My Daming New Empire

The more important thing is the rubber tree. Now that the steam engine has been invented, and the development of machinery is becoming more and more complicated, rubber has become the bottleneck restricting the development of Daming's industry.

Now Daming's carriages still have wooden wheels, because there is no rubber buffer, the wheels are easily damaged, and the carrying capacity cannot exceed four thousand catties.

But if you have rubber, make tires, and use steel as the hub, the cargo capacity can easily exceed [-] jin, or even [-] jin.

Later generations of trucks can easily carry [-] tons, or even [-] or [-] tons of overload. Although it is impossible to manufacture wear-resistant tires with current technology, five tons is still easy.

In the twentieth century, when tires were widely used, they could easily bear more than five tons.

With rubber, installing the steam engine on the car can easily shorten the distance between the borders of Ming Dynasty, which is of great significance to the stabilization of Ming Dynasty's national defense.

"Get up..." Zhu Zhanji glanced at Yi Xin, then looked at Meng Ying again, and asked softly, "Does Zongbi have the heart to sail the world?"

Meng Ying is the descendant of Mencius, and he and his father Meng Shan are both models set by the Ming Dynasty.

Although their father and son have also been on the battlefield and performed well, it is more meaningful to raise them in the capital than to let them fight outside.

Therefore, although Meng Ying is only 38 years old this year, Zhu Zhanji has only arranged a prominent deputy "pension".

Hearing Zhu Zhanji ask him this way, although he is a general, he bowed his head and said: "I would rather follow your majesty to the west, and hope your majesty will approve."

Zhu Zhanji shook his head and said: "The generals of the Ming Dynasty are like clouds, and there is no shortage of Zongbi you alone. Since the emperor didn't order you to join the army, it's not easy to make up your own mind. But this year's supplies to Nanzhou are about to leave. If you are interested, I can order you to be handsome and go to Nanzhou to change defense."

In fact, not only Nanzhou, but even Western troops should be dispatched this year.

It took Zhu Zhanji more than a year to come back because of the delay in Suez, and it took another year to go. This time it took more than two years to come back. When the sent fleet arrived in Europe, the soldiers there had been stationed for more than three years. up.

But because of the westward expedition this year, most of the navy's spare ships are now requisitioned.And the coastal defense in the Daming sea area is indispensable, and the trade with Nanyang and Japan cannot be stopped.

More importantly, Zhu Zhanji currently has no spare troops, so he can only let the soldiers stationed in Europe stay there for one more year. He has trained a group of soldiers and will set off for Europe after the Spring Festival next year.

Zhu Zhanji is not afraid that they will feel abandoned, because the navy brought by Zhu Di's expedition will go to Suez in time to pass the news on.

Daming is definitely not without soldiers, but the soldiers of those local guards really can't trust them.Using these soldiers is better than using recruits.

But the soldiers in these local guards are not useless. They are good at farming and repairing projects. Using them to develop Nanzhou is definitely a way to give full play to their talents.

Meng Ying pondered for a while before replying: "I would like to go to Nanzhou."

Any ambitious person is unwilling to be raised like a pig.

Although going to Nanzhou is not the kind of meritorious service, but it can go to sea to see some overseas customs and make a good impression on the future emperor. Meng Ying still made a quick choice.

Zhu Zhanji nodded and said: "For the report on the Shandong case, you will come to see me tomorrow morning. After a few days of rest, I will go to Ningbo. Yu Xian has already arranged supplies to Nanzhou, and when I arrive in Ningbo, I can go to Ningbo." Go straight away."

He turned to Yi Xin who was still trembling again, and said: "You and Hou Xian will jointly hand over the memorial letter to the orphan after tomorrow morning, and I will ask the director of ceremonies to arrange for you to have an audience. Tonight, I will make a note of Dongzhou's information. Don't ask questions tomorrow, you don't know anything when you ask. Go..."

The two of them walked out of Donghua Gate tremblingly, only to feel that their backs were drenched in cold sweat, and they couldn't help shivering when they were blown by the cool wind.

Meng Ying got the benefit of Yi Xin, and said comfortingly: "Your Highness is even more majestic than His Majesty, and I have not felt such pressure in front of His Majesty!"

Yi Xin smiled wryly and shook his head and said, "It's my own fault. In the past few years, I really only cared about building a house for myself in Zhonglian Island. Now that Your Highness has a destiny, I should go forward bravely."

From such evidence dialogue, it can also be seen that the two people are not the same.

Yi Xin was promoted step by step from the small soldier by virtue of his military exploits.But although Meng Ying is known as a Confucian general, he is more honored by his family background.

In terms of record, his father, Meng Shandu, was much stronger than him. He won the title of Marquis of Baoding without retreating in a deadly battle against the Southern Army in Baoding.

The two people have different family backgrounds and different circumstances. Even though they are both senior navy generals, the difference is very big.

Not to mention, Meng Ying got nearly ten thousand taels of silver from him this time around.

Including Meng Ying accompanying him to "encounter" Zhu Zhanji together today, all of which cost money.

They set off from Shandong and should have arrived at Yingtian Mansion yesterday, but when they heard that His Majesty was going on an expedition today, they deliberately waited outside the city until His Majesty had left before entering the city to look for Zhu Zhanji.

Who knew that Zhu Zhanji went to the other courtyard of the hot spring, and they "met" here at Chaoyangmen.

Yi Xin clasped his fists and said: "Hou Baoding, Your Highness has an order, and I dare not neglect it. I will immediately go to find Hou Xian, ask about the arrangement, and then make a fuss about it. You and I went to Beijing together, and we should have gathered together Gathering, we can only see tomorrow."

Meng Ying said with a smile: "It's easy to say, easy to say, if I have time tomorrow, I will hold a banquet in the mansion to cleanse Brother Yi."

Yi Xin was stunned for a moment before he realized that although Meng Ying had the title of deputy commander of the First Fleet, she had never been to sea.Since he is going to Nanzhou now, he is afraid that he wants to learn from himself the marching formation of the navy.

But after all, he has a high position and a great reputation, so Yi Xin did not refuse, and said with cupped fists: "When I see His Highness tomorrow, I will definitely be the governor."

The two came to the Chengtian Gate along the narrow path, and they separated.Meng Ying returned to the mansion, and Hou Xian lived in Chang'an Square outside the palace, Yi Xin immediately came to the door and handed over the greeting card.

Hou Xian is the same age as the Ming Dynasty, and is 53 years old this year.

He was originally a Tibetan. When Mu Ying and Lan Yu conquered Taozhou, they were castrated as captives and became eunuchs, and were later given to Yan Wangfu.

In April of the first year of Yongle, Hou Xian was appointed by Zhu Di to lead the troops of Lintan Tibetan chieftain Zan to go deep into Weizang.In the fourth year of Yongle, he successfully invited Harima and other religious leaders to Nanjing, and accepted the official positions and titles of the new dynasty.

His first envoy mission was a complete success, which delighted Chengzu Zhu Di and promoted him from a young prison to a eunuch.

Later, he followed Zheng He on two voyages to the West.But in the tenth year of Yongle, Hou Xian went to Nibala and Diyongta alone, and canonized the kings of the two countries as vassals of the Ming Dynasty.

In the 13th year of Yongle, he went on a mission to the Western Regions (India) again. This time, he not only attracted more Indian kings to defect to Ming Dynasty, but also thwarted a conspiracy of the Delhi Sultanate against Ming Dynasty.

With the support of the Delhi Sultanate, the Gufo Kingdom invaded Banggala, which coincided with the timing of the mission.Because he came to India three times before and after, his Tibetan identity is also highly respected in India, so he mediated the war between the two countries and made the two small countries stop fighting to make peace.

During these years, Hou Xian devoted himself to writing in the capital, not on his way to envoys, and recorded the situation of the countries in the Western Regions in detail.

Although he lived in Chang'an Fang, the house he lived in was smaller than Yang Zhangde's. It was originally a small courtyard built by the inner eunuch for a group of eunuchs.

Eunuchs have no family members, usually only two young eunuchs to take care of them. This kind of small courtyard is not big, with three main rooms and two side rooms on the left and right, but it is more than enough to accommodate three people.

Seeing the post that the little eunuch came in, and seeing Yi Xin's name, he immediately knew what the commander of the Second Fleet was here for.He immediately ordered: "Please hurry up. Make a pot of good tea."

When Yi Xin was brought in, Hou Xian had already changed into court clothes and greeted him at the door of the main room. "Dudu Yi is here, the humble house is full of splendor!"

Yi Xin clasped his fists and said, "Xin arrived in Beijing this afternoon. I just met His Highness and came to visit in a hurry. Please don't blame me."

"Why did you say that, please..."

The two of them are not in the same system, even if they met in the past, they would never have any contact.

But if it is really like what Zhu Zhanji said, the two of them will lead the team to Dongzhou, and it will take two or three years to walk on the sea, so naturally they have to get close.

Only when you know what kind of person the other party is, can you know how to treat the other party.

In contrast, Yi Xin's environment in the military is relatively simple, and he is more straightforward.It is time to show that the countries will be more tactful in what they see and say.

After exchanging pleasantries, the two tested each other, and probably knew each other's character.Seeing that Hou Xian was easy to talk to, Yi Xin let go of his guard and made it clear why he came.

"I just met with His Highness, and received advice from His Highness, I sent a letter to find the eunuch to discuss. This time you and I will go to Dongzhou together, and we hope we can help each other."