full of steep cliffs and reefs, and there was no suitable landing place at all.

"Governor, what should we do?" a general asked anxiously.

Zhou Meng frowned, pondered for a moment and said, "Continue searching along the coastline, and we will definitely find a suitable landing site."

The fleet sailed slowly along the coastline, and after a careful search, they finally found an opportunity to land in a relatively flat bay. Zhou Meng ordered the fleet to dock in the bay and prepare for landing.

Just as they were about to land, countless sharp arrows suddenly shot out from the jungle on the shore and flew towards the fleet. Zhou Meng was shocked and shouted, "Oh no, there is an ambush! All soldiers, prepare for battle!"

The soldiers quickly picked up their weapons, and the shield bearers raised their shields to form a solid defense line to block the flying arrows. At the same time, Zhou Meng observed the situation on the shore and found that it was a group of natives in strange costumes who were attacking them.

"Why did these natives attack us for no reason?" a general asked puzzledly.

Zhou Meng shook his head and said, "Don't act rashly. Let's see what they want to do."

The two sides were in a stalemate for a while, and the natives stopped shooting arrows when they saw that the fleet had no intention of attacking. Zhou Meng took the opportunity to send an interpreter to the shore in a small boat to try to communicate with the natives.

(End of this chapter)