Chapter 228: Continuing Southward 2

The eleventh year of Hongwu, eighteenth day of the twelfth lunar month.

In the northwestern waters of Borneo, the Longxiang Army flagship "Zhenhai" floated silently on the azure sea.

The hull swayed gently with the waves, and the dragon banner on the mast rustled in the wind.

In the distance the coastline appeared and disappeared; it was an uninhabited islet, its coconut groves dense and its beach snow‑white.

Zhu Yong sat on the stern deck, a fishing rod clenched in hand, barefoot, his trouser legs rolled up to the knees.

Beside him stood a wooden barrel, already holding seven or eight colorful sea fish, the largest weighing five or six jin.

Chang Yuchun stepped out of the cabin, two jars of Wine in hand, plopped down beside Zhu Yong and handed over a jar.

"Prince, how long have you been fishing?"

"About one and a half shichen, I think! Chang Shu, look at these fish, all colorful—I'm not sure if they're edible," Zhu Yong said after taking the jar, tilting his head back and gulping a mouthful.

Chang Yuchun peered over, grinned and said, "Edible; these fish are most fragrant when roasted, the flesh tender."

Zhu Yong nodded and cast another line.

The sea was calm, the sun just right, warming everything into a lazy glow.

In the distance, several smaller Warships patrolled the water; the Longxiang Army soldiers aboard wore thin garments, watching the surroundings vigilantly.

"Prince, we've been idle here for half a month; Xu Da's side should have the arrangements mostly done, right?" Chang Yuchun asked after taking a sip of Wine.

Zhu Yong nodded and said, "Yesterday we received news that a Post Station has been built in Malacca, with a garrison of five hundred; Sumatra and Borneo have also been settled."

Xu Shu sent someone to tell us to wait a bit longer; he wants to straighten out matters here before discussing the next step with us.

Chang Yuchun scratched his head and said, "Next step, still fight… We've almost swept the South Sea, and further south are only barren islands—what's the point of attacking them?"

Zhu Yong smiled and looked toward the distant horizon.

"Chang Shu, the South Sea is vast; what we've taken is only a coastal portion. Deep within those islands there are many tribes, some without even iron tools."

"Then still fight?" Chang Yuchun glared.

"No rush; first secure the coast, build ports, open the sea routes. Those tribes will gradually submit on their own," Zhu Yong said, shaking his head.

He paused, then continued, "The secret edict from Elder Brother states that for the South Sea nations, those who submit shall have counties established; those who resist shall be exterminated.

What we are doing now is merely a beginning; the rest must proceed slowly."

Chang Yuchun nodded as if half‑understood, and gulped another mouthful of Wine.

To be honest, he didn't grasp these state‑governing matters well.

He only knew how to wage war, how to charge, how to cut down foes.

But over the years following Zhu Yong, he gradually realized one thing: this simple‑minded Prince, though naive, knows his own heart better than anyone.

Just then, Wang Baobao came around the rail, holding a wooden tray with several pieces of golden‑browned fish meat.

"Prince, try this, just freshly roasted," Wang Baobao handed over the tray.

Zhu Yong took it, tore off a piece and put it in his mouth, eyes brightening: "Fragrant! What fish is this?"

"It's the same colorful fish you just caught; these fish look flashy but their flesh is excellent, and they're most delicious when roasted," Wang Baobao said with a smile as he sat down.

Chang Yuchun didn't hold back, grabbed a piece and bit into it.

The three of them sat at the stern like that, basking in the sun, drinking Wine, eating roasted fish, watching the sea.

If officials from the Yingtian Prefecture saw this, their eyes would probably pop out.

The illustrious Great Ming Prince Wu, Grand General Zhenglu, Longxiang Army Commander, supreme commander of the South Sea Expeditionary Force, sat at the stern like a fisherman.

But Zhu Yong liked it.

At times like this, no need to think about scheming, no need to worry about endless formalities—just staying like this is fine.

"Prince, how big is this sea really?" Wang Baobao asked suddenly.

Zhu Yong was startled for a moment, then looked toward the boundless sea in the distance.

"Very large—beyond your imagination. What we see now is only a tiny fragment. To the east, south, west, there are countless seas like this, countless islands, countless nations," he said slowly.

Chang Yuchun and Wang Baobao both looked at him.

"Prince, how do you know? Is it that World Map… Prince, you memorized it…" Chang Yuchun began to ask, then suddenly recalled the World Map His Majesty had shown them.

"Yes, I merely memorized it."

Chang Yuchun and Wang Baobao exchanged glances and smiled.

They hadn't expected the Prince's memory to be so good; he could recall such a huge map, and the two of them had also seen it, though they remembered little.

In other words, they knew of that map; otherwise this webpage would surely have used the White-bearded Old Man to fool them, after all he had done such things many times.

"Prince, I have a question that is unclear," Wang Baobao said again, his tone a bit more serious.

"Speak."

"When we capture these places, station troops, establish counties, will the locals thereafter become subjects of Great Ming?"

Zhu Yong nodded and replied, "Yes."

"But we can't understand their language, and they can't understand ours—how do we govern?"

Zhu Yong was silent for a moment, then set the Wine jar down.

"Elder Brother asks a good question; how do you think we should govern?" he said, looking at Wang Baobao.

Wang Baobao thought for a moment and said, "I think their chieftains should continue to rule while we place observers nearby; as long as they pay tribute on time and don't rebel, that's enough."

Zhu Yong nodded, then shook his head.

"This is the first step, but it can't stay like this forever; later more Han People will come to these places—to trade, to clear land, to garrison.

With more people, communication will naturally improve," he said, pointing to the faint coastline in the distance.

"What about those chieftains?" Chang Yuchun asked.

"Those willing to learn the Han language and align with Great Ming may remain officials. Those who refuse will be gradually replaced," Zhu Yong said calmly, as if stating something ordinary.

Chang Yuchun and Wang Baobao fell silent.

They realized that the Prince truly intends to turn these places into Great Ming territory, not a nominal vassalage but actual land.

"Prince, this will take several years," Chang Yuchun said.

"No matter how many years it takes, it's worth it, Chang Shu. Look at the sea, the island, the trees—how many years have they been here? Hundreds, thousands of years; they won't move. We'll take it slowly: if one generation can't, then two; if two can't, then three."

"One day, the people of these places will speak Chinese, write Chinese characters, celebrate the New Year with spring couplets, and eat dumplings," Zhu Yong said, looking into the distance.

Chang Yuchun opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.