Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Under Yuan Keli's strategy, the relationship between the Ming Dynasty and the Annamese changed from enemies to collaborators.

However, to get these people to cooperate obediently, we still need to use force to deter them.

Otherwise, the Annamese, who had repeatedly resisted the "Northern Dynasty's invasions," would not have been so easily subdued.

Zhu Youjian instructed Zhu Xieyuan:

"We must be ruthless in our attack on Annam, giving them the strongest possible deterrent."

"It would be best to invite neighboring forces to watch, so they can see the military strength of the Ming Dynasty."

"The Annamese should also be differentiated in various ways. In addition to absorbing the Chinese as Chinese, we should also distinguish them from the indigenous people."

Pointing to the map of Annam, Zhu Youjian drew several lines and said:

“Following the three commanderies established by the Han Dynasty, the area north of the Duke of Ying’s vassal state can be called Jiaozhi people.”

“This area is deeply influenced by Chinese culture, so the criteria for identifying Chinese people can be appropriately relaxed. As long as they are willing to learn Chinese and write Chinese characters, they can be identified as Chinese.”

"In the future, officials will be selected from among them to govern the natives of Southeast Asia."

"The area of ​​Qinghua and Yi'an can be called the Nine Immortals."

"This area has basically been assigned to the British Duke, and it is the most likely place for rebellion. In the future, it can also be called the British Barbarians."

"Further south are the people of Rinan, which are roughly the southern part of Rinan Prefecture and Xinping Prefecture, and the northern part of the original Rinan Commandery of the Han Dynasty. A duchy fiefdom is reserved for future meritorious officials who have contributed to the restoration of the dynasty."

"The area to its south is now occupied by the Nguyen clan of Quang Nam, and they can be called Quang Nam people."

"Further south, in the area that was originally the Kingdom of Champa, people can be called Champa people."

"There are also neighboring Zhenla people, Khmer people, Nan Zhang people, etc., which distinguish these ethnic groups."

Utilize regional and cultural differences to implement the Indigenous Disaggregation Act.

If we want to make good use of the Annamese, we must not let them become a unified whole, so as to avoid forming a stable and difficult-to-assimilate ethnic group.

All Annamese will eventually assimilate into the Chinese and Han Chinese communities. In the future, the term "Annamese" will be used like "Guangdongese," referring to people from the Annam Protectorate.

After differentiating the ethnic groups, the upper classes of each ethnic group were relocated and used to govern people of different ethnic groups.

Ancestral temples, sacrificial rites, and so on would also have to change accordingly, disrupting their history.

Therefore, Zhu Youjian instructed the Hanlin Academy to write a more detailed account of the history of Southeast Asia, to conduct more research on the origins of the ethnic groups and the differences between them.

The history of these places must be based on the records of the Ming Dynasty; any that do not conform must be destroyed.

At the same time, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was to confer deities upon famous figures who had pioneered Jiaozhi, such as Ma Yuan and Shi Xie, based on the list of ancient figures verified by the History Museum. Soldiers who died in battle could also be conferred deities.

Wherever the Ming army goes in the future, the gods will bestow titles upon them.

Make sure every city has a city god, every piece of land has a local deity, mountains have mountain gods, rivers have water gods, and oceans have sea gods...

These are all righteous gods of the Heaven and Earth pantheon. They are worshipped according to the rituals and standards set by the imperial court, which changes the local customs.

Abolishing licentious rites, destroying written texts, and relocating ancestral temples... all must be thoroughly implemented.

Zhu Youjian (Emperor Yongle) did not need fanatical believers to explore the lands of the Ming Dynasty. However, the territories conquered by the Ming army required these people to stabilize the local areas.

Therefore, it's okay to incorporate some local deities as collateral branches, but we must not allow other religions to take advantage of the situation.

Qian Qianyi was thrilled to hear this, feeling that he had another opportunity to make a contribution. After all, he was still the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and these were all within his duties.
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After much deliberation, the emperor and his ministers determined measures to promote education and moral character among people of Chinese descent, including preferential treatment, religious rites, and schooling.

However, for long-term stability and security, the government, military, and civilians still trust immigration the most.

Only when the proportion of Han Chinese is large enough can the local resistance forces be suppressed.

Zhu Youjian said:
“The Southeast Asian countries currently have a population of approximately 20 to 30 million.”

"For long-term stability, the Han population should not be less than ten million." "You estimate how many immigrants we need to move there?"

The Ming Dynasty had no shortage of immigrants; there was a constant stream of disaster victims arriving at the Cangzhou camp.

Zheng Zhilong and others also opened up the Yangtze River waterway, allowing refugees from Yunyang and other places to migrate gradually through the Yangtze River system.

What needs to be done now is to allocate resettlement sites for the disaster victims.

Annam Governor-General Zhu Xieyuan said:

"I believe that the Red River Plain can accommodate a million people."

"The Protectorate directly governs the three prefectures and sets up fifteen to twenty guard posts. Each guard post can absorb 10,000 Han Chinese military and civilian households, which can accommodate a million people."

"With the addition of local Chinese who have submitted, each garrison has about 20,000 households, which is enough to raise sufficient troops for service."

With so many people moving there, it's clear that the local population will need to be relocated.

However, there's no need to discuss this in the court; Zhu Xieyuan will sell the rebellious barbarians as slaves.

After all, his Annam Protectorate also needed funding, and the slave trade would be one of the sources of funding.

Huang Liji, the head of the Court of Colonial Affairs, said:
“The Pingjiang Protectorate should be able to absorb more than a million immigrants.”

"However, this area was mainly used to relocate surplus population from Jiangnan to provide for unemployed laborers and slaves."

"Nowadays, more and more disaster victims are migrating to Southeast Asia, as well as Borneo, Sumatra and other places."

"These places are vast, but the climate is hot, diseases are frequent, and the land is barren. It is estimated that they can only absorb one or two million immigrants."

Zhu Youjian nodded, indicating his understanding.

The South Pacific has a tropical rainforest climate, and the nutrients in the soil are easily washed away, so it is no exaggeration to say that it is barren.

The only truly fertile islands are those formed from volcanic ash deposits, such as Java.

After thinking this through, he addressed his ministers:

"I have ordered the Court of Colonial Affairs to send someone to Luzon to discuss the trade of guano, saltpeter, and copper with the Governor-General of Peru."

"Any news yet? Has any ship come over there?"

Huang Liji opened his mouth, surprised that the emperor still remembered such a trivial matter, and replied:
"I have already sent someone to Luzon to inform the local Spanish officials of this matter."

"However, they haven't sent any news yet, so they probably don't care much."

Zhu Youjian immediately said:

"Send someone to urge them again, and at the same time have the navy and merchants search for bird droppings on the islands of the South Seas."

“The guano stones on these islands can be used as fertilizer instead of manure.”

"Developing the lands of Southeast Asia is inseparable from them."

“Newly reclaimed lands such as the Liaohetao Plain can also be fertilized with bird droppings.”

This seemingly insignificant substance was once known as "white gold," sparked the "Guo Wars," and spurred an agricultural revolution.

If this can be utilized effectively, the Ming Dynasty's development of Southeast Asia will be greatly accelerated, allowing for the migration of even more immigrants.

The cultivation of cash crops such as rubber, palm, and sugarcane can also enable Southeast Asia to develop more industries and accommodate more immigrants.

Now, he can only plan to send one million immigrants to Annam, one million to Pingjiang, and one million to the South Pacific islands, for a total of three million immigrants.

These immigrants would be incorporated into garrisons to occupy key locations, making necessary preparations for further development of Southeast Asia in the future. (End of Chapter)