In the Age of Discovery, every country that broke into the "new world" from the "old world" will inevitably have their own characteristics when facing the "new world", such as the Spaniards and the Portuguese, who were colonists and militarized. After defeating the indigenous people, they would build strongholds and spread religions. As for gold and silver mines, they were appendages in this process.

As for the Dutch and the British, they would choose excellent ports along the coast or islands, and cleverly seized the opportunity to establish their own strongholds and set up port forts. Then, while traded with the indigenous people, they accumulated strength to develop themselves, and finally gradually expanded inland and finally established a colony based on the strongholds.

Unlike them, compared with strangers, the countries in the South China Sea were familiar with the Ming Dynasty, and even the suzerain states of many countries. The Ming Dynasty repeatedly reiterated the sovereignty to the Tumen. The Ming Dynasty's colonization method was to expand in the Southeast by using sovereignty, in addition to the coastal strongholds obtained through lease, purchase, etc. and nearby immigrants. One of the most important business methods is the colonial farms run by the immigrants.

How were those farms built?

In the past few years, many have been exiled to Nanyang and are in foreign lands. Many people have been pessimistic at the beginning, waiting for the changes in the situation. Especially the families of officials who served in the Qing Dynasty, they even fantasized about one day returning to the Central Plains.

However, after witnessing the desolation of the exile land and the fertility of the land, some of them began to try to buy land and build farms in Nanyang. At the beginning, the scale was not large, and even the money they bought for land was often sent by their relatives who served in the capital and served in the Qing Dynasty. Even the war did not prevent the economic connection between the two sides.

Although in the end, they did not see the revival of the Qing Dynasty and would continue to stay in Nanyang and never return to Jiangnan. However, in disappointment, they found that the farms they invested in were no longer the desolate ones they had at the time, but also pastoral areas that were not much different from Jiangnan.

Some of them knew that there was no hope of returning home, so they increased their investment and purchased a lot of land. At the beginning, they often planted rice, and later they began to plant economic crops such as sugarcane. Most of the farmers working in the farms were local natives.

The climate and geography of Nanyang are suitable for rice growth. In addition, they brought advanced planting technology, which made a wilderness of Chameng, Hekou and other places begin to become new granaries, and the grain and sugar produced are sold to at least Jiangnan and other places. The rich benefits are something that people who wanted to return to Jiangnan had never thought of.

Corresponding to agricultural development is the shortage of labor. After all, the local local people without land are not enough to meet the needs of farms. The number of exiles in the original state is extremely limited, and there are not many ordinary people who are willing to come here to make cattle and horses.

There was almost no doubt that they all chose the popular slaves in the local area and followed the customs, and the labor gap was filled by slaves obtained from all over the Southeast Asian region. Slaves even became the main force of the farm economy. The slave trade was even the trade pillar of various strongholds.

After all, it is illegal to sell humans according to the "Ming Dynasty Law". However, the law does not stipulate that slave transactions cannot be carried out in places outside the country. There are already slaves in those places, and there are also various slave codes to protect the interests of slave owners. However, the Ming Dynasty is just following the customs.

But now, for merchants and farmers in Nanyang, their good days are facing challenges. It is precisely because of this that Lu An, a businessman, rushed to Zhongdu and tried to figure out the meaning of the court. However, after coming to Zhongdu, he found that the Lu family, which was famous in Jiangnan because of the top scholar, had long been forgotten.

Lu An's uncle was the top scholar Lu Gong in the fourth year of Shunzhi. His family in Changzhou was naturally inevitably exiled overseas. He was first exiled to Taiwan, and then diverted to the Nantianmen. Years of displaced did not make the Lu family silent. He even bought a boat four years ago with his uncle's 2,000 taels of silver from the capital, and then sold it to Nantianmen and other places.

In just four years, he accumulated tens of thousands of family businesses. Hexian bought a large area of ​​land and built the Lu family's manor, which had tens of thousands of acres of fertile land and hundreds of slaves. Now the Lu family has long restored its prosperity in the past. However, in Jiangnan and Zhongdu, who still remembers the Lu family in Changzhou? Even his top uncle died in the Northeast two years ago, and he was exiled to the Northeast.

However, after several twists and turns, Lu An still found his former classmate Zhao Yuming. He is now in the Ministry of Rites. Although he is only the head of the sixth rank, he still got some news through him.

"So, is the court bound to enfeoff the vassal state in Southeast Asia?"

Faced with the news brought by my friend, Lu An's heart skipped a beat.

"It's not Nanyang, but the barbarian land. This Nanyang is just the beginning. In the future, our Ming royal family will surely flourish. Just Nanyang, how can it be enough for a royal vassal?"

As an official of the Ministry of Rites, Zhao Yuming naturally knew this. This year, His Majesty has adopted three new concubines, three sons, and two daughters. In other words, His Majesty already has ten princes. Wouldn’t he be granted the Nine Kingdoms in the future?

"It's true, it's true that Your Majesty has always been favored by God, and naturally there are many descendants."

Whether it is true love or false, even in Nanyang, Lu An knew that the Ming Dynasty royal family had become prosperous again only when they arrived at His Majesty. In the past, the Ming Dynasty had nearly three hundred years of history, there were 83 princes with titles. Among them, 63 princes were actually named. By the time Chongzhen ascended the throne, there were only twenty-nine princes with fiefs left. This was granted by more than a dozen emperors. In contrast, Emperor Gao had granted twenty-five sons as vassal kings alone.

"Then, do these fiefdoms also use the Ming Law?"

This is what Lu An is most concerned about. How many princes will the Ming Dynasty royal family be granted in the future? How many sons will His Majesty have? He doesn't care. What is the only thing he cares about? Is there going to be a "Ming Law"?

"Brother Lu is worried that if the "Minglu" is implemented, the Lu family's business will not be able to continue!"

Although he was in Zhongdu, Zhao Yuming has also learned some of the Lu family through the colonial department of the Lifan Division in the past few days. Who would have thought that the Lu family, who was confiscated and exiled, once again became a well-known family in Nanyang. However, the business done by the Lu family is really not on the table, and it is even despised.

"Shangde, my brother, was forced to make a living, so he had to come up with this worst. Moreover, although there are many manors in Nanyang now, there are very few immigrants. If there were no slaves to farm for us, how could there be the current rice and grain output?"

Trafficking slaves is not a glorious thing. It may be open and upright in Southeast Asia, but that is a local custom. When scholars of the Ming Dynasty often feel ashamed of this, they naturally don’t come to the forefront. When facing friends, Lu An also felt inferior.

"Adapting to local conditions, the customs of all places. If Brother Lu still abides by the rules of our Han land in the Yi land, he would have fallen into the inferiority. The court had already made a conclusion on this and followed the customs in the countryside. After all, I was a guest there, so naturally I followed the host's wishes."

Like most scholars and officials, Zhao Yuming has never been a rigid person, and is quite flexible. It is unacceptable for Han people to be slaves, but naturally there is no need to worry about the local people, let alone those slaves exist, and now they are just servitude.

"Will countries..."

This time, Lu An told his problem directly.

"Will we carry out the Ming Law to return the slaves in the village to us, and prohibit us from continuing to trade in various places."

In fact, when he came, Lu An had already figured out that if the various vassals implemented the "Ming Law", he could only let it go, but he would try his best to protect the slaves in the manor. After all, without those slaves, who would cultivate those tens of thousands of acres of fertile land? The manor was the foundation of the Lu family. As for trafficking... he could do other businesses.

"Although all countries are independent, they are also the Ming Dynasty's enthronement of their countries and establishing their countries. Naturally, they should implement the "Ming Law"!"

Zhao Yuming's answer made Lu An's heart tighten again. Is there no hope? Just when he was in a state of tension, Zhao Yuming said again.

"However, when you entered Nanyang, Your Majesty had already issued an order to follow the customs of the country and not to demand the rituals of the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty ruled the Han Dynasty with the law and ruled the country by the law, and the naturalization method could not be forced. This is how the Ming Dynasty has achieved the long-term stability in all parts of Nanyang. I think that even if the country is enfeoffed from the barbarians, the country will not change the local customs!"

Zhao Yuming's words made Lu An nodded in agreement with consent.

"Your Majesty is indeed the saint of my Ming Dynasty. If it weren't for these sixteen words, how could there be today's Nanyang?"

This is by no means a verbal compliment. Lu An, who is in Nanyang, naturally knew that Nanyang had special local customs, and slaves were just one of them, and there were other customs that were contrary to the Ming Dynasty. If he ordered him to change the customs of the Han Dynasty without authorization, it would only cause chaos in the local area. Therefore, His Majesty deliberately asked local officials not to easily move the customs of the customs of the country, but to guide and educate them. This is a common practice for both Han and local people.

"But, I'm worried, worried..."

Staring at Zhao Shiming, Lu An sighed.

"This royal family went out to defend the land of the barbarians and pacify the barbarians, to make them belong to China and educate them by our Chinese. If they forcefully promote education, it will probably cause chaos. At that time, some of the family businesses of the Lu family will be small, and the barbarians of the Ming Dynasty will think that the great cause of Xia will be destroyed by the destruction of the Xia Dynasty will be great!"

After these words were said seriously, Zhao Shiming just smiled.

"So, the court is not important, what is important is the country! Brother Lu, don't you think you are looking for the wrong place now?"

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Chapter completed!