Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Having decided to establish a fiefdom on Sumatra, Yuan Keli said:

"Once you've made up your mind, don't hesitate."

"Resign from your position as the Northwest Garrison Commander and immediately lead your men to open up the territory."

“With the foundation laid by the descendants of the Tang emperor, people can be settled on Sumen Island now.”

"I still have some influence in the military, and the navy will help you."

This is one of the reasons why Yuan Keli chose Sumatra as his fiefdom.

Going to Sumatra now is like reaping the fruits of the Tang dynasty's labor. The land that the Tang emperor's grandson had painstakingly conquered was to be handed over to him and other meritorious officials.

To be honest, if it weren't for the mistake made by the grandson of the Tang emperor, they wouldn't have had this opportunity to reap the benefits.

Moreover, by this time next year, he will be retiring from the Privy Council. No one can say for sure how much influence he will still have then.

It's better to settle things now to avoid future complications.

Yuan Shu nodded and immediately indicated that he would resign from his post and recruit people to establish a new fiefdom.

He hadn't wasted his years in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, especially in his role of suppressing small groups of bandits; he had trained an elite force under his command.

Based on this army, the garrisons in the fiefdom can be built up very quickly.

Yuan Keli was aware of his son's preparations. He looked at the map in front of him and drew a circle in the northwest of Sumatra.

They also included the northern islands, saying:

"This is the fiefdom that the Emperor granted to us, which is about 200,000 square li."

"From now on, we will guard the western side of the Strait of Malacca."

"Fleets, ports, lighthouses... all these facilities need to be built."

This task is also the reason why Yuan Keli believed that the fiefdom could be preserved in this location for a long time.

If the imperial court were to station soldiers in such a place, not many would be willing, and the cost would be far too high. It would be better to bestow noble titles upon them and have them guard the western gateway to the Strait of Malacca for generations.

Yuan Keli believed that as long as the Yuan family remained loyal to the imperial court, they would not have to worry about being stripped of their fiefdom.

Yuan Shu was delighted to hear that there was still a mission.

As nobles, they were not afraid to take on tasks; having tasks indicated their status within the court.

If the Duke of Qian had not been tasked with guarding Yunnan, how could he have enjoyed such a special status in the imperial court?
He was particularly delighted when he saw the size of the fiefdom, and said:
"More than 200,000 cubic meters?"

"This is the area of ​​the duchy!"

"Does the Emperor intend to bestow upon my father the title of Duke?"

Yuan Keli stroked his beard, smiling but saying nothing.

Although he didn't crave fame and fortune, he wouldn't give up the opportunity to become a duke.

In particular, the emperor was preparing to bestow upon him the title of Duke of Deng, a title previously held by Zhang Xun, who had once guarded Suiyang.

Yuan Keli felt deeply honored to be ranked alongside such sages.

He was unwilling to give up the Duke of Deng promised by the emperor, and naturally preferred the fiefdom on Sumatra.

Because the matter was still unresolved, Yuan Keli wasn't one to gossip. He didn't elaborate to his son, only saying:
"Sumen Island is remote and desolate. To compensate us, the Emperor granted us the title of Duke."

"Shu'er, remember the Emperor's grace and serve the Emperor for generations to come."

Yuan Shu was utterly stunned by this surprise and respectfully addressed the capital:
"With such great favor from the Emperor, how could the Yuan family not be loyal!"

"Our Yuan family has risen to the highest ranks of meritorious officials, which is both due to my father's achievements and the Emperor's grace."

Overwhelmed with excitement, he felt immense gratitude towards the current emperor.

Dukes and marquises may seem to differ by only one rank, but they actually hold completely different statuses.

Take the nobility before the Chongzhen era as an example: there were only five dukes, while there were twenty or thirty marquises and earls. A duke was a separate rank, while marquises and earls could be ranked together.

After the current emperor implemented the enfeoffment system, he even referred to dukes and princes together.

Aside from the difference in the size of their fiefdoms, all princes and dukes possessed three guards.

In the council of nobles, a seat was always occupied by a prince.

The Hou family members could only take turns serving in one family for three years. After that, they would have to draw lots to elect members from other families from among the qualified candidates for the next three years.

The Yuan family has now become dukes, and they have seats without having to participate in the lottery. Their descendants, regardless of their wisdom or folly, all have the right to speak in the noble council.

It can be said that these were the most elite nobles, whose families had been connected with the nation for generations.

With the promise of a duke's title, it's no wonder that Yuan Keli made this choice, sending the Yuan family to a remote place.
-
Both Yuan Keli and Yuan Shu, who were well aware of the differences between dukes and marquises, decided to send the Yuan family to Sumatra to establish a fiefdom.

Yuan Keli instructed his son:

“This area in the northwest of Sumatra used to belong to Aceh.”

"This native kingdom is a pagan religion and has ties to the Lumi people."

“In the past, when the Portuguese invaded, Aceh was able to repel the enemy with the help of Rumi.”

“Even now, Aceh ships are still allowed to use the Rumi flag and can be considered Rumi’s vassals.”

"The Emperor called it a major threat to the tributary system."

Zhu Youjian's understanding of the Lu Mi country was far more profound than that of his ministers.

This is a powerful nation that dominates the western continent, blocking communication between East and West.

If it weren't for the obstruction of Lu Mi, it's estimated that Taixi would not have opened up new sea routes and started the Age of Exploration.

Therefore, he attached great importance to the vassal states that Ryukyu had acquired in Southeast Asia. He used the example of Japan forcing Ryukyu to pay tribute to demand that Aceh completely submit and become an annexed state, or be destroyed by the Ming Dynasty.

The natives of Aceh were also to be migrated to India as much as possible, so that they could rule over the Indians.

Sumatra should be transformed into a Han Chinese territory as much as possible to prevent the invasion of Western religious culture.

Yuan Keli received this task, and he said to his son:

"Our Deng Gong vassal state is not only the western gateway to the Strait of Malacca, but also the western gateway to the entire Southeast Asia in terms of religion and culture."

"To ensure that Southeast Asia belongs to Chinese civilization and to prevent the invasion of other civilizations."

This was a task assigned by the emperor; the Deng family was to become the monitors of Southeast Asian culture. Their mission was to sever the infiltration of foreign civilizations into Southeast Asia and ensure that it was assimilated into Chinese territory in a stable environment.

Having encountered many foreign tribes and heretics in the Northwest, Yuan Shu felt a great sense of responsibility upon hearing about this mission, and he also understood why the emperor had granted him the title of duke.

Although Sumatra is considered a remote and impoverished area in Southeast Asia, it has played an important role in preventing the spread of foreign civilizations.

In the emperor's classification, it also belonged to the second island chain, a core region that the Ming Dynasty had to control.

If this matter is handled well, the Yuan family's wealth and prosperity will be guaranteed.

If things don't go well, the emperor might be replaced.

Compared to reducing the power of the vassal states, relocating them was not as difficult.

Yuan Shu had not forgotten that their land originally belonged to the Tang vassal state. When the grandson of the Tang emperor made a mistake, the emperor punished him by relocating him to another vassal state.

If the Yuan family makes a mistake, they could also be transferred to a different fiefdom. The current emperor has enough prestige to control the vassal nobles.

To firmly control this land, he needed to do a good job of immigration. He needed to completely Sinicize the fiefdom, turning it into a bastion of Chinese civilization in Southeast Asia.
-
Having realized this, Yuan Shu proposed:

“Father, Sumatra is remote and its land is not as fertile as Annam.”

“My son thinks that when we recruit immigrants, we can get more land.”

"As long as they are willing to join the army, they will be given the title of first-class hereditary soldier and a plot of land for permanent use."

"If each of the three guards has five thousand hereditary soldiers, it would be enough to form a standing army of fifteen thousand, which could be expanded to one hundred and fifty thousand if necessary." This number of troops is comparable to that of the strongest country in Southeast Asia, such as the Mataram Kingdom.

Yuan Shu believed that even if the South Seas were divided up in the future, Deng Fan could still become a first-class powerful vassal state by relying on this strength.

Yuan Keli nodded in approval; he was quite supportive of the hereditary military system promoted by the emperor.

Furthermore, the emperor did not have the power to bestow hereditary official titles upon vassal states; the only titles they could bestow were hereditary military officers.

Considering that the originally anticipated marquisate would be upgraded to a duke, resulting in a significant increase in fiefdom area, Yuan Keli said:

"Don't be stingy with Yongyetian; soldiers can be promoted if they make meritorious contributions."

"After reaching level nine, one can apply to the imperial court for the title of knight and be sent to guard the surrounding islands."

"Our Yuan family will share wealth and honor with the hereditary soldiers."

"Take half of the land and distribute it to them as permanent land."

Yuan Shu was shocked and could hardly believe it.

The area of ​​the duchy was 500 square li, or 250,000 square li.

If half of the land is given away, that would be 125,000 square li.

The 15,000 hereditary soldiers were given 8 or 9 square li each.

This was far too much, and Yuan Shu was somewhat reluctant to part with it.

However, Yuan Keli said:
“There are mountains in the middle of Sumatra, and we can’t clear them all out on our own.”

"If some natives hide inside, we'll have to keep expending our energy."

"It would be better to divide the land among the hereditary soldiers, using the forests and the land at the foot of the mountains and in the valleys."

"These soldiers would also actively eliminate the natives in order to protect their own property."

"You should formulate a policy that grants nine square li of land to ninth-rank sergeants in the plains and nine square li of land to ninth-rank sergeants in the mountains."

"We must use both methods in combination, so that the hereditary soldiers in the mountainous areas do not suffer losses."

These measures were all implemented by the imperial court, and the land granted to garrisons in remote areas was often doubled.

Yuan Keli instructed Yuan Shu to conduct a thorough investigation after arriving in Sumatra and to finalize Deng Fan's land redistribution measures as soon as possible.

Now, a general outline has been determined to attract immigrants.

Yuan Shu calculated these things and said worriedly:

"Isn't this kind of distribution of fiefdoms a bit too generous?"

"There will be no way to distribute land to future meritorious officials."

Yuan Keli shook his head and chuckled:
"It's good to think long-term, but we can't ignore the present and think too far ahead."

"For Deng Fan, the most important thing is to establish himself in Southeast Asia, even if it means mortgaging his future."

"Furthermore, the Emperor has established the policy of twelve regional governors. As long as Deng Fan becomes one of the twelve regional governors, he can send nobles to establish regional governorships in more distant places."

"You don't need to worry about what will happen to your descendants if they don't have land. That's something for them to consider."

Yuan Shu blushed, realizing he had been aiming too high.

However, he did have some doubts, and said:
“A plot of land is 375 mu. If there are many people in a family, it is possible for the family to cultivate it themselves.”

“But no matter how much land there is, tenants must be hired. In the case of Southeast Asia, immigrants would at least be allocated fifty acres of land, and they would not rent it out.”

"I still think that the garrison should be mainly composed of low-ranking hereditary soldiers, and one or two square miles of land is enough for them to cultivate."

"With such a small amount of land being distributed out, enough soldiers can be recruited."

Yuan Keli shook his head and said:
“You are operating the land in the mainland, while the Emperor mainly promotes plantations in Southeast Asia.”

"In the plantations, Han Chinese or naturalized Chinese served as overseers to supervise slaves in cultivating a single crop. This allowed the natives living in primitive civilizations to learn how to cultivate a particular crop."

"This requires that the plantation area must be large, otherwise there will not be enough profit."

"The land allocated must be large; we must win through scale."

Yuan Shu listened blankly, having no concept of these things at all.

Seeing that even his own son was in such a state, Yuan Keli deeply felt the difficulty of establishing a fiefdom.

After returning to the court, he decided to organize people to collect experiences and lessons learned, specifically to teach nobles how to establish their own fiefdoms.

The policy of divide and rule must also be implemented in the fiefdoms.

The imperial court intended for each vassal state to cultivate a single crop and rely on the imperial court to maintain a complete agricultural system.

Their vassal states could also divide and rule their subordinates, for example, by having one garrison specialize in growing rice and another in growing oil crops.

They even organized their soldiers into production teams, using hundreds of households as units, and arranged guard teams to watch over the slaves.

This is the only way to compete with large plantations and adopt the same production methods as them.

Or let these people call on their friends and relatives to attract more immigrants to cultivate the land.

After all of this was explained clearly, Yuan Shu finally understood the deeper meaning—

Now is not the time to be stingy; when it comes to distributing land, we must be generous.

Since the garrisons are to be mainly composed of hereditary soldiers, they should be given enough land.

Their Dengfan region is remote, so they must come up with attractive policies.

Soon, the father and son agreed on several points and began recruiting their neighbors to establish a settlement on Sumatra.
-
Upon learning of this, Wang Er hurriedly went to register and explained his concerns.

Upon learning that he was worried about his wife and children, Yuan Shu immediately patted his chest and assured him:
"Anyone willing to serve as my family's sergeant is my family."

"As long as my family has food, we will not let you go hungry."

“Apart from the thousand mu of ancestral land, the rest of our Yuan family’s land will be used to build a nursing home.”

“Your wives, children and elderly parents can all be settled there.”

Wang Erxi was overjoyed, thinking that Master Yuan was truly kind, resolving his worries with just a few words.

However, thinking that he might die overseas after joining the army, he hesitated and said:

"If I die in the war, the land I'm entitled to should be left to my son."

Yuan Shu said with a smile:

"The permanent land of hereditary soldiers is inherited in accordance with the same inheritance laws, and no one can take it away."

“As long as your son joins the army, you won’t have to worry about your own land.”

"Even if you don't know how to plant, the garrison will arrange a production team."

He explained the various policies he planned to implement, which can be summarized as follows: once you join the garrison, you will have nothing to worry about, and someone will take care of you from birth to death.

What they needed was to pledge their loyalty and help Deng Fan eliminate the enemy.

Wang Er, who had spent the first half of his life farming, scratched his head as he listened, still unwilling to become a warrior.

However, the Yuan family's policies were the best he knew, and the villagers were also more reassuring.

Ultimately, Wang Er chose to become a guard of Deng Fan, obtaining the status of a first-class hereditary soldier and owning a li of land for perpetual business.

With the Yuan family's powerful influence, Yuan Shu quickly recruited several thousand soldiers.

He selected more than two thousand men from them to form a battalion, and through his connections with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he arranged for the Eagle Flying Army to train them and purchase sufficient weapons.

When Gu Yanwu returned with his troops from Southern Zhili after completing his mission, he followed closely behind. They planned to take a boat from Suzhou and Songjiang to their fiefdom on Sumatra Island. (End of Chapter)