The Ming Dynasty started with saving the eldest grandson

Chapter 243 Luzon

Luzon is both an island and the name of a country.

It is also the Ming Dynasty’s collective name for the Philippine Islands.

But the so-called Luzon State at this time was not a country in the true sense, but an aggregation of indigenous tribes.

Not even a tribal alliance.

At the earliest, the Philippine Islands were still in the primitive tribal era, and a village was a political power.

Don't think that being primitive is fair, on the contrary, the relationship between them is more naked.

The village chief and the like were hereditary nobles, while the villagers were half-servants and half-slaves.

This situation lasted for who knows how many years.

Until the 6th and 7th centuries, Chinese from Guangdong and Fujian landed on the island and settled there.

They brought advanced production methods and greatly promoted the development of Luzon.

Of course, there are also Zhang Shicheng's remnants mentioned by Zhu Yuanzhang, but they are far less numerous than he thought.

The business group was a natural target for robbery. Everyone thought that the relationship between the two parties would be very bad, and that was indeed the case on the surface.

They claimed to be Luzon to the outside world, paid tribute to the Yuan Dynasty and used the "Time Calendar".

After being abandoned by the Ming Dynasty, he took the initiative to combine with the local indigenous tribes and quickly integrated into the local area.

Xu Chailao reassured: "They are just asking for some money. Businessmen value peace, and it is acceptable to spend some money to eliminate disasters."

In the fourteenth year of Hongwu, everything changed.

But never underestimate people's ability to survive. The Chinese who were isolated in Nanyang quickly united and became a decisive force in the local area.

It was at this time that they realized that Daming might be in all sorts of bad ways, but as long as he was still making noise, it was enough to protect them.

Because of different personalities and abilities, the local Chinese are divided into two major groups.

The legendary 100,000 refugees were completely false.

Looking at the group of indigenous people leaving proudly, Shen Jiliang said angrily:

"These black monkeys, I really want to cut them into pieces..."

These merchants made a lot of money by selling goods back and forth.

Today they came here to trade, and the ship was charged several protection fees before it even docked.

As the number of Chinese increased, marriages with indigenous people also occurred frequently.

but in fact……

Of course, farming is not the main business, or not entirely the main business.

The Ming Dynasty imposed a sea ban, and those who made a living overseas became abandoned citizens.

"If you ask me, contact Chief Li directly and concentrate all your strength to give them a hard blow."

When Ming no longer makes a sound, they are nothing.

During the Southern Song Dynasty, more Chinese who could not survive left their hometowns and went to Nanyang to make a living, and Luzon was one of the final destinations.

One stock is mainly composed of businessmen, and its main business is commerce.

"In this huge South China Sea, we are like a tree without roots, we can only survive cautiously."

Anyway, in the past two years, the spies sent by Ming Dynasty to Nanyang to inquire about information have not been seen, let alone heard of.

There are only a few thousand people in total.

Previously, they had the status of being citizens of the Celestial Kingdom, and they had a very high status in Nanyang.

Shen Jiliang was the most impulsive person in the group and still said loudly:

"What are you afraid of? Giving in will only allow them to advance further."

In the past, these immigrants had very close ties with the Ming Dynasty.

Originally, I could earn several times the profit on this trip, but now I am lucky if I can make double the profit.

The vast China is not only the main source of goods, but also the main consumer market for various rare items.

They also run two other businesses, piracy and collecting protection fees.

The leaders of various tribes and the heads of states treated them with great courtesy.

Xu Chailao suddenly sighed: "So what if we are angry? We are just people abandoned by our mother country."

Shen Jiliang said with some dissatisfaction: "Brother Xu, are you really not angry at all for being bullied like this?"

At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, many people from the south went to Nanyang to escape the war, and some businessmen set up transit stations on the islands.

However, after the sea ban was issued, they became completely lonely ghosts.

No wonder everyone is angry.

As a result, the tribes began to merge with each other, and finally formed a relatively loose alliance.

Hearing this, everyone around him fell silent for a moment.

The other group was composed of Zhang Shicheng's remnants, pirates, etc. They found a piece of land to cultivate farmland and settle down.

At first it was just cheating, but later it evolved into blatant collection of protection fees and even robbery.

Many natives who were jealous of their wealth began to tentatively reach out to them.

"Let these black monkeys know that we Mingren are not easy to bully."

When he heard the name Chief Li, Xu Chailao's expression changed and he scolded:

"Shut up, do you want to kill everyone?"

Shen Jiliang said unconvinced: "What are you afraid of? What if they find out?"

Xu Chailao said earnestly: "The natives are afraid that we Ming people will get together, so we have to pretend to be at odds with Chief Li to dispel their vigilance."

"If they find out that we have contact, they will definitely take action against us."

Leader Li is called Li Qiyi, the son of a general of Zhang Shicheng Navy.

Zhang Shicheng was defeated, and Na Pianjiang fled to Nanyang with more than a dozen ships and hundreds of people, and later took his family with him.

It was at that time that Li Qiyi went to Nanyang.

Later, he took over from his father and became the leader of the pirate force.

In order to reduce the vigilance of the Southeast Asian natives towards them, the pirate group and the merchant group deliberately acted discordant.

In fact, they have always maintained a tacit cooperation secretly.

The businessman group provided resources and intelligence to Li Qiyi, and Li Qiyi secretly solved a lot of troubles for them.

For example, if some tribes go too far, they will ask Li Qiyi and others to take action.

As for why we don’t unite to resist...

Xu Chailao continued: "If nothing else, as long as the natives don't allow our ships to dock for trade, they will starve us to death."

"Yes, we can also make a living by farming, fishing, and looting like Leader Li and others."

"But have you ever thought about such a life? Which of you has ever thought about it?"

Everyone shook their heads quickly, how good it is to do business.

Shen Jiliang also closed his mouth angrily.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Xu Chailao said nothing more.

But I felt very helpless in my heart.

How could he not know that retreating would only make the other party worse, but their numbers were too small.

Including Leader Li and others, there were less than 10,000 people in total.

Excluding the old, young, women and children, there are only two to three thousand people who can go to the battlefield.

Rely on these people to fight with the local indigenous people?

Stop dreaming.

Just a few people, if one dies, one will be lost.

Even if we win all the way, what's the use if the people are gone?

More importantly, without the backing of Ming Dynasty, they did not have the capital to go against the natives.

They are merchants and need to trade with different people to survive.

In the past, without the natives, they could still sell goods to the Ming Dynasty.

Now that there is no Ming Dynasty, they can only do business with the indigenous people.

If the two sides really want to fight, the natives only need to stop trading with them to trap them to death.

Instead, you can learn from Li Qiyi and others and find a fertile island to farm and fish.

But they have been businessmen for generations and are used to this kind of life.

It’s hard to let go of old karma.

What's more, although you will be charged protection fees when doing business, it is easier to make money than farming.

Xu Chailao has long seen through the nature of the allies, which are a group of businessmen.

Even if everyone hates the indigenous people when it comes to them, if they really want to start a war, everyone will retreat faster than the other one. It was precisely because he recognized this that he always acted as a peacemaker and tolerated it as long as he could.

Precisely because he knew his allies so clearly, he felt even more angry about them.

No wonder all dynasties have looked down on businessmen. There is indeed a reason.

Although he is also a businessman, he thinks he is different from other businessmen.

He understands the general meaning better and understands the big picture.

His ancestral home is Quanzhou, and his ancestors have been engaged in maritime trade.

He grew up on a boat and showed great talent.

He has a good family background, is good at management, and is fair in dealing with things. He is a leading figure among the younger generation.

Originally, he had all kinds of ideals and ambitions, but with the imperial edict, everything came to nothing.

He became an abandoned citizen of the Ming Dynasty, and his only goal was to survive.

At first, he was also very angry with the Ming Dynasty. Such a big country was so harassed by mere Japanese pirates that it closed itself off and abandoned us common people.

How can you still have the dignity to claim to be the Kingdom of Heaven?

Are you really arrogant and arrogant behind closed doors, thinking you are great?

But as time passed and he suffered too much without the protection of his motherland, although the hatred in his heart did not disappear, there was a strong expectation.

I hope that one day the Ming Dynasty will lift the maritime ban and allow them to become the people of the Ming Dynasty again.

Yes, hate and hope exist at the same time.

The human heart is so complicated sometimes.

Thinking of this, a figure appeared in my mind involuntarily.

Cen Xintong.

This man appeared in Manila two years ago, claiming to have escaped from a crime committed in Ming Dynasty.

Nanyang is huge, but its circle is small.

Especially within Luzon, Xu Chailao would know immediately if any stranger appeared.

The first time he saw Cen Xintong, he knew that this person was not simple.

After that, I sent someone to keep an eye on it, and sure enough I found something unusual.

Cen Xingtong did not have any income, but he had endless money to spend.

Going to various noisy places and meeting various people every day, it is obvious that he is seeking information.

Xu Chailao once thought that he was a spy sent by someone to do evil to Manila.

But he soon overturned his idea.

Cen Xintong was not just inquiring about the situation in Luzon, but also in understanding the intelligence of the entire Nanyang.

He also drew topographic maps of various islands in the Southeast Asia.

Moreover, his level of map drawing is quite high, which cannot be cultivated by small forces.

Considering the origin of this person, an idea came to Xu Chailao's mind, could this person be a Ming spy?

Although he found it incredible, it also made him excited.

Could it be that the imperial court really intended to return to Nanyang?

After that, he began to intentionally contact Cen Xintong to provide convenience for the other party.

The relationship between the two naturally got better and better. Although Cen Xintong did not directly identify himself, he also talked about a lot of the internal situation of Ming Dynasty.

He couldn't believe the magnitude of the changes.

Did the imperial court preside over changing the course of the Yellow River?

He actually attacked the Yellow River directly. The emperor was so bold.

The new policy on treasure banknotes will turn waste into treasure?

Taxes should be leveled, and people in the north and south should pay equal taxes.

……

In just five or six years, Ming Dynasty has become so strange.

"Why are there such big changes? Could it be that the Ming Dynasty has another capable person?"

This was a question he asked out of shock.

Cen Xintong nodded: "My grandson is destined to have worthy ministers who will answer his orders."

A worthy minister, has such a capable person really appeared?

So he deliberately said: "It would be great if I had the opportunity to get to know this wise minister. I will definitely try my best to persuade him to lift the sea ban."

Unexpectedly, after hearing these words, Cen Xintong showed a mysterious smile:

"Perhaps you don't need to lobby him, and your request will come true."

Xu Chailao was so excited that his heart almost jumped out of his chest, and he kept asking what he meant.

But no matter how he pressed afterward, Cen Xintong just smiled and said nothing.

He was as anxious as a cat scratching his head.

But he also knew that if Cen Xintong was really a secret agent, he would definitely not be able to tell him the unreleased policy.

It's not easy to be able to hint him so much.

So he didn't ask any more questions later, but started to inquire about the information through other channels.

His behavior was questioned by many people, and many people laughed at him directly.

Even the Xu family behind him thought he was whimsical.

But none of these can stop his will.

He used all his strength to finally get in touch with his fellow tribesmen within the Ming Dynasty.

Looking towards the Ming Dynasty, he silently counted the time in his heart:

"If everything goes well, the person who inquired about the information should be back soon. I just hope everything goes as I thought..."

"I have had enough of not having the support of my mother country behind me."

Although it was tempting to return to Manila immediately, business had to be done.

This is also the basis for his foothold in this group.

Half a month later, the business was finally completed, and he couldn't wait to return.

As soon as the fleet entered Manila Bay, they noticed a difference in the atmosphere.

Shen Jiliang said in surprise: "Why are there so many more ships? What happened?"

Others were reminded and noticed the abnormality, and started talking about it.

Xu Chailao's heart began to beat wildly. Could it be that the person who inquired about the information had returned?

As soon as the ship entered the dock, he couldn't wait to jump off before it was stable, and found a steward on the dock to ask about the situation.

The young steward naturally knew him, and also knew that he sent people to inquire about Ming Dynasty's intelligence, so he said with admiration:

"The people you sent to Ming Dynasty to inquire about information five days ago have returned. Ming Dynasty is about to open the sea."

"Really?"

Although he had expected it, but it was confirmed, Xu Chailao was still so excited that he couldn't help himself.

At the moment, he didn't care to say anything else, and ran towards home.

Shen Jiliang and others who followed later learned the news and were all shocked.

Looking at Xu Chailao's back, his eyes were full of admiration.

Let's talk about Xu Chailao running all the way home. Normally, he would have visited the clan elders first.

But today he couldn't care about anything. He shouted loudly when he entered the door:

"Where are the people? Where are the people? Where is Xu Chuanmu?"

Xu Chuanmu was his crony and was sent out to find out the news.

The servants at home also looked at him with admiration, and one of them said:

"Xu Chuanmu is at the head of the house."

The head of the Xu family is Xu Chailao's father, Xu Guangxian.

After asking clearly that his father was in the main room, he hurried over.

As soon as I arrived at the door, I found that it was full of people.

At a glance, they are all heads of various families.

These people were listening to Xu Chuanmu's introduction: "...The Emperor of Heaven has decided to open the sea. Now the seas in Quanzhou, Fuzhou, and Ningbo are full of ships loaded with cargo."

"As soon as the imperial decree is officially issued, these ships will go to sea..."

"Boom..." Even though they had heard this information several times, everyone present still exclaimed and fell into discussion.

It’s not like no one has raised questions. The imperial decree has not yet been officially issued. Who can guarantee that this news is true?

Some people even directly questioned his nonsense.

Xu Chailao took a deep breath, strode in and said, "I believe what Funaki said. What you should do now is not question the authenticity of this matter."

"But if this matter is true, how should we deal with it."

(End of this chapter)