In fact, a while ago, Zhu Linwei had already learned something about the shipbuilding industry in Fujing.

Although the Ming Dynasty has lifted the sea ban since the Longqing Dynasty, it actually opened a treaty port in Yuegang, and at the same time prohibited large ships with more than three masts from going to sea.

Under such a policy, shipyards and craftsmen who built large ships for a living had to switch to renovating small boats. In the long run, not to mention the people, even the warships of the sailors are getting smaller and smaller.

During the Yongle years, Fujian was able to build a ship nearly 70 meters long with a displacement of more than 1,500 tons in just half a year. And now, even about 500 tons of large ships can only be built by individual shipyards in Fujing, Guangdong, and Zhejiang, as for larger ships, the Ming Dynasty is almost impossible to produce.

Since he had decided to advance the priority of building a naval division for warships, he did not delay any longer, first went to the study to take out and sort out the detailed plans for naval divisions in the "Development Outline", and then instructed Shi Lin to call the officials in charge of shipbuilding from the Ministry of Industry.

About half an hour later, Shi Lin took the two of them back to the palace.

The leader is a member of the Ministry of Works named Pang Zhu. Because Song Yingxing and Xu Erlu were busy with the standardization of the process of the Ordnance Bureau, and Fang Yizhi was in charge of the construction of the Fujing Gexue School and supporting laboratories, he was the highest-ranking official in the Ministry of Industry at this time.

The two stepped forward to give the salute, and Pang Zhu introduced the person behind him to Zhu Linmi, "His Royal Highness the Auxiliary Prince, this person is Guan Xiangyun, the head of the Dushui Qing Division, since the Longwu Dynasty to the present, he is in charge of shipping affairs. ”

Zhu Linmiao had some impressions of this Guan Xiangyun, he was one of the few old officials of the Ministry of Industry who were still in office, so he nodded and said, "What are the relatively large shipyards in Fujing at the moment?" ”

That Guan Xiangyun hesitated for a while before saying: "Back to Your Highness, there are shipyards in Huangqi, Tong'an, Yongbeili and other places. ”

"Which of them can build a thousand warships?" The thousand materials he said were commonly used in shipbuilding in the Ming Dynasty, and if converted into official ships, the displacement was about 500 tons.

Guan Xiangyun had an embarrassed look on his face, "Your Highness, the shipyard under the Ministry of Industry, only the one in Yongbeili can build a six-hundred-material ship...... he then continued, "It's Nan'an that can still build a thousand-material warship." ”

Zhu Linmiao frowned, "Listen to what you mean, the shipyard in Nan'an is not owned by the Ministry of Industry?" ”

He immediately remembered, isn't Nan'an Zheng Zhilong's hometown?

Sure enough, Guan Xiangyun replied: "Back to His Royal Highness, it was built by Zheng Shun's private person. ”

"It doesn't matter if it's Zheng Zhilong's, as long as you can build a warship. By the way, what is the situation at the shipyard and when will it start? ”

Guan Xiangyun couldn't say why, how could he understand the situation of Zheng Zhilong's shipyard.

Zhu Linmiao sighed helplessly, and suddenly remembered someone, so he turned to Shi Lin and said, "Go and find Damu." ”

"Yes!"

He asked Guan Xiangyun again: "How long does it take for the shipyard in Yongbeili to build a 600-material ship?" ”

Guan Xiangyun thought for a long time before he said vaguely: "Go back to Your Highness, at least half a year, at most ten months." ”

It is no wonder that since he was appointed as the head of the Shuiqing Division, the imperial court has not given any shipbuilding tasks, and he has been in the office almost every day, and he is not very clear about the affairs of the shipyard.

"How long will it take to expand the shipyard to the capacity of a thousand ships?" What Zhu Linmiao urgently needs at the moment is a large warship that can compete with the Dutch. The 600-material ships are very small as merchant ships, and I am afraid that they can't even fit the eighteen-pounder guns, and they can't be used at all in battle.

"Even if the slipway is expanded, I'm afraid that no craftsman will build a big ship......"

Zhu Linmi's head suddenly became big, in the seventeenth century, the era of great navigation, the Ming Ministry of Industry could not even find a craftsman who could build a 500-ton sailboat.

He asked about the situation of the shipyard again, and saw Shi Lin enter the house, "My lord, Zhu Shilang has arrived." ”

Zhu Linmiao was stunned for a moment before he reacted, Zheng Chenggong had been promoted to the right attendant of the military department, and immediately smiled: "Let him come in." ”

Zheng Chenggong entered the house and saluted, "Meet Your Highness." ”

It was less than two quarters of an hour since Shi Lin left, and Zhu Linmiao said strangely: "Why did you arrive so soon?" ”

"Back to Your Highness, my subordinates are leading people to inspect the police in the city, and I happened to meet General Shi."

Zhu Linmiao nodded, he asked Zheng Chenggong to be in charge of the restructuring of the original Jiang Zhengxi's department, and now those soldiers have all been turned into police officers and are responsible for the security of Tianxing Mansion.

So he casually asked: "Is the transformation of the army still smooth?" ”

"Back to His Highness, these more than 4,000 people have been distributed to the eleven police stations in the city, with a clear structure, neat clothing and equipment.

"The newly promoted police officers are temporarily patrolled by the Long Weijun, but they are quite orderly. Every other day, they were also trained by the officers of the Dragon Guard Army and explained the code of conduct for police officers, and their subordinates estimated that in another month or two, these people would be ready for use. ”

"What do the officers think about the transition?"

"I don't." Zheng Chenggong said, "Now they can return home after only five hours of work every day, so they don't have to crowd in the barracks, and they don't have to risk facing the enemy." Oh no, the wages are more than doubled.

"Not only did he complain, but he also said that the transformation was the grace of His Highness."

"That's good." Zhu Linmiao nodded with satisfaction, and then asked, "By the way, Mu Da knows what the current situation of Annan Shipyard is?" ”

Not long after Zheng Chenggong returned from Quanzhou, he was most familiar with the situation there, and hurriedly said: "Your Highness, when Zheng Cheng fled from Quanzhou, he burned the materials and the like from the shipyard.

It is said that he originally wanted to take the craftsman away, but because Zhang Guoxuan and Zhang Yishi attacked the military port at night and burned his rear military fleet, it was not enough to make the craftsman board the ship.

"Today, the slipway and utensils are still in use, and there are still more than 2,300 craftsmen."

"Is it difficult to gather these craftsmen to build ships for the imperial court?"

"The call will come." Zheng Chenggong said, "After Zheng Cheng fled north, the shipyard was idle, and the shipwrights had no ships to build, so no one paid their wages, and they were struggling to survive."

"If Your Highness reopens the shipyard, it will save these two thousand craftsmen."

"That's very good." Zhu Linmiao immediately decided, "You hand over the matter of the transformation of the army to Yu Xin, and go to Annan with me tomorrow." ”

"Yes!"

He looked at Guan Xiangyun again, "Guan Xiangyun, you get ready, and leave for the Yongbeili Shipyard immediately." By the way, let Song Shilang transfer a few people who are familiar with process standardization to go with you.

"After arriving, the shilling craftsman will stop all the work in his hands, prepare the wood, standardize the process, and wait for my follow-up instructions."

"The subordinate obeys."

After Zheng Chenggong, Guan Xiangyun and others left, Zhu Linmiao asked Shi Lin to summon Zhang Jiayu and asked him first: "For example, how many Dragon Guards can be mobilized in Xingfu today?" ”

Zhang Jiayu thought for a while, and arched his hand: "Go back to Your Highness, leave eight or nine hundred people to take care of the police, and the rest can listen to orders at any time." ”

"That's more than 4,000 people." Zhu Linmiao nodded and said, "You immediately gather the Dragon Guard Army to prepare and set off with me to Annan early tomorrow morning." Fujing still has some troubles to deal with, so let's start with Quanzhou. ”