readytorunbook Chapter 488 Mi Fang and Fu Shiren Go to Sea
Chapter 488 Mi Fang and Fu Shiren Go to Sea
Everything in the world has its meaning as long as it exists; even garbage can generate electricity.
The same goes for Mi Fang and Fu Shiren. Both of them were well-educated, highly experienced intellectuals who could create value if used in the right context.
More importantly, sending a fleet to the Western Ocean to Europe so that the people of the Han Dynasty could see the whole world in advance was something Guan Xing had planned for a long time but had not had time to do. Taking this opportunity to send Mi Fang to the Western Ocean would not only achieve his own goal but also repay Mi Fang's favor. Why not kill two birds with one stone?
"The Maritime Silk Road?"
Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned. They looked at Guan Xing with curiosity, wishing they could immediately crack open Guan Xing's head to see what was inside.
This kid launched a surprise attack on Jianye, promoted land reform, and now he's come up with this Maritime Silk Road thing. How come his thought process is so different from normal people?
You have to understand that the Han Dynasty's warships are currently only sailing on rivers and near seas, and have never conducted any long-distance sea expeditions. They haven't even discovered Yizhou yet. Guan Xing wants to send the fleet to the Qin Dynasty, which is thousands of miles away. Isn't that ridiculous? You really dare to dream big.
However, this matter seems quite promising, after all, they are also curious about what the Qin Dynasty, thousands of miles away, is like.
"The Maritime Silk Road?"
Liu Bei silently pondered the meaning of the words for a few moments, and after understanding their significance, his eyes instantly shone with an unprecedented brilliance.
Back then, Emperor Wu of Han ordered Zhang Qian to go to the Western Regions to establish the Silk Road, allowing the glory of the Han Dynasty to be directly transmitted to the West. If I were to open up a Silk Road at sea, wouldn't I be able to rival Emperor Wu of Han?
Emperor Wu of Han is a monument to the Han Dynasty, an insurmountable mountain for all emperors of the Han Dynasty, but also the ultimate goal that all emperors of the Han Dynasty strived for.
Although Liu Bei was not yet an emperor, he was practically a quasi-emperor, only one step away from the throne. If he had truly opened up the Maritime Silk Road during his lifetime, it would have been a brilliant chapter in history.
This can be done.
Since you're interested, you should ask questions. Liu Bei frowned and said, "Anguo's idea is very tempting, but although I've never lived by the sea, I know that the waves are very big and can easily capsize a ship. If we encounter a tsunami, we'll be helpless."
Guan Xing laughed and said, "That's just because the ship isn't big enough. Your Majesty doesn't know this, but the warships in Jiangdong are perfectly capable of supporting sea voyages. When I was in Jiangdong, I gathered shipwrights to improve the warships and increased their size by another four or five zhang. The new warships have already been launched."
"Moreover, ocean exploration is carried out step by step. In the early stages, it will definitely sail close to the coastline and it is impossible to enter the deep sea. Sailing close to the coastline means that we can go ashore at any time. If the situation is not right, we can just go ashore."
"And as I just said, things have to be done step by step. Exploring the unknown can't be accomplished overnight. We can't go all the way to the Qin Dynasty on our first voyage. Instead, we have to move forward little by little, like a baby learning to walk."
"To give a simple example, imagine a fleet setting sail from the mouth of the Yangtze River with Yazhou as its ultimate destination. However, given the unknown journey ahead, it's impossible to reach Yazhou in one trip. So what do we do? We can first sail to Kuaiji Bay, establish a port and supply point there, and then return to the mouth of the Yangtze River to rest and prepare. Once we're rested and ready, we can continue to Kuaiji Bay, resupply there, and then head to Zhang'an. After that, we can return to rest and prepare again before setting off once more, first to Yongning, then to Dongye, and finally to Yazhou. We take three steps forward, two steps back, and still manage to take one more step forward, right?"
"Exploring the ocean is a massive undertaking that may take two or three decades or even several generations to complete. But no matter how difficult it is, someone has to take the first step, right? Wasn't the Great Wall built brick by brick?"
"A pawn that has crossed the river never looks back. Every step it takes counts. As long as it keeps moving forward, no matter how slow it is, it will eventually reach the finish line. But if you don't take that step and just think about it, won't you always be stuck in the same place? Actions speak louder than words, my lord."
"Actions speak louder than words..." Liu Bei pondered silently, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that these words contained profound truth.
Guan Xing continued, “We can choose not to take action, but the problem is, can we guarantee that Qin will stay put and never explore? If Qin explores while we don’t, what will happen when Qin sends its warships to the coast of Han? We’ll be completely clueless and won’t even know where they came from. How passive would that be?”
Liu Bei's eyes widened suddenly, deeply moved. The Han Dynasty had its pride, and it would never allow the enemy to provoke it.
Emperor Wu of Han forged an incredibly strong backbone for the Han Dynasty, a backbone that filled everyone from the emperor to the common people with a sense of superiority and self-confidence. This gave the Han people an unprecedented sense of pride, which compelled the Han Dynasty to be the strongest in the world, and for other ethnic groups to submit to the Han people's iron hooves.
In this situation, if one day a fleet of alien races were to appear silently on the coast of the Han Dynasty, it would be a very serious embarrassment for the Han Dynasty.
Liu Bei, who idolized Emperor Wu of Han, would never allow such a thing to happen, and Cao Cao certainly wouldn't either.
Therefore, we must set sail to find out about the situation in Qin. Even if we cannot conquer Qin, we must keep Qin under our control. We cannot be completely ignorant about Qin.
Having made up his mind, Liu Bei said indignantly, "This matter can be handled, but there's no need to send the two of them. This is something that will be remembered for generations."
Mi Fang and Fu Shiren originally thought that going to sea was no different from being exiled, and they were thinking of going to sea first and then running back halfway, or going ashore after leaving the borders of the Han Dynasty and never coming back. Unexpectedly, Liu Bei did not want them to go to sea, which was awkward.
The two men were sweating profusely with anxiety but dared not utter a word. Instead, they both looked to Guan Xing for help, hoping that he would see through their fear and plead for them.
Guan Xing sighed helplessly without looking at the two men: "Those who charge ahead first are always the ones who die the fastest. Although exploration is an inch-by-inch advance, the unknown risks at sea are also great. I doubt many people are willing to go. If Your Majesty doesn't believe me, go ask Zhuge Ke, the owner of the first treasure ship, Yuanxun. He definitely won't go."
Exploring the ocean is not only dangerous, but also involves long periods at sea where one cannot go ashore, reunite with family, or even die at sea without their family knowing. Who would want to go under those circumstances? Guan Anguo, for one, would never go.
The same applies to other places. How many of the Western seafaring adventurers of later generations were born into nobility? Didn't they all turn to the sea to make a living because they couldn't make a living on land?
Which noble gentleman with a car, a house, and beautiful wives and concubines on land would actually go into the sea?
Guan Xing knew this was a tough job that no one wanted to do, so he thought of Mi Fang and Fu Shiren, because at the moment only the two of them dared not refuse.
Liu Bei, unconvinced, scanned the crowd around him and asked, "Are you all willing to take on this prestigious and unforgettable task?"
Everyone looked up at the sky or at their toes, all shifting their gaze elsewhere to avoid meeting Liu Bei's eyes. Even Zhang Bao and Jiang Wei turned their heads away, giving Liu Bei the back of their heads.
There are many ways to achieve lasting fame; there's no need to go to sea. If you die at sea, there won't even be anyone to collect your body.
Liu Bei was frustrated and helplessly turned to Mi Fang and Fu Shiren, asking, "What do you two say?"
Mi and Fu exchanged a glance and replied simultaneously, "Your subject is willing to go."
Would they dare say no? Going to sea would give them a few more days to live, but if they didn't go, they would be immediately taken out and beheaded. What would you choose?
Liu Bei said, "Then pack your things and set sail as soon as possible. I don't expect you two to reach Daqin. As long as you figure out the coastline of Funan and compile it into a book, I will pardon your crime of betrayal and reward you according to the book you bring back."