Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

Jeddah Port.

This important port on the Arabian Peninsula, located on the Red Sea coast, has undergone tremendous changes compared to just a few years ago, changes that are unbelievable even to local Arab businessmen.

A slightly salty sea breeze blew by, which in the past would have been followed by a cloud of yellow sand blowing across the coast.

however.

Today, the coastal land of Jeddah Port is lush and green.

Vast stretches of grassland allow for the sight of herders grazing outside the port, a truly remarkable sight in a place like Arabia, which is extremely arid and lacks vegetation.

Regarding this matter, Gulaish Sufyan, the governor appointed by the Tang Dynasty and holding the title of baron of the Tang Empire, insisted that it was a blessing from the Eastern Divine Kingdom of Tang.

Because this place has become part of the Tang Dynasty, it will also become a paradise on earth.

The Islamic leadership was naturally furious at this despicable act of defecating and urinating on the head of Allah, but they secretly dispatched people to search the entire area around Jeddah for several days.

However, they were unable to uncover the secret behind the sudden transformation of the desolate Jeddah port into a lush, green area. The verdant vegetation was expanding outwards at a rate visible to the naked eye every day.

It's as if they've created a small grassland around Jeddah.

When the heresy spoken of by their own faith performs miracles in front of them, the very gods they worship seem like fraudsters, showing no reaction whatsoever in the face of these miracles.

This situation has caused a rift in the faith of many casual Muslims.

As more and more slave ships appeared in Jeddah, the port became increasingly active. By traveling on these ships to Africa across the Red Sea, people could capture enslaved Africans and earn huge sums of money, making the atmosphere of seeking wealth in Jeddah even more intense.

Many former Muslims have chosen to abandon their faith and join the Jeddah camp.

Solando was a typical Arab. His family was said to have produced generals in the past, and they almost won a noble title. But then, for some reason, or perhaps it was all a lie made up by his parents to deceive him.

Now, he is a penniless man who can't even afford to eat his fill.

Before joining Islam, he was able to earn a living by helping out with odd jobs.

However, the situation in Islam is becoming increasingly difficult. Many people are envious of the increasingly extravagant lifestyles of the old nobles and merchants in Jeddah, but they dare not rob them because of the 10,000 Pish army stationed by the Tang Dynasty.

"There are still seventeen spots left, seventeen spots! Those who want to come, hurry up, we're about to leave!"

"Okay, sixteen, fifteen, fourteen... ten more spots..."

Under the sunlight, the captain, who belonged to a Jewish merchant family, was speaking loudly by the harbor. As soon as he finished speaking, several burly figures ran up to him.

These men were armed with ropes, as well as some ordinary swords and longbows.

These were all free slave hunters, or, in the words of the yellow-skinned Eastern gentlemen at the port, cheap mercenaries.

Solando dared not waste any time. He used all the money he had saved over the years to buy a somewhat damaged scimitar, and he also carried a simple bow and arrow that he had made himself.

Seeing that the captain was about to call out all the spots, he quickly raised his hand and shouted, running towards the other person.

"Me! Please take me with you! I want to go too!"

The captain glanced at him and said, "Do you even know the rules? You look like a newbie."

The captain's eyes were devoid of any warmth.

"We won't charge you a single copper coin for the boat ride, but if you want to come back, you'll need to pay us 30% of the slaves you captured. Of course, if you only captured one or two, we'll still take at least one!"

This ship was not a dedicated slave-trapping vessel, but a medium-sized seagoing vessel purchased from the Kingdom of Zhelouqi to transport supplies and materials.

As for Solando and his companions, it was a tacit agreement between the captain and the Jewish family head to provide the captain with some kind of extra income.

Solando nodded quickly.

The captain curled his lip: "When you get to the hold, you better not let me see you touching anything, otherwise, if I catch you and send you to the governor's mansion, you will become a slave!"

The ship set sail and left the port, accompanied by several other ships of varying sizes.

The sails of these ships are painted with different family crests, representing the families to which they belong.

Among these ships, the largest one, at least twice the size of the medium-sized ship that Solando and his crew were on, sailed past not far from their ships. The captain couldn't help but utter a curse full of envy in Arabic.

"Damn it, how did these Easterners manage to build such a huge ship... Turn left! I don't want to end up as fish food in the sea!"

On the deck of that enormous boat belonging to Aunt Yu, you could even see fruit trees planted.

The height of the ship's gunwale was even higher than the mast of the ship that Solando and his crew were on.

It's practically a maritime behemoth.

Above the sail, a family crest with a touch of calligraphic art and surrounded by what appears to be tiger stripes, the character "侯" (Hou), stands out among the other ship crests.

This is a ship that truly belongs to the Tang Dynasty Chamber of Commerce.

The biggest backer of this chamber of commerce was Duke Hou Junji of Lu State, and even the captain himself was a member of a collateral branch of the Hou family.

“Young Master, according to the message, the Kunlun Slave tribe has a lot of unprocessed gems. There must be a gem mine around their tribe. If we can take over that mine, we can consider our mission for this year completed ahead of schedule.”

Upon hearing this, Hou Gao nodded slightly. His young face, which was somewhat tanned from being at sea for some time, showed no joy, but rather a serious expression.

"It won't be easy. Let our people be prepared. Those barbarians won't dare to act recklessly here in Jeddah, but once we get to Kunlun Prefecture, the situation will be a different story..."

After he finished speaking, a flash of icy killing intent appeared in his eyes.

To be entrusted with such a great responsibility as a member of a collateral branch of the family, the young man named Hou Gao not only had military experience, but was also a high-achieving student who had studied at the Imperial University.

I went to the Arabian Peninsula because of my personal pursuits and the needs of my family.

The Hou family was the first family among the Tang Dynasty's meritorious families to join this maritime exploration, apart from the merchant families of Lingnan. However, this year, noble families from Chang'an, such as the Duke of Lu's family and the Duke of E's family, will also join this competition.

"The wind is right. Pass on my order: full sails!"