The Prosperous Era of Longwan

The Xuanwei Department of Jiugang was established for the Ming Dynasty's administration. Its headquarters was located in Palembang, Sumatra, Indonesia in later years. The first Xuanwei Envoy of Jiugang was Shi Jinqing.

In 1405 AD, the third year of Yongle reign of Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty, overseas Chinese businessman Shi Jinqing assisted Zheng He's fleet in sailing. During this period, he also participated in pacifying Chen Zuyi's pirate army. Afterwards, Shi Jinqing sent his son-in-law to the Ming Dynasty to meet Chengzu.

In order to commend Shi Jinqing for his "loyalty and righteousness", Chengzu granted Shi Jinqing the title of envoy to the old port.

The establishment of the Jiugang Xuanwei Department was one of the few times in Chinese history that the imperial court directly granted titles to Han Muslims, and it was also one of the few overseas "enclaves" under the jurisdiction of Chinese history.

The navy of the Ming Dynasty established city gates and warehouses in Mancajia on the Strait of Malacca and used it as a transit station for Western trade. This was a major achievement of Zheng He's voyages to the Western Sea.

Sumatra, where Old Port Xuanweisi is located, is a large island in western Indonesia in Southeast Asia, covering an area of ​​470,000 square kilometers. It is the sixth largest island in the world and the largest island independently owned by Indonesia.

Sumatra is located on the equator and is one of the four main islands in the Greater Sunda Islands. It has a tropical rainforest climate.

It faces the Malay Peninsula across the Strait of Malacca to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the west, the South China Sea to the east, Java Island across the Sunda Strait to the southeast, and the Andaman Islands to the north.

Sumatra runs northwest-southeast and is mainly composed of two parts, including the Balisan Mountains in the west and the lowland plains in the east.

It should be said that Zheng He made a very wise choice by choosing the old port station. This place guarded the Strait of Malacca and could effectively control the traffic between the east and west oceans.

Unfortunately, with the weakening of the Ming Dynasty's national power, especially Zheng He's death on the return voyage, the Ming Dynasty's official ocean-going fleet disappeared.

The traditional view is that the reason why the Ming Dynasty terminated its overseas voyages was that it wasted the treasury and increased the burden on the country and the people. However, some experts believe that Zheng He's fleet monopolized overseas trade and was jointly blocked by some officials and businessmen.

But in any case, the old port Xuanwei Division that Zheng He conquered during his voyages to the West lost the support of the Ming Dynasty, and its survival became difficult. The ambitions of the Majapahit Kingdom became increasingly exposed.

After more than ten years of struggle, facing the aggressive Majapahit Kingdom, Sister Shi, the second Jiugang Xuanwei Envoy, had to adapt to reality and accept the complete rule of Majapahit, which meant that the Jiugang Xuanwei Division had come to an end.

It was only thirty-three years from the establishment of the Xuanwei Department in Old Port to its disappearance.

Here, I have to mention the origin of the Xuanwei Department in Old Port.

"Xuanweisi" began to appear in the Jin Dynasty, and it was not until the Yuan Dynasty that it became popular on a large scale.

The administrative structure of the Yuan Dynasty established by the Mongols was very different from that of the Tang and Song Dynasties. In terms of local administrative settings, there was an additional "Xuanwei Division" between the "provinces" and "states".

A total of 60 Xuanwei Divisions were established in the Yuan Dynasty. Each Xuanwei Division had jurisdiction over several states. It mainly played the role of linking and communicating with administrative units at the upper and lower levels. It seemed a bit like a "mouthpiece" and did not have a complete administrative system in itself. Functions, and most of the names are relatively long, such as "Xuanwei Division of Shandong East and West Road" and "Xuanwei Division of Xiliangjiang Road, Guangxi".

After the Ming Dynasty replaced the Yuan Dynasty, the local administrative structure underwent major changes again. "Province" became "Chief Secretary" and "zhou" became "Fu". The Xuanwei Department in the interior was all abolished and only retained in the southwest border. Both Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di established multiple Xuanwei departments.

In fact, the Xuanwei Division is not a fixed title. Ming Dynasty history books also have names such as "Xuanfu Division", "Appeasement Division", and "Recruitment Division". Their actual functions are basically the same.

It can be seen from the word "Xuanwei" that the responsibility of the Xuanwei Division is to convey government orders and comfort the people on behalf of the emperor and the court.

The Ming Dynasty later integrated these Xuanwei divisions into the "Three Xuanwei and Sixwei" divisions. The "Three Xuanxuan" refers to the three Xuanfu divisions of Zandian, Qianya, and Longchuan. The "Liuwei" refers to Cheche, Burma, Mubang, and There are six Xuanwei divisions in Babaidaidian, Mengyang, and Laoguo.

The "Three Propaganda and Six Comforts" were all located in the southwestern land frontier of the Ming Dynasty, which played a great role in consolidating border security and stability. The Xuanwei Division in Jiugang, far away on the coast of Nanyang, reflected the Ming Dynasty and even the entire ancient China. The pinnacle of traveling overseas.

The Majapahit Kingdom with Java as its core gained confidence after defeating the Yuan Dynasty, and continuously attacked the remaining forces of the Srivijaya Kingdom on Sumatra, eventually wiping it out completely in 1397.

However, the Majapahit Kingdom failed to establish a stable rule on Sumatra. The island fell into chaos, and local Chinese people flocked to the old port to seek refuge.

The wars at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty brought more Chinese to Nanyang, which greatly increased the number of Chinese in places such as Old Port. Some Chinese armed forces took advantage of the situation and took advantage of the situation.

They are both merchants and thieves, possessing considerable maritime force. They actually control the old port and are at war with the Majapahit Kingdom from time to time. They are no different from an independent kingdom. At most, they appear to be ministers.

As a large number of Arab merchants and immigrants came to the Indonesian archipelago, Islam began to spread, and the Chinese in Old Hong Kong who were mainly engaged in business were affected. Shi Jinqing, the leader of a Chinese armed force in Old Hong Kong, was a Muslim.

Under the governance of Yongle Emperor Zhu Di, the Ming Dynasty's national power entered its peak period.

In the third year of Yongle, in order to declare to all overseas countries that the Ming Dynasty had replaced the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty and become the first emperor of China, and to promote the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Di sent Zheng He to lead a fleet to the Western Ocean.

The "Western Ocean" here refers to the west of the "Southern Ocean", which is now the Indian Ocean.

Zheng He's fleet consisted of more than 200 ships, not only equipped with more than 20,000 sailors and soldiers, but also loaded with Chinese silk, porcelain, tea and other commodities for rewards and trade, as well as spices and spices brought back from Southeast Asia and the West. Rare wood, gold and silver and other valuables also enriched the Ming Dynasty's treasury and made huge profits.

The huge wealth also attracted countless pairs of greedy eyes.

Chen Zuyi, who was entrenched in the old port, learned that Zheng He's fleet carried a large number of rare treasures brought back from the West, and decided to intercept the fleet on its way back.

His plan was to feign surrender to Zheng He and then launch a surprise attack while the Ming army relaxed its guard.

Chen Zuyi's conspiracy was discovered by Shi Jinqing, the leader of another Chinese armed group. Shi Jinqing was a second-generation Chinese born overseas and believed in Islam. Zheng He was also a Muslim. Their consistent religious beliefs made the two have a good relationship.

Therefore, Shi Jinqing, who was devoted to the Ming Dynasty, quietly told Zheng He about Chen Zuyi's sneak attack plan.

Zheng He once followed Zhu Di on the battlefield, and was accustomed to conspiracy and fighting. He had an early insight into Chen Zuyi's tactics. Now with Shi Jinqing as an internal agent, he easily eliminated Chen Zuyi's pirates, captured him alive and took him back to the capital for execution, and lifted his sail to the West. A big threat on the road.

After Chen Zuyi's forces were eliminated and Shi Jinqing became the actual ruler of Old Port, he sent people to Beijing to show his loyalty to Yongle Emperor Zhu Di.

So in the fifth year of Yongle, Zhu Di issued an edict to establish the Xuanwei Department of Jiugang, appointed Shi Jinqing as the Xuanwei Envoy of Jiugang, and gave him a gold seal and official uniform. The Xuanwei Department of Jiugang was included in the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

The Xuanwei Division in Jiugang was surrounded by wolves, and it was only with the backing of the Ming Dynasty that they were able to live a stable and stable life in Nanyang.

There has been controversy over whether Jiugang Xuanweisi is considered the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

Because the Ming Dynasty did not send officials or troops to Old Port, nor did it collect taxes, it was even weaker than the Yuan Dynasty's short-lived rule of the Majapahit Kingdom. The Yuan Dynasty at least stationed officials and troops on Java Island.

Moreover, the connection between Jiugang Xuanweisi and the Ming Dynasty was limited to a few tribute payments, and its status was similar to that of a vassal state.

In addition, Shi Jinqing also paid tribute to the Majapahit Kingdom as a vassal to maintain peaceful relations.

In Wei Guangde's eyes, it doesn't really matter whether Jiugang Xuanwei Division is considered the territory of the Ming Dynasty. As long as the emperor and cabinet of the Ming Dynasty think it is, then it must be, and if it is not, then it is not.

In the past, Wei Guangde did not dare to make plans for overseas lands because he knew that the Ming Dynasty's military was weak at this time and it would be difficult to win a war abroad.

Even if we win, it will be a miserable victory, and the gain is really not worth the loss.

But after seeing the Jizhen Army trained by Qi Jiguang, Wei Guangde's attitude changed significantly.

After the Liaodong strategy was successfully implemented in a few years and Qi Jiguang took over the position of Li Chengliang's chief military officer in Liaodong, he was asked to rebuild such an army in Liaodong.

With a legion of 30,000 people, Ming will have the confidence to send troops by then.

One legion goes overseas and the other legion stays in Jizhen to defend the capital. It seems to be safe.

In the past few years, we have to find the Ministry of Industry to solve the ship problem. We need large ships that can carry more troops at once.

Let's not mention other places for the moment. We will go to Old Port first to restore the imperial court's rule over Old Port. Then we will figure out the sphere of influence of the Europeans in Southeast Asia and then slowly map it out.

As for whether Zhang Juzheng would agree and the palace's attitude, Wei Guangde actually had a good idea.

Although the Xuanwei Department in Jiugang has long since ceased to exist, the imperial court has never issued a decree to abolish the Xuanwei Department.

In other words, although the imperial court has never granted a title to the Jiugang Xuanwei Envoy, this yamen and this official position still exist.

It just so happened that when the fleet headed south, it was because the Xuanwei Department in Old Port had not seen him for a long time and came to Beijing to pay an audience. No matter who had the final say there now, it was a basis for sending troops.

Because the imperial court had never sent officials or garrison troops to the old port, and instead left the local Chinese to govern themselves, there was no official document when the imperial court abandoned the old port. Otherwise, ships would have been sent south to pick up people.

Thanks to his good memory, he still remembered that he had never seen the document from the imperial court canceling the Xuanwei Department of Old Port.

However, Wei Guangde still made up his mind to go back and check.

As long as the matter is confirmed, there is a reason that can be given. It seems that as long as Zhang Juzheng is persuaded, the palace's attitude will not matter.

But the most troublesome thing is money.

To raise money again to build a large ship to sail to Nanyang, the Ministry of Revenue is afraid that it will not be willing to provide financial support, so the Ministry of Industry can only do everything.

Fortunately, we have already prepared a formal document that the coastal provinces in the south of the Yangtze River will provide part of the funds for shipbuilding of the naval fleet. At that time, this batch of money can be transferred directly, which can share part of the pressure of the Ministry of Industry.

Also, isn’t there Tan Lun, Minister of the Ministry of War, here?

To form a navy to go to Nanyang, the Ministry of War would not have any money.

Thinking of this, Wei Guangde couldn't help but look at Tan Lun.

"Shandai, what do you want me to do?"

Being stared at by Wei Guangde, Tan Lun instinctively felt that something was wrong.

Just now Wei Guangde mentioned the Xuanwei Department of Old Port, and Tan Lun was also recalling the records he had seen in his mind.

But he was really not familiar with it. After all, no one had mentioned this yamen in the Ming Dynasty for many years. It was only mentioned occasionally in some documents of the Ministry of War.

But Tan Lun also knew that the Xuanwei Division of this old port was in Nanyang, thousands of miles away from Guangdong Province. Later, because Zheng He's fleet stopped going south, contact with them was cut off.

When Wei Guangde mentioned this, Tan Lun naturally understood what he meant.

It was really hard for Zhang Juzheng to refuse to send a ship south in the name of the Jiugang Xuanwei Division.

We have cut off contact for so many years. Shouldn't we send someone to check it out? After all, it was Emperor Yongle who awarded him the gold seal and official uniform.

However, for ordinary people, Wei Guangde can say this, but the court must be strict and prudent in handling affairs.

Wei Guangde's reason seems reasonable, but after all, the Ming Dynasty has long forgotten this old port Xuanwei Division for a long time.

Just now, Tan Lun had already thought that in the "Map of Huangming Yuge" he had seen in the Ministry of War, there was no annotation of the Xuanwei Department of Old Port, and even the six Xuanwei Departments of Laos and Myanmar were not mentioned. In the end, In the west, it only reaches the western Yunnan area.

"Huang Ming Yu Di Map" is also the official map of the Ming Dynasty. It is a complete map of the territory drawn during the Jiajing period.

Although there is no provincial map left on this map, the jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty is marked at the bottom of the map, including the "Two Capitals and Thirteen Provinces" as well as the lower-level administrative regions such as Fuzhou, Xuanweisi and other chieftains under the jurisdiction of each province.

"I'm thinking that the Ministry of Industry will contribute part of the money, and the coastal provinces will also contribute part. Should your Ministry of War also provide some funding?"

Wei Guangde said.

"Shaloan, let's convince the people in the court first. Have you read "The Map of the Emperor Ming's Land"?"

Tan Lun said.

I didn't think of it before, but now that I have thought of it, I have to tell Wei Guangde early to avoid being pointed out and catching him off guard.

"A map of Huang Ming Yu's territory?"

Hearing Tan Lun mention the map, Wei Guangde thought for a moment and then shook his head.

"That was a map of the territory of the Ming Dynasty drawn during the Jiajing period. Although it was not detailed, it listed the provinces, prefectures, prefectures and various Xuanwei Divisions under the jurisdiction of the imperial court. There was no Xuanwei Division in Old Port among them."

Tan Lun said.

"Which yamen drew this?"

Wei Guangde thought about it again and confirmed that he had never seen this map before, so he asked.

"We have to go back and check. Maybe it was painted by the Ministry of War or the inner court. The palace and the Ministry of War have preserved it."

Tan Lun said.

"I have read most of the documents collected by the Hanlin Academy and the Ministry of Rites, but I have never seen this map."

Wei Guangde opened his mouth to explain.

"This makes sense. This kind of map is usually only kept in the palace and the Ministry of War. It is not found in other yamen. It is normal that you have never seen it.

However, this map does not record the Xuanwei Division of Old Port, which means that Old Port was not included in the Ming Dynasty during the Jiajing Dynasty. "

Tan Lun reminded.

"Ignore him, as long as there is no will to abolish the Xuanwei Department of Old Port, it will always exist."

Wei Guangde didn't want to think about these minutiae. Who the hell cared whether it made sense to expand his territory to Southeast Asia, prepare for the Little Ice Age after the Ming Dynasty, and reserve places to obtain food.

Wei Guangde had previously recalled the term "Little Glacier in the late Ming Dynasty" and knew that natural disasters led to civil unrest in the late Ming Dynasty.

To fundamentally solve the domestic food problem, the only way is to go to Southeast Asia and obtain food from tropical areas.

In fact, this is also due to Wei Guangde's lack of historical knowledge, because the food shortage in the Ming Dynasty was actually in the north, and the south had less impact. (End of chapter)