The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 475 Mao Xiangsheng Returns Hometown

Suzhou, Hanshan Temple.

In fact, at that time, there was no specific temple called Hanshan Temple, but it was a general name for a group of temples. It covered an area of more than 20 acres. It was more like a beautiful Su-style garden than a temple.

The Hanshan Temple garden where Zheng Xin was going to become a monk was almost completely destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion. Only a few stone tablets were preserved. What later generations saw was the reconstruction during the Guangxu period.

"The moon is setting, the sky is full of frost, and Jiang Feng's fishing fire faces Mianmian. The Hanshan Temple outside Gusu City, the bell rings to the passenger ship in the middle of the night."

Zheng Xin wore a simple green Taoist robe and a square scarf on his head, and recited Zhang Ji's "Night Mooring at Maple Bridge" in Nanjing Mandarin with a strong Chaozhou accent.

Mo Zibu tried hard to hold back his laughter. Zheng Xin had never systematically studied Chinese culture since childhood. Chen Lian had said that Zheng Xin's level of Chinese studies was roughly equal to that of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. This was definitely not a mockery but the truth.

Therefore, when Mo Zibu saw Zheng Xin wearing a Taoist robe and a Pingding scarf, looking like an old scholar from Jiangnan, and reciting poems in poor Nanjing Mandarin, he really felt a sense of disconnection.

"Father is in a good mood. When the Emperor returns to Yingtian Prefecture, it would be a wonderful story for you two elders to recite poems and write couplets together."

"The Emperor is a man of great talent. How can I compare to him?" Zheng Xin waved his hand, looked at the Shangtang River in the distance, and said in a low voice:
“My father, Shishi’s grandfather, was a well-known playboy in Hua Hin. He was not productive and was idle. He couldn’t even get married.

Once, he fell into someone's trap and lost his family's ancestral home playing Pai Gow. The clan leader said he would take him back to the ancestral hall and beat him to death, so he took the risk and ran to Siam.

As a result, he unexpectedly became rich and became the most respected businessman by my adoptive father. The two of them also continued the family tree and became brothers.

But he couldn't read or speak Mandarin, so he couldn't teach me anything, so I had to learn on my own."

Zheng Xin laughed as he spoke, "Your Majesty, do you know from whom I learned Mandarin and Chinese characters?"

"Did your adoptive father teach you?" Mo Zibu asked with a smile.

"No, my Mandarin and Chinese characters were taught to me by my best friend when I was little. His grandfather was the president of the Quanzhou Association in Ayutthaya and he was very focused on cultivating his Chinese culture."

As he spoke, Zheng Xin suddenly burst into sad laughter, and his voice was a little sobbing in his laughter.

"With the help of Tong, I taught myself Mandarin and Chinese characters. This is how I caught the attention of my adoptive father. He thought I was a talented person and continued to train me, which eventually led me to the highest position in Siam."

This... this is really a bad fate.

"Your Majesty, please give Tong's family a chance to survive. You don't have to give them a luxurious life, but please let them live like normal people."

Zheng Xin began to control his emotions as he spoke, "Siam is located in the center of Southeast Asia, rich in resources, and has a large Chinese population. It is a natural place to control Southeast Asia. It should indeed be directly governed by the imperial court. You are doing the right thing.

As for myself, I will become a monk here in Hanshan Temple.

However, on the 19th day of the second month of next year, the birthday of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, I intend to gather eminent monks from the great temples of Xingtang, Taiping, Andai, and Burma at the Avalokitesvara Temple on Mount Putuo to join the Chinese and fellow Northern Buddhists in a water and land ceremony to celebrate this grand occasion. I would like to ask for your approval, Your Majesty."

Sure enough, Mo Zi Bu guessed correctly that Zheng Xin became a monk at Hanshan Temple in order to help Mo Zi Bu win over and control Theravada Buddhism.

Ah, that's not right! What Zheng Xin is doing now is more accurately described as consolidating the positions of his eldest daughter, Zheng Shishi, and the eighth daughter, Zheng Susu, who is about to enter the palace.

But this is a good thing. Theravada Buddhism was forced to acknowledge Taksin's identity as the reincarnation of Buddha, but it was unwilling to admit that he was the future Buddha.

Then as long as Zheng Xin is willing to help Mo Zi Bu integrate Theravada Buddhism, it will be very beneficial for Dayu to consolidate its rule in Southeast Asia.

"This is a good thing. My son-in-law will definitely support it wholeheartedly. All needs for the ceremony will be handled by the Zhejiang Governor's Office. I will immediately have Governor Qian Dazhao come in person to listen to my father's arrangements."

After talking with Zheng Xin, Mo Zi Bu went to visit his mother-in-law Wu Xuan and Zheng Xin's children.

These people were different from Zheng Xin, who was still a little tense. His mother-in-law Wu Xuan even came to the front door to greet him and bowed. Mo Zibu could only ask Zheng Shishi to quickly support her mother.

Putting aside other things, Mo Zibu's mother-in-law was very clear-headed. The Wu family was a noble family with a history of seven or eight generations. Her sixth-generation ancestor had even served as an envoy of Siam to pay homage to Emperor Wanli.

Therefore, Wu Xuan came up and said directly: "Daxin is unable to control his subordinates. The loss of the country is a punishment from heaven. It is good to be able to live a stable life now. From now on, we will live in Yingtian Prefecture."

Mo Zibu also had a good impression of Wu Xuan. His mother-in-law liked him from the very beginning and often spoke well of him in front of Zheng Xin.

As for Wu Xuan's deliberate emphasis on a stable life, Mo Zibu also understood it, because the Zheng family had given up everything in Siam, and the new rewards had not yet been determined.

Now that there is such a big family, but no one even has a job that pays a salary, we must at least give everyone a guarantee of stability and wealth.

Zheng Shishi had obviously just cried, and was holding Mo Zibu's six-year-old second son Axu in her hand.

Although this child was born to the concubine Wu Qian, he has been raised by Zheng Shishi since birth. The two have a very close relationship, just like a real mother and son.

Mo Zibu looked thoughtfully at the queen, who looked like a little loli. In such an occasion, when even her biological mother Wu Qian was not there, Zheng Shishi still insisted on bringing Ah Xu over, obviously wanting to express something.

At the very least, she should not be willing to let her half-sister Zheng Susu replace Ah Xu after giving birth to a son.

Well, it’s not that surprising. After all, no matter how close a sister is to you, she is definitely not as close as the son you have raised for six years.

What's more, this sister is a half-sister, and it is obvious that she is meant to replace some of her ecological niches.

There are always all kinds of intrigues in the emperor's harem.

However, since Zheng Shishi said so, Mo Zibu certainly couldn't ruin his plan, so he immediately picked up Ah Xu, teased him with a smile, and when he sat down, he put Ah Xu on his lap and hugged him.

Wu Xuan and Zheng Shishi's expressions instantly improved. Although Ah Xu certainly had no chance of inheriting the throne because his biological mother was a Thai slave, this was precisely the most perfect situation.

Because Ah Xu can naturally isolate himself from all the struggles surrounding the position of crown prince, he is actually safer.

As long as he grows up healthily, as the second son of the emperor, it will not be difficult for him to get a fiefdom in the future. Such a child will be the future support of Wu Xuan and Zheng Shishi.

As for Zheng Susu and her offspring, they are definitely good grandchildren for Zheng Xin, but not necessarily for Wu Xuan and Zheng Shishi. If Zheng Susu's son becomes emperor, it may be harmful to them.

After holding Ah Xu and sitting down, Mo Zibu took the initiative to say: "Since my father-in-law intends to become a monk and meditate in seclusion for a period of time, I will immediately issue an edict to confer the title of Great Awakening, Broad Virtue and Universal Benevolence on him, and he will become a monk in Hanshan Temple.

Ah Shui will be granted the title of Duke of Chengguo and return to Taiping Province to learn government affairs in preparation for his future appointment as a vassal. I will also make my own arrangements for the rest of my brothers."

Wu Xuan felt relieved, but Mo Zibu's eyes suddenly darted to the other side, where a noblewoman and a teenage boy were kneeling. The noblewoman, noticing Mo Zibu's attention, immediately knelt and kowtowed loudly, "I, the wife of the guilty minister Tong, Nak, pay my respects to His Majesty the Great Emperor. May His Majesty rule over all nations and enjoy eternal blessings and longevity."

Nak spoke in Khmer, which Mo Zibu naturally understood, while the young boy next to the lady kowtowed to Mo Zibu and apologized in Nanjing Mandarin.

Well, to be honest, Mo Zibu didn't have much hatred towards Tong, and he always looked at him with an attitude of watching a joke.

After all, this time and space is not the same as in history. It is destined that the greater the effort, the greater the disappointment.

It can even be said that Tong in this time and space can be regarded as a tragic character. He did not want to rebel, but was pushed into this position.

So, after Mo Zibu handed Ah Xu to Zheng Shishi, he said to Nak, "Since Tong has been executed, I promised not to bring disaster to his wife and children, so I won't."

The mother and son were so happy that they kowtowed on the ground repeatedly until their foreheads were bruised.

Mo Zibu also took a special look at Du Qin (Rama II). If this guy really knows what's good for him, he can still be a talented person who can be used.

. . . .

Hunan, Changsha Prefecture, Xiangyin County, Gutang Village.

Mao Xiangsheng held a flintlock rifle, squinted his eyes, and shot the guy holding a shotgun halfway up the mountain to death with one shot.

Following the gunman's scream, dozens of militiamen behind Mao Xiangsheng cheered excitedly and rushed to the village halfway up the mountain.

Not long after, bursts of screams were heard, and then, the fat Master Mao San, who had a braid and white hair and beard, and his two sons and three grandsons were pulled down.

The militiamen beat and kicked Mao San Taiye, making him and his three generations of six people cry out in pain.

When Grandpa Mao San saw Mao Xiangsheng on the roadside, he struggled and shouted, "Sheng'erzi, Sheng'erzi, I am your uncle, your grandfather and I are the same grandfather.

Last year I treated you to a good meal and even said I would rent the land to you. Have you forgotten?"

Master Mao San was old, and he still thought that this was a favor to Mao Xiangsheng, but Mao Xiangsheng was now the commander-in-chief of the emperor's army, and he had long since broadened his horizons.

"Third Master, you still remember that you are my uncle, I thought you forgot, you didn't say anything about uncle when you exploited our family.

Last year, my son worked so hard to help your family harvest the grain that he was almost vomiting blood. He ate your sorghum rice and pickles, without even a piece of fat. Do you think I should thank you? "

When Master Mao San heard this, he knew he was doomed, so his expression suddenly changed and he started cursing at the top of his lungs.

Mao Xiangsheng listened to his shouting and cursing as if he were listening to heavenly music. He happily ordered his men to escort Master Mao San to the county government office.

Although Dayu has taken over Hunan for four or five months, it has not yet been completely pacified. People in various places who are dissatisfied with the confiscation of their property are still fanning the flames or even directly resisting.

But their efforts were destined to be in vain, because although there were many of them, they were still an absolute minority compared to ordinary people like Mao Xiangsheng.

When passing by Gutang Village, Mao Xiangsheng finally couldn't help but walked to the stream and pushed open the dilapidated wooden door.

The yard was small and dirty. A thin woman holding a winnowing basket looked at him in panic. At the thin woman's feet, a big-headed baby who looked a little malnourished quickly moved his legs and hid behind his mother.

My father, whose back was bent by years of hard work, was hunched over weaving bamboo baskets. He could still sell one basket for a penny or two at market time.

"Give birth to a boy, you are giving birth to a boy?" The mother's hair had begun to turn gray. She exclaimed twice, looked at Mao Xiangsheng's father with some fear, raised her hands, but finally did not dare to come up and hug him.

I haven't been home for three years, and the father who I used to think was a bit rough has grown into an old man.

The sarcastic sister-in-law has lost the rosy face she had when she was newly married. Although she is less than twenty years old, she has a particularly vicissitudes of life feeling.

Mao Xiangsheng originally wanted to vent his anger, but when he saw this extremely poor family where even the children couldn't get enough to eat, his frustration turned into a long sigh.

If his father, elder brother and his wife hadn't driven him away, he would have probably starved to death.

He walked over, picked up his big-headed nephew, took out a piece of glutinous rice cake with brown sugar and lard from his arms, and fed it to his nephew's mouth.

The nephew almost snatched the food away with a speed that was totally inconsistent with his age, and started to eat it greedily in big mouthfuls.

After he finished eating, his face, whose eyes looked particularly big due to his big head and malnutrition, finally showed a childlike smile that only two or three-year-olds have.

"Oh, second brother, he is your nephew." A trembling exclamation sounded behind him.

Mao Xiangsheng looked back and saw that the elder brother who used to be able to do anything, climbing trees and swimming in rivers, had become almost as old as the father in his memory, and even began to hunch over slightly.

He thought he came back for revenge. Mao Xiangsheng suddenly felt extremely painful and tears finally flowed down.

He put his nephew on the ground, took out a handful of copper coins from his arms, and threw them at his eldest brother. This was his military pay for the past four months.

"Pick these up and have a good meal for your kid. Don't let your whole family be treated like beggars!" Mao Xiangsheng yelled, then walked to his mother and knelt down.

"Mother, my son is now eating the imperial rations, and the army will soon set out for Sichuan. Please take care of yourself. If I am not dead, someone will bring me money in a few months. If I die, the court will also provide you with a pension."

After kowtowed three times, Mao Xiangsheng walked up to his father, pointed his right hand at his face, and shouted, "If you dare to hit my parents again, you won't get a penny."

At this moment, Mao Xiangsheng felt that he had never felt so good. Having lived under the shadow of his father all his life and been beaten countless times, he finally felt proud.

Then, he walked up to his brother and said, "Take good care of Mom. Only when she lives well can you live well!"

After saying that, he strode out.

"Give birth to a baby!" Just as Mao Xiangsheng walked out of the wooden door, a cry filled with reluctance and guilt came from inside the house.

Mao Xiangsheng turned his head slightly and saw his mother leaning against the wooden door, waving at him.

(End of this chapter)