Timeline 1600-1700 (Zheng China)

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. As they hugged the coast, they stopped by a river (OTL Desaguadero River) to take on supplies and get their bearings. As they landed, some local fishermen arrived and stood in awe at the site. When the Chinese attempted to communicate, the fishermen bolted, leaving the Chinese bewildered. Shen Jun, curious about the area, offered to do a survey but Yishiha refused and volunteered himself and some of his guards instead.Consolidation and Exploration (Zheng China)