For Chen Zuyi, the notorious pirate who roamed the South Seas, utter destruction struck suddenly. It was simply because the Ming Dynasty fleet had arrived in the South Seas, and simply because he had failed to follow the orders of the Ming envoy.

Now he is imprisoned, his men have scattered and fled, or have lost their lives. And many more have been captured, some executed, some imprisoned like him.

Those small Southeast Asian nations that once dared not provoke the tiger now appeared fierce and stern, showing no mercy to the fleeing pirates. They were even more ruthless, for they all knew Chen Zuyi had been defeated.

For Ma Sanbao, eliminating Chen Zuyi was one of his duties. His primary mission was to lead a massive fleet out to sea to demonstrate the power and prestige of the Ming dynasty. And the best way to do this was to showcase the strength of the Ming army through a war.

Although Chen Zuyi was a pirate, his pirates were indeed a powerful force in the South Seas, leaving countless foreign countries helpless. But what did it matter? In the face of the Ming Dynasty, these seemingly powerful pirates were still nothing but ants, and were wiped out by the Ming Dynasty in the blink of an eye.

This is the best way to demonstrate national power and let the countries of Southeast Asia directly experience the strength of the Ming Dynasty.

Furthermore, eliminating these powerful pirates, while not ensuring unimpeded passage for Ming Dynasty caravans, certainly provided an additional layer of protection. Small groups of pirates dared not easily attack Ming Dynasty caravans, while large groups had to consider whether they were as formidable as Chen Zuyi.

This can be considered a warning to others, and these are things that Ma Sanbao should do.

When the massive Ming Dynasty fleet arrived at Palembang, Shi Jinqing and others immediately went forward to greet them. King Liang Daoming of Srivijaya also hurriedly brought his minister Zheng Bo and Chinese residents of Southeast Asia to pay their respects.

There are quite a few Chinese in Southeast Asia. They sail, do business, cultivate land, and so on. Their numbers are actually quite large.

The Chinese in the new Srivijaya are banding together for mutual support, resisting the invasion of the Majapahit. They also need to establish more contact with the powerful Ming Dynasty, which can probably be considered as an additional guarantee.

As for paying tribute or becoming a vassal state like the Ming Dynasty, it seems that some people don't have any psychological barriers at all. For example, Liang Daoming went to Southeast Asia to make a living in his early years, but he also longed to return to his roots.

If I could obtain an official position in the Ming Dynasty based on my achievements in Srivijaya, that wouldn't be a problem at all. It would be glorious then. In the end, it's just about making a living. But if I could get an official position, that would be something to be proud of and bring honor to my family.

As for their territories in Southeast Asia, Liang Daoming was well aware that these were minor skirmishes. Although more and more Chinese were coming to join them, they were ultimately no match for the Majapahit.

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The Ming Dynasty was far more stable. If he could hold an official position and receive a salary from the court, Liang Daoming wouldn't hesitate at all. Returning home to be a wealthy man and a noble official was far better than leading a group of people in Southeast Asia to resist barbarian invasions.

The so-called new King of Srivijaya had nothing to hold him back; he was basically just a mountain king.

These are probably examples of different people having different ambitions. Some people are thinking about building their own empire. Even if it's some remote place, it's better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. Leading some local people, at least they are 'people above people'.

But some people feel that being able to return to their hometown in glory is the greatest pursuit. Isn't all the hard work and struggle outside ultimately about returning home in triumph, about honoring their ancestors?

The desire to return to one's roots is a common aspiration for many people who live away from home. They have wandered for half their lives and yearn to return to their hometown after death.

Ma Sanbao is now enjoying great prestige. It's believed that not only people like Liang Daoming hold him in awe, but other foreign countries in Southeast Asia will also soon receive this news and will inevitably fear the power of the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, this war will allow him to report back to His Majesty and prove his competence. It will also earn him some respect from the arrogant and unruly soldiers on the fleet side, rather than simply acting as a follower of imperial orders as initially had.

These are all very real issues, and everything ultimately comes down to power; it still requires ability and skill to earn respect. Other things, however, may not be so easy.

Ma Sanbao has now gained the initial trust of some people, after all, he is the nominal commander-in-chief in this great battle. It seems that he is no longer just a eunuch favored by the emperor, but a eunuch with some ability.

These things are very realistic, but also very useful. Especially for Ma Sanbao, who has a physical disability, he values ​​respect and the Emperor's trust even more. If he could achieve something, he would consider his life worthwhile.

Whether Ma Sanbao was in high spirits or not, Zhu Yunying naturally had no idea. He only wanted to govern the Ming Dynasty well; that was his job, and that was the duty of an emperor.

There are still many things waiting for him to handle; as an emperor, he certainly can't stay idle. Even though the cabinet is helping him deal with some matters, in such a magnificent country, things happen every day, and these all require the emperor's attention.

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