Ming Zhengzhi, I am Zheng Kezang

() Sitting on the back of an ups and downs elephant overlooking the city of Ayutthaya (Note: Chinese commonly known as Ayutthaya), Sima Bohua had a faintly mocking smile on his face, but he was accompanying him In the eyes of the Dai officials, it was this gorgeous Chinese envoy silently praising the prosperity of the city.As a result, the Dai official straightened his chest more and more, but he never thought that he would look extremely stiff in Sima Bohua's eyes.

Sima Bohua is currently the deputy director of the Ministry of Rites of the Huaxia Dynasty, who is an official of the fifth rank. This time he came to the south from Wuchang as a Chinese ceremonial envoy to attend the re-enthronement of King Zheta IV as King of Zhenla. He just finished Jin Ben's errands At that time, news spread that King Phrabi Raja passed away and that King Phra Chao-su succeeded him as King of Siam.

It stands to reason that Siam belongs to foreign vassals, and its diplomatic relations with it are within the purview of the governor’s office. It’s just that after the Jinlan Metropolitan Protectorate was restructured into Camran Province, the executive agency responsible for the diplomacy of the Indochina Peninsula disappeared—according to the system of the Huaxia Dynasty, Honglu envoys in a province can only manage the domestic affairs and import trade affairs of the province, and their embassy in the province can only handle the foreign affairs of the corresponding country. For foreign affairs related to Champa, the accompanying envoy of the Guangzhou embassy can only handle foreign affairs related to Vietnam; The Ningbo embassy can only handle diplomatic affairs related to North Korea, and can only be responsible for coordinating foreign affairs related to Chenla. As for the diplomacy between Siam and Burma, it has become a matter directly intervened by the governor's office.

However, the news was transmitted from Jin Ben back to Wuchang, and Wuchang sent envoys to Ayutthaya City. Only then did they appear in this (in the eyes of the Dai people) invincible city.

Walking along the straight city road for a while, the Siamese palace arrived - there are three palaces in the city of Ayutthaya, which are named after the founding monarch of the Ayutthaya dynasty, King Utong. "Iron Bodhi Palace", the Portuguese-style palace "Western Palace" built by Emperor Naresuan the Great of ZTE, and the "Red Palace" built by King Narai 30 years ago - this time, King Pa Zhao-su is in "Iron Bodhi Palace" Palace" received Sima Bohua.

To put it bluntly, the Iron Bodhi Palace is just a slightly larger-scale Dai-style stilt house. In fact, since Emperor Naresuan has gradually become closer to the Thai and Western countries, most of the Siamese kings either lived in the Western Palace or lived in the Western Palace. Live in the red palace with French architectural style, even the former king Pabi Raja who overthrew King Narai and usurped his throne.

However, King Pa Zhao-su met Sima Bohua in the Iron Bodhi Palace not to humiliate the envoys of China, but had another profound meaning-you must know that since King Pabi Raja, Siam began to expel Taixi. Merchants from various countries currently have trade with China, Ryukyu, Vietnam and other countries. However, although the shrinking of trade can eliminate the influence of the European world on Siamese society, it also brings about the reduction of tax revenue and the decline of armaments. The problem is, at this time, the appearance of the Chinese envoy as a rising power is a timely help for the Siamese royal family-so King Phra Chao-su, who feels that there is hope to restore the glory of his ancestors, will receive Sima Bohua in the Iron Bodhi Palace.

However, the purpose of the Siamese was to reach a trade agreement, but Sima Bohua, who wanted to fight, counted on oppressing the Siamese to agree to pay tribute and sign a non-aggression peace treaty with Chenla, so the two sides had different dreams from the beginning.

Although they have different dreams in the same bed, both sides have a common enemy, and that is the Toungoo Dynasty in Myanmar.Huaxia became enmity with the Toungoo Dynasty because the Toungoo King offered Emperor Yongli to Wu Sangui and occupied a considerable part of the land in Ming Yunnan, while the Siamese invaded several times because of the Toungoo Dynasty, and even almost destroyed the country because of it. .

Since there are certain things in common, the two sides have a reason to continue to contact each other.On September 400th, the fifth year of Wucheng in Huaxia, Sima Bohua formally put forward three requests to Pa Zhao-Su King: First, Chenla and Siam will be repaired forever. The line of the South Sako River is the boundary, Chenla belongs to the east, and Siam belongs to the west; Third, Huaxia is willing to invest [-] million yuan to purchase Siam's territory and suzerainty on the Malay Peninsula south of Moshan Pass.

Calling ministers and paying tribute is just a superficial article, and Huaxia is just asking for a name. King Pa Zhao Su doesn't care about it. As for Huaxia's request to buy the southern territory, he takes it as a joke. However, after he understands the value of 400 million guan, everything will change It's different.Although the so-called 400 million guan is mainly priced in large quantities of arms and ordnance, but even so, the remaining [-] million guan in cash is also an unexpected huge wealth for the Siamese.Such a huge wealth is just to redeem the tasteless piece in the south. Of course King Phra Chao Su and his courtiers are tempted.

If you are tempted, you should continue to talk. Siamese think that they can live in rare goods, so naturally they have to ask for sky-high prices, but Sima Bohua himself is talking to himself without authorization, so how can he continue to increase the price?The two sides insisted on their own bottom line, and the negotiation reached a deadlock.Even in a stalemate, there is at least some hope that the sale of the Malay Peninsula can be achieved, but the Chenla issue was blocked by the Siamese without even talking about it.Yes, that's right, the Ayutthaya Dynasty in the south-central region of Siam may sell the territory of the southern Malay Peninsula, but it will never give up nearly half of the eastern part of the country.

"As long as the agreement is reached, we can send troops to help your country defeat the Burmese, and even seize their land." Sima Bohua said so temptingly. "Not only our dynasty can send troops, but Chenla, Champa, Annan, and Vietnam can also send troops to help."

Allied forces?The Siam negotiating minister present was deep in thought.What does Sima Bohua mean by this, sincere help?Or a threat in disguise?If it is sincere help, then the westward movement of Siam's land is not unacceptable, but if it is the latter, can the Ayutthaya Dynasty survive under the attack of east and west?

So Siam put forward its own proposals on the issue of the land in the east: first, Siam can maintain permanent peace with Chenla;

Sima Bohua knew the geography of the two countries before he came to Siam, so he still knew a little bit about the distribution of these mountains and rivers. It was these skins that told him that the Siamese's offer was only one-twentieth of his original request. , how can this satisfy him?Of course, if the Siamese can agree to sell the Malay Peninsula to China at a low price, he doesn't care whether he can fight for Chenla's interests, but he hates that the Siamese are only stubborn, and negotiating with Chenla is the same thing , The negotiation with Huaxia is another matter, and there is no idea of ​​​​connecting them at all.

As a last resort, he could only hint and expressly come together, but the Siamese just didn't take it, and he was so angry that he could only argue with the other party on behalf of Chenla, so a strange scene in the history of diplomacy appeared. The guy who was authorized by the country involved in the negotiation actually represented the negotiating country and another negotiating country with righteous words at the negotiating table.

On the third day of November in the fifth year of Huaxia Wucheng, the real Chinese congratulatory envoy Shanshan arrived at Cam Ranh Port, but what greeted him was the jaw-dropping "Treaty of Border Demarcation between Zhen and Siam" and "Treaty of Commerce between Xia and Siam".

The "Treaty on Border Demarcation between Zhen and Siam" stipulates that the territory north of the Mon River and east of the Basai River belongs to Chenla; the territory north of the Si River and west of the Mekong River, including the Xayaburi Province of Shangliao and the Nakhon Ratchasima Plateau, belongs to Siam; The territory between the river and the Mon River belongs to Siam, but Siam has to pay Chenla's 30-year tax as a redemption.

The "Xia and Siam Commercial Treaty" stipulates that Siam surrendered to Huaxia, and allowed Chinese messengers to enter the city of Ayutthaya, and Chinese envoys stationed in Honglu to enter Ayutthaya Port; Siam sold it at a price of 960 The Malay Peninsula south of Moshan Pass is given to Huaxia; once Siam is invaded by Burma or uses troops against Burma, Huaxia should personally send troops to reinforce it or organize Central and South countries to send troops to help in the war. Siam is willing to pay the necessary rewards for this.

Although the envoy of the governor's yamen was furious about this, he said in private afterwards that these two treaties had captured the greatest benefits for China, which exceeded the best results he could imagine in advance. To impeach Sima Bohua, this bastard in the Ministry of Rites must know the consequences of acting beyond his authority??????

However, for the re-enthroned Jetta IV, the "Treaty of Border Demarcation between Zhen and Siam" is a solid gift, which enables him to dispel the dissatisfaction in Chenla that he has invested in China and ceded the land east of the Mekong River , to stabilize their rule.Later, at the suggestion of the Chinese messenger stationed in Jinben, King Zheta IV reformed the succession system of the throne in Chenla and canceled the right of some small royal families to inherit the throne, so that the throne of Chenla could only be inherited in turn among the three royal families.Although this move dissatisfied some small royal families in Chenla, but with the approval of the other two royal families, the turbulent Chenla finally began to calm down??????

On December [-]th, the fifth year of Huaxia Wucheng, the Huaxia court announced the establishment of the Siamese Protectorate in accordance with the provisions of the "Xia-Siam Commercial Treaty". , China's influence began to infiltrate the Malay Peninsula, and then extended to the side of the Strait of Malacca, the confidant of the Dutch.

At the same time, based on the lessons learned by the adventurous Sima Bohua, who acted beyond his authority, the governor's yamen added an assistant administrative office in Guangzhou to handle the foreign affairs of the five central and southern countries.As for Sima Bohua, he also received the punishment he deserved, and became an official with the meritorious service of the founding prince, in order to reflect the political policy of rewarding meritorious deeds??????