Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 86: 16-word colonization policy

Only one day later

The supply fleet from Davao arrived in Tagum Town and docked at a temporary riverside pier.

Today, the riverside trestle is under construction. More than 1700 indigenous coolies are working hard under the scorching sun under the supervision of whips and bayonets.

The felled trees were debrideped of their branches, one end sharpened and buried in the pit, and then several people used stone hammers to hammer it in more than 10 feet until it reached the river.

They were connected with thick wood and covered with thick wooden boards on top, forming a pier that went deep into the river.

Three thousand-dan Fu ships arrived in the supply fleet, and two more ships would arrive in a few days, bringing dozens of barrels of gunpowder, 800 dan of grain, 200 dan of soybeans, some sugar, flour, shoes, various vegetables, rice seeds, and thousands of shovels, hoes, axes and other farm tools for the use of the colonizing immigrants.

These grains and farm tools are not free. The amount received must be recorded, and an annual interest rate of 8% must be added, which must be repaid gradually in the future.

on the dock
Zheng Guohui saw his eleventh uncle Zheng Shouzhong, who was a little dark and thin, and greeted him happily from a distance. Then he saw Zheng Shouzhong coming hurriedly, ready to salute.

"Hey, Uncle Eleven, let's not be so formal." Zheng Guohui stepped forward to support him and said with a smile.

"No, General, I am here to greet you." Zheng Shouzhong still insisted on bowing with his fists clasped.

Today, Zheng Shouzhong has been promoted to the position of garrison commander and navigator of Tongzhou. He has very little time to stay in his hometown of Tongzhou, and most of his time is spent traveling between China and Southeast Asia.

This time, he served as the pilot for the second time to the South Seas. After arriving at the Port of Zamboanga, he was responsible for the unloading of more than 30 cargo ships and the loading of copper ore.

It was not until the last cargo ship, fully loaded with ore, left the port of Zamboanga that he led his troops on a hurried boat to Davao, and then escorted the supply fleet up the Davao River to Tagum Town.

These days, I've been really busy.

Zheng Guohui said with emotion, "You've worked really hard these days, Uncle Eleven."

"What are you talking about, General? This is my duty." Zheng Shouzhong smiled modestly, his demeanor still respectful.

Ever since the General gave a passionate speech at the port of Davao, revealing his great ambition to establish his kingdom, everyone has become more respectful when facing the General.

Xu Da, a founding father of the Ming Dynasty, got drunk and poured a bowl of wine on Zhu Yuanzhang's head. What was the result?
The lessons of previous generations are still fresh in our memory.

"Congratulations, General! You've completely wiped out over 10,000 indigenous rebels in one battle, clearing the heart of Davao del Norte. This has enhanced our military's prestige and boosted the morale of the Chinese people. It's truly inspiring!"

"They are just a bunch of idiots, not worth mentioning. Do you have any new news?"

"I congratulate you, General, once again. Qian Jiang's troops engaged in fierce battles with indigenous tribes while sweeping through the Davao Oriental region. They won three battles and three victories, annihilating over 5700 enemies and achieving a resounding victory."

"Oh...hahaha, General Qian did a great job. These Visayan tribes have been severely damaged and will never regain their former arrogance. Their complete pacification is just around the corner. This is really good news!"

"Reporting to the General, General Zheng Shun's troops, advancing westward, have been making steady gains over the past few days. In over ten battles, both large and small, they have annihilated over 10 enemies. They are now approaching the heart of the indigenous tribes. We await reports of victory."

"Well, the indigenous tribes in the Davao Occidental region are relatively scattered and the journey is long, so there is no need to rush." ​​Zheng Guohui nodded in affirmation, feeling quite happy.

He pointed to the large number of indigenous women being driven in from a distance and said, "Take these women with you on your return journey and place them in some workshops to work. We'll make arrangements for them when the next immigrants arrive."

"I understand. If we squeeze in, a ship can carry five to six hundred people." Zheng Shouzhong also turned his head, took a look and replied.

It only takes three hours to go down the river from here to Davao.

Moreover, there was no wind or waves when sailing on the river, so not to mention 600 people, even 700 people could squeeze in, as the distance was not far anyway.

Today's Chinese colonial army attacked everywhere, abducting large numbers of people from villages and tribal gathering places within a dozen kilometers, and sending them to Tagum Town in a steady stream.

Every day, soldiers could be seen escorting indigenous captives along the country roads.

Those emptied indigenous villages were quickly filled with Chinese immigrants to complete the initial "emptying the cage and replacing the bird" operation.

Implementing the 16-character policy of "occupying a place, clearing a place, resettling a place, and consolidating a place" meant that the army was destined to advance slowly and adopt a steady and cautious strategy.

The captured indigenous population was screened in Tagum Town. Some of the older indigenous elders, chiefs and upper-class people were all executed, and men and women were imprisoned in separate camps.

After the initial distribution, the indigenous women would move away from their original tribal gathering places, be separated and taken away by single Chinese immigrants, and go to live in Chinese immigrant villages.

Of course, it's not free either.

Ordinary Chinese immigrants needed to pay for boat tickets, purchase indigenous women, farm tools, seeds, oxen and all other expenses, all of which existed in the form of debts.

Before repaying their debts, these Chinese immigrants cultivated the village land in the form of military settlements. They had to pay 60% of the land tax, and the rest belonged to them.

Generally speaking

It takes 6 to 7 years of farming to pay off all the debts and interest, and get a piece of residential land in the village for free, so that you can save money to build houses and courtyards.

These Chinese immigrants also have another way to make money, which is to participate in military operations and receive certain compensation.

For example, in this mopping-up operation, anyone who participates can get a reward of 5 taels of silver. If you kill one more indigenous warrior, you will get an additional reward of taels of silver. Captures are not included.

For example, by participating in armed militia patrols, setting up checkpoints, guarding villages, and resisting attacks by indigenous bandits, one can receive an extra 1 or 2 taels of silver each month.

The more military campaigns one participated in, the more rewards one received, and the faster one could repay the debt.

It is precisely because of this incentive mechanism that Chinese immigrants are very active in participating in military operations. It can be said that one call will lead to hundreds of responses, and there is no need for mobilization at all.

This is Zheng Guohui's style of doing things. He likes to use interests to attract people's attention rather than boring preaching.

The head of an indigenous male was only worth two taels of silver. In the entire Davao region, the value of adult indigenous males was at most over 10, which was not enough to be divided.

After eliminating the main resistance force of the indigenous tribes, the army focused on capturing the remaining indigenous villages. The army-occupied Mindanao needed a large amount of labor, and the indigenous people were the best source.

After exchanging greetings with his eleventh uncle Zheng Shouzhong, Zheng Guohui returned to Tagum Town together.

Tagum Town was different from what it was two days ago.

The ruins of the houses lost in the bloody battle have been cleared away, the streets have been covered with new soil, compacted and leveled, and even many of the stinking ditches have been filled in.

Many thatched house areas have been marked with lime lines, and in the future they will all be demolished and rebuilt with buildings with strong Ming and Qing characteristics.

Grocery stores and teahouses were opened in some of the better houses in the town. There were also some restaurants under preparation, blacksmith shops, brothels, gambling dens, breakfast shops and various handicraft workshops that would soon open one after another, forming a bustling street market.

In the future, town management committees, police stations, post offices, and tax offices will be opened one after another to meet the needs of the majority of immigrants and form a stable administrative governance mechanism.

It’s just that it’s under martial law now, so it seems a lot rougher.

The town has returned to its lively scene. Many Chinese immigrants are walking down the street in groups of three or five, with smiles on their faces. They are often followed by indigenous women with their heads down and expressions of fear.

This is the indigenous woman that the Chinese immigrants had just chosen. Although he had another debt, he couldn't suppress the joy in his heart and grinned happily.

it's here

The general's promise can be fulfilled at any time. As long as you fight hard, you can get money and women (note, not for free) and live a good life. Everyone feels hopeful.

Although the village was a military settlement, Chinese immigrants lived separately, many of them living in the thatched houses of the original indigenous people. Although the conditions were a bit poor, it was their own home after all.

You can cultivate the land that is allocated to you and decide how to cultivate it. You just need to pay the grain when the time comes.

In addition, if you get a native woman, you can have children and raise a family, which is no different from living at home.
The general allowed the development of wasteland and the reduction of taxes from 60% to 50% to encourage villagers to reclaim wasteland.

As long as you are willing to put in the effort, why would you be afraid of not living a good life?

The general also allows the planting of fruit trees and the raising of poultry and livestock in front of and behind houses. A 40% tax will be levied on them after they are raised, so it is worth it.

If a family raises more than a dozen hens, they can keep the eggs for themselves, which can greatly improve their lives. Everyone can do the math.

Many Chinese immigrants planned that after working hard for a few years with the indigenous women and paying off their debts, they would be able to get the residential land allocated by the village.

Build a house and have a home of your own, and then save money to buy some land. For the land that belongs to you, you only need to pay 30% of the grain tax, which is half less.

If this continues, life will become more and more hopeful.

Zheng Guohui brought Zheng Shouzhong and the others to the teahouse and sat down. After chatting for a while, they mentioned Zheng Shouzhong's future whereabouts. He said, "Uncle Eleven, are you interested in living here permanently?"

"General, what do you mean?" Zheng Shouzhong was a little confused by this sudden question.

Zheng Guohui smiled and explained;

"This job of a navigator is to be on the move all day long. Anything can happen at sea, so it's not a long-term solution.

Uncle Eleven, you also know that the garrison of Tongzhou is just a nominal position. You don't need to command the army in person. That is not what you are good at.

Therefore, this general considers;

As the largest city in Mindanao, Davao City has unlimited potential for future development. It is also an area that this general focuses on, and I don’t feel safe handing it over to others.

If you are interested, then you should calm down and manage this city well. In eight to ten years, you can develop it into a core area that is not inferior to Jinling City. Your achievements will be passed down to future generations."

Zheng Shouzhong was very excited when he heard this.

Family members know their own business. Zheng Shouzhong has been doing business for more than 20 years, relying on the resources of the Zheng family, but he has only managed to make a fortune as a middle-class merchant.

If it weren't for the general's recommendation, how could I have gotten the prestigious position of prefect of this city?
Don't even think about it. You must hold on to the general's thighs tightly. You can't even write two "Zheng" characters with one stroke. Will the general treat you badly?

Thought of here
Zheng Shouzhong quickly stood up and replied firmly, "I am not talented, but I am honored that you, General, have valued me. I am willing to serve you with all my heart and soul, and I will do my utmost to serve you."

"Okay, okay, okay... then it's settled." Zheng Guohui laughed and said;
"When we return to our ancestral home in Tongzhou this time, Uncle Eleven, you should arrange for the family members and clansmen you need to bring with you. Once the third group of troops arrives south, you should immediately take up your post."

"I will follow the general's orders and I will not dare to disobey!"

After saying that, they stood up and looked at each other and laughed, their laughter full of joy.

(End of this chapter)