Song Dynasty: Yuan Dynasty, you didn't expect this, did you? I'm still alive.

The tactical thinking of the Srivijaya navy was still stuck in the ancient era of cold weapons. Their warships were narrow and rudimentary, with decks densely packed with soldiers wielding scimitars and spears, hoping to rely on ramming and boarding the ships, and then using human wave tactics for close combat. This was once a winning strategy in the South China Seas, but against the Eastern Song navy, it became a laughable performance.

The Eastern Song navy may have relied on boarding combat in the past, but since the introduction of cannons and muskets, its tactics have undergone a radical transformation—no longer pursuing close combat, but advocating long-range strikes that can "take the enemy's head from a hundred paces away".

On the sea, as the Srivijaya fleet menacingly approached to within 300 meters, Wang Lin stood at the bow of the flagship, coldly drew his sword from his waist, and waved it forward: "Fire!"

The gunners, who had been waiting in ambush, lit the fuses. With a dull scraping sound, the cannons, loaded with gunpowder and solid iron bullets, jerked back sharply.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The deafening roar of cannons echoed through the narrow strait, the reverberations so powerful that even the seawater seemed to tremble. Smoke instantly filled the sides of the Eastern Song warships. Although limited by the accuracy of early cannons, most of the black iron projectiles whistled into the sea, creating huge columns of water, but some shells, carrying astonishing kinetic energy, slammed heavily into the Srivijaya fleet.

"Crack—Boom!" Huge impacts echoed one after another. Solid iron projectiles easily pierced the thin wooden planks of the Srivijaya boat, smashing them into shocking holes. Seawater instantly rushed into the cabin like a ferocious beast, and the hull, losing its balance, made a teeth-grinding cracking sound as it rocked.

The Srivijaya general stood at the swaying bow of the ship, staring in horror at the scene before him. His face was ashen, and he trembled as he grabbed his personal guard, asking, "What...what kind of sorcery is this? Why did the ship break before we even got close?" The guard was equally bewildered, his mouth agape, thinking to himself, "If you don't know, General, how would I?"

The general had no time to investigate further, for his soldiers were on the verge of collapse. Shells that missed the ships slammed into the throng. A single solid shot often struck down more than ten soldiers in quick succession, like a bowling pin hitting a bowling ball. Those hit first were instantly mangled beyond recognition, turning into a bloody pulp. Even if they were shielded by those behind them, the terrifying impact was enough to shatter their internal organs, causing them to vomit blood and die.

"The gods have struck! Run!" Someone shouted in despair. The soldiers of Srivijaya dropped their weapons, knelt on the deck to pray for divine protection, or scrambled to jump into the sea to escape.

In response, the Eastern Song navy unleashed a second salvo. Soon, a Srivijaya warship, taking on too much water, its stern raised high, and it sank to the bottom of the sea amidst the cries of its crew, instantly becoming a fish's belly.

Seeing the dire situation, the Srivijaya general knew that if he didn't retreat, he would face certain death. In a panic, he waved his flag and ordered a withdrawal. If they could escape back to Palembang and rely on the city walls, there might still be a glimmer of hope. But if they were sunk at sea, then there would truly be no hope of salvation.

Wang Lin stood at the bow of the ship, a cruel smile playing on his lips: "Trying to run? Too late!" He turned and ordered the fast ships in the fleet to give chase. The Eastern Song warships overwhelmed their opponents in both speed and firepower, and soon caught up with the fleeing remnants. A volley of musket fire completely annihilated the Srivijaya navy on its return journey.

News of the naval victory reached Palembang, throwing Srivijaya and his ministers into a panic. Some suggested suing for peace, while others advocated resistance. Listening to the faint sounds of cannon fire outside the city, Srivijaya felt a deep sense of dread and ultimately decided to send an envoy out of the city to sue for peace with King Lin.

Sitting in his makeshift military tent, Wang Lin listened to the envoy's obsequious plea for peace and then laughed in anger, slamming his teacup heavily on the table: "Things have come to this point, are you joking? Where is the arrogance you displayed when you killed our envoy?" He didn't give the envoy a chance to explain, waving his hand and shouting: "Drag him away and execute him!" Afterwards, he personally led 10,000 troops to begin the landing operation on Palembang.

Ten thousand Eastern Song soldiers arrived at the walls of Palembang, but instead of rushing into the city, they methodically set up fifty siege cannons. At Wang Lin's command, cannonballs rained down on the city walls. Solid shot relentlessly bombarded the ancient stone walls, leaving them cratered and riddled with holes; occasionally, it struck the defenders on the battlements, instantly sending them flying in a bloody mess. Gravel, like the scythe of death, swept away large numbers of soldiers gathered on the city walls.

Although the number of cannons was limited to fifty, and their accuracy was inconsistent, the actual damage they caused was not devastating. However, the deafening sound and terrifying destructive power of the firearms severely damaged the defenders' will to resist. Under the continuous bombardment, the city walls teetered on the brink of collapse, and many cracks appeared.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Wang Lin ordered a halt to the artillery bombardment and the entire army to attack the city. Engineers pushed wooden carts loaded with gunpowder close to the weakest point in the city wall, and with a deafening roar, a huge breach was blasted open. The Song soldiers, already as ferocious as wolves, brandished their sharp blades and surged into the city like a tidal wave through the breach.

The Palembang garrison was already weak, and of the 10,000 hastily recruited soldiers, most were civilians who had never been to battle, fighting bare-chested with only rudimentary bamboo spears and wooden clubs. Even the veteran guards of Srivijaya mostly wore only simple leather armor. In contrast, the Eastern Song army wielded superior weapons forged from high-quality iron ore from Xinxiang and wore sturdy iron armor; the difference in equipment between the two sides was like heaven and earth.

The street fighting instantly turned into a one-sided massacre. Song soldiers' longswords easily cleaved through the enemy's leather armor and flesh, staining the streets crimson with blood. The newly recruited Srivijaya soldiers were the first to collapse, abandoning their armor and fleeing in all directions. Even the veterans lost all morale, and a "race to escape" unfolded within the city. Seeing that all was lost, Srivijaya, along with his trusted followers, fled hastily through a secret passage the moment the Song army breached the city.

Wang Lin captured this incredibly wealthy city almost without bloodshed. Looking at the mountains of wealth within its walls, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he ruthlessly issued a command to his soldiers: "Don't sheath your swords for three days! Those who dare to kill citizens of my Great Song Dynasty, this is their fate!"

Once granted permission, the Song soldiers went berserk, excitedly unleashing a frenzied looting and slaughter throughout the city. All men in Srivijaya, young and old, were beheaded; the women were divided among themselves—those with some beauty were kept for their pleasure, while the rest were sold to human traffickers accompanying the army. The once bustling port of Palembang was transformed overnight into a living hell, the ruins filled with the stench of blood.

The Arab merchants living in the city were terrified and sent representatives to Wang Lin, trying to buy his protection with money: "General, we are just merchants, we have nothing to do with the war..."

Wang Lin sneered, interrupting them: "You're the ones who are blocking my Great Song merchant caravan's westward advance? Enough nonsense!" He was too lazy to listen to their explanations, and with a wave of his hand, he ordered all these wealthy Arab merchants to be executed and their property confiscated.

News of the horrific scene at Palembang quickly spread throughout the surrounding areas. The tribal chiefs, terrified, not only dared not resist but also flocked to Wang Lin, bringing cattle, sheep, and fine wine to beg for mercy. They wept bitterly, claiming that the killing of the people of the superior nation was entirely Srivijaya's idea, and that blocking the fleet was also his order, having nothing to do with their tribes. They swore allegiance to the Eastern Song Dynasty and pledged to send troops to punish Srivijaya.

Looking at these chieftains who had been arrogant at first but obsequious later, Wang Lin sighed inwardly, "These barbarians fear power but do not cherish virtue; they have petty courtesy but no great righteousness. Our ancestors were truly right." He outwardly remained calm, accepting their loyalty, but inwardly he had already made his plans. He ordered these chieftains to assemble a force of five thousand men to accompany him in pursuing Srivijaya, with their own provisions provided; the Song army would only provide some of the captured weapons. Faced with these harsh conditions, the chieftains, to save their lives, had no choice but to agree, and the force was assembled the next day.

Srivijaya, though nominally a nation, was in reality nothing more than a loose tribal alliance. Apart from Palembang, which prospered due to trade, the rest of the region was mostly undeveloped primeval jungle, teeming with poisonous insects and wild beasts. Wang Lin had no intention of sending his elite Song soldiers into such forests; these five thousand native soldiers would be perfect cannon fodder.

According to intelligence, Srivijaya fled to the area around Jambi. Wang Lin ordered the native army to lead the way, and many tribes surrendered along the way. From these tribes, Wang Lin selected two thousand strong men to supplement the cannon fodder. For those tribes that refused to cooperate and were not cooperative, Wang Lin directly ordered the native army to slaughter them, and all the spoils of war were distributed to the brave native soldiers. With such generous rewards, the native soldiers' enthusiasm was fully mobilized, and their marching speed was extremely fast.

Half a month later, the army arrived at Champa. The local tribal chiefs had long been terrified by the Song army's formidable strength. In order to protect themselves, they joined forces with Srivijaya's generals to launch a rebellion, binding the panicked Srivijaya and sending him to Wang Lin.

Wang Lin dared not dispose of the emperor without authorization, so he imprisoned him and quickly reported to the court. Soon, the imperial decree arrived: "Summon the local chieftains and execute them by slow slicing in public! This will deter the wicked and demonstrate the power of our nation!"

The execution was carried out in the square of Palembang. Wang Lin summoned all the chieftains who had submitted, and in full view of them, the executioner tied Srivijaya to a wooden stake and began to cut away his flesh piece by piece. The execution lasted from noon until dusk, with more than three thousand cuts made. The screams were shrill and piercing, making the chieftains present tremble with fear, their backs soaked with cold sweat. They all swore to Wang Lin that they would never betray him.

Wang Lin watched this scene with satisfaction, offering kind words of comfort to the chieftains. Then, he changed the subject, turning his gaze to those chieftains who hadn't come to Palembang for pilgrimage. He snorted coldly and said to those around him, "Damn it, not coming to Palembang is disrespecting me, Wang Lin!"

He turned to the chieftains and sternly declared, "Those who did not come today are all considered accomplices of Srivijaya. If you knew anything and did not report it, you are all guilty! You will all be executed by slow slicing like Srivijaya, and your tribes will be razed to the ground, leaving no one alive!"

The chieftains, terrified, dared not conceal anything and eagerly revealed the hidden tribes. Wang Lin then led the native army and spent a month wiping out all the resistance forces. Thus, the Kingdom of Srivijaya existed in name only and was completely erased from the map.

After the war, the entire island of Sumatra came under the control of the Eastern Song Dynasty. Palembang was renamed "New Jade Gate Pass," signifying its role in controlling the vital trade route between East and West. Across the Strait of Srivijaya, on the Malay Peninsula, Johor, the largest vassal state, was terrified upon hearing of the fall of its suzerain state. It immediately sent envoys with grain and jewels, requesting to pay tribute and submit to the Song Dynasty.

The imperial court granted their request, but on one condition: the territory near the strait must be ceded to the Eastern Song Dynasty. Johor dared not object, since this land had not brought them much tax revenue in the past, and ceding it would ensure their safety, so they immediately agreed.

By this time, the Eastern Song Dynasty had completely controlled the Strait of Srivijaya (later known as the Strait of Malacca). Eastern Song merchants monopolized maritime trade between Southeast Asia and the South Seas. All merchant ships entering and leaving the strait, regardless of nationality, had to pay commercial taxes to the Eastern Song Dynasty, except for Eastern Song merchants who enjoyed exemptions. This enormous "transit fee" brought a continuous stream of revenue to the Eastern Song court.

Having opened up westward routes, the footprints of Eastern Song merchants were no longer limited to Southeast Asia. They sailed their giant ships into the Indian Ocean, establishing trade ties with small coastal kingdoms such as Pegu and Rakhine. As their exploration deepened, they even appeared in countries like Kakatiya and Pandya on the Indian subcontinent, continuing their westward voyage. On the azure Indian Ocean, Arab merchants finally encountered their most formidable adversary—the merchant fleets of the Great Song Dynasty from the East.