"Alas, this time I'm gone, I really don't know when the next time I'll come back......"

In July, on the banks of the Yangtze River, Zhu Gaochi, who was carrying his hands behind his back, sighed a few times.

When I came from Kunming, my belly was gone, and the whole person was a little thinner and more symmetrical.

It's just that his sad temperament didn't last long, and a voice sounded behind him: "Just continue to eat fat if you don't go back to the fiefdom." ”

"Huh?" When Zhu Gaochi heard this, he hurriedly looked back at Zhu Gaochu behind him, with a look of resentment:

"Second child, you know, that's what I do......

"You're not just a hobby." Zhu Gaoxu glanced at him: "How many women are in the Han Palace, my father and I know better than you." ”

"Huh?" Hearing this, Zhu Gaochi's face turned red:

"Ahem, men are nothing more than wine and wealth, you know......"

Zhu Gaochi wanted to say that Zhu Gaochu also understood, but he thought about it, he didn't seem to see Zhu Gaochu drinking and making money, there were many concubines, but I heard that he didn't play very often.

At least compared to the fact that he often slept with three or five people, Zhu Gaoxu was conservative.

"This time I go back, there should be a lot of changes along the way, if the eldest brother has a heart, you can record it in the letter and let someone pass it on to me."

Zhu Gaochu patted Zhu Gaochi, looking at his slightly well-proportioned body, and he didn't know how long this body shape could last.

"Boss, let's go!"

On the boat, Zhu Gaosui stretched out his head and shouted, Zhu Gaochi immediately became anxious when he heard this, looked at Zhu Gaosui and reprimanded: "Look at you, how can you speak, the eldest brother is unwilling to call?" ”

"It's time to go, big brother!" Zhu Gaosui was helpless, so he could only add a big brother.

How happy they were when they came, and how sad they are now.

The request to leave Beijing was made by themselves, because the old man was too good to toss them.

Zhu Gaochi can only be a vegetarian, Zhu Gaosui can't entertain, and the two can't touch women......

It can be said that Zhu Di's requirements simply cost the lives of the two brothers.

Originally, Zhu Gaochi thought that he would return to the fiefdom early and return to his house to eat, drink and entertain secretly, but the old man should not know.

But Zhu Gaoxu's words directly shattered his illusions, and he could only find another place to eat and drink secretly.

"What are you thinking, you thief?"

Zhu Gaochu looked at Zhu Gaochi with disgust, and Zhu Gaochi immediately waved his hand when he heard this: "Go, go, where is there anyone who says that his eldest brother is a thief?" ”

"Forget it." Zhu Gaochi couldn't think of it for the time being, so he didn't continue to think about it, but just said to Zhu Gaochu:

"There is only one person in this capital, if my father still wants to go north, you can persuade him, Mobei is bitter and cold......"

"Big brother, have you ever been to Mobei?" Zhu Gaoxu's words made Zhu Gaochi speechless.

"As long as Dad goes in summer and the water and grass in Mobei are fertile, there will be no big problem."

Zhu Gaochu popularized the situation of Mobei in the impression of their group of traditional Confucian scholars for Zhu Gaochi, and added: "Before you were in Yunnan, others said that it was a wild land, but you said yourself, how about Yunnan? ”

Zhu Gaochi touched his double chin, which no longer existed: "It's pretty good, it's the same as you said, the four seasons are like spring." ”

"Isn't that enough?" Zhu Gaoxu shook his head and said: "Grandpa said a long time ago, don't die reading, the Mobei in your impression is just a book, not a reality." ”

"This time you go back to Kunming, I don't know when you and my brother will meet next time, you take care of your body, I don't want to see you walk in front of your father......"

"Are you cursing me or what?" Zhu Gaochi felt a little unlucky, after all, the old man was almost fifty, and he was only thirty-one upright and prime.

"I won't talk to you anymore, I'm afraid I'll be angry with you, so I'm leaving......"

Zhu Gaochi walked on the boat as if he had a little temper, and Zhu Gaochu also looked at his back, with a smile on the corner of his mouth.

A moment later, the big boat sailed out of the Jiangdongmen wharf and gradually moved away, and Zhu Gaoxu also sighed and turned around and got into his carriage.

At the same time that Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Gaosui sailed away, a huge fleet also approached a long horn protruding from the mainland.

"This is Kunlun Point, right?"

"In terms of distance, this should be the place!"

Standing on the deck of the boat, looking at the blue sea, Zheng He and Chen Xuan started a dialogue with indescribable emotions.

After nearly three years of sailing, they finally reached the end of this ocean.

"Chen Zuo and Wang Ren, you each separate your warships and go to see if there is a natural harbor suitable for anchoring near the Cape of Good Hope, as Your Highness said."

"Yes!"

Chen Xuan ordered, Chen Zuo and Wang Ren also responded, and then went to other warships, scattered the fleet, and spread in all directions.

Zheng He and the others did not continue to act, but put away the sails, waiting for Chen Zuo and them to bring news, and while they couldn't help but comment on the sailing process of more than two months.

"Your Highness actually asked you to take them to find gold and silver, I still can't figure it out, why don't we let our own people find it."

Chen Xuan's words were a little complaining, but Zheng He shook his head helplessly when he heard this:

"I don't know, but what His Highness said is also reasonable, if you don't give some sweetness to the vassal countries and private merchants, how can they continue to support the imperial court to go to the West?"

Two months ago, Zheng He, who had set out from Mugu Dushu, began to lead merchants from various countries and merchants of the Ming Dynasty to explore the local area after they arrived in the Ma Woodland.

After exchanges, they discovered that a lot of gold sand can be found in many rivers in Kunlun Zhou, and the presence of gold sand means that there are gold mines.

After this news spread, merchants from all over the world turned their attention to Zheng He, because there were accompanying miners in the Western fleet.

As long as the miners are sent, then they can find the mine, and it is a mine of gold, what is the value of words?

Zheng He pretended to be embarrassed, and finally after receiving a lot of bribes from merchants and merchant gangs from various countries, he finally nodded and let the miner go to search for the gold mines.

However, since the task of the fleet was to go to the Western Ocean, Zheng He, after leaving 1,000 soldiers and horses to protect the merchants and miners of various countries, then he and Chen Xuan went all the way south towards the Cape of Good Hope.

Chen Xuan's complaint was not that Zheng He sent miners, but that those miners had already had Zheng He's guidance, and already knew where there were gold mines and where they didn't.

Looking at the mountains and mines, the entire Ming Dynasty has this ability, and only Zhu Gaoxu, who is sitting in the Chunhe Palace, is in charge.

As for how Zhu Gaoxu knew that there was a gold mine in Kunlunzhou, Chen Xuan didn't want to know this.

He only knew that if the map of this gold mine was handed over to him, then after he returned this time, he would definitely ask for the establishment of a consolation department in Kunlunjiao, rather than a simple officialdom.

As long as the Propaganda Department is set up, coupled with the temptation of the local gold mines, Chen Xuan does not believe that anyone will refuse this temptation.

However, judging from Zhu Gaoxu's meaning at the moment, he is not ready to meddle in the affairs of Kunlunzhou, but wants to hand over the affairs of Kunlunzhou to the private merchants and various vassal states.

In Chen Xuan's view, this is simply like a meat bun beating a dog, and there is no return.

"It's easy to set up a consolation department, but we have too few people after all, how can we mine gold when we come here?"

Zheng He sighed and said to Chen Xuan: "Wouldn't you want to follow Luzon's example? ”

"Then ......" Chen Xuan hesitated: "That's also for the court, there is no way to ......"

Chen Xuan and Zheng He know how Luzon gold is mined, but this kind of talk can't be put on the bright side, once it is known by the officials in Jiangnan, they are estimated to start showing their 'gentleman's style' again.

If this is the case in Luzon, then Kunlun is not to mention much.

"There's no way, it's no way, but the bustle of the world is all for profit, and if the benefits are all occupied by the imperial court, then this benefit will definitely not last long."

"The reason why His Highness set up Xiaoxiyang as a private trade zone is probably because of this Kunlun Continent mine."

"Think about it, Ceylon and Manraka are in our hands, and with these two customs, unless someone spends a lot of effort to go by land, they will definitely not be able to avoid the investigation of the imperial court."

"It doesn't matter if you mine gold and silver mines, but you must pay the mining tax."

"Why not use the strength of the feudal domains and the people and merchants to enrich the taxes of the imperial court?"

"I think what Your Highness said is very good, eat what is in front of you first, and then plan for the future."

Zheng He moved out of what Zhu Gaoxu had said to him, and Chen Xuan also understood when he heard it: "You mean, Nanyang is the present, and Kunlun is the future?" ”

"That's pretty much what it means, and don't forget that we still have Nanzhou." Zheng He mentioned Nanzhou, which made Chen Xuan's eyes light up.

Indeed, compared to Kunlunzhou, Nanzhou is closer to Daming, but due to ocean currents and monsoon problems, it is not easy to get to Nanzhou from the north.

However, it is not easy to return, compared to going to Kunlunzhou, Nanzhou is much easier.

"Forget it, I'd better take care of the fleet."

Chen Xuan also knew that he couldn't play these games, so it was better to listen to orders honestly.

Seeing this, Zheng He had a smile on his face, and discussed some interesting things along the way with Chen Xuan.

While the two were talking and laughing, the warships that were sent out also began to return one after another, and brought good news.

There is indeed a natural bay next to Kunlun Point, and it can moor warships of less than 3,000 materials.

As long as the coast is repaired slightly, the 5,000-material ship can also dock and anchor.

Not only that, but the climate is humid enough to grow crops and vegetables.

"Your Highness is really like a god."

After learning about the situation on the shore from Chen Zuo's mouth, Chen Xuan sighed, and exchanged it with Zheng He and them for a big ship of 3,000 materials, and sailed straight to the natural bay.

From afar, they saw a lot of vegetation.

At first, Chen Xuan was still a little vigilant, worried that they would have a lot of malaria, snakes, insects, rats and ants in them, just like Jiaozhi and Nanyang.

However, as they landed on the white sand beach, they realized that there were not many trees here, but the vegetation was quite abundant, a climate they had never seen before.

"It's not a rainforest climate."

Since Zhu Gaoxu wrote the book "Climatology", this book has become one of the several books that admirals must study.

Before this, Chen Xuan had not been exposed to the Mediterranean climate, and he did not have "Climatology" with him, so he couldn't tell what kind of climate it was.

"Let's see if there's a source of water."

Zheng He walked beside Chen Xuan, and while looking around, he also began to try to use a hollow pestle to drive into the soil in some places with a lot of soil, and then take it out after going three feet deep and touch the soil at the tip.

"It's still wet, and it should be able to get well water."

Squeezing out the soil of the iron pestle, Zheng He nodded with satisfaction, and then asked people to dig a well and build a camp.

As time passed, the Ming army on the sea began to land on the shore gradually.

Due to the division of troops to escort the merchant gang to prospecting, and the fact that there were also many soldiers and horses left in Mugudu, the number of Ming troops who arrived here was less than 7,000.

Although the number of people is small, it is not difficult to build a camp.

The limestone, iron ore powder, and clay on the ship were readily available, and there were also fine stones and sea sand on the sea.

Although sea sand is not the best material, there is no way to do it in a rudimentary place.

Soon after, the windbreak wall was built, and the Ming army began to set up tents and dig a well.

Although the vegetation is not abundant, there is not a lot of groundwater, and it only takes six feet to dig a well down to start gushing out.

The thirteen wells can not only meet the water supply of the current army, but also leave water sources for the officers and soldiers of the officialdom who remain here to grow crops and water vegetables.

"Tomorrow the seven thousand men will be divided into five thousand, and they will be divided into fifty teams, and they will search north from all directions to see if there are any tribes of natives."

"If there is, then don't have a conflict, let the guide try to see if you can communicate with them and exchange them for enough fruits and vegetables."

In the big tent, Zheng He instructed more than 70 thousand household officials in the army, and at the same time explained to Chen Xuan: "Send a thousand people at sea and search north along the coastline to see if there are any tribes that can exchange vegetables and fruits." ”

"In addition, make sure that there are any problems with the "Ocean Current Map" and "Monsoon Map", and whether they need to be modified."

"Yes!" Everyone responded, and after a short night's rest, they began to carry out Zheng He's military order.

As for Zheng He, he stayed where he was and continued to build officialdom with the few materials on the ship.

The fleet traveled all the way south to exchange supplies with the tribes, and the supplies on the ships were enough for their 7,000 men to live here for three months.

However, it was impossible for Zheng He to eat all the supplies for three months, because he still had to keep a thousand people here to maintain officialdom.

Therefore, he planned to spend a month to build the officialdom, reclaim a certain amount of ripe fields, and then lead the main force on the return journey, leaving the remaining materials for the officers and soldiers of the officialdom.

Time passed little by little, and within three days, many Butang began to return.

It turns out that there are other ethnic groups living in this area, and although they are black, they are not quite the same as the blacks in other places, with yellowish complexion and facial features similar to those of some races in Indochina.

Their number is about 8,000 people, and their height ranges from 4 feet 5 inches to 4 feet 7 inches (145cm~150cm).

They lived by gathering and hunting, but they also kept livestock in captivity.

In the face of the sudden Ming army, most of them were very vigilant.

Despite the language barrier, the two sides understood each other's general thoughts under the gesture of dancing and dancing.

They were very interested in the armor, weapons, and cloth of the Ming army, and wanted to exchange their livestock with the Ming army.

When Zheng He heard the news, he had the few pieces of cloth on the ship made into simple clothes, and asked the ship's craftsmen to make a batch of knives, guns, spears, and iron pots, so that the people below could communicate with the locals in the area with these things, and according to the vocabulary they often spoke, they were called the Kersans.

The Ming army exchanged cattle and sheep with them, and they also sent many of the livestock they hunted and caught.

The tall Kirin (giraffe) with two horns on its head was thought by the Ming army to be the legendary unicorn.

They didn't know what they called the black and white, donkey-like creature that looked like horses, but after being brought back to the camp, Zheng He gave it the name Hua Fulu (zebra).

In addition, there are also livestock with two feet of horns, similar to a goat, but with a horsetail, which was called Mahamon (right-horned oryx) by Zheng He.

Finally, there is a tall bird, but he can't fly, he only knows how to run, and an egg is the size of a human head.

Since it could be trained to ride some lighter weights, Zheng He called it an ostrich.

Knowing that these livestock could be exchanged for things, the local Kesang people went to hunt one after another, bringing many rare beasts to Zheng He.

Due to the large number and curiosity, Zheng He had them processed and served to the table, but the taste of these livestock was not very good, so Zheng He only kept them, ready to take them back to the Ming monarchs and ministers to see.

After a delay of nearly twenty days, the 1,000 people led by Chen Xuan returned to the dock named Kunlun officialdom by Zheng He.

Compared to when they left, the Kunlun Wharf at this moment had been preliminarily built, and the wharf was built with stones and poured concrete, which was enough to accommodate 5,000 ships, but only three.

"Well, are there tribes along the western coast?"

Knowing that Chen Xuan was back, Zheng He immediately went to the beach to greet Chen Xuan.

A smile appeared on Chen Xuan's dark face: "There are some tribes, but the language is not understood, but through the gesture of hands and feet, we can still trade." ”

"They are more interested in our weapons and our clothes and armor."

"Armor can't be given to them, but weapons and clothes can."

Chen Xuan said, and Zheng He also breathed a sigh of relief: "What we have encountered is similar to what you have encountered, and basic exchanges and trade have been established. ”

"Let's go, I'll show you the rare beasts they sent!"

Zheng He said, and pulled Chen Xuan towards the officialdom.

At this time, the officialdom has been surrounded by a rammed earth city wall with a height of several feet, and due to the lack of materials, except for the wells, drainage canals, and wharves used concrete, everything else is compacted with simple soil, not even triple soil.

Even so, it was more than enough to deal with the attacks of the locals.

"What's that?!"

Chen Xuan was startled, and pointed to a strange creature poking its head out of the city wall and was startled.

"That's a unicorn, I'll take you in and have a look."

Zheng He grabbed Chen Xuan's hand and led him into the small officialdom.

It is more like a zoo than an officialdom, because there are many strange creatures imprisoned in it, among which the unicorns, which are more than one to two feet tall, make Chen Xuan feel insignificant.

"I'm going to bring these things back to Daming and show them to the monarchs and ministers in the temple and the people of Nanjing."

"I've heard that they also have a taller elephant here, and that there are not a few rhinos."

"Look, these are their tusks and horns." Zheng He took Chen Xuan, who had not yet come to his senses, to the earthen house of the officialdom, where there were many ivory, rhinoceros horn and a lot of fur.

The ivory is bigger than the elephant ivory that Chen Xuan has seen in Annan, and just such a pair is worth a thousand gold.

"So many things ......"

Chen Xuan came back to his senses, sighed and stretched out his head again, and saw the various beasts that were locked in cages.

"Can these things return to Daming alive?"

It was very difficult to transport livestock by sea, so even the horses of the Ming army died a lot, and finally it was captured and replenished at Kurumus to maintain it until now.

Although the beasts were more adaptable than the horses, Chen Xuan was worried that the beasts would not make it to Daming alive.

Zheng He nodded when he heard this: "I'm also a little worried, so I'm going to take the second male and fourth mother to Daming to see how many can be brought back." ”

"That's right!" Zheng He thought about the matter, so he put down the heavy ivory in his hand and asked, "How about the ocean current and monsoon exploration?" ”

"There are some changes, but they are not particularly big, the drawings have been corrected, that is, we did not go to Dongzhou in person, and we are worried about ......" Chen Xuan wanted to speak and stopped, and Zheng He was also a little silent when he heard his words.

After a moment, he spoke: "The map that Your Highness has given us has never been wrong, and even if it is, it is only a flaw. ”

"I believe in Your Highness, so Dongzhou must exist."

"Wang Ren's side I will instruct, in the past few days, we have exchanged a lot of supplies and fruits and vegetables with those tribes, enough for Wang Ren to sail for two months, and at the same time, the Kunlun officialdom also has enough supplies for a thousand people to eat for eight months."

"Even if Wang Ren didn't find Dongzhou and sailed back, the materials of Kunlun officialdom were enough for him to return to the hemp forest to replenish, and then go to Ceylon with Mugudushu."

Zheng He anticipated everything that might happen and was well prepared.

He didn't believe that His Royal Highness would make a mistake in this kind of thing, and Chen Xuan nodded when he saw this: "Then I will ask Wang Ren to come over, is he in the camp?" ”

"He's here!" Zheng He nodded and sat down on a chair in the earthen house, and Chen Xuan also sat down safely when he saw this.

After a while, Wang Ren was taken into the earthen house in the officialdom, and took the initiative to make a gesture after entering the house: "Wang Ren, the official of a thousand households, see the envoy and the Marquis of Pingjiang." ”

"Wang Ren......" Zheng He, as the envoy, naturally opened his mouth about the matter of the envoy to Dongzhou.

Led by him, Chen Xuan also gave a general account of the affairs on the west coast of Kunlunzhou, and took out the charts that had been corrected by him for Wang Ren to see.

"This is a difficult task, and I grant you permission to refuse, and I grant you permission to return in the middle of the voyage."

"If you can discover Dongzhou and gain a firm foothold in Dongzhou, then I promise you that the imperial court will at least give you the position of a guard commander, as well as the hereditary rank of the third rank."

Zheng He said the difficulty and reward, and after hearing this, Wang Ren clenched the chart in his hand tightly, and handed it over without the slightest hesitation:

"The last general is willing to lead the army to Dongzhou!"

"Good!" Hearing Wang Ren's words, Zheng He and Chen Xuan got up happily, and said while helping him up:

"All the brothers in your army who go to Dongzhou, regardless of whether they succeed or not, will be promoted to the third level and given the fifth rank."

"If someone doesn't want to go, then don't force it, I don't believe that these 7,000 people can't find a thousand people who dare to go to Dongzhou."

"Yes!" Wang Ren felt the importance of this task, and he no longer lingered at the moment:

"In that case, then I will go and select the advance team members of the Thousand Households now."

"Go ahead!" Zheng He patted Wang Ren on the shoulder, and then watched Wang Ren turn around and walk out of the earthen house, and his figure gradually moved away.

Looking at his back, Zheng He also breathed a sigh of relief, and Chen Xuan on the side also touched his short beard, and sighed with gains and losses:

"We... I can finally go home......"

(End of chapter)