Chapter 96: Going to war
Lu Zhongheng said: "Annan must be allowed to send thousands of troops or supply food and grass. Don't worry about other vassals, I don't know. But Annan, just by borrowing their ten courages, will never dare to say no to the Ming Dynasty."
He Xi said: "There is also Champa."
Among the southern countries, Ming Dynasty knew Annan best.
Annan and Champa are enemies. How many years have I been on and off? It's simply a feud.
Annan was the closest to the Ming Dynasty and was most affected by the Ming Dynasty. In addition, Annan also had many internal problems. Not to mention the hostility in Champa. At this time, they would never dare to offend Daming. Just send thousands of troops or provide food and grass. Definitely won't refuse.
Inside Annan, the Chen Dynasty was coming to an end. And Mr. Hu, who succeeded Chen, is now a veteran of the two dynasties. In particular, Chen Ruizhong was killed during the Southern Expedition. Hu gathered the defeated troops and took control of the military and political power. In the past two years, he conquered the city in the south and established his military prestige.
Although it can't be said that Hu's heart is known to everyone. But some situations can no longer be concealed.
The internal conflicts between the monarch and his ministers, the national hatred between Annan and Champa, these complex situations are mixed together. It is very likely that some people want to use external forces to influence the internal power struggle in Annan. Since some people want to, naturally some people don't.
And people who don’t want to. Nature has the upper hand in the power struggle.
In this case, as long as Daming's request is not too excessive, there will be no problem.
The same goes for Champa. Champa was most respectful to the Ming Dynasty, not because he admired the Ming Dynasty. On the contrary, Annan was a Confucian country, while Champa was a Hindu country. From the perspective of cultural attributes, Champa will definitely not be close to the Ming Dynasty.
The reason is simple: make friends from far away and attack close by. I hope to influence Ming Dynasty and put pressure on Annan.
Therefore, as long as the requirements for Ming Dynasty are not too excessive. It won't be supported either.
He Xi said: "What do you say about Siam and Zhenla?"
Lu Zhongheng said: "Just let them send envoys to participate in this matter. As for how many people to bring to the meeting, there is no requirement. But the envoys must be there."
Siam and Chenla are Thailand and Cambodia in later generations. However, Chenla was much larger than Siam at this time, and the territories of the two sides were different. However, none of this matters. After all, there is no conflict between these two countries and Java. The Ming Dynasty was also far away from them and had no substantial influence. Only Yunnan's military strength may be able to threaten them.
However, the Ming army in Yunnan was dealing with the chieftains while also farming. The task is tedious enough. It would be too difficult for the army to cross the high mountains and virgin forests and move southward.
Lu Zhongheng and He Xi are both pragmatic people. They do what they can and do not force things that cannot be affected. However, I am asked to take sides. I imagine this request will not be denied. the reason is simple. The two still have interests in the Ming Dynasty, but not in Java.
Perhaps a long time ago, when the Angkor dynasty was still there, they made an expedition to the Malay Peninsula. There was a game with the Java-centered dynasty, but that was a long time ago. Today's two countries do not have that ambition.
The Javanese side has no influence on them. But Ming Dynasty has an influence on them. Laos in later generations is now a chieftain of the Ming Dynasty. From this perspective, Ming Dynasty is bordering on them.
Considering the interests in this regard, there should be no problem in taking sides.
Of course, the rest will depend on the envoy’s personal abilities.
"In the small country of Luzon, I don't expect them to be of any use. But the rest are in trouble. Bo Ni, Mancajia, Johor, Old Port and other places will be embarrassed." He Xi said.
Lu Zhongheng said: "It is a place of two belongings."
The influence of the Majapahit Empire was revealed at this moment. These places paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty in the name of the country. But at the same time, they also paid tribute to Majapahit in the name of vassals. This is also a characteristic of Southeast Asia. Majapahit also knew this.
But as mentioned above, the specific situation in Southeast Asia. Majapahit had only influence over these countries. If you really want to do something, you can only use weapons to speak.
The state of submission of these countries to Java actually shows. Within reach of the Javanese army.
Yes, the tribute paid by these countries to the Ming Dynasty does not actually mean that they really surrendered to the Ming Dynasty. Similarly, their tribute to Java does not mean that they surrender to Java. They just recognized Java's power and were unwilling to fight Java. Just give in for this.
Just a diplomatic tactic.
But even a diplomatic strategy has proved Java's strength.
He Xi said: "The most dangerous thing is Mancijia. Mancijia is in a key place in Southeast Asia. If Mancijia surrenders to the Ming Dynasty, then the Ming Dynasty will have a foothold in Nanyang without fighting. If Mancijia surrenders to Java, then the Ming Dynasty will have a foothold in Nanyang. The first battle in Nanyang is here."
"The envoy sent to Mancijia must have a sharp tongue to make Mancijia surrender. Otherwise, things will not start well."
Mancajia is actually Malacca. It's just a different translation in one language.
The king of Malacca was originally the prince of Old Port who was destroyed by Majapahit. He fled to the Malacca Peninsula to rebuild his foundation. Malacca not only paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty, but also paid tribute to Java and even paid tribute to Siam. Because of Malacca's special location, it retains its independence. The Ayutthaya Dynasty of Siam had just been founded and had not yet moved south. Since Majapahit was already at its peak, it is conceivable that Malacca would turn more towards Java.
In history, the Ming Dynasty, which Malacca fell to, with the support of Zheng He, eventually replaced Java as the overlord of Southeast Asia for a period of time, punching Java and kicking Siam. The reason why Malacca can do this is because of Zheng He's legacy in Nanyang. Most of them are owned by Malacca.
The trade routes opened by Zheng He, and even the craftsmen left behind, etc. Enough to prosper a country.
However, after the Ming Dynasty's power retreated, Malacca was finally captured by Portugal. It became the first country in Southeast Asia to be destroyed by Westerners.
It's just that this trend in history may not be the same now. When Zheng He sailed to the Western Ocean, he had tens of thousands of soldiers and large ships. Now Hexi is running Nanyang. Although there are many people, the warships and other things are far inferior to Zheng He's time.
Not to mention, Zheng He was a true messenger of peace. There are not many manpower left in Southeast Asia, but He Xi is different. Now Ming Dynasty clearly wants to get a share of the Nanyang pie.
In such a situation, He Xi doesn’t know what choice Malacca should make.
Lu Zhongheng said: "You decide on this candidate. I will do the talking and I will fight. There are quite a few candidates who can fight. It's just that you asked me to send lobbyists, but I have none."
He Xi frowned slightly and said, "I can't find such a talent for a while."
Lu Zhongheng said: "That's your business. As we said before, I am only responsible for fighting, and the rest is your business."
When He Xi heard what Lu Zhongheng said, he didn't know what he felt in his heart. By doing this, Lu Zhongheng put all the power of running Nanyang in his own hands. Although Lu Zhongheng was He Xi's superior, in this way, He Xi was leading Lu Zhongheng.
On the one hand, He Xi wants to appreciate it. On the other hand, there are also some difficulties.
After all, what he has to do now is to truly be on his own. He had never experienced it before, so he was naturally a little flustered.
He Xi secretly thought: "Indeed, I still have to decide on this candidate. It is hopeless to count on Lu Zhongheng. But who can be qualified for this person?"
He Xi thought about it over and over, and suddenly a person came to his mind, and that was Yang Yu. As a candidate recommended by Liu Song. Yang Yu also did a lot of things around He Xi. He Xi felt relieved about most of the things Yang Yu was doing. In this case, He Xi felt that Yang Yu should be given an extra burden.
He Xi said: "Okay. I will decide on this choice." Then that night, Yang Yu was invited over. We talked secretly in the cabin for a long time. Early the next morning, Yang Yu changed ships. They took the first step and did not reach Ningbo at all. When they arrived at Liujiagang, they commandeered a sea-going ship. Set sail. Went straight to Malacca.
The first battle in Nanyang was not a real sword fight, but a verbal battle.
