Chapter 1758: The Haifeng

Unlike the Western sailing ships that came streaming in from the east, a massive cargo vessel sailed from east to west, slowly entering the river-mouth harbor, and under the direction of a pilot boat, made its way to the anchorage.

Of course, aside from its direction of arrival, what made this ship even more conspicuous was its enormous hull, gliding past like a primordial beast. Even the local natives knew that this was a treasure ship from the Great Han Empire.

Its design was distinctly Eastern, with a grand layout, three-tiered deckhouses, and a spacious deck. The fore-and-aft sails had already been furled, but several masts still stood tall, piercing the sky. Large oars extending from the hull churned slowly, driving the ship forward.

In the course of the Han people's far-reaching expansion across the seas, the shipbuilding civilization of the Great Han was thus spread to every corner the Han set foot on, completely reshaping the barbarian lands' perception of the Great Han.

The Great Han treasure ship was the most conspicuous symbol. Great Han ships were simply too large, often exuding an awe-inspiring, world-dominating momentum. A Great Han ship was not merely a ship—it was more like a work of art.

Decades of development, along with the craze for going to sea that swept from the official class to the common folk, had brought great advances to the Great Han's shipbuilding craftsmanship. Ships were being built in ever greater numbers and ever larger sizes, especially ocean-going vessels.

The treasure ship now entering the river-mouth harbor was named the Haifeng, thirty-seven zhang long and fifteen zhang wide, built at the Runzhou shipyard in Jiangnan. In the more than twenty years since unification, the Great Han's shipbuilding industry had flourished, giving rise to several major yards with advanced technology and complete facilities. The Runzhou shipyard was among the best, especially skilled at building large vessels.

In the past, it had always been responsible for supplying warships to the navy. Later, it gradually opened up and began building civilian vessels, focusing on ocean-going ships. The Haifeng was specially designed and was the largest ocean-going vessel offered for external sale, priced at twenty thousand strings of cash per ship.

And this was not even the Runzhou shipyard's crowning achievement. It was said that two years ago, the yard had already produced an even more massive treasure ship—a super treasure ship forty-five zhang long, eighteen zhang wide, with a carrying capacity exceeding seventy thousand dan. Of course, such great national treasures were currently only in military service or used for official purposes.

Still, to be able to own a treasure ship of this slightly lesser class required not only formidable financial resources but also certain requirements of status and standing. Ordinary people were not qualified to purchase one.

The docks along the riverbank were crowded with all kinds of sailing ships, but the Haifeng was clearly the most eye-catching. Whether it was the laborers loading and unloading cargo or the sailors resting on board, all couldn't help but cast glances at it, their faces showing awe.

They had seen many large Great Han ships, but never one this big. In sheer size, it was even larger than the warships of the South Seas fleet. Passing several bends in the river, the Haifeng entered a relatively open dock. The dock was newly built, with plenty of room to spare—had it not been, given the Haifeng's bulk, even coming alongside to moor would have been a problem.

On the voyage south, they had already experienced this firsthand—most of the ports along the way were too narrow and cramped to accommodate the ship, unable to dock at all. Loading and unloading cargo, transferring supplies, and embarking or disembarking personnel all had to be done via lighter boats.

Fortunately, conditions on Liangping Island were somewhat better, but only somewhat—barely enough to satisfy mooring needs. And that was for just one ship. If several more came, it probably couldn't handle them.

As the Haifeng slowly came alongside, its silhouette became clear. The hull was very new, and the marks of wind and wave assault looked more like badges of honor earned through trial. The anchor was dropped and the gangplank lowered. Laborers had long been waiting, eyes wide, necks craned, ready to get to work.

Perhaps because they were so overwhelmed by the sight, there was no need for the overseers to crack their whips. Everyone was eager, wanting to board the ship and personally experience such a magnificent treasure vessel.

The owner of the Haifeng was a man named Zhang Yinian, nephew of Zhang Yanqing, the Marquis of Hailing. He had served in the South Sea Fleet and taken part in the operation to recover Liuqiu, before retiring due to injury.

Influenced by his family, after recovering from his wounds he threw himself into maritime trade, running ships in the South Seas. Leveraging his family's power and network of connections, he amassed considerable wealth with relative ease.

Three years ago, when news spread that the Runzhou shipyard was selling treasure ships to the public, he hurried back to Jiangnan and went to pay a visit. He knew the treasure ships produced in Runzhou very well—and coveted them greatly.

In the past, he'd had no opportunity to own one. When the chance finally came, he naturally seized it tightly and placed an order for two ships. The Runzhou shipyard, facing a customer with Zhang Yinian's background, naturally had no reason to refuse. The cooperation went smoothly—after collecting the deposit, they arranged for construction.

Forty thousand strings of cash for two ships—that was more than the vast majority of people in the world could earn in three lifetimes, even if they never ate or drank. Of course, for Zhang Yinian, it was no small sum either, but he paid without hesitation, not even a flicker of the brow.

With a full load capacity exceeding forty thousand dan, Zhang Yinian had calculated it himself—factoring in all costs, running the South Seas route for two years would basically recoup the investment. Besides, owning such a treasure ship was in itself a symbol of status, standing, and wealth—it earned both face and substance.

As this was the Haifeng's first voyage to the South Seas, Zhang Yinian made the rare decision to accompany the ship in person. After coming ashore on the gangplank, he looked down from his elevated position at the scene within the river-mouth harbor.

In the bustling harbor, the arrival of the Haifeng had quieted things somewhat. The envy and reverence in the eyes of all sorts of people gave Zhang Yinian no small measure of enjoyment.

The loading and unloading was left to his subordinates. After the long voyage, Zhang Yinian was clearly somewhat weary. Liangping Island was the terminus of this trip, so he planned to go ashore and rest.

He also had residences and properties on the island. Liangping Island was considered the Guo family's territory, and within the navy, the Guo and Zhang families had considerable rivalry—but they fought without breaking, and on South Seas matters, they could still maintain a unified pace. Zhang Yinian, engaged in maritime trade, had many matters that required interaction with the Guo clan.

It wasn't just the merchants, sailors, and laborers who were drawn by the Haifeng—even the dock officials couldn't help but look sideways. The tax collectors, who usually loved to play hard to get and keep merchants waiting, also moved to the dock to join in the excitement.

On Liangping Island, no matter which merchant ship it was, the first thing after mooring was to report to the dock tax office, pay the management fee and commercial tax—no exceptions. Those who held the purse strings wielded great power, and the tax collectors naturally enjoyed high status.

However, they clearly recognized Zhang Yinian and had to show him some face. Greeting him with smiles, they said: "I was wondering who was making such a grand display—so it's the esteemed Master Zhang! With this treasure ship's arrival, the whole of Liangping County will be shaken three times over!"

"You flatter me!" Though he didn't think much of this petty tax collector, Zhang Yinian still replied with a smile: "Whether Liangping Island is shaken or not, I don't know. But treasure ships heading south will only grow more numerous from now on. If this waterway isn't dredged and the docks aren't expanded, I fear they won't be able to handle it!"

Hearing this, the tax collector said: "The master has hit the nail on the head. The county government is already planning to build new wharves at the southern harbor—by then, even the largest ships will be accommodated!"

"Oh?" Zhang Yinian's interest was immediately piqued. He remarked with admiration: "This Liangping County yamen certainly has foresight!"

"All the cargo on this ship was brought from home. As for tax matters, I've already instructed my men to cooperate fully!" Zhang Yinian said to the tax collector.

"Thank you, Master Zhang!" the tax collector said gratefully. Gazing at the visibly massive cargo holds and the scene of preparations for unloading, he couldn't help but remark enviously: "The draft is so deep—might I ask what cargo the master has brought this time?"

Zhang Yinian said casually: "Just some silk, ironware, ceramics, cotton cloth, and some artemisia powder."

Silk, porcelain, and the like were the Great Han's main export commodities—traded in huge volumes, but common and therefore unremarkable. The artemisia powder, however, was a different matter entirely. In the South Seas region, the most common disease was malaria, and those who caught it often faced mortal danger.

Artemisia powder was a new medicine developed domestically, with remarkable efficacy in relieving heat and stopping malarial attacks. Ever since it was developed, it had been hailed as a miracle drug capable of curing all ills.

Due to its limited production, it was a noble's medicine—in such short supply domestically that it couldn't even meet home demand, let alone overseas. On Liangping Island, it was absolutely worth its weight in gold. And Zhang Yinian had actually managed to obtain a batch of artemisia powder.

It was easy to imagine—he was going to rake in money hand over fist again.

"As expected of Master Zhang," the tax collector, who had some knowledge of such things, couldn't help but remark. At the same time, he secretly rejoiced—this shipment would yield no small amount of tax revenue.