Upon entering the Strait of Malacca, there were many ships sailing on the sea, and countless merchant ships shuttled through the world's busiest waterway, bringing endless business opportunities and prosperity to both sides of the strait and the entire South Sea region.

Standing on the bow of the boat and looking into the distance, the waves on the sea are rolling and rolling up white waves, which is particularly spectacular in the distance. All kinds of merchant ships float on the sea, huge sail shadows, towering masts, thick columns of smoke, roaring whistles, and figures shuttling back and forth on the ship, forming a grand and noisy picture.

The sky is shining, and the sun is shining on the sea, sending sparkling ripples, which makes people feel warm and comfortable, but at the same time, it also makes the sailors on the ship feel a little muddy and tired.

After leaving Aceh, the Yanfeng sailed for just three days and arrived at the port of Hankou (present-day Singapore) on Temasek Island, a port that thrived for trade and shipping.

In the Straits of Malacca, two thriving trading ports have sprung up as a result of this busy golden waterway, namely Malacca and Temasek.

Malacca began to flourish gradually during the Manraka Kingdom in the 13th century, especially the vigorous Zheng He's fleet to the West carried out by the Ming Dynasty, which further stimulated the development of Malacca.

At that time, every time Zheng He's fleet sailed, it had to carry more than 10,000 people and a large number of materials to dock in Malacca, so in order to obtain a stable sea material supply transit port, the Ming began to use a large number of resources to build Malacca City, Zheng He even personally built a special warehouse and fortifications in Malacca.

This is not only because Malacca itself has the potential to become a prosperous port, but also because its relatively weak position also makes the local natives more willing to welcome the intervention of the Ming Dynasty official forces, trying to rely on the support of the Ming Dynasty to gradually expand their sphere of influence. Zheng He, also out of consideration of two factors, was determined to build this small port, which still looked like a dilapidated fishing village, into an overseas golden port of the Ming Dynasty.

The ruling class of Malacca, in order to get close to Arab traders from the Indian Ocean, voluntarily renounced their original Hindu faith and converted to Islam. But diplomatically, it is the tributary trade system that has been closely following the Ming Dynasty.

However, Malacca is unlike any other port in the world that relies on trade as its main means of livelihood. The island of Hormuz, for example, in the Persian Gulf, is also small, but it needs to maintain a sizable fleet in order to maintain the dominance of maritime trade. Venice and Genoa on the Mediterranean Sea are even more limited in population and financial resources to support the world's top naval forces.

Only the city of Malacca in the east is very concerned about building a sea power. On the contrary, Malacca Sultan relied on mercenaries recruited from places such as Bengal and Java to build a relatively strong army. After all, the local kingdom of Sultan has always had its eyes on the Malay Peninsula behind it. They relied on the support of the Ming court to compete with the Tai people of the Ayutthaya kingdom who were trying to go south.

It was for this reason that the Portuguese from afar easily gained absolute control of the sea in the Strait of Malacca and captured the city of Malacca.

After the Portuguese gained a foothold in Malacca, they immediately carried forward this port that thrived because of trade, and made it the most important trading center and shipping center in the entire South Seas region, and it was also the center of Portuguese colonists' domination in Southeast Asia, making Malacca famous for a while.

However, in 1643 the Dutch East India Company captured Malacca (because of the existence of the Qi state, the Dutch captured Malacca two years later than in the original history). According to their agreement with the Johoreans, the port city was administered by the Dutch. However, the strategic focus or direction of operation of the Dutch at this time had shifted to Batavia, the headquarters in the south, and they were not very concerned about the development and construction of Malacca, resulting in a sharp decline in the status of the port, which was only used as a sea base for the Dutch to control the strait.

In 1653, the Nanyang Trading Company leased Temasek Island, which belonged to the Kingdom of Johor, for 2,000 Hanzhou silver dollars per year, and continued to invest heavily in its development, making it a prosperous commodity distribution center and a superior shipping center, and replacing Malacca City as the largest trading center in the Straits region.

Contrary to most people's realization, Temasek Island did not suddenly emerge as the region's largest shipping hub after Qi took control.

Temasek Island has been depicted in many early ancient maritime and geographical accounts. Its special geographical location and excellent port environment impressed early navigators more than 1,000 years ago.

Around the first century AD, the Maritime Silk Road was gradually developed. Greco-Roman traders from the Mediterranean world, as well as Asian traders from the Persian Gulf and the Indian coast, would pass through Temasek Island on their way to the port in southern Annam. The coastal areas of Annam were remote counties under the control of the Han Dynasty at the time, and were also an important base for the dynasty to absorb the wealth of maritime trade. Some ships departing from Lingnan and Annam will also arrive at Temasek Island to trade with various merchants from the West.

However, due to the limitations of navigation technology at that time, ships had to anchor in relatively calm waters. As a result, the Straits of Johor in the northern part of Temasek Island has become an ideal anchorage for passing merchant ships. The island's early settlements and trading ports were also concentrated in the north, near the Malay Peninsula.

Temasek's landscape lasted until the early 15th century, when a series of political changes in the region led to a dark period of decline.

As a new generation of Nanyang hegemon, Qi has surpassed the previous Portugal and the Netherlands in many aspects, especially in terms of strategic layout, and has thrown them a few streets away.

During the Second Han-Dutch War, the Qi people noticed the importance and superiority of Temasek Island, and secretly deployed a crack naval detachment here to cut the east-west route of the Dutch East India Company into two sections, and almost blocked the Dutch sea route to and from Europe.

Within a few years of the war, the country acquired the right to operate and develop Temasek Island from Johor Sultan, and a fully functional port city was built close to the open sea.

In order to compete with the Dutch, the Qi people also deliberately set Temasek Island as a free port open to all ships, allowing many merchant ships passing through the Straits of Malacca to anchor at Temasek Island to avoid the onerous taxes imposed by the Dutch Malacca authorities.

Later, as Temasek became more and more prosperous in business, and countless ships passed through it, the people of Qi discovered that there was a lot of money to be made here, and endless wealth was pouring here. As a result, the State of Qi simply took out 20,000 Hanzhou silver dollars to forcibly buy this island and became the Strait Governorate under the jurisdiction of the State of Qi.

In the following two decades, the Qi State successively acquired dozens of islands near the strait, such as Linga, Riau, Bintan, and Batam, from the Kingdom of Johor, further strengthening its control over the waters on the eastern side of the Strait of Malacca.

In the 14th year of the Han Dynasty (1684), in order to give the Strait Governorate a broader strategic depth behind it, the Qi Kingdom forced the Kingdom of Johor to cede a large area of land on the northern shore of the Johor Strait to the Qi State, forcing them to move the capital to the inland areas further north to avoid the Qi State's attack.

Eight years ago, the Dutch, knowing that their situation was gone, "took the initiative" to retreat from the South Seas. Through an agreement, they handed over a series of territories, including Malacca, to the Qi people.

At this point, the decline of Malacca and the prosperity of Temasek Island are irreversible.

The reason why Qi attaches so much importance to Temasek Island can be traced back to the time of Emperor Taizu.

For some reason, Emperor Taejo, who had never set foot on Temasek Island, has always had a soft spot for the island. After the development of the navy was a little larger, it could not wait to claim the island from the Kingdom of Johor.

Sometimes, people can't be impressed by Emperor Taizu's far-sighted strategic vision and layout.

With the development and progress of shipbuilding technology in Qi, the volume and draft of ships began to increase day by day, especially the steel ships built in recent years, and the tonnage and displacement are getting larger and larger. As a result, many of the good ports of the past have become unsuitable for large ships. The order of magnitude of seaborne trade has skyrocketed, and there are also higher requirements for the throughput capacity of ports.

Temasek's sea-facing deep-water port is far superior to the city of Malacca, which has only a narrow waterway, in these respects. The Straits of Johor, which was once loved by small and medium-sized merchant vessels in the past, can continue to provide a necessary temporary haven for small vessels.

In that respect alone, Temasek is far more than any port in the Straits of Malacca.

Similarly, in terms of military use, Temasek is much more important than any other port. Qi has become a super maritime power across the seven seas, and the interests of the world's major coastal economic zones need to be protected by the Qi navy at any time, and the deep-water port of Temasek Island is naturally also a treasure frequented by warships, escorting more than 60% of Qi's trade exchanges.

Many years ago, Emperor Taizu gave the island a very "earthy" name, Po County (actually derived from the Malay word "Singapura", transliterated as Singapore). In terms of the geographical environment of this island's low terrain, full of forests and swamps, it seems a bit "unworthy of the name", but Emperor Taizu has a very high prestige, and naturally no one opposes it.

However, most people still like to refer to the island as Temasek, and although the name is also in Malay, it sounds like it has a hint of "style".

In the 22nd year of Taiping (1726), in order to further erase the traces of local indigenous civilization and original culture, the Cabinet renamed Temasek Hankow, which is self-evident.

At present, the entire Strait Governorate includes Po County, Longmen County (now Batam Island), Gui'an County (now Bintan Island), Lingzhi County (now Linga Island), Yongjia County (now Johor Bahru City, Malaysia), Liyang County (now Kulai County, Malaysia), Dexing County (now Kota Tinggi, Malaysia), and Wucheng County (now Pontian County, Malaysia), with a population of about 130,000 people, and it is also a "densely populated" place in the entire Malay Peninsula.

However, if we carefully examine the population distribution data of the entire Governorate, we will find that such a large area of land, with an area of about 15,000 square kilometers, Po County accounts for nearly half of the total population, almost 63,000 people, while Yongjia County on the other side of the Johor Strait has more than 45,000 people, and the population of the remaining six counties together will only be 20,000 people, which is definitely a vast and sparsely populated area.

However, it is also understandable that Po County, where Hankou is located, is a trade and shipping center carefully built by the government, and is also the seat of the governor's palace, so it naturally has more resources and population. Yongjia County is the former capital of the former Kingdom of Johor, which has been developed for hundreds of years by the Tu people, and has also received a lot of foreign investment and immigrant population.

As for the other island counties or coastal counties, most of them are not good places for people to live, dense primeval forests occupy the vast majority of the area, in addition, there are swamps, meadows, hills, tidal flats are also everywhere, if not through a vigorous renovation and development and construction, it is impossible for human survival, let alone agricultural production and living and living.

When Pan Guangfeng got off the boat, he was personally greeted by many local officials, took a luxury carriage and went to the VIP building in the city to stay.

"Over the past few decades, the city of Hankou has been built on a large scale, and in terms of prosperity, I am afraid that it is no less than Yongan (formerly Batavia, that is, Jakarta) and Quang Ninh (now Cilegon City, Java Island), even compared with some large ports and heavy ports in the mainland, it is not too much." Through the car window, Pan Guangfeng looked at the buildings and the flow of people on one side of the street, and he was very pleased.

"As the parent official of Hankou, it is a great honor to be praised by Ambassador Pan!" Mu Yuanlin, the magistrate of Po County, who was sitting opposite, arched his hand slightly towards Pan Guangfeng, and said with a smile: "Ambassador Pan returned from Europe, and he was extremely tired all the way. In this way, I might as well stay in Hankou for a while to maintain my health. During this period, Ambassador Pan can visit the scenery of our Po County, and at the same time, it is also convenient for the lower officials to seek advice at any time to supplement the gains. ”

"After several months of travel, crossing the sea and waves, although he was physically and mentally exhausted, Pan was like an arrow!" Pan Guangfeng smiled slightly, "Not to mention that my wife and children in the family are all looking forward to my return, even if His Majesty's holy order and cabinet appointment, I don't dare to stay here for more to maintain my health." Rest for the night tonight and head to the pier tomorrow to complete the last leg of your trip. ”

"Uh......" Mu Yuanlin couldn't help but show a hint of hesitation when he heard this, "Ambassador Pan, Your Excellency the Governor happened to go to Kluang, the royal city of Johor, this morning to discuss the requisition of tens of thousands of Turks to build the Johor Strait causeway and railway, and plan to return in three to five days. If, upon his return to Hankow, the Governor learns that the ambassador has only stayed here for a short night, I am afraid that he will blame us for not knowing how to treat the ambassador and slighting the ambassador. ”

"Hehe...... it's okay!" Pan Guangfeng smiled and waved his hand, "Your Governor Luo was my classmate and friend more than 20 years ago, and I want to meet Pan Mou, but I want to reminisce about old friendships. However, Pan's return date has been missed, and he can't delay too much. When mountains and rivers meet, there is always a day to meet. Before I set out tomorrow, I will leave a letter to convey to you Governor Luo on my behalf. After he has read the letter, he will not blame you for leaving you in trouble. ”

"Ambassador Pan, the sea is stormy and the weather is unpredictable, shipping delays are common, even if there is a slight delay in returning to Chang'an for a few days, Your Majesty and the cabinet will not mind this......" Mu Yuanlin still needs to persuade again, hoping that Pan Guangfeng can stay for a few more days so that he can meet with the governor.

"Muzhi County doesn't need to persuade again, and Pan can't delay any longer."

What are you kidding, seeing that you are about to arrive at the door of your home, you don't want to hurry back to Chang'an to meet the emperor and the cabinet, and take down the post of secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but because you want to talk about the friendship of classmates in the strait area, you hesitate and delay, drink flower wine, and visit Hankou, which is too unserious.

If someone is interested in giving you some eye medicine because of this, won't you let the duck that you are about to get your hands fly away!

"Uh......" Mu Yuanlin saw that the other party was resolute, so he could only give up, "Since that's the case, it's okay." Tonight, our Hankou officials and businessmen and gentry will hold a reception dinner for the ambassadors in the banquet hall. ”

"Hmm......" Pan Guangfeng pondered for a moment and nodded, "In this case, then Pan will be bothered." ”

"Ambassador Pan was able to attend the banquet, which is really a great honor for us and other Hankou officials and businessmen."

"I heard you mention that your Governor Luo went to the Kingdom of Johor to discuss the requisition of the Turks to build a railway. Could it be that your Viceroyalty of the Straits wants to build a railway to the mainland across the Straits of Johor? ”

"That's true. The four counties of Yongjia, Liyang, Dexing and Wucheng on the northern shore of the Johor Strait are full of rubber plantations, and a large amount of raw rubber will be transported to many rubber factories in Hankou for reproduction and processing every year. However, the travel between the two places is only transported by boat, which requires multiple turnovers, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. A few years ago, the Governor of the Strait planned to build a cross-sea railway to the northern inland hinterland, so as to better take advantage of the developed shipping center of Hankou and continuously export rubber products to all parts of the world. To this end, the Viceroy of the Straits plans to requisition tens of thousands of natives from the Kingdom of Johor to build a causeway connecting both sides of the Straits and then lay railways on top of it, supplemented by roads, so as to completely connect the hinterland with Hankow. ”

"The railway extends to the Kingdom of Johor, and I am afraid there will be many obstacles."

"Hehe......" Mu Yuanlin smiled, "There may be a little hindrance, but the Kingdom of Johor does not dare to refuse." Besides, the Governor himself went to pay a visit to the King of Sultan in Johor, and I am sure they will not lose our face. ”

Oh, as soon as this railway is opened, it is estimated that the Kingdom of Johor will also die.

(End of chapter)