It only takes half a month from Ningjing County, which borders Guangxi, to the Hekou Governorate, which is located on the banks of the Mekong River, since it is the colony of the Ming Dynasty in Guangnan, it is also the end point of the Guangnan Railway, and if you want to reach Nantianmen, you must transfer to a ship here.

In this half month, Zhu Mingzhong traveled along the railway in the countries of Zhuxia in Guangnan, although the time was not long, but he also had a basic understanding of the environment of Zhuxia. When traveling in various countries, Zhu Mingzhong did not alarm Zhuxia, after all, most of these feudal countries were small countries, and it would inevitably cost a lot of money to usher in them.

But after arriving at the Hekou Governor's District, after a few days of inspection in Weifu, Zhu Mingzhong was still thinking about whether to go to the Governor's Palace, the Hekou Governor's District, like Pingnan and Nantianmen, is an area with a very special status, they are not the native of the Ming Dynasty, but their status is higher than that of the colony, and among the three, the richest is the Hekou Governor's District.

"In the third year of Xingqian, there was a great drought in Shandong and North Zhili, millions of hungry people, and the imperial court released millions of stones of rice and grain in Nanyang, and millions of living people!"

Standing in the rice fields, staring at the rice fields in the distance, Zhu Mingzhong said with a sigh.

In particular, after 15 years of Xingqian, the population of the mainland has surged, and Nanyang rice has become increasingly dependent on the mainland, and last year the domestic import of Nanyang rice exceeded 58 million stones! ”

Staring at the rice fields in front of him, Zhu Mingzhong's expression was extremely solemn, and the mainland's dependence on "Nanyang rice" has not decreased over the years, but has increased day by day.

"Father, it seems that some people are also quite complaining about this, they think that the increasing import of grain from the mainland is because the people are profit-seeking, and would rather grow corn and sweet potatoes to raise cattle and pigs, than to grow grain, because the income from growing grain is far less than raising cattle and pigs, and of course, it is not as good as planting mulberry and silkworms, so it will lead to the increasing import of Nanyang rice in recent years, so that there is a saying that "no Nanyang rice can not live", once Nanyang changes, it will definitely cause famine in the hinterland. ”

Zhu Heyuan looked at his father and said.

"And what do you think?"

Smiling slightly, Zhu Mingzhong asked rhetorically.

The child felt that those people were too unfounded, Xingqian ten years, his father once said that "the connection between the Ming Dynasty and Zhuxia is not only limited to blood and culture, but also should be an economic connection, when the economy of the two is integrated, the Ming Dynasty and Zhuxia will always be one." "In recent years, the import of Nanyang rice has increased day by day, on the surface, it seems to be unfavorable to the Ming Dynasty, just tens of millions of yuan of trade expenditure every year, is a huge expenditure, but on the other hand, the export of rice grain to the mother country, has been the pillar industry of the Nanyang Zhuxia, once the Ming Dynasty stops importing rice grain from a certain country, it is bound to cause a devastating blow to the country's economy, the officials have no money to make a living, the people have no money to buy things, there is a large amount of rice grain, and it can only be left to rot in the warehouse......"

Although the Nanyang families are also the Zhu family, when mentioning them, Zhu Heqian did not show much emotion, after all, he did not have any impression of those "relatives", and the family in his heart was actually just brothers and sisters.

"Father, as long as Nanyang rice and grain still dominate its trade, then Nanyang Zhuxia will never be able to have a different heart for the mother country!"

Looking at the silent father, Zhu Heyuan felt that he had guessed correctly, his father divided the feudal domains in Nanyang back then, I am afraid that from the very beginning, he had expected that today, Zhuxia's economic dependence on the mother country is the fundamental foundation for maintaining the relationship between the two sides, not just the so-called "blood".

Looking into the distance, Zhu Mingzhong did not respond to his son's judgment, he just said in a deep voice.

"Geographically, Quang Nam is located near the Tropic of Capricorn, with a hot climate and abundant rainfall, so that rice can be harvested three times a year. At the same time, most of the cultivated land is located in the Red River Plain, Jiulong River Plain, the river brings a large amount of organic matter from the upper reaches, the soil is fertile, and the yield per mu in three seasons is more than 1,000 catties easily, and all over the South Seas, it is probably the same, three crops a year, a thousand catties a year, this unique natural environment, is really enviable, and it is also the mainland can never be compared. ”

Zhu Mingzhong said as he pointed to the people working in the rice fields.

"And what is even more rare is that the land here is vast and sparsely populated, and the production is backward, after the Ming people moved here, they divided the fields and educated them, taught the local people agricultural skills, and let them cultivate them on the farm, why is Nanyang rice cheap? Even if a high tax of 60% is levied, the cost is still lower than that of mainland rice, which is basically nothing more than three crops a year plus a negligible cost of labor. ”

The cost of Nanyang rice is outrageously low, unlike the strict prohibition of animal slavery in the mainland, where foreign slaves had to be purchased at high prices. Thanks to the reality of the local semi-slave society, Nanyang Zhuxia and the Viceroyalty were prevalent as animal slaves. Especially when the first batch of people were assigned here, most of them were pseudo-officials or Han army banner people, and after coming here, they directly borrowed from the "domestic slaves" to improve the local slavery. Domestic slaves do not have an independent household registration, because the household registration is completely dependent on the household registration of the main family, also known as "attached households". Among them, those who have made meritorious contributions to the war are rewarded with the right to open an account, called "account holder" or "another household", and their status is higher than that of ordinary domestic slaves, but they are still "domestic slaves", and they cannot completely break away from the subordinate relationship with the master's family.

Although a large number of Ming people later moved into various parts of Nanyang, they often only "followed the customs", and the Gui and Qin countries even after the destruction of Ma Dalan, all the Ding households in the whole country were taken as slaves and maids, and rewarded to the meritorious people. And in the form of national laws, the "slave system" was further improved.

"Yes, father, in fact, the child thinks that the life of the people of Nanyang Zhuxia is actually far better than that of the mainland, but the ordinary "county soldiers" also have four or five slaves and maids. If it is a general, a minister, it will be a hundred, or even a thousand. ”

While shaking his head and sighing, Zhu Heyuan's eyes fell on a farm in the distance located in the rice field, where the "countrymen" enjoyed a life of worry-free food and clothing, with slaves and maids farming for them and slaves serving them, such a life was beyond the reach of the people in China.

"In the mainland, even if there are many military gentry, there are only one or two slaves and maids, and as for thousands of slaves and maids, it is something that I dare not think of."

"Therefore, now more and more people in the mainland are willing to move overseas, and the world says that outside the Celestial Empire is a wilderness, but in fact, it is ......."

Shaking his head lightly, looking at the endless paddy fields in front of him comparable to the south of the Yangtze River, Zhu Mingzhong couldn't see how this place was equated with the wilderness, although he knew that all this was the result of more than 20 years of reclamation, but wasn't the south of the Yangtze River in the Qin and Han dynasties also a wild land?

"As long as we Mingren go to the place, within a few decades, even if it was once a wilderness, it will become a land of fish and rice, just like here."

Taking the horse next to him and riding back onto the horse, Zhu Mingzhong said to his son with a smile.

"Let's go, it's time to meet the local officials!"

As the capital of the estuary city is not large, at most it is about the same as the county seat in the mainland, from the appearance, there is not much difference from the county town in the interior, the same square city wall, but in the city gate and the four corners of the edge and corner.

Although the Quang Nam Railway was nominally built to Hekou City, in fact, because Hekou City was on the south of the Mekong River, considering the cost of construction, the railway did not build the Mekong River, but built on the opposite bank, so although it has been two days since he came to Hekou City, this is the first time Zhu Mingzhong has entered the city.

After entering the city, Zhu Mingzhong and his entourage went straight to the governor's mansion, the so-called governor's mansion is the same as the yamen in the mainland.

Your Majesty is at the mouth of the river!

When Huang Baichuan, the governor of Hekou, was more frightened than surprised, the surprise was because His Majesty's presence could intuitively see the changes in the estuary over the years, and the reason for the panic was because he knew very well that some things were not tolerated by the "Da Ming Law".

When he learned that His Majesty had come to Hekou City, Huang Baichuan immediately rushed over.

Standing in the Governor's Mansion, Zhu Mingzhong looked at Huang Baichuan and said with a smile after a while.

"Huang Qing, I remember the sixth year of Xingqian, at your uncle's place, when I first met you, you had a lot of complaints about the colony, and now you have been at the mouth of the river, it has been three years, tell me, what do you think now?"

More than ten years ago, when he first met Huang Baichuan, he was just a young and vigorous young man, he was the eldest son of Huang Zongxi's third brother Huang Zonghui, and he had been staying at Huang Zongxi's house when he was studying in Zhongdu.

Hearing His Majesty mention the old days, Huang Baichuan couldn't help but blush a little. To this day, he remembers how many things he criticized the colony and how he contradicted the "Great Ming Law", but now, as the governor of the estuary, he has no intention of changing it, but wants to strengthen it further.

"Your Majesty, at that time, the minister was young and ignorant, and he didn't know the height of the sky, that is, Your Majesty, he could not care about the minister's nonsense that day. Over the years, especially after arriving at the estuary, the minister has been thinking that the customs and customs of these places are different, and they cannot be blindly forced, just like the native people of Guangnan, especially the native people of the north, although they have been following the Han customs for thousands of years, but the people often do not have hair, this is because the weather is too hot, if they blindly force it, it will arouse the dissatisfaction of the people, so the countries and the estuary, never force this, obey the people's will, and occasionally adapt, it is also conducive to educating the natives. ”

Listening to Huang Baichuan's explanation, Zhu Mingzhong just smiled and nodded, he has always turned a blind eye to some problems here, after all, this place is different from the mainland.

"Actually, the reason why I went south this time is to see this place with my own eyes, without investigation, there is no right to speak, Guangnan and overseas Zhuxia and colonies, the customs and customs are completely different from the mainland, so it is necessary to implement indoctrination, and for so many years, there have been occasional disputes between the DPRK and China, especially for the governors, after all, this is different from the colonies, and it is also different from the mainland, and in the application of laws and regulations, there will definitely be a conflict with the "Da Ming Law", so ......"

Looking at Huang Baichuan, Zhu Mingzhong smiled slightly.

"Your last excerpt, I'm accurate!"

"Your Majesty!"

His eyes widened suddenly, and Huang Baichuan looked at His Majesty with surprise and said.

"This, this ......"

Excited, he hurriedly said.

"Ministers, 160,000 estuary soldiers and civilians, thank you, Your Majesty Longen! In this way, the military and people of the estuary can be at ease, and the future can be expected, so different for a hundred years, the estuary will be prosperous and not inferior to the south of the Yangtze River! ”

Looking at Huang Baichuan's excited appearance, Zhu Mingzhong just smiled slightly, but deep in his heart, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh, this sigh was because he clearly knew what was given to the estuary colony.

It is not only to give them the "legislative power" to make laws according to the local environment, but more importantly, to give them the right to expand, and both Chenla and Siam will become the objects of their expansion, of course, provided that these two countries are "not sincere in paying tribute", but this "sincerity is not sincere" is determined by the governor.

"Huang Qing's family, what I want is not that the future prosperity of the estuary is not inferior to that of Jiangnan, what I want is that this place will become another Jiangnan of the Ming Dynasty!"

"The minister understands!"

Huang Baichuan said again.

As a courtier, of course, he knew that His Majesty had high hopes for the Nanyang lands, and "Fuyi returned to Xia" would definitely be the future of Nanyang, and no one could resist this law of development, and even every governor, before taking office, His Majesty would warn them so to remind them of their duties.

"Minister, you must live up to Your Majesty's expectations, carry out indoctrination, and make this place return to China."

For the Ming Dynasty, expansion in the south was never simply colonization, but more about shouldering the responsibility of civilization. A great civilization is bound to expand externally. Like the world to spread this civilization, so that more people can bathe in the influence of this civilization, this is a great civilization. Countries that seek profit and do everything possible to oppress the colonial population are never civilized countries. They simply cannot afford to spread civilization.

And now Daming must take on this responsibility, which is the fundamental reason why Daming is great in the future.

It seems that His Majesty is in a good mood. Huang Baichuan thought of the guest he had seen before. So he said to His Majesty.

"Your Majesty, there is one more thing, the minister doesn't know whether to say it or not."

"Love is blunt."

"Your Majesty, the Governor of Pingnan, Gu Sheng, is on the boat at the mouth of the river now, and the boat he is on will leave the mouth of the river tomorrow."

Looking at His Majesty, his tone was very cautious.

Although he knew that Gu Derivation was a confidant minister, but this time Gu Derivation was originally assigned to Nanyang in disguise, is it possible for His Majesty to meet him?

Although he and Gu Derivation are not friends at all. That's a person I've known for many years. When you have the chance, you have to say a word for him.

Hearing that the merchant ship Gu Cheng was on was at the mouth of the river, after pondering for a moment, Zhu Mingzhong said.

"Although Gu Derivation is wrong, he has worked hard all these years, and I still have to see him!"

()