"Wind direction: southwest. Wind speed: 5. The situation under the water is unknown. It is not easy for large ships to approach the shore. Send small ships into the water. Pay attention to the tail waves."
On the ship closest to the shore, someone on the lookout tower sent out a signal with a sailfish.
In the fleet of large ships, there were immediately 100 smaller ships. Two small ships, each four and a half meters long and two meters wide, came down from each ship. Each small ship could seat eight people. They rowed toward the shore, and there were also things covered with canvas on the ships.
About 200 li away from the 1,000 ships, there were 9,000 ships anchored there, including 2,000 gunboats.
These were all the naval forces the Tang Empire could muster. Over the years, they had built 3,000 gunboats. Two hundred were left in the country and five hundred were used to patrol the seas. Wherever there were Tang merchant ships, there would be Tang gunboats. The rest were all sent here.
In the future, they would not build the same type of gunboats. New gunboats were rarely built. Usually, they would build two or three and send them to the seas, lakes, Yellow River, and Yangtze River for training and to learn the techniques. If there was a need, the large shipyards would start construction at the same time.
The other ships anchored on the sea were transport ships and supply ships. There were 200,000 soldiers on the shore this time. For a long time, they would not be able to get supplies from the country. They also needed to carry livestock for transportation.
Ten thousand ships sounded like a number, but when looking at it, one would never compare this number with the situation on the sea.
There were already merchant ships coming back from farther away. When they saw the ships on the sea, the people on the ships ran up and shouted.
"Boss, boss, quick, come out and look at the ships." A merchant ship called 'Longing Tang' was returning to the Tang Empire along the shore. The lookout on the mast saw the scene in front of him through a telescope and shouted at the top of his lungs. As he shouted, he climbed down from the mast.
"What are you shouting for? Little Dong, when can you be more steady? Ever since we left the Tang Empire, I haven't seen you rest. You shout when you see fish, you shout when you see seabirds. Look at the ship, we are already on the ship. It's not like we haven't seen ships before. Is this a merchant ship or a guard ship of the Tang Empire? "
On the deck, in a small wooden hut, a person was rolling noodles. Next to him was a wooden shelf. On the paper, there were three very small children. From their clothes, it could be seen that they were two boys and one girl.
When he heard the lookout shout, he quickly added some cold water into the pot and shouted back.
The man he called Xiao Dong had already slipped down from the mast very deftly, and stood in the doorway. He sniffed and said, "Boss, oh, I mean captain. You made noodles for me again. There are boats, many boats. "
"Who made it for you? The noodles I brought from the Tang Empire were not much to eat. I cooked and ate a few mouthfuls, but when I got home, the three kids kept pestering me. I couldn't even eat a peaceful meal of noodles. When I came out, they were less than one year old. When I went back, they would be three years old. That is the time when they are naughty. "
The captain narrowed his eyes as he looked at the picture on the paper. Suddenly, he glared at Xiao Dong and said, "Xiao Dong, I told you a hundred times to hang the binoculars around your neck. You just had to take off the rope. If you really fell into the sea, I won't be your witness when we get back. Let's see how the authorities will deal with you."
"Boss, don't worry. You see, I have a rope tied around my waist. I can't wear it around my neck. My neck will be worn out after a long time. Boss, oh, captain, I mean ship, if you don't believe me, you can take a look with the binoculars later. It's so scary."
Xiao Dong pulled the binoculars. Sure enough, there was a rope tied around his waist. Every big ship had two of these things. One was held by the captain, and the other was given to the lookout. When they came out, they would file a record. When they got back, even if it was broken, they would bring the pieces to the state level authorities for inspection. If they lost it and no one was there to prove it, they would be punished.
The captain was not in a hurry. He didn't expect what kind of scene it would be. He only thought that there was a bigger trading fleet that wanted to 'meet' with his small fleet here. After that, they would greet each other and go their separate ways.
In that case, he would be able to see it in a while. It was more important to eat the noodles he brought from the Tang Empire first.
It took a long time for the noodles to enter the pot, so the time it took to cook them was shorter. After a few minutes, the noodles were ready. After soaking them in cold water for a while, the captain took another can, opened it, and scooped out a few spoonfuls of bean paste. He scooped a few spoonfuls of bean paste into a bowl and ate a mouthful.
"Delicious. The noodles and bean paste from my hometown are still the best. Why are you looking at me? If you want to eat, you can eat it yourself. Are you waiting for me to serve you? "
"Captain, you are really too noble." Little Dong happily ran over, picked up the noodles, and put in the sauce. He lowered his head and stuffed half of the noodles into the bowl. Then, he raised his head and rubbed his mouth in satisfaction. "Captain, I just remembered. A month ago, Little Bean was sick and wanted to eat noodles. You took out a can of bean paste and said that it was the last one. Today … could it be … I'm dreaming?"
"Yes, now that you have woken up from your dream, go up and take a look. Are you still full? I only made this much. That bean paste, aren't you afraid of being salty? "
When the captain was speaking, Xiao Dong picked up two more chopsticks of noodles and put the bean paste on the noodles.
"I have woken up from my dream. Boss, I am going up now. You eat slowly. I will continue to feel the power of the Tang fleet." After finishing two bowls of noodles, Xiao Dong gulped down a mouthful of water. He wiped his mouth and ran out, leaving only one sentence.
"You're lying to me. I won't even look at it. I'll eat noodles. Son, daughter, wait for me to go back. I'll make noodles for you every day. The goods on the five ships are all yours. These are goods from Africa that Xiaobao and Cuckoo mentioned. They're very valuable."
The captain continued to slurp his noodles unhurriedly, muttering as he looked at the three children drawn on the paper.
By the time he was full, a quarter of an hour had passed. He let out a satisfied burp and looked at the noodles that hadn't been cooked yet. He gently placed the can of bean paste on the table and wondered who would be lucky enough to run over first. That way, they would be able to cook the noodles themselves.
The captain rubbed his stomach and took the binoculars. He strolled outside and continued to look at the sea and blue sky. He thought of Xiao Dong's words and looked ahead with the binoculars.
"Ah? So many ships. Damn, this … this is the Tang fleet! Our Tang has so many ships? " Reflected in the captain's eyes were ships after ships with dragon flags fluttering in the wind. Everywhere he looked, there were only ships. There was no end in sight. At the end of the sea and the sky, he could vaguely see the silhouettes of ships.
The captain was dumbfounded. He swallowed hard and murmured, "What's going on? Am I dreaming? No, absolutely not! Why would the Great Tang's fleet come here? Who is going to be unlucky? So beautiful, so mighty. Come out, come out for this captain. Look at the fleet. It is the Tang fleet. "
After muttering to himself, the captain began to shout to the cabin below the deck. His hands holding the binoculars turned white and his body trembled uncontrollably.
He was too excited. In the past, he could only see a few gunships and supply ships of the Tang fleet. It was rare to see dozens of ships at the dock at the same time.
Today, he was truly satisfied. His Great Tang had so many warships. When gathered together, they could blot out the sky. This was the Tang fleet, the strength to protect the Tang people.
The captain pursed his lips, puffed out his chest, and let the sea breeze blow. He had the urge to cry. The ship in front of him could no longer be called a ship. It was like a mountain range, continuous and unending. What could be prouder than this?!
More footsteps came from the deck. Hearing the captain's shout, the sailors thought that something had happened and ran out. However, they didn't find any danger. When they looked forward, they were all stunned.
Even without binoculars, they could see the ships in front of them. It was just that they couldn't see the flags on them. They could see the hull of the closest ship, the sails and masts further away, and the ships further away were little dots or black lines.
"Big Uncle, where did these ships come from? There are so many of them that it's frightening, "a sailor said to the captain with wide eyes.
"Ha! Where did they come from? Under the heavens, where do you think there are so many ships? Only my Great Tang. Aiya, I can see clearly. Gunships, those are gunships, gunships, and more gunships. So many gunships? Who are Cuckoo and Xiao Bao going to deal with? "
The captain could now see the configuration of the ships clearly. The gunships were clearly different from the ones the captain had seen. Although he couldn't see the cannons, he could see the wooden planks covering the muzzles. Those familiar with the Great Tang's gunships knew that once the wooden planks were removed, the cannons would be exposed.
The other ships didn't have string cannons, but they had a gun at the bow and no gun at the stern. This meant that the warships had no intention of firing while escaping. This was a sign of absolute confidence.
His nephew rolled his eyes and reminded, "Big Uncle, in front of us is the strait, the strait of many cannibals. Xiao Bao and Cuckoo are fighting many cannibals. When we came out, it was only a small skirmish. I didn't expect that by the time we came back, they were already fighting. This definitely isn't a small battle."
"I know. Why would they need so many ships in a small battle? But … there are too many gunships. Do the cannibals have enough ships to fight?" The captain thought hard and then suddenly understood. "I understand. Xiao Bao and Cuckoo aren't sending people to attack the ships. They are transporting soldiers. If the gunships can attack the ships, they can also attack the shore. The cannibals are finished."
"How?" The captain's nephew couldn't understand. If they sent soldiers, they would still have to fight. They were deep in the shore, and the gunships couldn't go up.
The captain's nephew didn't think too much about it. Instead, he admired the approaching fleet and sighed. "It's so beautiful. I've always heard people say that Cuckoo's gunships broke through the waves and formed a majestic formation. I couldn't imagine what it was like. Now I know. If I were the enemy, I would just surrender. There's no way to fight this battle.
In front of us, there's nothing but ships. When we cut through the fleet later, it will be even more shocking. I've seen hundreds of fishing boats moving together, and I think it's spectacular. How many ships does the Great Tang fleet have? It's invincible. "
Hearing his words, the other crew members on the deck felt the same. The closer they got, the more they felt the oppression of the motherland's invincible fleet. They belonged to the Great Tang. Usually, they didn't need to send many. One or two gunships and three to five supply ships were enough to protect the safety of the people outside.
When there was a real problem, the Great Tang would gather so many ships and form a boundless fleet. With the protection of the armed forces on the sea, they could go anywhere in the world.
"Captain, when we go back, if we see ships from other small countries, such as Zhenla or Japan, we'll stick to them and see if they dare to provoke us. The invincible fleet of the Great Tang will crush them, "a crew member shouted excitedly.
"You're the one who sticks to them, and you dare to provoke them? Isn't it a provocation? The Great Tang fleet is powerful, but it's not for you to provoke them. Don't you need to spend money? Are you stupid, or are Xiao Bao and Cuckoo stupid? Or is it the Emperor? "
The captain followed the voice and glared at him.
"Isn't it said that the Great Tang is willing to do all it can for one person? I'm also a person of the Great Tang," the man retorted.
He was immediately met with all sorts of criticism.
"I say, Chen Clan's second son, I told you not to come. You're such a fool, but you insisted on coming. Next time, no matter what you say, I won't agree to bring you along."
"Idiot, in the future, I'll call you that. And you dare to say that you'll do all it can? That's only because you're in a special situation, like when you're at war with multiple countries at the same time. It's not because you've been bitten by a fish and the entire Great Tang has to take turns rubbing your face."
"You're truly lacking compared to your brother and brother. If you run into two other ships, the Great Tang has to send you this fleet? And they have to cooperate with you? One patrol ship is enough. "
"Chen Erbo, you're sick. You need to be treated."
"Old Two, I'm confused. Why do you have to provoke others? If their ships are filled with valuable goods, then after you provoke them, the Great Tang's armed ships will go and help you steal the goods. But if their ships are filled with rotten fish and shrimps, then after you've provoked them, our Great Tang ships will go and help you fight. We won't get any benefits. Isn't that just making trouble for the Great Tang army? "
"Brother Chen, you're not young anymore …"
"Shut up! What Brother Chen? You're my younger brother, so just call me 'Brother'. You're also talking about me. Do you want to put righteousness before family?"
The younger brother reacted and hurriedly defended his older brother. "That's right, you're my older brother. You, all of you, stop talking about my older brother. Look at the ships."
After having their fill, the crowd stopped mocking the second son of the Chen Clan and turned their gazes to the Great Tang fleet.
Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong … Bong ~! Bong ~!
Suddenly, the sound of drums and horns came from the fleet in front of them. All sorts of small flags began to move, and the ships with sails began to lower their sails.
"Big Uncle, what are they doing?" the captain's nephew asked curiously.
The captain was also puzzled. As he watched, he suddenly realized that the clouds in the sky were moving faster and faster. Immediately, he shouted to the surrounding crew, "Quick, lower the horizontal sail and raise the jib. A gale is coming from the side. Don't look at the ship, or else it'll be blown away."
Only then did the crew react. They hurriedly got into position and began to do their work. Soon, the horizontal sail was lowered and the jib was raised to a separate position. The speed of the ship began to decrease. The people on the observation deck did not continue to stay and slipped out to the deck.
After a while, the crowd gathered at the front deck. Only the people controlling the sail and the helm were unable to leave their positions.
Normally, when encountering such a situation at sea, one would be very nervous. Each time, they would be worried that something would happen and that they wouldn't be able to return home. However, the people on the ship were very relaxed.
In front of them was the fleet of their motherland. If the wind was so strong that it was dangerous, the fleet would definitely send a ship to inform their merchant ships. Since no one had come to inform them, it meant that the wind wasn't out of the control of the fleet.
Since this was the case, the five ships on their side would enter the fleet in a short while, and the fleet would protect them.
The wind began to pick up, and the sails of the five merchant ships formed a large angle with the ship. If one only looked at the sails, they would feel like the ship was moving at an angle. As the wind howled and the waves battered the sides of the ship, the people on the ship weren't worried in the slightest. All of them steadied themselves and experienced the feeling of riding the wind and waves.
Although the wind was blowing from the side, the ships were actually moving faster. Thirty minutes later, the five merchant ships finally brushed past the closest Tang warship.
The flags on the ships fluttered in the wind. Soldiers wearing different types of navy uniforms were saluting the merchant ships. Their standard standing posture and neat movements made the people on the merchant ships tear up. They all returned the salutes that were out of shape.
As they went deeper and deeper into the fleet, they couldn't see the outside anymore. There were only ships, countless ships, and the orderly salutes of the soldiers on the ships they passed.
These orderly movements made the blood of the people on the merchant ships boil. They saw the majestic warships, the resolute soldiers, the rolling dark clouds, and the flapping war banners.
For a moment, they felt very reassured. There was nothing in the world that could fight against this army. It was too strong, and the eyes of the soldiers showed no sign of retreat or weakness.
"Good soldiers, once we return and sell the goods, I will take out ten percent of the net profit and send it to the barracks. The soldiers of my Great Tang can't be wronged. Our dignity in the outside world depends on them."
The captain solemnly said.
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