Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Annam had too large a population, which is why Zhu Youjian was unwilling to establish it as a province, but instead set up a protectorate to enfeoff it.

Its population was almost equal to that of the inland provinces, and even more than the combined population of Guangdong and Guangxi at the beginning of the dynasty.

With such a large population, speaking different languages ​​and even having their own script, governing them is extremely difficult.

It will take three or four generations, or even a hundred years, to assimilate this land.

Zhu Youjian did not want to expend this effort, and he felt that if he passed away, such a manpower and material resource-intensive project might be abandoned halfway.

Just as Emperor Chengzu probably never expected that the Jiaozhi Provincial Administration Commission he established would be abandoned without hesitation by his "good grandson".

This significantly diminished the impact of his achievements; Zheng He's voyages to the Western Ocean and his five expeditions to the Mongolian steppes were seen as wasteful and disregard for the people's well-being.

If Jiaozhi had continued to exist and been assimilated into the mainland, ships heading to Southeast Asia could have departed from there, ensuring the stability of places like the Old Port Pacification Commissioner's Office.

The Ming Dynasty's control over the Three Xuan and Six Wei regions would have been strengthened as a result, preventing them from becoming almost completely isolated by the current situation.

In that time, people will praise Emperor Chengzu for his foresight and for finding a new direction for the Ming Dynasty. Instead of starting almost from scratch as it is now.

It can be said that Zhu Youjian's current campaign against Annam is to clean up the mess left by Emperor Xuanzong, just as his son Emperor Yingzong's campaigns against Luchuan and Mongolia led to the Tumu Crisis.

Reflecting on the lessons learned at the beginning of the dynasty, Zhu Youjian addressed his ministers:

"If the Ming Dynasty wants to expand into Southeast Asia, it must conquer Annam."

"Otherwise, we will lose our tributary states in Southeast Asia, just like at the beginning of the dynasty."

"What methods do you gentlemen have to ensure long-term peace and stability in Annam?"

As the Grand Secretary, Han Kuang took the lead in speaking out, saying:
"Emperor Chengzu sent troops into Annam, first seizing its treasury and land registers, then burning all non-Chinese inscriptions, and conscripting artisans to the capital. Only then did we have nearly twenty years of peace."

"I believe we can follow this old wisdom, divide their land, destroy their writing system, and relocate their artisans, so that they have no way to cause trouble."

"If this continues for several generations, stability will surely be achieved."

This is a traditional method; although it is effective, it is somewhat slow, Zhu Youjian said.
"King Renzong's appeasement policy led to the rise of Le Loi's power."

"When Emperor Xuanzong intended to abandon the territory, the powerful families of Jiaozhi immediately turned to Lê Lợi."

"Who can guarantee that after we become rulers and ministers, Annam will be abandoned by future rulers and ministers?"

"This strategy is usable, but it's too slow to take effect and there will be setbacks later."

They partially agreed with Han Kuang's suggestion, but deemed it unacceptable because it was too slow.

The current Ming Dynasty does not have the capacity to consistently implement a policy for a hundred years.

Even the rites and laws that Zhu Youjian himself established were uncertain whether they would be abandoned by later emperors and ministers.

Even the ancestral precepts that Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang repeatedly instructed him to follow were hastily revised by Emperor Jianwen and his ministers after his death.

Zhu Youjian did not believe that his prestige could surpass that of Zhu Yuanzhang, so he naturally did not want to leave things to his descendants and trusted the wisdom of future generations.

With the appeasement approach rejected, some naturally offered even tougher suggestions. Granting titles to nobles to suppress rebellions was a given, a strategy already universally accepted.

The second-in-command, Yang Jingchen, who hailed from Fujian, devised an even more ruthless plan and suggested it in court:
"I believe that we can forcibly implement education, just as we did at the beginning of the dynasty, to pacify the people and capture the barbarians."

“For those people who submit, education can be implemented locally; for those barbarians who do not submit, they can be sold to vassal states as slaves.”

This policy is clearly more aggressive and has a stronger maritime character.

Born in Fujian, he had witnessed the actions of pirates, Japanese pirates, and Westerners, and intended to learn from them.

In the past, this measure would have been clearly criticized. However, the lesson of Jiaozhi's surrender followed by rebellion made the court officials feel that stricter measures were necessary.

Those who are unwilling to submit to the Ming Dynasty will naturally be regarded as barbarians and can be enslaved.

With the current emperor imposing very strict restrictions on slaves and allowing Han Chinese slaves to serve and be released from their social status, the price of slaves in Jiangnan has been rising steadily, and slaves from other ethnic groups who cannot be released from their social status at will are especially sought after.

Ministers from Jiangnan, such as Wen Tiren, strongly supported this idea. Some even suggested that since the Annamese knew how to grow rice, they could send them to the Liaohe River bend to cultivate the land.

Zhu Youjian nodded in approval, looking at Yang Jingchen with newfound respect. He hadn't expected that this minister, who had previously only obeyed orders, would now proactively offer effective suggestions.
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Other officials also spoke up, with ministers of the Privy Council proposing even tougher measures such as using killings as a deterrent.

However, the Ming Dynasty officials, who were mostly scholars, generally had high moral standards. They considered it cruel enough to capture barbarians and sell them into slavery, and they did not agree with the suggestion to destroy their country and exterminate their descendants.

Many people agree with the saying in the Analects of Confucius, "To revive extinct states, continue interrupted lineages, and promote reclusive people, the people of the world will submit to your will." They regard the Annamese as descendants of Jiaozhi (Vietnam) and former subjects of the Chinese nation, and they want them to submit to their will.

Some people genuinely agreed with the Ming Dynasty's decision to send troops to punish the powerful ministers, and even suggested that after defeating the Zheng family, the throne of the Lê family as King of Annam should be preserved.

Zhu Youjian found this absurd and was about to reprimand him when Yuan Keli, the Grand Councilor, spoke up:
"I believe that the Le family king should be preserved as much as possible and a title should be conferred upon him."

“Grant him a fief in a remote place and take away the powerful and wealthy who were unwilling to submit.”

"Otherwise, someone in Annam will surely rebel using his name, just as they did with the name of the Chen family in the past."

"The Ming Dynasty should make it clear to Annam and the other Southeast Asian countries that our mission to Annam is not to destroy the nation and eradicate its lineage, but to maintain order." These words were meant to put the rhetoric of sending troops into practice. Zhu Youjian frowned in thought, then solemnly asked Yuan Keli:

"Does the gentleman mean that when attacking Annam, we shouldn't focus solely on Annam, but rather consider the overall situation?"

"What strategies do you have for the long-term stability and security of Southeast Asia?"

This was clearly a question about national policy for governing Southeast Asia. Yuan Keli pointed to the map and said:

"Annam was a small country to the Ming Dynasty, at most equivalent to a province."

"But for the countries of Southeast Asia, it is an absolute superpower."

"Their soldiers are not as easily defeated as they were when facing the Ming Dynasty; instead, they have the strength to dominate Southeast Asia."

Yuan Keli clearly pointed out Annam's strength, saying:

"I believe that the powerful clans of Annam can be utilized. After defeating them, we can use them to conquer Southeast Asia."

"For example, the nobles and powerful families of Annam were enfeoffed in the former Khmer territories, and the nobles of Khmer and Champa were enfeoffed in Siam and other places after they submitted."

"With such a mix of ethnic groups and the small ruling over the large, those powerful and noble people had no choice but to submit to the Ming Dynasty."

"The Ming Dynasty established garrisons in key locations to maintain the rule of these powerful nobles. Even when there was fierce internal resistance in a country, it mobilized soldiers from various countries to suppress the rebellious forces."

"In this way, the powerful and influential people of the Southeast Asian countries will surely support the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty can use them to restore order in the Southeast Asia."

"Based on the restrictions of titles and territory size, no large country with a territory of more than a thousand square miles will emerge in Southeast Asia, and there will be no more power to rebel against the Ming Dynasty."

His words were insightful and comprehensive, demonstrating a keen understanding of the overall situation in Southeast Asia.

Starting with the governance of the entire Southeast Asia, it was believed that the Annamese were not a burden, but rather helpers for the Ming Dynasty in establishing order in Southeast Asia.

This was inspired by his experience of winning over Mongol nobles during the Jianzhou Rebellion. He believed that the upper and lower classes should be separated and governed using different methods. The natives, who were difficult to rule directly, should be assigned to the nobles as subjects.

This seemed to exploit class divisions. Zhu Youjian, recalling how Western colonizers used Chinese people as intermediaries between themselves and the natives, and as a way to bear the natives' resentment, immediately clapped his hands in approval:
“What you say is truly well said, sir!”

"Sufficient to serve as a national policy for governing Southeast Asia."

"I believe that this strategy should guide the governance of Southeast Asia and restore order there."

Zhu Youjian fully agreed with Yuan Keli's ideas, praising him repeatedly and adding:
“For key areas with sparse population and easy to cultivate, the Ming Dynasty can directly establish garrisons.”

“For relatively minor areas that are difficult to govern directly, we enfeoffed domestic nobles to govern them.”

“Those who are prone to rebellion and whose domestic immigrants are unwilling to go there can be granted fiefdoms to nobles of the Southeast Asian countries, who can then govern the natives of different ethnic groups.”

“Those who were powerful served as vassals within the country, while those who were weak served as vassal nobles and hereditary soldiers of the domestic nobility.”

"Those who submit will be assimilated into the Chinese community, and those who perform meritorious service will be granted noble titles."

Those who refused to submit were treated as barbarians, captured, and scattered to various places as slaves.

"In short, every person and every piece of land must be useful. The Ming Dynasty must establish a new order in Southeast Asia!"

The strategy for governing Southeast Asia was thoroughly clarified, and the governance of Annam was placed in the overall consideration of governing Southeast Asia.

For the Ming Dynasty, it would be difficult to completely assimilate a population equivalent to that of an entire province, and forced indoctrination would only provoke their resentment.

However, it is much easier to educate only the powerful and wealthy, especially the upper class in countries like Annam, who are already proficient in Chinese and can be absorbed into the Chinese community.

Using these naturalized Chinese to govern the natives, and even to govern people of different ethnicities, would inevitably force them to submit to the Ming Dynasty and become its loyal subjects.

Annam's large population was no longer an intractable burden. On the contrary, due to their past ties, they would become an ally of the Ming Dynasty in governing Southeast Asia.

Compared to other ethnic groups, they were once Chinese, and their culture and customs are closer to those of other ethnic groups.

They were lackeys in front of the Ming people, but they could arrogantly rule over the natives.

Once some people taste the benefits, more and more Annamese will voluntarily follow this path. Moreover, in order to improve their status, they will actively assimilate into Chinese culture and become affiliated with the Chinese and Han Chinese.

Annamese people and upper classes from various countries who are willing to be Sinicized will, like the Chinese in history, become the mediators between rulers and natives.

Natives in various places who wished to become powerful and wealthy had to learn from them and become subjects of the Chinese.

The Ming Dynasty will establish a ruling order in Southeast Asia consisting of Han Chinese, Chinese who have submitted to the Ming, natives who have submitted to the Ming, and barbarian slaves. Under the protection of this stable order, they will assimilate them through culture.

Education will no longer be enforced, but will become a profitable endeavor. The upper classes of various countries will proactively learn Chinese, just as they historically learned English and French.

Over time, the entire Southeast Asia region will be assimilated, becoming a region dominated by Han Chinese and other ethnic Chinese.

Nanyang will also become a stable vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, and may even be established as a province in the future. (End of this chapter)