The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 422 Republican Parliament
April 1779, 4. March 18rd, the third year of the Guangzhong reign of the Great Yu Dynasty, the forty-fourth year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty.

The Second Republican Congress was held in Guangzhou.

This was the first time that Mo Zibu returned to Guangzhou since the Northern Expedition. After careful consideration, Emperor Mo only brought 6,000 people from the Yulin Guards and the Shendian Guards, as well as 4,000 garrison troops from the Guangdong Zuoyi Town.

Apart from these 10,000 people, Mo Zibu did not move any of them. Among the 12 armies of the Beijing Camp, the seven armies that had been fully organized were all left behind around Yingtian Prefecture.

Because for Mo Zibu, no matter how important the affairs in Southeast Asia are, they are certainly not as important as those on the mainland. Postponing the Huguang Campaign is already the limit, and it is impossible to withdraw troops from the capital.

Therefore, before heading south, Mo Zibu promoted the rank of General of Chariots and Cavalry to Li Xianwen, the only army general of Dayu, and appointed him as the governor of Yingtian Prefecture, with the commander-in-chief of the Beijing camp in charge of garrisoning. He then took most of the civil officials with him and headed south to Guangzhou.

In the Palace of the Republican Parliament, Mo Zibu converted the Guangzhou General's Mansion, which he originally used as a temporary palace, into the Palace of the Republican Parliament.

Mo Zibu's current palace was moved to the Long Family Garden in Daliang, Shunde, which is the Qinghui Garden, a famous representative of Lingnan gardens in later generations.

Warm applause rang out in waves and lasted for a long time. This gesture of clapping hands to express strong emotions is common in ancient and modern times, both in China and abroad. It was only in the Palace of the Republican Parliament that Mo Zibu made it a custom.

Mo Zibu, dressed in formal attire, held Yuan Mei and Yao Nai's hands respectively, and walked to the podium in the middle of the Republican Parliament Palace. He smiled and said to the members of the parliament:
"Since ancient times, Lingnan, where the people of Fujian and Guangdong are the main residents, has not been a place of flourishing culture and education. Therefore, today I have brought here the Wen Zong, the land of culture and elegance in Jiangnan.

When the meeting is over and the banquet is served, everyone should have a few more drinks with the two gentlemen."

The crowd erupted in cheers and laughter. Although Yuan Mei and Yao Nai were both great writers of the time and had seen many grand scenes, they were still a little overwhelmed by Mo Zibu's approach. If there weren't so many people around, they would have knelt down to Mo Zibu in gratitude.

This can be considered a benefit left by the Qing Dynasty to Mo Zibu. The three generations of Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong almost broke the backbone of Chinese literati.

If this happened in the Song and Ming dynasties, Emperor Mo Zibu could go out whenever he wanted and summon the current Emperor Wenzong whenever he wanted. This would absolutely be impossible.

After some more jokes and livening up the atmosphere, Mo Zibu finally got down to business. The final result, of course, was a unanimous approval.

Not to mention that this so-called parliament was actually a favor given by the emperor, just the capture of Batavia, that is, Java Island, this alone means endless wealth, and anyone who does not support it is simply crazy.

After the resolution was passed, the members of the Republican Assembly immediately began to announce the number of troops, money, guns, and ships they would provide.

In just one afternoon, they gathered 4,500 samurai, 11,000 samurai soldiers, 7,000 qualified sailors, more than 20,000 muskets, eight Western-style armed merchant ships, and 40 large and small Chinese hard-sail gunboats. In addition, they could mobilize 50,000 able-bodied civilians depending on the situation.

As for food, what a joke, there is no shortage of food in Nanyang. As long as Mo Zibu wants transport ships, two or three thousand will be no problem.

Moreover, Mo Zibu did not need to spend a penny on these soldiers and all the supplies. The parliamentarians would bear all the costs themselves.

There are even some people who are short of money and food. They can go to the Fuxing Company's Fuxing Development Bank to borrow money. I, the great emperor, have personally approved to lend them low-interest special loans for development and colonization.

This is what Mo Zibu has always advocated: the greater the rights you enjoy, the greater the obligations you must bear, and rights and obligations are relative.

These vassals endured hardships equivalent to exile and opened up living space for future generations, so they were qualified to enjoy superior treatment in the Republican Parliament.

Otherwise, if they have suffered so much, and you still want them to be dogs for the royal family and the government, only a fool would go out to colonize.

That night, the civil officials, wealthy gentry, Emperor Wenzong and members of the Republican Parliament from Jiangnan held a lively social evening party. The atmosphere was very good, and even Mo Zibu, who always had good self-control, got drunk.

After the party, Qian Daxin and Qian Dazhao brothers, Yuan Mei, Yao Nai, Lu Wenqi and other Jiangnan literati and gentry gathered together.

Although they were slightly tipsy, they were not drunk yet. This was not to say that they could drink better than Mo Zibu, but that everything they saw today was too shocking. This explosion from the soul dispelled a lot of the anesthetic effect of alcohol.

"Today I finally understand why so many people admire the ancient sage kings. When you interact with them, you don't have to change your color or suffer misfortune in an instant, you don't have to kneel and kowtow all the time, and you don't have to act like a slave.

Although there are distinctions between high and low, noble and humble, there is no feeling of fear or trepidation, like being surrounded by a tiger."

After taking a sip of strong tea, Lu Wenyi said, "Although Emperor Qianlong, who rebelled against the Qing Dynasty, could also act in a friendly and approachable manner, you could sense that he was merely pretending, forcibly pretending to be a sage and wise ruler.

But you can sense the genuine approachability of His Majesty Guangzhong."

Qian Daxin glanced at Lu Wenzhi. He knew that what Lu Wenzhi said was quite exaggerated. Mo Guangzhong was not as easy to get along with as he said.

The reason why Lu Wenzhi had this feeling was actually because the status and benefits of the Republican members of parliament really shocked these Jiangnan literati, making them feel shocked and envious.

This is not a member of parliament at all, this is just a wholesale of red-letter certificates.

Because everyone who came this time had heard a classic story, which was that more than ten years ago, the Republican parliamentarian and the garrison commander of Yugang was guilty of harboring a criminal. In order to convict him, the emperor had to come forward in person to explain the crime. The Republican parliamentarians voted three times and spent an hour depriving him of his parliamentary status before they could convict him.

Let me ask everyone here, who doesn’t want such a layer of protection?

Even for many gentry in Jiangnan, this guaranteed status as a republican parliamentarian was more attractive than becoming a high-ranking official.

However, Qian Daxin decided to cool down their attitude because as a university scholar he was closest to the emperor and knew what he was thinking.

"Gentlemen, the Second Sage once said: You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Just look at who these republican members of parliament are. Not to mention those of us from Jiangnan, is there a single gentry from Guangdong or Fujian who can become a member of parliament?

Those who appeared in the Parliament Palace today were all vassal officials and landowners who went to colonize the land in the two provinces of An and Dai and Jiaqing. They did not ask the court for a penny and risked their lives to fight in the wilds of Southeast Asia.

For example, Lin Tonghuo from Penang and Ye Xiancai from Kecheng who returned this time were doing dangerous work that put them in the sight of the Dutch red-haired people, otherwise they would not have their current status.

Even the most inferior of them, the native officials from Xingtang Prefecture, joined Your Majesty when he first rose to power. They paid a huge price just to clear out the Cham people from Xingtang and Rinan provinces."

Ruan Chengxin, a Confucian scholar from Yangzhou, also came to attend the event with his fifteen-year-old son Ruan Yuan. He smiled and echoed:
"Mr. Qian is right. You can't have your cake and eat it too. If you want to join the government and benefit the people, you naturally can't have the protection of a republican parliamentarian.

As for the difficult issue of not granting republican parliamentary seats to mainland gentry, it is not difficult at all.

I think the climate in Guangzhou is not much different from that in Jiangnan. Even if Nanyang is a little hotter, it won't matter. People from Fujian and Guangdong can go there, so can people from Jiangnan. If you have this idea, why don't you respond to your Majesty's call to explore Nanyang? "

Lu Wenyi looked at Ruan Chengxin with a smile, "Your family has produced many military commanders. Your children are both civil and military, so it will not be difficult for them to colonize Southeast Asia.

My family is full of people who only know how to use a pen. If we go to Southeast Asia, we will be beaten to death by the natives." Ruan Chengxin's father and grandfather were all generals in the Green Camp. It was only his generation that began to turn to literature. However, many of his family members still had the tradition of practicing martial arts, so going to Southeast Asia was naturally not difficult.

After hearing what Lu Wenqi said, Nguyen Chengxin's fifteen-year-old son Nguyen Wen had a different opinion.

"Mr. Baojing, Your Majesty is the holy ruler of the Han Chinese. Unlike the Manchus, who feared a rebellion among the Han Chinese, you never banned sharp weapons like firearms.

I have done some research recently and found that wielding a firearm is much easier to learn than using a bow and arrow or a long sword. As long as you are strong and courageous, you don't need any training. You can get the hang of it in just ten days, and become proficient in two or three months of practice.

If I meet an enemy, no matter how many years he has practiced martial arts or how skilled his swordsmanship is, I can easily kill him within a few dozen steps with just one shot from my gun.

We Jiangnan people have no shortage of money or men, and we have no shortage of skilled farmers. If we can recruit thirty or fifty strong men and equip them with muskets, even if the natives outnumber us ten to one, armed with tattered iron knives and wooden spears, what can we do to them?

Hearing Ruan Wen's insightful remarks, Ruan Chengxin also became excited. "Everyone, I have already done some research. Regarding the colonization of Southeast Asia, we Jiangnan people actually have a big advantage. That is, we have no shortage of skilled workers.

Whether it's brewing, weaving, carpentry, stonemasonry, or bricklaying, the number of craftsmen in Jiangnan far exceeds that of other places. These are exactly the talents urgently needed for the expansion of Southeast Asia!"

The reason why the Ruan father and son were so excited was because Ye Mingyue, the son of Baron Kecheng, had hooked up with them.

The people behind Ye Mingyue have territory and military power. The Ruan father and son can recruit people. Ye Mingyue is trying to get Ruan Chengxin to marry a daughter to the son of Lin Tonghuo, the son of Bingangzi. The three parties have joined forces.

After these two people created a great atmosphere, Yuan Mei and Yao Nai, who had always been the big bosses, also spoke up.

Yao Nai was considered a great figure in textual criticism. He looked at the crowd and said with a smile, "I think being a member of parliament isn't that difficult.

When Your Majesty was in Southeast Asia, you issued a written notice to the world, dividing Confucian scholars into the ancient Confucianists, the heroic Confucianists, the corrupt Confucianists and the cynical Confucianists.

I don't think his intention is to insult us Confucianists who have lost both our countries, but to express his anger at our lack of fighting spirit and his pity for our misfortune.

If I, the leader of Jiangnan's cultural and artistic world, can help Your Majesty to help Confucian scholars break free from their ruts and escape the vicious cycle that has perpetuated Confucianism since the Song Dynasty, so that they can open their eyes to the world and usher in a second Warring States era, then even a mere republican parliamentarian would not be able to do that.

Yuan Mei also smiled from ear to ear. Originally, literary masters like them were limited to the literary world and had a hard time dealing with the power of the government. Now, if they could have the status of a member of parliament, it would naturally be much better.

Although he didn't know when the emperor would bring the Republican Parliament to Jiangnan, as long as the emperor was willing to do so, it would be a good thing.

However, Yuan Mei kindly reminded them, “There is one thing you may not have noticed. The Republican Parliament has an annual financial and tax audit, and it is said that there are also random inspections at certain times each year.

Gentlemen, those who fail to pay their taxes on time, or who conceal their land, will not be elected as republican representatives."

The reason why Yuan Mei said this was that although the Qing Dynasty had completed the tax payment system for all gentry, there were many ways to deal with it.

Concealing land and property is child's play. What's even worse is that some people collude with the government, one scaring the other, one coaxing, one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop, trying to make the powerless pay more miscellaneous taxes, and then changing these miscellaneous taxes into land tax paid by the rich, in order to evade taxes.

There are many other methods like this.

Mo Zibu knew that he couldn't stop it, so while he kept cracking down on them, he also gave them some benefits. The treatment of this congressman was good, but as long as he came in, he would have to endure annual financial and tax audits.

Siam, Thonburi, Wat Indrama.

Just when a group of people in Jiangnan realized the value of the status of republican parliamentarians and were eager to join in the colonization, Tong and Zheng Xin finally met.

Tong hesitated for a moment, but still knelt down. Zheng Xin was alone, still wearing his golden monk's robe.

Taksin's last resort, Phraya Mahaduna, chose to abandon him after his family was captured by Phraya San. This dealt the most fatal blow to the already desperate Taksin.

"My poor brother, do you really think you can take this country away?" Zheng Xin looked at Tong sarcastically, and then felt quite emotional.

"I originally thought that the one who could take away this inheritance would be Zibu, but I didn't expect you to come out and make wedding clothes for others."

When things in this world come into contact with power, there is no human nature left.

People like Zheng Mincheng and Luo Fangbai understood that Siam was an obstacle to Dayu, and Zheng Xin certainly understood it even more clearly.

That's why his relationship with Mo Zibu became very twisted after Mo Zibu began to grow stronger.

If Shishi could give birth normally and her grandson could inherit China, Zheng Xin might be happy to offer Siam.

But in recent years, the people of Mingxiang, the fellow countrymen in western Guangdong, and the Cantonese people have all been supporting Concubine Chen Yijin, and Zheng Xin's mind has changed.

Tong was also helpless. When Zheng Xin said that he was making a wedding dress, Tong's face became even uglier. However, since he had already embarked on this path, he could only go on to the end.

"Xin, this is not your country, but the country of the Thai people. I am only acting in accordance with the will of all Thai people."

"Hahahaha!" Zheng Xin laughed. "You even believe this kind of nonsense. It seems you know you're on a dead end."

After laughing, Zheng Xin looked at Tong, a look of nostalgia on his face, "For the sake of our growing up together, Tong, I advise you to give up.

You can't defeat Zibu, so if you stop now, your family will still have a chance to survive."

Although Zheng Xin had good intentions, Tong couldn't bear to hear this. He walked out with a dark face without saying anything.

"Tie him up and keep a close watch on him day and night. Don't let him find a chance to commit suicide. If he tries to go on a hunger strike, just pour the food straight into his mouth!"

Hearing him say this, his nephew Phraya Korat was stunned for a moment, "Why, shouldn't he be executed now?"

"Don't ask why, just do whatever I say." Tong became more and more anxious, even a little exasperated.

Because he realized that everything Zheng Xin said today was not to persuade him at all, but seemed to be trying to provoke him to kill him.

In that case, when Dayu's army arrived in Siam, they would have sufficient excuses to kill all those who betrayed Taksin.

(End of this chapter)