Chapter 297: Set sail

There was a slight scent of spring on the riverside in January, and red plum blossoms bloomed in the wind, dyeing the ten-mile long dike into a sea of ​​flowers. Hundreds of thousands of people from the capital came to support the elderly and young, and the black crowd filled the riverside. They were not here to appreciate the plum blossoms in early spring, but to witness the first glorious scene since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. A huge ocean-going fleet is about to escort 500 large merchant ships sailing to the distant Western countries and rebuild the Maritime Silk Road.

At this time, 250 warships were quietly mooring on the river. This was the first Ming expeditionary fleet formed by the five naval guards. There were more than 50,000 soldiers and sailors. However, the journey of the expedition was long. In order to reduce the supply pressure, only 20,000 people participated in the expedition. They would guard 500 merchant ships to the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea for trade. The ship was full of officers and soldiers who were about to sail, waiting for the final order to set off.

Five hundred merchant ships were loading goods one after another on the Jinchuanmen Wharf. These five hundred merchant ships were also transferred from Liaodong and converted from Western ships. For the first time, they sailed as merchant ships. They rented their warehouses to merchants for free. After nearly four months of preparation and preparation, and widely promoted them in newspapers, arousing the great interest of merchants from the Ming Dynasty. In just two months, there were tens of thousands of merchants who registered nationwide. Finally, two thousand were screened out from them and went to the West with bulk goods such as silk, porcelain, tea, etc., and the two thousand merchants also went west with the goods. Although most of them were just hawkers running in the inland rivers before this, their desire for wealth made them devote themselves to the blue sea without hesitation. The distant road and the sinisterness of the sea could not stop their enthusiasm.

Two thousand merchants will board the boat in the capital, Fuzhou and Guangzhou respectively. There are more than a thousand merchants boarding the boat in the capital.

This long-distance trade was not Li Weizheng's momentary mind. As early as two years ago, the Liaodong caravan indirectly had several business with merchants from the Ilkhan Empire in the Luzon area of ​​Southeast Asia, making a lot of profits. The merchants were eager to do business with the Ming Dynasty in the East. This time they went to the West, the Ming Dynasty sent a clear signal, welcomed them to come to the Ming Dynasty to do business and continue the prosperous trade in the Tang and Song dynasties.

At the 1st hour of the morning, thousands of cavalry guarded more than a dozen important officials of the court slowly coming from the Jinchuan Gate. They were here to drive for the first maritime expeditionary force of the Ming Dynasty. Li Wei, dressed in first-rank civil servant robes, was riding a horse in the middle of the team. He looked at the ten Ming treasure ships moored on the river from a distance. The treasure ships were majestic and huge, looking at the river eastward.

This day had been waiting for him for a long time. He was ruthlessly strangled by Zhu Yuanzhang just because he showed a little bit of sea power. But now he encouraged two thousand merchants to enter the sea, but he was not allowed to go into the sea back then. How different is this? One heaven and one earth, I wonder how Zhu Yuanzhang would curse him? A small securities company trader completely changed history in the early Ming Dynasty and sailed the Ming Dynasty treasure ship to another vast ocean.

Li Weizheng's heart was turbulent and could not calm down for a long time. At this time, everyone had already arrived at the riverside. Qiu Haizheng, who had been waiting here for a long time, came forward to see him together with Chen Wanli, deputy governor of the Navy.

"Sir, all the ships are ready and can set off at any time!"

Li Weizheng nodded and said solemnly to Qiu Hai: "This time I go to the West is not only to do business, but also to examine the political culture and customs of various countries, to understand the changes in the current situation in various places, and to timely discover and cultivate as many local talents as possible so that they can become the window and mouthpiece of my Ming Dynasty. You have a long way to go, don't let my expectations down."

Qiu Haizheng bowed and said, "My subordinates understand their responsibilities, and should do their best to live up to the expectations of the prime minister."

Li Wei patted his shoulder and walked into Chen Wan again. Chen Wanli immediately saluted, "See the Grand Governor!"

"I have said it repeatedly. Here I will remind you again. We must strictly abide by military discipline, and not to undermine the majesty of my Ming soldiers. There are five things I have told you. Have you remembered?"

"I am keeping it in mind and building five military fortresses to become the supply stations along the way for our Ming Dynasty Expeditionary Fleet."

Li Weizheng looked at him with a stern look and said, "I'll give you 20,000 troops to accompany you. Is it as simple as building a supply station?"

Chen Wanli was very nervous and whispered: "The Grand Governor wants to establish five Han settlements, and his subordinates dare not forget it."

"It's good if you haven't forgotten it, especially the two places in Malacca and Colombo I told you, we should send heavy troops to station."

"Subsidiary obeys the order!"

Li Weizheng looked back at the merchant ship. The loading had been completed. The ship boards took back the large ship and set up an anchor to be sent.

"Okay! You guys get on the boat!"

Qiu Haizheng and Chen Wanli led hundreds of soldiers to salute Li Weizheng and the ministers, turned around and took a small boat. More than a dozen small boats sailed towards the Weizheng treasure ship anchored in the middle of the river. Soon, everyone boarded the big boat.

Dozens of cannons roared together on the shore, which was the signal of departure. The Ming dragon flag on the Weizheng treasure ship rose slowly, facing the river breeze, the fleet slowly started. Hundreds of thousands of people on the shore were cheering like thunder, waving goodbye to this fleet full of honors and hopes of the Ming Dynasty.

Li Wei was walking to the dock, and he couldn't help but raise his hand and bid farewell to the Ming dragon flag. The apricot yellow flag fluttered under the blue sky, floating on the rolling river. The hideous dragon on the flag seemed to be about to soar into the sky. It seemed so charming and so moving, heading towards the boundless distance.
Chapter completed!