Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 2 - 2 | Page 58

New Tales of the Ming Treasure Voyages
Shanghai Singapore International School, Yang, Si-Han - 11
I had joined the Ming Treasure Voyages when I was five years old. Even though six years had passed, the
memory of the voyages was crystal clear. The leader of the trip, the great Zheng He, had told his crew to
pass on the great and unusual story of the Ming Treasure Voyages to our children. Well, I don’t have any
children but I could tell this unordinary story to you, right?
I am Zheng He’s most loyal dog, Tian Tian. On July 11, 1405, we prayed to Tian Fei, the goddess
of protection for sailors. Despite being different in size, I closed my paws and prayed for safe travels.
It was a marvelous sight to see millions of people clapping for us as we set off. Some were holding
brightly-coloured flags while others were praying for our safe return. The Yongle Emperor was there in his
yellow robes with intricate designs. He had a long sooty black beard and a special black hat on his head. He
was the one who had sent us on this special trip. He strutted towards me, I was a bit fazed, thinking
something bad was imminent. Looking into my eyes, he whispered, “Take care of Zheng He and be safe.”
That would be my mission throughout the voyage.
The ship was brown, like the colour of dark chocolate, and was tall and massive. It had enough
storage for thousands of people and chests of gold and treasures. The sail resembled a dragon’s tail, with
ropes pulling it upright. On this ship, we sailed to unique lands and had epic adventures. However, the
journey back to Nanjing was most unforgettable.
We had beaten a hasty retreat from Ceylon because the ruler there was hostile. He thought we
were enemies and tried to attack us. After that belligerent trip, we went to the west coast of India, the city
of Calcutta. The emperor there was much friendlier. As I jumped off the ship, I could see the people’s
confused faces. The indigenous people were not used to outsiders. Some were staring at Zhang He and the
other sailors’ unusual clothes with misery, while some were whispering. Mothers grabbed their children
tightly. Their native ruler came and Zheng He commanded his men to bring out the gargantuan amount of
gold and pottery. After offering the precious items to the emperor, the latter invited us to the palace.
Along the way, I saw people donning different clothes. Some women were wearing red pieces of long
cloths wrapped around flimsy blouses. Xu Li explained that it was a ‘sari’, and was India’s traditional
clothing. Some women were wearing three pieces of different cloth wrapped around the main blouse. I
discovered that it was called a ‘Mekhela Sador’. The men were wearing special clothing too, such as the
‘dhoti’, a long and big piece of white cloth wrapped around the body and sometimes had a belt at the waist.
In the palace, the native emperor, Akbar the great, served us with a Bengali cocktail called ‘Kaal
Baisakhi’. I would like to taste some but Zheng He waved his hand in my face and drank till the very last
drop. I knew I was barking up the wrong tree, so I begged Xu Li for a sip. Big mistake. I swore never to try
a cocktail again. After receiving gifts like gold, spices and tea from the emperor, we left Calcutta gaily and
began our return to Nanjing.
“Prepare for attack!” the sailors suddenly yelled.
“What’s happened?” I wondered nervously.
Xu Li told me that it was Chen Zuyi. I remembered the gruesome pirate. We had met him and his
crew when we first begun our voyage. I followed everyone and started barking at the sailors and officers,
commanding them where to go and where to hide. Everyone was busy preparing for the attack.
Chen Zuyi’s pirate ship arrived, but Chen Zuyi did not fire any bombs or weapons. Instead, Chen
Zuyi jumped onto our main ship. He looked apologetic.
“I surrender.”
The crowd let out a gasp. But Zheng He didn’t look convinced.
“I realised that it would be a lost battle fighting against your strong army. I have learned my lesson
and won’t mess with you again.”
Zheng He’s pensive expression softened a little. “I believe you will not bother us again,” he
bellowed.
I didn’t trust the pirate; this situation was fishy. I followed my gut instinct and bolted to the storage
room.
I was right! I saw three men attempting to steal our treasures! I bit and scratched like a lion. The
pirates yelped, retreated, and hobbled up the stairs, with looks of regret on their dirty faces. When the sailors
and pirates saw the three escapees, they gasped in shock.