Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 478 The Journey to Southeast Asia (Part 2)

Upon hearing Li Bin and Chen Youliang discuss how to facilitate Champa's tribute mission, Wang Dayuan remarked, "A policy of befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones might be useful against Annam, but Champa should not be neglected. With Your Highness's ambition, if you truly intend to conquer Annam, you will not be interested in just Annam. This can be seen from Your Highness's arrangements this time."

Chen Youliang and Li Bin immediately nodded. Lu Jindu had set up the intelligence bureau in Palembang and explicitly stated that he wanted Borneo's oil and Manila in Luzon, and even regarded it as an important hub for the Lizhou shipping route. How could such a hub be controlled by others? Of course, it would be better to control it ourselves.

Furthermore, Lu Jin once told Chen Youliang that Annam is just like Yanyun. Yanyun has been separated from the Central Plains for hundreds of years and should be taken back. Annam has also been separated from the Central Plains for hundreds of years and should also be taken back. If Annam is taken back, how far away is Champa?

Wang Dayuan then said, “Actually, this place is also my homeland of China. The Rinan Commandery established by the Han Dynasty is located south of the Tropic of Cancer. For two months of the year, the sun shines from north to south, so some houses here face north.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Youliang and Li Bin, who had never been to Southeast Asia before, suddenly looked at the nearby houses. They had felt something was amiss earlier, and after Wang Dayuan's reminder, they carefully examined the place and indeed found something strange. Moreover, the architectural style here was quite exotic, not Chinese at all, but more like Indian style.

Yes, the official religion of Champa was Hinduism. The Hue region between Champa and Annam was the meeting point of Chinese and Indian civilizations in the Indochina Peninsula at that time. Annam to the north used Chinese systems and architecture, while Champa to the south officially spoke Sanskrit, believed in Hinduism, and built houses that resembled Indian temples.

Li Bin then said, "Mr. Wang means that His Highness wants to take back Champa as well?"

Wang Dayuan shook his head. "I didn't say that, but Champa did separate from China. During the Han Dynasty, the natives in the southernmost part of Rinan Commandery rebelled. The Han army failed to defeat them, which led to their separation from the rule of the Central Plains and the formation of the Kingdom of Linyi. Later, during the Sui Dynasty, the Sui army destroyed the Kingdom of Linyi again, but they only lasted a few months before withdrawing, causing the Kingdom of Linyi to break away from Chinese control once more."

"After that, the Kingdom of Lin-yi became Champa, and it has only been passed down for a dozen or so dynasties. Therefore, from a legal point of view, this place is definitely our ancient land of the Han and Tang dynasties."

Chen Youliang and Li Bin nodded thoughtfully. Since it was the former territory of the Han and Tang dynasties, there must be a claim to it. If there was a claim, there must be a reason to reclaim it. Upon hearing this, the two immediately set their sights on Champa.

The interests of these three are now surprisingly aligned. Li Bin is the head of the Nanyang intelligence station. Lu Jin promised to grant him a title based on how much land they could bring back from Nanyang, so he naturally has a reason to plot against Occupy Central.

Chen Youliang is now a naval commander. If the navy wants to have work to do, then it can only target the surrounding island nations. Although Champa is connected to the mainland, the navy will definitely have to contribute if it is conquered. If the navy can contribute, then the navy will deserve credit.

As for Wang Dayuan, he was the one who understood Lu Jin's thoughts the most. He had seen Lu Jin's car and knew that one of the important reasons Lu Jin sent him to Lizhou was rubber. However, rubber could not be grown in the north, so the only option was to find a way to acquire land in Southeast Asia. There might be some doubts about attacking other places, but the reason of recovering the former Han and Tang territories would definitely gain the support of most people.

Moreover, as an envoy exploring the seas, the more good things he brought back from overseas, the more it proved that overseas interests were indispensable, and the greater his merit as an envoy would be. Although Wang Dayuan himself did not seek great merit, he did not mind finding more food for his family.

Li Bin then said, "Thank you for reminding me, Your Excellency. I understand now."

Now that he understood, he naturally needed to make some preparations in advance. Li Bin immediately started doing business with local merchants in Bintonglong under the guise of a Chinese merchant. He found a local Chinese merchant in Bintonglong named Lin Shuheng.

This man's ancestors came from Fujian and had been living in Bintung for three generations. However, all the women he married were Han Chinese, and he still maintained the tradition of speaking Chinese and recognizing Chinese characters. At the same time, he could also speak Sanskrit and Annamite. He was a man who longed for his homeland. He was especially excited when he heard that the newly rising King of Chu was about to drive out the Mongol Tartars. According to Lin Shuheng himself, his ancestors were Han Chinese merchants who fled to Southeast Asia from the former Song Dynasty.

So Li Bin proposed to Lin Shuheng that the two of them jointly establish a business in Bin Tong Long. Li Bin had a stable source of Chinese goods, and could get whatever he wanted, while Lin Shuheng had local connections and sales channels in Champa. With the two of them joining forces, business would naturally be easier.

Upon hearing this, Lin Shuheng immediately agreed and even gave his son, Lin Yuan, to Li Bin as a shop assistant and translator. This boy was born and raised in Champa and had always heard his parents say that their motherland was China, but he had never been there. This time, he could go back and see it with them.

Moreover, 17-year-old Lin Yuan is fluent in multiple languages, including Hokkien from Fujian, Malay from Southeast Asia, and Sanskrit from India. He can stay on the ship as a translator, and Li Bin will definitely need his help when he continues to other parts of Southeast Asia.

Li Bin accepted all comers; he did need such a man. He also left several followers in Bin Tonglong, who were called branch managers but were actually staff members of the Champa branch of the Nanyang intelligence station.

Having secured the intelligence station in Champa and found a local Chinese merchant to act as their business agent, they were finally ready to set off for other places.

Back on the Yuanwang ship, Wang Dayuan said to Chen Youliang, "Jinlan Bay in Champa is a military port with an excellent location. His Highness once said that for a port to become a military port, its terrain must meet several requirements. First, it must be surrounded by mountains on three sides and water on one side. It must also have a small entrance and a large interior, with mountains on both sides. This way, the mountains can shelter the warships from the wind, and second, by setting up gun emplacements on the mountains on both sides of the entrance, the port can be blocked with artillery fire, preventing enemy ships from entering."

"Secondly, the water in the harbor needs to be deep, and the bay needs to be wide enough to accommodate enough large ships. General Chen, how many giant ships like the Yuanwang can you think of in Cam Ranh Bay?"

“There should be enough space for several hundred ships.” Chen Youliang stood on the deck, surveying the surrounding harbor. He then realized that this was indeed an excellent naval port. He then asked, “Besides being deep, having a narrow mouth and a large belly, and being flanked by mountains, what else is needed?”

"It also needs a good geographical location, preferably close to the main shipping lanes. Otherwise, if it's a desolate, remote place, even if the harbor has a good topography, it's useless if you can't use it," Wang Dayuan explained again.

Chen Youliang nodded in realization, "That's true."

Wang Dayuan then added, “The location of Cam Ranh Bay is excellent. It’s 2600 li from here to Manila in Luzon, 2600 li to Malacca (Temasek), 2600 li to Guangzhou, only 2000 li to Brunei, and 3200 li to Palembang. No matter which direction you go, it will take no more than seven days.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Youliang's eyes lit up immediately, and he instantly understood the meaning behind the words. "Doesn't this mean that this place is the very center of Southeast Asia? If we place a fleet here at Cam Ranh Bay, we can control all the countries in Southeast Asia?"

Wang Dayuan nodded, "That's why His Highness calls this place the No. 1 naval port in Southeast Asia, and intends to use it as the home port of the South China Sea Fleet in the future."

"South China Sea Fleet?"

"General Chen will know when the navy is officially established." Upon hearing this, Li Bin and Chen Youliang once again understood the importance of Champa. Such a strategic location must be reclaimed!
However, Li Bin then said, "My lord, since we've already been to Champa, there shouldn't be any other important places on the western front, right? You mentioned that it's not far from here to Manila, so why don't we simply turn to the eastern front, go to Manila in Luzon first, then to Brunei, and then to Palembang? This way, we can take a roundabout route and avoid going through another detour. What do you think, General Chen and my lord?"

This is where the strategic importance of Bin Tong Long becomes apparent; it's so convenient to get anywhere from Cam Ranh Bay.

Wang Dayuan looked at the map and realized that this route was indeed feasible. According to the route Li Bin mentioned, one trip would pass through all the important countries in Southeast Asia, and there would be no need to make a special detour afterwards. So he said.

"We can give it a try. It's only a few days' flight at most. If we can't get there, we'll make other plans."

“Okay, let’s go to Manila first.” Chen Youliang and Li Bin nodded and immediately agreed.

Having witnessed the successful adventure from Penghu to Bintonglong, others were even more convinced of Wang Dayuan's navigation skills, and no one objected to taking this 'transoceanic' route again.

So the Yuanwang ship changed course again and set sail from Bintonglong towards Manila in Luzon to the northeast. However, this time the wind was not favorable. The 2600-mile journey, which they originally thought would take at most two days, took a full three and a half days. They even thought they had gone the wrong way. It wasn't until the third day that Wang Dayuan remeasured the latitude and longitude and confirmed that the route was correct that they continued to sail forward. In the end, they arrived in Manila without any major incidents.

Today, only the southern part of Manila Bay on Luzon Island has city-states. Most of the northern part is still inhabited by indigenous tribes. Surprisingly, there are three city-states in this small area of ​​Manila Bay: the one in the north of the bay is called Luzon, and the one in the south is called Manila. Some people also call it 'Menila,' but it doesn't matter, as they are all transliterations.

Sandwiched between Luzon and Manila is another small country called Mayi. However, its coastal territories were all taken over by Manila, and it has become an inland country on an island, which is quite absurd.

However, Li Bin and his group soon discovered that there were more Han Chinese in Manila than in Bin Tonglong before, and that Manila was also one of the important trading ports for Chinese merchants in Southeast Asia. Even if the Semu merchants from Quanzhou wanted to go to Sulu, a country that believed in Islam, they would definitely have to stop in Manila to resupply and do business first.

Many of the slaves who were previously sold from China to Southeast Asia by Semu merchants were also sold here. Some Han Chinese were sold to Manila like "coolies" and were forced to do the hardest and most tiring work. Of course, there were also many Han Chinese maritime merchants here.

Following the same method, Li Bin partnered with local Han Chinese merchants in Manila to open a branch, and assigned several branch managers and accountants, giving them instructions.

“Every Han Chinese in Southeast Asia is an important asset to the court’s strategy in Southeast Asia. You must find a way to rescue the Han Chinese here, recruit them as employees of your businesses, and bring them under your banner. They will surely be of great use in the future.”

Zhao Huan, who was assigned to be the branch station chief in Manila, nodded and said, "Don't worry, Director Li, we will definitely manage the branch well."

"Well, I'll give you three thousand taels of silver first, and the payment for this shipment will also be given to you. I'll keep the weapons and armor for now. Just tell me how much you need next time, and I'll allocate it to you."

"Yes."

"Also, you can set up a shipyard here and recruit more local Han Chinese to work. You should also keep some supplies on hand. Next year or the year after, Governor Wang may return from Lizhou on the Yuanwang ship and come here to resupply. You need to be prepared to receive him."

"Yes, I will definitely get the shipyard up and running as soon as possible."

"Okay, then I'm relieved." Li Bin patted him on the shoulder before leading the group back to the ship.

The Yuanwang then sailed to its next stop, Brunei Bay, on the island of Brunei.

Brunei's capital was located in Brunei Bay, meaning they went directly to Brunei's capital. A few days later, the arrival of the Yuanwang ship caused a sensation in Brunei.

First, no one had ever seen a ship like the Yuanwang, painted entirely in white with masts soaring into the clouds, making it extremely eye-catching on the sea. Second, with the Yuan Dynasty in power in China, Chinese merchants preferred to trade with the Sulu Sultanate northeast of Brunei, and very few merchant ships came to Brunei.

The vast Bay of Brunei had only a pitiful dozen or so ships, most of which belonged to other Southeast Asian countries. Not a single one was from China, which made Li Bin and his party stand out even more. When the local merchants heard that they were Chinese maritime merchants, they became even more enthusiastic.

After trading iron pots, silk, paper, ink, porcelain, tea, and other goods, the local merchants asked them why they had come to Brunei. Li Bin took the opportunity to tell them about the current situation in China. He learned that the Mongol Yuan Dynasty was about to fall and that the new Han emperor intended to expel the Semu merchants who practiced Islam. The Brunei merchants were initially shocked, then overjoyed, because this meant that Chinese merchants would come to Brunei instead of going to their enemy, Sulu.

The news quickly reached the ears of King Mahmud Shah of Brunei. The king immediately invited them to the palace and inquired about the news from China. Mahmud Shah asked several questions, such as whether it was true, where the Han Chinese emperor had advanced to, and when he would drive out the Mongols and Semu people. Li Bin answered all of them. This immediately delighted Mahmud Shah, who expressed his desire to go to China to pay tribute to the Han Chinese emperor. However, he lamented that his country was currently weak and poor, and he was afraid he could not offer any decent gifts. This saddened him greatly.

Li Bin's eyes lit up. If they couldn't come up with a gift, that was easy. China could set up a concession in Brunei. They didn't need any other places, just the oil fields. That didn't seem like a bad idea. Of course, his official identity wasn't that of an envoy, so he didn't say this directly.

Instead, he told Mahmud Shah that the Han Chinese emperor also disliked Islam. If he learned that Brunei was being attacked by the Sulu Kingdom, which believed in Islam, he would be willing to help Brunei and drive out the Semu people. It didn't matter if the king didn't have any gifts, as long as he was willing to acknowledge China as his suzerain state and form an alliance between the two countries, this would be the best gift for the Chinese emperor.

Mahmudshah became even more excited upon hearing this and immediately expressed his hope that Li Bin could take the Brunei envoys to China. However, Li Bin did not agree immediately, saying that he still had to go to Palembang and could pick them up on his return trip.

Mahmud Shah immediately agreed. It was like a godsend, a perfect opportunity. The new emperor of China actually wanted to join forces with him to drive out the Semu people. That was fantastic!

When Li Bin returned to the ship, he and Chen Youliang, Wang Dayuan and the others were filled with emotion. They had only traveled for less than a day and had already brought together envoys from two countries. When they returned this time, Lu Jin would probably have to experience the grand spectacle of "all nations coming to pay tribute" ahead of time.

(End of this chapter)