"I have seen fierce fire oil in the army before. It is difficult to pour water and cover it with sand, but it is not as fierce as the Greek fire."
"No wonder the Big Eater uses this thing as its main means of attack. It's really hard to kill other ships when they encounter this."
"Yes! Fortunately, the commander asked our ships to prepare fire-extinguishing mud in advance..."
A few people were discussing it with each other.
Li Chengqian frowned and said: "In other words, this big cannibal prepared offensive weapons based on the conditions of its own ships. Then when it encountered our ships, which were many times stronger than theirs, the tactics failed."
Su Chen nodded: "This should be the case."
"Also, I guess that whether it's gunpowder or Greek fire, the cannibals don't have much in their hands."
"We have basically found all the cannibals' camps, and we haven't found many of these things in total. They should have almost consumed them in one battle."
Liu Rengui and others made a detailed analysis and felt that this should be the case.
"Commander, these big cannibals have traveled more than 10,000 miles on the sea to get here. They shouldn't be able to bring much luggage with them."
"But when they get to the Dashi Peninsula, they have more of these things."
Su Chen said: "What is the situation? We should pay more attention to it in the future."
Everyone began to discuss the various possibilities that they might encounter in the future and the corresponding countermeasures.
In the next few days, the fleet was undergoing repairs in the Strait of Malacca.
The warship needs repairs and the wounded need recuperation.
On this day, the frigate patrolling the outside sent an alarm, and a large number of ships appeared in the south.
Everyone who was having a military meeting was stunned. There were a large number of ships?
"It won't be reinforcements from the Great Cannibal, right?"
Su Chen shook his head: "Probably not!"
"To prepare the fleet for battle, let's go out and take a look."
Having learned the lesson of being ambushed by the giant cannibal, the Royal Navy of the Tang Dynasty did not stay in the narrow waters this time.
After hearing the alarm, the fleet quickly arranged its formation.
This time I am fully prepared and I am not afraid of any enemy coming.
Su Chen held up the telescope and took a careful look at the ship that appeared over there:
"It should be a local fleet."
Everyone nodded: "Worse than a cannibal ship!"
There are many ships coming this time, but they are much worse than the previous big cannibal fleet.
The largest one seems to have a displacement of only a hundred tons, and the ships in the fleet are uneven.
The larger one has a displacement of tens of tons, the smaller one...
You can’t count the small ones, there are both sampans and canoes!
"They seem to have stopped!"
Su Chen ordered: "Pick some Persians who can speak the local indigenous language and ask them what they want to do."
Several Persians took a frigate to greet each other.
After a while, the frigate came back to report.
Several Persians looked strange: "Commander, they said they came to fight the devil!"
"Ask us if we've seen that devil with a big turban on his head."
Su Chen was happy: "Devil.
Are they talking about cannibalism?"
"It seems that the big cannibal has provoked them before. Look at this posture, he is here to fight for his life!"
The Persian guide nodded: "That should be the case."
Su Chen ordered: "Tell them that the devil has been killed by us and let them go back!"
This group of local indigenous people is quite numerous.
Su Chen has no intention of becoming friends or enemies, as long as they don't block his way.
As a result, the Persian guide came back and said that these indigenous people wanted to trade with the fleet, and their king was coming to see Su Chen.
Su Chen had a headache. To be honest, he didn't really want to see this indigenous king. The fleet was about to set sail again and he was busy!
As for the transaction, this is an army, not a caravan,
The fleet is not short of anything. They bring their own food, and the sergeants pick and hunt their own fruits, vegetables, and meat.
The tropical rainforest areas of this era are incredibly rich in resources.
"Teacher, these natives are not weak. They should be a big country in this area. Being friendly with them will be good for us now and in the future."
Su Chen glanced at Li Chengqian: "Your Highness is right, so I'll help you."
"Teacher, it's you I want to see!"
Su Chen said: "That's because they don't know His Highness's identity,"
"Besides, when it comes to the diplomatic relations between the two countries, it would be better for His Highness to take the initiative in this matter."
Li Chengqian nodded: "Okay, teacher, you're busy, I'm going to take a look at the things we brought this time to see if there is anything that can be used as a national gift."
"Your Highness, just go and get some bolts of silk and satin! Outside the Tang Dynasty, silk is more useful than any gold, silver, or jewelry."
Li Chengqian waved his hand to Su Chen and went to pick out the national gift.
Both sides established friendly relations, and of course their respective fleets withdrew.
Su Chen and a group of officers went back to continue discussing the next military arrangements. Li Chengqian took several Persian translators to meet the local king.
Li Chengqian's diplomacy went very smoothly, mainly because he was willing to give things.
The teacher said yes, silk is indeed very useful.
"Srivijaya passed away?"
Su Chen was stunned, it seemed that Srivijaya was called this.
"Yes! That's what they call themselves."
"They also said that they had visited our country in the Tang Dynasty and received rewards from the emperor. How come I didn't know about this?"
Li Chengqian replied while admiring a tall red coral.
That thing was given to him by King Srivijaya.
Su Chen smiled and said: "They are probably talking about things in the former Sui Dynasty."
Li Chengqian continued to admire his red coral.
"Teacher, these natives are very rich. Look at this coral. It is taller and much more beautiful than the one in my dad's study."
"I see there is a lot of silk in our cabin. Teacher, are you sure you don't want to trade with them?"
Su Chen indeed brought a lot of silk and satin, Sichuan brocade, and porcelain.
This thing is absolutely hard currency abroad, and sometimes it is more useful than gold.
Of course he also brought a lot of gold.
I went to Dashi, maybe I can use these things.
Of course, there is no need for soldiers to risk their lives to solve problems that can be solved with money!
Su Chen glared at Li Chengqian: "Your Highness, you are the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty. You have never seen anything. How can you be dazzled by these thanks?"
"In South Asia, corals, pearls, spices, precious woods... these things are not valuable at all,"
"That coral of yours is probably not worth a piece of Sichuan brocade here."
Li Chengqian's eyes widened: "If this is to be transported back to the Central Plains, it can be exchanged for a cart of Shu brocade!"
Su Chen spread his hands: "Things are rare and valuable. There is no such thing in the Central Plains, so it is expensive. This thing is just a decoration. There are many in Nanyang."
Li Chengqian suddenly looked at Su Chen: "Teacher, no big ship could reach here before, so in the future wouldn't it be..."
Su Chen nodded: "If it hadn't been for the cannibals causing trouble, my big boat would have been here long ago."
