Chastity Layman

It was dusk when the fleet arrived.

Starting from Taiping Port, after sailing on the sea for half a month, I finally saw the mainland. In the evening, as the sun sets, the afterglow of the setting sun reflects the swaying coconut trees on the seashore, and the emerald green sea water gradually turns into a shining golden color under the setting sun.

There are a few bright red clouds floating in the distant sky.

At this time, everyone in the fleet crowded onto the deck, looking at the coastline in the distance, feeling how miraculous it was.

"Is that Treasure Island? It's really golden!"

Everyone couldn't help but praise.

How refreshing it is in the sea breeze.

Another person exclaimed, "It's arrived so soon? Didn't it mean that Treasure Island is in the deep sea at the southernmost tip of the South China Sea? We've only been on the sea for half a month? Isn't this Treasure Island?"

Someone immediately retorted, "How fast our ship is. I have been to Dongying with the ship before. It only takes six days to sail from Wenzhou to Zhuzi, the country of Japan. But if we depart from Mingzhou (Ningbo), the wind is good and the fastest is three days." We will be able to arrive. We have been sailing in the deep sea for half a month, which is long enough."

As for why it feels like the fleet is heading east instead of south, I don’t think it’s wrong. In fact, after the fleet set off from Taiping Port, it didn’t go south along the coastline. Instead, it sailed directly to the deep sea in the east, and didn’t even approach Hainan on the way. Island supply, but passed through some small islands in the deep sea.

Those are Sansha, Xisha, Zhongsha, Huangyan and so on in later generations.

Because the route is clear, the captain and sailors who lead the team have actually run this route more than once, and the weather is specially chosen to be smooth and calm. Therefore, the half-month time is still due to the large number of ships, otherwise it will run faster than 10. It will be almost there in a day or so.

This is one of the advantages of deep-sea navigation. If you follow the traditional route, first go south along the coastline to Langyaxiu, then pass through Puluozhong (Singapore) recorded by the maritime merchants of the Three Kingdoms Soochow, then go to Brunei, and then sail north along the coast OK, finally reach the southernmost tip of the Philippine Islands, and then go north, not to mention half a month, even half a year may not be able to arrive.

However, for most people who come to pan for gold, they have not disembarked or set foot on land for half a month, and they still have a lot of sea voyage syndrome. They miss the land, flowers, birds and trees.

Even becoming restless and irritable.

Now seeing the long coastline, the sandy beaches, and the mountains, I am very excited.

The captains and sailors who came for the first time were amazed at the huge bay, which is so beautiful.

The leading flagship headed straight to the southeast of the bay, where the Qin family had built a stronghold here.

The location was chosen to be in the later generations of Manila Port, adjacent to the mouth of the Pasig River. The choice of this place was also because in this dynasty, water was the most important, and building a city based on water was the first element, which could ensure water for life and production. One is that water transport is the most convenient and cheap mode of transportation.

Through the river, it is also convenient to develop upstream in the future.

Qin Lang also stood on the deck, approaching the mouth of the river, and saw a huge volcano from a distance. The shape of this volcano is so conspicuous, but it is also lush and green. It is obvious that this is not an active volcano.

The captain is introducing Qin Lang.

"Our base is located at the mouth of a large river, which we named Jinsha River... This Jinsha River is fifty miles upstream, connected to a huge lake, which is about eighty miles long and seventy miles wide. inside."

The fleet slowly entered the bay, and finally entered the wide and flat Bashi River. Traveling ten miles along the river, a Jiangxinzhou appeared in front of everyone.

If you look from a distance, you can still see houses on it.

"That's our stronghold, Gold and Silver Fort."

It is said to be a fort, but it is actually a very simple small village. The island is a Jiangxinzhou, which is very flat and not very big. It is only about one mile long and a hundred steps wide.

The crew who came to explore before chose to build a stronghold on this island at the mouth of the river. They cut down trees to build fences, dug trenches, built arrow towers, watchtowers, etc., and built houses, warehouses, etc., although it was very difficult. It is small, but it has all internal organs, especially the defense effect is good.

This is a small fort stronghold in the style of the Knights Fort of Wu'an Prefecture. At this time, there are still a hundred people left on it. When they saw the fleet coming, they blew the horn from a distance, opened the gate of the village and ran to the simple pier. meet.

The Bashi River is gentle, and the river is a hundred steps wide. The fleet slowly arrives at the small pier, and the big boat puts down the small boat to send people ashore.

Qin Lang jumped out of the boat, boarded the plank, looked at the crude stronghold in front of him, but was full of expectations.

"Choosing to build a base here is also because of the harassment of the barbarians on the island. We first established a base on the south bank of the river mouth. Later, after being harassed, we moved to this island. This small island is surrounded by water, which is easier to defend."

Qin Lang also felt that this location was a good choice.

The gold diggers got off the boat and stood on this strange land, looking around one by one. They were even more shocked when they saw this simple but familiar Wu'an-style fortress here.

Fortunately, the captain introduced that this was established by the advance team sent by the Qin family after the Kunlun returned and bought the navigation chart, so that everyone could settle down.

Everyone on board got off.

Then weapons, food, and even various living animals such as chickens, ducks, cattle, sheep, horses, dogs, and cats were transported down.

Since they want to colonize, they must make long-term plans. In addition to these living things, they also brought various grains and vegetable seeds. After they came, apart from panning for gold, they would definitely cultivate wasteland here.

It was the first month of the fifteenth year of Zhenguan, but it was still much hotter than Taipinggang, and it was completely summer here.

Some guys who had been on the boat for half a month even took off their clothes and jumped into the dock river to take a bath. There were even more impatient ones who immediately prepared to pan for gold after hearing that the river was called the Jinsha River.

Blue sky, white clouds.

Green mountains, green water.

Some people think that this place is a bit like Halong Bay in Taiping, with beautiful scenery.

However, more people are concerned about whether there is gold and silver everywhere here.

The quiet bay is dyed golden by the sunset, so beautiful.

Three thousand people went ashore, immediately making the small stronghold a bit crowded.

Fortunately, there were a lot of boats coming this time. In addition to carrying 3,000 people, they also brought various supplies. Seeing that it was getting dark, the captains immediately ordered everyone to start transporting tents from the boats, etc., in the fortress. First put up the tent.

It's not dark yet, but the mosquitoes have already appeared.

The sea breeze is blowing, the waves are sounding, and the coconut trees are swaying.

Qin Lang mounted his horse and patrolled the island.

After a while, the tour was completed.

This Jiangxinzhou is very flat, in fact, it can fully accommodate the 3,000 new arrivals.

Zhang Chao looked at the place, "Is this the place where Sanlang wants to open up wasteland?"

"Well, don't you think it's beautiful here?"

"It's average. It's much worse than Halong Bay. I don't think it's better than Sanya in Hainan. It's almost the same."

"Hahaha, Hainan Island is now directly under the actual control of the imperial court. There are several prefectures and counties with tens of thousands of household registrations. Even the Feng family and the Xian family can no longer enjoy it to themselves. How can it be like this? It is blank, as we plan. , we can do whatever we want here, the real sky is high and the emperor is far away!"

Looking at this place, Qin Lang was filled with satisfaction. This feeling was just like the feeling he had when he just bought his first house and walked in with the key.

Although it is still completely rough, it is completely his own rough.

"Just say yes, why didn't you see Dao Fan? Didn't you say there are very vicious Dao Fans here?"

"Of course there are, otherwise why come to Jiangxin, but this is an uncivilized and wild land after all, not even comparable to Liuqiu Island. Liuqiu Island has been trading with the Central Plains since the Qin and Han Dynasties. , but there is very little communication with the outside world.”

Although some people have discovered this place long ago, in the eyes of businessmen, there is nothing special here. Camphor, sulfur, and buckskin are also produced on Liuqiu Island. What, the barbarians here are backward and uncivilized, living a life like primitive people.

There are only coconuts in the local area. Which businessman would go through all kinds of hardships to come here to sell coconuts?

These natives would like the goods of the merchants, but what would they exchange, coconuts?

Businessmen pay attention to profits and consider costs.

If the island here is full of spices, then even if the spice islands in the Kunlun Sea are the same, they will find a way to go no matter how far away, but they haven't found it here.

And before the new route came out, it was too far away and too unsafe.

The Qin family has actually been exploring here for several years, and they have fought many times with the Daofan tribe at the Bashi River Estuary, and tried to communicate with them or even trade with them, but the effect was not great.

In the end, it will inevitably be war.

But it should be more accurate to say fighting. Those islanders who only knew how to use primitive stone tools and bone tools were actually giving away in front of the Qin family's elite explorer mercenaries.

After fighting several times, the Qin family's expedition team simply copied several island tribes, captured them all, and then asked them to help build the fortress, and finally drove them to reclaim a few grain fields, and then transported them back in batches They entered the Central Plains and sold them as Kunlun slaves.

So now there are actually no tribes around here, and there will be islanders only a few days away, but they dare not come here easily, and even some small tribes have taken the initiative to migrate and escape.

The first dinner upon arrival in the New World was simple but delicious.

While on board, space is limited and food and fresh water are rationed.

But now that they landed, they started a gang in the fortress. The first meal not only had delicious rice, but also fresh vegetables and fish soup.

Sitting under the sunset, sitting on the floor with a bowl in hand, it feels so comfortable.

A tributary of a tributary in the upper reaches of the Pashi River does have gold sand, and there are many. While eating, Qin Lang arranged for everyone to distribute gold mining tools to those gold diggers tomorrow. It was actually very simple, a shovel, a pick, a sieve, a pot, and a bag.

"Transport these people directly to the upper tributary by boat, and then send a guard to follow them. First, build a simple gold mining site, erect fences, and put up tents, and then let them mine for gold. Whoever finds gold will Whoever it belongs to, we will buy it at the agreed market price..."

This time, 3,000 people came, not all gold diggers, but also many crew members and guards.

"After all, Jiangxinzhou is a little smaller. We are going to start planning a new fort on the south bank and build a real gold and silver fort."

The sea breeze is blowing, and everyone is full of expectations for the future!