Mythical Three Kingdoms

With the help of Zhao Zun and others’ large ships, Zhou Yu finally didn’t need to focus his energy on stabilizing the fleet’s balance, and he also had time to properly observe the merchant ships.

Although Zhou Yu knew about pointed-bottom ships, the structure was something his shipwrights found difficult to grasp—partly because of the proportions, partly because of the center of gravity issues.

This was also the main reason why Zhou Yu’s side hadn’t yet built a proper seafaring ship. Originally, Zhou Yu had thought of fighting Gan Ning, and regardless of winning or losing, seizing a ship to dismantle and modify it would suffice.

Unfortunately, during the previous battle by the Huai River, Gan Ning did not show up, so the plan could not be implemented. However, having seen the real thing at such close range this time, Zhou Yu hurriedly had the shipwrights observe carefully in the hopes of achieving imitation.

Meanwhile, Hua Yan, Prefect of Donglai, had already received a message from Lub Su. Although there were many unrealistic, even clearly treasonous demands within, Hua Yan did not say much due to the several stamps on it. He immediately opened the warehouse to bring out reserved military supplies, preparing to sell them to Zhou Yu at a low price after he arrived.

Likewise, the Lul Family had also received a transaction from Liu Bei and the Sunx Ce faction. In this life, the feud between the Lul Family and Sunx Ce’s group was not deep. During the battle of Lujiang, Sunx Ce did succeed in taking Lujiang, but Lul Kang had no inclination to coexist with Lujiang and smoothly left with his whole family.

Because of this, the Lul Family had the opportunity to move to Donglai and quickly became one of the only two seafaring manufacturers in the Central Plains, a classic case of losing at one end but gaining at the other. Therefore, they did not harbor much resentment towards Sunx Ce and Zhou Yu, especially since none of the family’s direct lineage had died.

”How many of our third and fourth-generation ships do we have left?” Lul Jun asked the family steward. Originally, Lul Jun, who was almost at death’s door due to poor health, had completely recovered thanks to Hua Tuo’s treatment, and the old family head Lul Kang had directly stepped down for Lul Jun.

”There are still forty-four third-generation ships and twelve fourth-generation ships,” the steward quickly replied, ”Among them, twenty-seven third-generation ships have had their crossbow mechanisms removed for conversion into merchant ships, with seventeen still retaining their crossbow mechanisms, although their reinforced decks have been dismantled.”

”Reinstall reinforced decks on those seventeen ships, conduct test water trials for all independent sealed chambers, and solidify the entire ship to ensure they reach the sturdiness of fifth-generation ships. It is acceptable to moderately decrease speed and load capacity,” Lul Jun thought for a moment before issuing renovation orders to the steward.

The third-generation ships at Lul Jun’s side were already nearing civilian decommissioning. Their sixth-generation ships had already appeared, and the seventh generation had already been put on a test ship, just waiting for Gan Ning’s return for a test drive for rapid improvement.

The seventh-generation ship was twenty-five zhang long, ten zhang wide, with a three-and-a-half-deck structure, six masts, nine sails, accommodating three thousand people. However, this ship was no longer suitable for rivers and could only run on the sea, with an all-nurturing enhanced structure. But unlike other ships, this one was reinforced with steel!

One day, when Lul Jun was washing with a golden basin, he accidentally discovered that his golden basin floated on the water. This triggered a burst of inspiration, prompting him to have a bunch of basins made, in gold, silver, copper, and steel. Eventually, Lul Jun confirmed that metal could be used to build ships.

Immediately, Lul Jun wanted to make an invincible ship out of steel. However, upon calculating the cost, Lul Jun realized that even selling the Lul Family wouldn’t cover it. Yet this idea sparked many other ideas, such as reinforcing specific areas with steel—if there’s not enough steel, then stone will do!

In short, the seventh-generation ship was a product of Lul Jun’s experimental material enhancements, such that it couldn’t be called purely a wooden ship anymore. The deck was completely replaced with granite by Lul Jun, with an outer layer as well.

This was why a tower ship could carry three thousand people, while this super-large ship could carry only three thousand. Naturally, building like this and lowering the center of gravity meant less need for ballast, which was quite effective at maintaining weight stability.

However, being a product of whimsical thinking, Lul Jun was not very confident about the seventh-generation ship. Although all data indicated it was fine, unless it was sailed out, Lul Jun had no assurance. And if it sank...

Gan Ning’s previous test ships had sunk several times, once even sinking in the sea, chased by sharks, and had to swim desperately back. Therefore, shipbuilding always requires skilled experiments; only by sinking can you know where to improve.

Thus recently, Lul Jun was eagerly waiting for Gan Ning, but Gan Ning was currently in Malacca, blocking the remaining fleets of the Kushan. Of course, Gan Ning had no idea that Vasu Deva I’s position as king was already being questioned due to not being able to find the Shariputra for a long time.

Therefore, Vasu Deva I showed signs of mania, activating the national machinery to frantically build ships after failing to find the Spiritual Relic for two months.

Unlike the Central Plains, both the Kushan and Rome had stored large amounts of sea ships due to their reliance on maritime transportation, and they also had accumulated vast shipbuilding materials. If warships were urgently needed, nationwide shipyards could run at full capacity, launching ships at a rate of more than ten a month, equivalent to a fleet.

This is similar to how Central Plains feudal lords stockpile weapons; in times of need, they can mass-produce troops. The geographical dynamics on both sides dictate that their hoarded materials are completely different.

Of course, Vasu Deva I’s frenzy in shipbuilding was just one aspect; on the other hand, he had already dispatched nearly half of his two hundred thousand infantry and cavalry to attack eastward from land, rapidly annexing land on the Indian Subcontinent.

Along the way, countless foreign lands, small states, and tribes were crushed by Vasu Deva I’s large army, advancing eastward, and the Kushan’s dominion continually expanded, as if the loss of the Spiritual Relic didn’t diminish Kushan’s fortune but instead awakened and ignited it.

In this situation, Vasu Deva I, who had originally seemed complacent, was instead invigorated. The Spiritual Relic was already lost, which couldn’t be helped, but with the expansion of Kushan’s territory and strength, Vasu Deva I conceived another approach.

People are driven to their limits; the one supposedly sitting high on the throne suppressing the forces trying to divide the state found it exceptionally difficult to make Kushan halfway resemble a unified entity.

However, after the Spiritual Relic was lost, plagued by the Brahmins’ scorn and Kshatriyas’ court intrigue, an enraged Vasu Deva I sent a hundred thousand troops to crush everything in his path, indiscriminately massacring several separatist states.

Consequently, what was once turbulent and seemingly on the brink of collapse, the Kushan Empire, found stability with over a hundred warships hitting the sea and fifty thousand troops expanding the territory, while another fifty thousand bloodily subjugated several states, consolidating Vasu Deva I’s tyrant reputation, and surprisingly stabilizing the empire!