Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

After the effective show of force, the second negotiation process was obviously much smoother than the first negotiation.

After the two sides negotiated a series of issues such as treatment, trade, and official positions, the Ming fleet finally began to enter the port one after another.

"Immediately order all ships to advance slowly. For the time being, only the advance fleet will be allowed to escort the landing troops into the port. The fleet will spread out horizontally to ensure that the battle formation can be changed at any time so that the broadside guns can target the enemies on both sides of the port."

Soon, the flagship of the advance fleet rushed to the front of the port. Opposite them, soldiers from major chambers of commerce were standing densely. These chambers of commerce soldiers generally wore leather armor and carried simple shields on their backs as defensive tools. , their arms are covered with some local jewelry and marine-themed tattoos. In addition, some people have claw hooks or ropes woven from hemp on their shoulders.

Although the weapons of these soldiers looked crude and rough, Runan County Prince Zhu Youxuan, who was responsible for commanding the landing troops, could still feel that the force deployed on both sides of the port was far stronger than he had expected.

At least these soldiers have obviously seen blood and have actual combat experience.

The number of people is small, and the equipment cannot be said to be very good, but it is a troop that can really be pulled out to fight.

Soon after, the Ming army's troop transport ship was berthed at the port. Zhu Youyi and others got off the ship, landed on the pier, and then looked into the Manila port. There were many small boats moored in the port, and the people on the shore, They were all looking at them nervously.

Since the voyages to the Western Ocean were essentially an activity carried out by the royal family, the clan, and the nobility, and coupled with the issue of performance appraisal indicators for the clan, there was no shortage of unpopular children of the major feudal families in the ocean-going fleet. Or they may be the distant nephews of Duke Xun and Uncle Hou. These young people are all trying to find a way out overseas. They are all ambitious and want to perform the drama of "Thirty years in the east of Hedong and thirty years in Hexi, don't bully young people into poverty".

After understanding the composition and interests of fleet officers, it is easy to understand why these young officers are so eager for war and military glory. They are like a stone passing by and want to kick it if it is not in the way.

"These Han people who immigrated to Luzon built a lot of fortifications in the port."

Zhu Youyi looked around and found that all around the Manila port, the barricades were piled with heavy stones and there were many stone buildings. Obviously, these were not temporary fortifications built by the Luzon people. Judging from their specifications and materials, it seemed , it doesn’t look like a new building at all, but more like an old building that is often used.

"It took the people of Manila many years to complete these, so they look a bit old." The person who came to guide the way explained.

Manila natives certainly don’t disappear for no reason.

Obviously, this is also the result of the Han people who immigrated here and occupied the magpie's nest.

How much blood was shed on these barricades and buildings.

"Oh." Zhu Youyi responded lightly, then changed the subject and asked, "Where are you from?"

Knowing that the local Han businessmen in Manila had already surrendered, the person who led the way did not dare to neglect, and quickly replied: "My surname is Zhao. My father went to Southeast Asia many years ago and was born in Manila."

"Then how did your father come to this sea area?"

"well."

The guide surnamed Zhao smiled bitterly and shook his head: "It was the war at the end of the Yuan Dynasty."

At this point, it’s hard to continue talking. After all, it’s difficult to judge from different standpoints on the chaos that spread all over the world, and most of these people are eliminated.

Instead, the guide surnamed Zhao continued: "In those years, my father has been following the Chamber of Commerce to trade at sea. Unfortunately, he was robbed by Japanese pirates and was not spared. There are many Japanese pirates and pirates in Southeast Asia. I wonder if the Ming Dynasty will eradicate them?"

Although it was unclear whether the other party was deliberately probing past stories or whether it was just an unintentional question, it didn't matter.

Zhu Youyi only said: "Don't worry, we will definitely avenge those people who died at the hands of pirates in the future. The world will be clarified and the world will be peaceful."

"Everything is peaceful."

The guide took a long breath and said, "I really look forward to such a day coming."

Soon, all the more than 4,000 soldiers of the Ming Army had landed and took control of the entire city of Manila.

After safety was ensured, deputy envoy Wang Jinghong was left to command the fleet. Zheng He disembarked in person and came to Manila to declare the decree, because he was the only one who had the privilege of filling in the names of people in the blank imperial decree.

Manila City, Mazu Temple.

As a symbol of some kind of spiritual totem, it obviously plays a role similar to that of an "ancestral hall" or "altar".

All the prominent local figures in Manila came here to witness the arrival of the historic moment.

"We, the people of Manila, are willing to surrender to the Ming Dynasty and serve the Ming Dynasty!"

Xu Chailao took a deep breath, raised his arms and shouted.

At his call, a group of people expressed their surrender in this way.

Seeing this custom that was obviously very different from the Central Plains, the corners of Zhu Youhuo's mouth twitched twice, and he cursed in his heart: They are really a bunch of outsiders who have followed the barbarians.

Unlike Zheng He and others, Zhu Youyi also held a contemptuous attitude towards these people. Well, we really can't expect him to have such a peaceful mentality as a "father-worried man" who could betray his father, King Zhou, to Li Jinglong.

"The Emperor, who is bound by heaven, decrees that the Xuanfu Envoy Department in Manila is now established. There will be one Xuanfu Envoy, from the fourth rank; Tongzhi, one person, from the fifth rank; Deputy Envoy, from the fifth rank; and Qianshi, one person, from the sixth rank."

This time the decree was officially announced. As the voice of Zheng He, the Sanbao eunuch who was responsible for announcing the decree, all the big bosses of the major Han families in Manila showed excited expressions. They all knew what this meant - Manila, from now on. From now on, it will be under the jurisdiction of Ming Dynasty!

And they will also be transformed from criminals who defected overseas to officials in the Imperial Propaganda Department!

"Long live my emperor!"

"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"

There were inconsistent voices, and Zheng He raised his palm slightly to stop the shouts below.

Zheng He pondered for a moment and then said: "My Ming Dynasty's vision is by no means limited to a corner of Nanyang. In the future, I will go west to Manchuria and completely become the master of Nanyang, the Western Ocean, and even the entire ocean!"

"We, the Ming Dynasty, will surely rise on the sea and create a prosperous age where all nations will come to court!"

"When the time comes, we must have our own colony. Our Ming Dynasty's ocean-going navy must control every inch of land at key nodes!"

"The sunrise starts from the land of Ming Dynasty; the same goes for sunset."

"And here, Manila, will be the colonial point for our Ming Dynasty to further expand into Southeast Asia, and it will also be the overseas base of our Ming Navy!"

"Now, at the same time, Xu Chailao, the ambassador of Manila's propaganda, is also appointed as the admiral of the Luzon Navy and the city's shipping secretary to coordinate Manila's government affairs, finance and military affairs."

Hearing the appointment of Xu Chailao as both the admiral of the navy and the commander of the navy, the people on the side couldn't help but started talking and whispering.

None of them expected that Xu Chailao would hold the three positions of finance, government and military in one person.

It stands to reason that although the "Three Proclamations and Six Comforts" system is done in this way, the situation here in Manila is obviously different from that in the southwest, because Zheng He should be very clear that this is an alliance governance model composed of major chambers of commerce, not The hereditary chieftain autocratic model in the southwest.

If it were people like them who designed it, then I'm afraid it would create a three-legged situation with checks and balances on each other.

But since the Sanbao eunuch has made this decision, there can only be one problem.

——Da Ming has absolute confidence to control this place.

In other words, Ming Dynasty did not pay attention to the so-called potential threat that they might become bigger. What Ming Dynasty cared about more was the cannibalization of the entire Luzon.

While Xu Chailao was thanking him, his mind was racing rapidly.

The Admiral of the Luzon Navy, to put it bluntly, is the overall leader of the ship power under these chambers of commerce, but what is worth pondering is that the word "Luzon" here is not "Manila".

You must know that the authority of this admiral is not small, because it is equivalent to a commander-in-chief, having command authority over the armed forces.

Of course, this kind of command power is a relatively loose one. For example, if Xu Chai Lao wants to gather all the troops, can he act arbitrarily without consulting others? Obviously it is not possible, because the ships and soldiers below are all private in nature, that is to say, they only have relative decision-making power, but no absolute decision-making power, unless he thinks that something involves serious harm to everyone. Only in this way can we make a decisive decision to carry out military action.

And this system is also giving them another channel besides the civil service. After all, there are only so many high-level officials in the Xuanfu Envoy Department. It is obviously not enough to squeeze everyone in with one carrot and one pit.

As for the promotion of the Municipal Shipping Secretary, it is easier to understand. This is used to collect and pay taxes, and can also provide some official positions. In this three-pronged approach, these local Chamber of Commerce bosses in Manila can be placed. Came down.

After accepting the imperial court's recruitment and becoming a member of the imperial court system, I felt at ease.

In fact, without Jiang Xinghuo's intervention in maritime bans and overseas trade policies, Xu Chailao, a giant in Manila, would have been named governor of Luzon when Zheng He made his first voyage to the West.

When there is a king in Luzon, this kind of canonization is obviously problematic.

Putting aside this awkwardness, if a governor has a veto power, doesn't it mean that he can override the will of the court at certain times and demand certain interests? Doesn't that mean his power is too great?

Although it is very convenient to do this, the court can directly take charge of it, but it also has great hidden dangers, because once it wants to further control Luzon, who is willing to give away power?

The Han immigrants present were not stupid. After thinking about these things, they knew that Ming Dynasty did not take them seriously. If they really had any small intentions, they would probably be crushed to death easily.

Xu Chailao figured it out, breathed a sigh of relief, and then said: "These soldiers are just stragglers. Please ask the Great Tomorrow Soldiers to station in Manila."

This is the intended meaning of the question. Although Ming Dynasty did not take them seriously, but it gave them so many benefits, there must be some trade-offs, and garrisoning was undoubtedly the best means of control.

"Manila Port is a natural port, and the imperial court attaches great importance to it. Quanzhou Port, Thanh Hoa Port, and Manila Port are the horns of each other, and they can flatten thousands of miles of stone ponds."

There is actually another meaning here, that is, the guano islands in Wanli Shitang must be controlled. After all, they are all natural fertilizers, which can greatly increase food production and have huge reserves. Even if the Ming Dynasty goes crazy It will not be a problem to mine and transport it for a hundred years. There is no doubt that this is an extremely important strategic resource.

Only by controlling all the strongholds around the Wanli Stone Pond can we ensure complete control of these guano islands.

Zheng He smiled and said: "The imperial court will station troops here, and the ocean-going navy will also use this place as an overseas base like Qinghua Port. Your private soldiers will also be organized into guards, but the imperial court will naturally not treat you badly. Yes, weapons, crossbows, armor, you should have them, there will definitely be no shortage."

After hearing this, these chamber of commerce bosses were a little excited.

Paying for the cost of garrisoning troops and ships for the imperial court is something that need not be mentioned at all. These businessmen still have this consciousness, but the attitude of Sanbao eunuchs makes them feel that they are very valued. The imperial court is not just making excuses with them. , but really treat them as one of our own and cultivate them.

These military supplies are difficult to obtain or carry out standard arming by themselves. It is not a problem that money can completely solve. Countries are very strict about this blockade.

"The defense of Manila City (with the port area as its core), including the construction of city walls, should also start immediately. I hope you will build Manila as soon as possible. And you don't have to worry about the safety during this period. The King of Runan County will temporarily lead the army. Stationed outside the city, the Ming Dynasty will also handle the affairs of the Luzon Kingdom. If you know how to deal with it, everything will be easy to deal with."

Zheng He didn't say the second half of his words, but these words immediately aroused the emotions of everyone around him.

How long have you experienced this tough attitude towards the locals in Luzon?

For a moment, everyone was in a daze.

In fact, in the past few decades, their lives have been not bad. As their power has grown and grown, they have made more and more money, but their situation has become worse and worse, and even their living environment has become worse.

All this is naturally because they are people who have left their homeland. There is no strong country behind them to support them, so they can only cautiously rely on others in a foreign land.

The four words "being under someone else's roof" are the most appropriate to describe the situation of these people.

But at this moment, some indescribable emotion, mixed with "pride" and "arrogance", ignited in their hearts.

Yes, from this moment on, they are no longer like rootless wanderers overseas.

In this world, no country is qualified to get along with Ming Dynasty on an equal footing.

Even the envoys of the Timur Khanate, the second most powerful country in the world, had to kneel down and call themselves vassals when they came to the Ming Dynasty before.

No matter in terms of politics, military, economy, culture, population, etc., Ming Dynasty is the well-deserved number one power at this moment!

They have the Ming Dynasty as their support.

They will live under the protection of the Ming Dynasty without having to bow to the natives they relied on in the past.

"Everyone, this is also an opportunity for you to change your destiny."

Zheng He's voice broke everyone's thoughts and made them raise their heads.

"The fleet's naval guns are enough to destroy Manila a hundred times, but the country has the ability to use people, tolerate people, and recognize people. This is the only thing you can be thankful for."

Zheng He looked at the people in front of him, and everyone he glanced at lowered their heads in sincerity.

Zheng He said slowly: "Now, what you need is to build the city wall, reorganize the troops, and integrate into the Ming Dynasty's maritime trade system. Only in this way can you gain your own power and wealth in this vast sea area!"

"And if you want to get all this, you have to work hard on your own."

Zheng He ended up giving blood to the newly established Manila Propaganda Department, and as the news spread.

"We will follow the Ming Dynasty to the death!"

"I am willing to die for the Ming Dynasty!"

"."

A tsunami-like shouting sounded, which even made people feel a faint pain in their eardrums.

Zhu Youyi also nodded with satisfaction, then turned around and spoke to his noble generals.

"You should go back and prepare first. If we can't reach an agreement within three days, we will probably have to go to war."

"Follow the order!"

The noble generals of the clan withdrew one after another and began to arrange manpower to widen the docks, build military camps, and prepare for war.

——————

After the news of the surrender of Manila City reached the Royal City of Luzon, the Luzon Court immediately fell into a brief chaos, and the ministers discussed in confusion.

"I've known for a long time that these Han people are unreliable!"

"That's right! I didn't expect them to dare to openly rebel. Fortunately, they were given a place to stay before."

"As long as they dare to come, we dare to fight. These Han people are quite courageous and dare to run wild on our Luzon Island."

"I think they are probably crazy and want to provoke us."

"Hmph! Although the Ming Dynasty is strong, we in Luzon are not weak either. As long as we unite with the other tribes, we may not be able to defeat the Ming Dynasty's army and take back Manila."

"These Han people are simply wishful thinking!"

"But the Ming army is powerful and has just destroyed the Annan Kingdom. It should not be underestimated!"

"So what? Now that the Ming army has landed, plus the Han people in Manila, their total number of soldiers will not exceed 10,000. We have 50,000 in the capital alone. Can't we still defeat them? ?”

"It's inappropriate! It's inappropriate. We can't act rashly."

"Why? Are you afraid of the Han people?"

"No, I'm not afraid of the Han people, but we can't take any chances."

"Why can't we take risks? As the Han people say, if a man is born in this world and looks forward and backward, how can he accomplish anything?"

"What do you know? Now the Ming Army has occupied Manila City, which means they have a firm foothold here. These Ming Army soldiers are equipped with iron armor, as well as muskets and artillery, not to mention the giant ships on the ship that can shoot far away. Cannon, if we attack them rashly, we may suffer heavy losses."

"We have to be careful about this."

Amidst the discussion among a group of people, the Prime Minister of Luzon shook his head and said: "No, no!"

"If other countries attack, we can fight to the death, but if it comes from His Majesty the Ming Emperor's fleet, we can't stop it at all, and we can't stop it. In this case, why bother to increase casualties?"

"But Mr. Prime Minister, if we don't respond to the Ming Dynasty's occupation of Manila and allow the Ming Dynasty to develop like this, we will become fish on the chopping board sooner or later."

"Yes! The Ming Dynasty's navigation technology is much better than ours. If we don't take advantage of their initial arrival, we will be in trouble when they continue to bring reinforcements and supplies."

After hearing the discussion of these people, the Prime Minister took a deep breath.

These people are not yet fully aware of the seriousness of the situation. Now they are at a critical moment of integrating various internal tribes and establishing a unified Luzon country. This process has been going on for decades after several generations of kings. No other changes are allowed. Force interferes with their progress, especially an enemy as powerful as the Ming Dynasty.

"Don't worry, I will enter the palace as soon as possible to meet with the king and the princes to discuss countermeasures. However, this time, we must also be prepared to fight against the Ming Dynasty for a long time!"

"The Prime Minister is wise!"

But when the general on the side saw this, he couldn't help but interrupt and asked: "I just have one thing to ask, why do we need to defend? We are fully capable of defeating these Ming troops!"

The old man glared at him: "The Ming army has firearms, and the cannons on the ships can hit the shore. I heard that the Ming army's ships are all over the sea. How can we win if we attack with so many cannons? Our weapons and equipment Far inferior to them, if we fight with them at this time, we will definitely suffer a loss!"

The old man sighed and said slowly: "Maybe you think that there is still a military advantage now, but you have never been to the Ming Dynasty and don't understand how powerful this country is. The gap between Luzon and the Ming Dynasty is really too big. Now, think about it from another perspective, can you send tens of thousands of troops across the vast sea to the land of the Ming Dynasty? We want to cross the vast sea to reach the Ming Dynasty, but it is not something we can accomplish. It’s more difficult than reaching the sky.”

"But if it is true as the Prime Minister said, the Ming Dynasty's follow-up troops will soon land in Manila, then we can't sit still and wait for death at this time."

"Then you will lead the navy to block the Ming navy in the Manila port?"

Everyone was a little silent when they heard this. Seeing the Ming Dynasty's fleet running rampant in the waters around Luzon, even daring to break into Manila, why did they take them seriously? To be honest, although the entire Luzon Kingdom is based on Luzon Island and is actually an island country, they all live in the plains and inland. The navy under the king is not even as powerful as those in Manila who are engaged in maritime trade all year round. The Chamber of Commerce is strong.

In their view, the Ming Dynasty Navy alone was already an unsolvable problem. Anyone who led the Luzon Navy to fight would be willing to die.

In the palace of the King of Luzon, it was clearly already three o'clock in the morning, but the king, who drank too much last night, was still sleeping soundly at this time.

Several princes who each have military power are also discussing countermeasures.

"What should we do now?"

"Don't act rashly first, observe first before speaking."

"If you want me to tell you what to observe, just be direct."

"Shut up! Don't forget that the Ming Dynasty has just conquered the Annan Kingdom and the Champa Kingdom. If we rashly send troops to attack the Han ports, we will definitely be conquered by the Ming Dynasty! This is directly handing the excuse for war to others."

After hearing this, the little prince who was still clamoring instantly became weak.

At this time, seeing the arrival of the Prime Minister, the princes also stopped arguing.

"But Mr. Prime Minister, if we don't send troops, won't Ming Dynasty become even more unscrupulous?"

"This is inevitable."

The old man sighed slightly and said: "I have already written to each tribe. I hope that they can see that everyone is a member of the Luzon Kingdom and can share the same hatred at this time and jointly resist foreign enemies."

At this time, the second prince said timidly: "If the Ming Dynasty is really willing to give up, in fact, it is not impossible for us to abandon the city of Manila and leave the port to the Han people."

But as soon as these words were spoken, the princes of the Luzon Kingdom present, including the eldest prince who had just scolded his younger brother, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Although they usually fantasize about how to become a generation of heroes, their IQs are still online. There is nothing wrong with being timid when they should be timid.

"His Royal Highness is awake."

An attendant from the palace came and announced: "Only the Prime Minister is allowed in."

When the Prime Minister came in, he saw that King Luzon's eyes were already bloodshot.

"You all should step aside, I need to think about it."

The fat king tiredly waved his hand to signal everyone to disperse, and then walked into the inner court alone with the Prime Minister.

When the two of them were alone together, the king showed a solemn look on his face and murmured to himself: "Prime Minister, I'm afraid it's hard to escape this time. I didn't expect that Ming Dynasty would actually set its sights on the city of Manila. It seems like it's true." He plans to destroy our country of Luzon."

"I just hope these Han people won't be too aggressive."

This old man was the Prime Minister of Luzon, with a very high status. He had spent countless efforts and decades to develop the Luzon State to where it was now. Naturally, he didn't want it to be destroyed like this.

But he also knew that the power of the Ming Empire was far beyond his expectation. Their strength was much stronger than when he was an envoy to the Hongwu Dynasty!

"Send someone to make contact first, and then use the attitude of conquering the country."

Although the King of Luzon likes to have fun, he is by no means a complete fool. He pondered for a moment and said.

"No matter what, we must not start the war easily this time, but at the same time we must test the attitude of the Ming Dynasty. If the Ming Dynasty wants to destroy our country of Luzon as I expected, then we will fight it bloody to the end."

Soon, after the king sent an envoy to contact the Ming army, he attended the court meeting that he had not shown for a long time and summoned the princes, generals and ministers.

"Everyone, we are in big trouble this time. The Ming army may be determined to destroy our Luzon country this time, so I hope everyone can work together to overcome the difficulties!"

"yes!"

Everyone expressed their opinions one after another. After all, Luzon has become more and more prosperous under the king's governance in recent years. Everyone knows that the complete unification of Luzon may only be a matter of one or two generations. Without the strong military power of the Luzon royal family, Luzon is like a piece of cake, and neighbors will pounce on it at any time to take a bite.

These people know this, so they cherish their current life very much. Even if it is for themselves, they will not betray the Luzon Kingdom. After all, they are not Han Chinese in Manila, and Ming Dynasty may not accept them.

"These Ming troops have already occupied the city of Manila and will definitely advance northward. However, this distance is enough for us to react and we must immediately send people to contact the major tribes. At this time, we can only resist the Ming troops by working together."

He paused and continued: "At the same time, inform the southern states that the Han people may declare war on us, and let them be wary of Han Chinese raids."

There are also large and small states scattered on the islands in the south, and on the island of Mindanao, there is the Sulu State, which is not inferior to the Luzon State. "

"At this time, we must also send envoys to Sulu and other countries to let them know our attitude in Luzon!"

"If the Ming Dynasty really wants to destroy the Luzon Kingdom and even occupy all the land, then other countries will not care. We Luzon people will fight them to the death!"

After hearing these words, everyone couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement in their hearts.

The king, who had been drunk and dreaming in the palace for a long time, stood up now. They had nothing to panic about.

In fact, Luzon Island, as the northernmost tip of the archipelago, has always been the focus of coveting by all major forces. It can be said that in this sea area, from ancient times to the present, every force has coveted this land as long as it develops.

This is because Luzon Island has vast plains, rich resources, and high gold reserves. It can be said to be the "golden zone" in the literal sense and is a famous place for gold mine treasures in the world.

The reason why the royal family of Luzon has a vague attitude of wanting to be completely unified is because it sits on the golden mountain.

But this was also the reason why they were targeted by Zheng He's fleet or Jiang Xinghuo.

Without being able to take action against Japan, Ming Dynasty carried out internal currency reforms to reduce the extremely high depreciation rate of Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes. It also needed precious metals that could be used as hard currency to suppress the situation.

Although the Ming Dynasty did not allow gold and silver trading, there is no doubt that precious metals are the ballast stone needed for any currency reform.