Timeline 1500-1600 (Zheng China)

New Contacts
By 1450, China was larger and wealthier than ever before. She dominated the sea and the trade routes. She had subdued the Mongols, Manchus, and other tribes that had plagued her frontiers for centuries. Her conquests stretched from Manchuria and Inner Mongolia in the north to the coasts of Borneo and Sulawesi in the south and from the Philippines in the east to the Tamil Basin in the west. Her influence was sought by virtually every nation in the area, from Japan and Korea to Malacca and Majapahit, and she was paid off in tribute. For the first time in years, lasting peace seemed a real possibility, and the Emperor sought to realize it.

The first thing the Dazhu Emperor did was to establish forts and roads in the new territories to secure China's new holdings. These were followed by pioneers seeking greater opportunities and/or challenges. He also reduced the number of men on active military duty, hoping they would be able to enjoy their new peaceful lives. He expanded the fleet to facilitate greater trade with India and other nations, earning their respect and recognition. All in all, it was a good time for anyone in China.

That is news from abroad confirmed China's secured position. To the west, India and Persia were divided and locked in the grips of civil war. To the south, none of the local kingdoms had the manpower or resources to seriously threaten or even challenge China. Her colonies prospered and expanded.

In such a climate, the Emperor felt more than ready to launch another fleet, one of exploration. This fleet, commanded by Yishiha and his protege, a young man named Shen Jun, a descendant of the polymath Shen Kuo, sailed off to uncover new resources and trade routes. This fleet was built in the mold of the early Treasure Fleets, but along more practical and less grandiose designs. The fleet left Nanjing for Southeast Asia to explore the coasts of New Guinea and Africa. Within a month, the fleet had arrived at Java to resupply, where they divided into two groups, one heading east and one heading west. The westward fleet was commanded by Fei Xin, a man who sailed under Zheng He. Yishiha commanded the eastward fleet and within a month arrived at a string of islands off the coast of New Guinea. These islands (OTL Bismark Archipelago), dubbed "Heiphi'-tao" (黑皮島, literally "the Island of Dark-Skinned Barbarians"), proved to be a biological treasure trove and were listed for later exploration. Shen Jun compared it to the mystical island of Penglai, a place "without winter or pain, withouy hunger or need; the people dwell most simply, taking only what they need and wanting only what they lack". Attempts were made to communicate with the natives, albeit with little success, until Shen Jun realized that their language was similar to those on New Guinea, and managed to get the message across, and some moderate trade began. After a month of exchange, the Chinese departed, bringing some guides along in case of trouble further east.

Tongans and Maori
Through the year of 1451 and well into 1452, Yishiha travelled further east, using the islands as bases to resupply and survey. Shen Jun, the fleets chief genius, took it upon himself to transcribe and translate the local languages and within a year had become fluet enough that he could carry on a conversation.

His skills in language, however, would soon be put to the test upon the encounter with the Tongan Empire, a small but influential thalassocracy in Oceania, who had heard of pale visitors from the north. The king, a tyrannical ruler, refused to see the Chinese unless they bowed before him. Insulted, the Chinese refused, even upon threat of death. The king ordered his fleet to attack, prompting the Chinese to retaliate, leaving the Tongans awestruck at the size and power of their ships, especially their cannons. The Tongans, thinking the Chinese gods, willfully bowed before them and begged for mercy. Yishiha, deciding to punish the tyrant, sided with a rival who had more power and support by far and together they toppled the former king. The king attempted to flee but found himself at the mercy of the sharks as his navy pursued and stabbed him with spears and arrows. The new king opened talks with the Chinese regarding exchange, and allowed the Chinese to remain to resupply and study.

After a year and a half, the Chinese departed although a few, mainly missionaries remained. The fleet then sailed southward, using the wind and ocean currents to dictate their path. Within a month, they encountered a medium-sized island with high mountains and temperate forests, not unlike some places in China. This island, and its southern neighbor, housed a menagerie of animals stranger than any the Chinese ever encountered, including giant wingless birds (moa) and man-eating eagles (Haast's Eagle) ending the similarity to their homeland. The natives, early Maori, hesitantly greeted the Chinese, and even invited them to a feast. The feast was delicious, but the mood was tense as neither could comprehend the other, Even Shen Jun had a difficult time understanding them, as their language was very different from the islands further north. Fortunately, a local guide understood Samoan, which was similar enough to the Maori language to open communications, though not much else. Once Shen Jun mastered Maori, negotiations for trade began at once. The Chinese had many things the Maori desired, but the thing they wanted most was medicine and crops, as their crops struggled to grow while the Chinese thrived. The Chinese agreed to trade seedlings and medicine for local animals, namely the moa, thinking it would impress the Emperor. Over a year, the Chinese studied the ways and resources of the island, including the greenstone jade of the south island, which they acquired a ton of for more seeds and root cultures, along with people to teach them. Shen Jun transcribed the Maori language into Chinese writing, and dubbed their islands "Taniau-tao" (大鳥島, literally "the Island of Large Birds"), and even taught some to read and write.

Across the World Ocean
At the end of the year 1455, after exchanging missionaries for local navigators, the Chinese left, again travelling with the wind and currents, heading east across the Pacific. For the first time, the fleet sailed beyond any sight of land, a frightening new experience for many sailors. Fortunately, the Maori navigators proved highly adept and put the sailors at east. Unfortunately, within a month of their journey, most of the Maori fell sick from smallpox, having never been exposed to the disease before. The Chinese tried to treat them, but their poor health history worked against them and almost all of them died, leaving only two survivors, which only barely lived. Over the journey, as they slowly recovered, Shen Jun was their sole companion, taking in everything he could, such as navigation and language should the worst happen.

Within three months the fleet started to run low on food and supplies. Another three months, and tempers started to flare up. Disease, storms, and occasional fights took their toll. A particularly rough storm sunk one ship and force another two to be salvaged for parts. Blisters, sores, and scurvy left many men weak and miserable. Eventually, they had to butcher the moa to feed themselves. Yishiha prayed desperately for the gods to hear him. Shen Jun consulted the Maori survivors hoping to land nearby, but the Maori could not, for none they knew had ever gone this far east before.

Finally, after nearly seven months, a man cried that he saw land up ahead. The whole crew was elated as they looked and saw a long chain of mountains running north to south, standing behind a thick, green forest. Upon landing, the crew immediately ran to a local river (OTL Maule River) and started drinking, desperate to wet their thirst. Once they fill themselves, they began searching for food and other supplies. Through the day they collected fish, clams, local fruit, and other foodstuffs, boh to resupply and to hold a celebratory feast, all the while being watched from the forest.

The next day, the sailors began collecting wood and water for their ship, this time with greater care for fear, in hunger's absence, had returned, as had their weapons. Fortunately, they were not needed, for they remained unharassed by the watchful eyes from the forest. On the third day, they saw a group of people coming to the beach, wearing strange tunics that covererd their upper arms and were open at the sides. They slowly, cautiously approached the Chinese. Yishiha, curious but cautious, ordered his men to be ready for anything, including an attack while he lowered himself, Shen Jun, one of the Maori survivors, and two marines, to the shore off one of the boats. Slowly, he approached the crowd, took out a worked piece of jade as a token of peace, and presented it to the man with the most elaborate dress, presumably the leader, in the Chinese manner, with both hands and the head slightly bowed. The man, albeit hesitantly, accepted the gift and bowed back. Yishiha, feeling relieved, introduced himself and his crew in Mandarin, leaving the crowd bewildered at his strangely-pitched voice and seeming gibberish. Seeing the communication predicament, Shen Yun stepped forward and tried Maori, and then Tongan, but to no effect. Realizing the wide linguistic gap, Shen Yun picked up a clam and said its word in Mandarin, prompting the man to respond, and the process repeated itself. While not much was said, much was accomplished and within a week, trade commenced, supplies for silk and other such luxuries trinkets. Shen Jun quickly began learning and transcribing the new language, barely resting or sleeping for fear of losing his work. One thing he quickly learned was the scope of their discovery: what they originally thought to be an island was actually a much larger land stretching far to the north.

Tibet of the East
As Yishiha travelled further north, the sailors noticed that the region became drier, akin to the Gobi Desert only hotter. They also noticed tall buildings in the high mountains, akin to Tibet, only of a very different design.

In the West
In the meantime, Fei Xin travelled westward along the coast of the Indian Ocean toward Africa. Once arrival in Arabia, he traded silk for supplies and asked local merchants for maps or charts that could lead him to further trade routes. Amused, the Arab merchants and sailors laughed, believing that all meaningful trade was already discovered and that this adventure would only be a waste. Undeterred, Fei Xin pressed on, hugging the coast as he headed southward., trading with local somalis for supplies and information as to future trade routes. Here he learned of the Kingdoms of Mutapa, a political newcomer in South Africa that controlled some lucrative trade. Within a month, he arrived at Sofala on the Mozambique coast, where he pulled into port and asked for an audience with the king of Mutapa. Mutoto, intriqued by the news of "floating cities" and "pale men", left for the city, along with his court and personal guard. When he arrived, he was left in shock, for while the fleet was not as grandiose as the one commissioned by the Yongle Emperor, it was still huge, both in numbers and in individual size. No one in this part of Africa had ever seen such sights, though stories had passed down the coast from further north. These stories confirmed, Mutoto treated the Chinese as honored guests, promising them the best in his empire and at no cost to them. Fei Xin, honored by this treatment, accepted and trade and negotiations began in earnst. Among the items traded were silk and jade for ivory and gold, but the real treasure was information about the continent to the north and south. To his dismay, Mutoto reported only nomadic tribes, mostly pastoralists, lacking much in material resources. Pressing further, Fei Xin asked about what lay to the west, but Mototo had no real information, only rumors of other kingdoms, and even empires, based on trade. Deciding to gamble on rumors, Fei Xin ordered his ship to sail south, further down the coast, despite the unease of his men. After a month of living at state expense, the Chinese sailed south, for lands unknown.

Destiny's Hand
Unfortunately for Fei Xin, luck or destiny, had other plans as a storm of unprecedented size arrived as the Chinese rounded the southern coast. The storm, coming from the Atlantic, took the Chinese off guard and forced them to seek shelter. By luck, they rounded into a rock outcropping that protected them from the worst of the storm, though only the smaller ships could enter while the larger ones had to wait out the storm. This cape (OTL Cape of Good Hope) was named "Māzǔwan" ( 媽祖灣  literally "Bay of the Mother Ancestor") provided an excellent stop for the Chinese fleet as they searched for materials to repair the damage to their fleet, some of which was very severe, forcing them to scuttle three ships. During their search for supplies, they encountered some local pastoralists.

Tensions were initially high as both sides sized each other up, as the pastoralists outnumbered the Chinese but had no gunpowder weapons. Eventually, they attempted to communicate, but none of the languages they used were able to bridge the linguistic gap. Fortunately, some people from the Mutapa Kingdom had accompanied the Chinese and one had some exposure to Hadza, a language similar to that of the locals, and talks began, albeit tentatively. After a month, the Chinese managed to crack the language and some measure of trade began, though it was much more limited due to the pastoralists' nomadic lifestyle. For the most part, the Chinese simply wanted information on the local environment and resources. From what they found, the chief resource was the bay, so they decided to build a port for outgoing ships. Several ships were left to oversee the construction of the harbor as well as to provide an escape route in case of trouble. The man left in charge of this was Zheng Wanxian, Enlai's son, while Fei Xin sailed on, hugging the coast.

Oases in the Desert
In mid 1453, Fei Xin had entered the Atlantic Ocean, a very different experience from the calmer Indian and Pacific Oceans. Without any knowledge of this part of the sea, the Chinese often suffered from storms, reefs, and hidden rocks. Magnifying the problem was the strong current hugging the coast, causing the Chinese to go faster than they wanted, which meant that more often that not they ran headlong into hidden rocks and reefs. Eventually they reached the Cuanza River, where they stopped for supplies and to reassess the situation. About midway through their foraging, they came across some local fishermen who stood in awe at the sight of the Chinese before running to the north. Fei Xin, not wanting to take chances, ordered his men to hasten repairs and to arm up for combat.

While Fei Xin prepared for combat, Nanga, king of the Kongo Kingdom, prepared for diplomacy. Intrigued at the descriptions the fishermen brought before him, he wanted to see these men "pale as bones" and their "cities on water" and see for himself. Along with his personal escort, he sailed down the coast to meet the Chinese.

The sight that beheld him was so awe-inspiring that many of his escort believed the Chinese to be gods. Bowing deeply, Nanga declared it an honor to serve the gods of the sea. The Chinese were initially shocked at the near-incomprehensible words of the man, as they had little experience speaking Bantu. This linguistic challenge was, albeit with difficulty, overcome by the presence of Swahili and Shona speakers from the eastern coasts, who managed to tell Nanga that they wanted to negotiate with him. Within a week, the Chinese managed to open talks with the Kingdom of Kongo.

For the most part, the exchange was highly successful, as Nanga wanted much from the Chinese, seeing their advanced technology and culture. However, the Chinese did not want much from Nanga as the royal currency, shell money, was not as useful to the Chinese as they were to the rest of Central Africa, nor did they accept gold or silver, as the Chinese did. However, they managed to get by with barter trade, exchanging silk for supplies and information from further north. The information here was more concrete than on the eastern coast, and the Chinese learned of the Wolof Empire and the trade with Europe, which enticed the Chinese with great promise for trade. Fei Xin, deciding to go even further, planned to head north to establish trade with the Wolof. Before leaving, though, he exchanged some missionaries and merchants for local guides and translators, and left behind a Stele written in Mandarin, Sanskrit, and Tamil letters, as a Rosetta Stone for the Kingdom.

Clash of the Titans
As the Chinese sailed north, they encountered the early Oyo Empire, who in addition to supplying them with food and repairs, inform them that the Portuguese have been sailing down the coast for the last decade, though the Chinese dismiss the information as the Europeans they knew are backward and inferior. Intrigued by the potential for further trade, they press on, heading for the Wolof Empire.

By October 21, 1453, Fei Xin had arrived at Dakar, the capital of the Wolof Empire, and requested to speak with Leeyti Tyukuli, the current ruler of the Empire. Intrigued by the rumors spread about the "floating cities", he agreed to see the Chinese, and was so awestruck by the size and sophistication of the fleet, he immediately wanted to open negotiations. Fortunately, unlike before, both sides had much to offer and talks continued for nearly three years. The king, quite taken in by the Chinese silk and porcelain, offered the Chinese whatever they wanted for a quarter of their stock. Fei Xin, taking this opportunity, asked for permission to build an embassy to the Emperor to further diplomatic relationships, as well as enough supplies to make it back to China and charts on the sea to the north. To sweeten the deal, Fei Xin offered to direct trade from India and Persia directly to him to build up trade with the Emperor in exchange for some tributary tokens, such as exotic animals for the Emperor's menagerie. The possibility of forging a close relationship with such a powerful nation was enticing, especially with the obvious riches displayed by the Chinese.

As the negotiations continued, elements of the Chinese fleet continued some probing patrols further north, where they discovered the Cape Verde Islands, naming them " Kōngdǎo  " (空岛 literally "Empty Islands") where, as a testament to their discovery, they erected a stele written in four languages: Mandarin, Sanskrit, Tamil, and Wolofal, the Arabic script used in the Wolof Empire. This move played right to the king, who decided to recociprocate by learning Chinese language and customs. By 1456, negotiations had begun that proposed the building of Buddhist temples in the capital. Before these negotiations could go any further, the Portuguese had returned and dscovered the stele on the archipelago.

Battle of Kongdao
The Chinese stationed on the islands welcomed the Portuguese as fellow sailors and traders, offering the same generous terms that they had with all they encountered thus far, but received a barrage of insults and angry threats instead. The Portuguese and the Spanish had claimed exclusive rights to all lands, discovered or otherwise, under the Mare Clausum policy enacted by Pope Nicholas V in his Papal Bull Dum Diversas and Romanus Pontifex, written in response to the conquest of Constantinople. The Papal Bull called for Portugal and Spain to assign all pagans to perpetual slavery and granted them exclusive control of all lands, essentially a divine order to spread Christianity. The Chinese presence in the Atlantic, due to their religious and racial differences, was intolerable to the Portuguese and demanded a military response. The Portuguese descretated the stele and prepared for battle, intenting punish the Chinese and their Muslim allies (the Wolof Emperor). They torched the Chinese ships anchored at the islands and sent the sailors swimming across, but not before branding them with the Latin words "pœnitébit Paganos" (literally "Repeat Pagans") into their foreheads. Fortunately, the Chinese managed to rescue most of their sailors, but this atrocity infuriated them, and they sought revenge.

As the commanders readied for battle, they caught a glimpse of each other's strengths. The caravels were highly maneuverable and managed to evade many of the Chinese attacks, though their own firepower as their cannons were fewer and lighter. Also, the Chinese junks, thanks to their higher number of sails, proved the faster of the ships and thanks to their greater size, carried far more cannons than the Portuguese.

The man in charge of the Portuguese fleet at sea, Diogo Gomes, recognized the distinct advantage the Chinese had in a long-drawn out battle in the open sea, but he was under pressure from his men to react, so instead he decided to draw them in to the islands where his more maneuverable ships would have the advantage. His descretation of the stele, which gave great honor to the Chinese Emperor, was part of a ploy to draw the Chinese into the islands. He readied his men to give battle, knowing it was his only option.

Fei Xin, on the other hand, knew precisely what the Portuguese were up to. His sailors description of the fleet was very thorough and revealed that the Portuguese were heavily outnumbered and were not expecting reinforcements. He decided to punish the Portuguese for their arrogance and their fanaticism. He divided his fleet into sections. The first, comprising of his most maneuverable junks, would head for the south section of the archipelago to distract the Portuguese and keep them inside the islands. The second, made up of his heavy gunners, would head north and west and spread out like a net before the northern strait to prevent the Portuguese from escaping or receiving reinforcements. The last section, made up of his larger ships, would undergo an overhaul at Dakar, with his engineers and Wolof laborers working overtime. This would be useful later.

On August 31, 1456, the Chinese junks patrolling the islands entered from the southwest, forcing the Portuguese to respond. While the Portuguese caravels were fast and agile and able to inflict heavy damage, there were too many junks, so while the first few were sunk, the rest managed to hold their own and forced the Portuguese to fall back as they sustained heavy damage. Gomes, realizing the battle was lost, ordered all surviving ships to flee, hoping to make it out before the junks could catch up. Unfortunately, he feel right into Fei Xin's trap, and his ships were sunk by a massive barrage of cannon fire. Gomes himself survived, having been saved by Chinese sailors, along with Alvise Cadamosto and about 20 other crew members. The survivors were taken to Dakar where they saw the largest of Fei Xin's ships.

They had been repainted and refitted to look even more impressive. Dragon heads and tails on their bows and sterns, made of gold; the rails were overlaid with silver; roofs of pure gold all along the length, alongside gardens made of rare and beautiful plants. Except for the sails, the ships looked like floating cities, more luxurious than anything in Europe. The effect was immediate and obvious: China was NOT to be trifled with. Humbled beyond belief, Gomes and the others knelt before Fei Xin and the Wolof Emperor, waiting for their enemy's revenge.

Surprisingly, Fei Xin proved merciful. Instead of executing or torturing them, he offered to treat the Europeans for their injuries and see to their safe return to Europe if they were to teach him all they knew about navigation and carry a message back to Europe: respect China, or suffer her wrath. Most of the survivors agreed, though a handful, perhaps still reeling from the shock of their defeat, refused, preferring instead to suffer a gruesome death. They were sentenced to death by drowning but not before being tattooed with the words " Yuē dà bùjìng   " (曰大不敬 literally "great irreverence") on their foreheads, showing their disrespect for the Emperor. The Wolof Emperor, so impressed with the Chinese skill, wealth, sophistication, and ethics, had proposed a treaty that would grant the Chinese primary trading rights to the Empire as well as open it up for Buddhist and Taoist missionaries. Finally, in exchange for learning Chinese technology and military traditions, the Empire would adopt Chinese currency and writing, to facilitate easier trade, as well as allow a small but formidible garrison to remain at the capital in case the Europeans returned.

The Return Trips
Fei Xin, proposed that Leeyti Tyukuli accompany them back to China to personally present the treaty to the Emperor. Fascinated at the prospect of seeing China up close and personal, Leeyti Tyukuli agreed, leaving his son as temporary regent in his place.