The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 666 The Bonus is Too Big

September 1790, 9. This was the 15th year of Emperor Guangzhong's reign in the Great China, originally the th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty, and the seventh day of the eighth lunar month.

The Konbaung Dynasty staged a coup. Maung Win, who attempted to rebel against the court, was defeated and killed by Hanchuan Governor Chen Qiuze. The news that the Burmese King Meng Yunze had already set out to pay homage to the court reached the Shenzhou Continent.

In the city of Nanjing, the crowd cheered with waves higher and higher. The students of Tai and Zhong schools all had a day off, and the merchants in the city also took the opportunity to offer discounts and promotions.

Even if one is stingy on weekdays, he would still take a silver dollar to buy some meat, a whole roast duck, or at least five big soup dumplings and a bowl of duck blood vermicelli soup. He would still eat, and the joyful atmosphere was everywhere.
The reason they are so happy is not simply because of national sentiment, but because this matter is closely related to them.

The wealth of Hanchuan Province is known throughout the world, especially in recent years, the imperial court has been continuously building water conservancy projects at the mouth of the Yiluo River, making it relatively easy to develop a large amount of coastal swamps into rice fields.

At the same time, dams and other structures at the estuary to prevent seawater from backflowing have also been built, curbing the trend of salinization and saving a lot of trouble in cleaning the land.

So in recent years, people who have returned from Hanchuan Province, especially from the plains in the lower reaches of the Yiluo River, have said that Hanchuan Province has begun to look a bit like the south of the Yangtze River.

The only problem is that the threat from the Pyus has not been eliminated.

They outnumber the Han people five to one, and if they really fight to the death, it is impossible for them to defeat the imperial army. However, if the small families who have gone to colonize the country encounter them, it will be dangerous. After all, not all Han people are capable of killing people with knives or guns, and there are also many honest and decent people.

But now, the threat from the Pyus has finally disappeared.

The Han people, together with 200,000 Pyu nobles, will rule over 4 million Pyu people and 1 million Mon and Karen serfs who did not seize the opportunity to assimilate into the Han culture.

Therefore, this is not actually a land of fish and rice, because it is better than a land of fish and rice. At least labor costs in Jiangnan are getting more and more expensive, and there is no place to find these five million serfs.

As the situation gradually spread back, the people had a clearer understanding of this newly emerged Nanyang Jiangnan.

Then came another explosive rumor, saying that His Majesty the Emperor was planning to confer many titles in Hanchuan Province, and the court would only keep Daguang, with an area of 400 miles in radius, under its direct jurisdiction, and the rest would be awarded according to merit.

The news caused such a huge shock that even the selection criteria in Nanjing's marriage market changed.

In the past, ordinary people looked at family background and talent, but what do they look at now? If you walk on the street and shout that you have a blood relative who is a manor owner in Hanchuan Province, the matchmaker will knock down your door.

Never underestimate this temptation. Not to mention in this prosperous era when people have enough food and clothing, even in the future, if there is such an opportunity, people will flock to it.

This was the case with Wu Ahe's family outside Shitou City. He had just opened the door in the morning and looked at the cheering crowd outside, not knowing what was going on, when he saw the chief clerk of Shangyuan County and several yamen runners running over in a hurry.

Wu Ah He's ancestors were all fishermen on the Yangtze River. His old father was a loner with a strange temper and was not very popular. Therefore, the city was bustling for three days, but his family still had no idea what was going on.

The chief clerk and the yamen runners came straight over with the county magistrate's flag and the beating of gongs and drums. When Wu Ah He heard the word "Hanchuan" floating in the air, his heart tightened and he almost fainted on the ground.

Because his eldest brother was in Hanchuan Province, and was said to be a vassal of Lord Chen, the Earl of Tongzhou, he asked someone to bring back ten silver dollars last year to honor his parents.

Deep down, Wu Ah He felt that something must have happened to his brother, which was why the chief clerk rushed over with his men.

Wu Ah He was still okay, but he felt a tightness in his heart. His mother was so scared that she leaned against the door frame, tears streaming down her face.

"Great joy, great joy, great joy!"

The chief clerk was very experienced. He knew at a glance that the Wu family might have misunderstood, so he immediately shouted.

When the chief clerk shouted, all the neighbors gathered around. The chief clerk waved his hand, and a quick hand from the yamen immediately showed a flag with a red background and a golden sun and moon.

However, unlike the large red flag with a golden sun and moon, which represents the army and occasionally symbolizes the emperor's presence, this flag has three tassels trailing behind it, which is commonly known as the flag tail.

"Wow, the Wu family's A-Da has done a great service! The Wu family's A-Da has done a great service!"

Those who knew the goods immediately recognized what kind of flag it was. It was a flag that the Dayu Dynasty specially allowed the families of civilian meritorious officials to hang on their houses.

Sure enough, a short and fat old man was looming behind the tall and strong chief clerk. He was the head of the ward.

"Wu Laoyuan, Wu Laoyuan, you are so lucky!" The head of the neighborhood shouted with jealousy on his face.

"Hurry up, everyone, help bring out the table, and find some incense burners and sandalwood. Ah Si, bring out the best fruits you're selling, and Old Lady Lu, bring out the best cakes you're selling. Put them all on the table."

Hearing the order from the neighborhood head, the neighbors all got to work quickly, and soon the incense table, fruits, and cakes were all set up.

Wu Laoyuan is Wu Old Man. Because he is good at swimming, has a dark complexion, and has a strange personality, the neighbors call him Laoyuan, which gradually became his real name.

The old turtle had a strange temper all his life. If ordinary people spoke to him, he would retort if they said anything wrong. But now he was scared and didn't know what to do.

It was not until the neighborhood head and the neighbors brought him in like a criminal and forced him to kneel behind the incense table that he woke up from his dream.

It seems that, if nothing unexpected happens, it is Wu Laoyuan's eldest son who has made it big.

"There is a man named Wu Da from Shangyuan County, Yingtian Prefecture, Jiangnan Province. He fought bravely in the battle of Awa City and was the first to reach the city. He beheaded 31 people and his merits are of the highest order. He is truly a brave man of our country and I am very pleased.

The officials are ordered to recommend him as a pacification envoy, and to bless his parents with a sun and moon meritorious official flag. The local government office is ordered to take him into the family of condolence, and he will be given gifts at all times and festivals!

"Ah!" Wu Laoyuan was stunned by the surprise. He screamed, tears streaming down his dark face, and he even forgot to kowtow and express gratitude.

Fortunately, the head of the neighborhood knelt beside him, pressed his head to kowtow, and expressed his gratitude on his behalf.

"Wow, thirty-first level of beheadings. You should go up first. You must kill fifty or sixty people to get the number." The knowledgeable neighbor was surprised again.

"Wu Ada was such a timid kid when he was little. I could scare him to the point of peeing his pants with just a roar from me. I never thought he'd turn out to be such a killer!"

"Get up, old turtle. Your good days have come. From now on, you will eat the emperor's food and receive rewards from His Majesty as a meritorious official."

The neighborhood head said this with a bit of envy, and the neighbors around him cast envious glances at him.

Many of them even turned their gazes towards their own little boys, which made the little guys feel envious but also a little frightened.

It is obvious at first glance that the design of the Sun and Moon Meritorious Flag and the Meritorious House were plagiarized by Mo Zibu from later generations.

There are two implicit benefits here. First, the elders from the families of meritorious officials, such as Wu Laoyuan, no longer have to bow when they see officials in the future. When outsiders see this big flag, they will have to respect him a little.

Second, during the four seasons and eight festivals, they would receive a New Year gift from the emperor himself from the treasury.

There weren't many things, just various crops produced in the imperial farm, or small jewelry and cloth produced in the emperor's own industries.

The total value is approximately two silver dollars per year. Converted to later generations, it is equivalent to about a thousand yuan a year, which is similar to the one hundred yuan that the Republic gives to the elderly every month. It's just an idea.

Uh, no!

In this era, people's living standards were far lower than those of later generations.

At that time, two silver dollars per year, after Dayu further unified the weights and measures, could buy about three stone, or three hundred jin (one jin, five hundred grams) of rice.

It comes to seven or eight taels a day. If you don't do heavy labor, you can sustain your life by making porridge with this rice and adding some vegetables you grow yourself.

That's why the neighborhood chief enviously said that Wu Laoyuan was now eating imperial food. The old couple could basically hang on to their lives with just three stone of rice. Of course, the most enviable thing was the position of the garrison commander, which was equivalent to the Wu family having a foothold in Hanchuan.

Later, when the Wu family went to Hanchuan, there were people there who taught them how to use guns and swords, and how to manage serfs. If they didn't take over a manor covering two or three thousand acres and with seven or eight serfs in two or three years, they were considered to be doing poorly.

It can be said that as long as you are not unlucky enough to die on the sea during the migration, and can survive the first three months of adapting to the climate and water, you will be rich.

Some people were still sighing, but others had already taken action. Brother Yang, who was at the end of the street, rushed over, grabbed Wu Ah He's shoulders, and whispered excitedly:

"Your second brother followed your father on board the ship, your third brother works in the textile factory in the city, and your fifth brother is still young. You are the only one who can go to Hanchuan, right?"

Wu Ah He nodded. Along with the imperial edict came a letter from his brother Wu Da, which indeed mentioned that he should go to Hanchuan, so that the brothers could work together to make the country bigger and stronger.

"Ah He, take me to Hanchuan. I agree to your relationship with my sister. Let's get married right away!"

Wu Ah He shuddered violently. Brother Yang had always refused to marry his daughter to Wu Ah He because he despised their family for being poor. Otherwise, Wu Ah He wouldn't be still a bachelor at the age of 21.

"Okay, Brother Yang, it's a deal. I'll take you to Hanchuan and you marry my sister to me." Thinking that the beautiful girl he had been thinking about day and night would soon belong to him, Wu Ahe was so happy that his nose was about to bubble.

Brother Yang looked at Wu Ah He's silly look and sighed deeply in his heart.

"Sister, please bear with me for a while. I really don't want to work in a factory as a blacksmith or silk reeler. Once I get established in Hanchuan, I will definitely compensate you well."

Xuanwu Lake, Dongren Lane where the Dongyang town vassals gathered.

A banquet is being held in the residence of Prince Junyi of Aizu. Today is the coming-of-age ceremony of the first Prince Junyi of Aizu (Matsu) Heira Yoju.

Since the previous lord of Aizu Domain, Matsudaira Yoshinori, died loyally and showed respect to China in the end, Mo Zifu treated Aizu Domain with high standards.

Not only was the Aizu domain promoted to the highest rank among the Zhen domains, the title of Shunyi King, but the first Shunyi King (Matsu) Taira Yozumi was also kept in the palace.

Look, for Song Ping Rongzhu’s twelve-year-old coming-of-age ceremony, the emperor even sent a eunuch to deliver a birthday gift.

The (Matsu) Pingrong sitting in the main seat had a tight expression on his face, looking very young. According to Japanese custom, the coming of age ceremony should be at the age of fifteen. In Chinese culture, the coming of age ceremony is at the age of twenty.

However, due to the special status of (Matsu) Taira Yoju, in order to facilitate the management of Aizu Town, mainly to facilitate Moshibu to mobilize Aizu clan soldiers to fight in the East, so he specially approved (Matsu) Taira Yoju to perform the coming-of-age ceremony at the age of twelve to indicate adulthood.

Since it was a special permission from the emperor, all the lords of the vassal states in Nanjing came to congratulate.

At the banquet, news from Hanchuan Province came, and these former Japanese daimyo also began to discuss it.

As the host, Song Pingrong's face was full of admiration. He raised his wine glass and toasted from afar in the direction of the imperial palace.

"I heard that Hanchuan Province has at least 30 million koku, which is almost the same as that of old Japan. It is true that only under the leadership of a true lord like Your Majesty can such territorial expansion be achieved."

(Song) Ping Rongzhu has been with the emperor since he was five years old, and was raised by Empress Zheng Shishi, who had no biological son. His admiration for the emperor is almost overflowing, and he completely treats the emperor as his father.

After he spoke, the other feudal lords and Oriental scholars also agreed. Even some Oriental Confucian scholars who had previously expressed their dissatisfaction were convinced.

For example, the famous Sinologist Shibano Kuriyama, although he admired Sinology and was also a master of Sinology, did not agree with being annexed by China.

He also spread the word everywhere that I admire someone, am willing to be his student, and worship him, but I don't necessarily have to be that person's son.

However, since I went to study in Thai Binh Province (Siam) and saw the wealth of places like Wangkok (Bangkok) and Phetchaburi, my attitude has changed a lot.

Now that they heard that the imperial court had taken Hanchuan without sending any troops, and that the King of Burma was also going to come to Nanjing to stay at my residence, they completely surrendered.

Without taking any action, it was equivalent to obtaining Japan. The Chinese Empire once again demonstrated to its subjects and followers what strength is.

"To develop such a land of abundance, we, the Japanese, cannot do without their participation. We should write to His Majesty, expressing our willingness to invest our own money in the construction of Hanchuan."

Shibano Kuriyama said loudly that at this time, after nearly ten years of recovery, Japan's population has gradually increased again. East Asians are really good at raising children. If the environment is a little more suitable, there is no need to worry about manpower.

For example, in Japan, the lowest-level farmers can only eat a mixture of various beans, cornmeal and sweet potatoes to fill their stomachs. During festivals, they can get some rice balls and the newly introduced ramen.

But even in such an environment, it was the best time for Japanese farmers in thousands of years.

Therefore, these guys gave birth loudly, and more than four million people were added in ten years. The fertility rate far exceeded that of economically better regions such as Jiangnan in the Shenzhou continent.

"Yes, we must also actively participate in the development of Hanchuan. All vassal states should mobilize and wait for His Majesty's call."

At this time, the Japanese generally had two ways to obtain land outside of Japan.

The first was to sell the lowest-level farmers as contract laborers. These Japanese would arrive in the local area and work hard for more than ten years, and when their children grew up, they would also get their own land.

The second is that each feudal lord organized his own troops to participate in China's foreign conquests, and after the war, they were rewarded with land based on their merits.

For this type of vassal soldiers, the imperial court was generally only responsible for providing them with a flintlock rifle and two quilts. They basically had to provide everything else themselves. Their military pay was very low, only one-fifth of that of the Beijing garrison troops, and they had to do the hardest and most tiring work.

However, the advantage is that they can get land. From the feudal lord to the family elders and the samurai below, they can use the reward of land to send their sons who cannot inherit the family business out to start their own children.

Perhaps it was a telepathic connection, for not long after, an eunuch came to summon the emperor, who was recruiting 20,000 soldiers from the Dongyang vassal state to be used in the western expedition.

Shibano Kuriyama calculated and said to his son beside him, "There are already 6,500 Toyo feudal soldiers in the Western Expedition Army, and this time they are recruiting 20,000 more. It seems that His Majesty is preparing to destroy the three Khanates of Transoxiana.

That is the ancestral home of our Nine Zhaowu Clans. It was occupied by the Arabs in the past and our country has never been able to take it back. Today we have finally waited for this day.

My son, I am going back to the East to spread the great power of His Majesty the Great Emperor. You must come with me and find a way to organize hundreds of elite warriors. I believe that the court must be short of people to guard the rich land of Hezhong."

"Hayi, I have finally waited for this opportunity. I will offer my ardent loyalty to His Majesty the Great Emperor and the Chinese Empire."

Like his father, Shibano Kuriyama originally did not agree with the merger, but after traveling around, he was persuaded.

There is no way, the dividends are too huge. Even if the Japanese just get a share of the profits, it will be greater than what they have gained in thousands of years.

In the agricultural era, Japan was not really a good place. Any piece of land you conquered would be a good place as good as Japan.

At the residence of the young general Hu Quanhuan, King Shunzhi of Gwangju, not far from the Aizu domain, the mobilization order had already been issued. Listening to the cheers of the Japanese outside, Hu Quanhuan, Hong Wanda and others nodded with a sense of superiority.

The Silla zhenfan were different from the Japanese zhenfan. Here, there were many places directly governed by the imperial court, and the lords of the zhenfan were either completely Han Chinese like Hu Quanhuan, or completely supported by the imperial court like Hong Wanda.

Therefore, after almost ten years, it is almost the same as the Shenzhou Continent.

"Brother Hu, let's send 5,000 musketeers together this time. Thank you for your hard work. When you return with success, we will cover the operating expenses of the granted land in Nanyang."

Hong Wanda's face was full of pleading, and Hu Quanhuan only considered it for a moment and agreed. He just couldn't sit still, and as a vassal, he felt that he had to spend money everywhere and it was not enough.

The important thing is that Goryeo's musketeers are really useful. If they bring 5,000 of them with them on this western expedition, they might be able to achieve great success and become a close vassal state instead of a vassal state.

(End of this chapter)