Chapter 6: RESEARCH AND INVESTIGATION

AT THE HEART OF GUANGZHOU, in the crowded streets of the commercial district, General He Jin and a light company of men rode their horses toward the Scholars' headquarters. They were to inform them of the recent events that took place at the Battle for Putian Township and the new developments concerning the pirates who defected from Riben. The city's harbor lay in the distance and He Jin paused briefly to observe the activities taking place at the wharfs. He extended a spyglass and watched the Pale Foreigners walking about as if they already owned the entire harbor. Under the shadow of the tall and imposing structure they had so quickly erected, the Foreigners conducted business with the city's local officials. Together they regulated the activities of the harbor and oversaw the comings and goings of various ships from around the known world. The elite Jinyiwei secret police guarded harbor entrances and patrolled the harbor compound. How unusual that a special task force that supposedly only answered to the Emperor was involved in such affairs.

"It appears that palace eunuchs have been scheming of late," he muttered to himself. He continued onto the Scholars' headquarters and was immediately greeted by Shang Jian and by the rest of them. At the council chamber General He Jin informed them of all that had happened: the arrival of Sun Xin at the garrison, the battle of Putian, and the arrival of the pirate ships that fired upon them from great a distance using a mysterious new weapon. The news troubled the Scholars and they agreed that the only logical explanation was the involvement of the Pale Foreigners.

"One more thing, comrades," said the general. "Your swordsman Xin has ventured north. Has some unfinished business there, says he needs to talk to his master or something. He sends his regards and apologizes for his absence. He was... rather affected by the events of the battle."

"Sun Xin is a free spirit. He makes an appearance at precisely the moment he intends," Lu Guanying answered.

"The Foreigners have become more intrusive in their dealings with the people and they walk arrogantly amongst us with an aura of superiority and confidence. The corrupt ones in government have allowed this matter to get too far and our emperor sits on the Dragon Throne watching it all happen?" said Shang Jian.

Headmaster Lu Guanying stood and proclaimed, "There are still those righteous who desire to keep the empire free. We must speak with the emperor in order to take action against this blatant corruption. It is becoming top priority to eradicate the meddling foreigners." The General and the Scholars agreed. Zhang Sunzan awaited news from Fox concerning the state of affairs in the capital. "Word from Beijing will reach us soon. Any time now, my contact shall be sending vital information from my close allies in the Censorial Office in Beijing. His report will be most invaluable to us, and then we will know our next course of action." The Ming Empire was ripe for great change. Liberation was on the horizon.

?

Fox's Investigation

Exactly seven days since he had left Guangzhou, Fox disembarked from the cargo ship that docked at the capital's outlying district of Tangzhou where the Grand Canal reached its northernmost point. He continued on foot through the dusty, busy streets until he arrived at the main city gate imbedded into the monumental stone wall that surrounded the main districts of Beijing. He lowered his cap over his eyes and proceeded through the gate with a group of pedestrians being sure to stay away from the sight of the guards. The entire morning was spent navigating through the city's main avenue as Fox moved towards the center of the capital where the emperor's palace stood.

It was called the Forbidden City for only the emperor, his family, and his servants within the court were allowed to enter. It was the largest palace in the whole world- a city within a city. From a bird's view, it shone brightly with majestic walls, columns, and structures of vermilion red and glistened with rooftops of golden hues. Gaining entrance to the palace was not Fox's intention, however.

Finding Zhou Liang or Wei Qiuyuan within the government's Censorate was his priority. He rented a room at the top floor of an inn which stood upon a hill not far from the Forbidden City. From the room of the inn he saw the Foreigners' small establishments just beyond the wall. They looked hastily erected but appeared sturdy. Guards wearing unusual foreign armor guarded the small compound. In the course of the next couple of days, he would be sure to learn something from them. He would leave one eye open for the Foreigners. The latter half of the day was spent in the premises of the Censorate compound watching for the censors that he was instructed to seek. The agency was quite infamous, as some of its members throughout history have been known to be corrupt and on occasion take bribes. If that were possible, then today of all days it was most likely to be with the arrival of the Pale Foreigners.

Fox made an effort to look natural and to blend with the environment to not be caught loitering around a "sensitive" government office. He waited for quite some time as he watched people move to and fro, all of whom were completely unaware of the possible crisis their nation was about to face. They were as it appeared, completely clueless about the corruption happening within their government. It was towards the close of the day that interesting activity really started to occur in the office of the Censorate. Fox watched from the sidelines across the street as five Jinyiwei Secret Police armed with broadswords and bows came knocking on the main entrance of the Censorate grounds. They barged their way through as soon as the gates were opened, and within moments, exited the premises with a man whose wrists and feet had been chained. "I will give you one more chance, Zhou Liang. Where is your colleague Wei Qiuyuan?" demanded one of the Jinyiwei agents.

"Even if I did know, I would rather suffer Ling Chi before I would betray my country. May shame and dishonor be upon you and all your comrades and may it follow you to hell," spat Zhou Liang.

The agent smacked him across the face with a backhand.

"Take him to the dungeons beneath headquarters. If death by a thousand cuts is what he would prefer, give it to him," the agent snarled.

Two of the agents dragged him away down the street as the remaining three proceeded to the opposite direction, possibly to the home of Wei Qiuyuan.

As they walked out of sight, Fox spotted a figure standing in a dim corner across the street. He was dressed in commoner's clothes and an old farmer's hat. He too waited for the guards to exit before he made his way down the adjacent street. Fox tailed him from a distance for several blocks. The man rounded a corner into a dark alley and disappeared. Fox looked around confused as to where he could have vanished. The sound of a dagger being unsheathed broke the silence, and before he could turn around, a sharp point pressed against his neck. The man shoved him against the wall and he wrenched his arm high against his back.

"Calm yourself, comrade! I am an ally!" said Fox apparently very startled.

"How amusing; lackeys of paper pushers will try anything these days," said the man.

"I was sent by Zhang Sunzan. Reach under my chest pocket. I have a badge of the Scholars to prove it." Indeed the silver plaque of the League of Martial Scholars was secured beneath his garment and Wei Qiuyuan lowered his blade.

"My apologies, man. I can never be too careful," he said.

"I cannot blame you," said Fox. "It is important that I speak to you. The Scholars have been receiving little word from the capital and they must know of our government's state and the activities of the meddling Foreigners."

"We cannot speak here now. Just along the northern wall of the city at the eastern end of the commercial district, you will find an old wine shop still in business. At sunrise you are to go there and tell the shop owner 'I have urgent business from the South'. He will take you to my personal guards who will escort you to see me. There is business I must first attend to."

When dawn had arrived, Fox had used the cover of darkness and evaded several Jinyiwei and city prefect patrols to reach the northern end of Beijing. The stress from several hours of waiting and a few more to reach this part of the city was beginning to take its toll on his strength. He restlessly entered the only wine shop in the district.

"I have urgent business from the South," he told the old shopkeeper who was busy with preparing the shop. He glanced at him plainly. "Follow me," he murmured. He was led to a storage room at the rear of the shop where armored men stood erect along a plain wall. "He has business with the official," said the shopkeeper. Two guards unrolled the large rug that hugged the floor and revealed a trap door . Fox went in climbed down with the guards and was directed through some old tunnels until they reached a damp, candlelit makeshift study. "Glad to see you have made it safely," said Wei Qiuyuan as the guards returned to their posts.

"I know why it is the Scholars have sent for you. They are right to worry."

"Yes, they have good reason to suspect the agenda of these mysterious Pale Foreigners and their influence upon the government of late. They believe corruption has grown rampant since their arrival. I believe this myself. My name is Fox. It is a pleasure to formally meet with you."

"I'm Wei Qiuyuan. The pleasure is mutual," he said, returning the salute. "They are not wrong, I'm afraid," said Qiuyuan as he massaged his head. He sighed and frowned. "However, I'm quite relieved to see you here. It means that the League is actively investigating this serious matter. I had hoped they would reach out to me. Our nation truly is at a crisis. Many high-ranking officials in the court have practically given themselves over to the Foreigners who call themselves the Terukk. In the past two weeks, I have been conducting intensive investigations concerning the Terukk dealings with the court. I myself have not been personally approached with any sort of proposition, but I am nonetheless sure that dark dealings are being performed in high places. From the sidelines I have witnessed the Censorate's very own chief censor, along with several eunuchs and scholar officials, meeting with them in secret... though I cannot be certain as to whom is buying into their propositions. For the moment, I cannot name names. Too many are afraid to speak out, and the line that divides allies from opponents has been severely blurred. I think you have witnessed my colleague Zhou Liang taken by the Jinyiwei last night? Such is the fate of those who would openly oppose this growing conspiracy. I warned him, but he was too stubborn." Wei Qiuyuan felt great regret for his capture. Fox was not sure how to react and his mind raced with the realization of how deep the conspiracy was. He could hardly believe it.

"Has the emperor deliberately allowed this to occur within his own court?" Fox questioned.

"Our enemies have been very successful in keeping the emperor out of their way. And for good reason. Were he to discover the truth of the situation he would have sent his Capital Imperial Guards to arrest them all and have them executed." Sadness took over his face. "I have heard that his health is not well. In truth, he has disapproved of the Terukk from the very start and since then he has become strangely ill and has been bed-ridden for some time. Since then, the Terukk have been free to enact their agenda. I fear the new 'medicine' they are administering to him regularly is what is causing his affliction," said Wei with a sigh.

"So the young emperor himself has fallen victim to the deception of the bastards within his own court," Fox thought aloud. "And they're killing him slowly too."

"Speaking of medicines, there is more. The Foreigners have introduced a new substance, a drug of sorts that has become an addiction among those corrupted. I believe that this most of all is what's giving the Pale Foreigners so much leverage in our politics. I do not have a sample with me, but I have seen them passing it around. A small bamboo flask they drink. It morphs their minds. I have managed to smuggle a sample to my allies within the Hanlin Academy."

"Good Heavens..." Fox slammed his fist into the table. "It's beginning to make sense now, everything we've heard and learned of thus far. What of the imperial army? How compromised is it?" Fox asked.

"As far as I know, it has yet to be corrupted. I guess it's a blessing in disguise that the commanders and officers harbor a natural disdain for the civil bureaucrats along with the ministers who supervise them. As a matter of fact, I'm not so sure they're fully aware of what is transpiring in shadow, though I don't doubt they suspect that indeed some things are changing. The last thing we need is for the army to turn against the Middle Kingdom itself. They number in the millions!" Wei Qiuyuan leaned back into his chair and popped his knuckles. Fox struggled to wrap his mind around the reality of what was happening. The Censorate official's tone softened yet the coldness remained.

"What of the spy agencies? Now we know without a doubt they are active participants in this conspiracy. Their slaves within the secret police just arrested your colleague. The Eastern and Western Depots know all that transpire within the entire imperial bureaucracy, though I suspect there is division as the rumors say?" He said with some uncertainty. Fox was growing more rattled by the minute. He could no longer hide his anxiety.

"Yes, there is most certainly division. They think just because I'm a paper-pusher I cannot see for myself what is truly happening. How else would I be in the Chief Surveillance Office?" he chuckled. His smirk however morphed into a frown.

"The division among the Depots and the Jinyiwei secret police is more severe than what we can observe from the outside."

He presented Fox with a number of documents from a paper stack on the wooden desk.

"I've managed to intercept some formal letters exchanged between the agencies. Based on this communication alone, one can surmise that many within the Jinyiwei have surprisingly defected and have gone into hiding for fear of extermination. This information is of great import. They number in the tens of thousands, Fox. That's an entire army for a foreign kingdom. I need not mention that one officer alone is more than capable of eliminating a gang of bandits in single combat. But that is not the point. Most of them have submitted to the corruption running rampant in the Depots. Luckily, their internal division is causing much unrest. They're hardly able to function or conduct their duties effectively at this point. Still, many virtuous officials have already been arrested or executed. It won't be long until opposition is crushed completely."

"Blast it!" Fox shouted. "I've never felt so enraged and helpless all at once! The fools within our own government are selling the empire to barbarian foreigners!"

"I cannot save the empire alone and I do not know whom to trust. The League must come to Beijing to help liberate us from this vast conspiracy and help the emperor reclaim the empire. With their resources, connections, and know-how, they can uncover exactly who is involved and formulate a plan to save the emperor and win back the court for him." He sat back and took a long deep breath.

"I would have reached out to the Martial Scholars myself but, the risks are just too great. If there is anyone with the connections, skills, and influence to equalize the schemes of the bastards within the bureaucracy, it is the League. The Martial Scholars can discover the ultimate goal of these foreigners."

"Then I must immediately send word of what I have learned here. The Martial Scholars must make contact with their counterparts in Hanlin Academy and unmask this conspiracy. We just might be able to rouse and embolden the virtuous in the palace to make a stand for the emperor and save the Ming Empire before it's too late," sighed Fox.

Before Fox could continue, the sound of commotion from the tunnels disturbed their conversation, and shouts echoed down the corridors. "They have found us! You must have been followed. Come quickly!" Wei barked. He and Fox scrambled to gather his research. They proceeded further down the tunnel towards an exit.

"Halt! Stop where you are or we will shoot!" commanded one of the Jinyiwei officers as soon as he established visual contact.

"Keep going! Do not stop for anything!" shouted Wei. The tunnel led into several caverns lit with candles and torches where many of the capital's forgotten and unwanted have taken up a filthy residence. An arrow raced down the cavern and pierced through Wei's leg and he shouted in agony. He stumbled and fell into the dirt. "Go! Do not wait for me! You must tell the Scholars what you have discovered here for the sake of the Ming Empire!" shouted Wei.

"We will find you and get you out with Zhou Liang! I swear! For the Ming Empire!" shouted Fox. The Jinyiwei were fast approaching and Fox ran into the darkness of the cavern far out of sight. Wei Qiuyuan was dragged away for interrogation, and a most probable execution. Fox ran and ran until his lungs felt as if they were to burst inside his chest. The officers were no longer pursuing him, but the urgency of this mission weighed heavily upon his heart and he was desperate to send news to Guangzhou.

He ran through the streets, dodging patrols around the corners. He zig-zagged through alleyways and took shortcuts through some courtyard residences. Other officers made their way through the streets in haste, signaling others to scour hidden enclaves in the district. Fox took cover inside a dark passageway between two large shops. Behind a stack of wooden crates, he waited for them to pass.

"I'm getting too old for hide-n-seek," he grumbled. He clenched his chest. The sensation of tightening worsened. An elderly woman creaked open the back door of the adjacent shop and glanced blankly at Fox, and casually closed the door. She did not want to get involved in any way.

It was dawn by the time he found the estate of Zhang Sunzan. He barely paused to catch his breath. He presented the Scholars' plaque to the keeper of the house and was immediately led into a study where ink, brush, and paper were immediately provided. He hastily scribbled a message to the League of Scholars. He wrote of everything of the conspiracy within the bureaucracy, the emperor's induced illness, and what had happened to Zhou Liang and Wei Qiuyuan. He rolled the letter tightly along with notes from Wei Qiuyuan and slipped them snug into a small bamboo cylinder. Zhang Sunzan's raptor was perched in a large cage in the room and he strapped the case onto its back. He released the hawk just as Zhang Sunzan instructed and it flew high and fast. He stood there watching it quickly disappear into the sky. In exhaustion, Fox collapsed onto the chair and passed out on the desk.

****

It was the end of the week and night had come. After the Martial Scholars had all retired into their rooms and studies, Tian Qiu the polymath quietly made his way deep down into the Hall of Knowledge and Records- a large library and study where copied documents and original manuscripts of the Middle Kingdom's histories, known sciences, collected philosophies, and treatises on many subjects could be found. The hall had a hundred shelves of tomes and scrolls, and displayed a collection of great inventions from the geniuses and polymaths of history whom Tian Qiu greatly admired. Knowledge and technology lost to the dynasty in which it was learned had finally found its home in the Academy. A great armillary sphere adorned one corner of the room. On the other corner stood Bi Sheng's Moveable Type printing press first invented some four hundred years ago. Next to it was a replica of Zhang Heng's earthquake detecting device lavishly called "Instrument for Measuring the Four Winds and Movements of the Earth". On the opposite end of the room was an erect structure that nearly touched the ceiling. It was a model of Su Song's Cosmic Engine- a hydraulically powered clock tower that not only told the time in hours, minutes, and seasons, but traced the passing of the stars through the use of an attached armillary sphere and celestial globe. Such a complex and advanced device had been long forgotten in the Middle Kingdom since it fell under the occupation of the Menggu.

The only surviving model now remained safely in the hall of the academy and is now only known to the Scholars.

There, in the darkness of the hall, Tian Qiu brought the flame of his candle into an oil circuit running along the walls and the torches arranged along the length of the hall were set alight. Countless books and scrolls of paper and bamboo strips stored in the large underground library contained over two and a half thousand years of collected knowledge. Much of it has been lost or forgotten in society, but it had found a safe haven in the Martial Scholar's Academy. It surpassed even the library at Hanlin Academy in the imperial capital Beijing.

Everything from government records from bygone times to entire columns dedicated to the comings and goings of every dynasty was within his reach. The hall was his favorite place and he often spent much time there in study. Tian Qiu consumed the next several hours scouring books and scrolls on geography and the nations and kingdoms surrounding the Middle Kingdom and beyond. He pored over countless maps and searched for any clues in the histories that mentioned anything about the Pale Foreigners. He found nothing helpful. Not even the rarest records from the most distant lands led to any clues. Tian made his way to the far end of the library complex in an area where he had yet explored. Wiping away cobwebs and sweeping off dust, he found a chest tucked away in a dark corner. Stacks of papers and an assortment of books forgotten for many decades revealed themselves in the candle light as well.

He gathered the chest including the papers and pamphlets that accompanied it, and moved to a desk at the corner of the room to examine what he had found. With patience and skill, he picked the lock and was rewarded with a solid click. The chest opened for the first time in several decades. The fact it had been locked so tightly was very curious indeed. What Tian Qiu had found astonished him.

They were, in fact, the actual preserved records of the legendary naval expeditions of the Imperial Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne led by the great eunuch admiral Zheng He.

"A great series of journeys that began seventy years ago and had abruptly ended some three decades later," Tian Qiu thought aloud, his eyes wide, and jaw somewhat dropped.

Records of the expeditions were laid out clearly in the documents. Tian blew away the dust and skimmed through the papers, reading rosters and inventories, names and roles of the crew, diplomatic missions to foreign kings, lists of tributaries and their tributes, blue prints of various ships, illustrations of foreign cities, and even naval engagements against hostile powers had all been recorded in great detail.

This massive maritime project was started and funded by Emperor 'Yongle' Zhu Di and was quickly forgotten as soon as it ended. The very records that Tian held in his hands were thought to have all been destroyed or hidden decades ago by the vice president of the Ministry of War, Liu Daxia.

It appeared however, that the scholars before him were wise enough to have obtained them somehow, perhaps with the aid of scribes and other minor officials.

"Impossible. These should have been destroyed many years ago!" Tian exclaimed excitedly to himself. The great fleet of the Ming Empire was the most formidable of the known world and was on the verge of controlling all the known seas. No other navy came close to its size and majesty. It was quite a shame that the expeditions were abruptly ceased at the untimely death of the Admiral Zheng.

Tian, however, sensed there was a greater reason as to why the voyages were brought to a crashing halt. Momentarily distracted from his research he took the materials to a nearby workstation and examined what he had found closely.

The significance and splendor of the great voyages have unfortunately faded into history and is altogether just a distant and controversial memory in the Imperial Court. He turned his attention to a smaller iron box stashed inside the chest. He diligently picked the lock until he heard the metallic ping. What he found was just as fascinating. Specific accounts of Zheng He's later adventures were extensively written by his chief chronicler and interpreter Ma Huan. The log books were stacked in the box. Ma Huan's personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences were quite insightful and entertaining for Tian to read, but it was a few select days that caught his full attention. He unpacked the stack and untied the cordage that bound them together. He grabbed a chair and opened the first pages.

The Records of the Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne

13th Year of Reign of Emperor Yongle,

First Day of the Eight Month

Our return trip home was not without some spectacle and we were in a place to worry since our ships were heavy-laden with many precious cargos and foreign envoys from the nations in the South West. What we have encountered in the recent days could not be explained nor have we seen anything of the sort. Nowhere in the seas we have traversed nor in the harbors of the barbarian lands where we set foot have we seen such a vessel. It was a ship of admirable proportions and it approached us from the South with great speed, and the soldiers and the crew attempted to hail it to no effect. Had it continued on its course, a collision with the fleet would have been inevitable. Cannons were on the ready to defend the fleet formation should it have approached too closely. The lone mystery ship was not so much a concern as it was a curiosity and it kept a distance of approximately one half li at the rear of the fleet's formation. It trailed us for two days and a half whilst maintaining a consistent distance from our defensive formation. We remained curious however, but the crew became rather uneasy and on edge with the foreign ship following us closely. There were no visible men on board the deck of the foreign ship and yet it efficiently managed the raising and lowering of its silvery sails with relative ease. Upon the advice of the military personnel on board, we fired warning shots in the direction of the foreign vessel after which it came to a full stop when our bombs crashed into the waters around it. The vessel floated freely in the water where it had stopped and our fleet increased the distance from it. After we had distanced ourselves one full li, it returned fire upon us with spouts of blue flame that landed bombs with great range and accuracy. The bombs arched into the sky and fell harmlessly in the water landing quite precisely port and starboard of one of the Treasure Ships which, I should add, always sails at the heart of the fleet's formation. The foreign vessel had sent us a clear message and we understood. In fair circumstances, I doubt the Admiral would ever desire to combat ships with such weapon capability.

Tian Qiu became enthralled with his discovery.

"Wait, could it be? The first mention of an imperial encounter with the Pale Foreigners! Astounding!" he exclaimed.

Despite what the other Scholars thought, he too held his country's safety and security a top priority. He did swear the same oath upon joining the League, after all. He continued to sift through the historical records looking for more clues concerning the foreign ship they encountered while homeward bound. With further investigation, Tian Qiu began to learn the truth behind the fate of the Treasure Fleet. He continued to read through the accounts of Chronicler Ma Huan and the Treasure Fleet's records and perused the summary of notes attached to the official accounts:

The passing of the Emperor Yongle many years after the first naval expedition marked a great hiatus in the voyages of the Treasure Fleet. The Yongle Emperor's son Zhu Gaozhi had ascended the throne as the Xuande Emperor and with the counsel of his most trusted officials ordered all ocean-going missions and the building of ocean-going ships to be banned permanently. The Ming Dynasty had turned into a nation of a closed-door policy and forsook the 'vanities' and the expensive projects of funding large expeditions across the oceans. Upon learning the news of a mysterious ship that had eluded the Ming fleet, a great flame of curiosity burst out of Emperor Zhu Gaozhi. In secret, he had proposed a new expedition for Admiral Zheng He to seek out the origins of the mysterious great ship that he had encountered on their journey home. Together they re-assembled the fleet to its largest size; three hundred vessels of varying proportions and purposes were built in the shipyards and they were armed with the latest naval weaponry the empire had to offer should anything go awry. Emperor Zhu Gaozhi ensured the palace officials that the expedition was strictly for the purpose of enforcing the peace between the rivaling tributary nations in the South West and to restore the relationship between the Ming Dynasty and the nations that paid the empire handsome tribute. He issued an edict saying the that lands beyond the Ming Empire have not been informed of his new reign and thus sends Zheng He to proclaim the news and inform the nations to obey Heaven's will and take care of the people in order to enjoy great fortunes and lasting peace. Therefore, the installation of many weapons upon the ships was most discreet to avoid any political complications within and beyond the court. Thus began the Treasure Fleet's seventh voyage. It began with stopovers at key harbors and ports in Maliujia and in Sumendala, the land of abundant gold. Here, Zheng He and his crew proclaimed the Emperor's edict and began their investigations, questioning any of the authorities who may have witnessed or learned news of the large and mysterious ships with silvery sails. The investigation bore very little results and any clues about the ships came in the form of rumors, sightings, and vague encounters made by merchants who frequented the southern seas. Unsatisfied with their findings in Maliujia and Sumendala, the Treasure Fleet sailed west towards Yindu- a vast land of many kingdoms and princedoms, gods, and spices. The journey to Yindu was not without its hostile encounters. A squadron of local pirates with their ships of triangular sails challenged Zheng He and the fleet and fired upon them. The Treasure Fleet managed to subdue the pirates and capture the captain of the flagship who was not in the least bit awestruck by the massive treasure fleet. Upon interrogation of the pirate lord as to why he attacked such an overwhelming force of ships, he only rambled what sounded like nonsense and continuously made claims of a great and mighty force from the Far South beyond the seas of Yindu. The pirate's surviving companions mocked the mighty Ming Treasure Fleet which they called "insignificant" and scoffed at Zheng He and his crew saying those of the Middle Kingdom who are under heaven "will be humbled" upon encountering the ones whom they claimed to be sent by Demigods". Unsure of what to make of the pirates' ramblings, the Admiral and the fleet continued on to another major harbor in Yindu where we restocked supplies, made repairs, and continued our investigations. According to the pirates, the mystery ships, it seemed, have been making visitations to Yindu during the Ming Fleet's absence. The governors of Yindu claimed to have described what they have seen as large warships with silvery-white sails anchored in the distance. Those on board landed on their coast and frightened the locals of the harbor. The officials described them as very pale, tall, and mysterious in their ways. They also appeared to be very wealthy and sophisticated and presented a level of cultural development that not even the Ming possessed. They also spoke the language with an unpleasant and heavy accent and demanded tribute and allegiance to their name in exchange of jewels and precious stones never before seen in Yindu. They were thus obliged to comply and the pale visitors once again set sail unwaveringly south as soon as all diplomatic processions had concluded. Other shipping routes testified to the passing of the mighty foreign fleet heading southward at a pace that defied the prevailing wind directions Zheng He requested the princes and leaders of Yindu to reestablish their tributary relationship with the Ming Empire and vowed to be a powerful ally and defender . To his dismay they were compelled to refuse his request in fear of the consequences from their pale visitors whom they consistently called the Terukk. Zheng He was outraged at these unforeseen turn of events and vowed to continue his investigation in order to restore what he believed was the natural "international balance of power" where the Ming Empire reigned supreme over all the other nations who would pay tributes to the emperor. He and his crew of thirty thousand made preparations for their journey south to seek out the origin of the mystery ships and this new race of men called Terukk and once and for all "settle" their disputes. He wrote a letter to the Xuande Emperor telling of all the things they have learned thus far in their investigation and how he plans to proceed to south to the uncharted oceans. He then sent a small squadron of ships back to Beijing to deliver the message. The Treasure Fleet finally set sail to find the Terukk despite the insistent protests of the pirates currently being held in their cells below deck.

What Tian Qiu found at the bottom of the records caused him to stay the night to continue his readings on these lost and forgotten accounts of Zheng He's voyages. The following records as written by Ma Huan chronicled the events taking place after leaving port from Yindu. The entries were as follows:

First Entry Since Leaving Yindu Kingdoms

Our journey to the uncharted waters south of Yindu began with great anticipation and anxiety for the crew of this Treasure Fleet. We did not know what waited for us at the end of this voyage or whether what we were to find will be unpleasant or beneficial. The Admiral deemed the Terukk's demand for tribute to our subservient nations as an insult to the Dragon Throne and thus endeavors to "right this great wrong". The days become shorter, the nights grow longer, and the weather gets colder the more we continued on our voyage of discovery. It is strange to note however, that favorable, although, unexpected winds have been carrying our fleet in haste since we have left Yindu, as if some unseen "will" is conducting our journey. I cannot be certain.

Second Entry Since Leaving Yindu Kingdoms

We were fortunate enough to have been prepared for the frigid temperatures of this region. The seas in this place are forever locked in perpetual shadows and the waters flowed as an eternal sea of cold and ice. Many amongst the crew have begun to question the sanity of voyaging into such a realm, or if we had entered into another world altogether. Many weeks of sailing have finally brought us to our destination, though mere words would not suffice to describe what we have discovered here. As our ships continued to plow through the frozen sea, we entered a very dense fog with a thickness can be felt through our fingertips and in thelashes of our eyes. Upon emerging from the dreadful mist, we beheld before us a monumental mountain of snow and ice of which an enormous cave had been carved into its face. On either side of the cave stood two towering figures of stone shaped like man and monster. Many of us could not decipher what the figures represented, but many, including the Admiral, took their sight as an ill omen, very foreboding and mysteriously ancient. Nonetheless, Zheng He commanded the fleet to proceed into the mouth of the cave and into the shadows.

Third Entry Since Leaving Yindu Kingdoms

For several hours now the fleet has been navigating through this colossal cave of stone and ice, and the men could not help but marvel at its immensity, pondering upon the sheer scale of its construction. It was not complete darkness as we had anticipated for the cave glowed with a soft sapphire and cobalt blue emitting from the numerous stone formations that was laid throughout the walls of the cave. A steady wind is conveniently blowing through the cave, gently propelling the fleet at a sound pace. This cave seems to go on forever, barely meandering, and unwavering in size and shape. Many sections of the wall of the cave are carved with signs and enigmatic symbols that none, not even I, are able to decipher them. Ghastly images and statues have been mounted on either side of the cave as if standing guard, forever watchful of the pass, with their eyes of stone and metal seemingly following our ships as we passed by... although I observe that those following eyes were mere illusions, perhaps the making of my own mind. The air feels heavy and unnatural though I could not smell anything foul or out of the ordinary. The men have grown fearful and have resorted to burning incense and reciting prayers to various gods and spirits for deliverance and good fortune. The sheer weight of the cave is beginning to become overwhelming. Does this tunnel have an end?

Fourth Entry Since Leaving Yindu Kingdoms

To our pleasant surprise the cave has finally released us from its clutches. Never before have I felt so relieved and delighted during a journey, even in my younger days when I first began to travel. We are continuing the voyage as planned and the men are now breathing with more ease since they have been released by the overwhelming tunnel. A very large and imposing tower or structure of some sort guards the exit of the foreboding tunnel though it seems it has long been abandoned and left to ruin with its mighty black gates left wide open. The river of the tunnel has now expanded into another sea and on its edges are grasslands, hills, and snowy mountains. We are still sailing in loyalty to our general direction, but our South-Pointer Needle no longer pointed in any specific direction, but instead spun and twitched every which way. It is eerily mysterious. The sun does not shine here and the clouds thick and gray hang low over the horizon. We thought it best to sail close to the nearest shore so that we may observe the land beyond. I cannot even recognize any of the trees in the distance and the plants that grew in the grass are so foreign. Some even sparkled or shone orange and yellow like fireflies at night. Beasts I have never seen in any of the barbarian kingdoms we have visited roam this land in thunderous herds whilst wearing upon their heads swirling horns of ones or threes. I stood at their sight in absolute awe of their spectacle until a flying black creature akin to a phoenix swooped in and snatched away one of them and therefore disappeared into the clouds. The men were shocked and did not know what to make of it and stood there bows and guns pointed at the sky and their eyes wide open. The temperature here has become much more tolerable but the weather is not at all unlike the winters of the Northern Steppe where the horsemen live. I have just come to realize that this place has an eerie silence, one that has allowed me to listen to the creeks and groans of our ship. I have never heard them before.

Fifth Entry Since Leaving Yindu Kingdoms

Our fleet has been sailing up against this river for some time. How we are able to proceed against the current is beyond my ability to comprehend. We had finally come upon a narrow bay where our ships managed to anchor not far from shore. Upon stepping foot onto the shore we were soon greeted by an entourage of soldiers clad in costumes and armor I have never before seen. A light company of soldiers amongst our crew immediately drew their weapons ready to protect the Admiral from these very strange looking men. The foreigners however, sat on their steeds calmly staring at us as if they already knew what we were. When the atmosphere had calmed, the Admiral and the officers respectfully introduced themselves though I could not tell if these natives understood. What was most astonishing however, were the features of their faces. Their cheek bones are high and strongly defined and their skin were as if it had been bleached with snow itself. They've ears pointing sharply away from their eyes, eyes which were red as molten steel. I have seen the eyes of men and they have always been black, brown, and even blue or green... but never red. I am beginning to question the humanity of these people. They ride upon large beasts as foreign as those we witnessed running in herds, and were heavier and more muscular than our horses, but just as imposing as the natives of this strange land. Even now as the men are setting up camp along the shore, the pale natives are watching us waiting to present us to their king, chief, or to whomever they have placed their loyalties. I am not comfortable in the presence of the natives. Zheng He however, wishes to proceed with his diplomatic mission. We make preparations to depart as I write. I fear this will not end well. I depart with the admiral and a company of soldiers. My heart is trembling. This place is under the dominion of something dark and I feel oppressed here.

The rest of the men sense it too.

Sixth Entry Since Leaving Yindu Kingdoms

Half a day on horseback has allowed us some time to continue to survey the vast landscape in this kingdom. I suspect that it is but one of many on the fringes of a vast continent. The terrain has changed very little and the plains and cold grasslands have sparse tree lines with wooded areas covering the slopes of the distant mountains. Our communication with the welcoming party has been limited to hand gestures and bodily motions. I have yet to see them smile nor have I noticed any hint of pleasure in their demeanors which causes me to wonder if our arrival has left them somewhat displeased. Being around them has been quite unnerving to say the least. Telling time has also proven to be a challenge as there is no sun to gauge the hour nor is there any real sense of night and day. Here the pale sky does nothing more than change its contrast in the slightest. The only real wonder I can experience in this place comes from observing the strange new wildlife that roam the wilderness and the vast variety of enchanted plants spread all throughout the ground.

Seventh Entry Since Leaving Yindu Kingdoms

At long last we have made our way into what appears to be a castle or fortress of sorts. It is nestled in the heart of a deep frozen valley surrounded by steep towering mountains of rock and ice. It was a majestic sight our eyes could barely behold. We are now seated in one of their halls waiting to make contact with one who holds authority over the natives. Our journey to this castle has allowed us to bear witness to their dwellings –which feels much more like a garrison than anything else. They are a martial people. Their warriors patrol the streets around the fortress in small groups and all have given us cold hard glances as we passed them by –emotionless and stiff. There appears to be no room for festivities in their culture. Surely it is a military outpost. For this settlement harbors no restaurants, homes, and places of learning; we find instead storehouses, training grounds for troops, and living quarters for both martial and civilian people. Their structures are quite magnificent to say the least for they are quite fond of towers and spires made of very large and monumental stones upon which they engrave their art. Indeed this is some form of government outpost, not a town. As we wait to meet their commanding officer, I have had much time to admire their halls of dark stones and metals of black purple outlined with linear designs of gold. Zheng He and the soldiers in our company are exceedingly anxious and unsure of what to expect. A conflict of any sort is the last thing they wish on foreign soil.

Tenth Entry Since Leaving Yindu Kingdoms

This will be my final entry until we return to Nanjing. Admiral Zheng He lays in his quarters severely injured from our failed diplomatic mission to the unknown civilization at the bottom of the world. These 'Terukk' are absolutely not to be trusted. They have charmed us with the fruits of their civilization, their wealth, and knowledge as if in an attempt to make us tributaries of them. Such a proposition is unthinkable and therefore we refused. I am fortunate to have been among those who survived. It was through sheer luck that we managed to escape their outpost. The soldiers in our company took great risks and paid a high price for our escape when the day grew eerily dark. Even the admiral was not unscathed. His condition worsens by the hour.

We pushed the horses for as far and long as possible barely able to reach camp by the bay. We scrambled to break camp and lost many precious hours trying to make it aboard our vessels. We have lost many ships and many brave warriors not to mention the loss of the eighth and ninth entry of this expedition. I am not even certain if the Admiral will survive our trip back to the Middle Kingdom. In short, our refusal to accept the Terukk lord's offer was taken as an insult in the same manner a slave would refuse his master's goodwill. We were ordered to leave the land at once to tell the emperor of what has transpired here, but as we prepared to depart, their forces attacked us with bombards raining down upon the fleet. We returned fire with all that we had as we rowed and sailed directly to the dark cave while the enemy ships pursued us. Our cannons and rockets kept them at bay while the mysterious and unlikely wind like the one we had felt upon leaving Yindu once again carried our ships through the darkness. This to me is unexplainable, but I am forever thankful for the favor. We slowed them as best we could, spilling barrel upon barrel of oil from the stern and set it alight. Some of their ships were consumed by the fires. Others still pursued us. Cannons were aimed at the cave's ceiling, raining mountains of rock and ice in the path of our pursuers. This strategy costed us an escort ship. We could not rescue those who fell overboard.

As soon as we exited the long cave we exhausted all our bombs and rockets into its mouth and sealed it shut with so much stone and ice that only a dragon could roll them away. I doubt that it will hold them permanently, but we will be able to land in Yindu in peace. I will never forget the face of the one who commanded that outpost. Exceedingly beautiful was she, but full of ill-will and malice. She desired for us to become the servants of her empire, telling us that her people heralded the creation of a new world. Should she and her forces arrive onto the shores of the Middle Kingdom, she shall experience the full wrath of our forces. Something must be done to prepare the people for this impending doom. Never before in the history of the known world have a people such as the Terukk possess such a capacity for arrogance

and insolence. Of this I can be certain.