Compared with the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea and East China Sea, the sea surface of the North China Ocean (North Pacific Ocean) is a completely different scene.

The sea water is as blue as a piece of shining silk, rolling and surging layer by layer, and it is the silk that is spread out and undulating with the wind. If the weather is good, under the sun, the blue light will be shining in the eyes. There is nothing on the sea except this boundless blue. Looking around, it seems that the sight can be exhausted to the infinite distance, and there is still an endless sea.

It is now May of the fifteenth year of Hongwu, and there are only two expedition ships left along the vast East Ocean, one is the Ping'an and the other is the Yong'an.

After the fleet left Japan and sailed eastward for 15 days and 40 days, the other two expedition ships returned according to the plan according to the estimated speed. The speed of the expedition fleet sailed eastward is about 250 to 300 miles a day. It can take about 4,000 miles in 15 days and can travel more than 10,000 miles in 40 days!

This is four thousand miles and ten thousand miles!

The fleet was heading east along the water flow on the sea, and after walking so far, he saw nothing. Not to mention England and Frank, it was obvious that it was not right if he didn't even see a broken island without stool! Of course, he had to send a boat back to report the news and make an emergency.

Although the expedition fleet had already prepared enough rice wine, freshwater and food when it left the Port of Suruga, Japan. The four 3,000-stone ships were filled with rice wine and freshwater. Among them, rice wine and freshwater were enough to support for 100 days! But the expedition fleet could not cover its head and go east for 100 days. If the land was not discovered after 100 days, wouldn’t the four expedition ships have lost in vain?

So Zhao Lun and the naval staff below formulated two "mail delivery plans". The first plan was to send an expedition ship back after 15 days of traveling eastward. The second plan was to send an expedition ship back after 40 days of traveling eastward.

Considering the wind direction and water flow, it is impossible for the two expedition ships that continued to sail eastward after 40 days to return without obtaining freshwater supplies. Although the first expedition ship would distribute more than half of the freshwater, rice wine and grain on the ship to the remaining three ships, so that the remaining three ships would get 15 more days of freshwater and rice wine.

But after the expedition fleet traveled west for 40 days, they only had 75 days of fresh water left. If they didn’t return to the river, they would have to leave it to fate!

So when Fu'an turned around and returned, most of the people on the Ping'an and Yong'an cried!

This is a farewell! If the Peaceful and Yong'an sail east for a few more days, the fresh water and rice wine on the ship would probably not be able to provide everyone with their return.

If there are no islands or continents ahead, then everyone will have to die at sea.

Although they all knew that "exploration" was risky when they joined the expedition team, in order to seek heavy rewards and promotion, everyone was fascinated and left the risk behind the back of their heads.

But I never expected the risk to come so quickly!

But everyone was trapped in two shaking boats, and it was impossible to be a deserter! This is in the center of the East Ocean! Can you still swim back?

As for the whole ship's rebellion, King Lingwu had already detained the family of the big guy. If they dared to rebel, they would all be exiled to the barren land of the Western Regions desert!

And if they themselves get caught after the rebellion, they will be killed!

For the sake of family and for their own chances, these explorers had to turn red and harden their teeth and continue to go east!

Wei Sheng, a lookout who has settled in Suzhou, Huaibei, is open-minded, and wealth is in danger!

Unfortunately, he missed the troubled times. Now the world is generally peaceful. He, a child of a farmer in the Southern Dynasty (his family fled to Huainan after the Xuanhe crisis, and later returned to his hometown to farm). Even though he had martial arts, it was extremely difficult to join the army as a military force. Because of the existence of "the law of serving the father in military affairs", most of the quotas of utility were occupied by the soldiers of the government. The remaining quotas were also closely related to the civilians of the camp and the fields of the Jiedu line. Where did Wei Sheng, who was born in the transfer road, get the turn of Wei Sheng?

In other words, the navy recruits people without regard for their origins (how are the decent army children willing to be the navy?), which can give a Huaidong man like Wei Sheng a way to accumulate military merits.

However, the navy is not easy to get involved. First, the size of the Navy in the Song Dynasty was limited, so there were naturally fewer official hats; second, the Song Dynasty had a naval school, and most of the professional officers were from professional backgrounds; third, the naval soldiers were all mercenaries and had no chance to become government soldiers. If they could not be promoted to an officer, they should be discharged after serving for 15 years. This would be a waste of hard work!

Wei Sheng had been a navy force for several years and was still standing still and had no chance of rising. He was about to waste his time and was dismissed, but he was involved in a "exploration" military merit. As long as he participated, it would be a top achievement. If he could discover "Europe", he would add another big achievement.

If one is more merit, one can become an official, and it can also be a corporal ordinance. The navy is more difficult than the army, but if one is a corporal ordinance, one will definitely be awarded an official.

If the distance between Japan and "Europe" exceeds a 40-day voyage, then the military achievements of "Europe" can be doubled! If the voyage exceeds 60 days, then the military achievements of "Europe" are worth three great achievements, which can be even upgraded to three levels! This official is a great official. Even if he doesn't live in the army in the future, he can still find a place to seek wealth. That's how glorious he is!

How could Wei Sheng, who was determined to seek wealth through military merit, missed such a good thing? If he missed this opportunity, he would probably waste his life.

He didn't care whether the freshwater and rice wine on the ship could support the return flight. Now the Peaceful World has been away from Japan for 63 days. As long as he can discover "Europe", he will send it.

As long as you arrive in "Europe", you are still afraid that there will be no wine to return? There are many silks and silks on the boat!

So when we climbed into the observation basket today along the main mast, Wei Sheng's spirit was better than yesterday. He had no intention of despair at all. Instead, he opened his eyes wider and rounder. He held the telescope and swept around the sea in front of him over and over again. But after scanning for most of the day, there were only sea water on the sea surface. In the sky, there were only some unknown sea birds.

No, there are seabirds!

If there are seabirds, there is land!

Wei Sheng blinked heavily and looked closely. It was indeed a seabird!

He quickly put away his telescope, then took out an iron hammer and hit a bronze bell hanging in the observation basket.

"Dangdangdangdang"

A long-lost harsh bell suddenly rang on the Peaceful Round, and then the same bell rang on the Yong'an again. The lookouts on the Yong'an also saw the birds in the sky.

Sheng Xin, the commander of the expedition fleet, was napping in his cabin. He had an extra night shift last night, so he was a little tired. Because the water flow and wind speed significantly slowed down the night before yesterday, he measured the height of the North Star ten times last night with a star-pulling board. Each result showed that the Peace and Yong'an were still sailing eastward. It should not deviate from the course, but the problem is that it has been 63 days. The Peace and Yong'an have been driving eastward for more than 10,000 miles. Why haven't Europe been discovered yet?

Is this earth not a ball or a bowl? But even if the earth is flat, it should come to an end, right?

I don’t know what the end of the earth looks like? Will there be a dam that blocks the sea water? Will there be gods?

Just as I was thinking about it, a bell and cheers from the crew came to my ears!

Did you discover Europe?

Sheng Xin immediately wanted to wake up, and then he thought of the European continent!

He suddenly jumped up from his bed, and before he could put on his clothes, he rushed out barefootly.

When he arrived on the deck, he heard a group of sailors shouting, "Birds, so many birds!"

It turned out that I discovered a bird! It should be a European bird! I don’t know if it is fat or not? How to roast it to taste delicious?

Thinking of this, why did Sheng Xin run to the rear deck of the Ping'an? Seeing Yang Yao, the deputy (first mate) of the Ping'an ship, holding a telescope, looking at birds, he went up to ask him for a telescope, "Splash Yang Wu, lend me the Qianli Mile Mile Mile."

When Yang Yao heard Sheng Xin's voice, he hurriedly handed the telescope on it, and grinned and said, "Terminal, there must be land near the birds in the sky, we must live!"

Sheng Xin held up the telescope and looked at the birds while smiling: "It's more than just living? This is a great achievement!"

Yang Yao smiled and said, "This continent is too far away from our Song Dynasty. This has been sailing on the sea for 63 days. In addition, the distance to Japan is almost 20,000 miles, right?"

Sheng Xin said, pointing the telescope ahead, trying hard to find traces of land from the vast sea.

Although he was full of words just now, he didn't have any thoughts in his heart. There was a bird in the sky, which did not mean that there was a continent ahead. What if it was an island?

Sheng Xin searched for the whole day and at dusk, he did not find any trace of the mainland, but he found several groups of birds, which meant that there was at least a large island nearby!

There is a big island, which is better than nothing, right? Everyone can at least survive.

Just when Sheng Xin was a little disappointed, another harsh bell sound came from the lookout basket.

"Dangdangdang"

Then the lookouts shouted with surprise: "Land on land, see land! A large area of ​​land!"

Finally discovered the land! It was still a large area that was probably the European continent that could not be found after searching for it!

Sheng Xinda breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes were sore, and tears almost came down.

Wei Sheng in the observation basket was almost crying!

This is his second layup today. The last time he found a seabird, and this time he discovered a huge seakou again. Maybe the Strait, it should be the English Channel?
Chapter completed!