I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 339 The Crown Prince Rolls Up

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Zhao Shou, accompanied by Liu Qi, Yang Yizhong, Ma Kuo, Hu Quan, and others, left Bianliang (Kaifeng) with Zhao Yu and sailed to Dengzhou Port.

Upon arriving at the pier in Dengzhou Port, Zhao Shou and the others witnessed a scene they would never forget.

It was a colossal ship, as big as a mountain.

When the treasure ship emerged from the morning mist, Zhao Shou and the others instinctively took a half step back—not out of fear, but as a physical reaction to such a colossal object.

The ship was even more imposing than the Zichen Hall in the imperial palace. The ebony gunwales gleamed in the sunlight, and the masts, several meters high, pierced the sky. The hull exposed above the water was more than three times wider than the dragon boat that Zhao Shou and his companions usually rode in.

“This…is a ship?!” Zhao Shou heard his own voice tremble.

Liu Qi and others also had this question.

In the past, when discussing the maritime frontier with ministers in the palace, the ships on the scrolls were merely silhouettes outlined in ink. Zhao Shou and others thought that the so-called treasure ships were just larger than grain transport ships.

But now, looking closely, the rivets on the ship's hull are bigger than their fists, and the soldiers on the deck move about like ants, yet they can't even fill the shadows on the ship's side.

Zhao Shou suddenly recalled the "Classic of Mountains and Seas" he had read in his childhood. He always felt that the legends of "giant turtles carrying mountains" were absurd and unbelievable. But at this moment, he vaguely felt that the treasure ship in front of him could really carry an island on the sea.

When boarding the ship, Zhao Shou and the others stepped onto the gangplank, but the plank did not move an inch, as stable as stepping on the jade steps of the imperial city.

It wasn't until the anchor chain was raised and the deafening roar of the chains rubbing together made Zhao Shou and the others realize that this enormous thing had actually moved.

As the ship sailed out of the port, Zhao Shou and the others were standing at the stern.

At first, they could still see the shadows of the city walls and towers on the shore, but in less than half an hour, the land shrank into a gray line, and in the blink of an eye, only blue remained between heaven and earth.

It wasn't the blue of palace walls and glazed tiles, nor the blue of a sunny day in the imperial garden. It was an overwhelming, endless blue. The sea surged along the ship's side, a translucent turquoise near the shore, gradually turning indigo towards the distance, and further still, merging with the azure of the sky, making it impossible to distinguish where the sea ended and the sky began. Occasionally, a white bird would skim low overhead, its wings sweeping across the crests of the waves; that speck of white in the boundless blue was as tiny as a drop of ink carelessly spilled on rice paper.

Suddenly a long wind swept by, the sails billowed, and the treasure ship rose and fell slightly in the waves, yet remained as steady as Mount Tai.

Zhao Shou leaned on the gunwale and looked into the distance. He saw a huge wave suddenly rise on the sea ahead, like a moving wall of water pressing down on the ship. His throat tightened, but then he saw the bow of the ship lift slightly, cutting through the wave like a sharp blade. The splashing water turned into rainbows in the sunlight and landed on his face, carrying a salty coolness.

Back in Bianliang, the capital of the Eastern Capital, Zhao Shou believed that the palace walls were the boundaries of the world, and that the view from the throne could encompass all directions. But now, standing on this treasure ship, gazing at the boundless sea, he realized that what he had seen before was merely a small part of the world at the bottom of a well.

Zhao Yu, standing to the side, said, "Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, you have vigorously developed the shipbuilding industry and maritime trade, which has enabled our Great Song Dynasty to possess such magnificent ships, allowing Your Majesty to lead us out of the land and expand our territory to the seas..."

Before Zhao Yu ascended the throne, the Song Dynasty court regarded the ocean as a dangerous place, and their vision of territory consisted only of the cities and fields on land.

At that time, seagoing vessels were merely tools for coastal transport, with the largest carrying only a few hundred shi of goods, let alone long-distance trade. Exchanges with the Liao and Jin dynasties relied mainly on land-based markets, and sporadic transactions with Goryeo and Japan were handled by private individuals. As for the countries further south in the Indochina Peninsula, they were merely blurry ink blots on maps, and even envoys rarely ventured there.

The Maritime Trade Office was merely a sinecure that collected miscellaneous taxes. Merchants had to register with the government for half a year before setting sail, and upon their return, they were subjected to layers of exploitation. Over time, all the merchants chose to conduct maritime trade through smuggling.

After Zhao Yu ascended the throne, he vigorously developed maritime trade and shipbuilding, and ports were built one after another. The Maritime Trade Office became the most professional customs office.

Moreover, the Song Dynasty's ships underwent a qualitative leap in the past ten years.

Under the organization of the imperial court, a group of shipyards in the Song Dynasty gathered together, each drawing on their strengths, and using the mortise and tenon structure from the "Yingzao Fashi" (Building Standards) to develop a new type of treasure ship: a forward cabin sharp as a blade to cut through the waves, a middle cabin as wide as a courtyard to carry cargo, and a rear cabin as deep as a well to store new items.

What amazed the shipwrights of the Song Dynasty even more was the application of the steam engine invented by Ma Xiaojiao on ships. When it was in use, it was almost as fast as a horse. In critical moments, it could ride the wind and waves to chase enemy ships and was virtually invincible.

Crucially, this steam power could sometimes be a lifesaver in the face of strong winds and waves, enabling ships equipped with steam engines to sail further.

Today, the tax revenue of the Maritime Trade Office has increased from hundreds of thousands of strings of cash to tens of millions of strings of cash annually, exceeding the tea tax revenue of Jiangnan; the tonnage of ships has increased from several hundred shi to five thousand liao; Song Dynasty goods such as silk, porcelain, tea, glass, soap, machinery, and light industrial products are transported to countries along the way by fleets, in exchange for exotic products such as gold, silver, spices, gems, and ivory, enriching the material life of the Song Dynasty and promoting the development of maritime trade.

In the past ten years or so, the Song Dynasty has expanded its territory to places it never dared to imagine before, without firing a single shot, thanks to its advanced ships. Many small countries have witnessed the power of the Song Dynasty, and as a result, many countries have sent envoys to visit the Song Dynasty, creating a situation where all countries come to pay tribute, which has enhanced the Song Dynasty's international influence and status.

Zhao Shou's fingers tightened slightly as he gripped the gunwale, his knuckles turning white from the force. The sea breeze, carrying a salty, damp scent, lashed his face, accompanied by the distant roar of waves crashing against the ship, shattering Zhao Yu's words and then stuffing them into his ears piece by piece.

Zhao Shou knew that his father, Emperor Zhao Yu, was the greatest emperor of the Song Dynasty, and even one of the greatest emperors in history.

Only now has Zhao Shoucai gained a preliminary understanding of Zhao Yu's greatness.

A few days later, Zhao Shou and his party arrived at Dalian Port (the name Zhang Chun suggested).

When they first arrived at Dalian Port, Zhao Shou and the others felt that it was newer and did not think it was any different from Dengzhou.

Only Ma Kuo sighed, “Your Highness is unaware of this. When we first arrived, this place had no name. The fishermen called it ‘Qingniwa’. What harbor was there? It was just a shallow beach surrounded by reefs. When the tide receded, dozens of crooked logs could be seen standing in the mud, which could only hold a dozen or so small fishing boats at most. The boats were all patched up, and the fishermen had to use rafts to go up and down. If the waves were big, they would have to wait a long time.”

Ma Kuo turned to look at the harbor as it is now and said, “Today, a two-zhang-long blue stone embankment has been built on the shore to protect against the strong winds of late autumn; the wharf is divided into more than ten berths, which can accommodate treasure ships of five thousand liang and small cargo ships from Liaodong; there are warehouses, storehouses and the Maritime Trade Office on the shore, with neat blue brick and tile houses, which are better than the old Dengzhou government office in the past.”

As they were talking, a train rattled across the pier. Although it only had five carriages, it was still loaded with a large amount of cement and timber.

Ma Kuo laughed and said, "This is a train developed by Ma Niangniang. The tracks are laid along the dock, and one train can carry five cartloads of goods, which is much faster than people carrying them on their shoulders. In the past, when we came here, we could only rely on fishermen's small carts to transport goods, and when it rained, the mud would reach our knees."

Zhao Shou looked along the tracks and saw hundreds of craftsmen repairing a brand-new treasure ship in a distant dock. Seeing this, Zhao Shou exclaimed in surprise, "A shipyard built here! Isn't my father worried that the Jurchens of Liaodong will seize it?"

Ma Kuo said, "Your Majesty has confidence in the soldiers at the front. Moreover, Goryeo has now allied with the Jurchens, preventing our Song ships bound for Japan from docking. Our Song can only build a shipyard here to inspect the ships heading east, just in case."

From Zhao Yu's strategic layout on the Liaodong Peninsula, Zhao Shou could see that after the Song Dynasty occupied the area, it had no intention of returning it.

After Zhao Shou and his party disembarked, they took a train north and then rode horses to the front lines.

After handing Zhao Shou over to Zhong Shidao, Zhao Yu returned to Dalian.

When Zhao Shou came to him, Zhong Shidao was truly at a loss.

Cultivating a crown prince is also of paramount importance. Zhao Yu's willingness to entrust Crown Prince Zhao Shou to Zhong Shidao for training shows that he values ​​Zhong Shidao.

Therefore, no matter how bitter or difficult it is, one must continue to follow the path of the master.

After discussing it with Qiu Yu, Zhang Jun, Zhang Shuye and others, Zhong Shidao felt that it would be better to place Zhao Shou in Zhang Jun's army, which was known for its steady approach and skill in battle.

Moreover, the Divine Machine Army is the future of the Song Dynasty, which will allow Zhao Shou to learn how the most advanced army of the Song Dynasty fights.

After receiving this daunting task, Zhang Jun dared not delay and immediately assigned Zhao Shou and others to his nephew Zhang Zigai's army.

Don't mistake Zhang Zigai for a spoiled brat just because he's Zhang Jun's nephew. In fact, he's one of Zhang Jun's top generals, and he's also meticulous and courageous in critical moments.

Historically, during the Miao-Liu Rebellion, Zhang Zigai served as the vanguard of Zhang Jun's army, following Han Shizhong in suppressing the Miao-Fu rebels, and was promoted to Wugonglang for his merits. Later, when the puppet Qi regime launched a major invasion southward, Zhang Zigai again distinguished himself in the Battle of Outang. After the Jin dynasty broke the alliance, Zhang Jun's troops participated in the major battles of recapturing Su and Bo prefectures and defeating the Jin army at Zhegao. When Wanyan Liang broke the alliance, Zhang Zigai was ordered to relieve Haizhou. He fought a major battle against the Jin army outside the city, defeating them twice and driving thousands of Jin soldiers into the water to drown, finally relieving the siege of Haizhou. Although he did not accept Wei Sheng's advice to pursue the victory, but instead retreated to Sizhou under the pretext of "being ordered to relieve the siege and unaware of other matters," considering that he was already fifty years old at the time, and that other generals who crossed the river to the south, such as Cheng Min, Zhao Mi, and Wang Quan, had become timid and fearful by that age, Zhang Zigai's ability to defeat the Jin army in open battle was truly remarkable.

Because Zhao Yu had already issued an imperial edict ordering Zhao Shou to train anonymously, Zhang Jun, who was always the most obedient, didn't tell Zhang Zigai what Zhao Shou's true identity was.

Of course, Zhang Jun didn't trick his nephew. Instead, he vaguely told Zhang Zigai that Zhao Shou was the son of a high-ranking official in the court and should not be neglected.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zigai also used his cleverness to transfer Zhao Shou and the others to the command of Zhao Yu's eldest son, Zhao Yan.

Zhang Zigai thought to himself, "No matter how strong Zhao Shou's connections are, they can't be stronger than the current emperor's eldest son. I'll hand him over to the eldest prince to keep in check, right?"
And so, the brothers Zhao Yan and Zhao Shou met on the front lines.

Zhao Yan was surprised to see Zhao Shou also arrive.

However, considering how corrupt his brothers were, Zhao Yan understood Zhao Shou's choice.

To be honest, when he was young, especially when he was just beginning to understand things, Zhao Yan also felt it was unfair. He was clearly Zhao Yu's eldest son, but because his mother was of low birth and Zhao Yu had many sons, he had no chance to inherit Zhao Yu's throne. This was very unfair.

But later, as everyone grew up, Zhao Yan discovered that his younger brothers were all more capable than the last, and many of them had been ambitious since childhood, even aiming for the position of crown prince.

Seeing this, Zhao Yan thought to himself, if he were the crown prince, he would be roasted on a fire and unable to sleep all night long.

In this way, Zhao Yan gradually came to understand that being a peaceful and unassuming eldest prince wasn't so bad. Respect for elders and the authority of the eldest brother, plus not blocking anyone's path, meant that in the Song Dynasty, which valued seniority and hierarchy, his younger siblings would surely treat him with utmost respect.

Later, as Zhao Yan grew up and witnessed Zhao Yu's prowess, and compared it with his own abilities, he realized that he was simply not suited to be emperor.

In this way, Zhao Yan completely developed into a "nice guy".

This time, if Zhao Yu hadn't told Zhao Yan that military experience would be an important evaluation criterion when enfeoffing people in the future, he wouldn't have gone to the front lines to gain experience.

Now that he saw that even the Crown Prince Zhao Shou had been forced to come to the front line for training, Zhao Yan felt sorry for Zhao Shou for three seconds, and then said to Zhang Zigai, "Commander, please go and do your work. We are old acquaintances, and I will take care of everything here."

Zhang Zigai clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhao Yan and then left.

After Zhang Zigai left, Zhao Yan did not ask Zhao Shou why he had come for training. Instead, he went straight to the point and introduced the situation to Zhao Shou: "This is an artillery unit. In battle, we can fire from the middle of the formation when the enemy is two zhang away or even further away. As long as we do not violate the rules of artillery operation, there is generally no danger. With the Crown Prince here, you can both make merit and not worry about danger. It is a good place for us to train."

Unexpectedly, Zhao Shou frowned upon hearing this and said in a deep voice, "I heard in the court that my fourteenth brother and others went to the front line to fight the enemy head-on and killed more than a hundred people?"

Seeing that Zhao Shou also wanted to join Zhao Cheng and the others in their scheme, Zhao Yan advised, "You are the Crown Prince, the heir apparent of the Song Dynasty. How can you act like the Fourteenth Prince and the others? They have already been reprimanded by the Emperor. How can a prince like you stand under a crumbling wall?"

Zhao Shou thought to himself, 'My good brother, you only saw Father reprimanding them, but do you know that Father intends to give them important positions?'

In fact, Zhao Shou understood why Zhao Yu wanted to give important positions to these princes who had risked their lives on the front lines. They had already proven their courage, and such people were rare talents in the royal family. They could be of great use at critical moments. If it were him, he would also give them important positions.

Seeing that Zhao Shou did not seem to agree with what he said, Zhao Yan said again: “While daring to fight to the death can prove one’s bravery, my artillery is equally important. My father said that for a long time to come, cannons will be the most important force in determining the outcome of a battle. Why does the Jin army not dare to confront me head-on? It is because I have cannons. If the Crown Prince learns the art of artillery warfare, it will be better than the bravery of a brute.”

"What my elder brother says makes sense. Besides, there will be plenty of opportunities after we get to the front lines of close combat. We can learn artillery warfare first, and then we can train in other areas later."

With this in mind, Zhao Shou stayed...

……

(End of this chapter)