roccoschili Chapter 5406 The Journey to Tiannan (Continued)
Chapter 5406 The Journey to Tiannan (Continued)
Chapter 5406 The Journey to Tiannan (Continued)
A group of people strolled leisurely around the dock. Li Zhi, who had been on the ship for many days, was still full of energy and interested in everything. He watched as the short, thin, dark-skinned natives, shirtless, carried bundles of silk-like materials from the dock onto the gangplank and unloaded them into the cabin. He couldn't help but ask curiously, "What are those?"
The garrison lieutenant looked at it and replied, "Your Highness, that's 'banana jute,' a specialty of Luzon Island... Look, that's what it is."
He pointed to a large patch of plants beside a puddle not far from the roadside: "This kind of thing can be found everywhere in Luzon. The locals ignore it and discard it like trash. But with a little processing, it can be an excellent raw material for making ship cables and nets. It can also be used to make fishing nets and hemp ropes. Nowadays, the burlap sacks used to store grain are also made from this. It can even be used to make paper."
Li Zhi stared at it for a while, then suddenly realized: "I've seen this in my brother-in-law's flower room before. I always thought it was just an ornamental plant. I never knew it had such a great use!"
The captain smiled and said, "Why would the Grand Commandant waste time and effort to bring it to Chang'an just because it looks nice? The various uses of this abaca were discovered by the Grand Commandant when he first arrived in Manila. According to the report of the 'Eastern Tang Dynasty Trading Company,' the huge industry generated by abaca is now worth millions of strings of cash."
Li Zhi clicked his tongue and muttered, "Dongda Tang Trading Company... truly impressive."
Today, "Dongda Tang Trading Company" is no longer just a trading company that makes huge profits. Its quotas, controls, and allocations for exported goods, its regulation and control of imported goods, and its various statistics are dazzling and incomprehensible, but they have indeed ensured that the best technology is always in the hands of the Tang Dynasty while also absorbing wealth from overseas.
In the Tang Dynasty, the Ministry of Civil Affairs was in charge of commerce and taxation.
From the moment they set foot on the sea, everything came under the jurisdiction of the "Dongda Tang Trading Company"...
Of course, Li Zhi didn't care much about how "Dongda Tang Trading Company" became a behemoth that dominated the sea frontier. His deepest impression of "Dongda Tang Trading Company" was Wu Meiniang, the "general manager" who was stationed in Luoyang and commanded the whole country.
Even though he already knew it was impossible, he still couldn't help but feel a burning desire whenever he thought of that beautiful and charming Wu Niangzi.
Although things in this world are never perfect and imperfections are everywhere, do I have too many imperfections?
The empire that was within his grasp was lost due to the death of his father, and even the beauty he desired became another man's concubine.
If his father hadn't bestowed Wu Zetian upon Fang Jun, he would have done everything in his power to snatch her away and fulfill his long-cherished wish...
As you move further away from the dock along the road, you'll find a sizable market town behind you. However, most of the people you see along the way are distinctive local natives of Luzon, and Chinese people are extremely rare.
Li Zhi asked curiously, "Since this port is already under the control of the navy, why are there so few Tang people outside the port?"
Li Jinxing pointed south, where there was a vast expanse of rolling hills and mountains: "In the north, there is a port that we built entirely. That mountainous area extends north to Linjiayan Bay and is all low, flat plains, where hundreds of thousands of acres of rice have been cultivated. That is where our Tang people gather."
It seems to be a kind of inheritance hidden in the bloodline. No matter when or where the descendants of the Chinese nation are, they have an indescribable attachment to the land. Whether it is a mine full of gold and silver or a sea full of fish, it can never compare to a piece of land that can grow food.
Manila Port is the heart of Luzon's wealth, but for the Chinese, the endless plains north of the mountains are their true home and refuge...
Therefore, as the Tang Dynasty people traveled to various places by sea with the naval ships, the most important thing was to reclaim wasteland and cultivate the land.
The fleet stayed in Manila Port for two days to replenish fresh water, food, and medicine. It also replaced necessary cables and rigging, and carried out simple maintenance on the ships before leaving Luzon Island and continuing its southward voyage along the coastline.
As they crossed a strait, Li Jinxing pointed to an island to the west that seemed to float on the horizon, barely visible, and said to Li Zhi, "That is 'Princess Gaoyang Island'."
"Oh?"
Li Zhi shielded his eyes from the glaring sunlight with his hand and looked for a while: "It doesn't look very big."
"The island is long and narrow, stretching from northeast to southwest. It is less than a hundred miles wide and more than a thousand miles long, roughly the size of a hundred Chang'an."
Li Zhi was taken aback: "So big? How big is Tiannan Island?"
Although the map shows the location and shape of the island in the south, it does not have specific values, making it difficult to get a direct impression.
Li Jinxing didn't know either. He estimated for a moment and said uncertainly, "Compared to Princess Gaoyang Island, Tiannan Island is at least eight hundred, if not a thousand."
Li Zhi was satisfied, and then asked, "I heard something when I was in Chang'an that the Duke of Yun is currently on Princess Gaoyang Island?"
Li Jinxing smiled and nodded, saying, "Exactly!"
The fact that the real governor of Luzon was not on Luzon Island but on Princess Gaoyang Island has become a laughing stock in the Tang Dynasty's officialdom.
Li Zhi raised an eyebrow: "The navy is going a bit too far."
It is common for power to be usurped in officialdom, but it is rare for someone to be driven to the point where they can no longer stay in their post. After all, there must be a bottom line and some dignity to be preserved.
Li Jinxing explained, "It wasn't that anyone forced the Duke of Yun, but rather that he was restless from the moment he took office, insisting on a brutal rule over the natives, which seriously violated the empire's overseas strategy. Moreover, he was impatient for quick success and ambitious, which is why he led his troops to conquer Princess Gaoyang Island without authorization. This island belongs to Brunei, but it is sparsely populated. The naming of this island was also to prevent the court from holding him accountable, thus attempting to drag Princess Gaoyang and the Grand Commandant into the mess."
The fleet sailed south across the strait, the seawater taking on a mysterious and beautiful blue-green hue under the sunlight.
After traveling for several more days, the fleet arrived at a chain of islands that stretched across the sea, and sailed through the islands and reefs.
Li Zhi went up to the deck again, looked around, and exclaimed, "This is a paradise on earth!"
The turquoise sea shimmered under the sunlight, and large fish occasionally emerged from the water to chase after the boats. Islands, like broken gems, were embedded in the sea surface. From afar, the vegetation was lush and green, and life was thriving everywhere.
In stark contrast to the withered and desolate winters of Guanzhong...
The fleet traversed this area of islands and reefs, its course slightly shifting westward, heading south along the east coast of Brunei to Java. The islands of Java are arranged in an east-west pattern, and the fleet traveled from west to east, reaching its final stop before reaching the southernmost island—Dili Port.
As the fleet entered the port, Li Zhi looked around and found that this port was not only far inferior to Manila Port, but even inferior to Keelung Port. There were only six or seven ships of various sizes moored on a short pier and berths, and there were no more than thirty or fifty houses on the shore, which were mostly used as barracks. There were not a single merchant ship.
Upon seeing the fleet arrive, a small boat sailed over from the harbor to act as a pilot, leading the fleet to the dock. The Tang soldiers on the small boat quickly set up the gangplank and stood on the shore, beaming with joy and dancing with glee.
Li Jinxing said to Li Zhi, “Your Highness, please don’t blame them for their frivolity. Places like Dili Port are far from overseas and sparsely populated. Not only are there no merchant ships, but you can’t even see a native. The soldiers stationed here are rotated every three months. After returning, they all have to undergo a kind of mental guidance and counseling, otherwise there will be big problems.”
Humans are social animals with a strong social nature. Being stationed in such an isolated overseas location for a long time is bad enough in terms of material scarcity, but the mental anguish is extremely cruel.
Li Zhi remained silent.
Looking at these Tang soldiers with shaved heads and bare chests, he couldn't help but think that this might be his future in the "New Jin Kingdom." Hardship, poverty, and lack of supplies were secondary; loneliness might be a lifelong companion.
Princess Jin was also surprised: "How can there be a naval port and garrison in such a far and remote place?"
Li Jinxing explained, "At present, Dili Port seems like a chicken rib, not very useful. However, the reason for establishing this garrison is to serve as a strategic buffer and shipping route node between the southern island of Tiannan and countries such as Java, Brunei, and Luzon. The establishment of this garrison comes from the military order of the Grand Commandant."
Li Zhi nodded, understanding Li Jinxing's meaning.
The reason for establishing Dili Port here is twofold: firstly, to provide him with future support, and secondly, to protect him from potential dangers from Southeast Asian countries.
It's considered well-intentioned.
……
After a final resupply in Dili, the convoy set sail again.
Inside the ship's deck, Li Jinxing hung up a topographical map of Tiannan Island and said to Li Zhi, "The navy drew a simple topographical map of the entire island as soon as it was discovered, and also conducted a simple survey of various places along the coast."
He drew several circles around various locations on the southern island with his pen: "These natural harbors are suggestions from the navy for Your Highness on where to establish a nation."
He pointed to the northern promontory of an island closest to the current location of the fleet: "This place is closest to countries like Java, Brunei, and Luzon, and therefore also closest to the Tang Dynasty. We can obtain the navy's strategic and logistical resources relatively quickly. However, this place is hot and humid, and malaria is rampant, making agricultural development difficult."
The pen tip followed the coastline, rounding a huge peninsula jutting into the sea in the north of the island before turning south: "Compared to the previous place, the climate here is warmer, the agricultural potential is huge, there are many rivers, and it is also a good harbor, but the disadvantages are the same as the former, and the risk of various tropical diseases is also very high."
Continuing south, Li Jinxing emphasized this area: "This is a highly recommended location. The climate is mild, similar to parts of the Yangtze River basin. Abundant rivers, arable soil, and rainfall make it suitable for growing familiar grains and vegetables, making it easier to achieve food self-sufficiency. The surrounding forests provide abundant timber for construction, shipbuilding, and fuel, and the coastal fisheries are plentiful, sufficient to meet daily needs. The excellent port can serve as a core hub for exploring the entire east coast and the whole island, while inland access leads to fertile plains, facilitating further expansion."
"Your Highness must have already weighed the pros and cons during your voyage, and now it is time to make a decision."
(End of this chapter)