The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 787 No Stronghold Token? Do you want a Strong Fist Token?

Hindrab Province (Peninsula), Singapore Province.

This place was originally called Malacca, but it was later changed to Malacca by the Chinese, which sounds much better.

Then, because of the character "Ma," many people with the surname Ma gathered here, the most numerous of whom were the Ma family in Panyu, Guangzhou, and the Ma family in Puning, Chaozhou.

Although the surname Ma is considered a common surname, most people live in Shaanxi and Gansu. In Lingnan, it is a relatively small surname, so they tend to stick together. Unlike the major Lingnan surnames such as Chen, Li, Huang, Liang, Lin, and Ye, who are numerous and powerful, they don't need to stick together to live well.

After that, the Ma family spread throughout Malacca. Although the Panyu Ma family, which is the main branch, speaks Cantonese, while the Puning Ma family speaks Teochew, the long-term cohabitation in Southeast Asia diluted the language barrier between them.

In addition, the imperial court had been promoting Nanjing Mandarin in Southeast Asia, which was unavoidable. If the Han Chinese who were settling there could not understand each other, how could they help each other?

As a result, after more than 20 years, those people from Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, southern Jiangxi, and Wenzhou in southeastern Zhejiang in Southeast Asia spoke Mandarin much better than their fellow ethnic groups back home.

Even in the imperial court, when an official from Lingnan opened his mouth, everyone knew where he was from. But when an official from Southeast Asia opened his mouth, everyone assumed he was either from the Nanjing area or the Beijing area. Their Mandarin was so standard.

Without the language barrier, the difference between Panyu horses and Puning horses is not so obvious. They are both Han Chinese, and their culture, diet and moral values ​​are roughly the same. Now that they speak similar languages, they naturally integrate quickly.

Through the integration of these two Ma families and other people with the surname Ma, the Chinese community, represented by them, has gained increasing influence in the local community.

Soon they not only participated in the mining and trade of tin in the vicinity, but also greatly reduced soil erosion caused by long-term torrential rains during the tropical rainy season by building paddy fields, ponds, and ditches, and reclaimed more than 100,000 mu of fertile land.

What happened next was quite logical, because these more than 100,000 acres of fertile land were simply too attractive.

Even if these Han Chinese surnamed Ma are not bloodthirsty and do not want to turn the natives into their serfs and tenants, they still need to ensure that the 20,000 to 30,000 natives in Malacca City, as well as the tens of thousands of natives in other parts of the surrounding dense forests, do not covet their land.

Not to mention, the imperial court had actually been secretly supporting, and even encouraging, the Han people to use weapons to integrate and annex other countries.

Every year, the Pattani and Johor Bahru arsenals sell large quantities of firearms and ammunition to the Chinese community at rock-bottom prices, sometimes even on credit.

Back when Xinglong Province was still called Andai Province, under the instruction of Zhang Wentao, the third governor of Andai, a Sichuan native, Lan Tinghe, the She ethnic minority commander of Andai Garrison, secretly released Ma's sons, who were officers and soldiers in the garrison.

This immediately ignited the conflict. The Chinese understand better than anyone that there is no such thing as being able to guard against thieves for a thousand days. Now that their own warriors have returned and they have no shortage of guns and ammunition, they naturally want to strike first.

Thus, after two years of continuous conflict, the group of just over 10,000, mostly able-bodied Chinese men surnamed Ma, killed more than 30,000 of the 110,000 to 120,000 Malacca natives.

Of the remaining men, only a few dozen escaped into the depths of the rainforest; the rest became serfs of the Ma clan.

Most of the women were taken by the strong men of the Ma family and began to bear their offspring.

Later, the Ma family felt that Malacca still had traces of indigenous culture, so they changed the name of Malacca to Malacca.

Later, as more and more people went to Southeast Asia, the second generation of the Ma family was born and grew up there, and Ma Liujia Town prospered again, with a population of 70,000 to 80,000 and surrounding farmland expanding to more than 200,000 mu.

Taking advantage of the situation, the imperial court established a prefecture in Ma Liujia, using Ma Liujia as the prefectural capital, and renamed it Xinma.

In the city of Singapore and Malaysia, Ma Yaozong wore a large white hat, a very cool half-sleeved shirt and shorts, and the latest style of leather sandals.

Don't underestimate these leather sandals; they were high-tech products at the time, since technologies like vulcanized rubber hadn't been mature for many years.

The half-sleeved garment, originally used mostly for women's clothing, has now become a favorite among men. With slight modifications, it has become a fashionable garment similar to the short-sleeved shirts of later generations.

"Third Young Master, you're finally back! Prefect Li is summoning the local worthies to a meeting at the prefectural office. Master is worried that the northerner might try something, so he wants you to come along."

After hearing this, Ma Yaozong, without even going home to rest, handed over the several bolts of Shu brocade he had bought for his mother to the local servant beside him, and then boarded the steam carriage driven by his servant and headed to the government office.

At this moment, the steam engine took another big step forward, because no one expected, including Mozibu, that a guy named Philippe Leben had infiltrated the ranks of the high-caliber French talents who had come with Princess Charlotte, daughter of Louis XVI.

This person was the inventor of the gas engine in history. This machine, which uses an electric spark to ignite gas and generate power, was one of the earliest internal combustion engines and an important symbol of a major step forward for the modern automobile industry.

Philippe Leben's research was not taken seriously in France. This was not because the French leadership and scientists were short-sighted, but because they were not time travelers like Mozibu and could not be certain that the internal combustion engine and automobile were the future.

However, Mozibu, who had a clear understanding of the historical development of automobiles, was overjoyed when he accidentally discovered Philippe Leben's inventions and papers.

Mozibu not only granted Philippe Leben the status of a citizen of the Great Yu, but also specially arranged for a copy of the examination paper for the Ming Suan (calculation) subject of the imperial examination to be translated into French. After Philippe Leben passed the Ming Suan subject examination, he was immediately promoted to the Hanlin Academy of the Inner Court.

If you want an official position, give you an official position; if you want money, give you money; if you want people, give them people.

In just two years, with the strong support of Mozibu, Philippe Leben and his small team of about thirty people managed to develop the gas engine, the most primitive internal combustion engine.

It can now maintain a stable speed of 18 to 20 kilometers per hour, weighing around two tons, and can run continuously for more than eight hours.

Therefore, although people still call these internal combustion engine vehicles steam cars, steam cars have actually moved beyond the steam stage and truly entered the automobile era.

"You Southeast Asians really know how to enjoy life. This steam car is much more comfortable than a horse-drawn carriage, and you can even enjoy the pleasure of driving it yourself."

Beside Ma Yaozong was Yao Jingshan, his classmate from the Hongwu Imperial Academy. This talented scholar from Jiangnan sat in the car with some curiosity, looking around.

Ma Yaozong gripped the steering wheel with one hand, looking rather smug. "Southeast Asia is too hot. No large livestock can withstand the heat, let alone pull a cart. If we don't develop automobiles, we can't just ride elephants when we go out."

Modern cars still cannot replace traditional animal power, so the further south you go, the more cars you see. The reason is just as Ma Yaozong said: the further south you go, the hotter it gets, and no large livestock can withstand it, nor can people.

At the same time, the further south you go, the more scarce human resources become. With no large livestock to transport heavy goods and a shortage of human-powered rickshaws for transportation, automobiles naturally become more important.

. . . .

Inside the prefectural government office, Li Luanxuan, the newly appointed prefect of Xinma, who held the title of Left Provincial Administration Commissioner and was from Jingle County, Xinzhou, Shanxi, was sipping Cantonese herbal tea with his eyes half-closed, waiting for people from several prominent families in the city to arrive.

The practice of having a prefect with the title of Left Provincial Administration Commissioner was a unique feature of Southeast Asia. One reason was to provide preferential treatment to officials who were willing to govern in such an extremely hot place. This way, if they could be transferred back to the mainland, they would not be prefects, but high-ranking officials.

Of course, this kind of provincial governor, who held a nominal title, was not a second-rank official, but a third-rank official.

The second reason is that in Southeast Asia, it is very common for large clans and families to develop and control large amounts of farmland and real estate. If the prefects and magistrates are not given high positions, it is very likely that they will not be able to control these local tycoons.

Before long, the members of the ten major families of Xinma Prefecture had all arrived.

At that time, the territory under the jurisdiction of Xinma Province was roughly equivalent to the combined Malacca, Perak and Penang states of later Malaysia, with a population of 510,000, of which about 420,000 to 430,000 were Chinese.

These ten families control a population of nearly 300,000, and seven of the ten families are surnamed Ma.

Thinking about all this, Prefect Li Luanxuan couldn't help but feel a bit of a toothache. If it weren't for this third-rank official position, which would allow him to be transferred back to the Central Plains to serve as a high-ranking circuit intendant in a prosperous region, or to be promoted to provincial governor in Southeast Asia, he wouldn't want to come here at all.

Damn it, the officials don't act like officials, and the people don't act like people. When Prefect Li saw that the heads of the ten major families who came were all dressed in brocade robes and bestowed garments, he was even more displeased.

Among these people, those who wore the clouded leopard robes were those who had made meritorious contributions to the colonization, that is, those who had developed the local area well.

Those who wear the Flying Tiger uniform are either retired from the army with meritorious service or have blood on their hands from punishing the natives, with hundreds of lives on their hands.

Compared to these clan leaders dressed in fine clothes, he, the prefect with the rank of third-grade official and the title of Left Provincial Administration Commissioner, seemed rather unassuming.

When these people came in, they didn't act like the local elders and gentry who would fawn over the prefect. They simply greeted him and, without waiting for the prefect to ask them to sit down, they took their seats in a very casual manner.

Moreover, they know exactly who should sit in which seat, and they would never make a mistake.

In Southeast Asia, it was common for prefects and magistrates to summon these people to discuss important matters, and both sides were already very familiar with the process.

"These two young talents are unfamiliar faces; I seem to have never seen them before?" Prefect Li Luanxuan asked, pointing to Ma Yaozong and Yao Jingshan who had just entered. "Prefect, this is my third son, Ma Yaozong, and this is his good friend, Yao Jingshan, from Southern Zhili. They were classmates at the Hongwu Imperial Academy."

The clan chief of Panyu Ma, a robust man with a broad face and wide mouth, who looked like a ruthless man in his youth, spoke up.

At that time, the Hongwu Imperial Academy, which ranked among the top three in Dayu, was not an ordinary institution that could be entered. Graduates had a promising future as long as they did not cause trouble, especially in Southeast Asia, where they were even more valuable. Therefore, Prefect Li Luanxuan also took a high regard for it.

“Since he is a rising star in the literary world, he should also have a seat.” Prefect Li waved his hand and ordered his yamen runners to bring over two brocade stools.

Of course, these country bumpkins from Southeast Asia didn't know that Prefect Li was so generous in offering them seats not only because the two were students of the Hongwu Imperial Academy, but also because Prefect Li felt that Yao Jingshan looked somewhat familiar at first glance, and when he heard that he was from Southern Zhili, he immediately remembered who he was.

This Yao Jingshan was none other than the youngest son of Yao Nai, a great writer of the Tongcheng School. His mother came from the Taka (Mu) family of the Marquis of Danan Loyalty (Danan Domain) in Osaka Prefecture, Asahi Province, Japan, under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Envoy.

Yao Nai was a close friend of the retired emperor, and Yao Jingshan's mother was given to Yao Nai by the retired emperor.

Meanwhile, Yao Jingshan, who is eighteen years old this year, was betrothed since childhood to the Princess of Lingao, the third daughter of Mo Zihuang, the emperor's elder brother who was posthumously granted the title of Prince Qiong. Prefect Li met her once when he attended a banquet at Yao Nai's residence.

"His Majesty's decree and the imperial court's order have arrived. Xinma Prefecture is to provide 100,000 mu of land to settle the new settlers."

You, my fellow villagers, are the pillars of Singapore and Malaysia, with vast tracts of fertile land in your hands. Most of this 100,000 mu of land will surely come from you.

Of course, the imperial court would not take it for free; after all the land was surveyed and graded, it would be purchased at market price.

At the same time, His Majesty approved the new colonization law, and from this day forward, the natives of Southeast Asia can be openly and legitimately educated.

There are at least seventy to eighty thousand indigenous people still living in the dense forests of our Xinma province. We need you all to gather your brave men and assist the government troops in searching for and capturing them.”

For the imperial court, it was certainly not possible to allow a large family like the Ma family to completely control the local area.

These people are no good. If you let them control everything, they'll dare to run a family-style mafia organization in the area, completely seizing local power and treating everyone who isn't part of their family like slaves.

Therefore, once the situation stabilized, the imperial court would often allocate funds to forcibly acquire a portion of land from local powerful families and distribute it to other people who had gone to Southeast Asia.

Moreover, after receiving the money from selling land, powerful clans often continued to follow the imperial court's policies and expand their settlements to more difficult or newly incorporated areas.

For example, the currently most popular continents are the Greater and Lesser Continents (Australia and New Zealand) and the west coast of the Northern Continent.

However, for large clans, they are reluctant to sell the fertile land they have painstakingly cultivated. Such land is priceless and can be passed down to their descendants for generations.

Therefore, as soon as Prefect Li Luanxuan finished speaking, the room erupted in chaos, with a group of clan elders and local dignitaries shouting loudly.

Those with short tempers and shallow minds are already describing various reproductive organs incessantly.

Prefect Li was already used to this; as long as they didn't name names and insult him, he would pretend he hadn't heard a thing.

Ma Yaozong's father, the patriarch of the Ma clan in Panyu, saw that Prefect Li was incredibly thick-skinned and not at all provoked, but instead had a half-smile on his face, so he knew that this hurdle would not be easy to overcome.

If Prefect Li gets angry and starts arguing with them, or if he uses his official power to intimidate them, or even beats them, they are not afraid at all. On the contrary, they can use this as an excuse to make a big fuss, muddy the waters, and preferably take it to the Republican Parliament.

The republican parliaments of Southeast Asia are not the kind of empty shells that exist in mainland China.

“My lord, there are treacherous officials in the court! Our Xinma Prefecture has only about 500,000 mu of fertile land. Our ten families together have less than 300,000 mu. Now they want to give up 100,000 mu. It’s really hard to accept!” said the clan chief of Panyu Ma.

Hinlong Province (Mala Peninsula) is not like South Jalan (Java Island) in terms of arable land area. Ten thousand acres of land is quite a lot.

"You can't gain without losing." Li Luanxuan, the prefect, felt as sweet as honey as he watched these powerful families suffer a setback. He took a sip of his cold tea, and it seemed as if the bitter stuff had turned sweet.

"The court naturally knows that this request is somewhat excessive, but this is the current situation of our Great Yu Dynasty. Everyone has their own difficulties, and we should all try to overcome them."

Of course, His Majesty is benevolent and virtuous, and will not let you suffer losses. Therefore, he has graciously granted the Xinma Prefecture the official positions of three garrison commanders and the title of a prince of a great state this year. It all depends on who among you is willing to share the burdens of the court.

It sounds like a good deal: three hereditary garrison commanders, similar to chieftains, and a Chinese baron belonging to the nobility.

But the ten clan chiefs inside the house remained unmoved, because the early days of Southeast Asia had long passed.

At this time, the garrison commanders' fiefdoms were mostly located deep in the rainforest. Not only did they need to cultivate and build them themselves, but it was also far less easy to manage than it had been ten or twenty years ago.

As for the vassal barons of Dazhanzhou, well, let's just say they're not exactly thriving. Places where you can pan for gold will certainly not be sealed off, but places where you can't pan for gold are, damn it, swarms of poisonous snakes and giant rats taller than a person when they stand up, and supposedly they can even box.

Is he going to become a nobleman? He's going to become a savage!
"Ladies and gentlemen, people should take a longer view. Back then, besides the city, Xinma Prefecture was also plagued by malaria and snakes and rats everywhere."

Which of our families hasn't had its able-bodied members devoured by giant dragons and pythons? But now, isn't it a land of plenty?

You are now wealthy, but you have no official position or title. Shouldn't you take this opportunity to work harder for your descendants?

Prefect Li Luanxuan was still trying to persuade him, but he was reluctant to part with the money, which was 100,000 mu of land!
“What the Prefect says makes sense. However, we are willing to serve as garrison commanders in developing areas or as barons in Dazhanzhou. We are willing to contribute money and effort.”

But this land was cultivated by our ancestors through generations of hard work. How could any order force us to sell it?

Ma Yaozong's father, the head of the Ma clan in Panyu, did not speak up, but another Ma clan head was not happy. He glared at Prefect Li Luanxuan with a stubborn look on his face, showing a lot of dissatisfaction.

"You're so ungrateful, I'll just use you as a scapegoat," Prefect Li thought to himself, then stood up and looked at the clan chief.

"So, according to you, this Xinma Mansion is yours, right?" Li Luanxuan flicked the sleeves of his official robes and uttered a vulgar curse.

"Fuck your mother! What the hell were you back in your hometown? You were the kind of guy who would tremble at the sight of Qing Dynasty officials. Now you're all dressed up like a dog!"
Fuck you, do you even remember how you went to Southeast Asia back then?
Back then, you were transported down on a giant ship that the Emperor gave you for free. Not only did he not charge you a single penny for the fare, but he also provided for your whole family's food and clothing.

When we arrived, fearing you would starve, we gave you three months' worth of food. If you ran out, you could apply for more.

Fearing you might not be able to defeat the natives, we'll give you the best swords and spears for free, and even send someone to teach you how to use them.

In case you get sick, we will give you high-quality medicines such as "Fairy Water" (quinine water) and "River Fairy Stone Powder" (montmorillonite powder) for free.

Fearing that you would lose money farming, we haven't collected a single penny of tax for five years.

All of this was paid for by His Majesty himself, using his own private funds. So much so that during his more than twenty years on the throne, he was reluctant to repair his palaces, reluctant to select beautiful concubines, and his meals consisted of only three dishes and a soup. He wore no more than four sets of everyday clothes for each season and festival. Every penny he saved was given to you ungrateful wretches.

"Fuck your mother!" Magistrate Li became angrier and angrier. He tucked the hem of his official robe into his trousers, rolled up his sleeves, and delivered a flying kick that knocked the troublemaker to the ground. Then he straddled him and rained down punches on him.

The clan chief, Ma, was no longer young. After enjoying a good life for over ten years, he had long lost his former bravery. Caught off guard, he was powerless to fight back and was beaten mercilessly by the forty-year-old, still strong and healthy Prefect Li.

Mist grass!

Yao Jingshan was stunned. The dignified Left Provincial Governor, dressed in the official robes of a third-rank official, was brutally beating a local gentryman in the back hall of the government office. The beating was so severe that every punch landed hard, and the gentry screamed in agony.

Shocked, the student, who was about to be promoted to Yao Yibin, felt his eyes had been opened. Indeed, people said that the people of Southeast Asia were tough, but this was not just tough people, but also tough officials.

This guy is no scholar! What you learned back then wasn't the Analects, it was just some random idiom!

Little did Yao Jingshan know that without his prestigious lineage, without someone like him who could spread the word about Prefect Li Luanxuan's heroic deeds, this prefect would never have been so fierce.

But since there's such a perfect mouthpiece available, Prefect Li is bound to make a good impression.

He doesn't have the guts to be a strongman, but he certainly has the guts to be a strongman who fights against powerful figures for the country and the people!

(End of this chapter)