Resources and markets were always the darlings of an empire. Resources referred to a country's material resources, financial resources, manpower, and other important materials, while markets represented the place of sales.
The more resources an empire had, the faster it would develop. And after developing quickly, it would produce a large number of products. And these products would need to be sold in the market. This required a large market and a large trading channel.
The larger the market, the more beneficial it would be for the empire's development, and the faster it would develop. In the maritime era of later generations, the reason why Western imperialism invaded the world was to search for markets and compete for resources. Otherwise, why would they spend so much effort to do these things?
Many areas along the Maritime Silk Road had resources that the Tang Empire needed. At the same time, these areas were also markets for goods sold by the Tang Empire. Therefore, the areas along this route were very important to the Tang Empire.
The current situation was that there were too many factors that were not conducive to the development of the Tang Empire on this trade route. These were all problems that must be solved.
Needless to say, pirates would seriously affect the profits of merchants and the enthusiasm of trade. They must be completely eradicated. The minds of the countries along the route must be corrected. They could not be allowed to act according to their whims.
All of these were the important missions of Ang Lee's trip. Of course, the situation that Ang Lee had to face might be more than these, but no matter what difficulties he encountered, Ang Lee would not back down. He would not give up until he opened up the Maritime Silk Road.
"Yun 'er, go and call those Kunlun Slaves."
Ang Lee pushed away Yun 'er in his arms and said.
"Yes, Alang."
Yun 'er got up shyly and went to call the four Kunlun Slaves.
The smell in the carriage was somewhat unique. Even the Kunlun Slaves, who were slightly less intelligent, understood what had just happened.
"Alang."
The four Kunlun Slaves looked at Ang Lee respectfully.
"Do you know why Alang brought the four of you south this time?"
Ang Lee looked at the four and asked.
"I don't know."
The four shook their heads.
"Then do you miss your hometown?"
Ang Lee continued to ask.
"Yes, we often miss our hometown, but Alang treats us very well. We are willing to stay by Alang's side."
"Yes, we're willing to stay by Alang's side. We're willing to stay in the Tang dynasty. But if we can go back to our hometown, we'll be very happy."
The four of them expressed their opinions.
"Very good, then Alang will tell you. This time, you will have to travel a very long sea route to the south. The furthest place should be your hometown. When the time comes, you can go back to your hometown and have a look. Are you happy?"
Ang Lee asked with a smile.
"Really?"
The four of them were in disbelief.
"Do you think Ah Lang would deceive you? In at most three to five months, you will be able to see your hometown. "
Ang Lee said happily.
"Thank you, Alang. We can finally return to our hometown and have a look."
"We haven't been back for many years. I don't even know if there's still anyone at home."
"I hope my brothers and family are still alive."
The Kunlun Slaves were very happy.
Ang Lee brought them back to Africa not because he was being kind and wanted to fulfill their wishes, but because he needed qualified translators.
Now, these Kunlun Slaves could already master the language of the Tang dynasty very well. In addition, it was impossible for them to forget the language of their hometown. In this way, they became the best translators between the Tang dynasty and African countries. Once they performed well, Ang Lee could even keep them in the local area and let them assist the officials of the Tang dynasty in governing the strongholds in Africa.
"Well, you can go south with peace of mind! In half a year, you will definitely see your hometown. "
Ang Lee waved his hand and let them leave.
"Pearl, you stay."
Li An crooked his finger again, indicating for Black Pearl to stay.
"Alang, is there anything else?"
Pearl's Tang dynasty language was the best. She was the best of the four.
"Come and sit. Talk to Alang."
Ang Lee clapped his hands and let Pearl sit next to him.
"Alang."
Pearl looked a little shy. When she was first bought, she was still a child. Now that she had grown up a lot, she knew how to be shy.
However, because her skin was too dark, even if she was shy, there was no trace of blush on her face. Her neck was still dark. Only the expression in her eyes could make people feel that she was shy.
Looking at the black girl sitting next to him, Ang Lee actually felt a little restless, which made Ang Lee feel a little incredulous.
Perhaps because he was used to eating delicacies, when he occasionally saw salted vegetables, he would find them delicious. And Pearl in front of him was an extremely delicious salted vegetable.
He had to say that the Pearl next to him, except for her dark skin, was still very good in all other aspects. The places that should be convex were convex, and the places that should be concave were concave. Her facial features were also more delicate. Even her lips were thin, which was completely different from the sausage mouth in many people's impression. It was full of the charm of a courtyard.
In other words, the Pearl next to him was a beauty among the black people. Among the black people, she could be ranked at the top. It was no wonder that Ang Lee was a little tempted.
However, Ang Lee really didn't dare to do it casually. Once he did it, it was difficult to guarantee that this black girl would not give birth to a baby. If she gave birth to a mixed-race baby, his feat would be exposed.
At that time, he would be completely famous, even more famous than the Gate Incident in the future. His colleagues and people in Beijing would probably write poems to ridicule Ang Lee. They would ridicule Ang Lee for not even letting go of a chimpanzee. In this way, wouldn't Ang Lee's reputation be ruined?
Although Ang Lee didn't pay much attention to his reputation, the black people's social status in the Tang dynasty was extremely low. They were even inferior to the family's eagle dogs.
If it really had something to do with the Kunlun slaves, it would be like a famous saying in the future. If a normal person was f * cked by a dog, how would others evaluate him?
Although the Kunlun slaves should also be dignified people, it was absolutely impossible for such a thing to happen in the class era of the Tang dynasty. The social status of the Kunlun slaves was similar to that of dogs. If the Kunlun slaves were touched, it would be f * cked by a dog. There was no place to reason at all.
"Pearl, you have grown beautiful."
Ang Lee suppressed his mood and praised her awkwardly.
"Alang."
The Pearl didn't know what to say. She lowered her head shyly. As a maid, she could only obey Ang Lee. If Ang Lee had any intentions, she could only agree. However, looking at her expression, she seemed to have a good impression of her master, Ang Lee. She seemed to be eager for Ang Lee's intimacy.
"Well, it's all right. You can leave first!"
Ang Lee picked up a bowl of water on the table and drank a few mouthfuls. He waved his hand and let the Pearl leave.
Looking at the confused Pearl got up and left, Ang Lee was greatly relieved. It was really dangerous just now. If he couldn't hold back and f * cked this black girl, it would be troublesome.
Ang Lee couldn't help but reflect on himself. It was said that when one was full and warm, one would think of * *. It was not a lie at all. In his previous life, because of the heavy work, Ang Lee's interest in women was not great, or it could be said that he did not have too much energy to spend on women. But after coming to the Tang dynasty, his life became smoother and smoother, and his work was not hard. In this case, Ang Lee's interest in women greatly increased. Not only did he marry four wives, but he also ate wild grass from time to time. Not only did he not let go of the Xinluo maidservants in the mansion, but now, he was actually interested in black girls.
At this moment, Ang Lee held back, but this did not mean that Ang Lee could always hold back. Opening up the Maritime Silk Road was a long journey. It was inevitable that the journey would be empty and lonely. If he could not hold back at any time, making mistakes seemed inevitable.
The train traveled continuously for more than two days before arriving at its destination, Guangzhou. When they got off the train, all the officials in Guangzhou ran to greet Ang Lee.
In the eyes of the officials in Guangzhou, Ang Lee was a high-ranking official in the capital, so they had to treat him seriously.
In addition to the officials, the representatives of Guangzhou's large clans and merchants also came, especially the merchants engaged in maritime trade. Almost all of them were present.
After all, they were very clear about the purpose of Ang Lee's trip. It was to open up the Maritime Silk Road, and for them, this was an extremely good thing.
After exchanging greetings for a while, Ang Lee learned about the basic situation in Guangzhou from the Guangzhou Provincial Governor, especially the situation of the Guangzhou Shipyard and the port, as well as the situation of the newly remodeled aircraft carrier and landing ship.
In order to open up the Maritime Silk Road in the south, a powerful military force was the guarantee. Thus, Ang Lee was very concerned about the remodeling of the ships. The first thing he did was to visit the newly remodeled ships at the shipyard.
"Going south, Zhang Erniu, you two come with this official to see the new ships."
Ang Lee naturally had to bring these two because their subordinates would be deployed on the Sky Army Mothership and landing ship in the future.
The six remodeled large steamships were neatly placed in the port. In addition, there were thirty-some gunships that had recently been transferred from Laizhou Bay. Each ship was equipped with more than thirty cannons and could be considered a powerful naval weapon.
These ships were the main force of Ang Lee's southern expedition. In addition, there were also hundred-some transport ships in the port responsible for transporting supplies and personnel.
"Going south, this is the aircraft carrier I told you about. You can also call it the Sky Army Mothership. Look, it's impressive enough!"
Ang Lee pointed at the Sky Army Mothership and excitedly introduced it.
"Assistant Minister Li, this is the Sky Army Mothership you were talking about! It looks so big! It's flat on top, and it really looks like it can take off and land airplanes! "
Going South looked excitedly at the huge object in front of him with a smile on his face.
"Of course, this big guy is prepared for the aircraft. However, it can only be used when the wind and waves are small. If the wind and waves are too strong, the take-off and landing of the aircraft will be risky. From tomorrow onwards, you will let the Sky Army start training on this mothership!" We'll be heading south in a month. "
Ang Lee said seriously.
"Yes, this humble subordinate understands. This humble subordinate will go up and take a look."
Going South happily ran up to the Sky Army Mothership to observe the details of the Mothership at close range in preparation for tomorrow's training.
Ang Lee continued to walk forward until he was near the five landing ships. He nodded and said, "Erniu, see? These five landing ships are yours. The front gap is an opening. Once it's opened, the armored gunships can drive in directly. The upper deck can also accommodate hundreds of soldiers. "
"These are landing ships! They look so big. Let's go up and take a look! "
Erniu was very interested in the large steam-powered landing ships and decided to go up and take a look.
"Alright, let's go up and take a look."
When the two boarded the ship, the soldiers on duty immediately came up to them. Just by looking at Ang Lee's attire, they knew that he was a high-ranking official. Naturally, they did not treat him lightly.
"Open the front baffle immediately."
Ang Lee ordered the soldiers on duty to open the baffle at the front of the landing ship. This way, it would be easier for the armored gunships to get on and off the ship.
"Clang, clang, clang …"
As a few thick iron chains slid down, the baffle at the front of the landing ship slowly moved forward until it was parallel to the ground.
"See! The armored gunships can drive directly onto the beach through this baffle and attack the enemy. "
Ang Lee walked into the cabin and walked toward the baffle.
"Not bad, this baffle is quite sturdy. However, can it really support the armored gunships?"
Erniu was worried that the armored gunships would be too heavy and break the baffle.
"You don't have to worry about that. The baffle has already been tested, and it's strong enough to support the weight of the armored gunships. However, they have to pass through it one by one. They can't let more than one vehicle fall on the baffle at the same time. Otherwise, the baffle will really break."
Ang Lee explained seriously.
"Yes, this lowly one understands. Let's have a parent-child test tomorrow and see how it goes."
Erniu was getting impatient.
"Okay, you'll start training tomorrow. You have to get close to actual combat. Within a month, you have to develop combat strength. This is a mission that you must complete."
Ang Lee sternly requested.
"Don't worry! As long as there's no problem with this landing ship, this lowly one will definitely complete the mission. "
Erniu replied confidently.
The Sky Army mothership and the landing ship were responsible for transporting and fighting the Sky Army's First Flying Group and the armored gunship's First Brigade. They were Ang Lee's core fighting force for this southern expedition. If something happened to them, it would be a huge blow to the opening of the Maritime Silk Road.
Meanwhile, the thirty-odd steam gunships were Ang Lee's main fighting force for this southern expedition. They were equipped with more than a thousand cannons, equivalent to twenty artillery brigades. With four artillery brigades as a corps, they had as many cannons as the Fifth Brother Artillery Corps. They were extremely powerful.
To put it bluntly, if they encountered pirates robbing ships on the surface of the sea, these 30-odd steam gunships could easily sink all the pirate ships. They were also a huge deterrent to the pirates.
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