Zhu Yunwen gained a deeper understanding of the situation in the local area, which put his mind at ease.

After all, the Ming Dynasty is indeed too vast now, and there are some areas that are easy to be unable to manage.

Fortunately, the situation was still quite satisfactory for Zhu Yunwen.

Zhu Yunwen continued his visits throughout the day, visiting both impoverished and non-impoverished areas. He found that most of the people lived in relatively good conditions, which pleased him.

Time passed quickly, and the day to set sail arrived. It was a beautiful, sunny day.

The sea was calm and the waves were just right for setting sail, which seemed to indicate that the journey would be smooth sailing.

Ma Sanbao stood at the port, methodically directing those who needed to board the ship to disembark while simultaneously verifying the names of various personnel.

After all, there can be no mistakes when boarding the ship. The voyage at sea will last for at least several months, and if something goes wrong, the entire fleet could be lost at sea.

After boarding, Ma Sanbao once again ordered a thorough inspection of all equipment, weapons, food, supplies, and everything else to ensure everything was in perfect condition before setting sail.

By the time everything was finished, it was already noon. Ma Sanbao then welcomed Zhu Yunwen and Zhao Qingzhu to board the ship, and under the watchful eyes of everyone, they boarded the fleet.

The entire fleet consisted of dozens of ships, with some smaller vessels placed on top of the larger ones. Each ship varied in size, with the largest being the main ship located in the very center. It was so large that it could accommodate several thousand people.

The surrounding ships were also quite large, with each one capable of accommodating several hundred people.

Apart from a few ships specifically used for transporting food and weapons, most of the other ships were used to carry soldiers.

This voyage involves a total of about 12,000 people, of whom 10,000 are specially trained soldiers with very strong combat capabilities.

In addition, there are a thousand people who are responsible for the ship's daily operations and ensuring everyone has food.

The other thousand people are Zhongyuntong's special forces. These thousand people are more powerful and have more sophisticated weapons and equipment.

Moreover, they always carried these weapons and equipment on their bodies and were guarding Zhu Yunwen's ship.

The other soldiers, except those who need to guard or stand guard, usually take off their weapons and armor and wear simpler clothing.

Equipment will only be provided in special circumstances.

In addition, ten maids were specially assigned to the ship this time to serve Zhu Yunwen and Zhao Qingzhu in their daily lives. Previously, no women were allowed to be brought on board when they went to sea.

After all, there's always the fear of some unexpected events.

But after everything was prepared, Ma Sanbao, having received Zhu Yunwen's instructions, ordered the ship to set sail.

The fleet quickly set sail, slowly leaving the port and heading towards the vast ocean.

Zhu Yunwen sat atop the largest ship in the very center of the fleet, standing on its higher deck. Looking at the surrounding vessels and the boundless sea stretching into the distance, he couldn't help but take a deep breath and say:

"The world is vast, and our Ming Dynasty, despite its current vast territory, is still just a small map in the eyes of this world."

Today, I personally set sail to conquer this vast ocean of stars. I also hope to bring more overseas nations under the banner of my Great Ming, so that they may pay homage to my Ming Dynasty every year.

Upon hearing Zhu Yunwen's words, Ma Sanbao immediately straightened his back and said:

"Except for a few countries, most countries are relatively friendly to our Great Ming."

Zhu Yunwen said:

"Then let those few countries become friendly to our Great Ming. This is not something they can choose. If they are not enemies, they must be friends."

Ma Sanbao's face lit up with an excited smile. He knew that since His Highness the Crown Prince was personally leading the expedition, there would be no more worries. Without these worries, many things could be accomplished with ease.

For example, when faced with provocation, Ma Sanbao often couldn't decide whether or not to take drastic measures to deal with it.

We were worried that certain actions would put the Ming Dynasty in a very passive position, but now we don't have to worry about that anymore.

Since His Highness the Crown Prince personally took charge, his decisions were bound to be correct, and no one dared to say he would make a mistake in what he wanted to do.

This trip will surely allow Ma Sanbao to finally get his revenge.

The fleet moved slowly at sea, initially at a low speed. After traveling a certain distance, Ma Sanbao began to gradually give orders to increase the speed of the ships.

Since this was Ma Sanbao's umpteenth voyage, he had a relatively good understanding of the situation overseas. This time, he headed directly south to a small country in the South China Sea.

Ma Sanbao said to Zhu Yunwen:

"Your Highness, our first stop on this voyage is in the South China Sea. It's Champa. Champa is very close to Annam and is a coastal country in the south."

During the Yuan Dynasty, it was once a vassal state. Later, the prince of Champa was dissatisfied with being a vassal state, so he went alone to break free from the Yuan Dynasty's control.

The Yuan Dynasty once sent princes to fight against this, hoping to resolve the issue, but due to its remote location, the matter was ultimately dropped. Now, Champa has gradually become an essential stop on my sea voyages.

Because it was founded on the coast, merchant ships traveling by sea all gathered here to collect fresh water, making it the premier port in the south.

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