Gao Yimin had shown a "courteous" attitude during the previous discussion with Gao Zhenxin, but this time he was very firm and insisted on the Lu Division landing first. Gao Zhenxin weighed it and decided to accept it.
So the two parties discussed the specific matters of landing in detail. These processes are too detailed and there is no need to go into detail.
Around noon the next day, the Beiyang Expeditionary Fleet arrived at the northern coast of the Philippines, about a hundred miles south of the west side of the Balintang Strait.
This place is still some distance from Manila, and it takes about two days to sail. The reason why it is worth mentioning today is because the expedition fleet encountered other ships: two merchant ships returning to the Ming Dynasty from Manila.
The long-term anchorage of these two merchant ships in the Ming Dynasty is the Jinghua Ningbo Private Port, and they are also merchant ships that travel with the Jinghua fleet all year round. Before this war, the Jinghua fleet had left Manila to return home, but these two merchant ships had an accident when they docked in Manila.
The fire broke out, and the two ships docked next to each other suffered some damage to their stern parts, thus delaying their return.
It is actually a bit dangerous for two ships to return home alone, but just like the Caribbean pirates mentioned above, pirates in Southeast Asia also have many similar styles. So generally speaking, danger rarely occurs in the open sea - the vast open sea
It’s boundless, and pirates don’t have satellite positioning, so it’s certainly difficult to find their targets.
For example, this time the Northern Expeditionary Fleet encountered the Spanish Treasure Fleet. Firstly, it was a coincidence, and secondly, it was because of the large scale of the expeditionary fleet that they sent out reconnaissance ships.
This caused the two Ming merchant ships to be initially discovered by the expedition fleet. As soon as the scout ship approached them, they were so frightened that they ran away. However, because their speed was not as fast as the two light cavalry-class ships, they were gradually overtaken. At this time, the two sides came into visual distance from each other.
Only then did he realize he was one of his own.
The misunderstanding was resolved, the two merchant ships quickly came over, and were sent to see Gao Zhenxin by two light cavalry-class ships.
Since these two merchant ships usually anchored in Ningbo, they were obviously quite familiar with the Nanyang Fleet. Now that they saw the massive Beiyang Fleet, they were confused for a moment.
After meeting Gao Zhenxin, the owners of the two ships found out that the Beiyang Fleet was actually heading to Luzon. They couldn't help but be a little surprised and relieved. No wonder the first batch of merchant ships from the Nanyang Fleet had such a tight time to return home. Co-authoring is to avoid
Participation in the war resulted in damage to the cargo.
Gao Zhenxin asked the shipowner—the owner of the two ships was the same person—about the current situation in Manila. Interestingly, this shipowner was an old acquaintance of Jinghua: he was the man who entered the Red River by sea when Gao Jue
Boss Hu, the guide during the surprise attack on Thang Long.
Boss Hu was originally mainly engaged in the first-line trade from Guangdong to Annan. Later, Jinghua's power expanded rapidly. As a "hero of the older generation", he was also well taken care of. The business became increasingly prosperous and he began to open up new trade lines.
At this moment, Boss Hu's main business has actually become a circle: leaving the port from Ningbo, the trade route is Guangzhou, Haidong (Huang Zhiting Town in Annan), Jingang, Malacca, Manila, and then back to Guangzhou and Ningbo.
Among them, Ningbo and Guangzhou mainly replenish Hu silk Suzhou embroidery, Cantonese embroidery, porcelain and other goods. They can sell a small part in Annan, then turn around to replenish cheap food and ironware (Ha Tinh iron ore, Jingang processing), and then go to Malacca and Manila for sale.
, and finally packed the silver and took it back to Ming Dynasty.
This is not the only trade route in Southeast Asia, nor is it the only trade route in the Ming Dynasty. For example, sugar from Annam (mainly produced in the part of North Vietnam near Guangxi), iron from Jingang, bronze and tin ingots from Siam (later Thailand
The world's largest tin ore reserves), grain and other transactions in Annan and Siam are mainly monopolized by Jinghua, so there is little private involvement.
[Note: By the way, Annan originally supplied grain to Liaodong. Now the trade volume of this transaction has been reduced due to the development of Liaodong, and the production capacity has been released to North China and other places, which has alleviated the severity of the disaster in North China to a certain extent. And Siam
Luo, Cambodia’s surplus grain is also being transported to the Ming Dynasty. Although the profit is not very high, it at least avoids empty ships heading north, and mosquitoes are still meat no matter how small they are.]
In any case, Boss Hu has now sold his two original small broken boats and transformed into a big boss with four Jinghua standard armed transport ships.
Even though the armed transport ship had an average status when it went out to Beijing, it was, after all, a high-end large-scale ship that cost 55,000 taels of silver. Moreover, the external price of the ship was as high as 80,000 taels a piece (Boss Hu enjoyed a discount, the unit price was 75,000 taels a piece)
(bought), Boss Hu owns four armed transport ships, equivalent to a fixed capital of more than 300,000 taels of silver, making him extremely rich.
Boss Hu, who is so rich, rarely goes to sea in person, but he couldn't bear the thought that his son became a cousin last year. With 90% of his net worth in the sea, Boss Hu naturally had to go out to familiarize his son with the sea, so he returned to his old business.
On the previous trip, he taught me step by step, and of course nothing happened. This time, he handed over the day-to-day management of the ship to his son. As expected, the young man was still too immature to do things, and he was more or less too careless about his head, so he caused a commotion.
Although the fire was quickly controlled due to Boss Hu's decisive decision, these two ships could not keep up with the merchant fleet escorted by the Nanyang Fleet.
Boss Hu had no choice but to let the other two boats go back first, and he took his son to clean up the aftermath of the two boats that had part of their sterns burned out. It’s hard to say how angry Boss Hu was about this. He himself has been there,
I know that it’s okay to make small mistakes when you are young, and that my son’s mistake this time is not an attitude problem, but a lack of experience. Such mistakes will definitely decrease with experience until they no longer occur.
But he was not angry in his heart. As a traditional Chinese father, he still scolded his son bloody and even punished him by wiping the deck for ten days - the young man was just one of the first people to discover the "enemy situation"
One day, when the watchman on the lookout came down to say hello, the young man was the first to hear it and immediately reported it to his father.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! After listening to Boss Hu’s self-introduction, Gao Zhenxin realized that this man was also one of Jinghua’s old die-hard supporters. He couldn’t help praising him and praising the young man.
Young Master Hu was flattered and said he didn't dare. He seemed to be very polite, which made Gao Zhenxin very satisfied.
Boss Hu continued: "The little dog is stupid and reckless, so it doesn't deserve Commander Zhenxin's praise." Then he changed the subject and got down to business: "However, the situation in Manila is slightly different from the intelligence that Commander Zhenxin just said.
"
Gao Zhenxin's face straightened up and he asked hurriedly: "What's going on?"
Boss Hu smiled and said: "First of all, there are only four galenic ships flying the red cross and wattle flag of Castile in Manila Port, but there are two more galenic ships flying the red and green background of the Kingdom of Portugal, the gold ball and the white shield flag.
Galenic ships. Although the total number is still six, judging from what I have seen in the next few years, the Portuguese ships may not listen to the call of the Philippine Governor of the Kingdom of Castile."
Gao Zhenxin nodded thoughtfully: "Yes, what Boss Hu said makes sense... Is there anything else going on?"
"Yes." Boss Hu smiled even more: "The Kingdom of Castile's land division in Manila is probably less than what Commander Zhenxin mentioned in your intelligence. I estimate that there are only about a thousand people.
.”
Gao Zhenxin said in surprise: "How come there are so few? Where have they gone?"
Boss Hu laughed and replied: "They went to the south to conquer the local barbarians... Ah, although they are also barbarians."
Although Boss Hu is smiling, his tone is very serious: "The Castilian rule in Luzon is not stable. In fact, they have only established two main strongholds in the north and south. The north is currently generally peaceful.
That's almost it. In the south, there are Butuan and other places next to their stronghold that are not under their control. There are also some small kingdoms or small city-states in the area.
Not to mention the islands in the central part, almost none of them are under the control of the Castilians. The local situation is very complicated, but if you have to compare it, it is somewhat similar to the previous southern Annan, which can be regarded as a number of various
There are various tribes, but these tribes occasionally unite to fight against outsiders.
This time the Castilians are going to conquer these central natives. In terms of military strength, it is very easy for them to defeat these natives - as far as I know, these natives don't even have a decent pair of armor.
, the so-called war weapons are all wooden branches, wooden spears without iron heads, and very few have poisonous arrows. In short, it is difficult to compete with the Castilians head-on."
Gao Zhenxin did not immediately show his joy. Instead, he asked with some confusion: "The timing is a bit coincidental...Why did the Castilians set out at this time?"
"This may be a bit complicated. Although I have some acquaintances in Manila, I only know some things from the side." Boss Hu touched the beard on his chin and said: "Generally speaking, this Governor de Vera seems to be a very good person.
An impatient person, or in other words, he wants to make some achievements as soon as possible to show his king.
Commander Zhenxin must be aware of the continuous increase in tax rates in the Philippine Governor's Office, but this is only one aspect of his eagerness for quick success. On the other hand, since he took office, the number of Castile's troops has greatly increased, from the earliest 800
It has expanded to about 2,000 people now, and also controls many tribal 'armies' in northern Luzon, which they call the 'colonial servant army'.
It is difficult to say the number of these troops accurately, because these tribes are not loyal to Castile. Maybe Castile can force them to send out tens of thousands of people, but it may only be two to three thousand, three to four thousand
…In short, I can’t say for sure. But one thing I can be sure of is that the combat effectiveness of these native servants is definitely not high.”
Gao Zhenxin nodded. During the pre-war analysis, they also made speculations about the local servants that Spain might have. The view was that the combat effectiveness of these people was not worth mentioning, and their actual function... was probably cannon fodder.
He thought for a moment and said with a strange expression: "The other side only has about a thousand people left. Can't we win this battle for sure?"
Boss Hu, who has "war experience", replied: "I'm afraid it's not easy to say this. Commander Zhenxin, Manila is not a big city, in fact it is quite small. If you really want to say it, let alone Guangzhou, Foshan has it." Several big ones.
However, despite its small size, Manila City is... how to put it, to use the term commonly used by Beijing, it is a 'fortress-type' urban stronghold. Therefore, it is quite strong, and precisely because of its small size, the number of soldiers required for its city defense system is probably Not many. According to my observation, under normal circumstances, as long as there are 600 people, they can build a complete city defense system, and the remaining people can be used to supplement battle losses."
Hearing this, Gao Zhenxin couldn't help but laugh and said: "Boss Hu is quite knowledgeable about military affairs."
Originally, this was somewhat of a joke, but after hearing this, Boss Hu actually felt a little emotional, saying: "If it weren't for my background, and dozens of people in the house would point at me for dinner, I would have really thought about joining Jinghua before. "After a pause, he added: "But it doesn't matter. I have three sons. In addition to the son who has to inherit the family business, the other two sons also yearn for Beijing. In two years, when they reach adulthood and get married, I plan to train them and then send them to Beijing.
Maybe in the future, if they are lucky, they will be able to make some small achievements, be granted farmland in southern Xinjiang, and be divided into several other genealogies. If they can do that, I will be worthy of my ancestors."
Although Gao Zhenxin is the commander of the Beiyang Fleet, he is also aware of a series of policies of Jinghua in southern Xinjiang. For example, as Boss Hu said just now, "You have made some small achievements and were granted farmland in southern Xinjiang." This is the policy that Jinghua has implemented for immigration purposes. Moreover, due to the existence of the "naturalized household registration system" for native people in southern territories, it is easier for Han people to be granted land and farms due to their merits.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! The naturalized household registration system actually divides the household registration into three, six or nine levels. The highest level is "Mingren", which is also called "Mingren" according to the customs of various countries in southern Xinjiang. 'Chinese'. The current Chinese in southern Xinjiang include not only Han people, but also children who can speak Chinese, Yao people and other ethnic groups who originated from the Ming Dynasty. Among the naturalized Han people or those who are called naturalized Chinese, there are For Annan scholars who originally knew Chinese, it was easier to obtain original Chinese ancestry from various countries in southern Xinjiang.
However, no matter which type, there are requirements for the person's Chinese language proficiency, and they need to take basic exams in both oral and written aspects. In the final exam to obtain the "naturalized Chinese" household registration, you need to take some more tests The relatively basic semantic interpretation of the Four Books and Five Classics - the eight-legged essay is not tested, as long as you can explain the meaning of the original words from the Four Books and Five Classics.
The immigrant Chinese and naturalized Chinese in the naturalized household registration system have quite special political treatment in southern Xinjiang. Simply put, "deeds must be rewarded first, and excessive punishment will be light." Therefore, whether it is for locals, " "Work hard and make progress" is still very attractive to immigrants from Ming Dynasty.
Unfortunately, these exams are extremely simple for local businessmen and their children in the Ming Dynasty - because as long as a businessman with a little financial strength, he and his family's children can definitely read, and since reading in this era can only read the Four Books and Five Classics, even if
No matter how poorly you read, you won't be able to pass this kind of exam.
As a result, Ming Dynasty immigrants increased significantly, many of whom were voluntary immigrants. These active immigrants were mainly businessmen of various sizes. Their immigration would of course bring technology and capital, which significantly accelerated the development of southern Xinjiang.
In addition, the population or ethnic ratio of southern Xinjiang has also begun to change. The number of Chinese and naturalized Chinese populations is gradually increasing. This is self-evident for Beijing's rule in southern Xinjiang.
Boss Hu's words also revealed some other information, such as what he said about "making some small achievements." There are roughly several ways to get Zhuangtian, among which the most "simple and crude" is military merit, which even
No need to explain.
In addition to military exploits, there are several major categories such as "merit for pioneering", "merit for education", "merit for enriching the people", etc.
As the name suggests, although the population in southern Xinjiang is not small, the degree of development is very low. Although the land conditions in many places are good, there is almost no development. If immigrants take the initiative to apply to open up wasteland in those places, they can enjoy many preferential policies.
, such as "tax-free for three years and exempt for five years" are all part of the policy.
As for the land they reclaimed, although they were very pragmatic and did not implement the "Homestead Law" and did not give it away for free, it was stipulated that "although it is state-owned by the country (the local countries in southern Xinjiang), they are allowed to cultivate it until eternity.
If it is illegal, it will never be taken back. If the country actually needs the land for other uses, the expropriation will be compensated at a price not lower than the market price."
As a result, many people are excited to open up wasteland, because in addition to being allowed to "cultivate their own land for eternity", they can also receive merit rewards for pioneering wasteland - but the reward for pioneering wasteland generally does not grant land, but rather grants them
Homesteads in certain cities.
For example, the construction of Dingna City, which is currently attracting much attention in southern Xinjiang, needs to control the proportion of ethnic groups in the city's population. Therefore, except for administrative, military and other special land, most of the remaining areas and plots are not available for purchase.
How can you get it if you can't buy it? It mainly depends on receiving gifts. If you make corresponding achievements, you may be granted land in Dingnan City, allowing you to build a mansion and live there. Therefore, to a large extent, you can live in Dingnan City.
, itself is a symbol of a person and a family’s status in southern Xinjiang.
This is very cool, because everyone has this kind of vanity. I say that our family is doing well. How can I prove it? Just compare the area of our mansion in Dingnancheng and you will know. This has inspired a lot
What is the motivation behind people’s meritorious service?
On the other hand, these people have made so many contributions to Jinghua. Are you still worried that they have ulterior motives and do not support Jinghua from the bottom of their hearts and will support Jinghua until death?
As the saying goes, all the heroes in the world are at my disposal. Isn't this one of the reasons why Dingnancheng is worth spending so much money to build?
What's more, Dingnancheng also has the purpose of "Versailles in Southern Xinjiang" in Gao Pragmatic's mind. If these powerful families from all over the country are gathered in Dingnan City, wouldn't the various places be stabilized - just like Louis XIV's intention of building Versailles.
: Weaken the power of local nobles, strengthen the central royal power, and demonstrate the power of the royal family.
As for merit for enlightenment, it is mainly for local administrative officials, and the greatest "effort for enlightenment" is the contribution to Chinese education. Generally speaking, the more people in the local area who have obtained naturalized Chinese status, the more "the merit of this official will be"
The greater the "effort of enlightenment".
The contribution of enriching the people is a bit like the immigration policy introduced by some countries in later generations. If you immigrate with a large amount of assets, it is a credit in itself. At the same time, if you build a local factory and hire workers, it is also a credit of this kind.
Of course, there is the most direct one, which is to look at your tax amount - after Gao Pragmatic, a leader of the pragmatic school, lost the moral suppression in the Ming Dynasty, he directly linked the tax amount to social contribution. The more you pay, the more I
Just admit that the greater your social contribution, the greater your "contribution to enriching the people".
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