Chapter 10, The Last Voyage Summary and Analysis

Zhu Zhanji, grandson of Zhu Di and son of Zhu Gaozhi, was named the new emperor. He was considered to have the good qualities of both his antecedents: the expansionist views of his grandfather and the rigid Confucianism of his father. To re-establish China's global prestige, Zhu Zhanji ordered the seventh voyage of the treasure fleet in 1430. A goal of the mission was to restore peaceful relations between Siam and Malacca.

The treasure fleet departed Nanjing in January of 1431. The fleet made stops in the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and India. It was the last voyage of Zheng He who died at sea at the age of 62. The fleet returned to China in 1433 and was commended by the Emperor. As in his grandfather's reign, many foreign envoys traveled to China to honor the Emperor. Zhu Zhanji...