As early as the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, when the Han Dynasty conquered the Baiyue in the south and designated the Hanoi region as Rinan Commandery, the name of the Han Dynasty had already begun to circulate in the surrounding areas.
Legend has it that the northern kingdom called the Great Han was vast in territory and powerful in military force, unmatched by any of its neighboring countries.
The various tribes and states in the southwest of Rinan Commandery, as well as the Han Dynasty, had long admired it.
The reason why the Han Dynasty's influence has never extended southward over the years is that the Han Dynasty only exists in legends.
Looking at the enormous fleet before him, and the flags with Chinese characters flying on the ships, the tribal chief was certain that this fleet came from the legendary Han Dynasty.
The tribal chief's face showed no fear whatsoever; on the contrary, it flushed with excitement.
In his view, the fact that the Han Dynasty could send such a large fleet to sail this far meant that its strength was far greater than recorded in the clan's records.
If they can establish contact with the Han Dynasty and gain its protection, their tribe will surely rise to become the most powerful force in the surrounding area.
Whether the Han Dynasty would covet this place and thus destroy them was not within the tribal chief's consideration.
In his view, the Han Dynasty, as a vast and powerful celestial empire, had absolutely no reason to covet such a place, and it was too far away to be ruled.
The Han dynasty's visit can only be for trade and diplomatic purposes.
Soon, after some exploration, the fleet selected a suitable place to dock, and the giant ship carrying Chu Qian and Jian Shuo was the first to dock.
The escort ships and merchant ships following behind also sailed to the shore in an orderly manner.
Chu Qian and Jian Shuo, along with several hundred naval soldiers and a translator from Rinan County, were the first to disembark and head towards the local inhabitants on the shore.
The tribal chief, along with his men, quickly came forward and bowed deeply to Chu Qian and Jian Shuo, who were walking at the front.
"My name is Lan Minggan. I greet you, esteemed guests. May I ask if you are from the Han Dynasty?"
The guide from Rinan County also translated Lan Minggan's words to Chu Qian and Jian Shuo.
Jian Shuo then looked at the guide and said calmly, "Tell him that we are here on the orders of the Emperor of the Han Dynasty, and have the highest-ranking person here come to greet us!"
"yes!"
The guide respectfully agreed, and then, mimicking Jian Shuo's tone, began to communicate with Lan Minggan.
After a moment, the guide looked at Jian Shuo and said, "Jian Changshi, this man says his name is Lanminggan, and he is the leader of the local tribe. This coastline is their territory."
At the same time, he also hoped to forge an alliance with the Han Dynasty and become its vassal.
"Heh~, not bad, you're quite sensible!"
Upon hearing the guide's words, Jian Shuo chuckled softly, then looked at Lan Minggan, who was gazing at him expectantly, and said with a smile:
"Your request can be granted by our Great Han, but first tell us about the situation here and in the surrounding area!"
"Thank you for your great favor, Great Han! My people and I are willing to serve Great Han for generations to come!"
After listening to the guide's translation, Lanminggan expressed his loyalty with a look of delight, and then began to introduce to Jian Shuo the population and strength of his tribe, as well as the situation of several surrounding tribes.
Lanminggan's tribe has more than 23,000 people, including 3,000 soldiers.
In the southwest, southeast, and north of the Lanminggan tribe, there are three tribes respectively.
The populations of these three tribes are not much different from those of the Lanminggan tribe, all around 20,000.
Because the area behind the coast is mostly mountainous and rife with miasma, it is difficult for ordinary people to survive. As a result, these tribes often clash over issues of sea and territory.
In particular, the northern tribe called Kanda frequently sent troops to attack the Lanminggan tribe in order to seize a piece of fishing coastline, causing the people in the tribe to live in constant fear.
This is also the main reason why Lan Minggan was so eager to befriend the Han Dynasty.
With the guide's translation, Jian Shuo and Chu Qian gained a preliminary understanding of the local power dynamics.
Looking at the equipment and weapons of the Lanminggan soldiers in the distance, Jian Shuo couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.
With such a high quality of manpower, the Imperial Navy wouldn't even need to intervene; the sailors on the ship alone could wipe out the various factions here.
However, this is their first stop on their voyage to the West, and it will also serve as a supply point in the future. Destroying these forces would not be in the best interests of the Han Dynasty at present.
The best strategy is to first allocate a piece of land, then utilize the local manpower to build up this supply point, and finally gradually occupy it.
Thinking of this, Chu Qian and Jian Shuo exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.
Then, Chu Qian stepped forward and said, "Since your tribe is willing to acknowledge our Great Han as the suzerain state, our Great Han naturally has the responsibility to protect you. You should go and inform the leaders of the other tribes to send people over so that we can discuss a peaceful solution together."
"I humbly obey the angel's command!"
Lan Minggan responded with delight, leading Chu Qian and the others toward the tribe while sending someone to inform the leaders of the other tribes.
After the naval officers and soldiers, along with a group of merchants and sailors, moored their ships, they also went ashore and began setting up camp and tents.
As for the goods, they remained on the ship, awaiting Chu Qian's arrangements.
"Angels, please!!"
Lan Minggan led Chu Qian, Jian Shuo, and others to the tribe.
Many farmlands have been cultivated around the tribe and rice has been planted. Many dried fish are also hanging on wooden frames in the tribe.
It is clear that this tribe lives a semi-agricultural, semi-fishing lifestyle.
The houses in the tribe are all made of pure wood, with no discernible style or unique features. They seem to have been temporarily erected simply to provide shelter from the wind and rain.
In Chu Qian and Jian Shuo's view, these local natives also knew some things, but not much, only slightly better than the nomadic peoples of the grasslands.
It would not have been difficult for the Han Dynasty to assimilate and rule such a group.
As they pondered this, the two followed Lanminggan to the front of the most luxurious wooden house in the tribe—a slightly taller wooden house.
This wooden house is only slightly larger and taller than the ones in the tribe, and it has two more windows.
The furnishings inside the wooden house were very simple. Some animal skin scrolls were placed on a wooden frame made of several planks, and the table was a round wooden stake. Several small wooden stools were placed around the table, which served as stools.
"This place is far inferior to that of the Han Dynasty; it is indeed too simple and crude. I hope the angel will not be offended!"
Noticing the displeasure on Chu Qian and Jian Shuo's faces, Lan Minggan awkwardly stepped forward to explain.
"It's alright, sit down and let's talk!"
Jian Shuo waved his hand and then walked towards the table.
Afterwards, the group sat facing each other. Chu Qian looked at Lan Minggan and asked, "What local specialties do you have? For example, ivory, gemstones, spices, medicinal herbs..."
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