I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 346 A New World Has Been Discovered
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After ascending the throne, Zhao Yu continued to develop maritime trade, shipbuilding technology, and navigation technology, and also recruited civilian navigators and explorers to explore the ocean.

This was because Zhao Yu and the five women were well aware that Europe had not yet embarked on the Age of Exploration, and if the Song Dynasty could take the lead, it could monopolize global shipping routes.

Therefore, based on Zhang Chun's suggestion, Zhao Yu put forward the slogan "The sea is vast and the ocean is rich in resources." He also unusually elevated the functions of the Ministry of Works and the Supervisory Commission, and stated that "ships are the foundation of a prosperous nation, and navigation is the way to open up the world."

Regarding the development of seagoing vessels, Zhao Yu and the five women provided constructive guidance based on their knowledge:

Abandoning the traditional flat-bottom design of inland waterway cargo boats, a pointed keel is adopted to resist wind and waves;

Adding watertight compartments divides the ship into twelve to fifteen independent compartments, so that even if one compartment is damaged, the whole ship will not sink.

The hull was fitted with transverse ribs and covered with bamboo strips and iron sheets soaked in tung oil to resist corrosion from marine organisms.

And later, it developed towards steamships.

"Sailing relies on sightseeing, and navigating the oceans relies on equipment." Zhao Yu and his five women knew that in order to usher in the Age of Exploration, they had to develop navigation technology.

First, there was the improvement of the compass. Ma Xiaojiao upgraded the traditional "water-floating" compass to a "dry compass": a copper disc as the base, a central axis, and a magnetic needle fixed to the axis. The disc was engraved with the directions of the 28 constellations and the 12 Earthly Branches. Rotating the disc allowed for quick orientation. More importantly, she introduced the concept of "magnetic declination," marking the difference between magnetic north and true north on the edge of the compass, enabling sailors to more accurately calibrate their course on the high seas—an improvement that predates Europe by nearly two centuries.

Then, Ma Xiaojiao invented the sextant.

Ma Xiaojiao drew a sketch of the instrument from memory: based on an arc-shaped dial with one-sixth of the circumference, a rotatable sight tube and a reflector were added, and latitude was calculated by measuring the angle between the sun or stars and the horizontal line.

Later, the five women pooled their wisdom, and Ye Shiyun compiled "The Navigation Manual" to train the crew members in the method of "measuring the sun at noon to determine latitude".

In addition, the five women promoted the use of "hourglass timekeeping" and "depth sounding plumb bobs" (the bottom of the plumb bob was coated with butter, which could be used to pick up seabed mud and sand to determine the terrain), and even refined the "geographical map" in the "Wujing Zongyao" into a "navigation map", marking the islands, reefs, monsoon patterns, etc. along the way.

Zhao Yu, on the other hand, learned from the Ming Dynasty's experience of using the court to fund Zheng He's voyages to the Western Ocean, which ultimately led to a maritime ban. Instead, he changed the system to have the court fund all the voyages himself and recruit private navigators and explorers to explore the ocean through a shareholding system.

Specifically, Zhao Yu provided ships, money, supplies, and goods such as silk, porcelain, glass, soap, and light industrial products, while navigators and explorers contributed manpower and their lives, and the two sides partnered to explore the ocean.

All the goods sold and brought back, after deducting costs, were split 50/50 between Zhao Yu and the navigators and explorers.

All the unknown lands discovered belong to Zhao Yu, who will reward navigators and explorers based on their findings, even bestowing upon them honorary official positions.

Of course, Zhao Yu also had to be wary of these navigators and explorers. What if they didn't explore the ocean but instead sold the ships and cargo that he had given them?
There is a dialogue in "Nirvana in Fire" where Mei Changsu is explaining his strategies and tactics to Prince Jing. He says to Prince Jing, "Look at this person in my courtyard, his name is Tong Lu. He is responsible for all my interactions with the outside world. I trust him completely. However, I have left his mother in Langzhou to take care of her. So, he is two-faced. I entrust Tong Lu with important responsibilities and trust him completely. This is my sincerity. But I keep his family in my hands just in case. This is my strategy."

In fact, the underlying logic between people and between countries is often the same.

Why was Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng, born in Handan, the capital of Zhao? Wasn't it because he had been a hostage?

Grasping both carrots and sticks at the same time doesn't feel out of place.

Don't forget, even when a Bodhisattva lowers his head, there must be a Vajra glaring beside him.

Political savvy understand the complexity of human nature; many factors can cause a person to change their mind and do unexpected things.

Therefore, political savvy individuals often have two contingency plans:

First, I am sincerely good to you.

Secondly, if you act against your original intentions, I still have leverage and means to restrain you.

Some might think, isn't this too insidious?

If he really has such thoughts, he is probably not very mature yet.

Zhao Yu could believe in a person's kindness, but at the same time, he would not underestimate the evil in human nature.

Otherwise, why would the old saying go, "One should not have the heart to harm others, but one should not be without the heart to guard against others"?

Objectively speaking, this is human nature.

Therefore, while Zhao Yu was making good use of these navigators and adventurers, he also moved their families (including the families of the crew members) to the capital region and sent people to take care of them.

Zhao Yu instructed Huang Jingchen to tell these navigators and adventurers that as long as they wholeheartedly helped him expand his territories, he would certainly not mistreat their families. If they died on the battlefield, he would treat their families with the same respect as martyrs who died in battle. However, if they absconded with his ships and goods, the men in their families would be exiled to the most difficult places, and the women would be sent to the brothels to become prostitutes available to anyone.

Over the course of more than a decade, Zhao Yu dispatched hundreds of fleets to sea.

Many navigators and adventurers gained both fame and fortune by cooperating with Zhao Yu.

For example, the group of navigators and adventurers who went to Southeast Asia found Australia as early as ten years ago and brought back news that Australia had a large amount of gold, silver and gems.

Zhao Yu quickly named Australia "Huazhu".

"Hua" means China, implying ownership of Australia; "Zhu" originally refers to a small island in the water, but by extension, it refers to a large island in the open sea, softening the heaviness of "island" and adding a touch of dynamism. The two characters are simple and elegant, combining cultural identity with geographical description.

At that time, Zhao Yu specially dispatched officials to bring laborers recruited by the Ministry of Revenue at high prices to Huazhu, and even went so far as to send prisoners to Huazhu to mine gold and silver, as well as to mine gemstones such as opals and sapphires.

At the same time, Zhao Yu had the propaganda department spread the word that Huazhu was full of gold, attracting adventurers and navigators from all walks of life to go to Huazhu to pan for gold.

It is worth mentioning that Zhao Yu sent officials and even troops to occupy all the necessary places along the way, especially the key places (including key places under the control of small states along the way), and then built ports, docks, money shops, supply stations, restaurants, and even brothels and gambling dens.

This is not just an official action.

The gentry and powerful families also started eating meat, organizing fleets and recruiting laborers to go to Huazhu to make their fortune.

The refugees and the poor followed suit. Some sailed down to Southeast Asia on official ships to pan for gold, while others accepted the invitations of gentry and powerful families to embark on a journey to that mysterious continent.

For a time, the ports along the coast of the Great Song Dynasty were bustling with activity, ships coming and going in droves, laden with aspirations and dreams, sailing towards that unknown land of gold. As more and more people traveled to Huazhu, the connection between the Great Song Dynasty and Huazhu grew ever closer.

The booming trade spurred the development of related industries. Shipyards roared day and night as craftsmen busily built stronger and more spacious ocean-going vessels to meet the ever-increasing demands of navigation. Factories, including small workshops, continuously produced a wide variety of goods, which were exported overseas, greatly boosting the economic development of the Song Dynasty. Thanks to commercial taxes and customs duties, the Song Dynasty's treasury grew increasingly rich, allowing Emperor Zhao Yu himself to make a fortune.

On a cultural level, the civilization of the Song Dynasty spread to Southeast Asia along with the seafaring journeys. Numerous literati and scholars enthusiastically ventured to regions they had never before visited, bringing with them Song Dynasty art forms such as poetry, calligraphy, and painting. These art forms interacted and blended with the local indigenous cultures, creating unique and vibrant expressions. They also recorded the local customs, traditions, and exotic animals along their journeys, compiling them into captivating travelogues. These books circulated throughout the Song Dynasty, further igniting people's passion for maritime exploration.

At the same time, navigators and adventurers brought back various exotic plant seeds from overseas, providing Yuan Qingcheng with abundant resources of grains, vegetables, and fruits, which greatly promoted the agricultural development of the Song Dynasty.

Now, more than a decade later, the Southeast Asian shipping routes have matured, and a large number of Song people have even gone to these areas to seize land, start cultivating wasteland and planting grain, and have even achieved food self-sufficiency. It can be said that that large area of ​​Southeast Asia will soon be suitable as the fiefdom of Zhao Yu's sons.

It is worth mentioning that the navigators and adventurers sent out by Zhao Yu did not only go to Southeast Asia, but also went to find new continents on Zhao Yu's orders.

Moreover, the navigators and adventurers who went to find the New World did not take the same route, but rather two completely opposite routes.

—One is the western route, and the other is the northern route.

The western route follows the traditional Maritime Silk Road westward, crossing the Indian Ocean, rounding the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, and entering the unfamiliar Atlantic Ocean.

Previously, China's navigation technology was mainly applied to the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, and it already had relatively mature shipping routes and trade networks. Starting from Guangzhou or Quanzhou, taking advantage of the northeast monsoon, passing through the Philippines and Indonesia, reaching the Strait of Malacca, and then to Banda Aceh in northern Sumatra, this was a common route for merchant ships at that time.

After that, you can continue to India, the Arabian Peninsula, and even the East African coast.

Then, they continued eastward from Southeast Asia to the New World.

The northern route starts from the Bohai Bay, sails north along the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese archipelago, crosses the frigid Sea of ​​Okhotsk, and attempts to find the legendary "ice bridge" connecting the continents.

Although the climate in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean is relatively mild, which is more suitable for ships and navigation technology at that time, navigation at that time mainly relied on monsoons and ocean currents. Long-distance ocean voyages required sufficient supplies and an effective shipboard supply system. In addition, crossing the Pacific and Indian Oceans required facing vast sea areas and various potential dangers, such as storms, tsunamis, and lack of fresh water and food. These were all huge challenges.

As a result, many fleets disappeared on the vast ocean and never returned.

But the survivors and the successive generations of navigators and adventurers never gave up.

They stumbled upon the land on the west coast of Africa, clashed with local tribes, and traded for ivory, spices, and unique tropical timber.

Some fleets attempted to sail north along the coastline, encountering the Crusades, being plundered by the Crusaders, having their goods or even ships stolen by the remnants of the Arab Empire, the Seljuk Turks, and the Ayyubid dynasty; or being driven away by the wary small kingdoms of medieval Europe. However, they also brought back large quantities of gold, silver, and unique agricultural products.

The main difficulty of the northern route lies in the extreme low temperatures: the sea often freezes over in winter, and ships have to break through the ice to move forward. Even though the crew members are wrapped in thick fur, they often lose sensation from the cold, and many lose fingers and toes as a result.

During their journey, they landed in the Siberian permafrost, traded with tribes that lived by fishing and hunting, learned to use seal oil for warmth and igloos for protection from the cold, and brought back hardy reindeer and Arctic fox fur.

When a fleet attempted to cross the Bering Strait, it was trapped for months due to the thick ice, and only survived by hunting walruses.

They also mistook some small islands for the mainland, wasting a lot of supplies and returning disappointed.

But at the same time, each failure made them more familiar with the Arctic ocean currents and monsoons.

After sixteen or seventeen years of exploration and summarization.

Western Front:

In the ninth year of the Hongwu reign, a fleet of ships from the Song Dynasty crossed the Indian Ocean and continued sailing westward, reaching San Salvador Island in the Bahamas. Afterward, they continued their voyage, reaching Cuba and Hispaniola, where they established a base before returning home.

In the eleventh year of the Hongwu reign, a fleet of ships from the Song Dynasty arrived at more islands in the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and Jamaica.

In the thirteenth year of the Hongwu reign, a fleet of ships from the Song Dynasty reached the coast of Venezuela in northern South America (near the mouth of the Orinoco River) for the first time, but they still considered it to be part of the Asian continent.

Last year, a fleet from the Song Dynasty explored the coastlines of Honduras, Panama, and other parts of Central America.

A few days ago, the Song Dynasty fleet that had reached South America returned to Guangzhou Port. They brought back rubber trees, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, chili peppers, and other crops that Emperor Zhao Yu had specifically requested, as well as many other crops that the Song Dynasty did not have.

Upon learning of this, the prefect of Guangzhou immediately dispatched a messenger on horseback to report the victory to Zhao Yu.

Skillful.

In the fourteenth year of the Hongwu reign (1389), a fleet from the northern route successfully crossed the Bering Strait during the brief window of opportunity when the summer ice melted, and set foot on the northern part of the Americas.

Although the climate here is cold, the rivers are rich in salmon, the forests are home to herds of bison, and more importantly, the crew discovered rich copper and iron ore deposits in the rocks of the mountains.

They raised the flag of the Great Song Dynasty on the shore and, carrying mineral samples and a simple nautical chart, returned to the Great Song Dynasty after many hardships.

The imperial court immediately dispatched people to establish a base and sent others to continue exploring North America.

After several years of exploration, a fleet brought back corn seeds, as well as seeds of crops such as kidney beans, lima beans, and sunflowers.

Just three days after the western fleet arrived in Guangzhou, the northern fleet also returned to Dengzhou.

The news of their victory reached Zhao Yu almost simultaneously.

At the time, Zhang Chun and Li Lin happened to be with Zhao Yu, so they learned of the good news immediately.

Zhang Chun felt that now that the new continent had been discovered and Zhao Yu's sons were almost grown up, it was time to make arrangements for their enfeoffment.

Therefore, Zhang Chun decided to gather the five women together to discuss how to secure the greatest benefit for their sons in the future distribution of fiefdoms...

……

(End of this chapter)