East Asia 1450-1500 (Chaos)

1451 (3148, Yin Metal Sheep): Tibet joins the Chinese sphere of influence.

1452-56 (3149, Yang Water Monkey / 3153, Yang Fire Rat): A Chinese treasure fleet sails up the Red Sea, sends a delegation to Egypt. On their return, they also spread tales about the Christian countries.

1453 (3150, Yin Water Chicken): Assam start paying tribute to the Hong.

1457 (3154, Yin Fire Ox): A crisis at the court of the ninth Hong emperor is solved in a pleasing way (see story).

1458: Thai kingdom Chiang Mai annexes Nan (later than OTL).

1459: Sultanate of Sulu founded on the Philippines.

1463 (3160, Yin Water Sheep): Arakan (Assam's neighbor) also becomes part of the Chinese sphere of influence.

1464 (3161, Yang Wood Monkey): Arabs in the city of Taiz, Hejaz, assault the crew of a Chinese ship when they went on land. Although the authorities don't want to anger off the strong Chinese fleet, things become complicated when the assaulters can't be catched, but demand ransom for the crew. The Chinese pay the money, but after the captured crew is returned, they demand from the Seljuk authorities that they punish the criminals, or at the very least return the money. After a demonstration of their cannons' power, the sherif gives in. Some henchmen are actually captured, but their leader stays hidden. The Chinese leave, but many Arabs aren't happy about his humiliation.

1466 (3163, Yang Fire Dog): News of the assault spread to the court, who decided to send another fleet of cannon-stocked ships, which reaches Arabia now. The Chinese approach the Omanis (with whom they have more and better contacts), win them as allies against the Hejaz Arabs.

1474 (3171, Yang Wood Horse): Thai ask Hong emperor to solve a struggle for succession, which he does. This is the precedent for extending Chinese influence in Ayutthaya.

1483 (3180, Yin Water Rabbit): War between the Seljuks and the Hong breaks out, which distracts the Seljuks somewhat from defeating Hungary. Battles in the Red Sea, Omanis make incursions into Hejaz.

Late 1480s: Another uprising against Chinese by Vietnamese, which is suppressed. Annam practically becomes a Chinese province.

1487 (3184, Yin Fire Sheep): Seljuk-Hong war ends with a peace. The Seljuks will send a regular tribute/gift to the Hong emperor, who'll return the favor. Since this is a generous peace, the Seljuks accept it. Arabs start trading with China, bringing glassworks, plants from the Middle East, like coffee, qat and hashish, to China.

1492 (3189, Yang Water Rat): Sultan of Bengal pays tribute to Hong.

1495: Lan Xang (Laos) starts introducing Confucianism.

~1500: Russian merchants make first contact with Chinese traders.