Seeing that Xie Xuecheng was choked so much, Yuan Chonghuan stood up to refute Zeng Shan's fallacy that he had "no father and no king" for the sake of passing the imperial examination in the same year as him.
Xu Guangqi, a Catholic who was born in Confucianism, has systematically studied Western logic. Of course he can see the logical loopholes in the debate between Xie Xuecheng and Zeng Shan. The so-called "heaven" in Confucianism is itself a vague concept without a clear definition. It is really important to Xu Guangqi argued sophistry on the proposition that "Heaven is unchanged and Tao is also unchanged". It was not that Xu Guangqi couldn't do it, but that it was unworthy of him.
Because it is meaningless to dwell on these metaphysical issues. Xie Xuecheng, Yuan Chonghuan and others did not see the essence of the problem clearly. Xu Guangqi visited the Chinese Army-controlled area in Jiangnan for dozens of days and saw the Chinese Army's operations here. Regarding this point I am very convinced that the Chinese army will never give up the occupied areas in Jiangnan.
Jiangnan was a land of heavy taxation during the Ming Dynasty. Starting from the time of Zhu Yuanzhang, Songjiang and other county magistrates were responsible for one-eighth of the country's taxation with one-thirtieth of the country's population. The Chinese army implemented operations in some Jiangnan counties. The three-year tax exemption and the current light taxation, the abolition of corvee, and the "gentry paying grain as one body" and other measures have won the hearts of the people in Jiangnan. Even some wealthy merchants and gentry in Jiangnan have begun to support the regime of the Chinese Army. However, the Chinese Company and the Chinese Army are not Do not rely on land tax and grain tax to support financial expenditures. Xu Guangqi once went deep into many silk weaving workshops, weaving factories, ironworks factories, and various professional fairs and trade markets run by the Chinese Company and its cooperative merchants. He learned that: The Chinese military regime The organization's main financial revenue comes from overseas trade earnings owned by Chinese companies. This accounts for one-third to one-half; in addition, for market operations, various taxes levied on the import and export of bulk goods account for one-third. The rest is the land tax in the areas under the jurisdiction of the Chinese Army. Therefore, the Chinese Army has little interest in the land tax and grain tax in Jiangnan. They regard Jiangnan as the main commodity export port in the Yangtze River Basin, as well as various silk fabrics, cloth, porcelain, and tea. Production, procurement and storage base for export commodities.
The Chinese Company has a well-planned and intensive production base in advance. It has a central business mechanism for overall management. It has overseas trade routes in its hands. It has a large number of overseas customers... Moreover, the Chinese Company has a large number of colonies outside the mainland. Grain production base, rich in various mineral resources. In short, the Chinese company operates in Jiangnan. It can gain a foothold without exploiting the local people's land tax. At the same time, it can also benefit the local people.
Even if the Ming government was able to take back several prefectures and counties in the south of the Yangtze River, these fleeing aristocratic families would immediately face resistance from the local people if they wanted to restore the old practices when they returned to their hometowns.
Xu Guangqi rubbed his forehead and said loudly: "Everyone, please be patient. These matters must be discussed in the long term. Now everyone is tired. Let's go back to rest first. Let's discuss it tomorrow."
In the evening, Yin Feng was reading the negotiation records made by Xu Hongji and You Wenhui. Suddenly his guard captain Lin Tianping ran in. He said with a surprised expression: "Report to your Majesty. Yuan Chonghuan, the head of the Staff Department of the Ministry of War, wants to see you."
Yin Feng threw away the recording paper and looked at Lin Tianping with a puzzled face: "What are you talking about? It's really that Yuan Chonghuan who always causes trouble. You are not mistaken. He came to visit late at night. What happened."
"This guy said he came on the order of Xu Xu. He has confidential matters to discuss with you."
For this famous figure in later generations, Yin Feng looked at him with admiration at first. After a long time, he found that Mr. Yuan was indeed a sweet-tempered man. He was courageous and willing to do things. He was also like the other members of the mission. He is a bit out of place. Only Xu Guangqi appreciates him more and often treats him as a teacher treats his students. However, although Yuan Chonghuan calls Xu Guangqi a teacher, he is only interested in military affairs. He only admires Xu Guangqi's extensive knowledge and has no interest in learning. .
Yin Feng therefore treated Yuan Chonghuan like an ordinary person. A few days ago, when they were drinking, they got drunk with Yuan Chonghuan.
However, at this time, Yuan Chonghuan came to visit the enemy commander alone late at night. The situation was indeed a bit confusing. Yin Feng asked Lin Taiping to lead the people in. At the same time, he also asked several personal guards to make arrangements around the study to prevent just in case.
Yuan Chonghuan was wearing a Confucian robe, which was regarded as casual clothes for a night walk. His expression was calm and composed. There was no abnormality on the surface.
After entering the door, he first bowed his hands and then walked carelessly to the study room and found a chair to sit down on.
Yin Feng turned a blind eye to his impolite behavior and smiled secretly in his heart. He was originally a photographer and paid more attention to the details of people's behavior. Although Yuan Chonghuan is a bit arrogant and confident, he is bold but careful. He is not a rude person on weekdays. Yin Feng is not a rude person. Feng has been in contact with him many times and is keenly aware that Yuan Chonghuan's current careless behavior is actually unintentionally concealing the uneasiness and hesitation deep in his heart.
Yin Feng didn't talk too much. He said straightforwardly: "Master Yuan visited my study late at night. What are you doing?"
Yuan Chonghuan knew that Yin Feng was also a person who didn't like polite nonsense. He immediately nodded and said with determination: "That's it. I'll just say it straight. I'm here under orders to hand over the latest drafted terms related to Jiangnan to your Excellency for detailed consideration."
Now the peace talks between the two sides are stuck, mainly because of the problems in the Jiangnan region.
Yin Feng stretched out his hand and said, "Are you on Master Xu's order? Okay. Bring the things."
"There are no words." A trace of embarrassment appeared on Yuan Chonghuan's dark face. He sighed and continued: "Master Xu said it. This matter can only be expressed in words. It cannot be based on words."
That's it. No wonder Yuan Chonghuan is confident on the surface but actually a little hesitant. Yin Feng frowned and his eyes lit up: "Can Mr. Xu's terms resolve the differences between us on the Jiangnan issue?"
Yuan Chonghuan smiled bitterly and said: "If we propose these terms, we will have internal strife. If you propose them, then we can continue to talk."
…
The next day, Yin Feng invited members of the Ming Dynasty Imperial Envoy to the dock to observe a great show: Representatives from the leaders of indigenous tribes from Java, Sumatra, Malacca, Borneo, Luzon and other places in Southeast Asia gathered here to hold a meeting. The indigenous lords of Southeast Asia paid tribute to Yin Feng.
In the name of the Chinese Army, Yin Feng signed a peace alliance agreement with all the indigenous lords. He also accepted the protons sent by various local feudal lords, tribal leaders, and indigenous lords. According to Malay custom, the protons of each family belong to their respective families. The second or youngest son in the family, there were more than 250 people. Yin Feng ordered them on the spot to form a Nanyang Loyalty Battalion and incorporate them into his own bodyguards.
Then, at the negotiation table, Xu Hongji proposed new negotiation terms on behalf of Yin Feng:
First, the Chinese Army leased land in the three prefectures in the south of the Yangtze River for ninety-nine years. It paid rent to the Ming Dynasty every year. The amount was half of the total tax paid in the three prefectures in the 45th year of Wanli.
Second, at the same time, the exiled officials and gentry families were allowed to return to their hometowns. If these people were involved in lawsuits, they would be under the jurisdiction of the Ming government. The Jiangnan garrison of the Chinese Army had no jurisdiction.
Third, the trade route from Zhenjiang to the sea through Jinshanwei is open to all Ming Dynasty merchants. Priority is given to ensuring the management rights of the Jiangnan gentry family.
Fourth. The Chinese Army is only allowed to retain 10,000 troops in the three prefectures south of the Yangtze River. It is only allowed to retain 50 warships at the mouth of the Yangtze River. When patrolling, it is not allowed to go beyond the Zhenjiang and Guazhou lines.
This last clause has little to do with the Jiangnan issue. But it is what Yin Feng said. It is a "big gift" to the Ming Dynasty: the Chinese army will have three garrison forts in Luzon, Java and Malacca in Nanyang, Ryukyu garrison in Beiyang and Tamluo. Islands and other places were submitted to the imperial court as vassal territories of the Chinese army. These territories spanning thousands of miles from north to south belonged to the Ming Dynasty.
At this time, everyone in the Ming Dynasty mission was a little confused. They were suddenly confused by the names of so many places that were about to become the territory of the Ming Dynasty.
At this time, Zeng Shan took out a map of the Chinese military jurisdiction drawn by Western missionaries under the leadership of You Wenhui. He also opened a Matteo Ricci version of the world map and compared it with each other and showed it to the envoys of the Ming Dynasty.
Everyone's attention immediately shifted to the mountains and rivers thousands of miles away. The problems in the Jiangnan region have now taken a back seat.
The Chinese army took these territories and surrendered to the imperial court. This means that it has made a great contribution to the expansion of territory. Moreover, it is the official surrender of the territory of thousands of miles from south to north.
In the East Asian tributary system, since the Qin and Han Dynasties in the third century BC, this international relations system that existed in East Asia, Southeast Asia and Central Asia has always had the Central Plains Empire of China as the main core, forming a hierarchical network political order system. The Central Plains Dynasty was based on The Celestial Dynasty defined itself. Through canonization, combined with the Confucian ideological system, and extended outward layer by layer. In 1371, Zhu Yuanzhang, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, clearly defined Annan, Champa, Korea, Siam, Ryukyu, Sumatra, Java, Mianheng, Baihua, and Sambuqi. Bo Ni and other Western and Nanyang countries were "states without conquest", which actually established the scope of China's actual control. He also established the principle of tribute of "thickness goes to the back but little comes". This finally established the tributary system and became the eastern world's The prevailing international relations system. In this system, the Chinese Central Plains regime became the center of the unitary system. Each tributary country recognized this central status.
These places occupied by the Chinese army all had state power in the past. Most of them paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty. But except for the Ryukyu Kingdom, this kind of surrender and paying tribute to the Ming Dynasty are not the same thing as dedicating books to the Ming Dynasty: the former It is an external vassal in the nature of Jisi. The latter is an internal chieftain. The former is only a nominal vassal. The latter is a local autonomous government belonging to the central government of the Ming Dynasty.
Therefore, if the Chinese army really controls so many territories and becomes the territory of the Ming Dynasty, your contribution to recruiting the imperial envoys will be famous in history.
Compared with these major events that left a mark on history, Jiangnan leased several prefectures and counties to the local chieftains to run businesses. That was considered a trivial matter.
These places occupied by the Chinese army all had state power before. Most of them paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty. But except for the Ryukyu Kingdom, this kind of surrender and paying tribute to the Ming Dynasty are not the same thing as dedicating books to the Ming Dynasty: the former
It is an external vassal in the nature of Jisi. The latter is an internal chieftain. The former is only a nominal vassal. The latter is a local autonomous government belonging to the central government of the Ming Dynasty.
Therefore, if the Chinese army really controls so many territories and becomes the territory of the Ming Dynasty, your contribution to recruiting the imperial envoys will be famous in history.
Compared with these major events that left a mark on history, Jiangnan leased several prefectures and counties to the local chieftains to run businesses. That was considered a trivial matter.