The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 172 Borneo, Hell on Earth

Nakhon Si Thammarat, although it is located in the tropics, the climate in March and April is still good.

But this is also relative.

Because a temperature of 33 or 34 degrees is already midsummer for people in the north.

But for people in the south, especially those in Guangdong, a not-so-humid temperature of 33 or 34 degrees is definitely comfortable.

Luo Fangbai was sweating profusely as he held a hoe. Although he was a scholar, he was no stranger to farming. In fact, authentic farming and reading families in China all required scholars to be proficient in farming.

However, later, especially from the late Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, with the rigidification of the imperial examination system and the further intensification of the valuing of civil officials over military officials, a large number of families that relied solely on studying for the imperial examination emerged, and the scholars began to become lazy and ignorant.

However, Luo Fangbai's family was just a slightly better-off self-cultivating farmer, not a traditional family that took the imperial examinations, so naturally they did not have the conditions to completely quit farming, so his farming skills were still very good.

"Fangbai, you are an official now. If you are sent back to Jiaying Prefecture, you will be at least a fifth-rank official. How can you farm the land by yourself?"

In the distance, a tall and strong man walked over. His braid was gone, revealing a big bald head. There were several scars on his bald head, which made him look more fierce.

"Brother Yuansheng, I heard that you've been favored by Lord Xuande and appointed to an official position. Congratulations!"

Luo Fangbai laughed, put down his hoe and walked over. The man was none other than Wu Yuansheng, who had gone to Southeast Asia with him.

Luo Fangbai's hometown, Shishan Fort, and Wu Yuansheng's Dongxiang Fort were not far apart. Wu Yuansheng was a generous and magnanimous person with excellent martial arts skills. He was born with a rebellious heart that was against the government, and to some extent he was similar to Luo Fangbai.

When they were in Jiaying Prefecture, Luo Fangbai and Wu Yuansheng often cooperated with each other to deal with clerks who went to the countryside, so the two were old acquaintances.

"Brother Yuansheng, don't underestimate farming!" Luo Fangbai walked over with a bowl of tea and handed it to Wu Yuansheng, then pointed to the large tracts of fertile land that had been reclaimed in front of him and said:

"Look here, there are many streams and there is no shortage of water sources. Although it is located on a hill, the slope is not steep and the terrain is flat.

It is not like our Jiaying Prefecture where the mountains are full of gravel and we have to clear a layer of stones before farming.

What a great place! With a little care and terraced fields to prevent the rainy season from washing away the fertile topsoil, we could have tens of thousands of acres of fertile farmland."

As he spoke, Luo Fangbai was extremely emotional, "In just Luokun Prefecture, at least four million mu of fertile farmland can be reclaimed. This is the size of six Jiaying Prefectures, and the soil fertility is even better.

There are too few of us here. We should call all the Hakka people from Ganzhou and Tingzhou here. There is so much to gain in the vast world of Southeast Asia. Why should we be trapped in the mountains and suffer?"

When talking about land, Luo Fangbai's eyes light up and he talks endlessly.

The same goes for Wu Yuansheng standing next to him. Although he doesn't like farming, the desire for land is also deeply engraved in the heart of this Hakka.

"This place is indeed great, much better than our hometown, but it wasn't easily acquired. Take Luoshen Prefecture, for example. The king personally conquered it, braving arrows and stones, and killing thousands of enemies."

Now the people below are calling Mo Zi Bu in a very strange way. Most of the people in the army call him the King or Dragon Head directly, and the person in charge of government affairs in the Andai area is called Xuan De Gong or Phraya.

In Toungoo and Myeik, they all call each other princes.

Those who belonged to Ngo Tien-tzu in Ha Tien called him the Fifth Prince, while the Europeans and Dutch members of the Boxer Rebellion called him the Duke of An-tai or the Grand Duke.

It's not easy for me, the great time traveler, to stitch together so many forces with complex origins, and do a good job of it.

Luo Fangbai agreed with Wu Yuansheng's words. "Mr. Xuande's ability lies not in his ability to personally brave the enemy and conquer the world, but also in his understanding of the people's sentiments and his ability to establish a community system based on local conditions. He is truly a genius."

The society that Luo Fangbai was talking about was not the kind of underworld society in later generations, but was somewhat similar to the people's commune.

Mo Zibu organized the Hakka people who went to Southeast Asia into groups of 80 people, and appointed a leader for each group.

Every ten associations form a township group and appoint a township elder.

Five township groups formed a county and appointed a county magistrate.

On weekdays, the people who went to Southeast Asia started their production and life based on a community. How to reclaim wasteland, establish settlements, and plant types of food were all strictly and uniformly managed.

At the same time, in response to the lack of mature oxen and fine iron farm tools in Nanyang, the oxen and farm tools were taken under public management and leased to communities, which collectively allocated these resources.

Sometimes, in order to complete land reclamation and farming, the oxen, farm tools and manpower of several or dozens of communities would be organized for a concentrated assault.

When it comes to distribution, it is inevitable that the heads of community groups, village elders, and even county magistrates will show favoritism for their own families.

But as long as it is kept within a reasonable range, Mo Zibu can accept it.

The two chatted for a while, and then it was time for dinner. The men who were clearing the land on this gentle slope howled excitedly.

Luo Fangbai and Wu Yuansheng also smiled. If there was anything that was noticeable at a glance between Nanyang and their hometown, it would definitely be the food.

Ye Xiaomei smiled with her eyes narrowed. She had long legs and big feet, and she could walk on this hilly area with a load on her shoulder as if she were walking on flat ground. She was definitely the most masculine among the women and the most efficient at work.

Luo Fangbai saw Ye Xiaomei coming from a distance, and he couldn't help but said to Wu Yuansheng with a smile:

"Brother Yuansheng, you're in for a treat today. The soup rice made by the Ye family's sister is famous far and wide, and is even better than the one made at the Wang family restaurant in Luokun City."

A group of Hakka guys gathered around, shouting and yelling. There weren't many women going to Southeast Asia, and Ye Xiaomei was so pretty that many guys came to her.

However, no one dared to take advantage of Ye Xiaomei, because almost all Hakka people knew where Ye Xiaomei would go in the future.

In this Nanyang where people are united by fellow villagers and relatives, only when the head of the Mo family becomes the son-in-law of the Hakka people will they feel closer to Mo Zibula.

Otherwise, it would be a joke if the king in the eyes of a Hakka people has nothing to do with the Hakka people.

The food was indeed excellent. The Hakka salt-baked chicken was bright yellow and glossy, and it went really well with rice. The stuffed tofu, with its crispy, golden skin dotted with chopped green onions, looked incredibly tender and crispy.

Of course, the quantity of these two dishes was not large. There was only one plate of tofu and one chicken for eight people. The rest were mostly various salt-fried fish, large and small, and soups made from various snails and shellfish.

There is plenty of rice.

In the distance, a cousin of Wu Yuansheng was holding a large bowl, paddling with the food with a clanging sound that made the whole place go crazy. He ate mouthfuls of meat and rice, and the satisfaction he felt from eating was overflowing.

Seeing him rushing to get his meal again, Wu Yuansheng couldn't help it and walked up to him and kicked him.

"Are you the reincarnation of a starving ghost or something? Be polite and don't eat all the food by yourself."

The cousin's name was Wu Yuanzhang. He was so happy eating that he didn't even notice Wu Yuansheng coming. He just grinned hurriedly.

"Brother, why are you here? Didn't you go to Borneo?"

But while he was talking, his eyes were still looking at the food bowl.

Wu Yuansheng was speechless and quickly waved his hand, letting him go and eat.

When he turned around, he saw Luo Fangbai looking at him with a smile. Wu Yuansheng said angrily:

"I don't know what this guy is thinking. He's obviously a strong warrior, and I can't beat him without killing him, but he doesn't want to join me. He only wants to stay in this place."

"Brother Yuanzhang told me that his biggest wish since he was a child was to have enough food to eat. Now that he's in Luokun, he can eat just by farming. That means his dream has come true, so naturally he wants to settle down."

As Luo Fangbai spoke, he found it hard to believe that the dream of so many generations of his ancestors could be easily realized in Nanyang.

In this place, rice can be grown for three seasons, chickens and ducks can be released and grow up without much care, the catch at the seaside is unbelievable, salt is almost free, and all kinds of edible fruits are everywhere in the mountains and forests.

It can be said that as long as you are willing to farm, you will have enough to eat. Not only can you eat enough, but you can also eat well.

The main reason why those natives were so poor was that the leaders above them exploited them too harshly and their farming skills were too crude.

"Fangbai, that's what you say, but if everyone just farms, who will come and build an empire?" Wu Yuansheng spread his hands.

"It's a good place, so we have to risk our lives for it. We don't even want to serve the king, we just want to take advantage. Even if the king feels sorry for us Hakkas who are having a hard time in our hometown, he can't support us for nothing."

It can be said that after the brutal oppression of the Qing government, the demands of the Chinese people were pitifully low.

Even a relatively knowledgeable person like Wu Yuansheng felt that Mo Zibu was supporting the Hakka people by organizing them to work hard to reclaim wasteland, then granting them land and only collecting a tenth of the land tax in the future. This left Wu Yuansheng somewhat bewildered. Luo Fangbai smiled, "Brother Wu, you're too impatient. It's not time yet."

He was more well-read than Wu Yuansheng, so he naturally knew that since ancient times, wise kings would always show the greatest favor to their subordinates before asking them to serve them.

If you want an old ox to plow the fields, you have to take good care of it.

Wu Yuansheng nodded and slurped down a whole fried fish. He then said to Luo Fangbai, "Brother Luo, by the king's order, you will come with me to Pattani Palace tomorrow to meet the king."

. . . .

In Pattani Province, Mo Zibu is reading a report.

Now, only seven months after Ye Xianyang and others returned to their hometown to recruit people, officials and gangs in Guangdong and Guangxi worked together to send nearly 40,000 Hakkas to Mo Zibu.

Officials in Huizhou Prefecture also wanted to make some money, so they recruited more than 10,000 people and sent them to Southeast Asia, disguised as Hakkas.

These guys thought that Mo Zibu only wanted Hakka people. In fact, Mo Zibu didn't mind anyone as long as they were Chinese, no matter whether they were Han or She.

However, if they continue like this, Mo Zibu will be forced to prepare an excuse to lower the standards.

According to today's standards, for every person sent to Southeast Asia, Mo Zibu would give mainland officials one tael of silver for males and six cents for healthy women.

Although the one tael and six coins included the money for meals and accommodation along the way, the officials of Jiaying Prefecture and Huizhou Prefecture were very smart.

What is provided are wild vegetable porridge and dried vegetable cakes that are similar to pig food, and accommodation is just a mat to sleep on the floor, which doesn't cost much at all.

But going to Southeast Asia is not easy. If you are not in good health, you will be caught in the wind and waves along the way. Who knows how many people will die.

Therefore, before the immigrants set out to sea, Mo Zibu had to raise them for a few days in Dapeng Bay, Daya Bay, and Honghai Bay where Hailufeng is located.

Let them eat well and keep their bodies strong. When they are free, take them to the near sea by boat for a stroll to test their ability to adapt to sea voyages.

After all, Jiaying Prefecture is not near the sea, and the Hakka people are not yet accustomed to making a living on the sea.

With all these arrangements, the cost of sending a male Mozibula to Southeast Asia, not counting the provision of food and other things, is basically around 2.5 to 3 taels.

The direct expenditure for these small 60,000 people alone is as high as more than 150,000 taels. Even considering the annual surplus of 350,000 taels of silver in the Hexian Mo family's finances, it is still a huge expense.

Moreover, people from the mainland are still going overseas at a scale of six to seven thousand people per month.

Originally, Mo Zibu offered such a high price because he was afraid that the Manchu and Han officials in Guangdong would worry about the Chinese becoming powerful overseas, especially since the Mo family was from Mingxiang, and they would stop it.

Therefore, they offered higher prices and used the sugar-coated promise of high profits to defeat these Qing officials.

But the reality proved that Mo Zibu completely overestimated the bottom line of these officials.

In the eyes of officials throughout Guangdong, Han officials understood that they were only there to serve as officials, and no one had the patience to worry about the future of the Manchu court.

Even if I should worry, it's not your turn as a second-rate person to worry about such a big thing. I'm not crazy not to make money.

In the eyes of the Manchu officials, Guangdong Province has a population of 12 to 13 million, a developed economy, but also a large population and limited land, resulting in prominent contradictions.

There are restless Han people running around everywhere. It would be better to throw out tens of thousands of them. It would be better if hundreds of thousands of them could leave. It would be easier to govern.

Therefore, under such circumstances, Mo Zibu was completely shocked by the speed at which the Cantonese people went to Southeast Asia.

I, Mo Dalongtou, estimate that in the past seven or eight months, at least one hundred thousand Chinese have fled to Southeast Asia to seek refuge with Zheng Xin and him.

Seeing that Zheng Xin attracted 30,000 to 40,000 Teochew people to Southeast Asia without spending a penny, and the number increased even faster than that of Mo Zibu, Mo Zibu was extremely envious.

He couldn't hold it any longer and finally decided to lower the price.

"Captain, Luo Fangbai is here." I was still thinking about how to reduce the head fee when Wang Wuchu came in to inform me of Luo Fangbai's arrival.

Mo Zibu was overjoyed. The Hakka people had been in Southeast Asia for seven months, but Mo Zibu had been in Mergui and Toungoo for five of those months. Later, he was busy preparing for Ou Zirong's diplomatic mission to France.

Therefore, he never had time to meet them, but asked Li Xianwen to meet them on his behalf and arrange official positions for them.

Luo Fangbai is not tall, but he looks very decent. Although he does not have the thick eyebrows and big eyes like Zhu Shimao, his appearance naturally carries a sense of simplicity and rigor.

As the saying goes, appearance reflects the heart. For some people, you can tell they will be loyal and righteous just by looking at their appearance.

Luo Fangbai is such a person. Compared with him, Wu Yuansheng, who is not ugly in appearance, looks like a bandit.

Historically, these two people were good partners. When Luo Fangbai went to Southeast Asia and arrived in Borneo, he initially sought refuge under Wu Yuansheng.

Finally, Wu Yuansheng defeated the indigenous Dai Yan Sultan in Borneo and established the Dai Yan Kingdom. It was passed down for four generations until around 1870, when it was destroyed by the Dutch before Lan Fang, and his descendants were demoted to Kapitan.

What Luo Fangbai established was the famous Lan Fang State.

However, many people in later generations did not understand one question, that is, why Luo Fangbai was able to leave his name in history?

Most people think that he established a republic and implemented a so-called democratic system.

But is republican government so special? It's nothing special. It's just something our ancestors left behind.

What makes Luo Fangbai truly great, and what makes him famous in history, is precisely his character.

Because at this time, it is no exaggeration to say that Borneo is a hell on earth.

Because most of the gold mines in this area are exposed on the surface and easy to mine, it attracted a large number of Chinese people to Borneo to pan for gold early on.

According to the intelligence Mo Zibu had received, there were at least 80,000 to 90,000 Chinese people in this area, more than in Ha Tien Du. However, the living environment was very poor.

Most of them were controlled by Chinese gang leaders and pirate leaders who were in collusion with the indigenous sultans of Borneo, and were forced to engage in extremely arduous gold mining work.

"Your Majesty, those guys in Borneo are such scoundrels! The Chinese who were tricked into the gold mines were forced to work day and night to pan for gold. It's said that 80% of what they get is taken away by them.

They don't give medical treatment when they are sick, and they just throw them down the valley when they die.

Moreover, every Chinese who arrived in Borneo was deceived and forced to sign a loan with a high upfront interest rate. They were not allowed to leave until the loan was repaid. It is said that some people had been digging for fifteen years without paying off their debts.

Even if some people were able to pay off their debts and have some money left, they would be intercepted by pirates at sea, robbed of their money, and thrown directly into the sea.

"His crimes are heinous, worse than those of beasts!" Mo Zibu slammed the table hard.

He didn't quite believe it at first, so he sent Wu Yuansheng to investigate, and he didn't expect it to be true.

This is not a Borneo gold mine, this is a fucking cyber fraud park in northern Myanmar!
And in history, the person who ended all this was Luo Fangbai who stood before Mo Zibu.

After Luo Fangbai arrived in Borneo, it took him only five years to eradicate the criminals who harmed the Chinese and transformed Borneo, which was darker than the cyber fraud zone in northern Myanmar, into a paradise where the Chinese could safely come to pan for gold.

He could have become the biggest fraud boss and reap the most benefits in Borneo, but Luo Fangbai didn't do that in the end. Instead, he truly gave everyone a clear conscience.

Under his rule, Lan Fang was able to treat every Chinese person relatively fairly. At least, whether they were Chinese or indigenous miners who came to pan for gold, as long as they abided by the rules, they would not be persecuted in the gold mines.

This is what makes him great! This is what makes him a great man who will be remembered in history!
"Fangbai, I have received no less than twenty requests from the Chinese in Borneo, but I have never been able to spare a hand. Fortunately, you have arrived today.

I am planning to have you resign as the Minister of Land Reclamation in Nakhon Si Thammarat and go to Borneo with Yuan Sheng to build a new world for the Chinese in Borneo. Are you willing?"

Luo Fangbai sighed deeply and looked at Mo Zibu with admiration, "Your Majesty, there is so much to be done here and you have to deal with powerful enemies, but you still care about the Chinese in Borneo. You are truly like Emperor Zhaolie of the Han Dynasty.

I, Luo Fangbai, am willing to follow Lord Xuande and serve as a loyal servant to build a Taiping Heavenly Kingdom for the Chinese in Southeast Asia.

"Okay!" Mo Zibu laughed, "But Fangbai, Yuansheng, don't go to Borneo for the time being. I'm going to have a decisive battle with the Burmese soon. You should follow me first and familiarize yourself with the battlefield.

When the war is over, I will select some men for you and we will go to Borneo to punish the evildoers!"

(End of this chapter)