From cute to empress

Chapter 285 The Land of Prosperity

The afterglow of the setting sun cast a golden glow on the sea, creating a shimmering beauty beyond measure. However, Zhen Youcai's solemn expression prevented me from immersing myself in this beautiful scene.

"What is that?" I walked over to him, followed his gaze, and felt a little uneasy.

The huge black ship, like a small mountain, was anchored not far away, forming a sharp contrast with our ship. On its sails, some strange totems could be vaguely seen, looking particularly eerie in the sunset.

"Are they the natives of this sea?" I whispered, a hint of worry lingering in my heart. This coastline is so rich, it's impossible for no one to have discovered it, not to mention that those natives don't look easy to mess with.

"I'm not sure," Zhen Youcai shook his head. "But we must be prepared." He turned to Zheng He and ordered, "Master Zheng, immediately increase your vigilance and be ready for battle at any time!"

Zheng He took his orders and left. The atmosphere on the ship suddenly became tense. The sailors returned to their posts and checked their weapons and equipment. The originally relaxed and cheerful atmosphere was gone.

I stood at the bow, looking at the huge black ship, my mind racing. This golden coast is indeed tempting, but if it costs blood, then it will not be worth it.

"Mengmeng, don't worry too much," Zhen Youcai held my hand and comforted me softly, "We have no ill intentions. We just want to live in peace with them and share what we have."

I knew he was right, but I still couldn't completely let go of my worry.

After a while, the huge black ship finally made some movement. It slowly turned and headed towards us. As it got closer, the scene on board gradually became clearer.

The boat was full of people. They had dark skin, wore simple animal skin clothes, had feathers on their heads, and held various weapons in their hands. They looked very tough.

The leader was an exceptionally tall and burly man, with his face painted with oil paint, a huge feather crown on his head, and a thick wooden staff in his hand. He looked intimidating without even being angry.

"It's their leader." Zhen Youcai said in a low voice.

The huge black ship stopped in front of us, only a few dozen meters away. I could even clearly see the wary and scrutinizing look in its eyes.

"We mean no harm," Zhen Youcai said loudly, trying to sound calm. "We are merchants from the Ming Dynasty, just passing through here. We hope to trade with you in a friendly manner."

The native chief said nothing, simply staring at us quietly, his eyes deep and sharp, as if he could see through people's hearts. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice deep and resonant, with a strange rhythm.

"Welcome to the Gold Coast..." He paused, his eyes sweeping over each of us, "But everything here belongs to us..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding indigenous warriors roared in unison, deafeningly, as if declaring their ownership of this land. I subconsciously grasped Zhen Youcai's arm, feeling even more uneasy.

Zhen Youcai patted my hand gently, reassuring me, and then spoke loudly, "We respect your land and culture. We have come from afar only to seek fair trade and have no intention of offending you."

After hearing the translation, the indigenous chief was silent for a moment, then slammed his staff to the ground with a dull thud. The indigenous warriors behind him also gradually quieted down, but their vigilant gazes remained fixed.

"The Gold Coast welcomes all those who come with good intentions," the native chief said slowly, "but you must abide by our rules, respect our gods, and never invade our territory."

"Of course," Zhen Youcai nodded in agreement. "We will control the crew and will not do anything offensive."

Seeing our sincerity, the native chief finally smiled and waved his hand, signaling us to come ashore.

With his extensive sailing experience, Zheng He guided his ships into a naturally formed harbor, which was calm and ideal for establishing a temporary trading post.

Under Zheng He's command, the sailors got busy setting up tents and moving goods, and soon established a simple trading market.

I stood on a high vantage point, looking at the busy scene before me, feeling a surge of emotion. This rich golden coast has finally opened its doors to us.

"Mengmeng, what are you looking at?" Zhen Youcai walked to my side and looked in the direction I was looking.

"I wonder how many secrets this land holds," I said, pointing to the depths of an island covered in dense jungle. "Are those ancient legends true or false?"

Zhen Youcai smiled slightly, held my hand, and said, "Perhaps, we can go explore it ourselves..."

Before he finished speaking, the boatswain came running towards us in a hurry, a look of excitement on his face that was hard to conceal. "General, look what I found!" In his hand, he held a glittering golden object that shone brightly in the sunlight.

It was a piece of gold! Huge, heavy, and engraved with exquisite totems we had never seen before. The boatswain's face flushed with excitement, and he stuttered a little: "This... This is what the locals offered me when I was exchanging goods with them! They said... They said it was a sacred object that their tribe had worshipped for generations..."

Zhen Youcai and I exchanged a glance, each showing shock. The fact that they were willing to exchange such precious sacred objects for something showed that the locals' love for the silk, porcelain, and tea we brought was beyond imagination.

"You've done well," Zhen Youcai took the gold and examined it carefully. "Pass the order on. Tell the soldiers to respect local customs and trade fairly. They must not oppress the people, and certainly not covet their treasures."

The boatswain took his orders and departed. Soon, the makeshift trade market was bustling with activity. The crew neatly displayed the exquisite silks, porcelain, tea, and other goods they had brought from the Ming Dynasty, attracting numerous indigenous people to trade. They brought gold, spices, exotic animals, and a variety of fruits never before seen. Both sides were immersed in the surprise and joy of discovering a "new world."

I walked through the crowd with great interest, looking at the dazzling array of goods and listening to the noisy sounds of various languages ​​​​intertwined, as if I were in a wonderful kaleidoscope.

"Do you like it?" Zhen Youcai walked over to me and handed me a bright red fruit.

I took the fruit and asked curiously, "What is this? It smells so good!"

"Locals call it 'dragon fruit'. They say it grows on a strange tree deep in the forest and tastes sweet and delicious," Zhen Youcai explained with a smile. "If you like it, I'll ask them to bring back some."

I nodded and took a light bite. Suddenly, a sweet juice spread in my mouth, mixed with a hint of strange fragrance, which was very memorable.

"Delicious!" I said happily, "When we go back, we'll take the seeds back and see if they can be grown."

At this moment, an old voice came from the side, with a hint of mystery, "Dear guest, is that 'dragon fruit' in your hand?"

We looked in the direction of the sound and saw an elderly indigenous man standing by. His hair and beard were all white, and his face was full of traces of time, but his eyes were bright and sparkling with wisdom.

The old man slowly walked up to us and continued in his unfluent Mandarin, "I've heard from our ancestors that long ago, a giant dragon from a distant land flew to this land. It brought fire and disaster, but also hope and new life..."

He paused, gazing deeply into the distance, as if lost in distant memories. "Legend has it that the dragon eventually vanished from this land. Its blood turned to boiling magma, its scales to shining gold, and its heart to the seeds of the 'dragon fruit,' which has guarded this land for generations..."

I listened intently, as if, following the old man's narration, I could see the giant dragon from ancient times, the disaster and rebirth it brought, and the secrets and treasures hidden in this land...

After the old man finished speaking, he looked at us deeply, turned around and disappeared into the crowd, leaving only that meaningful legend lingering in our hearts.

Zhen Youcai looked at the old man's departing figure, turned to me and said, "It seems that this golden coast is even more mysterious than we imagined..."

Before he could finish his words, there was a sudden commotion among the crowd. Then, a sailor ran over in a panic with a terrified expression on his face. "General, this is bad! Something happened..."