The main problem is that those people from the Ming Dynasty still thought that Srivijaya would help them.

This is a joke! Shi Jinqing spoke with absolute certainty about what he saw on the Ming Dynasty fleet, how he was looked down upon when he met that eunuch, and how the Ming Dynasty's fleet was filled with countless treasures, which were then distributed as rewards to the countries along the way!

This won't do. Chen Zuyi has been blinded by money, and he's decided to take the risk and rob a ship. After all, he's robbed Ming Dynasty merchant ships before and knows that those ships carry gold and silver treasures.

If some merchant fleets carry a lot of good stuff, then the imperial fleet must certainly have even more gold and silver treasures.

Moreover, Chen Zuyi didn't intend to act recklessly; Ma Sanbao only wanted credit. Although the Southeast Asian countries were suppressing them, Ma Sanbao was overjoyed at Chen Zuyi's surrender.

We'll use a feigned surrender to get close to the Ming Dynasty's fleet. Once our brothers board the ships and scatter the Ming Dynasty's fleet, we'll show those people the power of pirates.

At that time, not only will the gold and silver treasures on the ships be stolen, but the large ships themselves will also be looted.

The Ming Dynasty's fleets were there to deliver gold and silver treasures. If we could seize those ships and kill those officials and soldiers, our power would expand countless times. At that point, we wouldn't just be able to dominate the Southeast Asian countries, we could truly become a king.

By then, the Ming Dynasty probably wouldn't dare to provoke Chen Zuyi anymore. Did they really think that Chen Zuyi was a subject of the Ming Dynasty? Did they really think that Chen Zuyi, a dragon among men, would willingly bow down and submit?

That Zhu Chongba was just a little beggar; I'm no worse than him! Zhu Chongba was lucky enough to seize the throne during the chaos at the end of the Yuan Dynasty; I, Chen Zuyi, was just a few years later. Now that I can't conquer the Central Plains, I'll just be a king in Southeast Asia, living a carefree life.

Shi Jinqing was somewhat nervous. He had finally managed to trick Chen Zuyi into confidently gathering pirates to prepare for a voyage. Now, he was eagerly anticipating that the eunuch from the Ming Dynasty would truly be able to annihilate such a scourge as Chen Zuyi.

If Chen Zuyi is eliminated, Srivijaya can establish itself. Once Palembang is acquired, it will be able to resist Majapahit and recruit more people, perhaps eventually reaching most of the original Srivijaya's strength.

Moreover, Eunuch Sanbao said that as long as Chen Zuyi was eliminated, the Ming court would appoint him as the Pacification Commissioner of Jiugang. At that time, he would no longer be Liang Daoming's subject, and he would have the territory of Jiugang.

Even if we had to submit to the Ming Dynasty and pay tribute, it wouldn't matter, because then we would have our own territory and could be independent overseas!

Yu Tongyuan is currently paying close attention. The imperial court has quite a few ships. Fujian ships are a given, but that's just a general term. Fujian ships also have different types and functions.

Ships No. 1 and 2, both named Fujian ships, were powerful and easy to plunder. Ship No. 3 was a sentry ship, also known as a grass-flying ship. Ship No. 4 was a winter ship, also known as a haicang ship. Sentinel ships and winter ships were smaller than Fujian ships, making them easier to attack and pursue. Haicang ships had a draft of seven or eight feet and could move even in light winds. Ship No. 5 was a bird ship, and ship No. 6 was a fast ship. Bird ships and fast ships were also known as wave-opening ships. Wave-opening ships were even smaller, with a draft of three or four feet, and could accommodate thirty to fifty people, making them suitable for reconnaissance.

Moreover, the ship was equipped with various firearms, including large and small muskets such as the Dafagong, the bowl-shaped musket, the bird-beak musket, and the flamethrower, which could attack the enemy at both long and short ranges.

Furthermore, the fleet also had its own nautical language. During the day, they would hang and wave various colored flags in an agreed-upon manner to form corresponding flag signals. At night, they used lanterns to indicate the navigational situation. In foggy or rainy weather with poor visibility, they also used gongs, trumpets, and conch shells for communication.

Many of these are based on the summaries of predecessors, plus the experience of the Ming Dynasty's fleets continuously sailing to Southeast Asia over the years.

Furthermore, the use of celestial observation to determine direction and ship location, as well as the application of astronomical positioning and navigation compasses, can ensure the fleet's position and orientation at sea.

Such a powerful fleet was something that pirates like Chen Zuyi could never shake.

Yu Tongyuan and his men were ready for battle, and the Ming Dynasty's fleet also appeared to be ready.

Whether Chen Zuyi's surrender was feigned or not is irrelevant, and there's no need to care about such things. All we need to do is prepare to wipe out this group of pirates at the opportune moment. Yu Tongyuan and the others are just worried that there aren't enough pirates coming.

These pirates are not easy to gather, and it will be even harder to get them to regroup. If we wipe out these large groups of pirates at sea, the remaining remnants will naturally be no threat.

Suppressing these pirates would not only spread the fame of the Ming Dynasty to Southeast Asia, but also eliminate these scourges, allowing Ming Dynasty merchant ships to sail more freely. This is what Ma Sanbao should do.

Of course, eliminating the pirates that these small Southeast Asian countries couldn't control would also make Ma Sanbao more powerful when he went on diplomatic missions to various countries. Going on diplomatic missions is no simple matter; demonstrating national power isn't just about leading a few arrogant and fierce soldiers, it also requires outstanding military achievements.

Moreover, as the chief envoy, Ma Sanbao knew some things. After all, he was a eunuch, and even with the emperor's favor, people like Yu Tongyuan and Ping An might not truly respect him; at most, they would only obey His Majesty's orders.

Those people were all eyeing military merit. Suppressing the pirates was a military achievement. If these arrogant and fierce soldiers were not allowed to gain merit, they might cause trouble when they were sent on missions to foreign countries. Their desire for military merit surpassed everything else.

This is not just empty talk; all those military men dream of being ennobled and appointed as generals, and being able to send troops is their opportunity.

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