Chapter 122: Promise in Old Port
It's just that King Xi has already reached this point. If He Xi hasn't expressed it yet, it would be too much.
Before destroying the common enemy, let me put down some thoughts. In the future, everyone will depend on their ability. The King of the West may have evil intentions, but he may not be without resourcefulness. After all, even if we don’t mention the modern knowledge behind him, it is just the accumulation of power and tactics in Ming Dynasty and Java. He Xi didn't think he could defeat King Xi.
However, the thought is still there.
He Xi closed the wooden box and put it aside. Later, he would ask someone who knew Princess Majapayi to come and check it out. Naturally, he would not reveal it. He Xi said: "King of the West, why are you doing this?"
King Xi said: "Is Ming satisfied?"
He Xi said: "To say that I am satisfied is too much, but I can see the sincerity. Daming is willing to work together with the King of the West. But there are a few conditions."
King Xi said: "My price has been raised last time. I have tried my best."
He Xi said: "Isn't this the price? First, you have to write a letter here to declare your vassalage to the Ming Dynasty. Only after you declare your vassalage, can we help you."
King Xi said: "Okay. It's just that I have a lot of people who speak Chinese, but not many people who can write memorials. I'll trouble Mr. He."
He Xi said, "We've called Yang Yu."
After a while, Yang Yu came. He Xi told him what he meant, and Yang Yu immediately wrote a letter of acknowledgment. The King of the West signed and sealed it.
He Xi asked Yang Yu to put it away and immediately sent someone to Nanjing.
Immediately, He Xi pulled out a blank imperial edict from the cabinet on one side.
As mentioned above, this imperial edict can only be regarded as a central edict without the secretaries, supervisors, cabinet, and yamen's signatures. It has no legal effect in the Ming Dynasty. But here it is enough. If you really do it, if you want an imperial edict, come and write one.
He Xi said, "Mr. Yao, I'm sorry to trouble you this time."
Before He Xi, the reason why he called Yang Yu over was because he was worried that it would be too funny if the memorial and the imperial edict were written by the same person. Only then did Yang Yu come over to write.
Yao Guangxiao's articles are not considered first-class in China. But being a Hanlin scholar and writing imperial edicts is enough. However, there was a question before that. Yao Guangxiao asked: "What title does King Xi have?"
He Xi was stunned, and he understood immediately. Yao Guangxiao's question seems simple, but it is actually very meaningful.
Logically speaking, this question does not need to be asked.
King Xi was the crown prince of the Majapahit dynasty. The one who was naturally sealed was King Boyi. But he killed the princess, and his inheritance was based on the princess. Then he succeeded King Boyi of Manchu. It's an unfair name. But this is not the main thing.
The main question is, does the Ming Dynasty want to see a unified Java?
It is not just the Western colonists who know how to differentiate and encourage the natives to fight the natives. The Chinese people's methods of confusing different opinions and dividing and conquering will only be higher than theirs, not lower than theirs.
Since they want to divide, the last resort is to give King Xi a new name so that he will lose the right to inherit the Majapahit Dynasty and the legal authority. At the same time, he also lost the qualification to inherit the unified territory of Java.
Of course, this is a small trick.
The real victory or defeat lies on the battlefield.
These little tricks can only be the icing on the cake. If the King of the West is really capable, he can conquer Java again and unify Java again. Daming has no choice.
But even so, when you have the ability to take action and the ability to arrange the means, you will naturally have to arrange it. Isn’t it just a matter of a few words?
Of course, maybe King Xi was confused. If you haven't noticed this, it may be that Javanese culture is somewhat different from China. The expression of legal rule and governance is not above the title. King Fanxi didn't say anything and said directly: "My fiefdom is in Sunda Galapa." The last five words are just pronunciation.
Then someone explained: "The name means coconut groves, places densely covered with coconut trees, the world of coconut trees, etc."
He Xi said: "Then I want Coconut King."
The Ming Dynasty's translation of the names of foreign kings and countries was also full of strangeness. There are all kinds. Compared with names such as Mancajia, Majapayi, Folangji, and Hongmaoyi, Ye Wang is already quite honest and elegant.
After confirming the name.
Yao Guangxiao's writing was quick and easy, and he finished it in a moment.
But no one noticed. The Coconut King was granted the title of Coconut Kingdom. And where exactly this coconut country is, no one is probably sure. But this Coconut City is the future capital of Indonesia, Jakarta. Jakarta is a famous city after Hui Hui's capture, which means the city of victory.
Later it also became Dutch Batavia. After Indonesia became independent, it was also changed to Jakarta. However, no one calls the older Hindu name. After all, Hinduism is no longer the mainstream in Southeast Asia.
The mainstream at that time was Islam.
This is history.
The King of the West, no, the King of Coconuts simply carried out the ceremony of enthronement. From then on, the Ming Dynasty had the right to send troops for justice.
Although the Javanese people don't care about this righteous title, the imperial court does, and the inner circle cares about it, so He Xi has to do everything.
Once everything is ready, it’s time to discuss specific actions.
King Ye had a plan a long time ago and said: "I need your fleet to intercept King Wulu's fleet at sea."
The island of Java is long and narrow.
Coconut City, the future Jakarta, is at the westernmost point of Java, while Majapahit is in the east. This natural distance is also the source of West Java's tendency to separate. At the same time, the Majapahit Empire established a road network with its capital as the center.
What is this road network like? Hard to say. After all, this is in the core area of Majapayi, and it is the road used by King Majapayi for his inspections. I wonder how it compares with the imperial post road of the Ming Dynasty. But there is absolutely no road network linking this Java together.
And even if there is, no one may use it.
Because they have the most natural way, which is the sea.
In the calm waters near the equator, a canoe can drift, and navigation is extremely difficult. Otherwise, Southeast Asia would not be connected by the ocean. In the eyes of the Ming Dynasty, the shipbuilding technology of the Javanese people was too different. It's no better than the big sailing ship that returned.
But there is no problem at all in dealing with such sea conditions.
Instead of going through all the trouble, use your feet to measure the length of more than half of Java. Might as well take a boat.
This is why King Ye must ask Daming to come forward.
He saw the Ming Dynasty's naval combat capabilities. The Javanese navy is no match. Perhaps many Javanese people do not believe this. After all, Java is in the sea, and many Javanese have been dealing with the sea since childhood. Moreover, the expansion of Java's power also comes from their conquest of outer islands one by one. What they rely on is the fleet and the navy.
They may be able to admit that their navy is not as good as Ming's. However, he was determined not to admit that his navy was several times larger than the enemy's and could not defeat the Ming Dynasty.
These are two completely different concepts.
Although the times of naval warfare have changed. But too many people are still immersed in the previous era and use the conditions of the previous era to speculate on the wars of this era. Misjudgment is natural.
But Coconut King is different, he has experienced it personally. Therefore, he dared to conclude that King Wulu's fleet could not withstand such a navy. Coupled with the remaining fleet of his original fleet, as long as the ambush is in place, King Wulu can be killed in one battle.
Of course, King Ye also knew that it was unrealistic to kill King Wulu in one battle. But he needs a win. No matter what kind of victory, because only victory can unite people's hearts, only victory can make more nobles stand on their side, and only defeating King Wulu once can break King Wulu's golden body for so many years.
Only the Coconut King can protect himself in West Java.
Because of this, he gave up everything for a victory.
As for such a request, Lu Zhongheng agreed without even thinking about it. Use the navy, not the army. There is no need to go deep into the land, and the Javanese cannot backstab. At sea, Ming Dynasty still has an advantage. If nothing else, you can leave at any time if you want.
In that case, why not agree?
Lu Zhongheng said: "Then it's settled."
King Ye said: "It's a deal."
Thus, the war in Java began. This Nanyang overlord finally added the word "former" to his name and became the former Nanyang overlord.
