Chapter 453: Sea Ship Speed Race

Chen Dynasty, Hai Prefecture, Royal Shipyard.

The enormous shipyard was built along a natural bay, its scale far surpassing that of an ordinary harbor.

The air was filled with the distinctive smell of tung oil, wood, and seawater mixed together.

The clinking of hammering, the sawing, and the work chants rose and fell, blending into a labor symphony full of strength and hope.

Zhao Lao Nian shed his civil official robes from his time in Bianjing, changed into a set of short clothes convenient for movement, put on a safety helmet woven from willow branches, and stood beneath a massive keel frame.

This keel used tough ironwood as its main beam; its structure was not a traditional single giant timber, but adopted multiple sections joined by mortise and tenon, reinforced with iron components.

Even just this framework already revealed a majesty and sturdiness far surpassing that of contemporary seagoing vessels.

"Here! Adjust the curvature here by one more point!"

Zhao Lao Nian pointed to a joint in the middle section of the keel and shouted to the nearby foreman of the craftsmen; his voice echoed in the spacious shipyard.

"We must have seamless joints! A hair's difference leads to a thousand-li error! In the future it must withstand great winds and waves!"

"Sir, rest assured! We subordinates know the importance!"

The foreman quickly responded, calling over a few apprentices to readjust the support frame, using tools to finely grind and calibrate.

Zhao Lao Nian then quickly walked to the other side, where watertight bulkheads divided by bulkhead plates were being installed.

This is the tangible object he produced by leading the Ministry of Works' artisans in repeated trials, based on Chen Wen's vague mention of the "watertight bulkhead" concept.

"The gaps between bulkhead and hull must be filled with tung oil and lime! Pack it tight!"

He tapped the already installed bulkhead with his hand, producing a dull sound.

"Every seam concerns the lives of everyone on board! Whoever dares to skimp, I'll stuff him into the gap and fill it!"

The craftsmen shrank their necks under his glare, and worked even more carefully.

"Old Nian, isn't this new ship of yours a bit too big?"

Shi Dun, accompanying the inspection, looked at the huge thing's prototype and couldn't help clicking his tongue.

"If this is built, it'll probably be more than twice the size of our current 'Breaking Wave,' right?"

Zhao Lao Nian gave a hehe smile, his dark face full of pride.

"Marshal Shi, this is a treasure ship of the Sea-Suppressing class personally pointed out by the sovereign, painstakingly developed by our Ministry of Works!"

"It has to be big! Only then can it carry more cargo, withstand farther winds and waves, and install more 'good stuff' on board!"

He narrowed his eyes, referring to the new-type crossbow cannons and defensive equipment currently under development and slated for installation on the ship.

"Once this giant hits the water, False Song merchant ships and Khitan skiffs will be like mere sampans before it!"

Shi Dun imagined that scene and couldn't help but grin.

"Good! When the time comes, I'll personally take the navy's brats out for drills—let's see who still dares to show their teeth at us on the sea!"

The two were speaking when a Ministry of Works clerk hurried over and handed over a document.

"Lord Zhao, General Shi, just received news from the False Song side."

Zhao Lao Nian took it, glanced, raised his eyebrows, and passed it to Shi Dun.

"Take a look, they're not idle either."

The document contained information brought back by merchant ships from the South Wind Chronicle.

On the False Song side, officials also memorialized, proposing to strengthen the Maritime Trade Bureau's construction, encourage maritime trade, and mentioned the need to "build large ships, reach distant barbarians, to increase state resources."

Although the False Song court's main focus remains on the "Heavenly Scripture" matter, no decision has yet been made on this proposal, but its tendency is clearly visible.

Shi Dun snorted:

"Looks like everyone has set their sights on this sea route."

Zhao Lao Nian, however, showed high fighting spirit:

"Great that they're eyeing it! Perfect for a showdown!"

"Their ships, I've heard, are still the old style—emphasizing tall, luxurious decks, looking impressive but actually having unstable balance and poor resistance to wind and waves!"

"Our 'Sea-Suppressing class' has a low center of gravity, a streamlined hull, watertight bulkheads, plus our improved hard sails and the hoped-for new stellar navigation technique..."

He patted the thick keel beside him.

"It's not me boasting; truly out on the vast ocean, one of our ships could match three of theirs!"

False Song, Mingzhou (present-day Ningbo), Maritime Trade Bureau office.

Inside the rear hall, several officials sat in a circle discussing.

The Director of the Maritime Trade Bureau seated in the chief position stroked his beard, his face showing difficulty:

"The Imperial Court has gotten wind of wanting to encourage maritime trade, ordering us to build large ships and reach distant barbarians."

"But... where will the funds for shipbuilding come from? The treasury now likely has to prioritize supplying the rites of welcoming the Heavenly Scripture."

A vice-judge seated below spoke up:

"What you say is quite right. Moreover, the ships built at our Mingzhou shipyard, though splendid, are mostly suited for river transport or near-sea sailing; if we wish to venture far into the open ocean, I fear we lack the capability."

"I've heard that the Chen... I've heard that the ship beyond the eastern light curtain has an unusual structure, seeming more adept at fighting wind and waves."

Another official lowered his voice:

"I, your subordinate, have heard that private maritime merchants discuss how Chen Dynasty merchant ships have sturdy structures, large cargo capacity, and reap great profits in trade with Goryeo and Japan."

"If this continues, all maritime profits will likely be snatched away by them!"

The hall fell silent for a moment.

They all felt that intangible pressure.

Behind that mysterious light curtain, a competition over the sea has already unfolded silently.

Although they have the Imperial Court's encouraging intent in hand, they are hindered by finances, technology, and the shift of the court's focus.

Meanwhile, the opponent seems to have steady steps, moving faster and farther.

Chen Dynasty, a separate villa.

Chen Wen listened to Zhang Cheng's report on the progress of shipbuilding for both sides.

"The False Song has shown movement, but its internal constraints are many; in the short term it cannot make major moves."

Zhang Cheng summed up.

"Our dynasty's Zhenhai-class treasure ship is progressing smoothly; the Ministry of Works estimates that the first ship can be launched for trial sailing at the turn of spring and summer next year."

Chen Wen nodded, walked to the window, and looked toward the southeast, as if he could hear the noisy clamor of labor from the Haizhou Shipyard and feel the anxiety of the officials of the Mingzhou Maritime Trade Bureau.

"The maritime frontier of ten thousand li is where hope for the future lies, and it is also a lordless borderland."

He said slowly.

"The Iron Crow Army can replicate land, can monitor people's hearts."

"But can they completely control this vast, boundless, ever-changing sea?"

"Can they precisely predict every current, every storm?"

He turned around, his eyes flashing with determined light.

"In this ship race, we have already seized the initiative."

"Tell Zhao Lao Nian, not to seek speed, but to seek the utmost stability, solidity, and excellence."

"What we want to build is not a temporary merchant ship, but a future moving bulwark capable of cleaving waves and surging across the four seas!"

"On this intangible course, we must and will surely stay ahead to the end!"

The invisible starting gun has long echoed between the two nations gazing at each other across the light curtains.

The ship race concerns interests, and even more so the future.