In the second year of the New Ming calendar, on Hainan Island, Lin'gao County, at the New Ming naval supply port, the harbor was filled with ships.
Shi Lang's flagship, Wanli Sunshine, was anchored alongside a large number of medium and small vessels. The fleet had stopped here to replenish coal, food, and fresh water.
Workers moved back and forth without rest, carrying supplies onto the ships. Crates, barrels, and sacks were passed along in an endless stream, and the entire port felt alive with motion.
Yet inside the meeting room, the atmosphere was much more focused.
Shi Lang sat together with a group of mid and high ranking naval officers. At the front of the room stood a young man full of energy.
His name was Shi Xian, Shi Lang's younger brother.
Several years ago, under the orders of Dao Xuan Tianzun, he had boarded a Dutch merchant ship and traveled to the Western seas, completing a voyage that crossed nearly the entire world. In the years that followed, he risked his life making several more journeys back and forth.
Now, there was no doubt that he was the most knowledgeable person in New Ming when it came to Western affairs.
Shi Xian spread out a massive sea chart and hung it on the wall. Then he picked up a wooden pointer and began indicating key locations.
"This place is called Saigon. It will be our first foothold. After that comes the Strait of Malacca. This is an extremely important strategic location. If we want to reach the Western seas, we must control this strait. And here… and here…"
He marked each critical point along the route, circling them in red.
"Every one of these places must have a supply port. Not small ones. Large scale ports."
Shi Lang frowned as he looked at the map.
"There are too many. The areas we need to control are simply too many. If we station troops at every supply point, the navy alone will be stretched thin. Unless we request reinforcements from the Ministry of War, this cannot be sustained."
Shi Xian nodded.
"That's right. There are too many. The Westerners spent an entire Age of Exploration opening this route. It took generations of effort. We are trying to catch up as latecomers. Without several years of work, it is impossible. And this is not just a naval matter. Without the army, we cannot do it."
Just then, a guard stepped into the room.
"Report. A representative from the army has arrived, saying he was sent to coordinate with the navy."
Everyone was slightly surprised.
"We were just talking about the army, and now they're here? Could it be that Dao Xuan Tianzun passed along a message?"
Shi Lang let out a small sigh.
"That is very possible. Even if Dao Xuan Tianzun has stepped back from land affairs, matters of the sea… he might still be keeping an eye on them. After all, he did say that maritime affairs are a century long undertaking that requires generations of effort."
"Let him in."
Soon, the representative entered. He was a spirited young man who immediately gave a crisp salute.
"Li Dingguo, New Ming Army, Eighth Division, commander of the Western Affairs Front."
"Western Affairs Front?" The officers exchanged glances.
Shi Lang quickly understood. "The army has already formed a dedicated force for western operations?"
"Yes," Li Dingguo replied. "From now on, all western campaigns will be led by me. Principal Sun instructed me to coordinate closely with all of you. Wherever your navy can take us, we will fight."
Shi Lang was delighted.
"With the army handling land operations, the navy can finally act freely."
One naval officer could not help asking, "How many troops did you bring?"
"Twenty thousand."
Shi Lang nodded. "That will require quite a number of ships to transport. We should start preparing immediately. Where is your main force now?"
Li Dingguo grinned. "Out at sea."
Everyone in the room froze.
"Out at sea? Where did you get the ships? Our navy hasn't deployed yet."
Li Dingguo raised his hand and pointed upward.
"A new ship granted by Dao Xuan Tianzun."
That answer left everyone stunned.
Had he not already stepped back from direct involvement?
Apparently, not entirely.
The group hurried outside.
When they looked toward the sea, they all sucked in a sharp breath.
A massive ship was anchored offshore.
It was more than three hundred meters long and over forty meters wide. The sheer size of it made it look like a moving island.
Even with twenty thousand soldiers standing on it, the deck did not seem crowded.
"This… this…"
Several junior officers were so shocked they could not even finish their sentences.
Shi Lang swallowed.
"A ship this large… and it is being used as a transport vessel. What a waste. If we mounted cannons across it…"
Li Dingguo laughed.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun said there is no need for cannons. It can simply ram."
There was a brief pause.
Then the naval officers burst into laughter.
"That works too."
---
In the third year of the New Ming calendar, battle broke out at sea.
"Hard to port!"
"Fire!"
Shi Lang's command rang out as the cannons on the side of Wanli Sunshine fired in succession. Shells slammed into a nearby British warship, blasting holes through its hull.
The British refused to back down.
"Close in! Surround them!"
A large number of British ships, along with Indian vessels, surged forward, surrounding the New Ming fleet like a swarm of ants.
Just as they believed they would overwhelm their enemy with numbers, something appeared on the eastern horizon.
A massive ship.
Over three hundred meters long, more than forty meters wide, like a moving island, like a fortress upon the sea.
The British were terrified.
"What is that ship?"
"That is not a ship!"
"That is an island moving!"
"This cannot be fought! This cannot be fought!"
"Retreat! Retreat now!"
On Shi Lang's ship, the sailors burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! This is our New Ming flagship, the Kunkun. Prepare yourselves!"
In the third year of the New Ming calendar, the Kunkun appeared in the seas of Nanyang, and at the moment it appeared, it shattered the will of all Western colonial forces.
They fled in panic, abandoning equipment, abandoning their colonies, and no longer dared to contest New Ming for dominance in the region.
By the sixth year, supply ports of New Ming were spread throughout Nanyang.
By the tenth year, the Kunkun arrived at Lisbon. The moment it anchored, all of Europe was shaken.
By the eleventh year, free trade began between New Ming and Western Europe.
By the fifteenth year, diplomat Gao Zhengjing arrived in Europe aboard the Kunkun and established consulates.
By the seventeenth year, unable to endure the trade imbalance, European nations expelled Gao Zhengjing and banned trade with New Ming.
By the nineteenth year, the New Ming fleet, led by the Kunkun, bombarded ports across Western Europe, leaving them with no ability to resist. Nobles fled inland with their families in panic.
By the twentieth year, under Gao Zhengjing's leadership, New Ming and the European nations signed the famous "Thirty Two Articles," which ensured that trade restrictions could no longer be imposed.
By the twenty-first year, humiliated Europeans began movements to resist New Ming. One radical group called "Big Cosmos Flower" was formed, dedicated to attacking New Ming interests.
By the twenty-third year, they launched an attack on a New Ming embassy with a battalion of troops, believing victory was certain. Instead, Gao Zhengjing drove them back alone.
By the twenty-fourth year, Shi Lang returned with the fleet under the pretext of suppressing this group, striking coastal ports once again and forcing another agreement to be signed, reaffirming that trade could not be obstructed.
By the thirtieth year, New Ming goods dominated the high end markets of Europe. People took pride in using imported goods, while local brands were looked down upon. Many local brands were even forced to adopt Chinese names to elevate their status.
By the thirty-fifth year, the luxury brand "Green" sold bags in Europe for astonishing prices.
By the thirty-eighth year, the luxury brand "Lux" sold watches for even higher prices.