Three Kingdoms, I'm really not a general!

Chapter 660 Great Explorer, Jiang Wei!
Jiang Wei was on the island, looking for islanders on the one hand and exploring the situation on the island on the other.

The island is covered with lush forests and has beautiful mountains and rivers.

But well...

Overall, it still feels a bit primitive.

The soldiers soon arrived with news.

He said, "General, we saw some natives living in thatched houses on the shore, but when we approached, they were frightened and hid in the forest."

At present, he is outnumbered and his ship is slightly damaged. Jiang Wei has to rely on his fellow villagers to repair the ship, so naturally he cannot create a hostile relationship.

He immediately ordered his soldiers not to carry weapons, and he himself brought several pieces of Shu brocade and lacquerware to show goodwill to Lin Wai.

After a long time, an old man was seen walking out of the woods. He had gray hair and beard, was wearing a linen robe, had a shell ornament around his waist, and had a bright look in his eyes.

Jiang Wei bowed in greeting, and the old man also placed his hand on his chest and recited ancient words. His tone was strange, but one could vaguely hear the Chu accent.

Jiang Wei was overjoyed, but secretly said: "This sounds like an old saying in Jingchu, let me try it out."

Then he started talking with gestures and oral instructions.

Upon hearing this, the old man became excited and pointed to the sky and the earth, responding to Jiang Wei.

fortunately…

Jiang Wei could still understand some of it.

It turns out that the ancestors of these people were people from Chu. They fled from the war during the Qin Dynasty, sailed on rafts across the sea, and drifted here for more than ten generations.

He asked Jiang Wei again, "Are you from Qin?"
When Jiang Wei heard this, he realized that it had been four hundred years, and it would be too troublesome to explain!
But looking at the old man's excited look, maybe he is still thinking about Xian Chu.

So he just explained that the world is no longer Qin but Han, and said that the world has been unified and everyone is Han.

As he spoke, he invited the old man into his tent and treated him to wine and food.

The old man picked up the sake and ate it, sighing: "This tastes like my hometown, I haven't tasted it for a hundred years!"

There is something wrong with what you said. It seems like this old man has been staying on the island since he was born. How could he know the taste of his hometown?

However, Jiang Wei also knew that the old man was just saying that he had heard his ancestors talk about the origin of the tribe and was yearning for it, so he sighed like that.

Soon the old man was seen calling the tribesmen together again. When they heard that the words of their ancestors were still alive, they were all delighted and gave each other fruits and animal skins as gifts.

The atmosphere seemed pretty good, but Jiang Wei also discovered that the islanders' farming tools were still stone axes and wooden hoes. It was obvious that their technology was extremely backward.

I can't help but ask: "How have you made a living in the past hundred years?"

The old man replied, "We fish and hunt for food, and weave kudzu for clothing. Occasionally, a merchant ship from Yue people comes here and exchanges pearls and shells for bronze wares, but it is rare to see one in ten years."

He pointed to the fields in the distance and said, "The soil is thin and the water is shallow, so it's hard for rice to grow. We can only grow taro and potatoes to fill our stomachs."

Jiang Wei was quite surprised to hear that there were Yue people trading here.

I was thinking...after I recover Yizhou, I will go look for the Yue people.

With this in mind, the islanders seemed very happy that night and even lit a bonfire, wanting to celebrate all night long.

...

Late at night, a bonfire was lit.

The islanders sang while beating wooden drums. The tune was desolate and although the words could not be fully understood, some of the tones were still clear.

Jiang Wei listened for a long time, then sighed to his left and right hands Luo Xian and Deng Ai: "This is the lingering rhyme of the Chu song, I didn't expect it to still exist overseas."

Luo Xian and Deng Ai also listened together, feeling the ancient tone, and gradually got into it.

However... the three of them would naturally not forget why they came here with so much hardship.

Luo Xianxian said, "Boyue, I think these islanders are kind-hearted. Why don't we ask them to repair the boat?"

Jiang Wei was thinking the same thing, but he said, "We are in need of wood and manpower to repair the ship. We want to exchange some of the materials on the ship for their help. Can we say that this is the best of both worlds?" Deng Ai narrowed his eyes and said, "What Bo Yue means is..."

"Leave them the extra silk, bronze, and pottery on the ship in exchange for the materials and labor needed to repair the ship," Jiang Wei explained. "These things are not valuable to us, but they can win their trust and help."

"Besides... we brought these things with us this time just in case. The king has told us to make our own arrangements and act accordingly."

Luo Xian nodded in agreement: "This is a great idea. I see that these islanders are very clever and skillful. They have excellent craftsmanship in weaving straw mats, so they must also be good at carpentry."

Deng Ai was silent for a moment, then suddenly revealed a meaningful smile: "Bo Yue, that's a good idea, but... since we are going to leave supplies behind, why not leave more?"

"Let them see the rich products of the Central Plains and arouse their yearning. When our ship is repaired, we can come back on a certain date. Then..."

He didn't finish, but the calculation in his eyes was self-evident.

Jiang Wei and Luo Xian looked at each other and saw recognition in each other's eyes.

Jiang Wei knew what Deng Ai was hinting at—using supplies as bait to pave the way for the future conquest of this land.

There is nothing wrong with this. What are you here for in the first place?

Isn't it just for expanding territory?
It would be best if we could integrate peacefully, but we must also be prepared for the worst.

but…

Seeing that these islanders had no hostility and some were yearning for the Central Plains, Jiang Wei felt that there was no need to rush to make a judgment.

"Let's solve the problem at hand first." Jiang Wei finally said after some thought, avoiding Deng Ai's hint and talking about the arrangements later. "I will communicate with them and be responsible for the exchange of materials."

Then he said to Deng Ai: "Shi Zai, take your men to survey the nearby terrain and find a suitable place to repair the ship."

The key point right now is to repair the boat first.

Deng Ai had no objection to this and nodded in agreement.

...

In the following days, exchanges between the Han soldiers and the islanders became more frequent.

Luo Xian showed amazing language talent. In just a few days, he had learned some basic vocabulary and was able to communicate in a simple way.

He learned that this tribe called themselves "Basai" and that they had lived on this coast for generations since coming to the island, making a living by fishing and planting.

When the islanders heard that Jiang Wei and others wanted to ask them to repair the boat in exchange for various silks and utensils, they were happy to do so.

Helped one after another.

In just a few days, the ship was at least mostly repaired.

Naturally, this was the first time that the islanders had seen such a huge ship.

Everyone was astonished and shocked.

After half a month, the ship was almost repaired, and Jiang Wei prepared to return.

Before leaving, Jiang Weiwei gave the old man two iron hoes and several copper knives, but said: "After leaving this time, you must return quickly. When you come again, bring grain seeds and farm tools."

The old man was overjoyed.

He held Jiang Wei's hand tightly and pointed to the high mountain in the east: "There is a white stone on the top of the mountain that looks like a moon. You can see it when the boat is thirty miles away. If you see white smoke rising, it means that the tribe is welcoming guests."

Jiang Wei nodded repeatedly, and then the two sides parted ways.

But after returning to the ship, Jiang Wei drew a sea chart overnight, paying special attention to the location of the islands.

It is also recorded: "The islanders are descendants of the Chu people. They can be ruled peacefully. If they refuse to obey, force will be used."

After thinking for a while, he added: "This place is rich in camphor wood and pearls, so it is suitable to exchange them for iron tools and grain seeds..."

After marking everything, he nodded with satisfaction, but turned his gaze toward the south.

(End of this chapter)