Now the territory of the Sulu State is the Sulu Islands, the capital is located on the largest island, Holo Island, and the people of the country generally believe in Islam.

Long before the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Sulu had the rudiments of the state, and the three princes who held the power of the state were the kings of the east, the kings of the west, and the kings of the east, among which the power of the king of the east was the largest, and the three kings both restrained each other and cooperated with each other to maintain the harmony and stability of the country.

In the first year of Jingtai of the Ming Dynasty (1450 AD), Sulu officially established the state of Sulu Sudan, which was a combination of political and religious power.

However, soon after, the Sultanate of Sulu was conquered by the Bo Ni State on the neighboring island of Borneo (present-day Kalimantan), and it was not until the early 16th century, with the decline of the Bo Ni State, that the Sulu Sutan State was freed from the control of the Bo Ni State and regained its independent status, but a large part of its territory on Borneo (present-day Kalimantan) was annexed by the Bo Ni State, leaving only the Sulu Islands, the land of the projectile.

In the fifteenth year of Wanli of the Ming Dynasty (1578 AD), the Spaniards on the Southern Ryukyu Islands began to invade the Sulu Sultanate.

The Sulu Sudanese Kingdom held the key waterway communication between the Central Plains Dynasty and Arabia, Mindanao, and Visaya and Borneo, and had early contacts with the Central Plains Dynasty.

In the fifteenth year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1417 AD), the three kings of the Sulu Islands, the king of the east, the king of the west, the king of the west, the king of the country, the king of the city, led a group of more than 340 people, came to the Ming Dynasty for an official visit, and was ceremoniously received by Chengzu.

The three kings stayed in Beijing for 22 days, visited almost all the places of interest in Beijing, they were not happy, but they left the territory for too long, and the three kings went together, so they had to return from the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal to the south by boat.

On the way back from Shandong, the king of the east, Badu Ge Lang Hara, may be unaccustomed to the water and soil, suddenly seriously ill, the rescue was ineffective, unfortunately died in Dezhou, Shandong, Emperor Chengzu deeply mourned, and sent the Ministry of Rites Langzhong to carry the sacrificial text to Dezhou, to bury the king of the east with the vassal king's courtesy.

The eldest son of the king of the east, Du Mahe, led the rest of the army to return to China to inherit the throne, and the princess Ge Muning, the second son of the king of the east, Wen Hara, the third son Andulu, and more than ten attendants lived in Dezhou to guard the tomb, and never returned to China.

What Zheng Zhilong and the current Sulu Sudan don't know is that in the history of later generations, the relationship between the Sulu Sultanate and the Manchu Qing Dynasty was also unusual because of its admiration for the Central Plains culture.

In the ninth year of the Yongzheng reign of the Manchu Qing Dynasty (1713 AD), the descendants of the East King who lived in Dezhou, Shandong, did not know whether it was because they had no hope of returning to the country or did not want to return to the small island, they asked to join the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and the imperial court decided to join the Manchu Qing Dynasty with the surnames "Wen and An".

In the nineteenth year of Qianlong of the Manchu Dynasty (1754 AD), Sulu Sudanma shouted that Wei An Rou Lu sent an envoy to Beijing, requesting that the Hukou person Ding be incorporated into the Manchu Qing Dynasty.

After Zheng Zhilong captured the Spaniards, he came to the island of Holo with his ship and asked to see Sulu Sutan and Habamara.

I thought that the language was not comprehensible, but I didn't expect that the Chinese dialect of Sulu was very popular, and even the Haba Mala Chinese dialect was spoken well, and Zheng Zhilong communicated with him without any obstacles, and almost no translation was needed.

Zheng Zhilong, as the envoy of the Ming Dynasty, greeted Haba Mala, "Zheng Zhilong, the special envoy of the Ming Emperor and the commander of the South China Sea Fleet, paid a visit to Sulu Sudan!" ”

"Thank you to the navy for driving away the West Devil." Also Habamala to the Ming Navy in time to help, very grateful, Sulu and the Spaniards for many years, several times almost wiped out the country, with swords and guns to deal with the Spaniards' fire # guns, the casualties of the people and soldiers, can be imagined.

The already small population of the Sulu State has been seriously reduced, and if it were not for the South China Sea Fleet coming to the Sulu Islands by chance, the Sulu State would have perished in the hands of the Spaniards sooner or later.

With the arrival of the South China Sea Fleet, the Spaniards surrendered without a fight, and in Habamala's heart, there was not only gratitude, but also an unknown sigh.

"Su Dan doesn't have to be polite, Da Ming and Su Lu have a long history, Da Ming learned that the West Demon was coming, and sent ships to help, which also reflects the friendship between the two countries." Zheng Zhilong immediately frowned, "However, the navy of the Ming Dynasty cannot stay in Sulu forever, and I don't know when the navy of the West Demon will invade Sulu." ”

He also pondered for a long time, and he sighed softly, "Commander Zheng came to Sulu from afar to relieve the siege of Sulu for me, let Xiao Wang take over the wind and wash the dust for Commander Zheng today." ”

Zheng Zhilong naturally did not refuse, he was a little polite, and he also sat down at the banquet of Haba Mala.

The country of Sulu is small and narrow, and the so-called top grade is some unknown seafood.

After noon, the banquet ended, Zheng Zhilong said goodbye to Habamala and prepared to return to Manila, and Habamala personally sent Zheng Zhilong to the sea.

Several Cantonese ships docked on the north shore of Holo Island, the majestic three-story deck, and the large-caliber artillery made Yehaba Mala amazed, he hesitated for a moment, and finally showed a decisive look on his face: "Commander Zheng, Xiao Wang has decided, let Sulu join the Ming Dynasty." ”

"Join Daming?" Zheng Zhilong, who was on the ship, thought that he had heard it wrong, so he had to stop and repeat it.

"Well, join Daming." He also nodded heavily, having made a decision, his face looked relaxed, he stroked his long beard that was blown away by the sea breeze with his hand, and looked at the sea with his slightly closed eyes, as if the Da Ming he had always admired was at the end of the sea.

"Sudan, why?" Zheng Zhilong met the first person who took the initiative to join the Ming Dynasty, and he was also a king.

"First Portugal, now Spain, repeatedly offended my Sulu, the people of Sulu, countless battles and deaths, nearly two hundred years since the founding of the country, the population of my Sulu has barely grown, Sulu is a small land, how to resist the repeated attacks of the Western Devils?" Habamala kept looking at the other side of the sea, as if talking to herself.

"Su Dan ......" Zheng Zhilong couldn't tell what it was like now, he was naturally happy to be able to open up the territory for the Ming Dynasty, but Sulu was too small, and I don't know if Zhu Youzhen could look at this barren island.

"If Commander Zheng's navy hadn't arrived in time today, I'm afraid the Spaniards would have landed on Holo Island," Ha Ba Mala's gaze turned to Zheng Zhilong, and smiled gratefully: "Sulu will perish sooner or later, rather than be destroyed in the hands of the West Devil, it is better to take the initiative to return to the Ming Dynasty." ”

"Has Su Dan already decided?" Zheng Zhilong stretched his tone, as if he felt sad for Haba Mala, how could he say that he was also a Sudan, that is, the king, how could he say that he would let go of it?

Ha Ba Ma La did not regret it at all, "Commander Zheng, in addition to facing the threat of the West Devil, there is a more important reason, that is, the entire Sulu Sudan Kingdom admires the culture of the Ming Dynasty very much, "Analects" and "Mencius", which are also the words of the saints we worship, and the Chinese language has always been spoken in Sulu in order to learn the words of these saints. ”

"I see." For the first time, Zheng Zhilong felt that in addition to military affairs, culture can also conquer other countries.

Seeing Zheng Zhilong's face full of surprise, Haba Mala laughed heartily: "Haha, Xiao Wang has already thought about it, as long as His Majesty the Ming Emperor agrees, all the land and population of Sulu will be incorporated into the Ming Dynasty, and Xiao Wang will also resign from Sudan and be willing to be a common man of the Ming Dynasty." ”

If it was five years ago, Sulu wanted to join the Ming Dynasty, I'm afraid that even Zheng Zhilong would not be enthusiastic, Sulu was far away from the Ming Dynasty, isolated overseas, and it was difficult to have normal exchanges and contacts with the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming court didn't even want Taiwan, which was much closer and much larger, how could it look at Sulu, a small land?

But now it's different, the land of the Ming Dynasty has expanded to the entire Southern Ryukyu Islands, although Sulu is small, but it is already the southern edge of the Ming land, Sulu is subordinate to the Ming Dynasty, just the land of the Ming Dynasty, a little bit of expansion to the southern sea, there will not be much difficulty in management, unless the Ming is willing to give up the entire Southern Ryukyu Islands.

Zheng Zhilong has long known Zhu Youzhen's thoughts, the South China Sea Fleet entered the South Seas, and Zhu Youzhen was aiming at a large area of land and trade bases in the South Seas, since Zhu Youzhen needed the land in the South Seas, the Sulu sent over for nothing, Zhu Youzhen should be able to laugh at it, as for how Zhu Youzhen will settle Habamara, that is not something that Zheng Zhilong should consider.

"If Su Dan decides to join the Ming Dynasty, will your subjects object?"

"This ...... Commander Zheng rest assured that in Sulu, not only Xiao Wang, but also ministers and ordinary people have a lot of admiration for the culture of the Ming Dynasty, and if they join the Ming Dynasty, there should be no opposition in the country. "Habamala didn't think about his own power, a small island country, Su Dan has broken his heart for the sake of the people's vitality, how can he have any privileges?

"And what's next for the Sultan?"

"Tomorrow, I will tell my subjects that Sulu is going to join the Ming Dynasty, let them make all preparations, and Xiao Wang will also choose the opportunity to enter Beijing, meet His Majesty the Ming Emperor, and ask His Majesty the Ming Emperor to join in person," Ye Ha Bamara's eyes had already been aimed at the Guangzhou ship of the South China Sea Fleet, "I wonder if I can borrow General Zheng's big ship?" ”

"Su Dan, the Guangzhou ship is a military ship, it must not be borrowed, if Su Dan wants to enter the capital and face the saint, you can take a tailwind boat."

"Commander Zheng means ......"

"Su Dan doesn't know, I'm going to Manila to deal with some military affairs, it will take about five or six days, five or six days later, I will also go back to Beijing, if Su Dan is in time, then I will send a boat to pick up Su Dan, we will accompany into Beijing, and we can be a guide for Su Dan."

"It's time, it's time, then I'll wait for Commander Zheng on Holo Island." He also clenched his fists with both hands to Zheng Zhilong, performing a Han etiquette, it seems that he has regarded himself as a person of the Ming Dynasty.

Zheng Zhilong also reciprocated the courtesy of a Han Chinese, and then got on his flagship "Nanhai", left Jolo Island, and returned to Manila.