Zheng He continued: "As for how to predict a typhoon, from Nanhai Gong's words just now, we have already understood that a typhoon is a wind and cloud formed by the convergence of hot and cold air. Nanhai Gong has a habit, every day will measure the heat and cold of the sea, today at noon, when he measured the water temperature, he actually felt a little hot, he has been living by the sea, this season the water temperature is hot hands must be abnormal, from which it is inferred that there will be a typhoon. However, the sea surface is calm and there is no sign of rolling, indicating that the typhoon is still forming, and according to the experience of Nanhai Gong, it usually takes four days from formation to landfall. ”

While everyone was talking, Tang Jing came in to report: The envoy of Siam wants to see the general soldier and is already waiting in the small reception room next door. Zheng He arched his hand to Wang Hou and the others: "You continue to talk, I'll go back for a while." ”

The effort was not big, Zheng He came back, and without waiting for everyone to ask, he said: "General Wang, our next stop will be to the old port, but just now the Siamese envoy said one thing, it seems that we have to adjust the route, if the opportunity is good, maybe we can meet again." He also told the reason for the meeting with the envoys of Siam.

Champa was the first overseas stop for the fleet, while the Old Port (present-day Palembang, Indonesia) was the second stop. Zheng He originally planned to send a fleet north through the Gulf of Siam to escort the Siamese envoys back to China, but because of the typhoon, they had to stay for five more days.

Manraka (located in present-day Malacca, Malaysia), which was not called a state until the third year of Yongle, was attached to the state of Siam (present-day Thailand) until September of the third year of Yongle, when the chief Sula sent people to Nanjing to pay tribute, and was made king by the Yongle Emperor. However, because the country is small, it was previously a subsidiary of Siam, and after the establishment of the independent state, it was repeatedly violated by Siam. Two years ago, when Manraka was invaded again, the king asked the Yongle Emperor for help, and Zhu Di mediated between them, which calmed the dispute between the two countries.

Zheng He first did not believe the news of the discovery of mermaids in Manraka, but when he saw that the envoy did not seem to be lying, he heard him say that he received an edict from the king to send Taisang, the first master of Siam, to take ten people to Manraka, and Taisang was on the ship, so the envoy did not dare to delay after receiving the edict, and begged Zheng He to allow Taisang to go with the ship, so that the minister's own itinerary would remain unchanged, and take others back to China.

Zheng He didn't say anything, but he was deeply shocked in his heart: It seems that Manraka really found a mermaid? Legend has it that the mermaid's tears are pearls, which are very precious, and although the envoys did not say what to send their first master to do, their intention is obvious, it is nothing more than to take the opportunity to act and grab the mermaid.

As Zheng He spoke, Nanhai Gong also looked shocked and asked at this time, "Mermaid?" …… That's not a good sign! When they heard this, they were stunned, and they heard him mutter, "When I was nineteen years old, I went fishing alone in the sea, and I saw a fair-skinned woman floating naked on the surface of the sea, and I was sorry for her drowning, and suddenly I saw her turn over, as if frightened by me, and jumped out of the water, revealing her long tail, and then disappeared, which frightened me so much that my hands and feet weakened."

"The next day, a typhoon blew for 17 days, and the wind blew and leveled many houses, which is scary to think about now. After the hurricane, I thought about the strange things I saw at sea, and then I read the books, and then I learned that there are legends of mermaids in coastal countries, but although the mermaid is extremely beautiful, her appearance often brings disaster, so I guessed that what I saw at that time may be a mermaid. ”

Zheng He took over the topic: "This matter, I heard Nanhai Gong said it in my heart, after returning to Nanjing, I checked some ancient books, the earliest is the record of mermaids in the Book of Mountains and Seas, Sima Qian's "Historical Records" also mentioned that Qin Shi Huang used mermaid paste as a lamp, burning for several months without extinguishing. And the "Taiping Guangji" records even more magical: the mermaid of the sea, there are in the East China Sea, the big one is five or six feet long, like a beautiful woman, the skin and flesh are as white as jade, and the widows near the sea are many to obtain, and they are raised in the pond and marsh, and when they are intertwined, they are no different from people, and they do not hurt people. ”

When Wang Hou heard this, he was a little embarrassed and diverted the topic: "Judging from this map, it is farther to the old port, and Manraka is closer." Zheng He pointed to the map and said: "Yes, the old port is here, Manraka is here, if the wind is good, you can get to the old port in fifteen days, and it only takes ten days to get to Manraka." I have already thought about it, let's go south together and reach Longya Gate, and then send a fleet to continue south to the Old Port, while we will go directly west into the strait, stop at Manraka, and then dock there for a month or two, waiting for the fleet to Siam and the Old Port to come and join us. ”

Several people felt that this arrangement was more reasonable, saving the entire fleet of ships from rushing to the old port, and Lang labored and material resources. Nanhai said: "Chen Zuyi's Bolin State is in the area of Jiugang, and according to my estimate, Chen Xiong may set up an ambush there, so such an arrangement can avoid its edge." ”

Wang Hou couldn't help but be stunned: "Isn't the fleet sent out dangerous?" Zheng He comforted: "General don't worry, the imperial court has a Xuanwei Department in the old port, which is responsible for the affairs of the South China Sea, if Chen Xiong dares to do it, he will do it a long time ago." The person he wants to deal with is me, as the saying goes, the unjust is the debtor, and if he dares to do something to others, it will inevitably arouse the disgust of the surrounding countries, and it will not be good for him. ”

Wang Hou calmed down a little, remembered another thing, and asked: "I have seen the Siamese boxer Taisang, at the Beijing Martial Arts Conference, he entered the second round of the finals, at the age of thirty, the boxing is called 'Bennan', in addition to punching and kicking, it is also accompanied by elbows, knees, shoulders and arms, and even headbutting and biting, the movements are smooth and brave and practical, but in the end he lost to my eldest brother...... He only took ten people to Manraka, what effect could he do? ”

Zheng He pondered: "Siam is more than 3,000 miles away from Manraka, and if it can be crossed by land, the king of Siam must have sent other people to let Tai Sang rush to reinforcements." Nanhai Gong smiled and said: "General Wang's martial arts are strong, if we catch up in time, maybe General Wang can get a mermaid, and he really holds the beauty, hahaha......"

Wang Hou was even more embarrassed, glanced at Sect Leader Liu, and said busily: "It's not early, Sect Leader Liu, are we going back?" Sect Leader Liu reacted from his contemplation, and the two of them took their leave. Wang Hou walked behind Sect Master Liu, turned his head and said in a low voice: "Nanhai Gong, maybe this mermaid is still the one you saw back then, forty years later, she is waiting for you in Manraka......" Nanhai Gong snorted, raised his hand to fight, Wang Hou ran out with a smile.

Back to the "Tianzhu", Liu Hanyan and the four of them were still playing mahjong, and Liu Zhaohui and Zhuang Zhaoxue were not in the room. Sect Leader Liu went back to his room alone because he was still thinking about the typhoon and the transoceanic star pulling technique. Seeing him leave, Wang Hou closed the door and pretended to be mysterious: "The four elders of the Desperate Gang, there is something to tell you, the world is going to be in chaos." As he spoke, he shuffled the cards on the table, and Liu Hanyan said angrily: "What are you doing? I've got a good hand, and I'm almost gone. ”

Wang Hou sighed and told the story of the mermaid, and the four of them were immediately interested, and Li Zhixian said: "Some people in our Korean country have seen mermaids, and I heard that they are very beautiful." Jin Minhui also said: "I have also heard that her tears can turn into pearls." Wang Hou nodded heavily: "It doesn't look like a fake this time, it seems that you help the master and I'm going to have a good fortune, Zheng Zongbing said, he will help me get a beauty." ”

Liu Hanyan pursed his lips: "You just go and hug the beauty, be careful not to be bitten off by her." Li Zhixian and Jin Minhui's faces couldn't help but heat up, and Zhou Qingzhu asked, "Sister Yan, mermaids still bite?" Liu Hanyan snorted: "Look at your brother Wang's evil appearance, you still don't understand?" A few people laughed at the words.

"What's wrong with me?" Wang Hou touched his face, sighed and said, "I, the gang leader, deserve to be really guilty enough, and I finally had the opportunity to hug the beauty, but I was ridiculed by you...... I went to sleep. Walking to the door, he heard a sound of wind behind him, and copied it with his backhand, which turned out to be a mahjong tile.

Wang Hou muttered: "Good luck, it's Zhang Facai." Continuing to walk out the door, Liu Hanyan shouted: "Don't give us back the cards yet!" got up and chased out, and after a while, there was the sound of Liu Hanyan outside, Zhou Qingzhu got up and was about to go out to have a look, but was pulled by Li Zhixian and pressed down.

On the fourth day, after several days of fine weather, at noon the sky suddenly began to change, the sky was overcast, dark clouds crowded from the south, and in the afternoon, a strong wind blew. Wang Hou and a few people gathered in the room, looking out of the porthole at the sea, which had already rolled up several feet high, rushing forward, lapping the hull of the ship and making a roaring sound.

The harbor was built in a sheltered bay, and in the evening, as the wind continued to increase, the turbulent sea dragged the ship to swing, and in the cabin, the Sect Master Liu had already ordered all the portholes to be closed, but the wind could still be heard, and the roar of the waves crashing on the shore.

Wang Hou listened to the sound outside, and remembered the nightmare he had that afternoon at the Sailor Inn in Changle County, when he also dreamed that he opened the hatch and went up to the top main deck, and was rolled up by a huge mountain of people who were split by his head and face, like a dead leaf rolling in the air.

Thinking about this, I couldn't help but move in my heart, and said to Liu Hanyan and others: "Oh, it's really scary, no, no, I want to relieve myself." He grabbed his pants and ran out of the room. Liu Hanyan snorted: "What a coward, go quickly, don't be scared to wet your pants." A few people laughed.

Exiting the room, I went up the stairs to the stern, opened the hatch to the main deck, and closed it again with my backhand. It was not yet completely dark, and everyone was hiding in the cabin, and there was no one around, when the wind was mixed with raindrops, and it crashed against the deck with a crackling sound.

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