The Prosperous Era of Longwan

"These courtyards have been carefully cleaned and prepared for the commanders."

Deng Zilong entered the residence of the envoy, carefully checked it, and arranged the courtyards for the commanders of the South China Sea Navy.

As for where the other men lived, they could arrange it themselves, and Deng Zilong was too lazy to care.

The soldiers had already taken his luggage off the ship. He would stay here for a long time in the future, and his ten warships would also stay in the old port to serve as a guard here.

"Sir, the heads of the Zheng family are asking for an audience outside the mansion, saying that they have prepared a welcoming banquet for you."

At this time, a soldier came up to report.

"Please ask them to come in and rest for a while. I still want to take a good look at this place."

In the big house of the Shi family, Deng Zilong left the best courtyards to Yu Dayou, Wang Zhao and other commanders of the South China Sea Navy. He temporarily chose a smaller courtyard.

But this is only temporary. After the army leaves, he, as the owner here, will naturally choose the best courtyard for himself to live in.

Jiugang will not appoint a prefect like the prefectures and counties in the interior of the Ming Dynasty. Even if someone is sent here in the end, military control will still be implemented here. The South China Sea Navy is still in charge, just like Dongfan Island and Luzon, which are under the jurisdiction of the South China Sea Navy.

In Jiugang and its surrounding areas, according to Yu Dayou's plan, at least a complete garrison will be dispatched from the interior.

To put it bluntly, the Ming Dynasty will immigrate more than 20,000 military households here, establish five thousand households, and more than 5,000 combat soldiers.

Including the docks and sailors, the number of troops here may exceed 7,000.

Deng Zilong did not go directly to meet the patriarchs of those families. He still had to think about his attitude towards these people.

At the dock for a while, although the attitudes of both sides were very cordial, Deng Zilong was not a pure reckless man. From the faces and eyes of those people, he could see that they were not as happy as expected about the arrival of the Ming Dynasty.

If you think about it for a while, you will know the reason. It is nothing more than that they were local tyrants in the old port city. With the arrival of the Ming army, the era of tyranny is gone forever, and they are unwilling to accept it.

However, Deng Zilong does not mind their attitude.

They can be dissatisfied in their hearts, but as long as they do not openly oppose, these families must be retained.

Old Port has always been an important trading port in Nanyang. Because of its geographical advantages, most of the goods from the West were shipped to Nanyang in the early years, and then sold by Chinese merchants to various parts of Nanyang and even Ming Dynasty.

Although Old Port is now facing competition from Malacca City, it is a place of barbarians after all, and the number of Chinese seas is not many.

The first choice for merchants from Ming Dynasty to Nanyang is still here.

Then from Old Port, the goods are sold to Malacca City and flow to the West.

As for the overseas territory of Luzon that has been occupied by Ming Dynasty, in fact, the merchants of Old Port are not worried at all.

Luzon is located there. Unless the Ming Dynasty merchants can find a sea route to sail eastward, there is no need for Luzon. It is nothing more than trading with the Spaniards, shipping to America via the sailing route, and then transporting to Europe.

In terms of actual value, Luzon's status is actually very insignificant and has no effect at all.

It was because of Lin Feng's disturbance that the South China Sea Navy had the opportunity to go to Southeast Asia.

The meat in your mouth, naturally can't be spit out.

The garrison in Luzon can also deter the Spaniards there, so that they can't expand their territory uncontrollably in Southeast Asia.

The expansion that is really beneficial to the Ming Dynasty is actually to restore the Xuanwei Division of Jiugang, which is the bridge connecting the East and the West.

The goods of the Ming Dynasty can be continuously transported to Jiugang and then distributed to various places in the West.

The territory of Dongfan Island, which the Ming Dynasty obtained in its first external expansion, is more to ensure the safety of the eastern coastal areas, expand the Great Wall on the Sea, and build Dongfan Island into a barrier.

Deng Zilong took advantage of this moment of free time to take a good look at the three best courtyards. The main house here is the courtyard where Shi Jinqing, the first Xuanwei Envoy of Jiugang, lived, and the other two were where his son and daughter lived.

These two had fought hard to inherit the post of Xuanwei Envoy of Jiugang, but in the end Zheng He chose to give the position to Shi Erniang according to Shi Jinqing's wishes.

It is worth mentioning that although Shi Jinqing was a Cantonese, he chose to convert to Islam and become a Muslim after living in Srivijaya, Nanyang, and becoming an overseas Chinese.

After helping Zheng He eliminate the Nanyang pirate Chen Zuyi and sending envoys to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty, he was named the Xuanwei Envoy of Jiugang by Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty and became the ruler of Srivijaya.

At this time, Srivijaya had already split, and after Shi Jinqing got the official post of Xuanwei Envoy of Jiugang, he always called himself "King of Srivijaya" in Nanyang.

After Shi Jinqing died, his second daughter Shi Erjie ascended the throne as queen. His son Shi Jisun competed with Shi Erjie for the throne. Shi Jisun sent envoys to the Ming Empire to request the title. Emperor Chengzu, who was unaware of the situation, ordered her to take over the post of envoy of Jiugang according to the Chinese custom of "the son inherits the father's death".

But after Zheng He went south to understand the actual situation, he recognized Shi Erjie as the leader of Jiugang. Later, Shi Jisun sent envoys to Japan and other countries to seek support, but none of them received support.

Shi Erjie's rule in Jiugang lasted until 1440, the fifth year of Zhengtong, when Jiugang was ruled by the Majapahit Kingdom and the Srivijaya Kingdom finally perished.

The reason why Zheng He chose Shi Erjie as the leader of Jiugang was in accordance with Muslim customs.

In the Muslim inheritance thought, the basic principle is that the inheritance disposed of according to the will shall not exceed the total net assets of the deceased, that is, one-third of the assets after paying off the deceased’s debts and deducting burial expenses. There are many ways to help the deceased's neighbors, be friendly during the lifetime, etc.

The remaining portion is distributed among the legal heirs according to their respective shares. When distributing the inheritance, priority is given to the share heirs, mainly female relatives, while the paternal heirs only have the right to participate in the distribution of the "remainder property" after the "property division".

In other words, among the Muslim community, female relatives have priority in inheritance, and it is precisely based on this custom that Second Sister Shi can inherit the leadership of Old Port.

Of course, in fact, most of the Han people who went to Southeast Asia chose to convert to Islam and became Muslims. In fact, the fundamental reason was not that they really believed in this sect, but that there were other reasons.

Beginning in the 13th century, Islam was introduced to Southeast Asia along with commercial trade.

Before Islam was introduced to Southeast Asia, the region was deeply influenced by Indian culture, and multiple religious beliefs such as Buddhism, Hinduism, primitive religions, Taoism, and Confucianism existed side by side.

Sumatra is located on the southeast side of the Eurasian plate and faces the Indian Ocean to the west. It has been an important passage for Indian and Arab traders to enter Southeast Asia since ancient times.

The superior geographical location here attracted business travelers from the East and the West. During the frequent trade, the earliest Muslim merchants brought Islam to this land and spread it widely among the local residents.

With the continuous growth of commercial and trade activities, new coastal commercial cities have sprung up.

As the first Islamic state established in Southeast Asia, the Sultanate of Subentara Basak marked the earliest center of the spread of Islam in Southeast Asia.

After the founding of the country, the status of the Sultanate of Subuntara Basak as a commercial transit station in Southeast Asia was further enhanced, attracting Muslim businessmen from all over the world to engage in business activities or preach.

The prosperity of commerce made the Sultanate of Suventara Basak become more and more powerful, attracting the attention of many surrounding non-Islamic countries.

The leaders of these non-Islamic countries realized that the Sultanate of Subuntara Basak was strong precisely because of its conversion to Islam.

They are convinced that only Islam can help them achieve prosperity for their country and prosperity for their people.

Therefore, they have chosen to convert to Islam in order to gain this powerful power.

At the same time, the economic prosperity of the Sultanate of Suventara Basak attracted many famous Muslim religious scholars from Arabia and Persia to live there.

They carried out academic activities to spread Islam here, which deeply affected the surrounding residents.

These residents were attracted by the powerful charm of Islam and came to listen to the teachings.

Their conversion further accelerated the spread of Islam in surrounding areas.

After a long period of competition, Islam gradually took a dominant position in Southeast Asia.

Because the rise of Islamic countries has naturally affected the overseas Chinese living here, they either actively or passively join Islam, so that they will not be excluded by society and gain some business conveniences, tax benefits, etc.

Therefore, as the Nanyang Chinese have developed over several generations, their behaviors and habits have gradually become Islamic and separated from Han customs.

Deng Zilong originally wanted to show off these local snakes and let them know how powerful he was, so he deliberately stalled.

To be honest, Shi Jinqing's original yard was not as good as the yard where Second Sister Shi lived. This was the conclusion Deng Zilong finally came to.

While Deng Zilong was still wandering in the back yard, the patriarch of the Thirteenth Family had been waiting here for a long time in the living room of the front yard.

Being left alone by Deng Zilong, they did not dare to express their dissatisfaction and could only gather together and whisper.

Because he was worried about being heard by the Ming army outside, he kept his voice extremely low.

"I think this guy named Deng will do it on purpose."

"I've seen it a long time ago. Mingguo has no good intentions when he comes to Jiugang this time. What should we do?"

"Keep your voices down."

At this time, Mr. Zheng said: "What I am most worried about now is that the Ming Dynasty will not follow the old practice and let us publicly elect a new ambassador.

From now on, in Old Port, we will be just businessmen and heads of big families, and we will no longer be able to manage the city. "

"Didn't everyone in the Ming Dynasty say that the nobles were noble and the military was cheap? Why don't we talk to those businessmen and pool money to clear the way for the Chief Secretary of Guangdong? Please help us speak."

The head of the Lin family, the second most powerful person in Old Port, said.

"You can give it a try, but I heard that those civil servants are more corrupt than the military attachés, and I'm afraid that they will eventually lead to the wolf entering the house."

After hearing the opinion of the head of the Lin family, some people soon came up with different opinions.

Yes, the customs of the Ming Dynasty officialdom were spread through the Ming Dynasty maritime merchants, and the merchants here in Old Port already knew about it.

"We asked them to propose that the old port should be based on the old system, with public election of consolation envoys. There would be no need for the court to send officials to manage it. We would pay tribute to the court every year."

The head of the Lin family immediately said, "Also, we have set aside a piece of land on the seaside to build a military camp and a dock for the Nanhai Navy to anchor when they patrol here.

Anyway, they can come from time to time, but the Ming army cannot be permanently stationed in Jiugang. "

"Today I will take care of General Deng first, and everyone will go home and think about it. We will get together again tomorrow to discuss it."

Mr. Zheng said, "But you don't want the Ming army to be stationed, but when I look at the arrangement of the man named Deng, it is clear that he wants to live here permanently.

You guys, I'm afraid you will be disappointed. "

“What if we really want to stay here?”

Someone else spoke.

"There is no way, you have seen so many warships today. If there is a falling out, they can directly capture the old port city.

There is a saying that has been passed down from our ancestors, saying that those who know the current affairs are heroes. At this time, we still have to know the current affairs.

Mr. Lin's suggestion is good. We can give it a try, but don't have high hopes.

Also, everyone should inform their families when they return home, and never start a dispute with the Ming army.

By leaving us here, he may not mean to kill the chicken to scare the monkey. I am afraid that some people will not understand the current affairs and become the chicken that respects the monkey. "

Mr. Zheng said.

"Then are we too cowardly? How about we find the elders in the church and contact the surrounding people?"

“Don’t, contacting them will really lead the wolf into the house.

Aceh, in particular, has been eyeing us for a long time. If we were given a chance to intervene, it would be easy to ask for help but hard to give away. I am afraid the situation would be even worse than the current situation. "

When someone proposed to contact surrounding forces to put pressure on the Ming Dynasty through the Islamic Church, the complex regional relations in Southeast Asia came to the fore, and no one was willing to do so.

The old port was a commercial port, and the wealth accumulated through commercial trade had long made the surrounding forces jealous.

Bringing in other people wouldn't be more troublesome.

If you are not careful, it can easily trigger a war between the Ming Dynasty and them. At that time, the old port really turned into a battlefield, and their family's centuries-old foundation was destroyed.

Thinking of such a scene, everyone shuddered.

"Everyone, please be careful not to act rashly, otherwise don't blame me for not predicting what I said."

Speaking of this, the head of the Zheng family increased his tone, showing his threat.

While they were talking, Deng Zilong finally finished looking at the house and walked slowly to the front yard from the back to meet the owners.

Soon, with the warm welcome of these people, they left the mansion and went to the largest restaurant in the old port city for a banquet.

One side was deliberately trying to put on airs, while the other side was trying to be flattering. Although the atmosphere wasn't exactly warm, it wasn't cold either.

What Deng Zilong actually doesn't want to see the most is that these families think that the Ming army is easy to bully and contact external forces to intervene in Old Port.

So, keep your distance from them in the beginning.

The advantage of this is that it makes them understand that when it is necessary to take action, he will ruthlessly eradicate the root cause, making them fear him from the root.

Causing chaos in Old Port was not what he needed.

The old port is still the trade hub and important port in Nanyang. This is Wei Guangde's plan long ago.

By collecting taxes in the old port, the South China Sea Navy's huge annual military expenditures were met.

The southeastern coastal provinces cannot always provide the navy with large amounts of money and food.

Dongfan Island and Luzon became self-sufficient through settlement, while taxes from the old port supplemented the navy's money in the South China Sea.

Stabilizing them and letting them gradually accept it is Deng Zilong's top priority.