Before the fleet set sail across the ocean from Cape Storm, Chen Jian had the words "the end of the world" carved on a boulder near the settlement as the name of the place. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

Maybe this place should have been called Cape, but from now on, as long as the people of this settlement are not slaughtered or robbed by others, this place will be called the end of the world.

Sailing along the way and knowing the world map, the name fits the mood of this settlement very well.

During the month of staying at the ends of the earth, in addition to replenishing fresh water and hunting wild beasts, Lin Xi got a few little ostriches, and Chen Jian also got a few little lions.

This is a subspecies of the era that Jian Chen really belongs to that is extinct at that time, called the Cape Lion. Several adult lion skins were left by Chen Jian, and these young lions didn't know if they could be fed.

It was a private act, and it happened that there were quite a few people in the fleet, and some livestock were unloaded, leaving enough space.

There's nothing worth bartering here, and the ostrich eggs carved by the stuttering natives can be considered works of art, but they may not go far before they break under the wind and waves.

After setting sail from the ends of the earth, the fleet moved as close to the coastline as possible, exchanging guns, glass, or steel knives for some food or some strange items worth collecting, such as ivory, mongoose skin, antelope skin, antelope horn, etc., with guns, glass, or steel knives.

After crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, the ship was finally seen on the route.

The Portuguese occupied several strongholds, but they were suppressed by the Dutch and did not dare to come forward, and the Republic and Spain were not at war, but there was no problem with normal supplies, as long as the large fleet was not brought closer, and there was no problem with small boats.

The Dutch were also constantly attacking the Portuguese by all means, and there was no misunderstanding between Chen Jian's large fleet and the letters of the directors of the Dutch Indian Company.

The fleet made a short stop in Mombasa, which was still pristine Africa, but the city already had the temperament of cultural exchange between East and West.

The Portuish-built Fort Jesus and the Muslim mosque near the port echo each other. This is the place where Zheng He came back then, but now it has been dried by the years, and only the aggressive fortress and chapel remain.

Chen Jian didn't get the live giraffe cubs he wanted here, so he had to buy a few huge giraffe pelts and exchange them for some local sandalwood and strange animal tooth bones.

Lan Qi was extremely puzzled by Jian Chen's behavior of wanting to buy a few small giraffes.

This slightly longer stay in Mombasa was also the last time the fleet docked on the African continent for resupply.

Considering that India did not have the energy to set foot at this time, and the location was on this side of the Strait of Malacca, and Malacca was occupied by the Portuguese, there was a lot less interest in India, at least at this time.

The fleet set sail from Mombasa, hired local sailors as guides, and headed for the Seychelles, known to the Grape people as the Seven Sister Islands, before turning northwest to stop in the Sultanate of the Maldives.

After killing the Portuguese puppet in a palace coup thirty years ago, the titular sultan of the Sultanate of the Maldives has been taking refuge in Goa, nominally as regent in the country.

After Jian Chen stated that he had no interest in spreading Catholicism and that he agreed with the religious freedom of the local people, Regent Imaduddin allowed Jian Chen's fleet to anchor and replenish.

The power of the Portuguese was extremely weak at this time, and the Dutch raided and attacked everywhere, and the Portuguese in the Spice Islands could only unite with the co-host Spain to gain an advantage over the Dutch, but it was difficult to last.

In addition, the route taken by Chen Jian was not a normal route at all, not passing through Ceylon, but passing through the Maldives, so he did not see the Portuguese fleet along the way.

After a short stop to replenish food, the fleet's next stop would be directly to Thailand, where Jian Chen believed that it was necessary to establish a merchant house.

The new dynasty, which had just broken free from Burma through the war, was the most open to the outside world in Thailand's history.

Although the country is small, it is a miracle that it was able to become the only three sovereign states in Asia before World War II, even though it was difficult to support itself in the face of absolute strength, relying on the skillful diplomatic means of "razing to defeat raze".

It's a strange country. The Greeks were prime ministers, and Louis XIV sent envoys.

At this time, the various military operations of the Portuguese in Indochina caused great unease among the Thai kings, who were now in dire need of a reliable ally to suppress the Portuguese.

The Dutch are unreliable, at least at this time, even if the Thai envoy goes to The Hague at this time, it is a hot face and a cold ass.

The Dutch Indian company wanted spices, and at this time it was only just gaining a foothold in Asia, and it did not have the appetite to do something high-end imperialism do.

For the Dutch, the top priority was Indonesia, and controlling Indonesia would mean monopolizing the spice trade, and they would not be able to focus on Indochina for at least two decades.

The rise of the Netherlands, the imminent involvement of the British, the imminent decline of Portugal, all three imminents have not yet happened, but they will happen soon.

This is a rare opportunity for Jian Chen.

With the help of Thailand when it needs external forces the most, gaining a foothold in Thailand can further influence the Asian continent.

Moreover, Thailand has two of the most important trade goods.

Teak and rice for shipbuilding.

Teak is an excellent wood for shipbuilding, and if you choose to establish yourself here and build warships, Thai teak is very important. As for rice,

Thailand's bizarre land system also ensures that even if a group of people starve to death in the country, they can still export in large quantities.

The Dutch, keen on commercial speculation, were still interested in Thailand as a transit point for Chinese goods, and at this time did not recognize a new model of imperialism, which gave Chen Jian ample opportunity.

At the same time, it was an explanation to the Dutch Indian Company, indicating that the Nanyang Trading Company had no interest in getting involved in the spice trade, and that the two sides could continue to cooperate in the fight against Portugal. After all, if you want to gain a foothold in Thailand, friction with Portugal is inevitable, and the Netherlands has no energy or strength to contain Portugal here at this time.

If the situation changes, or the Dutch are preparing to capture Malacca, Chen Jian can also reach out at any time.

No matter how much the Netherlands jumps, it is only a small commercial country, and it cannot become the protagonist of the world, so there is no need to worry about the possibility of raising tigers.

The fleet passed through the Strait of Malacca with great fanfare, which was important to the Europeans, but for the republic for the time being, on the premise of not getting involved in Indian affairs, this strait was not important, and the new Pacific route could be directly linked to the mainland without passing through the strait.

The arrival of the fleet caused great panic among the Portuguese, but they had no choice but to watch the fleet sail away through the strait.

Chen Jian did not contact the Dutch, but sailed directly to Pattani.

Pattani, also known as the Great Mud, belonged to the Ayutthaya Dynasty of Thailand at this time, and nearby spices, Chinese silk porcelain, Indian cotton cloth, and Thai rice would all choose to trade here.

From here, you can find interpreters who are familiar with Dutch, Ming Dynasty official dialect, Hokkien and Thai, and as long as you give money, you can find businessmen who can get to the tax supervisor and general soldier of the Ming Dynasty.

This is an important stop to find someone who can talk to the king of Thailand, make a request for a merchant house, and show that they are extremely dissatisfied with the Portuguese spreading Catholicism, etc., and if the king agrees, the Nanyang Trading Company can establish a fort for the common defense of the two countries in Tanah Sarim or Megui.

For the Thais, who were desperate to find an ally at this time, although they lost part of their sovereignty, they would not take it too seriously, and would gladly accept it if they could intervene.

In addition, Thailand is a time of great value for a visit.

Two years ago, King Narexuan, who is regarded as a legend by the Thais, had just died, and his younger brother Egada Salad had just succeeded to the throne.

Before his death, Nari invited the Dutch to join him in establishing a nominal tributary relationship with the Ming Dynasty in the form of tributary according to the order of "Asia is the world" and open the door to trade.

But as soon as Narexuan died, the Dutch could not wait. In Pattani, I found a few Fujian businessmen and forged a letter from Thailand, but the level of forgery was too low to be seen at a glance.

Narexuan had a broad vision, with blacks, Japanese, and Portuguese mercenaries under his command, who had bought Milanese plate armor and used Goan muskets.

Egatasarad's vision was not low, and after succeeding to the throne, he sent a mission to Europe. The Thai mission went around The Hague and visited Maurice's barracks and the Dutch system.

It's always easier to communicate with this kind of broad-minded person, at least they still have interests in their eyes, and they know how to use razor to defeat raze.

At the same time, Thailand is also on the periphery of the tributary system of East Asia, and it is a force to rely on because it is well versed in European things and has some rules for local behemoths.

The Dutch were unable to trade with the Ming Dynasty, partly because of cultural conflicts, which led to a lack of understanding of what the Asian political system was all about, and the idea that the Celestial Empire was the world made many problems wrong from the beginning. On the other hand, they are also reluctant to bribe, the bribe money is too small, and the bribes are too single, and they can't do anything if they are reluctant to throw money. Besides, as for what the Dutch were, the few missionaries in the Ming Dynasty who knew Europe were all Jesuits, and it would be hellish for them to say a good word about this Calvin's heresy.

But Thailand is different. At least the Ming Dynasty knew about the existence of Thailand, and this kind of tribute was easily allowed.

Chen Jian felt that if he could take advantage of the opportunity of the King of Thailand to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty, he would really have the opportunity to see the stitches.