The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 373: The vicissitudes of a generation cannot be washed away, and the three surviving heroes are still remembered
Yashan is located on the west side of Yamenhai, about 230 miles away from Guangzhou.

The distance is not short. If you bring the ceremonial guards and guards with you, it will take at least three days to walk.

But Mo Zibu did not stay in Guangzhou for long. After leaving his father Mo Tianci and second brother Li Xianwen to guard Guangzhou, he immediately set out for Yashan.

The reason why he was so anxious was because Mo Zibu's greatest legal principle actually came from here.

The most resounding slogan of the Tiandihui today is "Red flags fluttering, heroes are recruited, the overseas emperor, come to restore the Ming Dynasty."

It is said that the first person to shout out this slogan was Zhang Nianyi, a monk who was a member of the Tiandihui and started an uprising in Dalan Mountain, Zhejiang Province, 1709 years ago in the th year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi ().

Monk Yi Nian also supported a Taiwanese named Zhu Yongzuo, who was most likely a descendant of the Ming Dynasty royal family who retreated to Taiwan. He called himself Prince Zhu San and used Tiande as his reign title.

The first overseas emperor refers to him.

After the rebellion of Monk Yi Nian and others failed and Zhu Yongzuo was tortured to death by slicing by the Qing court, the image of the overseas emperor began to change again.

Because at this time, there was a statement acknowledged by the Ming court, that is, the grandfather of Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, Prince of Yang, Chen Gong, was a survivor of the Battle of Yashan.

Thus, the overseas emperor evolved further, and this sea became the sea where Yashan was located, and "outside" referred to my grandfather.

This means that the grandfather of the future emperor who will restore China like the Hongwu Emperor must be a loyal and righteous man who participated in the unyielding anti-Qing war overseas.

And it just so happens that among the Cantonese-speaking people in Guangdong, the father-in-law is called "waifu" and the grandfather is called "waiye".

When applied to Mo Zibu, it is even more terrifying, because he just happens to have a grandfather who fought against the Qing Dynasty at sea, and this grandfather, like Zhu Yuanzhang's grandfather, has the surname Chen!

If there is one similarity, it is not surprising. After all, Chen is almost the largest surname in Guangdong. If there are two similarities, it may be a coincidence. But if all three are similar, it cannot be described as a coincidence.

Especially in Guangdong, or in the whole of China, people are the most likely to believe in prophecies.

Thus, with the addition of such a series of coincidences, the mere sixteen words "Red flags fluttering, heroes recruited, the overseas emperor, restore the Ming Dynasty" became the greatest source of Mo Zibu's legal theory.

. . . .

Yashan is a cliff close to the sea, with Pingshan to the west. The two mountains face each other, like a door that binds this sea area, so it is also called Yamen.

The Yamen Temple has been built here since the early Ming Dynasty, but it has fallen into disrepair now.

So after Mo Zibu arrived, he immediately built a temple in the middle of Yashan to commemorate Song Duanzong Zhao Shi and the last emperor Zhao Bing who was carried by Lu Xiufu and jumped into the sea.

The Shrine of Three Loyal Martyrs of the Song Dynasty was built on the left to commemorate Wen Tianxiang, Lu Xiufu and Zhang Shijie.

On the right side, the Ming Dynasty Three Loyal Martyrs Shrine was built to commemorate Chen Bangyan, Chen Zizhuang and Zhang Jiayu.

Mo Zibu did not avoid the wind and rain and personally participated in the construction. The 3,000 soldiers of the Xing Tang Army who followed him also worked together.

People from the surrounding Xinning (Taishan), Xinhui and Xiangshan also came enthusiastically and participated without asking for any wages. Women and children were no exception and all participated in person.

The three grand ancestral halls were completed in just over ten days.

When the three shrines were completed, there were dark clouds overhead, lightning and thunder, and strong winds. Suddenly, the clouds disappeared and the rain stopped, and the sun shone on the sea, making the waves sparkle.

Whether it was the cabinet members Pei Jiannan and Chen Taili who came with Mo Zibu, or the Annan literati Wu Shishi, as well as the Fujian and Guangdong literati Yin Chengfang, Song Xiang, Wen Tingshi, etc., all of them changed color.

Pei Jiannan and the others then knelt three times and kowtowed nine times, shouting "Long live the king!" Yin Chengfang stepped forward and said, "At this moment, Your Majesty has responded to the will of Heaven, and that is why the gods have responded by clearing the clouds and bringing the rain.

The prophecies from overseas emperors were all true.

This is an auspicious sign that Your Majesty will ascend the throne immediately, fulfilling the will of Heaven. We, your subjects, implore Your Majesty to obey Heaven and people and issue an edict to the world, demonstrating your resolve to expel the Tartar invaders."

What Yin Chengfang said is the problem that Mo Zibu needs to solve most now.

In fact, Mo Zibu was ready to ascend the throne after defeating the Qing Dynasty, because until now, the title of Xing Tang that Mo Zibu used was not a normal royal title, and it sounded like a makeshift troupe.

However, considering that ascending the throne in Beihe would undoubtedly strengthen the overseas imprint on him, Mo Zibu rejected the proposal of Pei Jiannan, Deng Chenchang and others to ascend the throne in Beihe Tokyo City.

However, although the time is basically ripe now, it is impossible to do it in the wild, so Mo Zibu waved his hand.

"How can you be so frivolous and talk about such a serious matter in the open air? Please stop trying to persuade me."

Afterwards, Mo Zibu called the elders of the Qingyuan Chen clan forward, "The Chen clan fought to break the myth of the Qing Dynasty's Eight Banner Heavenly Soldiers. Over 500 of our clan members died in battle. We are truly the most loyal and brave clan in Guangdong Province."

As he spoke, Mo Zila lifted the hand of Chen Side, the patriarch of the Chen family in Dawan, and said, "This king appoints you as the governor of Fu'an Prefecture in Guiren Province, and grants you 50,000 mu of land, including 400,000 mu of mountains, forests, swamps, and lakes."

Chen Side knelt down with a thud. This was what he had always pursued, and the land granted also included 20,000 acres of cultivated fields and 100,000 acres of mountains, forests and swamps.

"I heard that there's a heroine here. Her father and brother are both dead, but she's not afraid to kill her enemies and has made many contributions."

Hearing Mo Zibu's question, Chen Si De nodded quickly, "There is indeed a female embroiderer, and she is my niece. She also came here with me today."

Although women were not respected much in the Qing Dynasty, China has had one good aspect since ancient times. That is, when a woman can achieve deeds that are equal to or even better than those of men, men will generally recognize her status.

This is the case with the embroiderer. She killed her enemies with her own hands and beheaded four people, and has gained power equal to that of men.

Looking at the weak woman who slowly knelt down before him, Mo Zibu was filled with emotion. Who would have thought that such a thin woman could burst out with such energy.

"Women are indeed as capable as men. Chen Xiu Niang, you have done a great job. I, the king, will reward you with one hundred acres of fertile land, ten ounces of silver, and thirty bolts of cloth."

This was a considerable fortune, so Chen Xiu Niang quickly knelt down to express her gratitude.

"I have many warriors under my command. Are you willing to let me be your matchmaker?" Mo Zibudu laughed out loud.

But he was indeed doing this for the woman's own good. Her father and brother were both dead. No matter how capable she was, the land and money in her hands would inevitably be coveted by others.

Choosing a young officer from the Xing Tang Army as a husband for this young girl was undoubtedly the best choice. "I thank you, Your Majesty, but I have one condition," Chen Xiu Niang replied softly, somewhat stubbornly.

"Okay, okay!" Mo Zibu agreed with a smile. Everything will be up to you.

"I hope that my first child, as long as he is not the only boy, will be named Chen and inherit my brother's incense."

"Good, this is filial piety!" Mo Zibu praised loudly. At this moment, it was indeed very politically correct.

"Leave it to me, my king. I will definitely find a husband who meets your requirements, at least an officer of the Junior Guard or above."

After Chen Xiu Niang left with a red face, Mo Zibu immediately lavishly rewarded the entire Qingyuan Chen family.

A total of two fifth-rank officials, eight eighth-rank officials, and more than 400,000 acres of farmland and a large amount of mountain and forest land were granted.

Such a big move was not only worth it, but also because Mo Zibu, as a king, was very wary of such a powerful local clan that could mobilize 30,000 to 40,000 men, women, and children at the drop of a hat.

Therefore, a family like the Qingyuan Chen family, which is considered a big family in Fujian and Guangdong, must be split up in the future. However, Mo Zibu has methods that previous kings did not possess.

He had a large amount of land in Southeast Asia that could be divided among the big clans, and these big clans were very happy to go.

After Annan is filled up, there is Andai, and after Andai, there are Java Island and Kasai Dao (West Borneo). In the future, there will be Lower Burma and Australia. There is no need to worry about lack of land for resettlement.

After the temple construction and sacrifices were completed, Mo Zibu began to return to Guangzhou. However, before he reached Guangzhou City, his civil and military officials, especially a large number of military officers, began to persuade him to ascend the throne.

As expected, Mo Zibu refused.

Because Mo Zibu has only shown favor to the middle and upper classes now, and has not yet shown favor to the lower classes, he cannot be too hasty, as the time is not yet ripe.

So after refusing the persuasion, Mo Zibu issued an order in Guangzhou, in view of the loyalty and bravery of the Three Loyalists of the Song Dynasty and the Three Loyalists of Lingnan.

Mo Zibute rewarded all the elderly people over 50 years old and children under 14 years old in Guangdong with the surnames Chen, Zhang, Wen and Lu with a jar of wine, two catties of meat, five catties of vegetables and fruits, and thirty catties of grain.

This made the eyes of other surnames red with envy. The four surnames of Chen, Zhang, Wen and Lu were so proud that they almost reached the sky. They never dreamed that the loyalty of their ancestors could be rewarded to them.

At the end of June, the property of the Eight Banners stationed in Guangdong was counted. It was found that there were more than 8,000 rooms that could be used as residences in the entire west of the city. The entire Eight Banners occupied a total of 4.3 million acres of fertile land in the Pearl River Delta.

You should know that the entire province of Guangdong today, including Beihai, Qinzhou and Hainan Island Province in Guangxi in later generations, has only about 35 million mu of farmland.

There were only tens of thousands of people from the Eight Banners stationed in Guangzhou, but each person occupied more than 200 acres on average, which was more than 10% of the total.

Of course, this is just an average. The actual situation is that the generals and governors-general in Guangzhou account for the majority, and there are far fewer lower-level bannermen.

After counting these, Mo Zibu immediately assigned someone to be responsible for the review and found all the heroes who had fought against the Qing Dynasty in the past, and allocated a large amount of high-quality paddy fields as rewards.

"Your Majesty, Qu Mingxing dared not come, claiming that he was ashamed to face his ancestors and dared not accept Your Majesty's reward." Zheng Jinshui reported to Mo Zibu holding a list.

Now, the descendants of the Guangdong anti-Qing heroes on the list have basically been found. Even the Zhang family of Wanjiang, Dongguan, which was originally thought to have been exterminated, still has members.

It turned out that after Zhang Jiayu died for his country, his father Zhang Zhaolong and uncle Zhang Zhaokun were not dead. They took Zhang Jiayu's two sons and fled to the sea to hide.

Emperor Yongli even found Zhang Zhaolong and conferred his son Zhang Jiayu's title of Marquis of Zengcheng on him.

Qu Mingxing, who did not dare to come this time, was also not an ordinary person. He was the son of Qu Dajun, a famous Lingnan anti-Qing hero.

He did not dare to come because after Qu Dajun's death, his sons could not withstand the Qing court's investigation and took the initiative to surrender in the eighth year of Yongzheng's reign (1730).

After reading Qu Dajun's works, Emperor Yongzheng became furious, burned most of Qu Dajun's works, and ordered Qu Dajun's coffin to be exhumed and his body to be mutilated.

Although they were pardoned later and the exhumation and mutilation of the body was cancelled, the fact that Qu Dajun's sons almost caused their father to be exhumed and mutilated completely put them under the shackles of moral judgment.

The only person still alive today is Qu Mingxing, the youngest son of Qu Dajun, who is 87 years old. He does not dare and does not have the face to come out to claim these lands.

But this was not an option, so Mo Zibu whispered to Zheng Jinshui, "Go tell Qu Mingxing and the Qu clan that they must come. I am planning to confer a posthumous title on Qu Dajun, and it would be unfilial of them not to come."

Therefore, Qu Mingxing had no choice but to rush to Guangzhou with more than 20 of his sons and nephews.

Mo Zibu had already prepared everything. He looked at the elderly Qu Mingxing and the Qu family members and said:
"I understand the terror and darkness you faced at that time, but I cannot forgive your actions.

Qu Mingxing is old, so I will not hold them accountable.

You must accept the 200 acres of land that Mr. Qu Wengshan was awarded for his loyalty to the country, but if he did something wrong, he must also be punished.

Today, I, the sovereign, will teach you, the unfilial descendants, a lesson on behalf of Mr. Wengshan."

After saying that, Mo Zibu ordered Qu Mingkui, a grandson of Qu Dajun, and several great-grandsons to take off their shirts and expose their backs. He personally held a rattan stick and beat them until blood splattered all over their bodies and they screamed in pain.

At this time, the eleven-year-old Qu Futing, the fourth generation of the Qu family, rushed out and cried bitterly, saying that he was willing to take the beating for his grandfather, father and uncles.

Mo Zibu breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, a person with some hope of salvation had arrived. It seemed that Qu Dajun's character and loyalty and filial piety had not been completely lost.

Afterwards, Mo Zibu announced that he would take Qu Futian in to be trained by his side, build a temple in his memory, and give 200 acres of the best paddy fields as offerings to the temple.

On the second day, Mo Zibu left the whip at the foot of the western mountain in the north of the city and announced that from that day on, he would no longer pursue the sins of any Cantonese whose ancestors had kneeled down.

As long as the descendants are willing to come here and whip themselves with this whip, it will be considered as atonement for the sins of their ancestors.

After this series of events, Mo Zibu finally established enough reputation among the Cantonese people.

At the same time, everyone knew that King Ren De had entered Guangzhou, but was not posthumously honored or granted a title. He must have been waiting for the final procedure.

What should be done and whether King Ren De is qualified, officials, common people, gentry and merchants all have their own judgments.

(End of this chapter)