Chapter 47 227 Sanbao Eunuch Goes to the West

Ming Chengzu took the throne from his nephew by force, but one thing always made him feel uneasy.After the fire in the palace was extinguished, the body of Emperor Jianwen was not found.So is Emperor Jianwen really dead?There are many rumors in the capital. Some say that Emperor Jianwen did not commit suicide. When the palace was on fire and chaotic, he fled out of the city with a few eunuchs from the tunnel. The news from other places is even more bizarre. Where did Emperor Wen go, and later became a monk, he said that he had a nose and eyes, which made Ming Chengzu have to doubt.He thought, if Emperor Jianwen really didn't die, wouldn't it be terrible if he regrouped his troops in other places to attack him in the name of the court.In order to find out the truth of this matter, he sent his confidant ministers to various places to secretly inquire about the whereabouts of Emperor Jianwen, but it was not easy to announce publicly, so he used the excuse that he was asking the gods.This search lasted for twenty or thirty years.

Ming Chengzu thought again, would Emperor Jianwen go overseas?At that time, my country's maritime industry had already begun to develop.Ming Chengzu thought to himself, sending people overseas to promote the country's prestige, do some business with foreigners, purchase some jewelry, and inquire about the whereabouts of Emperor Jianwen by the way, wouldn't it kill two birds with one stone. In this way, he decided to send a team to go abroad.Who will lead the team?Of course it has to be his confidant.He thought that Zheng He, the eunuch who had followed him for many years, was a very suitable candidate.

Zheng He, originally surnamed Ma and nicknamed Sanbao, was born in a Hui family in Yunnan.Both his grandfather and father believed in Islam, and they also went on a pilgrimage to Mecca (the main holy place of Islam, in present-day Saudi Arabia).Zheng He had heard about foreign countries from his father when he was a child.Later, he became a eunuch in Yanwang Palace, because he was smart and capable, and he was trusted by Ming Chengzu.The name Zheng He was given to him by Ming Chengzu.But the folks are used to his nickname, so they always called him "Sanbao Eunuch". Later, some books also wrote "Sanbao Eunuch".In June 1405 AD, Ming Chengzu officially sent Zheng He as an envoy, leading a fleet to the "Western Ocean".At that time, what people called "Western Ocean" did not refer to the European continent, but to the sea and coastal areas to the west of the South my country Sea.The fleet led by Zheng He has a total of more than 27,800 people. In addition to soldiers and sailors, there are also technical personnel, translators, and doctors.They took sixty-two large ships, which were forty-four feet long and eighteen feet wide, which were rare at that time.The fleet set off from Liujiahe in Suzhou (now Liuhe in Taicang, Jiangsu), passed through the coast of Fujian, and set sail southward.

Zheng He went to sea for the first time, first to Champa (in present-day southern Vietnam) and then to Java, Old Port (in present-day southeast coast of Sumatra, Indonesia), Sumatra, Managa, Guri, Ceylon and other countries.He brought a large amount of gold and silver belongings, and every time he went to a country, he first handed over the letter from Ming Chengzu to the king, and gave them the gifts he brought, hoping to have friendly exchanges with them. Seeing that Zheng He brought such a large fleet, many countries had a friendly attitude and did not come to intimidate them, and they all received him warmly.

Zheng He did not return to China until September of the third year during his mission this time.When the kings of Western countries took advantage of Zheng He's return home, they also sent envoys with gifts to return with him.On the way to the mission, although there were several stormy waves, there were many experienced sailors on board, and the fleet had never had any accidents.It's just that when the fleet returned to China and passed through the old port, they encountered a trouble. There is a pirate named Chen Zuyi in the Old Port.He occupied an island and gathered a team of pirates to rob passing merchants.This time I heard that Zheng He's fleet was passing by with a large number of treasures, and I was extremely jealous, so I discussed with my accomplices, ostensibly preparing to welcome them, and took advantage of Zheng He's unpreparedness to rob them.

This plot was learned by the local Shi Jinqing, who secretly sent someone to the fleet to tell Zheng He. Zheng He thought to himself, I have 20,000 soldiers under my command, still afraid of you little pirate?Since you are going to sneak attack, I have to teach you a lesson.He ordered the ships to be spread out, and anchored in the old sea port.Order the soldiers on board to prepare gunpowder, knives and guns, and stand ready for battle. In the middle of the night, when the sea was calm, Chen Zuyi led a group of pirates in dozens of small boats and headed straight to the port, preparing for a sneak attack.There was only a sound of artillery on Zheng He's boat, and the surrounding ships all sailed up to surround Chen Zuyi's pirate ship.The soldiers of the Ming Dynasty were many and powerful, and they were well prepared to defeat Chen Zuyi.The soldiers on the big ship threw down the torches and set the pirate ship on fire.Chen Zuyi couldn't escape even if he wanted to, so he obediently became a prisoner.

Zheng He tied up Chen Zuyi and escorted him back to China.When he arrived in the capital, he offered his captives to Ming Chengzu.Envoys from various countries also met with Ming Chengzu and sent a large number of precious gifts.Ming Chengzu smiled happily when he saw that Zheng He had completed the mission of the envoy very well. Later, Ming Chengzu believed that Emperor Jianwen was indeed dead, and there was no need to look for it.However, going overseas can not only improve the prestige of the country, but also promote trade with Western countries, which has many benefits.So after that, Zheng He was sent to lead the fleet to the West again and again.In the nearly thirty years from 1405 to 1433, Zheng He went to sea seven times. He visited more than 30 countries along the coast of the Indian Ocean. Disha area).

In the year when Zheng He returned from his sixth mission, Ming Chengzu fell ill and died.His son Ming Renzong Zhu Gaochi also died less than a year after he came to the throne.Ming Xuanzong Zhu Zhanji, who succeeded to the throne, was an eight or nine-year-old child who was ruled by his grandmother Empress Dowager Xu and three veteran officials.The ministers believed that Zheng He made seven missions, and the country spent too much, so the business of sailing abroad stopped. Zheng He's seven voyages showed the tenacious spirit of exploration of the ancient people of our country, and also showed that our country's navigation technology had already reached a very high level at that time.Through Zheng He's missions, economic and cultural exchanges and friendly exchanges between my country and many countries in Asia and Africa have been promoted.Until now, the deeds of the Sanbao eunuch are still circulating in those countries.