In the history of China, the feudal nobles used pearls and precious stones as decorations for a long time. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the exchange between the East and the West made these treasures flood into China from Central Asia and Arabia, which greatly satisfied the luxury desire of the feudal royal family. The most representative figures, such as "The Palace of Emperor Yang Di", don't burn ointment fire in the room, but hang 120 big beads to shine on it. Jiangnan loves her, and there are dozens of big beads in the palace every night, shining like a bright moon. " By the Yuan Dynasty, the influence of Mongols had reached as far away as Europe and Central Asia, and many Semu people came to China from the East to specialize in jewelry industry, trying to provide convenience for Mongolian nobles, which further encouraged the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty's luxury desire.
In most official arts and crafts institutions, there are Shiya Gold Bureau, Agate Jade Bureau, Warm Rhinoceros Hat Bureau and Pearl Jade Bureau. , used for jewelry processing and decoration of royal clothes and hats. When I reward my deputies, I also give them many clothes inlaid with jewels. For example, in Yuan Wenzong, items given to Timur by Taiping Rebecca included beaded clothes, pearls, Qibao belts and Qibao belts. Mongolians have not been far away from nomadic life for a long time, and they still have nostalgia for hunting and eagle hunting, so many rare animals such as lions, leopards, eagles and cranes are raised in most places. In the Royal Zoo, all kinds of animals are relatively complete, and the so-called "rare birds and animals are all in the clouds".
By the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the extravagance of the court was particularly serious. Only Christina, lions and leopards ate dozens of times more meat than at the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty. In July of the first year of Hongwu, the Ming army arrived in Beijing. On the night of July 28th, Yuan Shundi led his concubines to sweep away the "children's jade" in the palace and fled to the north from Jiandemen. The precious treasures were swept away. Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ming Dynasty in Nanjing and implemented the policy of "sea ban", which was also "unfavorable to distant objects". Until Judy moved to Beijing, after the completion of the city walls, palaces and gardens, precious treasures and rare birds and animals were very scarce. In addition to searching in China, Zheng He was sent to the West to collect a large number of exotic foreign objects to enrich the courts and gardens in Beijing.
Zheng He led the fleet to various places and collected treasures in various ways. The first is to get a lot of treasures through buying and selling. If the treasure ship arrived in Adan, "Wang Wenqi arrived, that is, he led the leaders of all sizes to the seaside to meet and rescue the reward. When he arrived in Wang Fu, he saluted respectfully, feeling flattered and studying. The king told his countrymen, but some treasures were promised to be exchanged. There, he bought two dollars worth of large opal, elegant aunts and other exotic treasures, big pearls, and several two-foot-high coral trees. I also bought five cabinets of coral branches, rose dew, unicorns, lions, flowers, leopards, camel chickens, doves and so on. Zheng He also sent people to Guri to "buy all kinds of rare treasures, such as Kirin, lions, camels, chickens, etc., paint the true sky and return to Beijing". Another example is Ke Zhiguo's "rich people buy precious stones, pearls, fragrant goods, etc., and wait for China gem ships or guests from other countries to buy them. Each pearl weighs three and a half."
China's treasure ship went to Liu Shan again, and suddenly Lumos bought a lot of treasures. Secondly, through physical exchange, many treasures were also obtained. For example, the people of Ceylon take pleasure in "China musk, colored silk, blue dishes and bowls, copper coins and camphor in exchange for gems and pearls". Another example is that the fleet led by Zheng He arrived in Zuffar. "When the king finished watching, enjoying and kicking, he sent a leader to tell the people all over the country to exchange frankincense, dragon's blood, aloe, myrrh, rest in peace, storax oil and momordica seed for porcelain." This method is mostly suitable for areas with relatively backward social and economic development.
Get treasures through collection again and again. Zheng He took risks and sent troops into the mountains to collect treasures in some places where mountains and valleys were dangerous, forests were dense and wild animals were infested. For example, Jiuzhou Mountain, "In the seventh year of Yongle, the eunuch Zheng He and other officers and men were sent into the mountain to collect incense. The diameter is eight or nine feet, and six plants are eight or nine feet long. Qing Xiang has long taste and black flowers and slender lines. In fact, this is rare! " After Zheng He's success in collecting incense on the mountain this time, people in mountainous areas "opened their eyes wide and stuck out their tongues, saying that China's soldiers were as powerful as gods". . Elsewhere, Zheng He picked up natural materials that local residents didn't take. For example, Ceylon is rich in all kinds of precious stones, such as Hongya Valley, Qingya Valley, Huangya Valley, Qingzhu Lanshi, Xilani, Quwulan and so on. These gems "are all produced in towering mountains, and the flood and rain flow in the river at the foot of the mountain, and China people pick them up". Another example is the flower cotton country (that is, Orphan) where Zheng He went to the West. "Orphans produce sulfur in one mountain. I stabbed a seagoing ship in Zasemen and sent people to collect sulfur in its mountain."
This collection method is carried out without harming the interests of local people. In addition to the above three ways, the treasure ship of Zheng He also provided convenience for countries to pay tribute, so that they could go to China with the ship to pay tribute, which also obtained a large number of tributes.
Zheng He led the treasure ship to the Western Ocean for seven times, and gained a lot, and returned with a full load every time. Therefore, when talking about Zheng He's voyages to the West, Wang Shizhen said, "There are tens of thousands of unknown treasures he has dedicated and exchanged." . Huang province once praised it like this. He said: "The pearl of the bright moon, the stone of the crow's stork, the fragrance of the dragon sinking into the south, the wonder of the lion Kong Cui, the treasure of plum blossoms and the beauty of coral Yao Kun all return to their hometown." The significance of Zheng He's voyage to the West is various, which not only strengthened the friendship with the people of other countries, but also strengthened the equal trade with Asia and Africa, and enriched the court of the Ming Dynasty with a lot of treasures.