You have truly caused me great suffering!

On the eve of winter in the fourth year of Jianwu, the Great Jing officially declared war.

Prior to this war, ships had already been able to sail to the Persian coast and the Red Sea region, and had formed a considerable fleet.

Because of this battle, merchant ships will inevitably have to stop operating for a period of time.

Even Arab merchants were somewhat worried, fearing that a prolonged battle would disrupt trade routes.

Once this lucrative business model is established, they are unwilling to let it stop even for a single day.

But war is sometimes like a natural disaster, something they cannot resist.

It is something that merchants cannot resist.

Merchant ships from the common people of Dajing also unloaded their trade goods to help the imperial court transport more military supplies, equipment, and land troops.

Almost all of this is done voluntarily, without any compensation.

Throughout history, when wars broke out in the Central Plains, ordinary people contributed their strength and money, often involuntarily.

For example, when Tong Guan was pacifying the border, he would confiscate property when he ran out of money, specifically targeting merchants.

Although merchants are wealthy, they have low social status, and when their property is confiscated, they are not even given a reason.

Tong Guan killed many wealthy merchants, claiming that they did not support the imperial court's war efforts.

These days, the merchants are genuinely putting in their own effort because they want to finish the fighting quickly so they can divide up those islands.

Because Chen Shao, on Cai Jing's advice, implemented a progressive land tax in Dajing, which was in effect an encouragement for the gentry to invest their wealth in commercial activities.

Therefore, the caravans in various regions today actually represent the interests of local powerful families.

Their interests are closely tied to Da Jing's, and they are the most supportive of Da Jing's territorial expansion.

In addition, the imperial court's policies, which were not officially announced, had been leaked by some officials, including the fact that the mines on the island could be contracted out.

Merchants can build their own ports, warehouses, and transit stations, which is an unprecedentedly favorable policy for them.

Jing Jun, who had been out of the fight for a long time, was even more eager and looking forward to this rare opportunity.

From their perspective, it's not like Da Jing isn't lacking in battles, yet they're all being fought by the Annamese. What kind of logic is that?

Now His Majesty has finally remembered us.

Those who are near the water get the first taste of the moon; the Zhe family of Xiaoliuqiu, Li Shiyan of Champa, and Wang Bing of Annam have already taken the lead in landing at sea.

The court's clear enemies this time were Khenpo Tsultrim Lodro and Chenla (the Khmer Empire), but at that time there were no maps, so who cared about that?

The moment the decree was issued from the imperial court, the entire Southern Wilderness was like a pot of boiling porridge, with no single grain of rice spared.

Since the territory here is unclear and everyone needs military merit, the only option is to fight anyone they see, which is something Chen Shao hadn't anticipated.

But it will inevitably evolve into this.

Even the most powerful monarch cannot completely control an army thousands of miles away; they will constantly test the waters within the limits of their own interests.

When Chen Shao first heard about the attack on the mine, he was somewhat taken aback, because this wasn't the first time.

It's like a tiny creature much weaker than you that keeps recklessly provoking you. Your anger keeps building up until the moment you decide to kill it.

However, what he did not expect was that although the name of the Great Jing Kingdom meant 'bright and beautiful', it was founded by force. The army of the first generation was like a bloodthirsty beast, growing fatter and stronger with each battle.

This behemoth has been starving for three or four years now, thanks to human intervention.

The initial period of explosive growth after the release of these constraints is something even Chen Shao, the master, needs to avoid.

Zhe Keqiu was the first to arrive at Vishayya (Philippines). Once the officers and soldiers found a place with fresh water, they immediately began to build fortifications, fortresses, and docks.

Merchants waited at these fortresses and docks to collect their spoils, to auction off land, and to sell castrated boys to the Arabs.

Historically, at this time, Zhenla, Java, Srivijaya, and Jiaozhi were all at their peak: the Kingdom of Khenpo was at its zenith, building temples and promoting culture; Zhenla was building Angkor Wat, at the height of the Khmer Empire; and during the reign of the Ly Dynasty in Vietnam, it was even able to dominate the Song Dynasty and threaten Dali.

But the Philippines is different. It is still in the tribal society stage before the state era, without a unified government or large kingdoms.

The entire territory consists of hundreds of independent Balangai; "Balangai" are kinship-geographical communities formed by maritime immigrants, with populations ranging from tens to thousands;

Their leaders were called Datu or Raja, and their power was based on lineage, wealth, military achievements, and magical authority, with priestesses holding half the sway.

The Song Dynasty text *Zhu Fan Zhi* mentions "Visaya" in a horrifying way, describing its inhabitants as "suddenly arriving by boat at the coast, abducting people and eating them." This indicates that the area was not just generally backward, but may even have been inhabited by cannibalistic tribes.

Zhe Keqiu disregarded all of this and directly declared that this was the remonstrance that the court had mentioned, and that the enemy who killed the Jing people was the one who ...

Ordinary people might find encountering a cannibalistic tribe terrifying, but tens of thousands of well-armored regular soldiers see them as nothing more than chickens.

Based on the battlefield situation, Zhe Keqiu judged that the enemy was too weak. He sent his own troops, recruited from Xiaoliuqiu (Taiwan), as the vanguard into the deep mountains and forests. These Taiwanese aboriginal people belonged to the Tao tribe, and their languages ​​were cognate with those of the Ivatan people of the Bataan Islands in the Philippines, both belonging to the Austronesian language family. They even had small-scale trade and intermarriage.

Even though they shared the same language, Zhe Keqiufei said this was Jianyi Lane, and no one objected. At this time, anyone who dared to cut off everyone's source of income would be in for a world of trouble. How long has it been since the Five Dynasties? Have you forgotten?

The barbarian soldiers set fires, shot arrows, and laid explosive traps to drive the enemy away.

Jing Jun swept through the enemy lines, cleared out the scattered enemies, then broke into the camp, captured prisoners, destroyed local houses, surveyed the terrain and water sources, and prepared to build a city and reclaim wasteland.

This efficient and bloody tactic is like using a ghastly net to wipe out fish in a pond.

Wang Bing was much more disciplined. He carefully examined the map sent by the court and then set off from Quy Nhon Port in Annam, marching towards Kean Nghi.

The port where they landed, in the language of the Kagi-ri people, means "corner of jewels".

Because this is a natural harbor, Jianyili exported rice, spices, and gold from here, and imported porcelain and silk from the Central Plains.

This is the source of their wealth.

Now this place has been spontaneously captured by Jing merchants. They sent people to contact the Jing army and raised flags to welcome the navy to land.

The arrival of the navy filled them with immense excitement, and they cheered loudly.

Looking at all this, Wang Bing scratched his head. The war was vastly different from what he remembered.

Back when he fought against the Western Xia, both sides would mobilize the people, but he had never seen a scene like this in his entire life.

He wouldn't have been able to figure it out if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes.

What kind of kind-hearted men and women would sail out to sea a few years before the seas open?

How much money can you make from doing business? But if you occupy this place, your wealth will be endless and can be passed down to your descendants.

Chen Shao used an imperial edict to bring all these ambitious and adventurous people to the sea to search for the rich and vast Australian continent that His Majesty had mentioned.

They haven't found Australia yet, but they've started developing the southern wilderness first.

After Wang Bing landed, the situation here became much clearer than it was with Zhe Keqiu.

Jianyi was a real state with an army.

Wang Bing began preparing for the destruction of the country, analyzing the enemy's mobilization capabilities, locating the enemy's supply lines, and planning the route of advance.

As the youngest Grand Commandant in the old Western Army, Wang Bing's military skills were undoubtedly excellent, but he still lacked one of the abilities of a general who had quelled difficulties.

That is the ability to cooperate with caravans.

Wang Bing is also learning this, because he knows that one of the secrets to the Dingnan Army's invincibility is that they always bring a large group of merchants with them when they go to war.

They will help you transport and process spoils of war, escort the wounded, and clean up the battlefield, allowing your soldiers to focus entirely on fighting.

And they themselves would make a fortune. The imperial court would save on laborers and auxiliary soldiers; the people would be exempted from corvée labor and would instead carry heavy loads for the war.

It's a win-win situation; everyone involved has benefited greatly.

Although Wang Bing didn't understand commerce, he noticed something: the merchants and sailors here were far too enthusiastic.

What drove them to do this was not necessarily entirely out of loyalty to the emperor and love for their country.

This maritime trade is the most profitable business in the world today, bar none.

These islands in the southern wilderness, all of which have good harbors, are treasure troves.

In the future, countless more people will spontaneously join in, and this place will become more and more lively, filled with a continuous stream of tourists.

Of course, cities will also be built here.

Perhaps His Majesty is right again; in the near future, this place too will become part of the Great Jing's territory. (End of Chapter)