Zhu Houzhao and Fang Jifan went to Kunning Palace.

When Empress Zhang saw the two of them smiling, she couldn't help but smile: "What happened today, look at your happy looks." ”

Zhu Houzhao said happily: "Queen Mother, Jiujiang is flooded......"

Empress Zhang instantly lowered her face.

What are you happy about this flood?

Fang Jifan was busy explaining, and Empress Zhang nodded: "So that's the case, but you can't be so happy, spread it, and say that you are a dignified prince, not sympathetic to the victims, prince, your words and deeds represent the prince, look at your father, you should learn." ”

Zhu Houzhao had no choice but to say: "Yes." Queen Mother, lately, why haven't you listened to the play? ”

Empress Zhang was silent for a moment, and then said: "This palace has no thoughts in the past few days, and I see that this is going to the end of the year again, year after year, but so far, the two brothers in this palace have not come back, eh, ......"

Fang Jifan comforted: "Shouning Hou and Jianchang Boji people have their own natural appearances. ”

Empress Zhang said: "Don't you want this palace to have the ability of your brother, the Zhang family is a relative, who has not made an inch, but has a good foundation." But these two brothers, who are they, how can this palace not know, it is precisely because they know their personalities too well that they are worried. Merit is not counted on. I hope that they will live in peace for the rest of their lives. ”

"Since they hit this sea, they are like released loaches, and this palace can't catch them. Heart...... It's hard to worry. ”

Fang Jifan thought to himself, is this my fault? It's my idea to go to sea, there's nothing wrong with that, but these two bastards have to go to sea.

Fang Jifan was stupid and didn't say anything.

Zhu Houzhao said angrily: "The queen mother always wants them to eat dry rice, but is this dry rice so delicious?" We are Ming, we shouldn't raise idlers, and our sons will ...... in the future."

Zhu Houzhao was a child, and he watched his father worry about labor, but what about those relatives of the emperor and the country, they were all eating dry rice, and Fang Jifan was suffering from brain disease, what about you? Do you have a face?

Of course, Fang Jifan is disabled, although he is lazy, he still has done something, which is more worthy of recognition.

Empress Zhang knew Zhu Houzhao's temper, so she pursed her lips, and then said: "The prince can't complain about his two uncles, they are not promising, but they are also uncles of the country." ”

"Ahem...... cough cough ......" Seeing that the mother and son seemed to be quarrelling, Fang Jifan coughed and said: "The two uncles will definitely be able to ride the wind and waves to return, don't worry." As for His Royal Highness the Prince, how can these two uncles be called dry rice, I see that their bones are strange, and they are uncertain in the future, and they will make meritorious contributions......"

Zhu Houzhao pursed his lips and was noncommittal.

Coming out of the queen mother, Zhu Houzhao was still chirping, and couldn't help complaining: "Women are soft-hearted, because of this, we are Ming, there are so many people who have nothing to do, my father and the emperor are working, and the palace, everyone else is holding hands, enjoying the glory and wealth, just watching." Look at the appearance of my father, which day is not exhausted......"

Fang Jifan nodded approvingly: "What His Highness said makes sense. ”

Zhu Houzhao bared his teeth: "Since you know that it makes sense, why don't you speak for the palace, what is the use of saying that it makes sense now?" ”

Fang Jifan looked at Zhu Houzhao like a mentally retarded person: "Because ...... I just figured it out. ”

Zhu Houzhao: "......"

He immediately waved his hand: "That's it, this palace is not the Son of Heaven, what do you want to do with this." Old man, just when I talked about the ship, I remembered a very important thing, you said, we can build a steam train, why...... Can't you build a steamship? ”

His eyebrows instantly danced: "With a steamship, it's amazing, you can ignore the sails, ignore the monsoon, go wherever you want, go as far as you want......"

Fang Jifan frowned: "Steamship, this ...... It's a little hard. ”

For Fang Jifan, the steamship has completely exceeded the limit of his poor knowledge.

Zhu Houzhao said: "What is this, there is nothing difficult in the world." ”

He was always optimistic.

Fang Jifan shook his head and said, "Don't talk about other difficulties, just one point, the steamship ...... Where does pure fresh water come from? ”

Zhu Houzhao: "......"

To make steam, it is not only necessary to ignite coal, but to produce a large amount of steam by burning coal, heating the boiler, and then the water in the boiler.

In order to have pure steam, it is necessary to have purer water, and the steam locomotive of this era is more primitive, and the steam locomotive, because it travels on land, can still find pure water for replenishment when it stops.

But what about steamboats?

Any resources on board are precious, including fresh water.

And seawater contains too much salt, once used in a steam engine, it will lead to the blockage of the boiler, or even scrap.

This point has been verified by Zhu Houzhao.

Steamships float in the sea, going to sea at a time, for more than a year, or as little as a few months, and even if there is a port supply, it is very limited.

You can't use local materials to supply steam with seawater, and you can't talk about steamboats.

What's more, this is only one of the technical difficulties, and there are many, many more technical difficulties to face.

Zhu Houzhao scratched his head: "At the beginning, the steam cars came out, so what's so difficult about this, I can always think of a solution." ”

Fang Jifan was embarrassed in his heart, and couldn't help but think, I knew the principle of the steam train at the beginning, and because I understood it, I knew that as long as I went in this direction, there would be no mistake. Can ...... now I don't even know which way I'm going.

Zhu Houzhao looked at Fang Jifan seriously: "Old Fang, don't you think that you have been a little weird recently?" ”

"Weird?"

"For example, you are less likely to get angry than you used to; Like what...... You are much calmer than before. For example, you don't even like beef lately. Like what...... You're not impulsive and irritable now, and you're shouting at every turn that you're going to kill someone. ”

Fang Jifan: "......"

Have it?

Zhu Houzhao said worriedly: "This palace is worried, are you ...... Is it a brain disease that is about to attack, since your father left, you have changed, and you have become almost unrecognizable in this palace. ”

Fang Jifan is still in the future and makes a good expression of mine.

Zhu Houzhao grabbed Fang Jifan's shoulders and shook desperately: "You can't hide illness and avoid medical treatment, heart disease also requires heart medicine, this palace wants you to see your father, if you have a steam ship, most of the problem can be solved, no matter how difficult the steam ship is, this palace must also be built, in this world, there is always a way, this is what you said." ”

Fang Jifan was moved.

It's a shame that I almost forgot that I still have a father.

And what touched me was that, yes, Xiao Zhu is still good, and he still knows how to care about himself.

Fang Jifan said: "Okay, good, good, I have money, what I have is money, let's build a steamboat, immediately set up a project, gather people, and His Highness will take the lead!" ”

Zhu Houzhao patted Fang Jifan's shoulder: "Good brother!"

"Yes." Fang Jifan's face was awe-inspiring and upright: "I am such a righteous person, who regards money as dung, and sticks a knife in his brother's ribs." ”

……………………

Several wrecked ships swayed on the endless ocean.

Since the fleet discovered a large amount of silver in the southern part of the Golden Continent, the first thing the Zhang brothers thought of was to return to the sea immediately.

In order to choose to return to Daming as soon as possible, and at the same time bring a larger fleet to transport people and mine this place, they chose to take risks.

The fleet went all the way to the west......

Drifting at sea for months.

As they imagined, there was nothing along the way but a lonely uninhabited island.

Along the direction of the map of the world, they no longer know how many miles they sailed at this time.

First with great joy, then with great hope, then with great hope, then with hope for the future, and then ...... gradually numb, but slowly, to this day, everyone's face is full of despair.

The supplies are almost gone.

All canned food, even if you lick it again and again, can hardly taste anything.

It's not just that, it's fresh water that matters.

Although they found fresh water on a small island and replenished it, they could not find any place to supply them in the endless ocean.

Hunger, thirst, sickness, and despair surround everyone.

Now, what little fresh water is left is almost gone.

It's over.

Zhang Heling was almost paralyzed on the deck, facing the hot sun above his head, at this moment, he found that his tears were like sea water, licking them, they were still salty.

Zhang Yanling lay in every corner, as if he was looking for something.

Finally, he burst into tears, holding something in his hand, this is a cockroach, a weak cockroach, Zhang Yanling howled happily: "Brother, brother...... You see what I found, you see what good things I found...... We can open meat, we can open meat. ”

Zhang Heling turned over, his eyes were blank, and he didn't say anything about his brother's cheers, he licked his shriveled mouth, and ...... All he was left was skinny and hungry...... Hungry......

Hungry and hungry, obviously with treasure on his body, but now ...... He finally felt the approach of death.

Of the dozens of ships, four have been sunk, and the remaining ships are almost exhausted.

Now...... It's over.

It's true...... It's over!

"Brother......" Zhang Yanling rushed over beautifully.

"Shut up...... Shut up for me, save some energy. Zhang Heling now has no strength to beat his brother.

Zhang Yanling said: "Brother, what's wrong with you, what's wrong with you." ”

Zhang Heling closed his eyes and said weakly: "Where did you think that this ocean is so wide, I'm really crazy, really crazy." In my life, I really damn it, I fell into the front eyes, regardless of family affection, no filial piety and friendship, so stingy to the people around me, my heart is full of my own little abacus, how could I fall to this point, how could I ...... I have no conscience to this point. ”

Zhang Heling was heartbroken.