Outside the northern city of Yangon, Li Tong and his wife, Liu Yunlong and his wife, plus 200 escorts went on the road. The convoy is all on horses, and the soldiers are all selected from the troops, who are responsible for defending tasks along the way, and second, to show the military might of the Wehrmacht. Li Tong sat in the caravan with his wife, Deng Wenjing and an accompanying interpreter. Liu Yunlong could not enjoy the bumps of the caravan, and rode a war horse with the escort troops.

After walking forward for a few hours, Li Tong saw Liu Yunlong in front of him and behind for a while, accompanied by elation and excitement left and right, so he couldn't bear the loneliness. He ordered to stop, and the lady was a little surprised and asked, "Is it an internal emergency?" "No, I want to ride a horse?" Deng Wenjing saw Li Tong's boredom and said, "Sister-in-law, Master Li's riding skills are good, you don't have to worry!" "In the past few years, Li Tong has been running around, and there is no problem with his kung fu immediately. Madame said with concern: "The road is long, watch your body!" ”

Li Tong's mount was tied to the carriage and followed the caravan, and when he saw his master untie the reins, he couldn't help but rejoice. "Master Li, can't you bear the loneliness!" Liu Yunlong asked with a smile. "Seeing you riding on a horse, you can't help but itch your hands." Li Tong shook the reins, and the war horse ran away before. Liu Yunlong was not to be left behind, and chased after him, running dozens of meters, and the two went hand in hand. The horses took small steps and made a clattering sound, as if in celebration.

"Master Li, the caravan is like a snail crawling again, it's unbearable, riding on a war horse galloping, there is the feeling of a golden iron horse." "You are a soldier, so you naturally think of fighting on the battlefield, I am a civilian official, and the feeling of riding on a horse is a broad vision. When it comes to broadening my horizons, I'm deeply touched by it now. During this time, I visited Siam. I have read a lot of books on the history, humanities and customs of Siam, and I have benefited a lot. ”

Liu Yunlong came and said with interest: "Master Li, the journey is boring. It just so happens that I don't know much about Siam, can you introduce the situation in Siam and let me gain knowledge? Li Tong said with a smile: "If you want to talk about the past and the present, it should be the president." The president not only has witty words, but also wonderful comments, and every time there is something new, you will not stop, remember and never forget. There are a few things you need to know about Siam. I'll borrow flowers to offer the Buddha to show off. ”

Li Tong pondered slightly: "The history of Siam dates back more than 600 years, and its culture is deeply influenced by China. Around 1238 AD, the Sukhothai dynasty was established in Siam. A relatively unified country has been initially formed. Siam has gone through the Sukhothai Dynasty, the Dacheng Dynasty, the Thonburi Dynasty and now the Bangkok Dynasty. ”

"At the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, Prime Minister Chen Yizhong was defeated and occupied the city. Later, he avoided Siam. Zuihou old Siam. The Yuan Dynasty was a powerful country, and once expanded outward, and was determined to develop outward. Southeast Asian countries paid tribute to the Yuan court, and Siam was no exception. Since the 16th century, Western colonizers have begun to invade Siam frequently, and this weak nation will be encroached upon at any time. ”

Li Tong paused and continued: "About 500 years ago, a powerful figure appeared in Siam, he was a chief of the Tai tribe. He led the tribe to rise rapidly, conquering Sukhothai in the north and establishing a new kingdom. The territory of the Kingdom of Siam encompasses the coastal areas of Laos, Cambodia, Burma, Indochina, and parts of the Malay Peninsula. ”

"The Kingdom of Siam, such a strong man. Died in the 2nd year of Ming Hongwu. In the 10th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty, the prince of Siam inherited his father's order to worship, and the Ming Taizu was overjoyed, and ordered the Ministry of Rites to give the Great Seal of the Kingdom of Siam, and gave the prince clothes and money and travel expenses. In the 28th year of Hongwu, the prince of Siam sent an envoy to the court to inform his father of the funeral. Taizu ordered the lieutenant to go to the sacrifice and succeed to the throne by the son of Heshi. In the first year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty, Chengzu gave gold and silver seals, and the king of Siam also sent an envoy to thank him. ”

Li Tong said in a deep voice: "In view of the historical origins, the two countries have a traditional friendship. In order to promote the prestige of the Ming Dynasty, Ming Chengzu ordered Zheng He to go to the South Seas 7 and take the Western route. Zheng He stopped in Siam every time he went to the South Seas, which further deepened the traditional friendship between the two countries. The president said that now the Chinese empire is a lonely conquest, and we must have friends. Then Siam was the first friend of the Chinese Empire. ”

When the team arrived at Dawei, the local garrison personally sent troops to meet them, and Li Tong, Liu Yunlong, and their wives stayed in Dawei for a day and continued eastward. A few hours later, the group entered the territory of Siam. Siam's idyllic cottages are generally not much different from those in Myanmar, but there are differences when you look closely. The dresses on both sides are different, and the monks are not dressed in the same way. Entering the territory of Siam, Li Tong's mood became even more excited, he couldn't suppress his emotions, and continued to describe Siam's customs to Liu Yunlong.

Along the way, through Li Tong's explanation, Liu Yunlong had a preliminary understanding of the history and customs of Siam. When the group arrived at so-and-so, the king of Siam, Chulalongkorn, personally sent an envoy to meet them. On the day of arrival in Bangkok, it can be described as a sea of people, and the Siamese King Chulalong led his ministers to greet him outside the city in person, and the etiquette was the highest. Thai girls dance in the most beautiful way in Siam to welcome guests from afar. The welcome was unprecedented, demonstrating Siam's deep friendship with the Chinese Empire.

Li Tong and his wife. Liu Yunlong and his wife slowly walked forward in military uniforms, and several beautiful Thai girls stepped forward and put flower baskets symbolizing the highest etiquette around their necks. Chulalongkorn was in his 40s, in the prime of life. He succeeded to the throne at the age of 15 and began ruling at the age of 20. When Chulalongkorn succeeded to the throne, it was a period when Western colonizers were wantonly encroaching on Asia, and in the face of the changing Shijie situation and the harsh external environment, this Siam Rama V, who judged the situation, boldly forged ahead, was determined to reform, and sought a way for the weak and small people to protect themselves in the cracks.

Chulalongkorn chose a very clever national policy, which was to not offend anyone and remain neutral. In the past few years, he has taken advantage of the opportunity of Western countries to deal with China with all their might, and has maneuvered between Western countries. In order to prevent the West from entering Siam, Chulalongkorn reluctantly ceded his love to exchange land for peace. He ceded Cambodia to the French, ensuring that the French shili did not enter Siam. He was also ready to cede the Malay Peninsula to the British and ensure the absolute security of Siam.

Now the sprawling Qing Dynasty has fallen, and a powerful Chinese empire has taken its place. And this powerful empire beat the equally powerful Westerners to the ground as Siam, which has a traditional friendship with China. I will not let go of this opportunity.

"Distinguished guests from afar, allow me to greet you as a sincere host, even though our two countries are separated by thousands of mountains and rivers. But traditional friendships endure. Chulalongkorn clasped his hands together and looked sincere and calm.

Li Tong replied with Thai etiquette: "Dear King Chulalongkorn, on behalf of the President of the Chinese Empire, I greet you. The President asked me to convey to you that China and Siam have a traditional friendship, and it is incumbent upon the Chinese Empire to inherit the bowl of civilization and continue to fulfill and carry forward the friendship between the two peoples. And always. Li Tong's opening remarks made Chulalongkorn overjoyed: "Please tell President Deng that the original Buddha blesses him with eternal health." ”

The scene of the sincere friendship of the guest and the host. It is moving and shows a strong sense of civilization. In the distance, a group of envoys from Western countries stood coldly, observing this moving scene coldly, and their hearts were afraid of mixed feelings. For the visit of Chinese envoys. The Western camp, led by the British. They can understandably demand that Siam maintain relations with the Chinese Empire, but they must not use Siamese territory to facilitate military operations for the Chinese Empire, and they must not provide the Chinese Empire with anything detrimental to the Western camp. Maintaining neutrality and interacting with other countries is the national policy formulated by King Chulalongkorn, and he naturally will not destroy his future, so he will make demands on Western countries. Indicates full compliance. “

In fact, Li Tong's first task on this visit was to show the attitude of the Chinese Empire. Siam's neutrality was what the Chinese Empire wanted. In addition, Li Tong and King Zhuchulalongkorn will negotiate a package of bilateral agreements between China and the Kingdom of Siam on military and economic assistance, and formally sign a memorandum of understanding between the two countries. The bilateral negotiations took place in a friendly atmosphere, and everything went smoothly. Three days later, on behalf of the Chinese Imperial Government, Li Tong formally signed a treaty of friendship between the two countries with King Chulalongkorn.

There is a secret agreement that will not be written into the document, that is, Siam will send 500 young people to secretly enter the military academy of the Chinese Empire and train systematically for three years. After the signing of the formal treaty, King Chulalongkorn held a grand banquet in the royal palace to entertain Li Tong, Liu Yunlong and his wife, and the guests and hosts once again dined in a friendly atmosphere.

That night, Li Tong and Liu Yunlong secretly met with a guest from Borneo Island in Li Tong's room.

As the night darkens, the visitors arrive. He was about 40 years old, dark and thin, but his eyes were bright. When the captain of the guard finished introducing the identities of Li Tong and Liu Yunlong, the comer suddenly knelt on the ground and said with tears in his eyes: "Chen Da, an outcast of the Celestial Empire, visited Lord Li and General Liu. We are the protocol officials of the Republic of Lanfang, and I have come here to make a secret appointment at the behalf-time request of the Governor-General. For more than 100 years, we have been trying to get in touch with the mainland day and night. Now that the Chinese Empire has been born, I feel extremely proud to be the descendants of Yan and Huang overseas. ”

Li Tong was obviously a little excited, and personally helped Chen Dadao up: "Compatriots, you have endured hardships, and the big Chinese family will not abandon you again in the future." President Deng asked me to convey to you that you would like to be greeted by the Commander-in-Chief. At the same time, President Deng asked me to convey to the General Minister that the mainland will give full assistance to the Republic of Lanfang, and that the Republic of Lanfang will continue to grow and develop in Nanyang in the future. "Thanks to President Deng for his kindness and broad-mindedness, the people of the Republic of Lanfang will always look up to him!" Chen Da's eyes began to moisten again.

Li Tong continued: "The current situation in the South Seas seems to be calm, but there are huge dangers lurking. The Chinese Empire is fighting against the coalition forces with all its might, and has no time to take care of you, so in order to protect yourself, you must build a modern army and build a strong armament. President Deng decided to provide weapons, ammunition and military personnel to the Republic of Lanfang and build up the army of the Republic of Lanfang as soon as possible. In addition, the Chinese Empire will help you build a strong navy in the future. ”

The two sides finalized how to provide assistance to the Republic of Lanfang, and reached a preliminary agreement. At the same time, the two sides agreed to establish a secret base in Bangkok to facilitate communication between the two sides. Since the Republic of Lan Phong has close trade relations with Siam, it will not arouse the suspicion of foreigners. After Li Tong and Liu Yunlong got in touch with the Republic of Lan Fang, they quickly ended their visit and bid farewell to King Chulalongkorn on their way back.

Li Tong wanted to send the results back to the capital, so that Deng Zixuan could understand the situation in Nanyang as soon as possible. Inadvertently, the nascent Chinese empire began to extend its tentacles to the South Seas. (To be continued......)

PS: A new friend, a new partner.