Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 941 0936 [Since ancient times]

The turn of winter and spring is the time to plant rice in Annan.

Daluo Prefecture, which had just been renamed from Thang Long Prefecture, and Thien Duc Prefecture, which had been ravaged by the Thanh Li rebels, were given a large amount of fertile land to the officials, craftsmen, doctors and soldiers brought by Zhu Kang.

The original owners of these lands were either killed and exterminated by Zhu Kang or slaughtered and robbed by the rebels.

The original tenants on the land, as well as the war refugees, were also assigned to Zhu Kang's men, and they were asked to cultivate the land that had just been awarded.

The five hundred soldiers that Yang Zaixing assigned to Zhu Kang were all those who had not yet married.

All of these people were also granted marriages by Zhu Kang, and the women they married were mainly the wives of the criminal officials. For example, several sisters of Du Yingwu and Du Siwu, as well as the daughter of the traitor Shen Li, were granted marriages to several Ming military officers.

As for the other soldiers, Zhu Kang encouraged them to take concubines in Annan even if they already had wives in the Ming Dynasty.

There were many Annan people who were displaced due to the war, including women who had lost their families and maids in the homes of guilty officials. The soldiers could choose any of them.

In early spring, two fleets landed at the mouth of the Taiping River.

One fleet came from Guangzhou, and the other from Qinzhou. Some of them were the families of Zhu Kang's subordinates, some were scholars arranged by the court, and some were merchants from Guangdong and Guangxi recruited by Zhu Kang.

Those scholars were all those who had failed the examinations many times, and most of them were scholars over 30 years old.

The status of a scholar can only be maintained for three provincial examinations. If one fails to pass the provincial examination for three consecutive times, his status as a scholar will be automatically cancelled and he will not be allowed to retake the examination.

Many scholars from Guangdong and Guangxi who failed the exam three times have become discouraged.

When they heard that they could become professors and teachers in Annan and also get fertile land, they signed up to join Zhu Kang.

There were also some merchants from Guangdong and Guangxi who had traded with Annan before. When they learned that His Royal Highness Prince Yu was the regent of Annan and could buy shops for free in Da Luofu (Thang Longfu), they also asked their illegitimate sons to settle down with their assistants.

With the arrival of these family members, scholars, and merchants, Zhu Kang felt more at ease.

But this made the local nobles and officials extremely dissatisfied!
"Your Highness, there are many disputes when granting land, and we have to cut the Gordian knot quickly," said Xie Hong.

Zhu Kang asked: "What are the disputes?"

Xie Hong said: "We don't speak the same language and are not familiar with the local situation. When granting land, we rely on local officials to execute it. Some local officials took the opportunity to occupy the land, and some people randomly divided the land, infringing on the interests of Ming soldiers and Annan landlords. Although I have sent people to monitor it, it is difficult to find out everything. I can only kill a group of people to scare the monkeys. Those Annan landlords whose land was randomly occupied, those who have officials will naturally return it, and those who have no officials can only blame themselves for their bad luck."

"We have just arrived, so there is nothing we can do about it. We all need to familiarize ourselves with local affairs as quickly as possible." Zhu Kang understands the difficulty of implementation. Due to the language barrier, he also feels depressed when communicating with locals.

Annan became independent during the Five Dynasties. Although the educated people could write Chinese characters, fewer and fewer people could speak Chinese, and a sense of national autonomy gradually emerged.

Zhu Kang took out a book and said, "This was compiled by the Imperial Academy of History. It was just delivered with the families of the soldiers. The court printed a total of 5,000 copies."

Xie Hong took it with both hands and was delighted when he saw the title of the book: "With this book, Annan will be settled in ten years!"

The name of this book is "A Brief Account of Jiaozhi".

The beginning of the story tells the origin of Huaxia, and regards Baiyue as a branch of Huaxia.

The ancestors of Jiaozhi people belonged to Luoyue among Baiyue people. Therefore, Jiaozhi people also belong to Huaxia ethnic group.

The first country in Jiaozhi was founded by Prince Pan of Shu who fled south after the ancient Shu Kingdom was destroyed by Qin. Its capital was Co Lo City (near Thang Long City), and it was called Ou Luo Kingdom, also known as Anyang Kingdom.

Then came the Qin's southern expedition, Zhao Tuo's independence, the Han's establishment of three prefectures, the Sui and Tang's rule, and the Five Dynasties' separatist regimes...

That is to say, the book "Giao Chi Zhi Lue" also regards Annan in ancient times as part of China. It has always belonged to China and has been separated for less than 200 years!

Zhu Kang asked: "How should we promote this book?"

Xie Hong said: "Gather the scholars who can speak Chinese and study every day. If they pass the examination, they will be appointed or promoted. Then let them spread the "Jiaozhi Zhilue". We must also order the civil and military officials of the court to select their family members to study in the Imperial Academy. Let these officials' children learn to speak Chinese, and everyone must recite the "Jiaozhi Zhilue". "

"This is still a bit slow." Zhu Kang was not very satisfied.

Xie Hong smiled and said, "Then we will sell this book to the public. From now on, all newly appointed officials in Annan, as well as those who are being evaluated before promotion, will have to take the Jiaozhi Zhilue test. If the Jiaozhi Zhilue is not passed, the newly-appointed Jinshi will not be allowed to be appointed as an official, and those who are already in office will not be allowed to be promoted!"

Zhu Kang nodded: "Very good!"

This approach can be effective in the current Annan because they consider themselves the "Little China in the South" and regard the surrounding ethnic groups as barbarians.

Moreover, Annan does not have any official history book.

Only after the independence of the Five Dynasties did some uncompiled historical materials gradually emerge and accumulate.

Vietnam’s first official history book, called “History of Dai Viet”, would not be published for another hundred years!
Even the "History of Dai Viet" cannot avoid China.

The Dai Viet Chronicles records the following:
Shennong's third-generation grandson Emperor Ming gave birth to a son who ruled the north. During his tour of Lingnan, he gave birth to another son who ruled the south, named King Jingyang.

King Jingyang married the daughter of Lord Dongting and gave birth to Lord Luolong, who had the blood of Lord Dongting Dragon.

Luo Longjun married the fairy Yu Ji and gave birth to a hundred sons, thus forming the Baiyue. Therefore, Luo Longjun is the ancestor of the Baiyue. Moreover, the ancestors of the Baiyue people have both dragon and fairy bloodlines.

Among those one hundred sons, one was called Hung King, the true ancestor of Vietnam.

The country established by the Hung King was called Van Lang, which extended to the South China Sea in the east, Bashu in the west, Dongting Lake in the north, and Husun ​​(Champa) in the south. Jiaozhi was just one of the fifteen tribes of Van Lang.

The above myths are ridiculous enough, and the following ones are even funnier.

Prince Pan of the ancient Shu Kingdom actually annexed the Wenlang Kingdom. Although the Xiong King had supernatural powers, he was not well-prepared for military affairs and spent all day drinking and having fun. He was still drunk when the Shu army attacked him. In the end, he vomited blood and fell into the well and drowned - how did the descendants of the Dragon King of Dongting Lake drown?

Next, I write about the seven major powers of the Warring States Period, and then Qin Shihuang sent troops south, Zhao Tuo, the Western Han Dynasty, the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Southern Dynasty...

To be honest, apart from the mythological part, "History of Dai Viet" is quite normal, at least more normal than the Korean history book.

Even the mythological content was referenced from the Book of Documents and Chinese mythology.

The author of "History of Dai Viet" acknowledged that the Vietnamese were descendants of Shennong and that their origins came from China (mainly from Bashu, Dongting and Lingnan).

It's just that their narrative angles are different, always seeing themselves as invaded - from the Qin and Han Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, China has always invaded Jiaozhi. There is no trace of this book at present. The Ming Dynasty compiled "Jiaozhi Zhilue" and only needed to change the narrative angle.

……

All the scholars who could speak Chinese in Daluo Prefecture and surrounding prefectures and counties were summoned to attend the class, totaling more than fifty people.

Xie Hong gave the lectures in person.

A large map sent from Luoyang was hung up, and Xie Hong pointed at the map and asked, "Does anyone know what map this is?"

No one answered.

Xie Hong smiled and said, "You can all come over and take a closer look."

More than fifty scholars gathered around and saw the signs for Chang'an, Luoyang, etc.

"Jiaozhi Protectorate, and Songping County!"

One of them suddenly shouted and pointed his finger at Daluo Palace (Thang Long Palace).

Everyone carefully observed the Jiaozhi Protectorate and compared it with the entire map of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. Suddenly, they felt that Annan was so small.

Xie Hong asked everyone to return to their seats and distributed the "A Brief Account of Jiaozhi".

He began to talk about the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and then elaborated on Zhu Ming's definition of China, which also included Bashu and Baiyue.

Xie Hong said: "There is a history book in China called "Huayang Guozhi", which clearly records that the prince Pan of the ancient Shu Kingdom went south to establish the Ou Luo Kingdom. That was the first kingdom of Annan recorded in history. During its heyday, its territory included Guangxi Province of the Ming Dynasty and even the Dali Kingdom. Its capital was in Daluo Prefecture, which was formerly Thang Long Prefecture. If you don't believe it, you can go to the Ming Dynasty to buy "Huayang Guozhi". This book is widely circulated and not rare."

Since it is recorded in ancient history books, it is not a fabrication by the Ming Dynasty.

The fifty or so Annan scholars present did not feel depressed after hearing this, but instead felt a sense of pride in their hearts.

It turns out that our ancestors were so awesome.

The first king of Annan was actually a prince of the ancient Shu Kingdom, which was also considered an orthodox noble in China. Moreover, the territory was so large that it actually included the entire Dali Kingdom and the Guangxi Province of the Ming Dynasty.

"Ouluo State was destroyed by Qin," Xie Hong continued, "At that time, hundreds of thousands of Qin troops marched south and married local women and had children. I'm afraid that some of you here have ancestors who are descendants of the Qin army. At the end of the Qin Dynasty, Zhao Tuo established a separate country..."

I will just give a brief overview today and it will be finished in less than two hours.

Xie Hong concluded, "All the above are from Chinese history books, and anyone can verify them. The people of Ming and Annan are all of Chinese descent. Although you live in a remote corner, you are part of the orthodox lineage of Yan and Huang, so don't underestimate yourself. It's a pity that since the end of the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, you have been separated from China for 200 years, and even fewer scholars can speak Chinese."

"As the saying goes, we should go back to the roots and clear the way to the past. How can scholars forget their ancestors? From now on, the imperial examinations in Annan must be based on this book, "Jiaozhi Zhilue". Officials who are already in office must also take the "Jiaozhi Zhilue" before they can be promoted."

"You all can speak Chinese, so you must study this book seriously. Two months later, the imperial court will test you. Those who pass the test will be promoted to a higher level if they have official positions, and those who do not have official positions will be appointed to official positions immediately!"

Is it related to being an official?
An official immediately said, "I have a family tree at home, which clearly states that my ancestors migrated from Nanhai County!"

Xie Hong smiled and said, "Then your ancestors are from Guangzhou."

There was another scholar who was not an official and whose family did not have a genealogy. In order to please Xie Hong, he made up a story about his ancestors: "My ancestors moved here from Luoyang during the Tang Dynasty!"

Xie Hong smiled and said, "If your ancestors had not migrated, they would have been living in the capital of the Ming Dynasty."

The scholar also laughed, as if his ancestral home was really in Luoyang.

For the next period of time, these guys took the "A Brief Account of Jiaozhi" and spread it everywhere, telling everyone they met that their ancestors came from China and that Jiaozhi had always been Chinese territory.

If anyone objects, they will point to history books as evidence.

The nobles and bureaucrats of Annan were also ordered to send their children to study at the Imperial Academy. More than 200 students were enrolled at once, and the professors and instructors were all newly relocated scholars from Guangdong and Guangxi. These young officials were brainwashed after just a few classes, and went home to ask their grandfathers and fathers to check the family tree to find out where their ancestors came from in China.

The promotion of "Giao Chi Zhilue" with such fanfare made many court officials feel like they were facing a formidable enemy, but they did not dare to oppose it for the time being.

It was not until Zhu Kang issued an order to make "A Brief History of Jiaozhi" a compulsory subject in the imperial examination that an Annan minister finally could not help but jump out.

The result is simple -

"The traitor Du Yingwu was defeated and fled. Recently, we learned that Du Yingwu sent people to secretly contact the remaining members of his faction and planned to stage another coup in Daluo Prefecture. The court has already arrested several people and tortured them severely..."

"The traitors have confessed that Li Tao, the Right Censor-in-Chief, Tong Li, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, Yuan Kan, the Imperial Censor of the Ministry of Personnel, and Ruan Yanzhi, the Imperial Censor of the Ministry of Revenue... are all remnants of the traitor Du. They should be arrested and taken to prison for a thorough interrogation..."

After the interrogation, some people were acquitted and became familiar with "Giao Chi Zhi Lue" from then on.

However, some people checked the evidence and found that they were indeed the remnants of the Du thief, so they all had their homes confiscated and their entire families exterminated!
In just two months, four local rebellions broke out in Jiaozhi. The Ming soldiers were dispatched only once, and the remaining three were minor, and King Zhiming led his troops to suppress them.

By the way, King Zhiming also found the family tree at home.

Genealogy shows that the founding monarch of the Li Dynasty of Annan came from Jinjiang, China...

This isn't made up, it's fucking true!

The royal family of the Li Dynasty of Annan was originally from Raoyang, Hebei, and then moved to Jinjiang, Fujian. Some of the Jinjiang clan members served as officials in the Ming Dynasty. One of them became sea merchants, initially traveling to Zhenla, and gradually moved to Jiaozhi and settled there.

At the beginning of the Song Dynasty, Fujian became stable, and they even returned to their hometown in Jinjiang to continue their family tree.

King Jimyeong Lee Yang-jeong took out the royal genealogy and allowed the ministers to look through it at the court meeting, which instantly left everyone speechless.

Zhu Kang naturally wanted to return the favor and wrote a letter to Luoyang to help ask for the title.

From now on, Li Yangzhen was not only the King of Zhiming of Annan, but also the Marquis of Shangyi conferred by the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Ming even sent people to Annan to propose marriage and marry Li Yangzhen's daughter as the Concubine Zhen of the Ming Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)