1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3700

In fact, there was more than one "Zhenhai Port" under Hai Han's rule named after Qian Tiandun. To be precise, the Zhenhai Port located on the coast of East Africa should be called "Second Zhenhai Port" or "Second Zhenhai Port".

The place named "Zhenhai Port" before this place is the river and sea port at the mouth of Yongjiang River in Ningbo Prefecture, which is currently under the jurisdiction of the East China Sea Region. Moreover, the history of Zhenhai Port is even longer, and the place name was used long before Hai Han took over the place.

Qian Tiandun was not unaware of this, but he believed that the two Zhenhai ports had similar functions, one guarding the East China Sea and the other the Red Sea, one in the east and the other in the west, thousands of miles apart, which was also another form of distant echo.

Moreover, when people mention the place name "Zhenhai Port" in the future, they will not only think of Ningbo Zhenhai Port, but also think of another Zhenhai Port far away in Africa, which will surely help to increase the popularity of this new port in the country.

"In the coming period, the sea routes we have built around the Arabian Peninsula and our influence on the region will all be realized through Fubo Port and Zhenhai Port. I hope you can remember that this is not just an isolated port overseas, but also the border of our Hai Han Kingdom!"

"The western line of our country's territory used to be at Hamban Port on Ceylon Island thousands of miles away, but from now on, this is the new border! The land you are standing on will be the territory of our Hai Han country from now on! Everyone stationed here must not only shoulder the task of building Zhenhai Port, but also the responsibility of defending the land!"

“You may not be able to obtain timely supplies and other support from home, and you may not be able to see your family for a long time. But since you have joined the Hai Han Army and are a member of the Special Operations Division, you should have realized that expanding the country’s territory is your mission that you must accomplish!”

"I promise you that I will properly arrange the rotation time limit and ensure that everyone who completes the garrison mission of Zhenhai Port will receive the proper vacation and special allowance. Those who volunteer to stay here for a long time can convert their military merits according to their years of stationing, get additional promotion opportunities, and report to the Ministry of National Defense for commendation!"

Qian Tiandun currently has little to offer to the troops stationed at Zhenhai Port, and can only draw a few big cakes to boost morale. Fortunately, it is only 500 miles away from Aden Port. As long as there is a ship and money, most of the daily necessities needed can be purchased from the local area, which may even be more convenient than Fubo Port in the Strait of Hormuz.

Considering that the surrounding environment here is not particularly peaceful and pirate activities are rampant, Qian Tiandun specially left a few more warships to ensure the safety of the voyage between Zhenhai Port and Aden Port.

There is a poem that goes: "Zhenhai's waves reflect the red sun, and Fubo's sails reach the sky. The two ports stand side by side and connect to the world, and the journey of thousands of miles shares this wind."

After arranging the affairs of Zhenhai Port, Qian Tiandun led the fleet to set off again, heading north into the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the gateway to the Red Sea.

The width of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is about fifty or sixty miles. Although the sea surface seems wide, there are actually a large number of reefs and volcanic islands in the strait, making the passage through the strait not as safe as it seems.

From a geographical point of view, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait was once part of the Great Rift Valley of East Africa. It was formed long ago due to geological changes, which caused the strata between the African continent and the Arabian Peninsula to fracture and sink.

While passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Qian Tiandun was also sharing some special knowledge that he knew with his subordinates.

"It is said that a long time ago, the ancestors of mankind were born on the African continent. All humans in the world originated from this continent, and humans living in East Asia also came from the African continent. Before this place became a strait, it was very likely the route that some ancestors took to migrate from East Africa to the east." Gao Qiaonan has been following Qian Tiandun for a long time, and he is also the one who catches up with Qian Tiandun's thoughts the fastest among the audience: "Sir, if we travel eastward along the Arabian Peninsula, then the Strait of Hormuz may have been a piece of land at that time, right?"

Qian Tiandun nodded and said, "You are right. Think about the topography of the Strait of Hormuz. Doesn't the north and south banks fit perfectly together? It's like a cake that has been broken in half."

Everyone recalled the map they had seen before, and it was exactly as Qian Tiandun said. The peninsula where Fubo Port was located protruded to the north like a sharp thorn, while the coast on the north side of the strait was just concave. The terrain was indeed highly consistent.

However, if it weren't for Qian Tiandun's explanation, probably no one would have thought that the strait, hundreds of miles wide, might have once been a continuous piece of land.

Li Yuande didn't quite believe this statement. "Sir, if what you said is true, all people in the world are descendants of African ancestors, then why do people from different regions and ethnic groups look so different? Most of the native Africans are black, but we in Hai Han are all yellow-skinned. It doesn't look like we were born from the same ancestor, right?"

Qian Tiandun smiled and said, "People are shaped by the environment they live in. It is normal for our ancestors to change places and their descendants to change with the environment. Look at the foreign naturalized people that our country absorbed in the early years. When they reach the second and third generations, don't they become more and more like Han people?"

Li Yuande said: "It seems to be true. I know that some naturalized people of other ethnic groups will look more and more like Han people even if they don't intermarry with Han people."

Qian Tiandun said, "That's the truth. Changes can be seen in two or three generations, which is only a few decades. What about tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions, or even longer? Survival of the fittest and continuous evolution have led to the differences in appearance of human races and ethnicities that we see today."

Dong Shangyi sighed, "Your Excellency is truly knowledgeable and well-informed. This is the first time I have heard such a statement. It really broadens my horizons! I just wonder what our ancestors who walked out of Africa millions of years ago would have looked like!"

Qian Tiandun laughed and said, "That's definitely different from our appearance. It's more like a monkey."

Dong Shangyi was surprised and asked, "Could it be that our ancestors were transformed from monkeys?"

Qian Tiandun said: "As far as I know, it is indeed possible that humans evolved from some particularly intelligent ape-like creatures. Didn't you see several black-haired orangutans near the Zhenhai Port station a few days ago? They might be your distant relatives."

After hearing this, everyone burst into laughter, thinking that Qian Tiandun was just joking to make everyone happy. Only Gao Qiaonan knew that what Qian Tiandun said was probably not a joke, but no one was willing to accept it.

Of course, even Gao Qiaonan, an old subordinate who firmly believed in Qian Tiandun, found it difficult to accept his theory of evolution that transcended his time. He was a dignified general of Hai Han, a role model admired by countless Hai Han people, and there was no way he could be a distant relative of the chimpanzee.