For the people of Daming, Siam not only had preferential treatment in terms of living area, but it also had other preferential treatment. Not only could the Chinese engage in various professions, but they could even become officials in the imperial court. This was not just a diplomatic credit.
At that time, the king of Siam still called himself the emperor to his own people, but only the king of China. Another important reason for his tolerance towards the Chinese was that Zheng He's fleet had shocked Siam. The fleet had organized cavalry, and the righteous act of wiping out the Nanyang pirates, which made Siam admire Zheng He very much.
At that time, a large number of Chinese settled in Siam with Sambo's fleet. Zheng He also built a temple in Siam. To this day, there was still a temple in Bangkok that worshiped Zheng He's statue. However, Zheng He's statue was in a Buddhist style. As a devout Muslim, what would he think if he knew about this? However, this also proved his influence in Siam.
In addition, the Chinese were hardworking and vigorously developed the economy. Thus, the Siam imperial court had always been tolerant towards the Chinese. When the current King of Siam, Naresuan, raised his army, a large number of Chinese merchants joined the army and helped Siam restore its country. Therefore, Siam was grateful. That was why they repeatedly asked for Daming's help during the battle of Korea, wanting to help Daming in the war.
However, the Siamese, who were used to the tropical rainforest climate, went to the north. In that freezing weather, it was still questionable whether they could fight. Therefore, Daming did not agree due to various considerations, which made Siam feel very regretful. Now, they had another opportunity to perform, and it was an opportunity that they would not refuse no matter what.
The feud between Siam and Myanmar's Dongyu Dynasty was too deep. King Naresuan had been a hostage under the hands of Myanmar's king, Mang Yinglong. He was able to keep his life, but Mang Yinglong's son, Mang Yingli, always wanted to kill him. Therefore, after Mang Yinglong passed away and Mang Yingli ascended to the throne, King Naresuan had to raise the flag of resistance. He defeated the power of the Burmese and restored his country.
During the Ming-Burma War, because of the Ming Dynasty's army, Mang Yingli had to focus his main forces on the northern Yunnan region to confront the Ming Army. Conversely, the pressure on King Naresuan was greatly reduced. In this case, it was equivalent to Daming indirectly helping Siam, and Siam was very grateful for this. Now, Daming could not bear it anymore and wanted to conquer the Dongwu Kingdom, which was, of course, very good news for Siam.
"Therefore, the Siamese will never refuse. Instead, they will welcome the king's army with food and send troops to help the king's army. They will also find reliable guides and interpreters to lead the way for the king's army. This time, King Daming will definitely not worry about getting lost, nor will he worry about not having enough food to eat!"
Wang Benhe was the Siamese interpreter that Shi Xing found from the Siamese Pavilion in the Siamese Pavilion. He was the son of a businessman who knew Siam very well. When he was young, he followed his father to Siam many times to do business. Later, in order to avoid the war, he returned to Daming and found a job in the Siamese Pavilion. Since he knew all aspects of Siam very well, he was valued. This time, when Daming sent troops to the Dongwu Kingdom, Wang Benhe was found by Shi Xing and appointed as the interpreter for the army. Wang Benhe readily agreed.
He told Shi Xing and Xiao Ruxun a long and meaningful story about Siam. He analyzed the friendliness of Siam to Daming from many angles and the correctness of Daming's choice of Siam as his helper in this war. It opened the door to a new world for Xiao Ruxun. Indeed, Xiao Ruxun never knew that Siam was so friendly to Daming. If it was true, Daming would definitely be like a fish in water in this war.
"Then, Interpreter Wang, let me ask you again. Are the Siamese good at firearms?"
Xiao Ruxun asked.
Wang Benhe said, "We can't say whether the Siamese are good at firearms or not, but they are proficient in firearms. Their proficiency is even higher than our Ming Dynasty Army. In the Ming Dynasty Army, I am afraid that only the Ningxia Firearms Battalion of the Admiral can be compared with them. The other armies are incomparable."
Xiao Ruxun was shocked. "Oh? Is that true? Tell me in detail. "
Wang Benhe nodded and said, "Not only Siam, but also Dongwu. Because they are located in the south and near the sea, they had contact with the Francis earlier than Daming. Because the two countries are often at war, they need excellent weapons. However, the Francis are greedy. Seeing that they can make money from war, they sell a lot of firearms to Dongwu and Siam. They even accept employment from the two countries to help the two countries fight on the battlefield or teach the soldiers of the two countries how to use firearms.
Now, not only the Dongwu Country, but also the Siam Country. There are Franci people in the armies of these two countries. There are also Xiyi people from other countries who serve as firearms instructors, teaching them how to use and manufacture firearms. When I was young, I witnessed the Siamese people using firearms to fight. The sharpness of their guns and the strength of their cannons are not inferior to our Great Ming Dynasty. The only thing they lack is the military strength and national strength. In terms of firearms alone, they are not inferior to the Great Ming Dynasty.
After hearing this, not only was Shi Xing moved, but many of the difficulties in Xiao Ruxun's mind were instantly swept away.
These foreigners who came to the other side of the ocean far away from home were not good people. They were all desperadoes who could sell everything for money except their lives. As long as they were given money, what wouldn't they sell? He was worried about this and that, but he couldn't get the technical barrier. But if he could get it from the foreign mercenaries of Siam and Dongwu through trading, wouldn't it be wonderful?
Why did he have to confront the Spanish head-on? At this time, in addition to the Spanish in Southeast Asia, there were also the Portuguese, the Dutch, and even the French and the British. The firearms they mastered were undoubtedly the latest, and they also mastered the use of firearms and systematic training methods. This was what the Ming Dynasty Army and Xiao Ruxun lacked.
Firearms were the products of science. If they were to be used, they naturally needed to be used in a scientific way. For example, the Daming didn't have sights and shutters. For example, the ballistic theory and rifling were also not available in the Daming. How to use firearms scientifically and form a strong continuous firepower were all urgently needed by Xiao Ruxun. There was no doubt that in this battle, Xiao Ruxun could get countless things he wanted.
Xiao Ruxun became more and more anxious.
"In this case, the combat power of the Siamese can't be underestimated. The Dongwu Kingdom is not easy to deal with. They are so good at using firearms, which means that firearms can also be used well in the south. Then, Ji Xin, I will give you a batch of muskets and Francs just in case. Also, you can ask the Siamese to send more troops to help you. You still don't know the Siamese and Dongwu people, so you must be more careful."
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