There are many wine shops on the banks of the Qinhuai River, even Qinglou will prepare wine and food in order to take care of the guests, Zheng He remembered the situation of Mecca in his heart, and saw that the courtyard was deep in front of him, so he didn't have time to think about it, so he raised his feet and walked in.

Yang Zheng's heart moved: "Hehe, it's interesting to be imprisoned in the Qinglou?" Gao Hang, Duan Yu and the others were already waiting impatiently, and when they saw an old man walking in front of them, burly and dignified, they were secretly surprised, and when they learned from Yang Zheng that it was the famous Zheng He, they immediately stood in awe.

"Is he really Zheng He?" The eldest lady snuggled up at this time and said softly.

Zheng He was ordered to go to the West to strengthen the prestige of the Ming Dynasty, which had already spread in the Yongle Dynasty, and everyone admired the feat that Jian did for the Ming Dynasty, and even the eldest lady also admired Zheng He.

Yang Zheng said: "It's like a fake! ”

The eldest lady was surprised to see Zheng He suddenly, and she didn't notice the deep courtyard in front of her for a while, and actually walked in.

The courtyard is not deep, if it is said to be a courtyard, it is more appropriate to say a small water pavilion, the whole small building relies on the bank of the Qinhuai River, part of the platform is erected on the bank, and part of it stretches into the water. The water-spanning part of the platform is erected on the water surface with beams and columns. The platform is surrounded by a low balustrade near the water, and a few gooseneck chairs are used for sitting and resting. The shore part is built with a rectangular single building, at the turning point, the two water pavilions connected by a short corridor complement each other, connect into a whole, the image is small and exquisite, and the water feature is well coordinated, which makes people can't help but shine.

Everyone entered the small building and sat down at a table by the window, and Zheng He waved his hand to let people bring wine and food.

The leading woman answered, greeted, and a few small dishes from Nanjing were delivered in a short time.

Strange people, these women did not come up to accompany the wine, which made Yang Zheng feel that there was something different here.

After the eldest lady sat down, she was shocked to realize that she had entered the Qinglou and wanted to go out, but she didn't have the courage after all, so she could only stretch out her little hand to the soft rou on Yang Zheng's waist and pinch it hard, which hurt Yang Zheng grinning for a while, Shui Yue on the side looked interesting, and laughed along the small mouth, Gao Hang, Duan Yu and others moved their eyes elsewhere with interest.

Zheng He was the only one on the entire wine table with a stern face, frowning from time to time, as if he was thinking about something.

Everyone frolicked for a while, and then they felt that the atmosphere on the wine table was a little different, and they each laughed awkwardly, and no one said much.

Zheng He was silent for a moment, then suddenly sighed, and said: "Do you think that I, Zheng He, have gone to the West since the Year of Yongle and have arrived in more than ten countries such as Java, Sumatra, Sulu, Pahang, Chenla, Guli, Siam, Adan, Tianfang, Zuofar, Kurumus, and Mugudushu, but I missed Mecca?" What a pity? The tone was a little lonely, with a hint of sadness, which made people's hearts move.

At this time, Kung Fu Yang Zheng had already remembered that in the previous voyage, Zheng He's fleet reached as far as the east coast of Africa and left his footprints. The countries they arrived in, including Mali, Mozambique, Kenya and other countries in their previous lives, these countries did not seem far away in their previous lives, but in those days when there were no planes, no trains, and automobiles, this was already the farthest place they had reached.

However, these places do not have the Mecca that Zheng He longs for, a Hui people, the most desirable place of pilgrimage - Mecca! Listening to him at this time, I couldn't help but be a little moved.

After being silent for a while, Zheng He spoke: "This little brother, can you tell me about the pilgrimage?" “

Yang Zheng nodded and said: "In the city of Mecca, on the wall of one and a half meters high in the southeast corner of the Kaaba, there is a meteorite inlaid with a silver frame, that is, the famous Xuanshi, which is brown and slightly reddish, and is regarded as a sacred object by Muslims, and it is said that it is still a relic of Ibrahim. When pilgrims walk past the Kaaba in a clockwise direction, they rush to kiss him or raise his hands as a sign of respect. Facing the Kaaba is a small four-pillar domed pavilion surrounded by a square copper fence, which contains the footprints of Ibrahim when he built the Kaaba. Every year in December of the Islamic calendar, devout Muslims from all over the world make the pilgrimage to the Grand Mosque of Mecca to see Allah and the holy stones they have pointed out. They will change into the traditional Hajj robe. Men's garments consist of two pieces of white wrapping cloth with no seams, one wrapped around the waist to cover the lower body, and the other draped over the shoulders to cover the upper body. Most pilgrims bare-bones one shoulder. Women do not have special abstinence, but most women wear long plain clothes that cover their arms. Regardless of the customs of their country, they are not allowed to wear veils and gloves during the Hajj. During the journey, until entering Mecca, the pilgrims are required to chant the sutra repeatedly to show their acceptance of the Allah's command, and finally kiss the ......? ”

Zheng He's eyes flashed, and he quickly gloomed, followed by a heavy sigh: "The old man is about to die, I'm afraid he won't be able to go to Mecca!" ”

"If you can go, you must go?" Yang Zheng shouted out purely unconsciously.

Zheng He raised his eyebrows and stared at Yang Zheng, he went to the West from Yongle Year, nearly 20 years, he has gone to the West six times, and he has visited many countries, but he did not arrive in Mecca, he thought that as long as he could continue the voyage to the West, it would be a matter of time before he went on a pilgrimage to Mecca, but he did not expect that the emperor Zhu Di, who had always supported him in the West, died a year ago, which was undoubtedly a heavy blow to him, but he did not despair, because he believed that going to the West would make the Ming Dynasty far-reaching, and all countries would come to court, This is a glory that no king will give up, not to mention that he has not only gone to the West over the years, every time he goes to the West, his treasure ship has carried many treasures, and sent them to every king who visits the country, as a "gift", these countries that have received gifts, have sent envoys or the emperor himself, take Zheng He's treasure ship and bring the special treasures of his country, and return to the Ming capital to pay tribute. Dyes, precious stones, elephant skins, exotic beasts, and countless others have filled the treasury! It was these that convinced him that the trip to the West would continue.

But soon he found out that he was wrong, and now that the new emperor had ascended the throne for more than a year, no one in the Manchu Dynasty had mentioned the matter of going to the West, and even the ministers who had supported the West in the past were silent, which made him feel uneasy.

Soon, the new emperor made a decree: "All the national treasure ships in the Western Ocean will be stopped." This made him never dream, he wanted to see the emperor and ask why, who knew that the new emperor didn't see him at all, so he gave him a holy decree, ordering him to lead the army of the officials to guard Nanjing, and in the internal affairs with the internal officials Wang Jinghong, Zhu Buhua, and Tang Guanbao to coordinate the management; When there was something outside, he listened to the discussion with Xiangcheng Bo Li Long and the horse Duwei Mu, and after many times the performance was fruitless, he had to stop playing, but he was unwilling, and he heard that there was quite a character of the emperor of Chengzu, so he came to Nanjing to try his luck, and maybe he could let the emperor go to the West again.

"My lord went to the West to send envoys out of all directions, summoned the sea, and made contributions. Strange goods and heavy treasures, the previous generations hoped, overflowing the reservoir city. The poor people promise to buy bo, or get rich, and the country is also envious, it is a good thing of the first class, and the adults have strengthened my Ming national prestige over the years, and what I have done has great benefits to my Ming, such a good thing, it will definitely not be only six times, I believe that in the near future, the adults can still lead their treasure ships, and go to the West again? ”

"Going to the West again?" Zheng He's heart was greatly shaken, over the years, he went to the West six times successively, and dozens of countries to establish a long-term relationship, they have sent envoys to the Ming Dynasty, have paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty, surrender to my Ming Dynasty under the prestige of the Ming Dynasty, these from ancient times to the present which dynasty can be compared? But the courtiers of the court complained a lot about him going to the West, and if it weren't for Emperor Chengzu's eloquence, he might not have been able to go to the West six times. Now it is the first time that he has heard someone so affirm his move to the West, how can he not be excited.

……

Note: In the previous chapter, someone asked Zheng He that he had never had a family in his life, so he should have no children. Here is an explanation, Zheng He took the eldest brother Ma Ming as his grandson, the name Zheng Enlai, the word Enlai, the hereditary Jinyi Thousand Household Marquis, and lived in Nanjing Mountain Street (now Mafu Street) Mafu. Zheng He's descendants have been passed down for 21 generations. Until now, there are still stories of insurance supervisors going to the West in relevant countries.

According to another report, the "Ma Gong Epitaph Chromium" in the "Zheng He Genealogy" was written by Li Zhigang, a doctor of Zishan, a scholar of the Ministry of Rites and a master of Zuochunfang, in the year of Yongle (1405). Ming from Zheng He's great-grandfather Bai Yan began to describe his lineage, grandfather, father's surname "Ma", the name Ha, his father Ma Ha only two, Chang Ming, Zheng He, and four sisters. Regarding Zheng He, the genealogy says that he "was surnamed Ma, and on the first day of the first month of the second year of Yongle (1404), the word 'Zheng' was given in the imperial book, and he was given a surname." The genealogy also says that he "established his name as a descendant and gave him a name", which shows that Zheng He had a descendant as a prisoner. The genealogy takes Zheng He as the first qiē ancestor, and the second ancestor is given. There are two major branches of Zheng He's descendants, one of which is in Nanjing, Jiangsu, the other is in Yunnan, and the other is in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The Thai branch is the last year of the Qing Dynasty, Zheng He's fifteenth grandson Zheng Chonglin left his hometown in Yuxi, Yunnan to live in Chiang Mai, Thailand, there are more than 10 descendants, Zheng Chonglin presided over the construction of the first mosque in Chiang Mai, and the plaque forged with pure gold on the lintel of the mosque is also from Yunnan with a horse gang.

The naming order of the descendants of Zheng He in Nanjing is "the great still has loyalty and filial piety, the accumulation of thick flow is self-lenient, the domain is more than ten thousand generations, and the family is Tai and prosperous".

In addition, on the question of Zheng He's pilgrimage: Kublai Khan, the ancestor of the Yuan dynasty, overthrew the Southern Song Dynasty and established the Yuan Dynasty. In 1253, the troops of the Yuan Dynasty captured the kingdom of Dali in Yunnan, conquered the local ethnic groups, and in 1276 set up Yunnan Province, and sent Zheng He's ancestor, the Hui Saidianchi, Gansiding Umar, to rule Yunnan. Saidianchi Justin al-Umar is an Arabic transliteration, "Saidianchi" is the title of the nobility, "Justin" means religious yang, and "Umar" is his real name, which means longevity. Due to his remarkable achievements in governing Yunnan and winning the hearts of the people, he was named "King of Zhenghe of Xianyang" by Kublai Khan, the ancestor of the Yuan dynasty. His father's original name was Mirijin, and his Chinese name was Mahaji (Ma's surname is the Sinicized Arabic "Muhammad"), and he was named Yunnan Yanghou, and his mother was Wen. Zheng He's family has been Muslim for generations, and it is not surprising that both his grandfather and father went to the holy land of Mecca to pay homage! Due to the fact that Islam and Buddhism are the main beliefs in many countries in Nanyang, the Ming Dynasty government selected Muslims to "reduce estrangement and do good deeds", and among the entourage who went to the West at that time were Ma Huan, Guo Chongli, the head of the Great Mosque in Yangshi, Xi'an, Pu Rihe, a descendant of Pu Shougeng in Quanzhou, and Xia Nan, the second grandson of the Imam (patriarch) of the Qingjing Monastery in Quanzhou, Xia Bulu Kanddin, etc. As a diplomat, Zheng He was tolerant and respectful of other religions.