Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 | Page 118

New Tales of the Ming Voyages
Island School, Law, Valerie - 12
Dear future me (Zheng He)
My name is Zheng He, and I am the greatest admiral in Chinese history.
The last year had gone by me in a blur, everything was going so fast. Each day had been chaotic,
busy and eventful, all because of one goal. My first voyage supposedly the greatest voyage in history. Zhu
Di, the Yongle Emperor, had ordered me and twenty eight thousand men along with more than three
hundred large ships to set sail to the West. A journey no one had completed before. Zhu Di had just
succeeded as China’s new emperor, with my help, and as one of his first acts, he wanted to impress the
world with China’s wealth. He wanted to establish alliances, and to do that, he had to impress the world.
Three hundred ships were constructed, of which sixty of them were Treasure Ships, which were over four
hundred feet long. It was just like a rollercoaster, getting closer and closer to the big drop, with everyone
getting more excited with every second.
It was early dawn on the eleventh of July, and we were off. We were sailing through the Pacific
Ocean heading towards Champa. I was standing on the deck of the leading ship, facing a sea of unknown.
The ocean breeze was blowing against my face. The following months were sure to bring a lot of surprises. I
looked behind to hundreds of ships behind me. I was the one man who could change the destiny of all those
people, and China.
Two years later…
“Land ho! Land ho!” I woke to the sound of someone calling. They were joined by more calls,
“Land ho! Land ho!” I made my way to the front of the crowd, and there in front of me, was Champa. I
descended from the ship into the company of a King, the King of Champa. I was led into a royal palace,
with grand decorations and furniture, however not as grand as China. “Your Highness,” and I dropped into
a bow before the King. “Hello, what brings you and your fleet to our humble land?” asked the King
merrily. “We come travelling from China, to bring you and your country gifts of wealth from our King, in
hope for an alliance,” I explained. “May I please have a look at your fleet?” asked the King. “It is an honor,”
I replied. “Wow,” the King whispered breathlessly as he surveyed our fleet. It was plain that he was duly
impressed. “It would be a tremendous honor to be an alliance of such a great country, in fact, I would like
to send you home with gifts of our own!” he added.
One day later, we were on our way back to China, lavished with gifts from Champa, and an
alliance with the King. We were sailing towards Java, then on to the Spice Islands. I was relieved that our
first stop had gone so well. However, I was aware of Chen Zuyi, the infamous pirate, and carefully avoided
there fleet. I was planning to confront them later on.
Our trip to the Spice Islands went relatively well, and we were then sailing across the Indian
Ocean, approaching Calcutta, one of the major trade depots. The local rulers were collaborative, accepting
our alliance and returning the favor with gifts of their own. After the trade, once again, my fleet and I
headed our towards the open sea, back home.
“Zheng He! Please join us on the deck! Chen Zuyi has been spotted on the horizon.” I made my
way up to the deck, surveying the scene. Sure enough, the infamous pirate and his fleet were just a few
hundred metres away. “Men, prepare your weapons and the cannons, but don’t fire before my command,” I
ordered. I don’t believe in using violence to resolve conflicts, but Chen Zuyi was an exception. I ordered
the rest of my fleet to fall behind, while only the leading ship sail forward. I sighed as I envisioned the battle
between the fleets.