Journey to Fusang

Zhu Zanj, emperor of China, ruler of the Dai Viet by treaty of Vassalage, and ruler of Korea by conquest, slept poorly in the night that Europeans would have called March 4, 1430. For many years now, his court had been embattled between the eunuchs and merchants, who wanted China to expand outward, and the Confucian officials, who wanted China to turn inward.

The two parties differed in every way; the Confucians wanted to build a massive canal to transport grain to the new capital of Beijing; the Eunuchs wanted to use ships to transport grain. And the new merchants, who had gained wealth in the trading posts and colonies in the southern isles, were a small but vocal part of the politics, under the lead of the charismatic Juang Fe. The bastard went on and on about how it was the mandate of heaven to expand outward, and with his newfound wealth and golden tongue, he was gaining many of the neutral factions of the court to his side.

The emperor laid in his massive bed, concubine by his side, considering. On the one hand, as the Confucians said, China must remain culturally pure. But their damn ideas were so impractical. If China didn’t expand outward, would it not be surrounded by barbarians? Already their Grand Canal was costing massive amounts of money, and it had barely covered 20 li. And the merchants were controlling most of their trade, bringing much wealth to China.

Maybe we should expand outward, the emperor thought. Maybe China would need to grow. They only knew of a small part of the land. Perhaps there were barbarians out their who would rape China’s land for their own ends, destroying the order of the spheres.

The emperor reached a decision, and went back to sleep.

The next day, in court, the emperor began his announcement as soon as it was seemly.. “I have come a decision. China’s voyages of exploration and discovery will continue. I have chosen that in China’s future lays outward expansion.”




The court became so quiet that one could hear the silk rustling. He continued, in the booming voice that befit the man who was the mandate of the heavens, and said, “The omens are clear. Delays plague the grand canal, while the sea borne territories in the southern isles pour money into our treasuries, restoring wealth and fame to China. The foolish ways of the past are gone. So is the mandate of the emperor, and of heaven.”

The words resounded through the halls. The Confucians had lost; who knew what the future would bring to China now?

One thing it brought immediately was revolt. Aristocrats and Confucians conspired to overthrow the emperor, who they believed was destroying the order of the spheres, and more importantly, their power. The revolts were suppressed over several years, but the Manchu also invaded, and were only beaten back when the emperor offered tribute to the leader of the Manchu. His time would come, thought the emperor as he agreed to peace. In a generation, the Manchu would be no more.

But for now, when Juang Fe heard of the events, and smiled. He had known that this would happen, ever since many years ago when the first profits came in from his small colony. The omens had predicted it. Trade was expanding in the sultanates of Arabia and India, along with Nippon. A white bird flew over the bow of the ship he was sailing on. A good omen, that.

He turned away, and so didn’t see the bird blown east by the winds of the west.

Note: Journey to Fusang is a comical alternate history about a chinese/muslim new world.

I know. I HATE events like that where the slightest thing causes an empire to come crashing down. I'm going to let it happen , but my explanation will be different.

Vasco De Gama stood on the deck of one of the ships of his fleet, in May of 97. After so long, and all the trials and tribulations he had suffered, God had seen fit to bring him his just rewards: the Orient.

When they had first traveled up the coast, they had expected to be a short distance from India. And find the savages passive and eager to join Christendom. But they fought fiercely, because they refused to give his fleet what it deserved. The damn heathens had good weapons too; not of primitive stone or rare iron tools, as the barbarians on the western coast of Darkest Africa had. These were armed to the teeth with weapons of iron and strong bows, and after being subdued they had vowed that their protector, Beijing (whatever or wherever that was), would bring vengeance on the heads of all Portugese.


Next they had sailed northward, reaching the borders of what surely must be the Orient. The people of Mozambique knew of silk and spices but were far from its sources, and were so hostile to his ships because of his demand of tribute that he was forced to bombard the city. It was only when they reached a city known as Kilwa that they hired a heathen navigator, Ibn Majid. He claimed to have studied in Nanking, which, according to him, was part of Cathay. To his credit, surely; but he would be damned if he would truly trust him.

But at long last, they were due to land off of the thriving port of Calicut, a thriving city which was a thriving center of trade for all the Orient. He would have to make sure to send tribute to the ruler of the Orient through the viceroy, while he was there; it wouldn’t do to make enemies of fellow Christians so far from home.

After having seen no land for twenty-three days, they sighted lofty mountains, and having all this time sailed before the wind, Da Gama could not have made less than 600 leagues. The land, when first sighted, was at a distance of eight leagues, and the ship’s lead reached bottom at forty-five fathoms. It was no wonder that the city of Calicut had become a rich port. He turned to his second in command. “Order the men to load the cannon and prepare to disembark; we may have to show them the might of Portugal to get the natives to trade”

:”May the devil take thee! What brought you hither?” exclaimed Shu Rawol, a swarthy merchant who dealed in a great variety of goods, from silks of China to ivory from Africa. The distances they had traveled obviously impressed him, as he realized they had traveled that far. But from what he was saying….

“Christians and spices, for his majesty the King of Portugal!” replied Da Gama.

“Ah, that is most interesting. I have never heard of this Portugal,” he said, horribly botching the name of the country. “Would you care for some more tea, by the way?”

“Oh, it is on the opposite end of the world, farther than Venice even.” Replied Da Gama, who was doing his best not to gawk at the fool’s ignorance. Never heard of Portugal? God, next he would say that he had never heard of Rome!

“Ah, Venice. Many of our goods, such as metal and gold, come from Venice. And speaking of metal and gold, hat do you have to sell?” asked Rawol. Da Gama blinked at the man’s calm recognition of the name of Venice, and his subtle way of getting to the point. Such a man would prove useful, to the king of Portugal. As a good Christian, of course.

“Well, I have trading goods and manufactures from Christendom, metals, and some gold. What do you sell?” asked DaGama.

“Ah, I have many things. Here, let me show you a map.”







”I have silk and porcelain from China; spices and incense, along with exotic woods, from the southern islands of China. Ivory, gold, and slaves from Africa, and of course, spices from here and the Islands.”

Da Gama gripped the railing, scowling. They had sailed to several cities along the western coast of India, and they had been met from everything from indifference to hostility, as news spread of what had happened in Africa. The fact that a few of his men had shown blatant disrespect at their temples was no help either. Apparently they found the wares of Portugal cheap and valueless, and they had only acquired a small amount of spices. Christians were also few in number.

Worse, far worse, was that the Christians he had sought were nowhere to be found! The religions were idol worshipping heathens, godless Buddhists, or worse, Muslims! Thousands of miles traveled and he finds Muslims.

They sailed for home with a small load of spices, but along the way, the fleet of Portugal attacked several trading ships, taking their cargo as well. With no artillery onboard, the Malayan and Indian ship were easy meat for the Portuguese, who then burned the ships. When they crossed the cape, they were bursting with the plundered wealth of the Orient. If this was all the resistance they would face, thought Da Gama, Portugal could easily take over the trade.

When they returned to Portugal, Da Gama met with King Manuel, who richly rewarded him. At a ball, Manuel took Da Gama aside. “You have a mission now. You must establish domination over the spice trade by fire and sword.”

“There was stiff opposition from Muslims and some merchants from Cathay, but they will doubtlessly prove to fall like a rotten shack. One good kick to their trade, and he whole shack will collapse. I am convinced that with the brave men of Portugal and the mighty weapons of his majesty’s armories, we can take over the spice trade.”

In 1501, Da Gama led a fleet of ten ships to establish forts and trading posts in the Indian ocean, to cut off Egyptian sea power in the Indian Ocean and establish Portuguese supremacy. At long last, the wealth which they sought seemed within the grasp of the Portuguese…

Da Gama was on the deck of the flagship of his fleet, when they came across a large fleet. Large in many ways. Large ships, several times the size of his. Large in numbers, 19 to his 10. Large in weapons, as they bristled with cannon.

But, Da Gama thought, No other ships have carried cannon. Who are these people? He looked into the distance, and not for the first time wished there was a way to see far away things close up.
The flag of the ship showed a dragon. Then two of the ships, who had turned towards Da Gama, opened fire.

The battle was short but sharp. The Portuguese fought fiercely, with slightly superior cannon. But they had far fewer, and the largest enemy ship moved along side the Portuguese once cannon fire had stopped. Then the strangers boarded, with long thin blades and face and skin like some of the traders in India.

Then he realized they were from Cathay. Something hit his head, and darkness fell.

When he awoke, he was in a massive area, surrounded by other men who looked half dead. As clarity and consciousness returned, he realized it was his crew. The next several weeks passed in misery, as members of his crew died from strange diseases almost every day. Finally the ship reached a strange island, with beautiful buildings and exotic ships. Da Gama did not have much time to observe this, however, before he was taken through the port to a fortress.



It was a dark and forbidding place, with strange weapons and guns. He was finally taken before another slant-eyed man, where he was told, in Arabic, “You are here today because you and your men have attacked the loyal tributaries of the Son of Heaven. You have pillaged their cities; you have sunk their ships; and you have kidnapped their citizens The Emperor, may his reign be long and prosperous, has decreed that for that, you shall die. If any other men of your nation come here for war, they shall die.”

“But wait! We came only to trade!” Screamed Da Gama, as he was removed from the room

“Trade in blood? Tell that to your God.” Said the man. The doors closed behind him, and he was carried to a raised platform. On the wall in front of him was a jade dragon. He stared at it, lost in its beauty and terror at the same time. He was still staring when darkness fell, for the final time.