Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 390 Revenge! The Foreign Master! The Mystery!
The same scene played out in other mines along the Liujin River.

The warlord of Pegu, who ruled this region, made the greatest decision, mobilizing almost all of his troops to surround the jadeite mines.

Like predatory beasts, they hunted down the mine owners and their accomplices, leaving no one unpunished.

These people, who used to be so arrogant and domineering, were now like stray dogs, captured by the Pegu army and roughly escorted by the soldiers. Their former arrogance had vanished.

Subsequently, the Pegu general announced that all the Ming people who had been forced into slavery in the mines had regained their freedom.

This left many Ming Dynasty citizens in disbelief. Their faces first showed disbelief, and then joy and excitement surged into their hearts like a tide.

Soon, the entire banks of the Golden River were filled with thunderous cheers.

In an effort to curry favor with the Ming Dynasty, the Bago warlords even sent people to deliver grain.

Carts of grain were neatly arranged, and the soldiers carefully distributed the grain to the people who had regained their freedom.

These people, who were once slaves in the mines, were transformed into "distinguished guests of the Ming Dynasty" with the arrival of the Ming army. Even the generals of Bago could not afford to offend them.

……

Siam, located on the border not far from Bago.

Zhu Shou and King Ramaputra II of Siam stood side by side on the hillside, gazing into the distance.

In the woods below, squads of Siamese soldiers were busy clearing trees with practiced and methodical movements, the sound of axes chopping wood rising and falling.

The relatively small number of Ming soldiers had already chosen an excellent location to set up camp, and the soldiers were all in good order, with the Ming dragon flag fluttering in the wind.

Rama Bodhi II was very uneasy.

As a religious country, Siam's king held both divine and secular power, making him extremely revered. He had never personally led troops into battle before.

This time, in order to show his sincerity to the Ming Dynasty, he resolutely followed the Ming general to the border.

Although he did not interfere in specific military affairs in order to maintain the king's special status and mystique.

But simply standing next to Zhu Shou made Rama Bodhidharma II feel extremely uncomfortable, as if he had thorns in his back.

This Ming general, Zhu Shou, was not as smiling, kind, and approachable as Li Sicong.

On the contrary, he exuded an aura of authority, and his eyes revealed a murderous intent.

With just a glance, one can feel his ruthlessness and decisiveness, sending chills down one's spine.

His voice was like thunder.

After the Ming Dynasty and Siam solemnly signed the "Ming-Siam Friendship and Mutual Assistance Agreement", the Siamese government acted swiftly and did not dare to slack off in the slightest.

They swiftly launched a search throughout the territory, rescuing one by one the Ming people who had been forced into slavery.

However, the operation to capture the culprit did not yield many substantial results.

Most of the human traffickers and heinous criminal leaders from the Ming Dynasty, like cunning foxes, sensed the danger in advance and fled to Bago in a flash.

The Ming slaves in Siam were ultimately just "scraps" spilling over from the criminal chain of the Bago jade mines.

Human traffickers only used Siam as a transit point for selling slaves from the Ming Dynasty and as a second-hand market for dealing with "leftovers".

Even so, the number of people forced into slavery was still considerable.

Many of them also had extremely tragic experiences.

When these rescued civilians were handed over to the Ming army, their long-suppressed pain and indignation found an outlet.

The people, with tears streaming down their faces, recounted their tragic experiences to the Ming generals and officials.

Besides being tricked by human traffickers into leaving the Ming Dynasty and arriving in a foreign land, where she was violently forced into slavery, thus beginning her nightmare, she was also subjected to various inhuman tortures and abuses after being sold to the natives of Siam.

Some people were tortured to the point of being covered in wounds and suffering lifelong disabilities.

Some women were raped multiple times, leaving them mentally unstable and unable to recover.

Some even witnessed their fellow Ming Dynasty citizens, who were also enslaved, being tortured to death.

Those bloody scenes still linger in their minds, becoming an indelible nightmare.

Faced with such atrocities, the Ming Dynasty naturally would not sit idly by and immediately took action to hold those responsible accountable.

Under the Ming Dynasty's firm and reasoned negotiations, the Siamese court launched a large-scale investigation in order not to damage the "Ming-Siam friendship".

In Siam, everyone who had ever bought slaves from the Ming Dynasty, regardless of their social status, whether they were wealthy merchants or nobles, was identified without exception.

They were brought to trial, convicted one by one according to the law, and received the punishment they deserved.

Those who commit serious crimes may even be sentenced to death.

Before the majesty of the Ming Dynasty, no matter how noble one's status or position, it could not serve as a reason for exemption.

This series of severe punishments was like a bombshell, sending shockwaves through the upper and middle classes of Siam.

For a time, the middle and upper classes of Siam were trembling with fear.

Those who had bought slaves from the Ming Dynasty for their families and mistreated them were mostly severely punished and paid a heavy price for their evil deeds.

Those who were lucky enough to never get involved were also quite frightened by this ruthless approach.

Upon returning home, they immediately issued a stern warning to their family and servants that they must be extremely careful when dealing with people from the Ming Dynasty in the future, and that they must not make even the slightest offense, otherwise they would surely face great disaster.

From then on, the atmosphere of the entire Siamese market was completely transformed.

The previously prevalent discrimination and humiliation against the people of the Ming Dynasty have vanished.

Instead, there was extreme caution and respect.

Every Siamese knew that the majesty of the Ming Dynasty was inviolable.

The people of the Ming Dynasty are not to be bullied at will.

In the past, whenever merchants from the Ming Dynasty came to Siam to purchase goods, the local natives would be like sharks smelling blood, their eyes gleaming with greed, racking their brains to raise prices.

They viewed Ming Dynasty merchants as "fat sheep" to be slaughtered, hoping to make a quick buck, and quoted prices far exceeding their actual value.

They wished they could "squeeze every last drop of money out of the Ming Dynasty merchants."

What's even worse is that if anything doesn't go their way, these natives will take advantage of their homeland and reveal their hideous side.

They either verbally abused or physically threatened the Ming Dynasty merchants, attempting to force them to submit.

Each and every one of them was extremely arrogant and domineering.

Merchants from the Ming Dynasty, far from home and unfamiliar with the place, often had no choice but to swallow their anger in the face of such unreasonable harassment.

They were filled with resentment, but there was nothing they could do.

Fortunately, the profits from purchasing scarce resources from Siam and transporting them back to Ming territory for sale could often reach dozens of times.

It is precisely these tempting profits that make businessmen willing to take risks and endure these setbacks.

However, these risks are naturally factored into the "costs" of doing business overseas by shrewd businessmen.

As a result, the prices of the goods remained high when they were finally sold.

Ordinary people often have to spend a considerable amount of money to buy these items.

However, with the arrival of the Ming army, everything has changed dramatically.

Now, the shops and vendors on the streets of Siam become incredibly enthusiastic whenever they see Ming Dynasty merchants coming to make purchases.

They greeted guests with smiles, as if they were honored guests, speaking politely and behaving respectfully. Prices also became extremely fair; they no longer dared to arbitrarily inflate prices or overcharge customers as they had before.

After all, the Siamese court has repeatedly issued orders that anyone who dares to damage the friendly relations between the Ming and Siam will be severely punished without exception!
In the past, when conflicts arose between Siamese natives and Ming Dynasty merchants, regardless of the cause of the conflict or who was right or wrong, the local government always sided with the Siamese natives without any principles.

Merchants in the Ming Dynasty had no way to speak out even if they were in the right, and could only suffer in silence.

But now, the situation is completely the opposite.

If a similar conflict were to occur again, the Siamese government would not only not side with the locals, but would also severely crack down on those ignorant natives.

The officials knew very well that if they offended the people from the Ming Dynasty, they would be in deep trouble.

They are all people we can't afford to offend, yet you, a mere commoner, dare to offend them. Shouldn't we teach these blind fools a lesson?

That's right!

Now, even the most ordinary citizen of the Ming Dynasty is regarded as a high-ranking "master" by the people of Siam and even the Siamese government, a noble "foreign master" from the overseas Ming Dynasty!
This story was passed down by word of mouth among the people of Siam.

The Siamese quickly realized that they could not afford to offend the "foreign masters" of the Ming Dynasty under any circumstances.

No one can afford to be accused of damaging the friendship between Ming and Siam!
Even officials had to obediently bow their heads in front of the "foreign masters" from the Ming Dynasty.

However, the people of the Ming Dynasty, having long been influenced by Confucianism, were mostly kind-hearted and honest.

They do not abuse their power or bully the local natives just because they are respected as "foreign masters" in Siam.

For them, as long as they can be treated fairly and justly in a foreign land and do business well, they are content.

For business people, harmony brings wealth!
If one is always arrogant and disdainful of others, let alone gold and silver treasures, even half a grain of rice will be hard to obtain.

It should be known that the most taboo thing for any merchant is an arrogant attitude.

The elegance in one's eyebrows and eyes, the refinement in one's gestures and movements, are all things that can be traded for real money.

Being too domineering will only scare away potential business partners. Without business, there's no money to be made—it's a very simple principle.

Moreover, the Ming Dynasty had long ago issued a clear instruction: all citizens of the Ming Dynasty who cross the sea to do business should wear blue robes and silks, which are a reflection of the nation's image, and every word and deed should reflect the majesty of the Celestial Empire.

Once outside the borders of the Ming Dynasty and onto foreign soil, every word and action of every individual no longer represents just the individual, but carries the national image of the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty court promised to do everything in its power to protect every citizen abroad and to ensure that they would not be bullied in the slightest.

However, the people must also pay attention to their own quality and image at all times.

We must never allow those barbarian nations overseas to misunderstand that we lack manners.

On the contrary, we must make them truly feel that the people of the Ming Dynasty have been educated by the sages, know etiquette and shame, and display elegance in every gesture.

Only in this way can we make the barbarians overseas respect every citizen of the Ming Dynasty.

The merchants of the Ming Dynasty took these matters very seriously and all of them consciously and strictly abided by them.

They knew in their hearts that the imperial court had already done so much for them, even sending troops to support the Ming people overseas.

If they continue to tarnish the image of the Ming Dynasty, it would be truly outrageous and they would have lost even the most basic moral principles.

We must bring glory to the Ming Dynasty, to the court, and to His Majesty.

This belief was unwavering in their hearts.

This is why the merchants in Siam behaved like true gentlemen. They spoke elegantly, acted with propriety, and were humble and polite in their interactions with others, displaying the demeanor of a great nation.

It was precisely this elegance and refinement that quickly won the favor of the Siamese people.

Furthermore, the strength of the Ming Dynasty army inspired awe and reverence among the Siamese people.

In an instant, Siamese society, especially the upper and middle classes of nobles, officials and the wealthy, was swept up in a whirlwind of fervent emulation of the Ming Dynasty.

In their eyes, the people of the Ming Dynasty were synonymous with nobility, elegance, and high quality.

We must all take the people of the Ming Dynasty as our role model and imitate them perfectly to be considered classy.

Curry must be served in celadon porcelain from Jingdezhen at aristocratic banquets.

The murals in the Buddhist temple even featured scenes of Confucius and Mencius lecturing.

The golden plate offered before the Buddha must also contain the Analects and Mencius to make it appear precious.

The most elegant topic of conversation is whether someone can recite half of "Linjiang Xian," a poem personally written by His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, in Chinese, and then tell a story from the Three Kingdoms period.

The most fashionable outfit must be a mix of Suzhou embroidery cloud shoulder and Siamese tube skirt.

If you have nothing, you will be seen as uncultured and ill-mannered, unable to keep up with the changing times, unworthy of being an aristocrat, and a laughing stock in social situations.

It must be said that this huge shift in thinking actually paved a golden road to Siam for the goods produced by the Ming Dynasty factory.

This laid an incredibly solid foundation for its sales in Siam.

It also sparked a massive wave of Ming Dynasty culture fever in Siam.

Siamese people who could speak Mandarin and write Chinese characters quickly became sought-after and their value increased dramatically.

Wherever they go, they attract attention and are surrounded by an aura.

Merchants from the Ming Dynasty who came to Siam, even if they didn't make money in business, had the opportunity to teach in Siamese schools or serve as tutors in the homes of Siamese nobles, as long as they could write a few Chinese characters.

While most merchants were not scholars or officials, they were undoubtedly literate and able to write.

Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to do business outside.

After all, doing business requires bookkeeping, writing contracts, and signing agreements.

If you can't read, you can't do these things, and you can't go out and do business.

Therefore, although the merchants of the Ming Dynasty were not learned, they had read some books, and such positions were readily available to them if they were willing.

Once they obtain such a position, they will receive unimaginably generous treatment, with salaries more than ten times higher than those of ordinary locals.

Such a disparity in treatment has made many locals envious and has further fueled their enthusiasm for learning about the culture of the Ming Dynasty.

……

At this moment, King Ramaputra II of Siam stood quietly beside Zhu Shou.

His body stiffened slightly, as if bound by an invisible force, his expression extremely reserved, and his eyes revealing a hint of tension and awe.

Even as the emperor of a nation, with an extremely noble status, he remained incredibly humble before this imposing "foreign master" of the Ming Dynasty, daring not to slacken in the slightest.

"General Zhu, why don't we launch an immediate attack on Pegu, but instead set up camp here?"

Ramaputra II endured for a long time, his inner doubts surging like a tide.

Finally, she mustered up her courage and cautiously voiced her confusion.

In his view, the Ming army was brave and invincible, and with the Ayutthaya army assisting and guiding them, providing geographical and intelligence support, they could simply sweep across the land, and the Pegu army would be absolutely unable to resist.

I really can't understand why we're being so cautious now, stopping at the border instead of seizing the time to attack Siam.
"No rush!" Zhu Shou's gaze remained fixed on the distance, his posture upright like a pine tree.

His dark cloak swayed gently in the humid wind.

He held the sword at his waist and tapped it lightly on the hilt, saying calmly, "The best strategy is to subdue the enemy without fighting; the next best is to disrupt their alliances; the next best is to attack their army; and the worst is to besiege their cities."

This usually rude and blunt Ming Dynasty ship captain surprisingly uttered a rather cryptic remark:
"When the seven luminaries in the Purple Palace revolve, and the handle of the Big Dipper is thirty degrees east, does the King of Siam know why the Horn constellation of the Azure Dragon's seven mansions waits a year before it opens its eyes?"

……

(End of this chapter)