"Hey, you actually know that the earth is round?" Chang Wei's question made Li Yunzhao's eyes radiate a divine light. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ

"Earth?" Li Yunzhao trembled with excitement, "The earth is really round, it's true!"

Gao Liangcai glared and said, "Hey, what are you two boys crazy about? Don't you know that the sky is round and the place is round? How can the earth be round? It's really nonsense!"

Tang Shuxue also said: "Yes, what kind of earth, if the earth is a round ball, then can we still stand firmly?

This question is not something that can be explained clearly in one or two sentences, Chang Wei thought for a moment and said: "Go to Nangang and ask Gomez to come over with a globe, a compass, a star plate, a rectangular chart, and a world chart, and tell him that I want to talk about a big business." ”

After Chang Wei briefly introduced the theory of the circle of the earth, Gomez crossed the shallow strait and landed on Fodu Island under the stimulation of big business.

"Honorable Lord Chang, are you in such a hurry to find me something? I'm about to go to Westport. ”

"Dear Mr. Gomez, you have come just in time. After Chang Wei greeted Gomez, he said to everyone: "Let me first briefly talk about Luzon. In the past, in addition to the local natives, the dominant people on Luzon Island were the remnants of the Song Dynasty, so it was called Luzon. After the Spaniards took Luzon, called it the Philippines, and built a large city of Manila, they hired local Han craftsmen to build one of the most advanced seagoing ships in the world today, which had a carrying capacity of thousands of materials. ”

"Mr. Gomez, please tell us about the Manila galleon trade. ”

"Okay. Gomez explained in blunt Chinese, "The Manila galleon sets sail from Manila in June every year by the southwest monsoon to the northeast latitude of 45 ° ~ 42 ° in Japan, and travels eastward along the North Pacific "Kuroshio" to Acapulco, Mexico, with a journey of more than 10,000 nautical miles, which lasts six months, and the return journey is a direct voyage along the ocean current, which only takes three months. ”

"The Manila galleon transports Chinese goods from the port of Yue, Fujian Province to Mexico, and then transports these Asian specialties from Acapulco to Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina on large wheelers. On the return trip, silver dollars, silver ingots, cocoa seeds, wool and other specialties were shipped back to Mexico. Crops such as corn, tobacco, peanuts, and tomatoes from the Americas were introduced to Asia......"

"Is the earth really round?" said Gomez, and Hakong once again voiced his doubts.

"Of course!" Gomez shrugged, "I know that the idea that the earth is round is difficult for ordinary people to accept, but Mr. Columbus and his men have proven it, you see. ”

Gomez fiddled with the globe in his hand, pointing out the continents, oceans, and major countries one by one, and everyone reluctantly accepted the fact that the earth was a 'ball'.

Then, Gomez asked, "Master Chang, I wonder what business you want to talk about this time?"

Chang Wei pointed to the Manila galleon trade route on the globe and said, "Are you interested in going to the Americas to trade from this route?"

"Trade in the Americas?" Gomez shook his head and said, "The west coast of America is a Spanish colony, so it's inconvenient for us to interfere. ”

Chang Wei waved his hand and said, "Dear Mr. Gomez, you don't have to talk to me, in fact, Spain and Portugal are the same country, aren't they?"

Spain and Portugal were one country earlier, around the time of the Tang Dynasty, the Arabs rose up and conquered the Iberian Peninsula, after the Spanish resisted for hundreds of years, conquered the lost territory and drove out the Arabs, Portugal also took advantage of the situation to become independent, but Spain has never recognized Portugal's independent status.

When the Ming Dynasty was founded two hundred years ago, the Spaniards annexed Portugal again. Nominally a country, in reality Portugal has an independent judiciary and army, with an extremely high degree of autonomy. Therefore, this kind of rhetoric cannot deceive Chang Wei.

Chang Wei said: "What's more, we are not going to seize the colony, but to trade. ”

"Okay, tell me about your plans. ”

Chang Wei said: "Before that, I want to know how much gold you are earning now. ”

Gomez said: "I am a captain of the Royal Portuguese Navy, and my monthly salary is eight Spanish silver coins, which is about ten taels when converted into Daming silver taels. ”

Chang Wei smiled contemptuously, "The annual salary is one hundred and twenty taels, which is about the same as the old Li on our dock." ”

Gomez blushed and exclaimed, "My lord, are you insulting me?"

Chang Wei shook his head and said, "No, it's the opposite. Dear Mr. Gomez, I think that with your talents, you can be paid even more generously. ”

Gomez shrugged and said, "I heard that you also fought, you should know that rank promotion is very strict. If I'm not unlucky, I'll be able to become a colonel at the age of thirty, or I'll find a new continent that will multiply my income. ”

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-four years old. ”

"Then dear Mr. Gomez, do you want to earn ten times your salary at the age of twenty-four?" Chang Wei smiled like a fox, "maybe you can also become the commander of an ocean-going fleet." ”

"God, Commander of the Ocean Fleet, you're not kidding, are you?" Gomez pounced excitedly at Chang Wei.

Chang Wei responded to him enthusiastically, "Of course, what I mean by big business is this matter. ”

Gomez took a step back, drew his thin sword and raised it above his head, knelt down on one knee and saluted solemnly, and said, "I, Bruno Joao Gomez, am willing to serve your honorable Chang Daren, and I will be your most loyal servant." ”

Chang Wei took the sword, put it on his shoulder, and said loudly: "Mr. Bruno João Gomez, I accept your loyalty. ”

"Now, let's talk about the ocean trade program. ”

The Shen family has the ships that go to sea, which is not a problem in this regard, the main personnel are also sent by Shen Kuang, and the rest can be selected from Tianmen, in addition, the technicians can let Gomez recruit from the Portuguese Navy.

However, Chang Wei is not ready to trade in the Americas now, because navigation requires very rich experience and a high degree of tacit understanding among personnel, the fleets of Tianmen and the Shen family have basically been to the South Seas, and Gomez has traveled far and wide to come from the ocean, and there is no problem with experience, but the tacit understanding of all parties is zero, not to mention that ocean voyages require armed escorts, and the training of ships and armed personnel must be increased.

Therefore, it is necessary to make several inshore voyages first. Chang Wei plans to let this newly established fleet take advantage of the monsoon to first go south to invite Luo Yun from Taiwan to join the fleet, and along the way it can recruit some fishermen and sailors from the coasts of Fujian, Zhejiang, and Guangdong, and then go to Luzon to buy Manila galleons and sail the Manaka and Batavia routes to accumulate experience. Then, next summer, when the currents are suitable, sail to the Americas.

Obtaining Gomez, you can also buy a large number of European books, learn advanced knowledge, technology and sailing experience, this is what Chang Wei likes most.

Of course, Gomez still needs to wait for a while to retire, just take advantage of this time to form a fleet, and the specific matters will be handed over to Shen Kuang, Hakong, Li Yunzhao and Gomez to be responsible, and Chang Wei is also ready to let Yang Rebellion come to assist.

After all the preparations were made, Chang Wei led the people to leave Fodu Island, and after a seven-day voyage, the fleet arrived in Nanjing.

When he stepped into Wei Liangdong's mansion, Chang Wei sneered in his heart, "Thirteen Lianlian Village, your good days are over, I will come to clean you up immediately." (To be continued.) )