Water Margin: The opening scene involves assassinating Emperor Huizong of Song and forcibly taking L

However, Damo Wangxia looked very unwell. As the country's finance official, he had supported many merchants.

Srivijaya forced the purchase and sale of goods from various countries, and all the profits were to be shared with Dharmawangsha.

He lost a lot of money by letting them pass this time!

Damo Wangxia bowed and left the palace, feeling that the king was old and senile, and that the second prince was the wise and enterprising ruler.

The Ming Dynasty fleet was merely passing through, yet it would incite a coup in Srivijaya!

Zhanbei Outer Harbour.

Hu Quan followed the translator around, gathering information for several days. Back in his cabin, he began taking notes.

"Starting from Guangzhou, passing through Annam and Champa, with favorable winds, one can reach Srivijaya in ten days..."

"This country has two capitals, a new one called Zhanbei and an old one called Bahrain, both of which are 200 li (a straight-line distance) from the coast."

"Both capitals are connected by a major river that leads directly to the seaport, attracting merchants from all over the world, with ships coming and going on both the river and the sea in an endless stream..."

"Merchants surnamed Li (Ali), Pu (Abu), and Ma (Muhammad) are all believers in the Abbasid Caliphate."

"The ancestors of this generation mostly came from Arabia and have been living in Srivijaya for over a century..."

Those whose names include Futu, Ratna, Jha, Rama, Singa, etc., are mostly Buddhists and Brahmins.

"These types are mostly powerful nobles who hold fiefdoms, like the regional governors and feudal lords during the Zhou Dynasty..."

Hu Quan recorded everything he could find out, including information on politics, military affairs, customs, commodities, crops, and so on.

He took these to the Star-Gazing Chamber, where several sea goddesses, including Mazu, were enshrined.

Hu Quan asked, "Have you calculated the latitude and longitude?"

An astronomer named Li Nanheng said, "Outer port of Bahrain, 7.6 degrees west longitude, 2.1 degrees south latitude."

"Outer Harbour of Champa, 8.8 degrees west longitude, 1 degree south latitude."

"The temperature in both places is around 30 degrees Celsius in December, with little difference between day and night."

According to the merchants, there is no difference between winter and summer here.

Hu Quan quickly jotted it down in his notebook, and after finishing, he said, "Thank you."

The Prime Meridian now passes through Luoyang, therefore Jambi and Palembang are located at a certain degree west longitude.

Hu Quan lit a few incense sticks, solemnly worshipped the sea god, and left after chatting for a while.

Their mission to various countries was secondary; this time, they were here to scout the route and draw up a detailed nautical chart.

Not only are latitude and longitude coordinates marked, but the nautical charts are not in a doodle style; instead, countless precise maps are drawn!

Even the map of the Ming Dynasty, which is currently being produced, requires the use of latitude and longitude coordinates at intervals to assist in the mapping process.

"Sound the bugle, set sail!"

The Ming Dynasty ships slowly departed the port without being attacked.

Chief Medical Officer Yan Xiuqing approached Cheng Yu: "Governor Cheng, there are two local doctors who are willing to come with us."

"We also purchased a lot of local medicinal herbs to prevent and treat various diseases, but we don't know how effective they are yet."

"There are two types of mosquito repellent that can be used directly: one is a liquid that can be applied to the skin, and the other is a dry substance used for fumigation."

“You are responsible for disease prevention and control; I will not interfere,” Cheng Yu said.

Cheng Yu's public identity was that of the chief envoy, but his internal identity was that of the governor-general of the sea exploration.

The letter from the Ming Dynasty has been delivered at Zhanbei Outer Port, and the King of Srivijaya has replied with a letter of reply.

Official letters were exchanged by inland river boats, which could make a round trip in a day and a half.

When delivering the credentials, a cartographer accompanied them to draw a simple topographical map of the riverbanks.

They even drew a map of Srivijaya, but it wasn't very accurate; they only drew a rough sketch from a distance.

Srivijaya's diplomatic relations with China were very harmonious during the Tang and Song dynasties.

The reason is simple: they share common interests but have no conflicts or contradictions.

Srivijaya paid tribute to the Song Dynasty more often than Champa and Annam.

After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Srivijaya quickly sent envoys to request investiture and became a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty without any psychological burden.

Chapter 3629 Strait of Malacca

On the one hand, Srivijaya is extremely domineering and greedy.

If merchant ships from other countries did not enter their ports, they would be killed, robbed, and slaughtered.

On the other hand, Srivijaya merchants were very adept at handling affairs.

They not only bribed Chinese officials, but also deliberately befriended Chinese merchants.

Sometimes, when the Srivijaya fleet deviated from its course and missed its deadline, they would simply give some of their cargo to officials or wealthy merchants in Fujian and Guangdong.

The departure of the Ming Dynasty's official fleet has disrupted this long-standing harmony.

If this happens again in the future, Srivijaya will probably really resort to force, because it will damage their interests.

Core interests!

Srivijaya only levies commercial taxes on its citizens, and does not charge any population tax or agricultural tax.

To put it bluntly, the Ming Dynasty relied on monopolizing maritime trade to establish its nation. If the Ming Dynasty continued to do this, it would be strange if the rulers and ministers of Srivijaya did not turn against each other.

The Ming fleet successfully passed through the Strait of Malacca, while the coup in Srivijaya was still brewing.

The second prince and the treasurer had long wanted to rebel; the Ming fleet was merely the opportunity and excuse for their coup.

……

After leaving the Strait of Malacca, the Ming Dynasty fleet continued its voyage, distributing official credentials and recruiting followers along the way.

In some countries, the capital is too far from the coast, and the Ming fleet doesn't have that much time to linger.

So they sent the letter of credence to the coastal officials, who would retrieve it upon their return voyage.

From Bagan (Myanmar) to Chola (South India), there are four small countries along the way.

Upon their arrival in the Chola Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty delegation received a warm welcome.

This country has two kings. The old king abdicated two years ago and is now a retired emperor, bedridden with illness.

Under the old king's rule, the Chola dynasty lost its hegemony in South India and was severely defeated by the later Chalukya dynasty.

During the reign of the old king's father, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh gained independence one after another.

It is obvious that their national power is declining day by day, and a hundred years ago they even reached Java!

The new king, who had just ascended the throne two years earlier, was very young and was named Kurutongga Chola II.

Upon hearing that an official Chinese fleet had arrived, this fellow traveled for several days by horse and boat, and actually came to the harbor in person to meet with the Ming envoy.

Cheng Yu, holding a staff, bowed and said, "Cheng Yu, envoy of the Great Ming Dynasty, pays his respects to the King of Zhulian!"

Kuru Tongga dismounted and returned the greeting, saying, "I have heard from merchants in my country that a great Ming Dynasty has risen in the East and has become even more prosperous than before."

"The Ming emperor, like me, is a young and great king."

"He defeated the barbarians of the north, and I'm sure I can defeat the Zhelou people of the north too!"

South Indian merchants have been helping with the translation.

Cheng Yu said, "I wish Your Excellency a resounding victory. This is a letter from the Emperor of our Great Ming Dynasty."

Kuru Tongga 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 Central Region, and the Seljuk Sultan will be the emperor of the West.”

"The three of us kings together rule the whole world!"

The Indian merchant translated it truthfully, and such boastful words amused the members of the Ming Dynasty delegation present.

Seeing everyone laughing, Kuru Tongga also laughed heartily: "By the way, thank you for protecting our merchant ships from the exploitation of those damned Srivijaya people."

At this time, the Chola Dynasty was being brutally defeated by the Chalukya on land and suppressed by Sri Lanka at sea, losing its hegemony on both land and sea.

But South Indian businessmen are particularly good at boasting, claiming that their country is incredibly powerful.

This doesn't match the information provided by the Arab merchant, so Cheng Yu now wants to subtly confirm it.

Cheng Yu said, "I have heard that your country once conquered the capital of Srivijaya and killed the king of Srivijaya."

Kuru Tongga patted his chest proudly and said, "That is the achievement of my great ancestors."

“Sanfoqi is currently intercepting ships. When will your country go and teach them a lesson?” Cheng Yu asked.

Kuru Tongga looked somewhat embarrassed, but quickly covered it up with a smile, saying, "Before teaching Srivijaya a lesson, I must first punish the barbarians on the island!"

"You must also be careful, those barbarians are pirates."

“Merchant ships that do not enter their ports will be plundered by barbarians who have stolen our shipbuilding and naval warfare technology.”

The "savages" this guy is talking about are the islanders of Sri Lanka.

It is currently called Silanchi, 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 northeastern part of the island is rapidly rising in power and is able to command other lords and influence the government.

That lord made his fortune through maritime trade, often impersonating a pirate to plunder everywhere, and even occasionally going to Bangladesh and Myanmar to rob.

Cheng Yu led his fleet to replenish supplies and trade at the port of Zhuluo, and even presented a bolt of velvet as a state gift.

Kurutonga was very fond of velvet and reciprocated by gifting it a large amount of gold.

They also agreed that once the Ming fleet returned, he would send an envoy to accompany them on a visit to the Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 3630 Spring is Coming?

Then, each of the main members of the Ming Dynasty delegation was given a female slave.

Unfortunately, there were no white women; the female slaves were all low-caste South Indian natives with darker skin.

Although she is not beautiful, she is very obedient.

When they met their master, they would always lie prostrate on the ground, which made Cheng Yu feel quite embarrassed.

Several days later, the Ming Dynasty fleet went to Sri Lanka to present its credentials and measure the latitude, longitude, and temperature of the port.

At this moment, the Indian merchant ships had stopped following, leaving only about twenty Chinese and Seljuk merchant ships.

"It's not hot in Xilanchi Kingdom, is it because it's springtime?" Yu Yunwen muttered.

Hu Quan said, "We can inquire further."

Looking at the numerous pagodas and temples scattered along the shore, Yu Yunwen couldn't help but sigh, "India doesn't believe in Buddhism, but Ceylon does. If Tang Sanzang knew this, he would probably be utterly disappointed."

Hu Quan observed carefully through his binoculars for a moment, then shook his head and said, "There are too many Buddhist temples. This small harbor has twenty or thirty Buddhist temples inside and outside the harbor."

"This country is a paradise for monks, but a hell for ordinary people. This country will never prosper."

"That's for the best," Yu Yunwen said with a smile.

"Dong-dong-dong-dong!"

"boom!"

Suddenly, the Ming Dynasty patrol ships at sea began to beat their drums loudly and even fired a warning shot from a great distance.

The British envoy immediately shouted, "Raise the flag! All ships, form a battle line!"

On the northern sea, two or three hundred ships sailed in with the wind, and there were even some super small rowboats with a capacity of one hundred liters.

That was the fleet of Lord Rojarodo of Ceylon and his allied princes.

This guy is about to reunify Sri Lanka and carry out a series of reforms, gradually building up a powerful navy that could eventually control the Strait of Malacca and the Indian Ocean!

"All civil officials, get into the cabins! Do not remain on deck!"

"The army cavalry and infantry will remain at the port to protect the officials and merchants."

"Merchant ships capable of fighting should follow the warships and pay attention to flag signals."