Ang Lee's current situation was like a person wearing a cotton-padded jacket, standing in the snow and admiring the beautiful scenery. The huge steam ships were reliable enough, and there was no need to worry about such large ships being overturned by the waves. Therefore, it would be very interesting to stand on the command deck and watch the fleet fight against the waves.
These steam ships were all designed by Ang Lee. He was very confident in his technology and believed that the ships he designed could withstand the test of the waves.
Huge waves came one after another and hit the Tang Army fleet heavily. However, the ships of the Tang Dynasty fleet had already formed a group. They were fearless in the face of the huge waves and continued to move forward against the huge waves as if they were competing with the heavens and the earth.
This was the power of science and technology, as well as the power of a big country. If Ang Lee had come to this era as a small country, it would have been difficult for him to put his ideas into practice no matter how many ideas he had, because many good things could only be afforded by big countries. Small countries had limited resources and could not afford them no matter what.
Ang Lee was very glad that he had come to a big country like the Tang Dynasty, and the Tang Dynasty should also be glad that there was a super talent like Ang Lee. Otherwise, no matter how big a country was, it would be difficult to achieve such great achievements.
The accumulation of technology took time. Therefore, the largest tonnage of the Tang Dynasty's ships was only a few thousand tons. It was not a problem for them to carry five or six thousand tons. The largest steam gunship was about three thousand tons. Most of the materials of the ship's hull were good wood, and the parts in the middle that needed to be strengthened were made of stronger steel.
This was just the current situation. In the future, when the technology was advanced, it was possible to build larger ships. Tens of thousands of tons was the minimum requirement, and even a 100,000-ton super-large ship could be tried.
Because the tonnage of the current ships was still too small, when facing the threat of huge waves, they needed to be locked together to resist the wind and waves. If they could build a 100,000-ton ship in the future, they could completely ignore the wind and waves in front of them.
"Assistant Minister Li, the wind and waves this time are really big. Fortunately, before we left the Tang Dynasty, we made preparations in this regard. Otherwise, who knows how many ships we would have lost?"
An official said with lingering fear.
Ang Lee nodded and said, "The main thing is that these ships are too small! It would be great if it could be ten times bigger. That way, I won't be nervous at all when encountering such a huge storm. "
After saying that, a look of regret appeared on his face. He felt that the ship he was in charge of was too small and could not meet his needs.
The official's eyes widened as he asked doubtfully, "Assistant Minister Li, is such a large ship still small? These ships can be considered the largest ships in the Tang dynasty. If their weight is increased by ten times, how big would they be? "
Obviously, this official was very satisfied with the size of the ship. He didn't believe that Ang Lee could build a bigger ship.
Of course, with Ang Lee's ability, he could definitely do it. As long as he accumulated the technology, a 100,000-ton ship was nothing at all. In the future, the Tang dynasty would definitely build a 100,000-ton merchant ship. In this way, the cost of commercial transportation could be better reduced.
A 100,000-ton ship! Just thinking about it made people excited. Such a huge ship could completely withstand the test of a hurricane in the sea. Even if there were no hurricanes, it was usually more stable than ordinary small ships. People would feel very comfortable in such a large ship.
In other words, the larger the ship, the more comfortable it would be for people to live on it. The self-control of a ship would also be far better than that of a small ship.
Therefore, in theory, the bigger the ship, the better, but it couldn't be built too big. If the ship was built too big, it would not be so easy to control it. Moreover, the requirements for the navigation route would also be greater. Some places with shallow draft would not be able to pass through. In addition, the requirements for the port would also be higher. If the water depth of the port was too shallow, the ship would not be able to berth in such a port.
Therefore, the best tonnage of a ship was to build it as big as possible while meeting the draft of most ports.
In addition, with the gradual development of ports into deep-sea ports, the tonnage of ships would also gradually increase. For example, in the Tang dynasty, a thousand-ton ship was already considered a big ship. In the glorious era of the later generations of the ship industry, a 100,000-ton ship could be considered a big ship. A thousand-ton ship was not worth mentioning at all.
This was determined by the advancement of technology and the development of ports. Because of the limitations of the natural conditions of ports, it was not realistic to build a large number of deep-sea ports. Therefore, the development of the tonnage of ships encountered a bottleneck. After the tonnage reached hundreds of thousands of tons, it could not continue to increase the tonnage. Otherwise, most ports in the world could not berth. In this way, the mobility and flexibility of ships would be greatly limited, and thus the economy would be lost.
Of course, because there were too many ports, there were still many small ports that could not meet the requirements for berthing large tonnage ships. Therefore, some deep-water ports with superior geographical locations were very good opportunities for development. They became transportation transit stations for large ships and gradually became rich.
Most of the depths of the ports in the Tang dynasty were formed naturally. There were few traces of artificial excavation. As a result, the natural conditions determined the depth of the ports. Some coastal areas wanted to develop port business, but they were limited by the shallow water of the ports, so it was difficult to berth large ships. This greatly affected the shipping business. Some places with better natural conditions became shipping and trade centers.
For example, Guangzhou in the Tang Empire became the supply base and headquarters for the merchants of the Tang dynasty to go south because of the existence of a good deep-water port. Those shallow coastal areas with poor geographical locations could not become the headquarters for shipping.
"Assistant Minister Li, the wind and waves are getting smaller. We're about to leave the storm area."
The official observed the situation outside and found that the waves were getting smaller. When he looked back, the wind and waves behind him were still very big. This was enough to show that they were already on the way out of the storm area. After a while, the Tang Dynasty fleet would be safe.
Ang Lee said happily, "Good! This time, it's a close call. When we reach Polu, we must have a good rest. Prepare more wine and meat to calm the soldiers down. "
"Yes, Assistant Minister Li. This humble one understands."
The subordinate replied.
Ang Lee looked at the map and knew that Polu was not far away. He immediately ordered, "Send someone to inform the King of Polu. Tell him to come out and welcome us."
"Yes, Assistant Minister Li."
The subordinate replied again.
When the officials of the Tang dynasty went out, they needed to be dignified. This was also to protect the face of the Tang Empire. It was completely reasonable for the King of a small country to welcome them in person.
The Tang Dynasty fleet soon left the dangerous storm area and arrived at safe waters. In order to let the King of Polu be ready to welcome them, Ang Lee ordered the fleet to slow down.
"Big Brother, I heard that the King of Polu is surnamed Li. He has the same surname as us! I wonder if he is related to the royal family of the Tang dynasty. "
Li Feiyu said.
Ang Lee frowned and said, "There are many people surnamed Li in the world. How can they all be related to the royal family? Moreover, they have been living overseas for so many years. When their ancestors left the Central Plains, the Tang dynasty had not yet been established."
"Big Brother, I'm just saying. However, I just feel that it's fate. The Kings we met along the way all had strange names. Only the King of Polu's name is similar to ours. It sounds very familiar."
Li Feiyu said.
Ang Lee nodded with a smile and said, "I also feel that it's very familiar. However, it's useless to have a familiar name. I just don't know what kind of person the King of Polu is and whether he will listen to us."
"Big Brother, the small countries in front of us, which are much bigger than Polu, did not dare to disobey us. How dare this small Polu disobey the Tang dynasty? They don't want to live anymore!"
Li Feiyu said rudely.
Ang Lee frowned and said, "Polu is relatively remote and is not on the trade route. This country is not close to the Tang dynasty. I don't know what this King Li is thinking."
"Anyway, we're almost there. We'll know when we see him."
Li Feiyu did not believe that the King of Polu dared to disobey the policies of the Tang dynasty.
Of course, Ang Lee did not believe that either. Polu was a small country. How could they disobey the Tang dynasty? Unless they were tired of living.
After the Tang Dynasty fleet arrived at the port of Polu, because the port was too small, it could not guarantee that all the ships could dock in. Half of the ships could only stay on the sea.
Fortunately, there was more than one port in Polu. The other ports could also divert some of the ships. The ports in this country were all deep-water ports with good natural conditions. They could completely accommodate the Tang dynasty's steam ships.
Before the Tang Dynasty fleet arrived, the advance team had already arrived at Polu. They told the King of Polu that the Tang dynasty's senior officials were coming to visit and asked them to be prepared to welcome them.
Polu was only a small country and was very weak. After the Tang dynasty's officials made a request, they naturally did not dare to neglect it. Their King Li Xiaoyao personally went to the port to welcome Ang Lee and the others.
This tall king looked a little older than Ang Lee. He was estimated to be in his forties. He was in the prime of his life.
"Assistant Minister Li, welcome, welcome!"
King Li Xiaoyao was very enthusiastic. His mouth was full of smiles.
Ang Lee took a closer look. This guy was quite good-looking. Although he had immigrated for more than a hundred years, his appearance was not very different from the people of the Tang dynasty. If Ang Lee did not know beforehand, he would have thought that he had met an official of the Tang dynasty.
The name Li Xiaoyao was also very good. It gave people a carefree feeling. It did not sound like the name of a king at all. It was more like the name of a leisurely hermit.
"Haha! We have come from afar. Sorry to disturb Your Highness. "
Ang Lee also said politely.
Li Xiaoyao said nonchalantly, "Xiaoyao's ancestors were originally citizens of the Tang Empire. They only moved here to seek refuge. Therefore, we are all family. Besides, we are both surnamed Li. This is fate. There's no need to talk about it. Don't regard us as outsiders."
Seeing that Li Xiaoyao was so enthusiastic, the officials of the Tang dynasty were relieved. They felt that it would not be a problem to deal with Polu.
Ang Lee went with the flow and said, "Since we are both surnamed Li, and Your Highness is a few years older, let's just call you Brother Li!"
Li Xiaoyao did not refuse and said, "Since we are family and Xiao Wang is older, it is fine to call him Brother. Then, I will call you Assistant Minister Li, Brother Li."
"How many people are there under Brother Li's rule? How is the army? Have you been threatened by foreign forces?"
Ang Lee asked. He had already found out about this, but it was better for Li Xiaoyao to answer in person. This was to prevent the investigation of his subordinates from being different from the actual situation.
Li Xiaoyao replied, "Our Polu Country has 19,000 people. We only have 1,000 standing soldiers and 2,000 reserve soldiers. Although our military strength is weak, it is enough to protect ourselves. Moreover, our country doesn't have much wealth, so we haven't encountered any strong invasions. In the past 100 years, the few pirate attacks have been defeated."
After saying that, his face was full of pride, as if Polu was very powerful.
In fact, this strength was only at the level of a county in the Tang dynasty. Some of the better counties in the Tang dynasty were much stronger than Polu.
Ang Lee smiled and said, "If that is the case, Polu is a treasure land! It has been peaceful for more than a hundred years and has not been disturbed by the outside world. That is very rare. "
Li Xiaoyao smiled and said, "Our ancestors moved here for a peaceful life, so they found a secluded place. Haha!"
Ang Lee sighed and said, "Polu is a secluded place, but that was in the past. I'm afraid it will not be the same in the future."
"Uh, what do you mean?"
Li Xiaoyao was surprised.
Ang Lee said seriously, "The Tang dynasty wants to open up the Maritime Silk Road. All the countries along the way need to cooperate, and Polu is no exception. So, Polu will be very lively in the future, and the lives of the people will become more and more prosperous. This is a good thing, not a bad thing."
This sentence was both congratulatory and threatening at the same time. It congratulated Polu for becoming a part of the Tang dynasty's Silk Road, which would provide a good opportunity for Polu to develop. At the same time, it was a warning to Li Xiaoyao that the Tang dynasty's policy had been set, and Polu must abide by it. Otherwise, who knows what would happen.
"Brother, I have heard that the Tang dynasty wants to cooperate with the surrounding countries. But Polu is in a secluded place, and it is not a big deal if we are not there. Can we discuss the terms?"
Li Xiaoyao seemed to be a little reluctant, as if he was afraid that the Tang dynasty would open the door to Polu.
"The Tang dynasty cooperating with the other countries along the way is mutually beneficial. It will bring great benefits to both sides. Why is Brother Li so reluctant? If you have any difficulties, you can tell me. "
Ang Lee asked curiously.
Li Xiaoyao looked troubled and said softly, "The people of this small country have not seen much of the world. There are only ten or twenty thousand people under my rule. Their ancestors were in the Tang dynasty. If they all go back, there will be no one left in Polu."
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