Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Riding on the tail of the trade winds and ocean currents, Luo Congxian's fleet sailed to Guangzhou.

Commodities from the Yangtze River and canal systems were concentrated in Hangzhou, flowed to Guangzhou on ships, and then sold exclusively to foreign merchants, and some were also sold to local merchants in Guangzhou.

The next step is to purchase goods, repair the damaged ships, and wait for the south wind to come before returning to Hangzhou.

Of course, it was impossible for Luo Congxian to go to sea personally. The person responsible for leading the fleet was his concubine Luo Shunqing.

When Luo Shunqing was buying goods, he asked Li Bangyan about it.

As a result, Seljuk, Indian, Srivijaya, Chenla, and Champa maritime merchants all had great interest in human trafficking.

They were already involved in this kind of business, especially Seljuk and Srivijaya.

Seljuk traders sold African slaves, all of whom were castrated. This craft has been passed down for thousands of years.

Srivijaya merchants sell Asian dwarf black people. Their country’s army regularly raids the Southeast Asian islands to capture dwarf black people living on the seashore. Some of them were kept as sailors, while others were sold to maritime merchants from various countries.

In fact, Chinese maritime merchants also engaged in this business during the Tang Dynasty.

There are records in ancient Japanese books that in the Tang Dynasty, Chinese maritime merchants robbed Dashi merchants and took away the black slaves on board as trophies.

"Luo, I heard that you want to buy a woman?" Indian businessman Paranda Ka heard the news and came to the door.

Luo Shunqing shook his head repeatedly: "I don't want Indian women, their skin is too dark."

Parandoka waved his hand and said: "No, no, no, we also have people with fair skin. Moreover, our king is not black either because he has been intermarrying with the royal family of Eastern Chalukya for generations."

"Isn't it really bad?" Luo Shunqing didn't believe it.

Paranda Ka said: "It's really not dark. Even among the people, there are many people with light skin. They are the descendants of the captured women from Xichaluoqi."

The Chalukya dynasty of India has existed for six hundred years.

They are descendants of the northern peoples who invaded India. Because their skin color is too white and obviously different from the indigenous people, they very actively integrate into the Brahmin system and claim to be descendants of the sun and moon dynasties of ancient India. To put it simply, they are the descendants of the sun god and the moon god.

Up to now, the Chalukya dynasty has declined, and the northern territory has been occupied by the white people who later invaded.

Moreover, it was also divided into Western Chalouqi and Eastern Chalouqi.

The white regime that later invaded had desert religion as their religious belief.

Chalukya takes Hinduism as the mainstream and does not prohibit the spread of Buddhism and Jainism.

The Chola dynasty is also a millennium dynasty. They are pure South Indians (the royal family is Tamil).

However, the Cholas annexed East Chalukya, and the full name of the country was "Chula-East Chalukya United Kingdom".

The white royal family of Eastern Chalukya still remains, and has long been intermarried with the Chola royal family, so the Indian Chola king is of mixed race.

The Chola dynasty and the Western Chalukya dynasty fought for hegemony for a long time and often snatched many slaves.

Even the local nobles of the Chola Dynasty had female slaves with lighter skin, who were the mixed-race descendants of lower-caste Chalukyas and native Indians.

It is difficult to catch pure-blooded white female slaves, but there are many mixed-race light-skinned female slaves. This is what Indian merchants want to sell to China.

Luo Shunqing said: "Next time you can bring a few over. The whiter the skin color, the better, and the better if they can sing and dance. Also, bring their clothes and accessories."

Parandoka said: "I can also provide Srivijaya women. Our Chola Kingdom has been winning battles and captured many Srivijaya slaves."

"It's not needed for the time being," Luo Shunqing said, "Bring a few samples over and I'll transport them to Hangzhou to show to our big customers."

Blandoka smiled and said, "Well, I hope this business can last for a long time."

These maritime merchants are all lawless people.

In other words, those who abide by the law should not do this.

Maritime merchants are synonymous with pirates. Maritime merchants who appear to be docile and law-abiding turn into pirates as soon as they encounter the right opportunity!

From the Persian Gulf to the South China Sea, the slave trade exists everywhere, and the Arabs are experts at this, and their black slave castration technology has been perfected.

…

With the arrival of the monsoon, Luo Shunqing returned to Hangzhou.

When passing by the outer port of Fuzhou, he found a large number of yachtsmen (danmin) gathered together, helping the old and young to board warships with small fishing boats.

"Go and ask what's going on." Luo Shunqing said to his loyal servant.

All policies in coastal provinces may mean new business opportunities.

The fleet docked to replenish some fresh water.

The loyal servant soon learned the news: "The Penghu Navy recruited yachtsmen and took them to the Penghu Islands and Liuqiu (Taiwan Island) opposite the Penghu Islands."

Luo Shunqing lamented: "The Ming Emperor was eager to expand his territory! Unfortunately, the business here must have been robbed by local Fujian maritime merchants."

The Dan people along the coast of Fujian originated from the great uprising in the early Sui Dynasty.

Yang Su led his army to the south of the Yangtze River, and the rebels fled to Fujian one after another. Many of them fled to the sea and became pirates, and gradually evolved into the gangsters on the seaside.

The Sui Dynasty was still worried and pursued them all the way to Liuqiu (northern Taiwan) and captured more than 17,000 Taiwanese people.

These Taiwanese prisoners were also placed along the coast of Fujian and joined forces with the remaining rebel forces. They were collectively known as "Yachangzi". They obtained status in the Tang Dynasty and were required to pay taxes to the government.

After Luo Shunqing resupplied in Fuzhou, he continued to return to Hangzhou.

Yang Yao, commander of the Penghu Navy, took many people and headed straight for Taipei.

That is the country of Liuqiu!

Its sphere of influence is in the Tamsui River Basin of Taipei and the coastal plain of northern Taiwan.

They have been doing business with Fujian since the Han Dynasty, and they had frequent exchanges with each other during the Song Dynasty, and even purchased lychees produced in Fujian.

The fleet arrived at the coast near Hsinchu, and the people moved to their homes and disembarked.

Yang Yao gathered these yachts and lectured: "In ten years, you don't have to pay taxes, and merchants will ship goods regularly. Don't conflict with the Ryukyu people. I will designate an area and build houses for you on the shore." Settling down. If you want to continue living on the boat, you can decide for yourself. Communicate more with the people of Luqiu, and it is best to intermarry with them."

A group of villagers listened quietly. They were willing to move here purely for the ten years of tax exemption.

Yang Yao continued: "Don't spread out too much at ordinary times. When you encounter the Vaishya pirates, immediately gather together and pick up weapons to fight with them! Those who have made meritorious services will be rewarded heavily, and there will also be pensions after death. I will leave a team of sergeants, Teach you how to fight. Now issue soldiers and armor!"

They are all equipment that has been eliminated by the Ming Dynasty army. They are all leather armor, there are many swords and guns, and even crossbows.

"Commander Yang, King Liuqiu is here." said the merchant and translator accompanying the army.

Yang Yao left the Dan people in charge of his lieutenants, and went to see King Liuqiu himself.

This King Liuqiu not only knew basic etiquette, but also had a Chinese named Lin Xiu.

Lin Xiu raised her hands to bow and said in broken Fujian dialect: "Xiao Wang pays homage to the general!"

Yang Yao couldn't understand, so he needed a translator from Fujian Haishang.

He observed carefully and found that this person's appearance was no different from that of a Fujianese person.

The dress is very interesting, he is dressed in linen clothes, half of his chest is exposed, and the necklace is strung with copper coins.

Copper coins are not traded here, and mainland copper coins are considered decorations in Liuqiu Kingdom.

"Have you thought clearly?" Yang Yao asked.

Lin Xiu replied: "Xiao Wang is willing to join the Ming Dynasty!"

Yang Yao said: "That's good. From now on, you will be the ambassador of Liuqiu of the Ming Dynasty. The people of Liuqiu will still be governed by you, and you must pay tribute to the emperor of Ming Dynasty every year. The people of Liuqiu will not have to pay tribute to the imperial court for fifty years. Taxes. If the Vaishya robbers come to plunder, I will send troops to protect you!"

"Thank you, General!" Lin Xiu said happily.

Yang Yao added: "The envoys of the Ming Dynasty will arrive in a few months. You should welcome them well."

Lin Xiu said: "Yes."

Judging from archaeological excavations, the Liuqiu people existed at least in the Han Dynasty.

They made a living by growing rice and had learned to smelt iron and use coal.

However, judging from ancient classics, the Liuqiu people had poor iron-making and forging skills, and often exchanged grain for ironware with Fujian maritime merchants.

The average height of their men is about 1.65 meters, and the average height of their women is about 1.6 meters. Burial is popular, but the graves are not filled with soil.

The entire Liuqiu Kingdom suddenly disappeared during the Southern Song Dynasty.

Iron-making and rice-growing technologies also disappeared, and Taiwan's productivity seriously declined. It was not until the late Ming Dynasty that Taiwanese islanders learned how to grow rice again from immigrants from Fujian.

The murderers who caused the demise of the Liuqiu Kingdom in Taipei were most likely the Vaishya people of Tainan.

The Vaisya people often came from southern Taiwan in boats and rafts to plunder. Not only did they rob Liu Qiuguo, but they also repeatedly robbed Han people in the Penghu Islands, and even came to the coastal areas of Fujian to loot.

For this reason, the Southern Song Dynasty court had to station naval forces on the Penghu Islands.

It was precisely because he could not bear the robbery of the Vaishya people that King Lin Xiucai of Liuqiu agreed to surrender to the Ming Dynasty in exchange for the protection of Liuqiu by the Ming navy.

"Your Highness, this is a gift from me to you." Yang Yao took out a sword.

Lin Xiu held it up and took a look at the scabbard and the handle inlaid with gems. When the sword was pulled out of the sheath, it shone even more coldly.

The more Lin Xiu looked at it, the more she liked it. She knelt down towards the sea and said, "Thank you for your kindness and generosity, His Royal Highness!"

Yang Yao was invited to visit King Liuqiu City and saw many golden rice fields along the way. The agricultural technology here is really good.

But there is no city.

Even King Liuqiu's city is only surrounded by wooden fences, which can only protect it from wild beasts.

The houses along the way are all ganlan buildings, the same style as those in Fujian, Guangdong and Southeast Asia.

That night, Liuqiu's tribal nobles came from all over the country to welcome and entertain the Ming general around a bonfire.

Yang Yao drank local rice wine and felt more and more cheerful.

He was seriously injured during the Dongting Lake Battle and was captured. After recovering, he was transferred to Shandong to serve in the navy, and even fought in the Yalu River and Seto Inland Sea.

Last year, Yang Yao was transferred to Penghu Commander.

This poor place is like a match, but Yang Yao is unwilling to be lonely.

He spent three months learning about the surrounding information in detail, and then formulated a development plan, for which he received an award from Prince Zhu.

How could King Liuqiu surrender obediently?

Last winter, Yang Yao took his only three warships to the waters off Taipei and fired artillery, and then easily defeated Liuqiu's army.

After coaxing and frightening him, Liu begged the king to obey.

Next, he will go to fight the Vaishya people in Tainan!