After arriving at the northwest of the Strait of Malacca, Su Chen took advantage of the time when the fleet was repairing and replenishing supplies, and Su Chen called Liu Rengui and others together for a meeting.
"Commander! Now we have passed through the strait, and then headed all the way north to our Datang waters. What orders do you have to summon us now?"
The fleet had completed most of its voyage, and everyone was a little excited when they saw that they were about to return home.
"I have decided that the fleet will not pass through the Strait of Malacca!"
Su Chen said calmly.
"ah!"
Everyone was stunned: "Commander, aren't we going back to Datang?"
“If you don’t go through the Strait of Malacca, where else can you go back?”
Su Chen pointed at the map and said with a smile: "Let's take a detour from the southwest of Sumatra Island, and then pass through this place called Lombok Strait from here..."
Everyone looked at the route drawn by Su Chen's fingers and looked puzzled!
According to this route, it will be at least twice as long as going directly through Malacca!
Seeing Su Chen's serious look, everyone looked at Li Chengqian.
Li Chengqian waved his hand: "I don't care about my business, it's your commander who insists on going around like this."
"Commander! Can you tell me, General and others, why we have to go around in such a big circle? It will take us twice as long to walk."
"Now the soldiers are looking forward to returning home soon. Commander, you..."
Su Chen: "It's not that I don't understand the feelings of the soldiers, it's just that I'm worried that the Malacca Strait will be unsafe."
"Not safe?"
"Commander, we have returned from a great victory in Dashi. Dashi's fleet has been completely wiped out. Who else can threaten our fleet? Those natives of Srivijaya are not capable of this, right?"
Everyone was very puzzled. Now that the Royal Navy fleet of the Tang Dynasty was invincible at sea, how could it be unsafe?
Su Chen sighed and said, "Everyone, do you still remember the battle in Wuhuhai earlier last year?"
Everyone was stunned, it has been so long, why did Dashuai bring up this matter?
That was the first time that the Royal Navy of the Tang Dynasty appeared in front of the world, and of course everyone will remember it.
"Commander, are you talking about those pirates?"
Su Chen: "Everyone understands that they are not pirates at all, but a private army of remnants of the family."
Liu Rengui asked in confusion: "But what does this have to do with us passing through Malacca?"
"We had already wiped out that group of pirates at that time. Even if they would struggle with some more ship manpower, would they still dare to come to Malacca to attack us?"
"Yes, Marshal, although those pirates have many good ships, they don't have artillery. Even if they have a lot of manpower and ships, they don't dare to meet our fleet!"
Cheng Wuting was also puzzled.
Su Chen shook his head: "That's hard to say!"
"Do you know where the cannons from the Great Man-Eater came from?
Muwesa called them, saying that they got the blueprints from the nobles of the Tang Dynasty."
Everyone was stunned: "Ah! Didn't they design those cannons of the Great Cannibal themselves?"
Su Chen nodded and said: "When I discovered that Dashi's cannon was a completely new design, I was very suspicious of how Dashi had such technology."
"Later, I asked Muwiye to meet with the person who designed the artillery. Muwiye had no choice but to tell me that their cannon was designed for them by us Tang people."
"This matter had nothing to do with the situation at that time, so I didn't tell you at that time."
Liu Rengui cursed: "These bastards are eating everything inside and outside!"
"Commander, that is to say, if those remnants of the clan are entangled with a group of pirates again, they will at least have artillery as powerful as the Dashi Artillery."
Su Chen: "At the very least!"
Everyone was shocked: "You know, the maximum range of the Cannibal's artillery is more than a thousand meters. If it is installed on a ship, it will be almost the same as our main gunboat!"
"But, Marshal, we have been out for more than a year, and we still don't know if there really is such a group of pirates, and even if there is, do they really dare to attack us?"
"Besides, we haven't reported anything to Datang for more than a year. How do they know our whereabouts?"
Cheng Wuting and others asked.
Su Chen: "I didn't say someone would definitely attack us,"
"It's just that I don't want to take the risk,"
"Everyone has been fighting bloody battles outside for more than a year, and I don't want to suffer any more mistakes at home."
Everyone was silent for a while, and Liu Renjie said: "Why don't we just take an extra detour? We've come this far, why do we still care about taking this extra detour?"
Liu Jingren: "That's right, we have had no news for more than a year. Who knows what the situation is in the country now. If you are not afraid of ten thousand, just be afraid of the worst. If it is safer to take a detour, why are you hesitating?"
Everyone nodded, now everyone has returned home with a great victory, everyone has made great achievements, and they are all waiting to go home to receive the reward!
If something goes wrong at this time, will there be any thanks?
It’s better to short-circuit for safety!
The easternmost section of the Strait of Malacca is too damn difficult to navigate. If pirates were to ambush there, they would suffer some losses.
When we came here, we were not ambushed once by the cannibal. Everyone still remembers it.
The fleet's biggest loss occurred that time.
Seeing that everyone had seen nothing, Su Chen smiled again and said: "We don't have to take such a detour in vain. The islands in the northeast of Java Island are rich in various spices. Let's take a few boats back!"
Everyone laughed and said, “Spice?
That’s a valuable thing, and it’s such a good thing?”
"Commander, have you been there before?
What spices are there?”
Su Chen shook his head: "I've never been there, but I heard my teacher say it, and I'm sure it's not wrong."
"If it hadn't been for the cannibals causing trouble, I would have led my family's fleet there to look for spices last year."
When everyone heard what Su Chen said, they all laughed and said, "Okay, I'll tell the soldiers that the commander is going to get some extra money back so that he can get more rewards for everyone!"
Li Chengqian also said: "Well, just tell the soldiers, just like what I said, if you find good things, I will sell them for you and give them money to everyone."
Everyone laughed and said, "Since His Highness has made a promise, everyone should be very happy!"
After everyone left, Li Chengqian asked Su Chen: "Is there really spice?"
Su Chen nodded: "There should be, it just depends on whether we can find it or not."
"Even if we can't find spices, we can transport some valuable wood back, or buy other things from the natives."
"Your Highness, the islands around Java are very rich in various precious woods and spices, and the sea is also rich in pearls, corals, tortoise shells and other valuable things."
"Didn't you like the coral tree that Srivijaya gave you when you came?"
Li Chengqian glared and said, "Don't mention that. When we were crossing the Strait of Hormuz, the ship's hull bumped so hard that my coral tree fell to the ground and broke into several pieces!"
Su Chen didn't expect this to happen, so he smiled and said: "It's okay, we will find you a taller and more beautiful one when we go back!"
"The island of Java is still a primitive ecology, and there are many good things!"
