Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 | Page 148

Ming’s Extraordinary Treasure Voyage
Korean International School, Lee, Sunmyung - 13
Today was the day which Ming’s Fleet would leave port for a very long journey
As the crew and officers ate a banquet provided by the king, we tried not to think about the journey ahead.
The crew were presented with gifts to boost morale. Sacrifices and prayer were offered to Tianfei, the
patron goddess of sailors, hoping to ensure a successful and safe passage during the voyage.
As the sun rose up the next day, the captain signals the fleet to untie their sails. As sailors untie the sails we
all knew this would be a very long and difficult journey. We were committed to this journey for better or
worse. The fleet of around 100 ships carrying great amounts of treasure would sail around the coast to show
the wealth to other kings. The convoy of ships were heavily militarized in case of pirate attack and were
carrying 27,000 troops. My name is Wang Wei and I am 23 years old. My job was to defend the ship from
attackers.
Suddenly, a distant sound of drums beating signals the ships to leave port.
Day 1
The day started normal. The sea was very calm and the weather couldn't be better. As I patrolled the ship, I
saw that other troops were on high alert. Then while I was patrolling the storage room, where the treasure
is, I caught a Sailor stealing a bar of gold. After I alerted my officer, he was immediately executed.
After that, everything went normal. First day on the ship with a death count of 1.
Day 2
I was asleep when I heard screams. At first I thought I was dreaming but then I hear more screams. Suddenly
the ship starts shaking. I get up from my bed trying to figure out what was happening. Did we hit a rock?
Then I hear drum beats which answered my question. The signal of enemies approaching. Suddenly, the
room is in panic. Troops running around getting their armour and weapons and then running out the door.
After I get all my gear, I run up to the deck. As I enter the deck, it was chaos. People were running and
shouting. I ran to my post and looked at the horizon. I saw a ship in the distance but as I looked closer, I
saw around 40 ships. Then I hear the officer shouting commands. After the short briefing, I run to join my
group. We were in charge of the cannons. As we got ready the cannons, I heard a distant explosion. The
ship on our right was hit with a cannon ball and was now on fire. As panic erupted someone lit the cannon
to fire back with a permission from the officers. Suddenly, the sound of cannon fire erupted all around me.
As I looked up at the horizon again, I saw flashing lights from the enemy ship. Suddenly I realized they were
cannon fires and shouted to take cover. A few seconds later, the ship shook like there was a earthquake.
Then, it just went black.
Day 3
When I woke up, I felt pain in my arm right away. As I opened my eyes, I saw that I was on a bed which
was on a ship. I knew this because of the window next to me. As I tried to stand up, a person rushed over to
me and told me I had to lie down and rest. When I asked what happened, she just said “Your ship sank.”
and went to treat another patient. After a few more hours in bed, I was allowed to walk around the ship. As
I walked across the deck, I could see that the ship, which I was on, was in the middle of Ming’s fleet. After I
talked with a few troops, I figured out what happened. After I blacked out, the fighting went on for a few
more hours until the enemy ships were routed. The ship which I was in had sank but most of the people
there made it out alive due to rescue attempts. For now we were safe, but for how much longer?