But the most striking thing is the six or seven huge sea ships that are being built on the slipway.

The largest one was more than three people tall, and its dense ribs were like the skeleton of a dragon, and it seemed that it would come back to life at any moment, and jump into the sea to stir up the stormy waves.

Even the smallest ones are larger than ordinary houses, and the craftsmen working on them are like sharks clinging to giant whales.

In fact, only Zhu Linmiao and a few important ministers knew that the largest warship was still in the deepest part of the shipyard, and there was no way to see it in the periphery, which was the treasure of the town factory and the thunder of the Ming Navy.

Zhu Linmiao had previously specifically instructed that the shipyard was not allowed to make a big move, so as not to affect the construction of warships. Therefore, at this time, only Shao Zhizhang, the ambassador of Longjiang Shipyard, took more than a dozen officials to kneel outside the door, and when he saw the Son of Heaven getting off the imperial palace, he was busy bowing and bowing, "Long live the emperor under the officials......

"Get up and speak."

Zhu Linmiao raised his hand to signal, and then walked straight towards the largest slipway in the northwest of the shipyard, "How is the progress of the newly built battleship?" ”

Shao Zhizhang hurriedly led people to follow quickly, and said: "Back to the emperor, the keel has been laid yesterday, and sixty-seven ribs have been made, and the installation will start tonight." ”

Zhu Linmiao soon came to the frame of the warship of more than 800 tons, which had just begun to be built, and there was nothing to be seen.

Shao Zhizhang pointed to the material yard on the side of the slipway and said, "Your Majesty, all the required ship materials have been prepared at the beginning of the month, and a thousand craftsmen are rushing to make them day and night. Master Poon estimates that the ship will be launched in May at the most. ”

Zhu Linmiao was not surprised by the speed of construction. Since the completion and launch of the 800-ton third-class battleship in Yongbeili at the end of last year, half of the craftsmen involved in the construction have been sent to Longjiang, and even Pan Mingzhong, a master craftsman, has also come here.

Under such support, Longjiang Shipyard soon launched 800-ton warships, and Nanjing's human resources and materials are extremely abundant, so the construction speed can naturally be faster than Yongbeili.

At the same time, the construction of new third-class battleships was also started on the Yongbei-ri side. That is, by May of this year, the Daming Navy Division will have at least three battleships of 800 tons.

With these three ships alone, the combat effectiveness of the Daming Naval Division can dominate the top in Asia and easily crush the military presence of Western countries in the Far East!

As for the 500-ton cruiser and smaller warships, Zhu Linmiao didn't have to ask about it in person now, as long as the money was enough, the military department would naturally have a complete set of construction plans.

According to Zhu Linmiao's request, before the end of this year, even if the fleets of all Western countries in Asia are gathered, they will not be the opponents of the Daming Naval Division.

At that time, the Great Ming Naval Division will go to Europe for the first time to show its presence and begin to compete with all the world's naval powers in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

At that time, the Ming colonies in Australia, the Americas, and Africa will also be established one after another, and they will begin to continuously import wealth and resources to the East. Who else can defeat such a Da Ming?!

Thinking of trade and transportation with the colonies, he asked Shao Zhizhang again: "By the way, is the trial construction of the clipper ship still going well?" ”

Shao Zhizhang was stunned, although he knew how to build ships, but his knowledge of the construction of Galen-type battleships had exhausted his brain cells for a while, and his eyes were completely blank for the more novel flying clipping ships.

He had to instruct the officials beside him, "Go and invite Master Pan to come." ”

After a while, a middle-aged man with dark skin and stubble on his face hurriedly came, and saw Zhu Linmiao hurriedly bowing down and bowing from afar, "Xiaguan Pan Mingzhong, long live my emperor, long live!" He has now been promoted to the position of secretary of the Ministry of Works, but the people in the shipyard are all obedient and still call him Master Pan.

Zhu Linmiao smiled, "Master Pan, please get up." The Shaoxing was built before, and you have made a great contribution. ”

The Shaoxing is the third-class battleship that has just been launched in Yongbeili.

Pan Mingzhong hurriedly bowed down and said: "It's all up to the Holy Lord's order, and the craftsmen are serving, so that we can get this boat." Otherwise, with only a little bit of Taoism from the lower officials, I am afraid that even a 500-ton warship will not be built. ”

Shao Zhizhang whispered on the side: "Master Pan, the emperor asked how the progress of the flying clipper ship is?" ”

"Ah, back to the emperor," Pan Mingzhong turned around and said, "Xiaguan thought of wrapping the bow of the ship with copper skin and reinforcing it with a cast iron frame, which has solved the problem of bending the bow of the ship.

"Now, according to the drawings drawn by His Majesty, a 140-ton clipper ship has been built on a trial basis, and the ribs have been laid yesterday and the hull is being installed."

Zhu Linmiao was overjoyed to hear this, the bow is easy to break is the last problem that plagues the construction of the clipper ship, it seems that it will not be long before this kind of fast sailing ship that appeared at the end of the eighteenth century can be loaded with all kinds of goods of the Ming Dynasty and shuttle between countries.

You know, this kind of boat can be more than twice as fast as an ordinary Galen boat due to its extremely slender shape, unique underwater hull design, hollow bow and extensive use of triangular sails!

Historically, a man sailed a clipper across the Atlantic in just 13 days. And at the end of the Ming Dynasty, even the Helan people, who were the most developed in navigation, did not want to complete this task in two months.