The first navigator of the Ming Dynasty

"Third Master Zhao, since I have to die, then, before I die, can I make a request?"

Zheng Hai knew that he couldn't break into the pirates, so he could only think of a way to get out, and proposed his idea to the pirate leader Zhao Jiuxiao.

Listening to Zheng Hai's words, Zhao Jiuxiao and all the pirates felt a little curious: What else would a dying person

ask for?, "Tell me, what else do you ask before you die?" Zhao Jiuxiao had some appreciation for Zheng Hai and reluctantly agreed to Zheng Hai's request, "If it's not an excessive request, I can promise you."

Zheng Hai sighed and said sadly: "Heaven is going to kill me! I, Zheng Hai, a dignified man in brocade clothes and a thousand households, was determined to serve the imperial court, but was betrayed by the people in the court. I was extremely disappointed in the imperial court, I originally thought that I could defect to the pirates and change my life, but in the end, I couldn't even do it as pirates..."

The pirates quietly watched Zheng Hai burst into tears, looking grief-stricken, some laughed, some giggled and some deeply sympathized.

"Since the sky is going to kill me, then I have nothing to say! Brothers, I, Zheng Hai, can't be a pirate in this life, I only hope that my soul can return to the sea. Once, a fortune teller told me that I would die because of the sea, but I didn't expect this day to come so soon..."

Zhao Jiuxiao looked at Zheng Hai and said, "Zheng Hai, if you have any requirements, say it quickly! Otherwise, you won't have a chance to say it!" Zheng Hai

glanced at the island not far away and said, "Zhao Sanye, I just have one request, I don't want to be beheaded." Since I can't become a pirate, let me drown in the sea.

Zhao Jiuxiao glanced at Zheng Hai, his eyes were full of admiration: "It's a man! Okay! I will fulfill your wishes! Come

on, put a bag on him, and sink directly into the sea!" The pirates nodded and said with a smile: "That's a good idea! Hahaha

!" "Quickly put him in a bag, throw him into the sea, and feed the fish

!" "Okay!" The two pirates answered, covered Zheng Hai with a sack, stuffed it into the bag, and tied the mouth of the sack.

The two lifted the bag containing Zheng Hai and threw it off the boat, and the sack plopped and splashed a column of water in the sea.

Zheng Hai was thrown into the sea, and the sea water poured into the sack, and after a while it sank into the water.

It was pitch black in the sack, Zheng Hai let go of the rope in his hand, took out a short dagger hidden on his body, and cut the sack hard.

Zheng Hai used his last strength to swim to the surface, put his head out of the water, and breathed in the air.

On the sea, the pirate ship was gone.

He hugged a piece of wood floating on the sea, and with the help of the buoyancy of the wood, he rested and regained his strength while treading water.

It is said that looking at the mountains and running dead horses, looking at the island in the sea, Zheng Hai swam hard for a long time, but still did not swim to the island.

I don't know how long he swam on the surface of the sea, and he didn't know how long he floated holding on to the wood, but suddenly he noticed that another wooden boat appeared on the surface of the sea.

At first, he was also afraid of a pirate ship he would encounter. But when the sea ship approached, Zheng Hai found that it was a merchant ship with a flag on it and the word "Shi" written on it.

When Zheng Hai saw someone on the deck, someone on the deck also saw him.

"Sir, there are people in the sea. "A boatman in charge of the lookout prayed to a merchant on deck.

"Dad, I saw it too, there is really a person in the sea. A white-robed boy also walked towards the merchant.

The old merchant with a beard and a vicissitudes of face looked at the sea and said to the crew: "Quick! Hurry up and save people!" The

young man in the white robe pulled the sleeve of the old merchant and reminded: "Dad, be careful, he won't be a pirate, right?"

The old merchant looked around, there were no ships on the sea, only a young man holding a wooden stake, floating on the sea.

The old merchant replied, "There are no ships around, so they are not pirates, so let's get the people up first." The

white-robed young man nodded, and the sailors on the boat had already thrown the rope at Zheng Hai, who was floating on the water.

With the assistance of the ship's sailors, Zheng Hai climbed aboard the merchant ship.

After Zheng Hai climbed aboard the merchant ship, he was detained by several guards armed with knives, and the short dagger on his body was searched.

"Daddy, find a dagger from him. The

young man in a white robe walked up to the old merchant and handed the dagger he had found under his command to the old merchant.

The old businessman and the white-robed boy walked up to Zheng Hai and looked at Zheng Hai, who was wet all over.

The old merchant had a wrinkled face, dark brown skin, and a somewhat vicissitudes of life, looking more than forty years old.

The old merchant asked Zheng Hai: "Who are you?"

Zheng Hai stared at the old businessman, hesitated slightly, and replied: "My name is Zheng Yun, the word is Shenzhi, a person from Dinghai County, and I originally planned to go north to gain fame." Unexpectedly, when I was hijacked by pirates, I jumped into the sea to escape, and then drifted on the sea..."

Zheng Hai was wary of strangers, and did not reveal his true identity, but made up a temporary identity.

He made up the story as he looked at the people on the boat, and eventually, his eyes fell on the white-robed boy.

The white-robed boy's voice was a little awkward, a little sissy, but his face was slightly dark, not a little white face.

Zheng Hai looked at the white-robed boy, and always felt that there was something indescribably strange about this person, and he always felt that something was wrong.

The white-robed boy has delicate and small facial features, a pointed chin, small eyes, and thin eyebrows. His figure is a little thin compared to the others, but his chest muscles are more developed, and his chest is slightly raised.

Seeing Zheng Hai's eyes staring at him all the time, the white-robed boy was a little unhappy, rolled his eyes at Zheng Hai, and shouted, "Why do you keep staring at me?" Zheng Hai then withdrew his eyes, glanced at a small scimitar on the white-robed boy's waist, and

explained embarrassedly: "I just think that the waist knife on the child's body is very chic." "

The white-robed boy does have a specially shaped waist knife hanging from his waist, and the waist knife is short and curved. The scabbard is covered with colorful patterns and is inlaid with various gemstones, including sapphires, rubies, agate, jadeite, and other gemstones.

"Little brother, my name is Shi Jinqing, a native of Nanyang Sanfoji, originally a native of Guangdong in the Ming Dynasty. The

old businessman with a vicissitudes of life did not seem to doubt Zheng Hai's identity, and told Zheng Hai his identity one by one.

Hearing the words 'Shi Jinqing', Zheng Hai couldn't help but look at the old businessman Shi Jinqing, slightly surprised.

Shi Jinqing, recorded in history, seems to have been born in 1360, and now he is the thirty-first year of Hongwu (1398 AD), and it stands to reason that he should be only thirty-eight or nine years old, almost forty years old.

But Shi Jinqing in front of Zheng Hai is obviously older, and he looks almost fifty years old.

After coming back to his senses, Zheng Hai saluted Shi Jinqing and said: "It turned out to be Shi Jinqing from Nanyang, Mr. Shi, Mr. Zheng, thank you Mr. for saving your life."

Shi Jinqing was very polite, saluted Zheng Hai in return, and asked: "Little brother, I just heard you say, are you going north, are you going to Yingtianfu to take the exam?"

Zheng Hai didn't expect Shi Jinqing to believe his words so much, and admitted: "Originally, it was like this, but now I'm afraid I can't go."

Shi Jinqing nodded, and said: "Since the little brother wants to go to Yingtianfu to gain fame, the old man will definitely support the little brother and assist the brother to go north." However, the old man has a small request, I wonder if the little brother can do the old man a favor?"

"Mr. Shi, please say!"

"Oh! by the way, I forgot to introduce you." Shi Jinqing turned to the white-robed boy on the side and introduced to Zheng Hai: "This is mine, the second son, Shi Jisun."

Zheng Hai looked at the white-robed son, he couldn't help but be a little confused, and said secretly in his heart: "Isn't Shi Jisun your eldest son? How did he become the second son of the Shi family?" Shi Jinqing didn't see Zheng Hai's

doubts, and continued: "We came this time, originally to pay tribute to the Ming court, and ask the court to give Liang Daoming, the king of the Three Buddhas. It's a pity that I met pirates on the way, the tribute ship was hijacked, and I heard that the Ming Dynasty had changed a new emperor and was planning to Jinghai. In order to avoid trouble, we can only go home..."

Shi Jinqing said a lot, and finally returned to the topic, and said to Zheng Hai: "Little brother, if you go north to get famous, the old man can sponsor you, I only hope that in the future, you will help us say a good word or two in front of the emperor, and open some doors for these traders who travel between Nanyang and Daming."

Zheng Hai listened silently and nodded from time to time.

Just as Zheng Hai wanted to agree to Shi Jinqing's request, a sailor ran over and shouted eagerly: "Master, it's not good, there's a ship coming behind, it looks like a pirate ship!"