Water Margin: The opening scene involves assassinating Emperor Huizong of Song and forcibly taking L

They didn't have a dedicated stable; they kept the horses directly in tents.

If you raise a dog like this for a few years, it can become incredibly close to its owner!

"Guests from afar, I hope you will treat these warhorses well," Ahmed said.

The horse-breeding official said, "It definitely will."

The Bedouin people used camels to carry their goods and gradually disappeared into the depths of the desert.

The horse groom summoned his subordinates and then discussed the matter with Commander Zou Tong.

Given the restlessness of these newly purchased Arabian horses, one person was assigned to care for each horse and try to calm them down.

Two days after the Bedouins left, Damascus returned to trade.

Like Aleppo, Damascus was nominally part of the Seljuk Empire, but it had been independent for decades and was the front line against Western invasion.

They brought many local specialties, but the Ming envoy could only see two things: Damask rose essential oil and Damask steel.

Damascus steel is made from wootz steel from India, which is repeatedly forged and wrapped with wrought iron.

Qian Mian, unaware of its true nature, called this type of steel "Da Shi Bin Tie" (大食镔铁).

……

This continued until autumn, when most of the goods had been sold.

Qian Mian received the ransom, returned the fortress to Fulke, and led his fleet to a Red Sea port, waiting for Chen Wo to arrive from Egypt to join him.

Chen Wo brought back a large number of Egyptian academic works, as well as various local specialties from the Mediterranean region.

After they reunited, they did not leave immediately.

One after another, Arab merchants brought East African specialties to sell to the Ming Dynasty fleet in the Gulf of Aden—mainly ivory, furs, gems, ebony, grains, fruits and vegetables, etc.

After loading was completed, they headed to the Gulf of Oman to wait, where Cheng Yu, Yu Yunwen, and others would meet them from Seljuk.

If you choose to return at this time, you will actually be facing headwinds and currents in the northern Indian Ocean.

But once you pass through Faith, you can become a wind or water spirit, so there's no need to stay here and wait for half a year.

They cannot leave immediately; they must wait until the eleventh month of the lunar calendar, otherwise they may encounter a major storm.

This information was provided by Arab merchants, who stated that the North Indian Ocean experiences the most storms between March and May, and August and October of the lunar calendar.

The sixth and seventh months of the lunar calendar are the best time to travel east, as the winds will be favorable and there will be no storms.

Some Arab merchants chose to travel with the Ming Dynasty's fleet.

Seljuk Sultan Sanjar also sent a ship to accompany them, carrying envoys, scholars, and gifts to the Ming Dynasty.

Along the way, various states presented their credentials, formally establishing equal diplomatic relations with the Ming Dynasty, and also selling some of their local specialties.

Upon arriving in the Kingdom of Solanchi, they not only presented a letter of credence but also dispatched a delegation of thirty people to accompany them.

The Later Chalukya dynasty sent a delegation of thirty-five people.

The Chola Dynasty dispatched three ships, carrying a large amount of goods and envoys.

……

Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

The new king, who seized power in a coup, also presented his credentials at the port.

Although the new king was reckless, he had been badly beaten by the Ming Dynasty last time and was trying to ease diplomatic relations with them.

"Well, just as I expected, right? The king's uncle really did rebel," Zhu Xiaozhong said with a smile.

Cheng Yu said, "Bring the prince along and help Xilanchi restore its kingdom!"

Yu Yunwen brought out a nautical chart: "The prince has no prestige; even if we help him restore his kingdom, he probably won't be able to hold onto it."

"We need to station troops in the Victory City. We don't need too many, five hundred men will suffice."

"Is it worthwhile to station troops so far away?" Hu Quan asked.

Yu Yunwen said, "The provisions are provided by the King of Ceylon, while the money is drawn from port taxes."

Cheng Yu asked, "The soldiers are isolated overseas; I'm afraid it will be difficult to maintain morale."

Zhu Xiaozhong laughed and said, "Leave the soldiers from Shamen Island. They are all exiled criminals from the former Song Dynasty, and they have all eaten people."

"Their wives and children were taken to Japan before, and some of them even married in Japan."

“Next time we bring their wives and children here, we can also allow them to remarry in Ceylon.”

Yu Yunwen said, "If we control Ceylon, we can control the waters on the Indian side."

"It would be best to request the imperial court to dispatch several warships to be stationed here permanently after returning to the country."

“Sanfoqi is still a big hindrance,” Yingxuan said.

Yu Yunwen said, "Order them not to intercept Ming merchant ships, and not to force the purchase or sale of Ming goods."

"If they do not comply, then we will have a pretext for war."

"At that time, we will bring together the surrounding vassal states to fight together. Those are not only vassal states of the Ming Dynasty, but also those that have become independent from Srivijaya."

"They have always been suppressed by Srivijaya, so they are definitely willing to send troops."

Ying Xuan said, "If we can station troops in Srivijaya and Ceylon, the sea route from the southernmost tip of India to Guangzhou will be unobstructed."

Cheng Yu said, "The expenses for stationing troops cannot be covered by government funds; otherwise, it will be unsustainable."

Chapter 3652 Two Ports

"We must occupy the ports and collect taxes to support the garrison. This will not only save money but also generate a surplus to be handed over to the national treasury."

Yu Yunwen pointed to the Bengal region: "It would be best to occupy a port here as well."

There are two ports there: one is the outer port of Kolkata, and the other is located at the mouth of the Barisal River.

As for Chittagong, it was a wild and undeveloped place at that time, and had always been a haven for pirates.

Hu Quan said, "The rainy season there is unbearably hot and humid, and I'm afraid many of the troops stationed there will fall ill."

Yu Yunwen said, "Take it slow. First, occupy one port each in Ceylon and Srivijaya."

“Select some soldiers who have adapted to the heat and humidity, and go to Sena (one of the states of Bengal) to occupy the port.”

"With these three ports in hand, sea routes will be unimpeded."

These three ports form an irregular triangle, and each port is directly accessible from the other two.

.....

The Victory City is located in the center of Ceylon Island, and is 280 li away as the crow flies from Mantai Port, which is coveted by the Ming Dynasty.

Even the nearest port, Ptalham, is 200 miles away as the crow flies.

Zhu Xiaozhong led his troops from the port of Puttalam, where the route was not only shorter but also less mountainous.

But there are still many rivers, lakes, forests and hills.

The new king, Parakramama, was a skilled warrior, and the Ming army was frequently attacked along the way.

Suddenly, Ceylon soldiers emerged from the forest and hills.

They charged forward shouting and firing arrows, but each time they crumbled at the first contact and scattered into the dense forest.

Zhu Xiaozhong could only order his soldiers to march in armor, and he did not pursue them too deeply, in order to prevent them from falling into enemy traps.

The Ming army headed straight for the city of Shengli.

In a dense forest, Parakramama, with a grim expression, watched as the Ming army pushed their cannons away into the distance.

His tactics were actually quite simple: use elite troops to set up ambushes and use weaker troops to lure the enemy into a rout.

If a large number of Ming troops pursue them, then continue to flee to lure them in.

If the pursuing Ming troops are few, then they should ambush and annihilate them in one fell swoop.

As a result, the Ming army didn't pursue them at all!

Parakramama had feigned defeat to lure the enemy four times, each time with a more convincing defeat than the last, yet the Ming army still refused to pursue him into the forest.

“We have enough troops to defend the capital city; let’s attack the port.” Parakramama changed tactics.

At the port of Puttalam, the Ming Dynasty only had 500 army soldiers stationed there.

However, Parakramama had four thousand elite troops and more than two thousand ragtag soldiers. He had already sent people to the port to secretly observe and believed that he was sure to win.

Moreover, the local nobles of several cities north and south of the port had long been subdued by Parakarama.

He had already sent people to make contact in advance, and was able to gather another one or two thousand troops.

By capturing the port, they could seize a great deal of wealth and cut off the Ming army's retreat.

He could ambush the enemy troops who were rushing back to their aid!

Two days later, the Ceylon army converged from the east, north, and south, with a total strength of nearly 8,000.

……

Xia Yuqing was dozing off in the shade.

Ceylon has a pleasant climate, with summer-like weather year-round, but it's not hot, and the temperature difference between day and night is not significant.

"Commander, there are enemies a few miles to the east!" a soldier rushed over.

Xia Yuqing slowly opened his eyes: "What about the north and south sides?"

"We haven't found anything yet," the soldier said.

Xia Yuqing said, "Strengthen vigilance and have everyone put on armor."

Xia Yuqing went to inform Yingxuan and asked him to dispatch naval troops to land and be ready to defend and counterattack at any time.

With everything arranged, Xia Yuqing continued to doze off.

He came from Shamen Island, had participated in raids in southern Liaoning with the army, and had been stationed in Lushun for a long time. He also fought several battles with the Jurchen and Bohai soldiers.

He was then transferred to Iwami Castle, where he was stationed for several years and his military rank rose to the level of regimental commander.

Although he has been promoted in rank and position, he still feels like an adopted child, and this time he will be left on Ceylon Island!

Xia Yuqing harbored a deep resentment.

Isn't he just a former Song Dynasty exile who killed and ate many people?

They didn't eat people during the Ming Dynasty.

The only saving grace is that the climate here is quite nice, and the resources are plentiful; it's not exactly a desolate wasteland.

The highest peaks on the east, south, and north sides were all guarded by Ming soldiers.

They climbed to the treetops to observe through binoculars, and waved flags whenever they spotted enemy activity.

The flags were too far away to be seen clearly, but the Ming soldiers near the port kept their eyes on the signal flags with binoculars.

Another day passed, and the signal flags in the north were waved in the morning, while those in the south were waved in the afternoon.

The Ceylon troops were in position on three sides, ready to launch a general offensive.

……

That evening, Parakarama received a series of messages.

He told the soldiers who came to deliver the message, "I will send out my troops tomorrow morning when the sun rises, and you should also march to the port at that time."

These thousands of Ceylon soldiers lay in ambush in the woods halfway up the mountain.

On the mountaintop where they were, several Ming soldiers remained hidden in the treetops, not daring to move.

It has been hiding for two days, eating, drinking, and relieving itself in the tree, and even sleeping tied to the tree at night.

Chapter 3653 Fecal Attack

These are the people who waved flags and sent messages to the port.

Even Parakramama himself came twice to climb to a high place and observe the situation at the port.

The Ming soldiers hid on the king's head, urinating directly into his crotch, the urine slowly flowing down the tree trunk.