jdhmnovel Chapter 438 Going to sea
Chapter 438 Going to sea
Min Xi first went to meet Chen Jizu, the shipowner of Tianfu Trading Company.
After some polite conversation, Min Xi said directly: "Boss Chen, I won't be polite with you anymore. I came here this time just to confirm with you whether you are sure you want to go out to sea with our fleet? If you really want to go, you must hurry up and prepare the supplies, because we will set off at the latest on the Dragon Boat Festival."
Chen Jizu was a little embarrassed: "Sir, I originally wanted to go with you, but the boat belongs to our clan. When I went back to discuss it with the elders and brothers in the clan, they all felt that the risk was too great and advised me not to take the risk."
Min Xi said: "Wealth and honor are sought in danger. I once made a living on the sea, and I was the first person in our Ming Dynasty to go to Europe. I know the hardships and risks of ocean voyages, but I also understand the profits of ocean voyages. This time we are on a diplomatic mission with the imperial fleet, and we have the navy's ships and soldiers to escort us. We don't have to worry about pirate attacks. The only thing we need to consider is the ship's own endurance. If you have a large and sturdy ship, you can go to sea with us."
When Chen Jizu heard what he said, he said, "I will go back and discuss this with my brothers in the clan."
Min Xi said: "Boss Chen, do you know why I invited you to go to sea?"
"I don't know, please tell me clearly, sir." Chen Jizu shook his head. This was also what puzzled him.
"Tianfu's merchant ships often go out to sea, and they should have dealt with Western merchant ships. Do you know how the red-haired foreigners arrived at Penghu Island in their large ships? How did they reach the New World? It was all supported by their king behind the scenes. Now the court also wants to encourage our Ming merchant ships to go out to sea and look for more business opportunities and wealth overseas. That's why we invite you to participate. This is also a rare opportunity."
Chen Jizu heard this and asked: "Does the imperial court encourage us to go to sea?"
"Yes. The court hopes that the merchant ships of the Ming Dynasty can open up more new routes and bring back more wealth and resources like the merchant ships of Europe."
"Then I will go back and persuade my brothers in the clan to try to follow you to go out to sea." Chen Jizu was a shrewd businessman and smelled a business opportunity from Min Xi's words. Since the court encouraged going out to sea, there would definitely be no bottleneck. Instead, the court would provide support in terms of policies.
After meeting Chen Jizu, Min Xi went to meet several other ship owners and persuaded one of them to agree to send two ships to go out to sea with him.
After a busy day, the results were neither good nor bad, but the result did not meet Min Xi's expectations. He decided to set off for Zhangzhou Yuegang tomorrow to persuade more merchant ships to follow them out to sea.
Merchant ships need guidance on how to carry out ocean voyages and replenishment. After all, they had previously been to relatively densely populated areas. This time, they were heading east, and many places had not yet had traces of civilization. Dealing with the local natives was a matter full of unknowns. Replenishment might not be as smooth as before, so it was necessary to prepare in advance. Moreover, their fleet had a large number of people, and the difficulty of replenishment was obviously greater than before.
Min Xi went to Yuegang and summoned merchant ships to go out to sea in the name of the court. It was much smoother than in Quanzhou. After all, Yuegang was the most prosperous port in the Ming Dynasty. More private merchant ships gathered here, and their desire for wealth and opportunities was even greater than that of Quanzhou. Now that the court's fleet was leading the way and taking them to open up new routes, how could they miss such a good opportunity!
Therefore, Min Xi's trip to Yuegang was a complete success. Seven merchant ships expressed their willingness to go out to sea with their fleet. Min Xi discussed the departure time and place with these merchant ships, explained how they should be supplied, and gave clear suggestions on the types of goods to carry.
When Min Xi left Yuegang, he kept Yun An behind and asked him to communicate with the merchants in Yuegang and teach them how to prepare supplies.
After Min Xi returned to Quanzhou, he and Yun Ji hurriedly prepared materials for the voyage. In addition to water, food, goods and medicinal materials, Min Xi also collected a large number of iron tools, including hoes, shovels, pickaxes, hammers, hammers, axes, etc. If they didn't have them, they hurriedly customized them and brought as many as possible, because they would really have to mine when the time came, and it would be too inefficient to find tools temporarily.
In addition, when Min Xi set out from the capital, he also asked for two smelting craftsmen from the Ministry of Works. When they arrive in Oceania, their skills will be put to good use.
Min Xi and Yun Ji were busy with preparations every day, while also communicating with naval officers and merchant ships. They were very busy. This time they were going on a route they had never been on before, and they had to try their best to take into account all possible unexpected situations.
They also specially selected an auspicious day, the second day of the fifth lunar month, to set out. That morning, galleons and warships from various garrisons gathered at Quanzhou Port, and more than a dozen merchant ships from Zhangzhou and Quanzhou also gathered, adding up to a total of 24 large ships.
As firecrackers rang out on the dock and horns were blown on the warships, this huge fleet set sail and left Quanzhou Port in a mighty manner.
Min Xi stood at the bow, looking at the vast sea, then turned back to look at the fleet behind him, and said to Yun Ji beside him: "I didn't expect that 24 ships would be of such a scale. Imagine how spectacular the scene must have been when Zheng He sailed to the West!"
"Yes." Yun Ji couldn't help but sigh, "I didn't expect that we would have the day to go out to sea."
"Yes, I hope this trip will go smoothly. To be honest, I'm a little unsure." Min Xi could only tell Yun Ji what was in his heart. Although he had vowed to the merchant ship owners that there were unlimited business opportunities, he also knew that there were too many uncertain factors in this trip. He could not guarantee whether they could successfully reach Oceania, and whether they could successfully mine gold and iron mines after arriving in Oceania.
Yun Ji raised his hand and put his arm around his shoulders: "Don't worry. When Columbus and Magellan set sail, they didn't know what they would face. They had more uncertainty than us, but they still left. We have too many advantages over them."
"You're right. But it's also because our goals are too clear that I feel pressured. If I fail to meet the requirements, it would be so disappointing." Min Xi said.
"No, this voyage has great pioneering significance for our Ming Dynasty. We will be recorded in history books in the future, so you must have confidence."
"That's right, then there's no need to worry about gains and losses, let's go!"