Regarding the matter at sea, I would like to ask Zheng Zhilong for reliable reason, so Chairman Zheng was invited to the palace again. Chongzhen thought to himself that he really chose the right person. If someone else came to be the chairman of the Federation of Industry and Commerce, it seemed that no one was suitable for Zheng Zhilong. In terms of virtue, Zheng Zhilong might not be able to rank, but in terms of talent and financial resources, Zheng Zhilong is definitely the best choice.

Chongzhen asked Zheng Zhilong how to fish at sea and whether he could use trawlers to catch fish. Of course, Zheng Zhilong knew very well about the sea affairs. Most of the pirates under him changed careers. When the pirate business was light, or for the need to improve the diet, pirates also wanted to catch fish. Zheng's diversification made it very exciting. In addition to being an official army, a maritime merchant, and a pirate, he also occasionally got involved in the fishery. When Zheng Zhilong heard the emperor ask about trawler fishing, he introduced it without reservation:

"Your Majesty, trawling net fishing was found in the Hongwu period. There was a three-masted 'wind-pulling' ship in my fleet. It was originally used for fishing. After being used as a warship, the ship was also equipped with trawling nets, which could be used for fishing at any time."

Wang Chengen remembered that even if there were trawling nets in this era, it was just the most primitive type of trawling nets. Not only did the trawling nets have small, but there was no net board yet, so the efficiency of fishing was greatly reduced, so he asked:

"Mr. Zheng, I wonder if anyone used two boats to tow a net for fishing?"

Of course, Zheng Zhilong had never heard of such things. Director Wang stood up and said without a back pain. It was already very difficult to catch a boat by trawling nets. How can two boats be fished? It's really amazing! I have to explain to this person who doesn't know how to catch fish:

"Director Wang, the fishing net is already very large. You can sometimes catch hundreds of kilograms of fish and shrimps by one net. The fishing net itself is not light. It is okay to close the net. It is not easy to pull a net of fish and shrimp onto the boat. If two boats tow a trawl net, then the net is not ordinary big. It is possible to catch a few thousand kilograms of fish and shrimp. How to close the net? How to pull it onto the boat? This is not something that can be achieved in a simple sentence."

Zheng Zhilong said in his heart that Director Wang was not involved in fishing in the sea, and probably never saw the sea. Fishing is a job of hard work and there is no trick. Alas! Slow! Director Wang is able to come up with all kinds of novelty. Maybe he can even come up with different methods for fishing. Thinking of this, he changed his mind sharply and said:

"Maybe Director Wang has some clever ideas on fishing, so I want to ask for advice!"

Wang Chengen smiled and thought to himself that the two ships would not have appeared until the 18th century, but in order to alleviate the food crisis in the Ming Dynasty, it was possible that it would have appeared in the 17th century. In addition, a series of technologies for military industry to convert to civilian use must be launched. Wang Chengen said:

"Mr. Zheng, as far as I know, there are many things that are worth improving in the popular trawl fishing now. One is that the trawl can be made of a net plate to maximize the opening of the fishing net; the second is that the winch can use a clutch ratchet mechanism and a long-arm lever, which can greatly save manpower; third, the chute can be opened at the tail, or a pulley mechanism can be set up, and the lever winch mechanism can be used to pull the fishing net full of fish and shrimp onto the boat; finally, large fishing boats can also be equipped with steam power, and the fishing process can be completed with steam power, and manpower only needs to be operated. The improved trawl fishing can be fished by a single trawl or two trawls. As for the fish and shrimp caught in one net, I dare say that more than 10,000 kilograms of one net is possible."

Wang Chengen did not say the number that one can catch up to 400 tons in a network in the future. Even so, Zheng Zhilong was already very surprised. Be good! 10,000 kilograms, what does that mean! When Zheng Zhilong thought he would never be a pirate again, he had thought that he would let his men go to sea to catch fish and shrimps, but the next step was the busy Spring Festival travel rush. Later, he had to send Zhang Xianzhong 100,000 troops out of the sea. His ships have been busy since December until now, so it was not the turn to consider the transformation to fishermen. Zheng Zhilong thought of this and smiled and said:

"Your Majesty, if Director Wang said this, don't say that one can make ten thousand pounds in one net, and a few thousand pounds will burn high incense. When Zhang Xianzhong's men are transported away, according to my thoughts, my subordinates who can't do the navy can change their careers in fishing. Just Director Wang needs to create a few sample ships and then copy them according to the gourd. What old ships should be modified and what they are transformed, and those people can finally do some business."

Chongzhen was still quite suspicious of sailboat trawling fishing. If the wind at sea was insufficient and the wind traction boat could not run at speed, the fishing efficiency would not be satisfactory, so he said:

"In my opinion, it is best to install a four-link crankshaft mechanism to drive the propeller. Wouldn't the fishing effect be better? Anyway, our military technology is developing very fast, and after the new military technology matures, the old military technology can be converted into civilian use. Wang Chengen, what do you think?"

Wang Chengen didn't think it was necessary to install a four-link crankshaft and a propeller, but since it was the emperor's words, it seemed inappropriate to deny it. So he said:

"Your Majesty, why not follow the military camp method and set up a maritime military-managed fishing team, participate in wartime and fish in peacetime. In this way, the naval divisions raised by the Ming Dynasty can be even larger. If there is a war, there is no need to worry about the lack of military strength of the navy. As for this naval fishing team, they are all equipped with ships that can be converted into military during wartime, and are usually used for fishing, with a small amount of steam power, most ships are sailed with crankshaft propellers and man-powered, and pure sailing ships that only fish but do not participate in war, so that they can be used for both military and civilians. What do the emperor think?"

Wang Chengen knew that the navy was a money-burning military branch. At this time, the Ming Dynasty was weak. If the maritime power could be established, the pressure would be much less. The ace Qin army established by Sun Chuanting at that time adopted the method of military garrison and saved the capital for war by relying on military farms. Otherwise, the little money allocated by Chongzhen would probably not be able to build a militia for self-protection.

When Chongzhen heard this, he thought it was a good idea! This is a good idea! Zheng Zhilong's fleet is doing business, robbery, fishing, and suppressing bandits, and fighting. Let's ask him:

"Zheng Aiqing, what do you think of this idea?"

Zheng relies on merchants, bandits and fishermen to maintain a huge fleet, so of course he knew that this plan was feasible. Some of his own methods seemed to be plagiarized, but he had to answer according to his meaning:

"Director Wang's idea is naturally brilliant."

Chongzhen smiled and immediately expressed his opinion:

"I think you can try to set up such a naval fishing team, which can be used in the military and the people. Liu Jiyun will first draw up a plan, and hold a meeting and discuss it at that time, and set up the fishing team as soon as possible. Well, militarized management will make the fishing efficiency much higher! However, Zheng Aiqing, what does "three days of fishing and two days of drying the net" mean? Does it mean to have to dry the net for three days of fishing? Is it okay to dry the net for six days of fishing and one day of drying the net?"

Chongzhen means that how can a dignified army fish for three days and two days of drying the net? It is reasonable to take a day off every week. If you take a twelve day off a month, what's that matter!

Zheng Zhilong heard this and wanted to laugh but didn't dare to laugh, so he had to explain:

"Your Majesty, this fishing net is made of cotton thread. If the fishing net is soaked in the sea for too long, the net line will become loose and easily broken by fish and shrimps. This is how the saying goes. Therefore, the first thing you get back is to dry the fish net immediately. If it is not dry in time, the fish net will quickly become moldy and rotten. There is a song like this: 'When you go out to sea, you can cast a net tightly, and when you return, you will be full of fish and shrimp. There are always thousands of things to do when you go ashore. The first thing you have to dry the fish net first.'. After three days of fishing, you really have to dry the net for two days. This is a lesson."

After hearing this, Chongzhen was a little discouraged and had to say:

"It seems that when I was blowing the fishing nets, I had to do exercises and shoot."

Wang Chengen knew that it was not until the 1940s that nylon silk replaced cotton thread, and the fishing net was completely unaware of the soaking of sea water. In the era of using cotton thread fishing nets, it was really impossible not to dry fishing nets. Of course, there was no way, Wang Chengen said with a smile:

"It is not impossible to solve this problem of "three days of fishing and two days of drying nets". The first method is to use standardized fishing nets. Just prepare more fishing nets. A fishing boat has at least three fishing nets. One fishing net will be fishing for three days and then returned to the port staff to dry. The port will hand over the other fishing nets to the fishing boat and then go out to sea to catch. The second method is to improve the fishing net materials. I think 50% of the glass fiber and some sesame fibers, and blend cotton and linen and glass fibers. The fishing net made of this blended material may achieve what the emperor said about a screen for a six-day fishing net."

Glass fiber is corrosion-resistant, Chongzhen also understands this a little bit. Not to mention rotating fishing nets, if glass fiber can be used, at least cotton thread can be saved. God knows how many huge nets you need to make to meet the fishing needs! Chongzhen looked at Wang Chengen and thought to himself, saying yes, even the fiberglass fiber was pulled out. After he was injured, it seemed that the process of technology was not affected at all. Chongzhen was a little emotional. Although this was not a big news, he had to speak to himself, the emperor. Chongzhen asked:

"When was the fiberglass made? Why not show it to me?"

Wang Chengen quickly replied:

"Your Majesty, this glass fiber has not been pulled out yet, but it is not difficult to pull out the glass fiber wire. There is already a platinum alloy. Speaking of which, the origin of this platinum alloy, haha, it was found out from the silver coins of Europeans. It is really a treasure. Using platinum alloy to pull the glass fiber wire is a piece of cake. As for the effect of blending with cotton and linen, you can only know after trying it, but I guess it will not be bad."

Zheng Zhilong heard the word fiberglass for no reason, so he asked:

"Director Wang, is this glass fiber a kind of silk thread? What is the relationship between glass and silk thread? What is the relationship with fishing nets?"

In Zheng Zhilong's eyes, the glass is hard and crisp, and the silk thread is soft and soft. How can it be linked together? Wang Chengen feels that it is really necessary to write a "100,000 Whys", of course, it still needs to be explained now:

"This glass fiber is the wire pulled out after the glass is melted at high temperature. It is called glass fiber. The glass fiber is very pulled and is more pulled than cotton thread, but it is still a bit brittle, so it is best to mix it with cotton and linen. Glass fiber is not afraid of soaking, which can increase the use time of the fishing net. Of course, you have to try it first, and you can draw a conclusion after you try it."

Chongzhen knew that the fishing net should be much better after adding fiberglass, and this was not a big deal. Chongzhen was unwilling to continue to get entangled, so he said:

"Zheng Aiqing, I want to set up such a naval fishing team. I hope I can recommend a candidate. I wonder if I have a suitable candidate to recommend it?"

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Chapter completed!