The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 25 Chaozhou People at the Gambling Table

Grandpa Wei, Wei Rikun, was dragged out of the warehouse that was temporarily used as a dungeon. When he saw that fruits, sandalwood, pig heads, roosters, realgar and fine wine were all prepared outside, he immediately lost his defense and started struggling non-stop.

"Fifth Young Master, my Wei family is kind enough to protect you, how could you do this?"

Ou Zibu walked forward with a smile on his face, looking innocent, "Brother Wei, you misunderstood. I, Ou Zibu, am grateful to the Wei family for their kindness, so I came to the island alone to repay them.

Now that Brother He has agreed to let you go back, the matter has been perfectly resolved!"

Wow, Wei Rikun is 51 years old this year, older than He Xiwen and Ou Zibu combined, and three times older than Ou Zibu. As a result, he has become Big Brother Wei from Grandpa Wei.

"Then what are you doing? What are you doing?" Wei Rikun shouted angrily, pointing at fruits, sandalwood and other objects.

"This is because my younger brother and Zi Bu admire Brother Wei's generosity and kindness, and we want to follow the example of Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who swore brotherhood in Peach Garden, and become brothers for life and death with Brother Wei!" He Xiwen deliberately emphasized the words "life and death".

Wei Rikun heard the threat and immediately calmed down. He knew that these two grandsons were eyeing the food and supplies he had stockpiled, so he immediately made up his mind.

"You two are both young heroes. I, Wei, am already old. How can I stand beside you? I am willing to give away all the wealth on Champa Island, just for the safety of the more than one hundred warriors of the Wei family."

He Xiwen and Ou Zibu smiled at each other. What a joke! What they wanted was not only the property on the Wei family island, but also the Wei family's ability to trade with the mainland and the clan network throughout Southeast Asia.

Ou Zibu sighed and said to Wei Rikun, "Brother Wei, you have misunderstood. Brother He is the descendant of a hero with lofty ambitions. How could he be a thief who robs and pillages?

I, Ou Zibu, have received great kindness from Lord Hong Ahan and have also been treated well by the Wei family. How could I possibly repay kindness with hatred?

As he spoke, Ou Zibu pointed to Manuel Bonn, who was in the distance verifying his own chart against Ou Zibu's. He said:

"This Fulangsha Xifan is actually deceiving Brother Wei. He said he was going to Tianzhu to pick someone up, but in fact he was going to Huadu Kingdom (Konbaung Dynasty) to snatch someone away. Brother Wei has been deceived."

Wei Rikun was not stupid. After being detained, he had enough time to think. Unlike before when he was caught up in the frenzy of establishing a business, he also vaguely discovered that something was wrong.

Hearing what Ou Zibu said, he immediately cursed without a trace of doubt: "Damn, these Western devils are really no good. Tankaer, this water devil, is also a piece of shit."

"But Brother Wei's plan is actually quite complete. Please come and take a look." Ou Zibu said as he pulled Wei Rikun to the side of the map.

"The White Elephant King of Huadu Kingdom relies not only on the bravery and fighting prowess of the Burmese, but also on the Furlangsha Artillery Corps. Its commander, Major Bruno, and five hundred other officers and soldiers were captured in the Battle of Shalian six years ago.

Now the country of Fulangsha is at war with Austria, Prussia, Russia and other countries and is unable to rescue these people.

If we can rescue them, we can firstly weaken the White Elephant King, secondly, train our own Western artillerymen, and thirdly, we can make them pay a large reward after Fulangsha recovers."

Wei Rikun looked at Ou Zibu with feigned indifference, "Fifth Young Master has said so much, what does it have to do with my Wei family?"

Ou Zibu sneered, "Brother Wei, don't lie in front of a real person. You Chaozhou folks have been vigorously supporting Tacheng Phraya Zheng Guoying behind the scenes, hoping to push him to the position of court minister. It is said that he will be transferred back to Ayutthaya this year. Is this true?"

Taksin was later known as King Taksin of Thonburi. Sing was the name he changed after he ascended the throne, which was derived from the pronunciation of the Sanskrit word for lion, Sing.

Siam was deeply influenced by Buddhist culture. Lion represents kingship and power in Buddhism and Indian culture, so many important figures used it as their names, such as the famous Chinese-Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

"Brother Wei, don't tell me you don't know how big a threat the White Elephant King poses to Siam. Don't tell me you don't know that King Agada of Siam is suffering from leprosy and is completely unable to control the government. The people in the country are living in poverty and separatist factions are everywhere.

If the White Elephant King attacks next year or the year after, relying on the huge Western artillery, Ayutthaya City will certainly not be able to withstand it.

If Zheng Guoying dies in battle, all the efforts of your fellow Chaozhou people over the past 15 years will be wiped out in an instant!"

Wei Rikun's face became solemn. It was just as Ou Zibu said, Zheng Guoying was the most outstanding next generation among the Chaozhou folks.

Ever since he took office as Dacheng's adjutant five years ago at the age of twenty-six, the people of Chaozhou have placed a heavy bet on Zheng Guoying. Even ignoring the support provided by the five major Chaozhou families during Zheng Guoying's rise to prominence, in the past five years alone, at least thirty thousand Chaozhou people have migrated south from Chaozhou to Siam, becoming a significant force there.

Most of these 30,000 Chaozhou people were young and strong. In order to transport these 30,000 people, the major Chaozhou families worked together to send ships from Jieyang and other places to Southeast Asia day and night.

You have to know that the total population of Chaozhou Prefecture today is only about 1.6 to 1.7 million, and the total number of able-bodied men is only about 600,000. However, they transported nearly 30,000 men to Siam within five years, which shows how determined they were.

Nowadays, most of these Chaozhou Dingzhuang have married Siamese women and have taken root in Siam, waiting for the moment when Taksin will take control of Siam.

Historically, Taksin broke out of Ayutthaya and walked to Rayong. With a raised flag, he was able to gather tens of thousands of soldiers and generals immediately. Then, in just a few months, he defeated the Burmese. There was a reason for all this.

It can also indirectly prove that the Chinese, specifically the Teochew people, half-intentionally watched the fall of the Ayutthaya Dynasty in order to push Taksin to the top!
Even though Taksin I died later, the usurper King Rama I Chakri did not settle accounts with the Teochew people except Taksin's confidants.

Because he was also a member of the Teochew chess game, Rama I's own grandmother and mother were both from the Teochew family that was a combination of Tang and Siam.

Even after the Chakri dynasty continued to erase history, some clues were still left.

The mother of Rama II, the son of Rama I, was most likely either a daughter of the Zheng family in Chaozhou or a daughter of another prominent Chaozhou family.

Therefore, the Chaozhou people in Siam placed a heavy bet on Zheng Guoying.

Including Zheng Guoying being adopted as an adopted son by the powerful Ayutthaya official at the time, it was all due to the support of the Chaozhou compatriots. Over the past 15 years, at least 60,000 to 70,000 people and nearly one million taels of silver were invested.

Wei Rikun was startled. It turned out that these people from western Guangdong who occupied Hexian and Jiading had been keeping an eye on this matter!
But he knew that what Ou Zi Bu said was right. In addition to Zheng Guoying, there were also several rising stars from Chaozhou families as substitutes, such as the fourth-generation grandson of Wu Guoyong, whose ancestors had served as the Minister of Justice and was conferred the title of Phraya.

But not only were their abilities inferior to Zheng Guoying's, but their ancestors had arrived in Siam too early, making it difficult for them to convince the newly arrived Chaozhou fellows.

The most suitable and perfect candidate at the moment is Zheng Guoying, the second-generation trendy person.

"What can our Wei family get?" Wei Rikun was silent for a long time. He and Lu basically relied on him, and he didn't have many choices.

"Pattani!" Ou Zibu pointed at the map, "Once we return from rescuing the Fulangsha barbarian soldiers in Huadu, we will immediately capture Patani.

This time, your Wei family does not have to share Patani with the Wang family of Luokun and the Ye family of Jiayingzhou Hakka people in Taogongcheng.

More importantly, Brother Wei holds a priceless artillery force in his hands. If Zheng Guoying wants to go further, or even become the king of Siam, he must rely on the Wei family.

I dare say that by that time, your Wei family of Fusha Village will definitely be the third largest family in Siam after the Zheng family and the Wu family."

The Zheng family is a rising star among the Teochew people in Siam. A hundred years ago, someone from the Wu family served as the Minister of Justice and Finance of the Ayutthaya Dynasty. Their foundation is not comparable to that of the Wei family.

Therefore, being the third family after the Zheng family and the Wu family is already the best position a Chaozhou family can achieve in Siam.

"And." Ou Zibu drew out his words and looked at Wei Rikun.

"Brother Wei, if I'm not mistaken, the Wei clan in Pattani must be well prepared. As time goes on, with so many people and so many opinions, be careful of any changes!"

Wei Rikun's cheeks twitched a few times, and he asked with a gloomy face, "Then may I ask, Fifth Young Master, what do you and Boss He want to gain?"

At this moment, even He Xiwen looked at Ou Zibu. He also needed Ou Zibu's advice on how to make arrangements, as this was related to the future of all his subordinates.

Ou Zibu took a deep breath and said, "I want Hexian, I want Jiading, I want the entire land of the former Champa Kingdom!
Damn it, these places were originally opened up by us Tang people, why should we hand them over to the Ruan family?
Didn’t Nguyen Gan, the ancestor of their Nguyen family, also flee to Annan from Fujian? Now that his descendants have become kings, they have forgotten their roots and are treating us fellow countrymen like fat sheep to be slaughtered. This is intolerable!

Brother Wei, Brother He, we have the right time, right place, and right people. Let's do something big together!"

(End of this chapter)