Chapter 54 Nanyang Management

With the shift of the strategic focus of the Ming Dynasty, the requirement for the southwest direction has always been to maintain the stability of the Tusi in the border areas of Yunnan.

Zhu Qizhen finally found that the experience in the history of the Ming Dynasty was easier to use, that is, to use the Mu family.

After all, the Mu family has a lot of kindness to Yunnan toast, many Yunnan toasts were canonized by the Mu family, and many sons-in-law of Yunnan toasts were slaves in the Mu family when they were young.

This special relationship gives the Mu family a great advantage in guarding Yunnan.

Secondly, there is another problem, that is, Zhu Qizhen's own problem.

It's the Xiang Kingdom, or it's Luchuan.

Although the second generation of King Xiang is not as good as Zhu Qizhen's uncle Wang and Zhu Qizhen's cousin, he still has a few brushes, at least the situation left by King Xiang has not collapsed. There is also some progress.

But it also left a difficult problem for the Yunnan side.

How to deal with the relationship with this vassal king.

Yunnan is full of responsibility to support the Xiangwang lineage. But how long has it been since the Jing Yan Change. Most officials have a sense of avoidance of suspicion when it comes to the intercourse of powerful vassal kings.

If it's easy to talk about wartime, I'm afraid of peacetime.

In wartime, the civil and military can still be uninhibited and unanimous to the outside world.

So there has to be a person with a higher status to take on this responsibility.

Zhu Qizhen thought about it, but it was still suitable for the Mu family.

This situation also appeared, and the father and son of the Mu family successively served as the chief military officer of Yunnan, and they had a hereditary posture.

The crown prince immediately said: "Father Xie." ”

Zhu Qizhen said: "If you do this, Siam, Zhenla and other countries, there will be no reaction?" ”

The prince said: "The reaction is yes, but it is very subtle. They actually had a lot of complaints about the imperial court's southward movement, but they didn't dare to make any moves. Therefore, the minister thought that it should be stopped, otherwise it would be a disaster. ”

Zhu Qizhen naturally understood this subtlety.

Although most of the countries in the entire South Seas, and even many countries in the Indian Ocean, are tributary states of the Ming Dynasty, and they are subject countries of the Ming Dynasty, in fact, the tributary system established by the Ming Dynasty has strong economic attributes.

This is illustrated by the fact that there are many merchants in history who pretend to be envoys to pay tribute.

When Daming is far away in the sky, you can get benefits by lowering your head, and Daming is indeed a powerful country, and it is not ashamed to be a vassal to such a country.

But when this country comes to us, many countries don't like it too much.

This directly affects their interests.

You must know that many countries in Nanyang, although they are vassals to the Ming Dynasty, there are still many small countries and small forces that want them to be vassals, after all, there are not many countries in this era that can directly control the territory with the prefecture and county system like the Ming Dynasty. And even in the territory of the Ming Dynasty, there are still a large number of toasts.

Not to mention these countries.

These Nanyang countries, although some of the territory is similar to that of later generations, but the essence is not at all, most of them have a core area in each country, that is, where the national capital is located, and the place that radiates from the outside is similar to the country of small lords.

Whether a country is strong or not depends on whether its core area is strong or not.

Elsewhere, it's more about being sustained by influence.

This is also the reason why the Mekong Delta was easily given to the Ming Dynasty. The understanding of territory in this era is completely different from that of later generations.

This is why Annan will become a small overlord of Nanyang, because the core structure of Annan is Confucian and Ming. This is the fundamental reason why Annan maintains his repression against other countries in Southeast Asia.

And the influence of the Ming Dynasty to destroy Annan is even more terrifying to these countries.

Although they were dissatisfied with the Ming Dynasty's coming to Nanyang, they did not dare to move at all.

But the prince was right.

The Ming Dynasty's operation in Nanyang should also be gradually implemented. If it is pressed too tightly, one war after another will be fought, hundreds of millions will be spent, and the Ming treasury will be empty, which in itself will be a kind of gain that outweighs the loss.

Zhu Qizhen said: "My son is right. These countries, let's put them aside for the time being, anyway, they are subject countries of the Ming Dynasty, if they are in peace and keep to themselves, I am willing to guard their own borders with them. ”

The prince muttered in his heart, "This is not like you. ”

After all, Annan, North Korea, and Japan can be described as lessons from the past. At that time, when Zhu Qizhen started, he didn't have the slightest intention of guarding the border.

The crown prince thought so, of course he wouldn't say it, and said, "Father is wise. ”

Zhu Qizhen asked, "What is the situation in Nanyang?" ”

The prince said: "The war in Java is deadlocked. There are many Muslims who come from all over the country to support the Danmu Kingdom, Champong, Siam, and other allied forces are not opponents at all, and the ministers at most often send Wang Zhi as a general, leading a battalion of troops, to participate in the battle into Java, but it can only maintain the war situation. ”

"And the minister is worried that once the imperial army enters Java, the old port will be in danger."

Zhu Qizhen said: "Oh, why? ”

The prince said: "Sumatra Island has Aceh in the west, and the old port in the east, and Aceh is the most strong, believes in returning, and has colluded with the Danmu country, and in the old port, there are also many returns, once the Ming Dynasty enters the war, I am afraid that Aceh will advance eastward, and although the old port Shi family has tens of thousands of soldiers, it is commendable to be faithful. ”

"But I'm afraid it will cause trouble within the walls."

"Moreover, in the event of a war with Huihui, the matter is very serious, and I am afraid that it will affect the tariffs of the southern provinces. Children don't dare to specialize. ”

Zhu Qizhen is not ignorant of the situation in Nanyang, but naturally he is not as good as the prince who has been observing the situation on the front line

I'm back in Beijing.

If the Ming Dynasty wants to go south to the South Seas, we must first determine who is the biggest enemy?

It is an Arab maritime merchant.

Because before the Westerners ruled the sea, the trade between China and the West was ruled by the Arabs. Even for a long time, the technology of the Arab maritime merchants was unique in the world.

And so it is today.

Although Zhu Qizhen has given a lot of support to the Daming maritime merchants, generally speaking, on the east-west ocean route, the routes occupied by Chinese maritime merchants are also the routes from various ports in the Ming Dynasty to the old port. From the old port to the west to India and Arabia, it was the world of Arab maritime merchants.

For example, in the Ming Dynasty, Siam presented the letter of state, because the Siamese language was too obscure and no one knew it in the Ming Dynasty, so the Siamese people first translated it into Persian, that is, Arabic, and then translated it into Chinese, and even later directly ordered Siam to submit the letter of state in Arabic.

Of course, it is not that there is not a Chinese ship heading west, but it is too small and too dangerous.

The formation of this trade pattern was determined even in the Tang and Song dynasties.

You don't need to look at anything else, just look at the historical materials of the Tang and Song dynasties, and you will see a large number of records of great food and maritime merchants. This is why many countries in Southeast Asia will be repatriated.

It is the result of the occupation of the sea in the Arabian Sea.

Therefore, the largest trading partner of Daming maritime merchants is also Huihui maritime merchants.

They are both hostile and cooperative.

If the Ming Dynasty went south, it was only an armed parade, just like Zheng He went to the West, and these returning maritime merchants would definitely not oppose the Ming Dynasty.

However, the Ming Dynasty's management of Nanyang, since Zhu Qizhen summoned Shi Chang'an, has a strong taste of trade.

Shi Chang'an relied on the strength of many Han maritime merchants to gain a firm foothold in the old port. The power of these Han maritime merchants became the help of the Ming Dynasty in Nanyang, and at the same time, they also hijacked the national policy.

If the Ming Dynasty's management of the South Seas cannot benefit these people, I am afraid that these people will turn into pirates of the South Seas and oppose the Ming Dynasty.

These people only have interests in their eyes, and they have long coveted the interests in the hands of the maritime merchants.

The Ming Dynasty's occupation of the South Seas will inevitably allow these Han maritime merchants to replace the Arab maritime merchants, and these Arab maritime merchants and the Muslim nobles behind them will naturally not sit idly by.

Specific to the old port, as a city where Han people and Hui people live together, two forces coexist, otherwise Shi Chang'an's aunt Shi Ergu would not have used the power of Muslims to win the position of the old port preacher.

Therefore, once Daming and Hui Hui tear their faces, the old port may face a civil strife first.

The result of the collision between the two sides will not only affect Nanyang, but also affect domestic production.

Zhu Qizhen heard the meaning of fear in the prince's mouth. said: "You mean that Nanyang is not advisable? Right or wrong? ”