Moma Liangshan

Chapter 165 Side Story: Shipbuilding Wood, Marine Corps

Faced with Wang Hao's generous response, Lin Wei showed no surprise, instead saying, "Some things cannot be solved simply with money!" Wang Hao, taken aback, asked, "I would like to hear more!" Lin Wei explained, "The reason Fujian ships are so expensive is that the larger the ship, the larger the timber required, and the Song Dynasty lacks such towering trees!" Wang Hao understood, saying, "Does Master Lin mean that even if I had enough silver, I wouldn't have anywhere to buy such giant timber?" Lin Wei sighed, saying, "There's a saying in the shipbuilding industry: 'A thousand-year-old pine sun-dried, a ten-thousand-year-old camphor soaked in water.' The best timber for shipbuilding is camphor, but Fujian..." "There's very little camphor wood left suitable for building large ships within the Great Song Dynasty. If Young Master Wang isn't in a hurry, a new batch of camphor trees will grow in about ten years." Wang Hao laughed loudly and said, "I can't wait ten years. Since there's none within the Great Song, let's look outside the Great Song!" Lin Wei also laughed loudly and said, "Outside the Great Song, there are not only a large number of camphor trees, but also a kind of 'teawood,' which is also very suitable for building large ships. It's just that those overseas barbarians are unwilling to sell that wood to the Great Song!" Camphor wood is mainly produced in Jiangnan, Southwest China, and Taiwan. It is heavy and hard, fragrant, insect-resistant, and water-resistant, and can be used for building materials, shipbuilding, furniture, and carving. Teawood, also known as 'teawood,' is produced in Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Borneo, Java, and Taiwan. It is a precious wood, known as the "King of Woods," and in later generations, it was called a national treasure of Myanmar.

A cold glint suddenly flashed in Wang Hao's eyes as he said, "Maritime trade is a matter of vital importance to the Song Dynasty and cannot be ignored. I am paid by the emperor and should naturally share his burdens! Please tell me, Patriarch Lin, where can we find timber to build Fujian ships?" Maritime trade was also the lifeblood of the Lin family. Lin Wei tried his best to conceal his inner joy and said, "Ryukyu is a small country with a small population, separated from Fujian only by a narrow strait. It has abundant camphor wood and teak wood as well!" The Ryukyu of the Northern Song Dynasty included a series of islands, including Taiwan. As a person from later generations, Ryukyu had always been something Wang Hao dreamed of. However, conquering territory should only be done if there is profit to be made. At this moment, Wang Hao did not hesitate for a moment and said, "If I were to send troops to Ryukyu, would the Lin family be willing to lend me a hand?" Before Lin Wei could reply, Lin Yi answered first, "Yes!" Lin Wei coughed deliberately and said, "Young master, are you joking? Sending troops to war requires the approval of the Three Departments and Six Ministries!" Wang Hao shook his head and said, "Ryukyu is nothing more than a few hundred elite soldiers. The mobilization of such a small force does not require approval from the Ministry of War!" During the Northern Song Dynasty, Lingnan was still a desolate land, let alone Taiwan, which was far overseas. Although Ryukyu had a king, in the Song Dynasty, he was no match for a county magistrate. Wang Hao's mention of "a few hundred elite soldiers" was not meant to be arrogant. Lin Yi, however, could not suppress his excitement and said, "Young master, could you allow me to accompany the army on the expedition?"

Wang Hao shook his head and said, "Although the Jiaozhou Army is a local garrison, I have always strictly disciplined my troops. No unauthorized personnel are allowed to infiltrate the army!" Lin Yi seemed determined to succeed and asked, "How can you allow me to join the army?" Wang Hao, also helpless, looked at Lin Wei and slowly said, "To join the army, you must become a soldier." Lin Yi immediately stood up, rolled up his sleeves, revealing his well-developed arms, and asked, "Am I qualified to join the Jiaozhou Army?" Wang Hao smiled and said, "The minimum service period in the Jiaozhou Army is two years. You'd better think it over!" Lin Yi didn't budge. Shaking his head, Lin Yi said, "I've seen your soldiers too, not one of them has tattoos on their faces. My greatest dream in life has always been to roam the world with a sword. Now that I've abandoned my sword for a knife, what's wrong with that?" Wang Hao became serious and said, "A soldier's duty is to obey orders. Once you join the Jiaozhou Army, you must obey its regulations!" Lin Yi gritted his teeth and said, "Young Master Wang is a man of great renown. I'm sure the Jiaozhou military regulations won't disappoint!" Wang Hao looked at Yang Zhi and said, "I'll give Young Master Lin a copy of the Jiaozhou military regulations later. Whether we can share life and death in the future depends on fate!"

Lin Yi seemed to be at odds with Wang Hao, saying, "I've made up my mind, I'll join the Jiaozhou Army immediately!" Lin Wei simply watched Lin Yi quietly, his eyes flashing with countless complex emotions, but he remained silent throughout. After a moment of thought, Wang Hao said, "The Lin family is a maritime family. Does Young Master Lin intend to join the Jiaozhou Navy?" Lin Yi shook his head, saying, "Compared to the vast ocean, I prefer the connection between land and sea. Unfortunately, there are only navies and armies in this world, no army that fights by boat!" Lin Wei retorted, "Navies fight by boat, and armies fight by infantry or cavalry. How can anyone fight by boat?" Wang Hao, however, was even more excited than Lin Yi, saying, "I am currently considering forming a marine corps, specializing in coastal warfare. If Young Master Lin is interested, we can give it a try!" Lin Yi suddenly laughed, saying, "Young Master Wang is truly my..." "A kindred spirit!" Wang Hao laughed heartily, saying, "I plan to form a hundred-man marine corps, with Young Master Lin temporarily serving as its head!" Lin Yi was overjoyed, but after a moment, he regained his composure and asked, "How many men are currently in this marine corps?" Wang Hao smiled wryly and said, "Only you!" A hint of speechlessness flashed in Lin Yi's eyes, but he asked, "When will you recruit?" Wang Hao replied, "Recruit immediately after returning to Jiaozhou!" However, Lin Yi objected, saying, "Although Jiaozhou is on the coast, its terrain and customs are more like those of the Central Plains; I'm afraid it will be difficult to meet the recruitment requirements."

Wang Hao thought it over and agreed, asking, "Where do you think we should recruit soldiers from?" Lin Yi replied, "Fujian and Guangdong!" Wang Hao quickly made a decision, saying, "You will handle this matter entirely. Once the soldiers are recruited, return to Jiaozhou immediately for training!" Lin Yi said, "Young Master should know that recruiting soldiers requires money and provisions!" Wang Hao's lips curled slightly, and he asked, "How much money and provisions do you need?" Lin Yi replied, "Those from Fujian and Guangdong who join the army in Jiaozhou are leaving their homes, so I need at least twenty strings of cash for settling down!" Wang Hao thought this made sense and said, "I'll give you two thousand five hundred strings of cash!" Lin Yi continued, "The land routes to Fujian and Guangdong are difficult, so I need seagoing vessels!" Wang Hao said, "The Pulao warship is the newest seagoing vessel in Jiaozhou; you can use it for now!" Lin Yi was very pleased with himself and said, "Thank you for your strong support, Young Master!" Seeing that everything was settled, Lin Wei said, "As long as Young Master can conquer Ryukyu, the Lin family is ninety percent confident that we can build a ten-thousand-stone giant ship!" Ten thousand stones is just over a thousand tons, which was already a behemoth in the era of wooden sailing ships. Wang Hao picked up his wine glass and said, "To the prosperity of the Song Dynasty, and to the well-being of the people, cheers!"