Laizhou, Crab Bend, a brand new three-layer warship was practicing on the sea surface, sometimes moving forward rapidly and sometimes turning suddenly. The white sails on the high masts adjust their direction from time to time to use the wind, and sometimes even lower the main sails to control the warship by relying on two side sails. After the side of the ship, soldiers would be heard from time to time, and crossbow arrows would shoot out like a storm. Each time the huge stone bomb fired by the huge stone slash would stir up huge waves on the sea surface.

This is the first three-layer warship built by Qi after he was determined to revive the navy.

"Not bad, not bad." Cao Yun applauded happily and said satisfied with Ning Zefeng standing beside him: "In more than half a year, the first warship was built and the training reached this point, which is very good."

"It's far from it, Your Majesty." Ning Zefeng's expressionless face. The last time he met him was Cao Tiancheng, he has now become Cao Yun. It doesn't matter who becomes the emperor of Qi. As long as they all support themselves in rebuilding the navy, it seems that the current emperor attaches great importance to the development of the navy, just like the previous emperor, which is naturally a good thing for him.

Ding Xianming, the governor of Laizhou County, who was standing on the other side of the emperor, was already full of joy, but when he heard Ning Zefeng's answer, his face immediately collapsed. This damn god really had no eyesight to see him. The emperor praised him. Isn't it enough to flatter him? When the emperor was happy, he would naturally allocate a large sum of money and food. If you slap Your Majesty in the face on the spot and annoy Your Majesty, what might happen?

Besides, the Navy is of course good. In the past six months, I, the county magistrate of Laizhou, have done nothing else, and have almost become the logistics officer of the Navy. Seeing that the Navy has vaguely had a shadow of elite soldiers, I can really deserve the emperor's good comment. This is the credit of the officials from all over the Laizhou. I was lost by you in one word.

"What's the difference?" Cao Yun asked, ignoring the stinky face of Laizhou County Governor Ding, and his stinky face.

"Your Majesty has seen Mingren's warships." Ning Zefeng looked at the warships on the sea and said, "Whether in terms of speed, flexibility and combat effectiveness, our warships are far behind."

Cao Yun narrowed his eyes and remembered the huge five-story battleship Daming, which was anchored on the sea outside Baoqing Port, with a shadow flashing through his eyes.

"Now we can't build a fifth-layer warship?" he asked.

"Your Majesty, it's not a problem with the fifth-layer warship. With our current strength, the fifth-layer warship is simply an out of reach. In the end, it will be a third-layer warship. In fact, the main force in the future will still be the third-layer warship." Ning Zefeng said.

"Tell me more about it."

"First of all, speed!" Ning Zefeng said: "Under the design of the Tiangong Bureau, Mingren warships are no longer driven by manpower. Their structure is so complex that it is amazing. Although it is not easy to manufacture, they have more than doubled their speed than before."

"What is connected with it is that they drive such a large ship with less manpower, and the saved manpower can be put into combat. This is something we cannot compare with."

Cao Yun looked at Ning Zefeng and said, "I remember that many people under your command came from Baoqing Shipyard or even Huludao Shipyard. Haven't they learned this kind of power design?"

"Yes." Ning Zefeng said affirmatively: "Your Majesty also has the design drawings of the warships of Laizhou Shipyard, but our craftsmen understand this power system, but they cannot make it. They have been experimenting several times here, and each time it ends in failure. The simplified version is the one on the sea that His Majesty now sees. His speed is far less than that of the Ming Dynasty warship."

"Why can't it be made?" Cao Yun's face was a little gloomy.

"Your Majesty, the more complex the structure is, the higher the requirements for some of the most basic technologies. The Mingren's power system uses a large number of steel and copper components. Only these can withstand strong operation, such as transmission links."

“To put it simply.”

"Yes, Your Majesty, our iron smelting and steelmaking technology is completely inaccessible to the level we need. The parts made by the masters according to our requirements are easily damaged during the experiment and cannot be used at all. Your Majesty knows that if such a situation occurs in the war, the warship will become a coffin floating on the sea."

Cao Yun turned his head and looked at Qian Weizhong, the Minister of Works, who accompanied him behind him, who did not inspect. "Weizhong, an imperial edict to the world that no matter who can offer to improve the skills of steel smelting, if you want to become an official, you will be given a fifth-rank position. If you want money, you will be rewarded with a hundred thousand taels."

"As for your order, Your Majesty. There must be a brave man under the heavy reward. If Your Majesty's imperial edict continues, maybe someone from the wise will be moved." Qian Weizhong said

Cao Yun ignored Qian Weizhong and looked at Ning Zefeng and said, "Is there anything else besides this?"

"Your Majesty, this is the most important thing. If the opponent's speed is much faster than us at sea, it will be invincible and cannot be remedied at all. Others are second. For example, the configuration of the ship is equipped with a large number of crossbows that can strangle opponents who rely on the gang in a very short time. They are equipped with Thunderbolt Fire, which can strike warships with coverage shooting at long range. The iron bombs fired by Thunderbolt Fire are quite serious for warships. If we cannot make such things, we can only equip the trenchers on the warships. In terms of the rate of fire and destructive power, it is much worse."

Cao Yun snorted coldly and said, "As you say that, if we spend a lot of money to build a navy, will we have no chance to win at all?"

"Of course not." Ning Zefeng said: "Even if we can only equip ordinary trenchers, if a few Ming people's warships are hit, they will still be smashed and sunk. This depends on the specific situation during the war, who is commanding and how the battle is fought."

Cao Yun smiled and said, "After all, people are the most important. After all, I read the report and you are putting more of your mind on training soldiers. Is this for this?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Ning Zefeng bowed. "If the main warships were conducting a large-scale maritime decisive battle, we would not have such strength now, and we would not have so many warships to fight them, so we would not fight head-on with the enemy on the sea within three years."

Cao Yun sighed: "Although I know you are right, it's still disheartening to think about it. Do you want to swim and attack?"

"Contain." Ning Zefeng said: "In the past, the Ming people's sea frontier line was not long, and we could not use many places, but once they annexed the Chu State, it would be very different. We can implement a strategy of banning the sea, but the Ming people did not. So we only need to go to the Ming people's sea frontier line to harass most of their power. When he came in large numbers, I ran away. He dispersed his power to chase him. We rushed up and could bite him. Finally, we could even send some ships to their important sea bases and attack them like Huludao. If it doesn't work once, it will be twice, and if it doesn't work twice, it will be eight times and ten times. In short, it will be impossible to eat and sleep."

Cao Yun laughed: "As long as you can restrain the maritime power of the Ming people, I will remember you for a great contribution."

Ning Zefeng smiled and said, "But Mo General will not satisfy this. When Mo General has ten three-layer warships and corresponding auxiliary ships, he will have some capital to compete with his opponents. At that time, Mo General will seek some limited maritime decisive battles. When Mo General has fifty three-layer warships, he can compete with the Ming people at sea."

“How long does it take?”

"Your Majesty, the first ship has always been the most difficult to build. Now our first ship has been launched. Taking advantage of the opportunity to build the first ship, we have trained a large number of craftsmen, which will be faster and faster in the future. As long as the court can support the construction of the navy as it is now, next year, we will have ten warships. Within five years, we will have a huge naval fleet."

"Your request will be met." Cao Yun nodded.

Ning Zefeng looked at the Laizhou County Governor Ding with satisfaction. After hearing the emperor's words, he smiled and was extremely happy.

"However, just building ships, training, and not going out to fight, how can we train a powerful navy?" Cao Yun asked.

"Of course we have to go out to fight." Ning Zefeng replied: "How can we have a strong army without fighting? The third-layer warships cannot form combat power, but we already have dozens of small ships. Your Majesty, they have gone out to hunt more than ten times. Even today, there are thirty small ships going to sea."

Cao Yun was a little surprised, "How can I deal with Mingren's warship just by going out?"

Ning Zefeng said with a grim smile: "Your Majesty, the Ming people bullied us without warships. Now they are getting more and more courageous. Two or three warships or even one warship dares to come to the Ming Dynasty to show off their power. This is our opportunity. It is naturally no match for the small boat to go out, but many ants bite the elephant to death." He reached out to call a deputy general and whispered a few instructions. The deputy general hurried away. After a moment, a small boat appeared on the sea surface. There were only a dozen crew members on the ship.

"Your Majesty, this is the ship we went out to fight. There are no other weapons on it, but only a kind of transformed crossbow." Ning Zefeng pointed to the warship on the sea. "Your Majesty, please look."

The small boat was flexibly sailing on the sea surface. On the bow of the boat, a huge crossbow was pulled apart with a winch, and a huge pointed hammer was loaded. Under the gaze of everyone, with a roar, the pointed hammer flew out and thundered on a rock on the shore with a loud bang. With the loud noise, the rocks suddenly shattered into several pieces.

"Your Majesty, as long as they can get closer to the enemy's warship within a hundred steps, they can cause significant losses to the enemy ship."

Cao Yun looked at the small boats and was skilled in using troops, so he naturally knew Ning Zefeng's intention: "Can you hit the enemy ships not the most important thing, the most important thing is that you want to harvest some water dragons, right?"

"Yes, your majesty, generally speaking, they only have a chance to have one blow, and the rest is to escape. Those who can escape are good soldiers. Those who cannot escape can only be buried in the belly of fish."

"The method of raising Gu soldiers. Using this method, if you gather a team, you will lose more than a few times the number of people you survive in the end."
Chapter completed!