Chapter 220: The Kingdom of Sanfoqi

Sanfoqi Kingdom, Great Port.

This city built at a river mouth is the most prosperous trade hub of the entire South Sea. Merchant ships from Tianzhu, Arabia, Great Song, and Champa converge here, exchanging spices, gems, silk, and porcelain.

The royal palace sits at the highest point of the city, a three‑story building of teak and stone. Its roof is tiled with red glazed tiles—a luxury imported from Great Song, and only the king's sleeping hall in the palace is permitted to use them.

On the great hall's columns are carvings of Brahmin deities. Brightly colored tapestries hang on the walls, and Persian carpets cover the floor.

King Shi Li·Mohe Luozha sits upon a throne inlaid with gold. He is forty‑five this year, corpulent, with three strands of thumb‑thick gold chains around his neck, his fingers adorned with gemstone rings. His hair is styled into a high knot, wrapped in an embroidered gold cloth, and a short sword studded with rubies hangs at his waist—a symbol of royal authority.

At this moment, his complexion is dreadfully grim.

The great hall is filled with officials. They wear white or yellow long robes, embroidered belts at their waists. The few at the front have golden circular badges on their chests, the Mohan Mantri—signifying ministers.

"Say it again," the king's voice rumbled, "How many troops did Bolni Guo dispatch?"

The envoy kneeling at the center of the hall trembles all over. He is the messenger sent by Bolni Guo to request aid, his body still stained with blood.

"Yes, Your Majesty… Bolni Guo sent fifty ships, two thousand five hundred warriors… but…"

"But what?"

"All— the entire army was wiped out," the envoy's voice grew fainter, "Fifty ships, thirty‑seven sank. Fewer than three hundred survived to escape back."

The great hall falls deathly silent.

All the ministers stare wide‑eyed.

Fifty ships, two thousand five hundred people, just gone like that?

"What exactly are they?" a tall, thin minister asked. He is Adi Yawaman, Sanfoqi's Senapati—military minister, equivalent to the Minister of War in Great Song.

"Their… their ships are made of iron," the envoy lifts his head, terror in his eyes, "They sail without sails; the hull is fitted with many black iron tubes that can spew fire and launch iron balls. An iron ball striking a ship shatters it."

"Nonsense!" Adi Yawaman shouted angrily, "How could a ship be iron? Iron would sink!"

"It's true! I saw it with my own eyes!" the envoy kowtowed like crushing garlic, "Their ships are black and smoke from them! They also wield a fire‑spitting weapon that can kill with a single blast!"

A stir begins in the great hall.

The ministers whisper; some think the envoy is babbling, others ponder.

"Enough!" the king patted the armrest, "Adi Yawaman, what do you think?"

The military minister fell silent for a moment. "Your Majesty, if what he says is true… then these people likely come from the East."

"The East?"

"Great Song," Adi Yawaman said slowly, "A few years ago, Your Majesty sent a delegation to Great Song, and after they returned, they mentioned that the Song people possessed a weapon called cannons that fire iron balls with great power."

The king furrowed his brows. "But merchants of Great Song have never been so domineering."

"This time is different," another minister spoke, the Chief Mohan Mantri—chief minister—named Su Baluomo. He is nearing his sixties, with a graying beard, and is the king's most trusted strategist.

"As far as I know, those who seized Maliujia were not sent by the Great Song court, but by a great clan called the Wang Family."

"Wang Family?" the king sounded unfamiliar with the name.

"Yes," Su Baluomo pulled a letter from his chest, "This is from our merchants in Great Port. The letter says the Wang Family wields massive influence in Great Song, controlling all of Dongying and its maritime trade. Their ships truly are iron, and need no sails."

The king took the letter and skimmed it quickly.

"Your Majesty," Su Baluomo continued, "Maliujia Haixia is vital to us. If the Wang Family controls the strait, our Sanfoqi maritime trade will be choked off by them."

"Then what do you propose?"

"Send troops," Su Baluomo said resolutely, "but not as reckless as Bolni Guo. We must gather more ships, more soldiers, and we need to find allies."

"What allies?"

"Champa, Zhenla, even the merchant alliance of Tianzhu," Su Baluomo said, "These powers all rely on Maliujia Haixia for trade. If the strait falls under an outsider clan, their interests will be harmed."

The king pondered briefly. "Then we'll act as you suggest. Adi Yawaman, you are in charge of gathering troops. Su Baluomo, you will contact other nations."

"Yes!" the two bowed simultaneously.

"Additionally," the king looked at the envoy, "Return and tell the king of Bolni Guo not to panic. Sanfoqi will stand up for him."

The envoy, as if granted a pardon, kowtowed repeatedly.

The atmosphere in the great hall eases a little.

But Su Baluomo's brow never relaxed.

He steps out of the hall, stands on the palace's high terrace, and gazes toward the distant harbor.

There, hundreds of merchant ships are moored, masts towering, the place bustling with voices.

This prosperous scene has endured for centuries.

Yet he feels an ominous foreboding.

A clan capable of forging iron ships is certainly not a small nation like Bolni Guo that can handle.

Even… Sanfoqi may not be able to win steadily.

"Hope I'm overthinking," he mutters to himself.

Meanwhile, Maliujia Haixia.

Wang Tie received a letter sent from Dongying.

The letter, written by Wang Heng, was delivered by a fast ship on urgent dispatch, concise: endure two more months, and reinforcements and supplies will arrive. The schematics of the artillery batteries will also be sent with the ship.

Wang Tie filed the letter away, turned to his deputy and said, "Go, rally the brothers. The next battle won't be as easy as the last one."

The deputy nodded. "Captain, how many do you think Sanfoqi will send?"

"Hard to say," Wang Tie said, looking beyond the strait, "but certainly stronger than that bunch of Bolni Guo scum."

He paused. "That's fine. We have many cannons and ample ammunition. As long as they dare come, we'll dare fire."

"By the way," he recalled, "how are those merchants who paid the toll lately?"

"They've all become obedient," the deputy laughed, "Since we smashed Bolni Guo's fleet, those merchants look at us differently. A few Hu merchants even voluntarily sent us gifts."

"What gifts?"

"Spices, silk, and several vats of wine," the deputy lowered his voice, "Captain, these merchants may not say it aloud, but they're actually quite grateful to us."

Wang Tie raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Earlier, the bandits of Bolni Guo charged tolls depending entirely on their mood. If they were in a good mood, they'd take ten or eight taels from you; if they were in a bad mood, they'd outright rob your goods, even killing people." The deputy said, "Although we also collect money, at least our rules are clear—one hundred taels, no cheating the young or old. Moreover, once you take the wooden token, you won't have to pay again next time."

Wang Tie laughed. "Put simply, we're more principled than those bandits."

"That's right." The deputy also laughed, "Now those merchants privately spread the word, saying our Wang Family may be overbearing, but at least we keep our word. Compared to the Bolni Guo bandits, we're far superior."

"Good." Wang Tie nodded, "Win over these merchants, and they'll become our eyes and ears. If there's any movement in Sanfoqi, they'll inform us immediately."