Seiwa

People who have been on the battlefield always have a higher intuition for danger than ordinary people.

Looking at the dense forest not far away, Ding Qianhu felt even more uneasy, and his restlessness could hardly be suppressed.Frowning tightly, he no longer hesitated, and immediately ordered everyone to return to the boat.

He trusted his intuition about danger, and even if it turned out to be superstitious, he would not take his fellow shipmates to take risks.

"Order, return to the ship!"

The interpreters, clerks, frontier soldiers, sailors on board, including several businessmen accompanying them, were all carefully selected and able to handle affairs.If there is an accident due to his own carelessness, not only will he fail Xing Ningbo's trust, but he will also be blamed for death.

The soldier who was accustomed to orders was the first to agree, and quickly surrounded him, "There are orders for thousands of households, return to the ship!"

The interpreters and merchants who disembarked were also called back one after another, counted the number of people, confirmed that there were no omissions, and quickly boarded the ship from the shore.

This move attracted the attention of other people, and soon Zheng He and Wang Jinghong also heard the news and frowned together.

"what happened?"

Zheng He stepped out of the cabin, raised his clairvoyance, and looked towards the island.

Sure enough, a team of about 50 people was approaching the boat docked on the shore.The rest of the people were mostly at a loss, some followed Ding Qianhu's team back to the boat, and some stood where they were, seemingly hesitating.There are also those who have landed earlier and are already a certain distance away from the fleet. Most of them are accompanying merchants.

After watching for a while, Zheng He frowned even tighter, and he couldn't help feeling ominous in his heart.

In terms of intuition for danger, Zheng He is even better than Ding Qianhu.

The docking place of the fleet should be a seaport on the island, and there are obvious traces of artificial construction and excavation.There were two fishing boats nearby, but it was puzzling that no islander was seen.

While thinking about it, a flock of seabirds suddenly appeared above the dense forest, circling and circling, Zheng He's cheeks tightened, his pupils suddenly constricted, and he immediately said: "Order, all those who landed will return to the boat!"

"Follow the order!"

A guard climbed to a high place, waved the colorful flag in his hand vigorously, and sent a signal to the surrounding ships.

With the waving of colorful flags, Zheng He's order quickly spread among the fleet.

Wang Jinghong has never personally experienced the battlefield, but he has been with Zheng He for so long and has a good understanding of Zheng He's excellence. Even if he is puzzled, he will not speak out at this time.

There was a mist on the shore, and the colorful flags were no longer bright. Zheng He ordered the treasure ships to beat their drums and sound their horns to signal a call.

When the people on the shore heard the sound of drums and horns, they immediately realized that the situation had changed, and they quickly left the shore.

The fleet's actions were swift, but the world was unpredictable, and Ding Qianhu and Zheng He's premonition came true.

The mist dispersed, and a group of short, dark-skinned islanders with bows, arrows and spears rushed out of the woods not far away.

With a ferocious face and a strange whistle, it was clear that he came with bad intentions.

An interpreter on the shore shouted loudly, trying to explain to the islanders that the fleet was not an invasion by force, but a good trade agreement.What answered him was a bow and arrow shot from a distance.

The arrow pierced his shoulder and chest, and the interpreter let out a miserable cry and fell to the ground.

The Ming army who hadn't boarded the ship immediately turned around, drew their knives out of their sheaths, pulled out their bows and arrows, and took out their small bows and crossbows to fight back at the group of people who appeared suddenly.

Braving arrows, two Ming soldiers pulled back the interpreter who had fallen to the ground, and checked the injuries, but there was no way to recover.

The warships docked on the shore immediately set up their artillery, and the giant bows equipped on the merchant ships were also pulled away.

The order to attack was issued on the treasure ship, and huge wooden and iron arrows flew from the sea with the sound of the wind, piercing through the flesh and blood of the barbarians, and pierced fiercely into the sand.

The leading barbarian whistled, and more barbarians rushed out of the woods. The Ming army on the shore could clearly see that some barbarians were holding bloody heads in their hands.His waist was wrapped in blood-stained cloth, and in his hand was a Ming army-style waist knife.

The first members of the fleet to enter the forest must have died in the hands of these people.

The Ming army who stayed on the shore were all fierce, and no longer blindly defended, raised their waist knives, and rushed towards the barbarians who had killed their comrades without fear of death.

"kill!"

The huge arrows on the ship continued to fly out, clusters of dark red blood mist exploded in the air, and broken limbs were scattered on the ground. The intertwined wails and shouts of murder tore apart the sea breeze and frightened the seabirds. , painted a hellish picture with blood.

More and more barbarians appeared from all directions. The injured Ming army found that the weapons used by these barbarians were coated with poison. The stinging feeling began to spread from the wound, and the consciousness quickly became unclear. The enemy in front of him was pierced by several spears.

Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. With a loud roar, the Ming army swung a knife and cut off a barbarian's neck. The blood splashed on his face, blurring his face. Only the evil spirit in his eyes remained until he died.

The heads of the dead Ming soldiers were chopped off, and their belts and looped jackets were robbed.

Before the barbarians had time to cheer, huge iron balls suddenly fell from the sky, smashing the barbarian who was carrying the Ming soldier's head into a pulp.

The warship finally fired.

Amidst the roar, the smell of death and gunpowder filled the entire harbor.

The war drums sounded again, the merchant ships and horse boats retreated, the warships docked, and the red-eyed Ming army killed them.

When encountering unknown dangers, you can temporarily avoid them.

Facing the enemy who killed your comrades, you must not take half a step back!

Blood for blood, life for life!

Zheng He knew what the consequences would be if the Ming army on board landed and attacked the islanders.However, even though he has the mission of forming a good relationship with foreign countries in the West, the situation in front of him does not allow him to hesitate at all.

Daming's majesty cannot be challenged, these barbarians must die!

The drums of war sounded, and the sound of horns resounded through the sky.

The sound of cannons was rumbling, and the Ming army in scarlet jackets disembarked from the warships, formed a battle formation, and erected long shields. The spears and waist knives in their hands hit the shields, making a neat dull sound.

One after another, this is the signal to attack.

"kill!"

The long black shield is branded with a ferocious animal head.

The red looped jacket seemed to be dyed with blood.

Those who harm my comrades, kill!

Those who kill my countrymen, kill!

Anyone who violates the prestige of Ming Dynasty shall be killed!

The sound of the artillery on the warship stopped, but the footsteps of the Ming army forming the battle formation did not stop.

The fog on the shore gradually dissipated, and the treasure ship approached, with a huge hull, huge sails, and a bow like a ferocious monster, splitting the sea.

The battle formation of the Ming army approached, and arrows flew out from behind the shield like a rain of arrows.

The screams followed one after another, and the barbarians finally became timid, shouting and retreating, trying to retreat into the dense forest.

Those who provoke the power of the Ming army, how can they be forgiven lightly!

Those who seek death by themselves should go to the Palace of Hell to report!

The battle formation of the Ming army suddenly accelerated, rolling towards the panicked barbarians.

Accompanied by the sharp light of the knife, there is the dull sound of the blade cutting through the flesh and cutting the bone.

The comparison of strength is undoubtedly revealed at this moment.

The barbarians retreated into the forest, and the Ming army changed formation and followed closely behind.Seeing the murdered and hung corpses of their comrades in the forest, the soldiers' eyes were red and they let out tiger roars, further escalating the killing.

No one showed the slightest sympathy.

Even civil officials who believe in the way of saints, at this moment, have a look of evil spirits.

Compassion is for people, not for animals!

Harm my compatriots, what can I say lightly, I will kill them without mercy!

The battle ended quickly, and within half an hour, the shouts of killing stopped, and in the forest on the bank, only the wailing of the dying barbarians remained.

None of the bodies of the killed fleet members were complete.

The doctors in the fleet temporarily acted as assistants, without any complaints, only the corners of their mouths tightened and their veins bulging.

The soldiers picked up their axes, and the sound of logging rang out on the island.

170 dead, 170 wooden coffins.

There were no yin and yang students in the fleet, and the two civil servants who accompanied them made sacrificial rites.

The Ming army with blood on their faces set up a bonfire and piled up firewood, and thick smoke rose quickly.

The fleet has a mission, and the voyage is still far away, so it cannot take the dead with it.

Watching the coffins being reduced to ashes in the fire, the two civil servants who burned the sacrificial ceremonies untied their buns and shouted hoarsely: "Soul, return home!"

With the sound of weeping blood, accompanied by the sea breeze and the clouds, he returned to his hometown with the heroic souls of the sons and daughters.

The fire on the shore lasted for a long time, no more barbarians invaded, and the fleet did not set sail. Zheng He called together the civil and military officials accompanying him to discuss what to do next.

In this sudden attack, hundreds of people were killed or injured in the fleet. The incident cannot be easily revealed. No matter what, there must be an explanation.

Some officers said that since the knife has been used, it is better to continue killing.It is not a bad idea to greet these barbarians with the same method as dealing with Tartars and Japanese pirates.

Others have objections, but also respond, so as not to quarrel, but it is difficult to unify opinions.

Zheng He didn't make a decision right away, he pondered for a long time, and said: "We are ordered by the emperor to visit all Western countries to convey the meaning of the emperor. This matter was caused by the islanders, and we should be killed by us. Recreating the killing and spreading it will inevitably arouse fear in other countries."

"According to Eunuch Zheng, could it be that it's all for now?"

"No." Zheng He shook his head and said, "This place is called Java, and there are several countries on the island. What our family thinks, we can send another person to the island to find out the real situation, and we can make further calculations after we understand what happened during the day. "

"Grandpa, don't blame the officials for talking too much," said Lin Ziyi, a thousand households of the Jinwu Guard who was ordered to guard the treasure ship, "If the people who landed on the shore encounter today's incident again, what should they do?"

"No problem." Zheng He sneered, "Pile up the corpses of the barbarians in one place, don't bury them, and don't need to clean up the bloodstains. No matter how brutal a person is, he should know the weight of the benefits."

Lin Qianhu didn't say any more, Ding Qianhu supported his injured left arm, recalling Meng Qinghe's account of visiting the Chinese on the island, he had an idea, and said: "I have heard that there are many survivors from the Song and Yuan Dynasties on the western islands. .”

As soon as this remark came out, Zheng He and Wang Jinghong's hearts moved at the same time, and they looked at each other, and they could guess the unfinished meaning of Ding Qianhu's words without needing to say more.

People from the Central Plains are naturally more credible than islanders.

Regardless of the investigation situation, it is a credit to be able to find the survivors of the previous dynasty.

Besides... Zheng He narrowed his eyes slightly, the emperor clearly ordered the fleet to search overseas unowned lands, since there are people from the Central Plains here, there may be great things to do.

Although I shoulder a friendly mission and don't want to cause misunderstandings by other foreign countries, I must find out the main messenger for today's matter and discuss it.

What Zheng He thinks, other people are not very clear.

But under the influence of a butterfly's wings, history has quietly changed since then.

Originally, "peace is the most important thing, friendship is the first", and Zheng He's fleet, which practiced "money diplomacy", has changed its purpose to "have friendship and benefit more, and money diplomacy remains the same, and what is sent out must be doubled and earned back." ".

Regardless of the reason and purpose of the islanders on Java Island, it is an indisputable fact that they attacked Zheng He's fleet and killed the crew of the fleet.

Those who are in charge on the island must take responsibility, make amends, pay money, and compensate the land.

As for the islanders who were taken care of by the Ming army, everyone in the fleet said that this was justifiable self-defense.

The number of islanders who died in the hands of the Ming army was several times that of the fleet?Rolling his eyelids, who made the barbarians on this island so overwhelmed, daring, and looking for death on their own.

When it comes to this point, Zheng and Wang Jinghong don't need to come forward, or even the civil officials in the fleet speak, a few civil officials can refute the other party to be speechless.

This is the difference between a civilized man and a savage.

It is very necessary to further develop the cultural and educational undertakings of Ming Dynasty.

After confirming the next step, Zheng He announced the adjournment of the meeting.

The treasure ship put down the small boat, and the civil and military returned to their respective ships.

Ding Qianhu did not leave in a hurry, but reported to Zheng He that Meng Qinghe ordered him to find medicine.

Before leaving, Meng Qinghe told Ding Qianhu that there was no need to hide what he should do.

"Appropriately borrowing the power of others is a must. This is a matter of benefiting the country and the people, and there is nothing to tell others." Meng Qinghe was able to make friends with Jin Yiwei, and he showed his open-minded image.Based on his understanding of Zheng He, after hearing about this matter, Eunuch Zheng will definitely discover the key to it immediately.

No matter how you say it, the two of them can be regarded as half brothers. They don't look at the monk's face and the Buddha's face. With Dao Yan's relationship, Zheng He will eventually help.

After these years, Meng will no longer try to struggle and draw a line with Dao Yan.After knowing his relationship with Shen Xuan, Emperor Yong Le didn't even click on him, calling Dao Yan a master, the possibility of being wiped out is even smaller.

The forehead has already been branded as "Ning Xing", and it is nothing to add a big stamp of "Friends of the Eunuch".

As Meng Qinghe expected, Ding Qianhu told about the search for medicine and the reason, which immediately attracted Zheng He's attention.

"This is an act that benefits the country, and our family will definitely do our best to help."

Ever since, the fleet personnel and soldiers who were sent ashore had another task, to search for medicine.

While Zheng He's fleet stayed in Java Island, a team of envoys sent by King Jaya Sanghavarman V of Champa arrived in Nanjing.

The Honglu Temple officials who were in charge of receiving foreign envoys were very strange. The previous batch hadn't left yet, but another batch came?The size of the team has obviously expanded a lot. Is this a group trip to Daming at public expense?

With doubts in his heart, he didn't show the slightest bit on his face. He still strictly followed the rules and regulations, arranged for the envoys of Champa to live in the Huitong Hall, and all the treatment was comparable to that of the previous envoy team.

The Champa people who complained and those who announced the good news met in the Huitong Hall, with tears of excitement in their eyes, and the Annan people who lived next door suddenly became more stressed.

Knowing that the Ming Dynasty’s fleet stopped at Champa, the fleet envoy had friendly talks with King Jaya Sanghavarman V of Champa, and traded porcelain and silk with the locals, but they did not give Anandin any favors, even Annan's envoy smiled wryly without seeing King Annan and his ministers.

What else can be said, it is obvious that Daming is beating Annan.

If you are sensible, things can still be eased.If you don't understand the interest again, it's not indifference and indifference, but the army is coming.

"Ruan Xiang, what should I do?"

Hearing the inquiries from other envoys, Ruan Jingzhen just shook his head with a sad expression on his face.

Da Tianzi didn't show up, didn't see them, and couldn't pass on the news. No matter how many ways there were, it was all empty talk.

The only hope is that the king of the Hu family will immediately get enlightened, lower his posture, and follow the requirements of the great emperor.Return the seized land and the looted population, and then take the blame, and take the initiative to welcome the Chen family back to the country.

This thought was not because Ruan Jing really wanted to change his family and join Prince Chen.

From Ruan Jingzhen's point of view, after several years, the Hu family has mastered the real power in Annan, Chen Tianping is the only one left in the Chen family, and there are not many ministers who are loyal to the Chen family. A single Pei Boqi can't do much. effect.Even if Chen Tianping is welcome to return to the country and ascend the throne, he can still be emptied and become a puppet of the Hu family.

At that time, Chen Tianping will be a bird in a cage, a turtle in a urn, rounded and flattened, all in the mind of Hu.

Annan only paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty, not a vassal state of Ming Dynasty, and the places where Ming Dynasty can intervene are limited after all.As long as things are kept secret, it's a foregone conclusion, and it's not easy for Da Ming to comment too much.

Ruan Jingzhen once persuaded the king of the Hu family to act in this way, which is the best strategy.It's a pity that Mrs. Hu insisted on going her own way, didn't listen to persuasion, and always took chances, thinking that if she procrastinated and showed her loyalty to Daming, the matter would be over.Speaking of it, Da Tianzi also robbed his nephew of the throne, everyone should have a common language.

It's a pity that Mrs. Hu doesn't understand Zhu Di's character, let alone his standard of measuring things. It is basically impossible for Zhu Di to develop a comrade-in-arms friendship with him.

In the joint hall, Annan's envoys were gloomy, but the Champa people next door were toasting to celebrate the coming of a good day.

Prince Chen also attended the celebration of the Champa people, and publicly stated that when he returns to the country and takes the throne, he will be friendly with Champa for generations, and he will never send troops to trouble his neighbors like the Hu family.

In the palace, Zhu Di read the note handed over by Jin Yiwei, stroked the short mustache under his chin, dried it for a long time, and beat it, the troops in Guangxi and Yunnan were already in place, it was time to see Annan's envoy.