Chapter 655 652 [Some People Are Panicked]
The Chinese emperor paid for the Champa Kingdom and sent troops to destroy the Zheng family in Annan. The Nguyen family trembled in the middle.
Once a war breaks out, it will not be as simple as a north-south pincer attack. Troops can also be transported from the sea to directly give the Ruan family a three-sided victory!
Nguyen Phuc Bin, who had just won a great victory and successfully succeeded to the throne, was originally at the most glorious moment of his life. The Ruan ruler and his ministers were so ambitious that they even clamored for the Northern Expedition, but what they waited for was the news of the destruction of the Zheng family.
Zhao Han's two imperial edicts were not only shown to King Annan, but were also announced to the world and spread to all directions!
Ruan Phuc Bin also got two handwritten edicts, and felt cold all over after reading them. They have always respected Emperor Li as their monarch, and their legal system also comes from the king. Every year they accuse the Zheng family of holding the monarch hostage, saying that sooner or later they will lead troops north to the side of the Qing monarch.
But now, Annan Kingdom is gone, and Ruan's situation is a bit embarrassing.
He has only three choices:
First, use the slogan of national restoration and inherit the legal system of Annan.
Second, immediately surrender and surrender to the Chinese Emperor.
Third, formally establish the country and become independent.
Regardless of right or wrong, one must be chosen so as to appease people's hearts, otherwise the Ruan family's rule lacks rationality.
On the Zheng family's side, at least there was a court.
On the Ruan family's side, there is not even a court, and the official titles clearly have a wartime nature.
Local prefectures and counties are all called camps, such as Hue Camp and Quang Nam Camp. Those who don’t know them think they are the army.
The central organization is called Neizhengying.
There are three yamen in the main camp, namely, the Shechai Division (documentary writing, judicial affairs), the Chenli Division (finance, local military pay), and the Lingshi Division (sacrifice, salary and central military pay) - look at this organizational structure, it looks like a The military government did not even have a strict distinction between civil and military officials.
With the continuous expansion of territory, the four pillar states of Inner Left, Outer Left, Inner Right, and Outer Right were added in the past few years to specifically assist the central affairs in charge of various directions.
Although it seems that the Ruan family's government institutions are rough, the vitality of the government and the public is far better than that of the Zheng family.
Within the territory under the Zheng family's jurisdiction, the royal family, clan, and army... were wildly exploiting the people, and the local gentry hid the population. Corruption was rampant, and finances were in straits. What they got was a script from the late Ming Dynasty.
Within the territory under the jurisdiction of the Ruan family, the territory continued to expand, killing and expelling the people in the city, and relocating the Yue and Han people. The influence of the landowning gentry class here has been made very weak, and the land holding rate of the bottom peasants is extremely high, and what they get is the script of the Later Jin Dynasty and the early Qing Dynasty.
Therefore, although the Ruan family had a small territory and few people and was unable to take the initiative in the northern expedition, they were able to defeat the Zheng family's southward troops every time. The farmers here all have land, how can they allow foreign enemies to invade? He is very brave in fighting, to put it bluntly, he wants to protect his family's property!
In a word, if the Datong Army comes to attack, it will encounter very stubborn resistance, and soldiers of peasant origin are willing to fight for their lives.
Li Tai, minister of the Nei Zuo Zhu, said: "Your Highness, the Zheng family will be destroyed in an instant, and the Han army is really invincible. We should offer our land as a vassal and send an envoy to Nanjing again to request for canonization."
"What position are you requesting for canonization?" Ou Sheng, the Minister of History, immediately asked, "The Chinese emperor destroyed the Zheng family in the north and bought the Champa Kingdom in the south. This has created a situation of outflanking us from the north to the south. He may even destroy the country. He established a province and named it Quang Nam Province. Quang Nam and Hue are our core territories. What is his intention in setting up Quang Nam Province? It is obvious that he wants to annex us!"
Ruan Fuyan, the minister of the outer left, said: "Is it possible to go to war with China? It is difficult for us to even attack the Zheng family in the north. How can we withstand the Han soldiers who are like wolves and tigers!"
A group of officials started arguing there and couldn't come up with any useful regulations.
Ruan Lord Ruan Phuc Bin said: "It is possible to become a minister, but it is impossible to offer soil. If I offer soil, the Emperor of China may really have to send officials over, and these officials will be in great trouble. They can't be killed, and they can't be used. Sooner or later, Make a big fuss.”
Liang Zan, the minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, proposed: "The land under our jurisdiction is all the territory of the ancient Linyi Kingdom. Now that the Annan Kingdom is destroyed, His Highness can establish a country on his own and become the king of Linyi. Then, in the name of the lord of Linyi, send envoys to Nanjing to invite Feng, test the attitude of the Chinese Emperor. If the Chinese Emperor does not allow it, then find another way. If the Chinese Emperor allows it, that would be great, and His Highness can legitimately establish a country and become king."
Ruan Phuc Bin nodded and smiled: "This is a very good method. Choose a good and auspicious day, and I will build a country on its own. The internal and external yamen must also be restructured, and local prefectures and counties should also be established."
Liang Zan added: "He Tu, the powerful minister of the Champa State, refused to accept the Chinese officials' seizure of power and colluded with the followers to start an army and rebel. Now he has been defeated and died. More than a thousand of his relatives and followers have defected to our country. They are at the border now. May I ask, Your Highness Do you accept it?"
Ruan Phuc Bin said: "The heretics and pagans will not be taken in and will all be expelled back. This can also be used to make good relations with China!"
Nguyen Phuc Bin here believes in Confucianism and Buddhism, and has no mercy on Champa's environmentalist religion.
In the past few decades, whenever new territories were expanded, massacres and expulsions would be carried out, and the policy of "retaining the land but not the people" was implemented. After the Zhan people were driven out and killed, the land vacated was just divided between the Yue and the Han people, which could also alleviate the contradiction between man and land.
As for Hetu, the powerful official who occupied the country, his rebellion was a bit funny.
After China bought the Champa State, it directly implemented military control in Bintong Longcheng and temporarily recruited Han merchants to serve as port tax collectors. This was tantamount to depriving Hetu of his financial rights, so this person incited the believers to cause trouble, burning, killing, and looting in Bintong Longcheng, and was suppressed by 500 Datong troops throughout the morning.
Not only was Hetu exterminated, his cronies were also purged, and many people fled Champa with their followers.
The Datong Army's methods were merciful enough. Historically, if the Ruan family had occupied this place, 89% to 90% of the Cham would have perished. They were either massacred or expelled, and all the land vacated was left to be cultivated by the Han people - these Han people were all survivors of the Ming Dynasty and fled across the sea because they refused to accept the rule of the Manchu Qing Dynasty.
Later, the Nguyen family occupied the Mekong Delta and resettled a large number of Han people.
The Mekong Delta has been developed from an area not suitable for farming into the top grain-producing area in Southeast Asia. The Han people have made great contributions to it. The Han people here call themselves "Mingxiang people" or "Mingxiang people" and build temples. It is dedicated to the emperors of the Ming Dynasty.
Even the couplets in that temple have a hint of anti-Qing and Ming dynasties——
It's a shame to be a courtier in the north, and always be solemn; it's better to be a guest in the south, and the bamboo and silk are hanging down.
Jiaxian revives the old foundation and keeps the temple's appearance new.
The Ming sages and their ancestors also heard the teachings in the Yue Kingdom; the Xiangdang clan has the same crown in Asia.
At this time and space, due to the decline of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, Han people did not cross the sea in large numbers. Even if Zhao Han did not send troops to attack the Ruan family, the Ruan family would not have that many people to expand. At the very least, the policy of massacring and expelling the Cham who believe in environmentalism and then freeing up land for Han people to reclaim land will not work.
One month after the destruction of the Annan Kingdom, the Ruan family quickly established their own country and claimed to have obtained the legal authority of the Gu Linyi Kingdom. Then, they waited for the rainy season to pass before sending envoys to Nanjing to ask for the seal.
Zhao Han is not in a hurry to eliminate the Ruan family. He will finish it in the Zheng family's territory first.
Once it is announced, the local gentry will inevitably rebel and take the opportunity to suppress it. Migrate when it is time to migrate, and exterminate the tribe when it is time to do so. It is absolutely impossible to be lenient.
On the contrary, it is the Ruan family's territory. Since the contradiction between man and land is not big, there is no need to large-scale at all. You can choose an easing policy, purchase excess land from landlords at half price, and then distribute it to farmers with less land.
…
The trading post established by the Netherlands in Zheng's territory was second only to Nagasaki, Japan, and far more important than Tainan.
The Datong Army occupied this place. Although the Dutch property was not confiscated, future business would definitely be impossible. The purchasing channels are definitely controlled by Chinese merchants, and the Dutch trading post in Quang Nam Province is equivalent to being abolished.
Dutch merchant ships risked being capsized by the typhoon and quickly sailed to Batavia to report the news.
Governor Fandelin jumped up in shock: "What? China sent troops to annex Vietnam?"
The commander of the trade fleet said: "Yes, China sent tens of thousands of troops. In just over a month, Vietnam was destroyed without any resistance."
Fandelin was silent. He felt that as the governor, he was probably about to finish his work.
Due to low-price dumping by Chinese maritime merchants, it not only killed many Han merchants, but also caused damage to Dutch trade in Japan. Japan's Sandu merchants, as well as Japanese feudal lords who engage in smuggling, are more willing to get goods at low prices from Chinese merchants.
Japan's trade has shrunk, Vietnam's trade has now come to an end, and the Dutch East India Company's profits this year may fall off a cliff.
Profits plummeted, and the governor was bound to be impeached by shareholders.
Fandelin thought about it and decided that he could only hold a meeting. Only three company members attended the meeting. The others were all representatives of the members. The real members were still in other colonies.
"The Vietnam Trading Post should be withdrawn. It was said to be withdrawn last year. Profits have been declining anyway."
"Withdrawing the Vietnam trading station, we will only be able to do business in Japan from now on. Japan's trade volume is also shrinking, and profits have dropped sharply. If this continues, shareholders will be held accountable."
"The only way is to cut off sea routes and prohibit Chinese businessmen from doing business in Java. Then we will send troops to fight the Chinese and set a Chinese coastal port as the only trading location. Only in this way can we restore previous profits."
"You may be able to win a naval battle, but are you definitely not joking, you want to fight a land war with China? How many armies can we send? One thousand or two thousand? China annexed Vietnam, but sent tens of thousands of troops! Chinese soldiers, not Java Island The indigenous people. They have armor, cannons and muskets. If the army goes there, they will die!"
"If you can't solve the problem with force, then you will be fired from the company."
"Even if we are fired, can the profits be restored by the next employee? Explain the situation clearly to the headquarters and let the gentlemen there think about it slowly."
"Colleagues, I think we need to adapt to the new trade environment, and the headquarters must also adapt. What we are facing now is a talented and ambitious founding monarch, and a China that is constantly expanding to the outside world. This behemoth is terrible, and we must not Provoke them."
"I agree. This is no longer a matter of the East India Company, but a matter of the Dutch Republic. The Republic should send a formal mission to Nanjing for a diplomatic visit, rather than the company sending employees to engage in diplomacy."
"There is another way to disguise ourselves as pirates and rob all Chinese merchant ships we encounter. We will force Chinese merchants to not dare to go to sea for trade, and then we will take the opportunity to take the initiative in trade."
"But our main profit is in Batavia, purchasing goods from Chinese merchants and returning them to Europe. Once Chinese merchant ships are robbed, the Chinese goods in Batavia will inevitably decrease sharply, and the company's profits will be cut in half."
"Chinese businessmen did not dare to come, so we took the initiative to go to China to purchase goods. If the goods of inland Chinese merchants could not be sold, they would definitely sell them to us at a low price."
"But pretending to be pirates and plundering Chinese merchant ships will anger the Chinese emperor and ban the sale of goods to the company? Or even trigger a war?"
"With the current power of the Chinese navy, we don't have to be afraid of naval battles. Don't worry, it's not just us who are harmed, but also those inland businessmen in China who are eager to ship goods, and suppliers along China's coast. In order to make money, they must If we are willing to smuggle, we will not face shortages.”
"Gentlemen, this approach is too radical. Once problems arise, the company may suffer heavy losses in the Far East. Who can bear the responsibility? Also, the Chinese navy may be defeated, but the Chinese emperor will definitely crack down on smuggling when he is angry. There’s a chance we really won’t be able to buy the goods.”
"Don't forget, the company's current strategy is to seize Portugal's trading ports in Arabia. We have already had a lot of trouble with Portugal, Britain, Persia, and the Ottomans because of this. Under such circumstances, do we need to provoke China again?"
"..."
This last sentence silenced all MPs.
The Netherlands is making enemies all over the world, its military spending is rising year by year, and it is fighting more and more enemies.
At this time point, if it really angers the Chinese emperor. China directly joined forces with Britain, and even used benefits to win over Spain. The Dutch East India Company was expected to suffer disaster.
A group of people discussed for a long time, and the final result was to accept the reality and ask the Dutch Republic to officially send an envoy to Nanjing.
Zhao Han really didn't expect that when he sent troops to regain Vietnam, he would actually make the Dutch miserable.