Hu Quan followed the translator around and made inquiries for several days. He returned to the cabin and started taking notes:
"Sail from Guangzhou, pass through Annan, and occupy the city. With a favorable wind, you can reach the country of Srivijaya in ten months..."
"This country has two capitals, the old and new. The new capital is called Zhanbei, and the old capital is called Balinbang. They are both two hundred miles away from the coast (a hundred miles in a straight line). The two capitals have a big river that leads directly to the seaport. Merchants from all over the world gathered in the two places, and ships on the river and sea
There is no end to the comings and goings..."
"The merchants surnamed Li (Ali), Pu (Abbu), and Ma (Mohammed) all believe in the Dashi religion. Most of our ancestors came from Dashi and have settled in Srivijaya for more than a hundred years..."
"Those named after Pagoda, Radha, Jhazhe, Rama, Xinge, etc. are mostly Buddhists and Brahmans. Most of these people have powerful nobles and fiefdoms, such as the Fangbo princes in the Zhou Dynasty...
Hu Quan recorded everything he could find out, including politics, military affairs, customs, commodities, crops, etc.
He took these to the Qianxing Room, where several sea gods, including Mazu, were enshrined.
Hu Quan asked: "Can the longitude and latitude be calculated?"
An astronomical official named Li Nanheng said: "The outer port of Bahrain is 6 degrees west longitude and 1 degree south latitude. The outer port of Jambi is 8 degrees west longitude and 1 degree south latitude. The temperature in December in both places is about 30 degrees.
There is not much difference in temperature between day and night. According to merchants, there is no difference between winter and summer here."
Hu Quan took a notebook and jotted it down quickly. After writing, he said, "Thank you very much."
Today's prime meridian passes through Luoyang, so Jambi and Palembang belong to a certain degree of west longitude.
Hu Quan lit a few sticks of incense, worshiped the God of Poseidon in an upright manner, and left after a small talk.
As an envoy, their mission to other countries was still secondary. This time, they came to explore the route along the way, and they also had to draw a detailed navigation chart.
Not only do you need to mark the longitude and latitude, but the nautical charts are not in graffiti mode, but you need to draw countless accurate maps!
Including the map of the Ming Dynasty that is being produced, longitude and latitude must also be used at intervals to assist in map operations.
"Blow the trumpet and set sail!"
The Ming ships slowly left the port and were not attacked.
Chief Medical Officer Yan Xiuqing approached Cheng Yu: "Governor Cheng, there are two local doctors who are willing to follow us. We have also purchased many local medicinal materials to prevent and treat various diseases, but we don't know how effective they are at the moment. There are two types of preventive medicines.
Mosquito repellents can be used directly, either as juice rubbed on the skin or as hay used in smoke.”
"You are responsible for disease prevention and treatment, I will not interfere," Cheng Yu said.
Cheng Yu's external identity is an envoy, but internally he is the governor of the sea exploration.
The credentials of the Ming Dynasty were submitted at Jambei Outer Port, and King Srivijaya sent a letter of credence in return. The letters of credence were transported by inland river boats, and it took only one and a half days to go back and forth.
When delivering the credentials, a draftsman was also accompanied to draw a simple topographic map of both sides of the river.
I even drew a map of Srivijaya City, but it was not very accurate and I could only draw a rough outline from a distance.
The diplomatic relations between Srivijaya and China were very harmonious during the Tang and Song dynasties.
The reason is very simple. They share common interests but have no conflicts.
The number of tributes paid by the Three Buddhas to Qi during the Song Dynasty was second only to Champa and Annam.
After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Srivijaya quickly sent an envoy to ask for the title, and became a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty without any psychological burden.
On the one hand, Srivijaya is very overbearing and greedy. If merchant ships from various countries do not enter its port, they will kill people and steal all their goods.
On the other hand, Srivijaya merchants are very good at causing trouble. They not only bribed Chinese officials, but even deliberately made friends with Chinese merchants. Sometimes the Srivijaya fleet deviated and missed the schedule, so they simply gave part of the goods to the governments of Fujian and Guangdong
Or a wealthy businessman.
The Ming Dynasty's official fleet went to sea this time, breaking this long-standing harmony.
If this happens again in the future, Srivijaya may really use force because it harms their interests.
Core interests!
Srivijaya only levies commercial tax, population tax and agricultural tax on the domestic people.
To put it bluntly, it relied on monopolizing maritime trade to build a country. If the Ming Dynasty continued to do this, it would be strange if the monarchs and ministers of the Three Buddhas Qi did not fall out.
The Ming fleet successfully passed through the Strait of Malacca, but the coup in Sriwijaya was still brewing.
The second prince and the financial officer had long wanted to rebel, and the Ming fleet was just an opportunity and excuse for their coup.
…
Leaving the Strait of Malacca, the Ming Dynasty fleet continued sailing, issuing credentials and collecting younger brothers along the way.
In some countries, the capital is too far from the coast, and the Ming fleet does not have much time to delay. So the letters of credence are sent to coastal officials, and they are collected when they return home.
From Bagan (Myanmar) to Chola (South India), there are four small countries along the way.
When arriving at the Chola Dynasty, the Ming envoys were warmly received.
There are two kings coexisting in this country. The old king announced his abdication two years ago, and he became the king while he was sick.
Under the governance of the old king, the Chola dynasty lost its hegemony in South India and was beaten by the Chalukya dynasty. During the rule of the old king's father, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh became independent one after another.
It is obvious that the country's power is declining day by day, and they even reached Java a hundred years ago!
The new king, who had just succeeded to the throne for two years, was very young and was called Kurudonga Chola II.
Hearing that a Chinese official fleet was arriving, this guy rode horses and boats for several days and actually came to the harbor to meet with the envoys.
Cheng Yu held the staff and bowed: "Cheng Yu, envoy of the Ming Dynasty, pays homage to the king who lives in the chariot!"
Julu Tongjia jumped off his horse and responded politely and said: "I heard from the merchants in the country that a Ming Dynasty has arisen in the east, and it has become richer than before. The Ming Emperor is a young and great king like me. He
Having defeated the barbarians in the north, I will definitely be able to defeat the Chalukyas in the north!"
South Indian merchants have been helping with translations.
Cheng Yu said: "I wish you great success. This is my credential from the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty."
Kurutunga said: "I will reply to him. When you return, I will send an envoy to the Ming Dynasty. From now on, he will be the emperor of the east, I will be the emperor of the center, and Sultan Seljuk will be the emperor of the west."
.We three kings, together, rule the whole world!”
The Indian businessman translated it truthfully, and such powerful words made the members of the Ming Dynasty envoy present laugh.
Julu Tongjia saw that everyone was laughing, so he also laughed: "By the way, thank you very much for protecting our merchant ships from being exploited by those damn Sanfoqi people."
At this time, the Chola Dynasty was severely beaten on land by the Choluqi and suppressed by the Silanchi (Sri Lanka) on the sea. It had lost its hegemony on land and sea one after another.
But South Indian businessmen are particularly good at bragging, claiming that their country is extremely powerful.
This is inconsistent with the information provided by the Arab businessmen, and Cheng Yu now wants to confirm it by making some insinuations.
Cheng Yu said: "I heard that your country once attacked the capital of Srivijaya and killed the king of Srivijaya."
Julu Tongjia patted his chest and said proudly: "That is the achievement of my great ancestors."
"Srivijaya is intercepting ships now. When will your country teach them a lesson?" Cheng Yu asked.
Kuluthunga's expression was a little awkward, and he quickly covered it up with a smile: "Before teaching Srivijaya a lesson, I must first punish the barbarians on the island! You must also be careful, those barbarians are pirates. Don't enter their ports.
The merchant ships will be looted by barbarians, and they will steal our country’s shipbuilding and naval warfare technology.”
The barbarians this guy talks about are Sri Lankan islanders.
It is currently called Xilanchi Kingdom, which can also be translated as Ceylon.
They have been independent from the Chola Dynasty for 65 years, but are currently in a semi-divided state. A lord in the northeast of the island is rising rapidly and can command the princes to influence the government.
That lord made his fortune from maritime trade, often playing pirates and plundering everywhere, and even occasionally went to Bangladesh and Burma to rob.
Cheng Yu led his fleet to supply trade at the Zhuluo port, and even presented a bolt of velvet as a national gift.
Kurutonga liked velvet very much and gave a large amount of gold in return. At the same time, he agreed that when the Ming Dynasty fleet returned, he would send an envoy to visit the Ming Dynasty.
Then, each of the main members of the Ming Dynasty's envoy was given a female slave.
It's a pity that there are no white women. The female slaves are all low-caste South Indian natives with darker skin.
Although he is not pretty, he is very obedient.
When he met his master, he always lay prone on the ground, which made Cheng Yu feel embarrassed.
A few days later, the Ming Dynasty fleet went to Sri Lanka to submit its credentials and measure the longitude, latitude and temperature of the seaport.
At this moment, Indian merchant ships were no longer following us, and there were only more than twenty Chinese and Seljuk merchant ships left.
"It's not hot in Xilanchi Country either. Is it because of the spring?" Yu Yunwen murmured.
Hu Quan said: "You can ask more."
Yu Yunwen looked at the pagodas and temples dotted on the shore and couldn't help but sigh: "India does not believe in Buddhism, but Ceylon does. If Tang Sanzang knew it, he would be extremely disappointed."
Hu Quan observed carefully with a telescope for a moment, shook his head and said: "There are too many Buddhist temples. In this small harbor, there are twenty or thirty Buddhist temples inside and outside the harbor. This country is a paradise for monks, but it may be a hell for the people.
, this country will never be able to prosper."
"This is best." Yu Yunwen smiled.
"Dong dong dong dong dong!"
"boom!"
The Ming Dynasty patrol speedboat at sea suddenly started beating drums loudly, and even fired a warning shot from all the way away.
Yingxuan quickly shouted: "Wave the flag, all ships form a battle line!"
On the northern sea, two to three hundred ships came riding the wind, and there were even one hundred ultra-small paddle boats.
That was the fleet of Lord Rajarata of Ceylon and his princely allies.
This guy is about to reunify Sri Lanka, carry out a series of reforms, gradually build a powerful navy, and eventually even control the Strait of Malacca and the Indian Ocean!
"Civilian officials, please all enter the cabin and do not stay on the deck!"
"The army, horse and infantry will stay at the port to protect officials and merchants."
"Merchant ships capable of fighting should follow the warships and pay attention to flag orders."
"..."
Just when the naval battle was about to break out, seven to eight thousand Sri Lankan army troops were coming from the direction of its capital, Polonglanuwa.
These guys are so courageous, even the obviously powerful Ming fleet dares to rob them!
