Chapter 634: Malka City

"I do not want your head, I only want twenty-four warships launched." Zhao Xu smiled helplessly, then took a thick stack of blueprints from Xu Lie's hand and handed them to Chen Shou.

The cold sea breeze blew up a page of the blueprints, revealing the structural diagram of a warship.

Chen Shou caught a glimpse of it and immediately became excited, hurriedly flipping through it page by page.

Gazing at the ships, each one completely different from a Sailing Warship, his mouth hung wide open, almost unable to close.

Then he said, "Your Highness, you truly think just like this subject. For some time, I have been pondering how to apply the Steam Engine to warships, and I have even drawn some blueprints, but compared to Your Highness's blueprints, they are unpresentable."

Now it was Zhao Xu's turn to be surprised; he took a deep look at Chen Shou.

To improve the shipbuilding efficiency of the Shipbuilding Department, not long after the Steam Engine was developed, he had Xu Ke send a few units to the Shipbuilding Department to manufacture steam-powered saws for cutting wood.

He had not expected that upon seeing these Steam Engines, Chen Shou would be inspired and have the idea of building a Steamship.

"Hahaha..." Zhao Xu laughed; this once again proved the intelligence and wisdom of ancient craftsmen.

As long as they have the correct guidance, they will burst forth with extraordinary power.

"Not bad, not bad, but for now, follow these blueprints." Zhao Xu nodded.

If it were not for the current dire situation, he would certainly have let Chen Shou continue his own research.

But reality did not allow him to be willful; he could only have Chen Shou build the new type of warship according to the blueprints.

Chen Shou nodded; with ready-made blueprints, he naturally would not waste time continuing his own sloppy designs.

In his view, if he were to successfully design a Steamship, it would likely take another three to five years.

"Yes, Your Highness." Chen Shou's eyes remained fixed on the blueprints, his head not even lifting.

Zhao Xu was already used to it; like Wang Ying and his son, this Chen Shou was also a technology fanatic.

After a while, Chen Shou gradually came back to his senses, feeling a burst of excitement.

Seeming to confirm, he asked, "Your Highness, after this batch of warships is launched, will it be possible to build this kind of Steamship?"

Zhao Xu gave Chen Shou an affirmative look.

Chen Shou was instantly overcome with wild joy.

Leting County.

While Zhao Xu was inspecting the Shipbuilding Department in Jinghai, Dong An was at the Leting County Pier.

After handing the Yan Wang's orders to Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi dispatched two warships and three Merchant Ships to head south together.

These three Merchant Ships temporarily played the role of supply ships.

The area of activity for their Black Shark Sea Bandits had always been limited to the waters near Yanzhou, only recently expanding to the waters of Qizhou.

The Yan Wang restricted their range of movement, besides avoiding unnecessary disputes.

There was another factor: from Yanzhou southward, they had no supply points, and the coast was filled with clans hostile to Yanzhou.

Because there were at least five hundred crew members on each warship,

the daily consumption was enormous.

If they wanted to go further, they had to carry more and more supplies.

But the carrying capacity of a warship was limited; they could not carry an infinite amount of food and fresh water.

Therefore, unless they robbed along the way, they could only carry three Merchant Ships to travel together.

"This mission is truly an adventure." As the warship was about to depart, Zhou Yi said to Dong An, feeling a sense of trepidation in his heart.

If he did not understand the Yan Wang, he would have truly thought the Yan Wang was intentionally setting Dong An up.

In the past, he and Liu Fu actually felt full of disdain for the descendants of the Rich Clans like the Dong Family, Yang Family, and Lv Family who had defected to the Yan Wang.

However, as they spent time with Lv Chang and Yang He, their attitude toward the three families gradually changed.

Because they truly fulfilled their promises and shed the traces of being Rich Clans.

Now, Dong An was even risking his life to head to Yizhou, and he secretly admired Dong An even more in his heart.

After all, in his view, this was simply a nine-deaths-and-one-life situation.

Not to mention the dangers that might be encountered at sea, even if Dong An met Westerners like the Portuguese or the people of Stedan, it was impossible to determine how they would treat Dong An.

It was not impossible that they might capture and kill Dong An on the spot.

"Wealth and honor are sought in danger; I, Dong An, love nothing more than pulling chestnuts from the fire." Dong An smiled nonchalantly.

Zhou Yi smiled, then shook his head, only saying two words: "Take care."

Dong An nodded, "When I return, I will treat you to the finest Wine and the most beautiful girls."

Having said that, he climbed up the warship via the rope ladder, leaving behind a dumbfounded Zhou Yi.

Before long, the sails were hoisted, and the two warships led the three Merchant Ships slowly heading south.

After ten days of sailing, using the Telescope, the fleet avoided quite a few ships and appeared in the waters near the city of Malka.

At this time, Dong An ordered the Yan Wang Flag to be raised.

After all, this was a formal diplomatic mission.

Their appearance immediately aroused the vigilance of the Portuguese.

Because two of the four Portuguese warships were executing a mission to escort merchant ships, and one was patrolling the eastern waters.

At the moment, there was only one Portuguese warship docked at the Malka city harbor.

As soon as the warship flying the Yan Wang Flag appeared, they immediately reported it to Governor Fei Wen.

"They come at the right time; we were just about to make them bleed, and they have delivered themselves to our door. Governor Fei Wen, let me lead the warship to sink them."

Steven and Fei Wen arrived at the harbor, and after observing for a while through the Telescope, Shi Diwen requested.

Fei Wen frowned; he knew Steven was very bellicose, but this time, in the face of the Yan Wang, he seemed to be acting overly aggressive.

Regarding this incident of the merchant ship being attacked, he actually had lingering doubts in his heart, but because the human and material evidence were both present, he could only take actions consistent with the current situation.

But now, the flags flying on these two warships were not the flags of the Black Shark Sea Bandits, but the Yan Wang Flag.

This indicates that these two warships no longer represent the Black Shark Sea Bandits, but Yan Wang.

Although the Black Shark Sea Bandits are indeed the fleet under Yan Wang's command.

But openly flying the Yan Wang Flag carries a different meaning; it shows they have come in an official capacity.

"I, for one, would like to know their purpose in coming here." Fei Wen ignored Steven and instead dispatched a small boat toward Yan Wang's warships.

Seeing this, Shi Diwen's face suddenly flushed red, but since Fei Wen was the Governor and his direct superior, he could not easily lash out.

Before long, the small boat returned, bringing news from the Yanzhou warships.

"Governor, a person on the ship claims to be a Court of Diplomatic Relations Envoy from Yanzhou, sent by the order of Yan Wang to explain the merchant ship attack to the Governor," the Folangji soldier said.

Shi Diwen's heart skipped a beat, and a fierce look flashed in his eyes as he gazed at the Yanzhou warships.

Fei Wen revealed a thoughtful expression.

Nodding, he had the Folangji soldier return to the Yanzhou warships to order one of the warships to retreat three li.

He would board the Folangji warship to meet and negotiate with the remaining Yanzhou vessel.

The reason he was not receiving Yan Wang's envoy in the city of Malka was, firstly, to display the might of the Folangji warships.

Secondly, it was out of concern that Shi Diwen might take reckless action against Yan Wang's envoy.

Most importantly, Yan Wang's envoy had traveled thousands of li to Yizhou to explain the merchant ship attack.

If this matter was not done by Yan Wang, then it is worth suspecting that someone is framing Yan Wang to stir up conflict between Folangji and Yan Wang.

Among this, whoever benefits most is the most likely culprit.

Without a doubt, Dongying benefits the most, and Dongying has also been acting unusually proactive.

Besides that, if it wasn't the Black Shark Sea Bandits, what about that crew member who luckily survived?

Thinking of this, his heart suddenly sank, and his thoughts flew in all directions.

At this moment, he would rather it had been the Black Shark Sea Bandits who did it.