The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 387: Chengtian Mansion, Full of Martial Virtue

Mo Zibu did not return to western Guangdong because the time was not right yet. If a man of his status returned home in glory, he would sing the Dafeng Song.

'The wind rises and the clouds fly, my power spreads across the country and I return to my hometown.'

But given the current situation, if you let Mo Zibu go back, how are you going to report to your great-grandfather Mo Shiping and grandfather Chen Shangchuan?

Should I tell them, "I, your grandson, have conquered Guangdong and half of Fujian, and have ascended the throne to become emperor."

But in reality, his power on the mainland is still similar to that of Li Jinwang and Guoxingye at their peak back then. He doesn't even have half of the country. It's really embarrassing to go back and comfort his ancestors.

So Mo Zibu asked his father Mo Tianci and uncle Chen Dasheng to return to western Guangdong and go to Leizhou Prefecture. He built imperial-level ancestral temples for the Mo and Chen families in Haikang County and Wuchuan County respectively, but he himself did not move in Guangzhou.

"Your Majesty, Chen Lian, the Earl of Chenghai, has sent someone to ask for instructions. The Tartars have concentrated all of Fujian Province's food and troops in Fuzhou. The Shi and Huang families, who betrayed the Emperor, are still here. Should we attack Fuzhou?"

Prime Minister Pei Jiannan came in with a memorial, but he first talked about the affairs of Fujian.

Mo Zibu thought for a moment and asked, "Didn't Shi Qi send anyone to intercede for me?"

People are complex, and this is even more typical when it comes to Shi Lang. He is simply the most complex embodiment of complex human nature.

In his early years, he followed Zheng Zhilong to surrender to the Qing Dynasty, and later fled back to his country. He made many military achievements but was also arrogant and domineering.

This man and Guoxing were natural enemies. One of them was reckless and daring, while the other had suffered repeated setbacks and was petty and suspicious. As a result, tragedy was inevitable. Shi Lang's father and brother were killed by Guoxing, and eventually surrendered to the Qing Dynasty.

Mo Zibu sighed deeply. Koxinga was still a little narrow-minded. In history, he died of anger and illness at the age of 39 when he was about to show his talents. This must have a lot to do with his temper.

If he had been more tolerant towards Shi Lang, this man would have been the biggest and most dangerous enemy of the Qing Dynasty's attack on southern Fujian. However, he was pushed to the Qing Dynasty's side by Guo Xing himself in vain.

Afterwards, Shi Lang led the Qing army to capture Taiwan, which led to the destruction of the Dongning Zheng family, the last Han regime isolated overseas.

Although after Chen Yonghua's death, Feng Xifan, Liu Guoxuan and others had almost defeated the Han elements of the Dongning Zheng family, but alas!
After the Zheng family of Dongning was destroyed, the Qing Dynasty feared that it would be difficult to control the sea. Kangxi strongly advocated giving up Taiwan, and it was Shi Lang's repeated persuasion that prevented them from moving all the Han people of Dongning back.

After that, four generations of Shi Lang's family took over from the Zheng family of Dongning to continuously develop Taiwan. Originally, Taiwan only had the Anping area of Tainan and a population of no more than 200,000. By the Qianlong period, there were settlements from Taipei to Tainan and a population of more than 1.8 million. This truly allowed the Han people to consolidate their presence in Taiwan.

It seems like a great achievement, right? But secretly, the Shi family settled in Taiwan mainly to unite with other major Minnan clans, annex the Zheng family's land, reclaim new land for their own, and then collect a large rent from the Shi Marquis.

The exact number of acres of land is no longer known. Emperor Qianlong once sent people to Taiwan to conduct an inventory, but the Shi family was able to outwit the inspectors and reported only 13,000 to 14,000 acres.

This was clearly making fun of Emperor Qianlong, yet he chose to endure it in the end. This shows how important the Shi family was in Taiwan.

After that, the Shi family's position in Taiwan became more stable. The Shi family collected the Shihou rent from the Taiwanese people until Japan occupied Taiwan in 1894, when this source of income was cut off.

At the same time, this made the Shi family extremely hate the Japanese, and they began to contribute money, manpower and effort to strongly support the country's naval construction, and made considerable contributions to the naval construction after the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895.

It can be said that even with all the knowledge and experience Mo Zibu had gained from traveling through time, he had never seen anyone as complex, changeable, indescribable, and difficult to evaluate as Shi Lang and the Shi family.

Mo Zibu was reminiscing about Shi Lang, but Pei Jiannan thought he was thinking about how to deal with the Shi family, so he nodded and replied:

"Shi Xi only brought a few of his clansmen south with him; his wife, sons, daughters, and mother were all in the capital. He didn't dare to send anyone to beg for surrender.

A few branches of the Shi family have come to join us, saying they can join forces with the outside world to take Fuzhou, but they want Your Majesty to keep everything they have in Taiwan intact."

"You don't know what's good for you!" Mo Zibu's face turned pale. "You're still thinking about collecting rent from Marquis Shi. How about I give Taiwan to the Shi family and let them establish a Shi Kingdom?"

After venting his anger, Mo Zibu wrote down twelve words and handed them to Pei Jiannan, "We won't fight for Fuzhou anymore. Wait until the Qing Dynasty pours in a lot of money, and then we'll capture it in one fell swoop.

The Prime Minister sent someone to give these twelve words to Chen Lian, asking him to find a way to send them to Shi Qi. He told Shi Qi that their Shi family had been rich and prosperous for more than a hundred years, and that he did not dare to surrender, and I did not want to accept it.

But the fate of his family can still be negotiated. Let him gather all the traitors loyal to the Qing Dynasty to Fuzhou City, and let me deal with them all at once.

This way, if the Xing Tang army enters Beijing in the future, his wife, sons, daughters, and elderly mother will still have a way to survive."

Pei Jiannan took it and looked at it. Emperor Mo, who had finally mastered calligraphy, had written twelve large characters on a piece of rice paper.

'The circumstances are extenuating, but the crime is unforgivable and will be recorded in history.'

This... This is quite accurate in evaluating Shi Lang.

. . . .

Chengtian Guangzhou Prefecture, South City, Kang Liangbao was stunned by the scene in front of him as soon as he got off the boat. He felt as if he had come into a drama troupe.

There were all kinds of people rushing in front of him: bald, flat-headed, with short hair, with buns, a few with braids, and even some with their hair simply loose.

A carriage rumbled past, driven by a blond man, and following behind him were several quite strong black slaves.

Kang Liangbao looked around and it took him a long time to confirm that he had indeed returned to Guangzhou and not been in Hexian.

How come Guangzhou has allowed the Taixi Yi people to run around everywhere? These Yi people are more numerous than the Hexian people.

"What a good cow and horse!"

While Kang Liangbao was shocked, a scholar beside him who was wearing a straight blue robe and had his hair tied into a bun was also as shocked as he was, with his mouth wide open.

"If I bought another body like this and used it to farm, I'd probably have to use one for two people."

Kang Liangbao then discovered that the scholar was looking at the tall black slave behind the golden-haired man with envy. It turned out that the cattle and horses he was talking about were not real cattle and horses, but those Kunlun slaves.

Kang Liangbao, who was familiar with this stuff, shook his head like a rattle, "My dear brother, you are wrong, these Kunlun slaves are stupid!

They can't even learn to forge iron, let alone farm. They eat a lot and are only good at moving goods. I heard some idiots are shipping them to North America to pick cotton."

When the scholar in blue heard Kang Liangbao say this, he looked at his neatly groomed flat head and his eyes lit up.

"Sir, you seem so familiar with me. Could it be that you are from Xingtang Province? My surname is Chen, and I am from Qujiang County, Shaozhou Prefecture."

In today's Dayu, short hair is not strange, but most of those who cut this kind of flat hair that looks a bit strange but good-looking come from Nanyang.

It is said to have been invented by the emperor, and many people simply call it "Si Hai Sheng Ping Tou".

A little-known fact is that the flat head that people think of as coming from the West does not exist now, because Westerners’ hair was not short at that time. There were bald heads, but there were no such neatly groomed flat heads.

This hairstyle actually evolved slowly from the military, and it is difficult to say where it originated and when it became popular.

At this time in China, the word "pingtou" had already appeared, but it referred to a kind of headdress used by ordinary people in daily life, which was the kind wrapped with a piece of cloth, so there was also the term "pingtou common people".

Therefore, after Mo Zibu created this hairstyle, it quickly became popular among the people because of its convenience, so they named this hairstyle "Si Hai Sheng Ping Tou", or Sheng Ping Tou for short, and believed that it was invented by the emperor.

Even in the eyes of many Europeans, this flat head is a distinctive feature of the Chinese people today, and they think it is still a traditional Chinese hairstyle.

Kang Liangbao, who had just returned from Southeast Asia, widened his eyes in surprise when he heard the scholar in front of him claiming to be from Qujiang County, Shaozhou Prefecture, because Shaozhou Prefecture was still nominally under the rule of the Qing Dynasty.

The scholar named Chen knew what Kang Liangbao was surprised about, and he waved his hand.

"The Tartars have long been unable to stay in Shaoguan Prefecture. From the gentry and officials at the top to the yamen runners and militiamen at the bottom, no one listens to the Tartars.

Two months ago, when the Hongmen brothers started making trouble, the Tartars all retreated back to Hunan."

"Oh!" Kang Liangbao nodded. "My name is Kang Liangbao, and I'm from Jiading Prefecture, Xingtang Province. I used to run a small blacksmith shop there. I just returned to Guangzhou and am planning to visit relatives in Foshan. I'd like to know your name and where you're going."

"My name is Chen He. I heard that Your Majesty has established an Infantry Officer School in Huangpu, so I came here from Shaoguan to take the exam." As he spoke, Chen He patted his waist, and a jingling sound was heard.

Kang Liangbao looked down and saw that it was a long dagger made of fine steel. This seemingly gentle scholar was actually a knife player.

Chen He chuckled, "Shaoguan has a small area and a large population, and the people there are tough. Even if they are studying, they have to know some martial arts and dare to kill people.

In the past, scholars who wielded swords and spears were looked down upon, so Shaoguan didn't produce many successful candidates. But now, hey, the Emperor likes us, and we're going to be prosperous."

Kang Liangbao was stunned. This Chen He completely overturned his previous impression of scholars. They were no longer the tall and thin men who held a book, talked about all sorts of things, and shook their heads. Instead, they started to hold knives and use martial arts.

However, as a blacksmith from the land of dragon's birth, Kang Liangbao decided to give this scholar a little Nanyang shock. He lifted up his shirt and took out a well-made pistol from his waist.

"Brother Chen, compared to swords and knives, this is more useful!" Kang Liangbao proudly shook the pistol in his hand.

"Oh, what a good stuff!" Chen He was very connoisseur of good stuff, and his eyes lit up immediately, "Brother Zhang, Brother Li, Brother Zhu, come and see!" Chen He shouted loudly, summoning the scholars who came with him.

Then four or five scholars from Shaoguan surrounded Kang Liangbao and complimented him. They took the musket from his hand, touched it over and over again, and marveled at it.

"I've long heard that Your Majesty imported French musket production technology, producing hand cannons that were invincible. They brought the Qing Dynasty's white-armored soldiers to tears in battle at Beihe. Today, I finally saw it."

"What a good thing! It's only a few inches in size, but one strike from it will kill you instantly, no matter how many layers of armor you have. If you encounter danger, you can hide inside your robe and strike with a single blow. No matter how skilled you are, you won't be able to defend yourself."

"I heard that Brother Kang has his own blacksmith shop. I think he forges his own iron. He must have provided a lot to the Xing Tang Army. He is a hero!"

These people are indeed educated, and most people can't resist their praise.

Kang Liangbao didn't have a blacksmith shop, he was just an apprentice, but he did know how to make muskets.

However, he was unlucky. When the emperor entered Jiading, he hesitated for a moment and did not earn any military merit. He stayed in Jiading and watched his former brothers become successful. He felt very upset and wanted to go back to his hometown to relax.

At this moment, he received compliments from everyone, and his long-lost heart was gradually filled with vanity, and he felt warm all over.

Suddenly, another guy with a similar flat haircut like him squeezed into the crowd.

This guy was accompanied by a few dark and thin native servants. He was wearing black tights and a belt, a typical outfit of the children of Nanyang vassal states.

"Brother, your cooking skills are pretty good!"

This son of a vassal was none other than Ye Mingyue, the son of Baron Kecheng and Second Lieutenant of Fengguo. He came back this time to see if there was a chance to take his fiancée out of Fuzhou City, after all, there was going to be a war.

But as soon as he got off the carriage, he was attracted, because Kecheng and Penang Port were in particular need of a few blacksmiths with superb skills, so that the daily maintenance of weapons and the making of farm tools would be guaranteed.

Even in the future, after the Dutch are driven out of Penang Island, we can quickly accept the Dutch tin smelting industry in Wen Island.

"Brother, I wonder if we can try this gun." Ye Mingyue was eager to try. "I came from Kecheng Island and am in urgent need of talent. I am willing to pay three hundred taels to recruit a master blacksmith."

"Yes, Brother Kang, you should try this gun. We've only heard of it but never seen it before. Let's open our eyes!"

Chen He said excitedly that he really wanted to see whether this hand cannon was as powerful as the legend said.

"Three hundred taels! Return it to the master blacksmith!"

When Kang Liangbao saw Ye Mingyue's outfit and heard the name of Kecheng Island, a place not many people knew in Guangzhou, he knew that what this person said was probably true.

His skills are indeed quite good. What he lacks now is an opportunity. If he can get a title and recruit a group of blacksmith apprentices from his hometown of Foshan, he might be able to make a career of it.

So, his mind suddenly jumped, and without thinking too much, he looked around and pointed, "There's a secluded place over there. I'll take you there to try it."

Also in the south of the city, Li Bao and Ruan Zhuang had just gotten off the car. They came together. Li Bao was holding his left hand, wearing a green formal suit and a belt around his waist.

The so-called formal uniform is the new combat uniform of the Dayu Xingtang Army.

This is a combat uniform that Mo Zibu created with reference to later generations to replace the mandarin duck battle robe. It has a round collar and comes in two types: a long robe and a short jacket. It is characterized by being tight-fitting, convenient, and majestic, with many pockets, making it more suitable for teams equipped with a large number of firearms.

At present, the official uniforms have not been put into service because they are too expensive. Seventy to eighty thousand sets will cost hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, and the court does not have such a large budget.

Because it had just been designed and we didn't know if it was suitable, we first gave a set to military officers and retired military officers to let them evaluate it.

Behind Li Bao stood a young man who was curious about everything. He looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. He was Li Bao's younger brother Li Quan.

"I'll take you and your sister-in-law to Guangzhou for a few days, have some delicious food, and make you some clothes. Then everything will depend on you.

You must be admitted to the Whampoa Military Academy. Whether our Li family can become a military family in the future depends on you."

Li Quan nodded excitedly, and Miss Ruan also got out of the carriage. Although Li Bao had lost three fingers on his left hand, he was a famous general in the army. He was a close confidant of Haiyang Earl and Army Major General Wu Wenyong. Even the county magistrate had to treat him with courtesy.

Moreover, Li Bao suddenly married his childhood goddess and treated Miss Ruan very well. Miss Ruan, who had tasted the nourishment of love for the first time, was naturally very satisfied. She looked at her brother-in-law Li Quan and smiled:
"Uncle, you really need to work hard. When you become His Majesty's general, not only will you bring honor to our family, but you'll also be able to take care of your nephew."

Li Bao smiled innocently after hearing this. Miss Ruan's belly had already started to bulge, and he was also going to have a child.

"Brother Bowen, let's say goodbye now. I have to go down and carefully prepare for the Saint's test.

There is nothing wrong with Li Quan's writing style; the rest depends on his own understanding."

Ruan Zhuang came to participate in this year's imperial examination. The imperial examination in Dayu is a little different now. After passing the examination and being appointed as an official, one's term is three years. If he wants to be promoted at the end of the term, he must take the examination again, which will be presided over by the emperor himself. Only after passing the examination can he be promoted.

This was also something that Mo Zibu had painstakingly come up with. He wanted to ensure that the local officials above the county level under him had the same ideas and goals as him.

Now that he has come up with the nationalism of "all for one country", and is preparing to start developing industry and commerce and colonizing the four directions, he does not want the officials under him to be the old masters who are still immersed in piles of old papers.

Well, it’s called an imperial examination, but in fact it’s more like a party school, where the emperor personally teaches and examines the subjects.

'boom! '

Li Bao bowed and was about to say goodbye to Ruan Zhuang when he suddenly heard a very familiar voice.

Li Bao immediately drew the steel knife from his waist and pushed his brother Li Quan to the side of the carriage, "Protect your sister-in-law and niece!"

After a brief panic, Li Quan immediately took out a sword and a shield from the bottom of the carriage, and guarded the carriage with a very nervous expression.

Here, Ruan Zhuang quickly took out a pistol from his wide green Taoist robe. An attendant handed over a leather bag filled with gunpowder and lead bullets, and the two began to load the ammunition quickly.

Following the sound of the gunshot, chaos broke out around South City, with men and women looking around in confusion.

Of course, there were a dozen or so men who had also drawn their swords and were on guard against each other.

Li Bao jumped onto a carriage and shouted in Mandarin, "I am Li Bao, the major of the Zhenjun Army. Everyone, listen to my orders. Gather the women and children in the middle. Two of you with better martial arts skills, come with me to check the situation."

Well, the place where the gunshot was fired was still very conspicuous, because a cloud of black smoke would rise when the gun was fired.

"Beep! Beep! Beep!" As soon as Li Bao finished speaking, two constables wearing dark red uniforms and headbands ran over, holding flintlock rifles and blowing copper whistles.

Li Bao quickly stepped forward and said, "Two officers, I am retired Major Li Bao. Please follow my command!"

The two constables immediately saluted, and then Li Bao led a team of five people, two flintlock rifles, a pistol, and two sword and shield men, and ran towards the place where the black smoke was rising in a search formation.

Soon, like Li Bao, three or four spontaneous search teams rushed to the scene and caught Kang Liangbao and others in the act.

Not long after, a commander from the South City of the Five Cities Army, who came from the Hongmen, arrived.

He took over the command and ordered the patrol soldiers of the Bingmasi to pin Ye Mingyue, Kang Liangbao, Chen He and more than a dozen servants to the ground.

The pistol that caused the trouble was in the hands of the South City Commander, and the marks of the firing could still be seen on the muzzle.

"It's indeed a fine gun, and the craftsmanship is good, but it's a bit too bold. Daring to fire in the middle of downtown Chengtian Prefecture, with a gentleman present, is this so ignorant of the law? What are you thinking?"

The word "gentleman" is being restored to its original meaning. It not only refers to a moral gentleman, but also to the son of a feudal lord. Correspondingly, the daughter of a feudal lord is called a female lord.

"According to the laws of Dayu, anyone entering a city of a thousand people is not allowed to carry a musket without a warrant.

Officers other than the Shaowei rank and above, officials of the ninth rank, such as Dianshi and Xunjian, and members of the various authorized yamen, are not allowed to carry guns, powder, and lead bullets together.

The commander snorted coldly, "Take them all back! Anyone who has broken the law will be beaten with a stick at the gate of the military headquarters!"

Ye Mingyue groaned in pain. He was so happy that he completely forgot that this was Guangzhou, not Nanyang.

Kang Liangbao had also forgotten about it and was sweating profusely from fear.

As for the students from Shaoguan, they were even less aware of this rule.

The group of people lost their previous excitement and followed the soldiers of the military commander in a dejected manner, like eggplants hit by frost.

　Today is my mother's birthday. I guess I will be drinking and have no time to write. I ask for leave from everyone. I wrote two thousand words less and it's all gone tonight.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)