The weather in Luzon in September was hot, and the crowding in Macheng made the newcomers of the Ming Dynasty feel tight.

After the storm subsided, the merchant travelers from the Ming Dynasty arrived at the port one after another, and dozens of Fuchuan ships of various sizes stopped in Manila Bay, and Lifu on the ship, who spoke with a Fujian-Cantonese accent, greeted the port garrison, and passed through the customs with ease and transported the goods to the market south of Wangcheng.

The captains of the Shang Jia may have changed, but the sailors have always been recruited from the coast of Fujian and Guangzhou, especially after the Ming Dynasty governor of Guangdong banned the number of people who made the sea their home, and most of these sailors were recruited from the coastal fishermen of Fujian.

Since the official army went south, the merchants followed closely behind, recruiting a group of fishermen and sailors to serve as boatmen on the spot, and the maritime merchants made a fortune, and the remuneration for the boatmen was also higher than that of the middle school. This year, the voyage was more prosperous, and the sailors who had been to Luzon once or twice came back, and most of them brought the descendants of the clan with them.

Some people simply did not go back last year after seeing the victory of the Ming army in Luzon and even garrisoning the islands, and started to make a living in other overseas places on the spot.

Shi Xiaolou, a merchant in Quan, and others lent money in Luzon, and the Macheng government had the business of auctioning off mansions, and the land of those mansions acquired by means of war had already been sold, and a large number of fishermen and boatmen took advantage of this to turn over and become landlords, restaurants, and market merchants in Luzon.

"Brother Wen, this generation is also an official soldier, how can he accompany Shang Jia and his ilk, looking like a martial artist?"

The talents sent by the imperial court to the Nanyang Military Mansion also arrived, and they were a group of more than a dozen people, each with a servant, and the Guangdong Metropolitan Division sent more than 100 flag troops to escort them along the way, divided into three Dafu ships to cross the sea and arrive in Luzon.

The name of the leader is Zhang Yuanchen, who is a fellow villager of Xu Wei, who rescued his wife in every possible way when he was imprisoned, and he is also the champion of Longqing for five years. His entourage, Shi Ce, Liu Tai, and others were all in the same year, and there were less than 400 Jinshi in Longqing's five years, and 17 were sent to Luzon in one way, which was already very important to the imperial court.

Xu Wei walked towards the yamen with Zhang Yuanxi's arm, and when he heard the words, he followed his gaze, and saw that the merchant with silk and satin in the port brought a few entourages with a short knife on his back, and he smiled: "That's not an official army, it's just that the war is not over, and the merchant is just defending himself." ”

Zhang Yuanchen looked back at each other in the same year, there were people who didn't care about it, and naturally there were people who were very sad, but because they had just arrived, they didn't speak.

Merchants were not allowed to wear silk and satin, and the guards were not allowed to carry firearms, and these laws were broken in Luzon.

"What did Senior Brother Wen say just now, the war has not stopped? Where is there a war, when there is a clear and peaceful time. Zhang Yuanchen raised his finger and gestured and said: "When boarding the ship in Weigang, the fellow businessman Jia said that this year, Guangdong will send 130,000 cotton cloth to Luzon, which is better than paying taxes in the last year. ”

The tax mentioned by Zhang Yuanchen refers only to the tax in kind on cotton cloth, but the imperial court collects the color from the weavers.

"The battle in Luzon has long been over, and the official army is now fighting in the east, Guam in the east." Xu Wei raised his hand and pointed to the east, and said mysteriously: "Go to the sea for 5,000 miles." ”

"But speaking of which, cotton does make a war."

Xu Wei didn't say it clearly, and pulled Zhang Yuanchen to introduce as he walked: "130,000 cotton cloth Luzon can't eat, there are Ming merchants here who resell it to Sulu, mud and Java, a piece of cloth sells for three cents of silver in Daming, it can be worth two taels in Luzon, and Sulu and mud can be worth four taels, so all countries can barter, and the goods can be sold back to Daming and strange goods can live, and the price will rise." ”

In this way, 130,000 pieces of cotton cloth come and go, and the government draws twice, and more than 100,000 taels can be entered. This year, Guangdong produces more cotton than last year, and next year will be more than this year, the land price here is low, and the people who buy land have to use 30% of the land to grow cotton, and 20% of the land to grow sweet potatoes, and the rest can be planted by themselves, and most of these things are to be transported back to China. ”

"Money and food are the foundation of the country."

Zhang Yuanchen smiled dumbly and said: "Wouldn't the people be angry when they buy land but have to be assigned by the government to farm? ”

"Most of the local natives are reluctant to buy land for farming, they are more willing to be tenants for the Ming people, saving worry and effort, and the people who cross the sea will not be angry, where in the country can they get a hundred or even a thousand acres of land? What's more, the things set by the government are collected every year, and they are all at market prices, so it's too late to be happy. ”

These Jinshi are all talented and intelligent people, listening to Xu Wei's introduction, but they still don't seem to understand, Luzon is too chaotic in their eyes, there has never been such a place - the Ming Dynasty officials governed the land of Luzon, the merchants and the common people carried knives, and there were even those who carried birds and guns on their shoulders.

Not to mention, the soldiers here are obviously Yiren, but they are the Ming Banner Army, but the merchants and officials dressed in silk and satin are regarded as if they have not seen it.

Jinshi Liu Tai was the head of the Criminal Department before, and the boss of the Nanyang Military Government was not happy to transfer to the Nanyang Military Government this time, but at this time he couldn't help it anymore, and asserted: "This place can't be saved, and it will be chaotic for a long time!" ”

"There is a law, murder pays for life, wounding people is convicted, and food is paid and taxes."

Xu Wei saw that some of the Jinshi were dissatisfied with the current situation in Luzon, but he would not comfort him, he smiled and said: "So the imperial court sent you over, and Chen Shuai should give you a big gift first, that is, to formulate rules and regulations, and this set of rules and regulations should be recorded in history." ”

"What rules?"

"The "Universal Law", in response to Chen Shuai's intentions, set up a decree governing the people of overseas countries and the people going to sea, and also stipulate the obligations of trading countries, allies, tributary states, vassal states, and subject countries.

Xu Wei said emphatically: "After protecting the Ming Dynasty's overseas property, trade, people, and conquests, of course, it is also necessary to seek the well-being of all countries." ”

A group of Jinshi listened to Xu Wei's retelling of Chen Mu's original words, looking at each other, they didn't understand very well, and the most critical question was asked by Zhang Yuanxi, he said: "The imperial court is overseas, and there is property?" ”

The Ming people are accustomed to their own land and their own food, and never compete for other people's, overseas has always been someone else's, and the law of the ancestors does not work outside?

"In the southwest of Minduluo Island, the island does not belong to Luzon, in the letter of state delivered to the imperial court by the king of Luzon in Layue last year, the seven islands such as Minduluo and Chenlai have been included in the territory of the Ming Dynasty, and the island has opened four gold mines, seventeen coal mines, and more than 7,000 people, and there will be more and more such land."

"There are more than 1,000 immigrants in Xinming, and the land is bigger, but it's not as good; The Nanyang Military Government re-established Sanwei in Kuwu Island, Guam and Xiyi Naval Battle, from Malacca to Japan, there are Mongolian Warats in the north of the Ming Dynasty, but overseas in the south, has been fully subdued by the king! ”

"Chen Shuai said that today's three points, the Xiyi countries and the Ottomans attacked, I Ming can not be a corner of peace, at this time Taoguang is obscure, waiting for the opportunity to strike first. Overseas is far easier to make meritorious contributions than in the country, and you have learned in vain so far. ”

Xu Wei said, standing still outside the Nanyang Yamen in Macheng, turning his head to look at the group of jinshi with a sudden pity in his eyes, he reached out and said, "Your chiefs, Haigong has been waiting in the hall for a long time, please." ”

Zhang Yuanchen was looked at by Xu Wei abruptly, he hadn't recovered from Xu Wei's words before, and frowned and asked, "Haigong? ”

Xu Wei nodded, watching the several Jinshi who reacted suddenly change color, and finally couldn't hold back the smile on his face, replied positively to their guesses, and said, "Yes, Haigang Peak." ”