Chương 659: Liu Ce's Journey to Jiangnan

Cheers and shouts of approval resounded through the sky, like a pot had exploded.

Firecrackers were lit all around at the same time, crackling and popping loudly, with smoke and water vapor floating in the air.

Dozens of fireworks shot into the sky, exploding into clouds of colorful smoke against the blue sky. The red, yellow, green, and purple hues reflected on the water and on everyone's smiling faces.

One of the apprentices got so excited that he threw his hat off and it fell into the river. He wasn't angry at all; he just laughed along with everyone and even tried to retrieve the hat from the riverbank.

Xu Yong stood on the shore, staring at the Qiming ship on the water. Tears streamed down his gray beard, but he didn't wipe them away. He just stared at it, as if he were looking at the child he had raised.

Song Yingxing walked to his side, patted him on the shoulder, and didn't say anything.

Xu Yong sniffed, his voice choked with emotion: "Lord Song... I've spent my whole life building ships... I never imagined that in my old age I could create such a marvel... My life has been worthwhile."

Song Yingxing remained silent, but patted his shoulder a little harder, and his own eyes reddened.

Liu Ce stood on the high platform, looking at the cheering crowd, the floating giant ship, and the colorful smoke filling the sky. A smile was on his lips, but a deeper light was hidden in his eyes.

He turned to Li Dequan and whispered:

"By imperial decree, the entire factory will have an extra meal tonight, with plenty of meat and wine. I will host the feast, and the money will come from the imperial treasury."

Li Dequan was taken aback: "Your Majesty... this budget..."

"You can afford to build a ship, but you can't afford to treat people to a meal?" Liu Ce said without turning his head.

"It's settled then. Slaughter a few more pigs and stew them in big chunks."

"yes!"

The wind blew from the river, carrying the smell of water vapor and coal smoke.

Liu Ce looked again at the Qiming on the water. The sunlight shone on the copper hull, warm and cozy.

The boat swayed gently with the current, like a giant beast just awakened, adapting to the waters.

"Awakening..."

He murmured the name to himself, smiled, and added, "Let's name the next one Dawn."

In the distance, the water of the Yangqu Canal shimmered, flowing eastward towards the great river and the sea.

..................

In the eleventh year of Shenwu, the Luoyang Wharf in late April was more bustling than a market day.

Early in the morning, the dock was packed with people... People stood on tiptoe to look at the end of the canal, and the yamen runners formed a human wall to maintain order. Song Yingxing and a group of people from the Ministry of Works squatted by the dock, their necks stretched out like big white geese, their eyes not blinking.

"It's here! It's smoking!"

Someone shouted, and everyone looked up at once... In the distance, at the end of the river, a wisp of gray smoke drifted slowly over, followed by a huge, dark creature that broke through the water and sputtered toward them.

The bronze hull gleamed in the sunlight, two smokestacks emitted wisps of smoke, and despite having no sails or oars, it moved more steadily than a fast horse.

It was the Qiming that had returned from its sea trial in Nanjing.

As soon as the ship docked, Song Yingxing was the first to rush up, taking three steps at a time to get to the deck. He circled the ship three times, touching the hull and knocking on the smokestack, as if he were looking at his own son.

Captain Zhao Ming jumped off the ship, his face beaming with excitement:

"Lord Song! The journey was incredibly smooth! From Luoyang to Jinling... three times faster than the fastest grain transport boat! People along the way followed to watch, and some even threw eggs and other offerings onto the boat, saying it was the 'Heavenly River God,' and no one could stop them!"

"No malfunction? The propeller and boiler are both fine?"

"No problem at all! The seal is very tight, and the coal consumption is even 20% lower than expected! We refueled several times along the way, all supplied by government-run coal stations, which is very convenient!"

Song Yingxing's heart finally settled, and he slapped his thigh: "Good! Quickly inspect it again, His Majesty is going to ride it to Jiangnan in early May! Check it carefully, there can't be the slightest mistake! Tighten even the screws again!"

When the news reached the palace, Liu Ce was gnawing on a braised pork knuckle, his mouth glistening with oil. Upon hearing it, he wiped his greasy hand and chuckled:

"Alright, those three years weren't wasted. Let's set off on the tenth of the month, travel along the canal, and see how life is going down there. I haven't been on a long trip in years; it's time to stretch my muscles."

..................

On the tenth day of the fifth lunar month, colorful flags fluttered in the sky at the South Wharf of Luoyang.

Xun Yu led his officials to see him off, and they stood in neat rows.

Liu Ce was dressed in ordinary clothes, not in his dragon robe, so that he could walk more easily.

Behind him followed a line of officials, each with a distinct style... Xun You carried a small notebook, taking notes as he walked, his face showing the seriousness of "I'm going to write down everything that happens along the way," his pen moving swiftly...

Jia Xu squinted, slowly waving his fan, his gaze sweeping over the crowd at the dock as if scanning data...

Shen Wansan carried a golden abacus in his arms, his robe pockets bulging with tax ledgers from various regions. He would fiddle with the abacus beads every few steps...

Zhuge Liang, waving his feather fan and dressed in white, looked as if he were leisurely strolling through the mountains and rivers, a smile playing on his lips...

Two burly men, Dian Wei and Xu Chu, each carrying two large food boxes and weapons on their backs, were accompanied by two mobile food silos and bodyguards. The food boxes were full of braised beef and roast chicken...

Cheng Yaojin was the most boisterous, with a wine jug tucked into his pocket and a fishing rod in his hand, muttering, "I heard the carp in the canal are plump; I'll catch a couple on the way to make soup for His Majesty!"

Lu Bing dressed in plain clothes, blending in inconspicuously among his entourage, but his eyes secretly scanned the surroundings... The Embroidered Uniform Guards had already been dispatched in advance, and he needed to have a thorough understanding of the local administration and the people's conditions along the way.

"Your Majesty, please take care on your journey! The Jiangnan region is humid; please take care of your health!"

Xun Yu bowed respectfully.

"Alright, alright, it's not like we're not coming back." Liu Ce waved his hand.

"I entrust the household to you, Xuanling, and Ruhui. If anything happens, send a message quickly."

After saying that, he turned around and jumped onto the gangplank, waving to everyone as he stepped onto the thumping deck:

"I'm off! I'll bring you some Jiangnan pastries when I return!"

The Qiming ship's whistle let out a long "whoosh," shaking the water and even making the willow branches on the shore tremble.

The boat slowly began to move, heading south along the canal. The figures on the bank gradually shrank, and the waving figures became increasingly blurry.

The novelty of the boat kept everyone very busy.

Cheng Yaojin was the first to rush to the side of the boat, set up his fishing rod, and start fishing, muttering to himself:

"I've lived half my life, I've ridden in carriages and on warships, but I've never ridden in a ship without sails. How rare!"

Dian Wei and Xu Chu peered over the boiler, shading their eyes with their hands as they stared in amazement at the glowing red coal inside.

"Just by burning this black lump, it can push such a big boat? That's more powerful than hundreds of people rowing?"

Shen Wansan gripped the ship's railing, calculating the speed as his fingers flew across the abacus:

"A speed of about 15 kilometers per hour... the freight cost is 70% lower than that of the grain transport boats... my goodness, if all grain transport is replaced by steamships in the future, how much money will the Ministry of Revenue save...?"

Liu Ce leaned against the railing at the stern of the boat, enjoying the river breeze, munching on a freshly washed peach, and gazing at the lush green wheat fields on both banks. He felt very comfortable, and peach juice dripped down his hand.

After traveling for two days, we passed Hulao Pass and entered the territory of Yuzhou.