Before the Spring Festival, Cai Yuanding was invited to participate in the year-end summary meeting of Houjiang Mansion.

In the auditorium of the Houjiang Governor's Palace, there are sketches of several cotton plants hanging on the wall.

In the auditorium, there are more than 300 leading figures of Houjiang Mansion, including the heads of the Ming Army Autonomous Prefecture and County in the south, and the big Nanyang farmers with tens of thousands of acres of land.

The windows of the auditorium were all opened, and everyone was happy.

Li Jun often stepped onto the podium.

"Gentlemen, as of the end of last year, we had 15 million acres of land, and we harvested 30 million stone of grain throughout the year, solving the problem of self-production of grain in the whole country."

Thunderous applause rang out

"The yield per mu is not high, 2 crops of rice are only 2 stone grains, and they are widely planted and harvested."

There was laughter in the auditorium.

"How do you think this problem is solved?"

"People!"

"We need more people."

"And the ploughing ox!"

Li Junchang pressed down with both hands, "Ladies and gentlemen, ships are needed to transport people, and this year our friend Lin Tongwen organized a huge fleet of 700 migrant boats, most of which were prepared for our Houjiang. The voyage was very close, the ships were large and small, with an average capacity of 350 people, and we had the hope of bringing in 200,000 migrants. ”

Another thunderous applause

"The government has built the ship, but the fleet sails at a high cost, and the government can't afford it?"

"Rent! We rent ships, and whoever doesn't rent them is not qualified to take them. ”

Just right, Li Junchang secretly gave a thumbs up to the nursery.

"Yes, just like factory owners and equipment manufacturers, Nanyang Bank will provide financial leasing services to you, and Nanyang Shipping Insurance Company will provide insurance services for your fleet."

"Mr. Governor, I have a question."

Someone raised their hand.

"Baron, please."

"Your Excellency the Governor." Xing's younger brother, the Countess of Xingping, stood up, looked around the venue, and said slowly, "Sir, many of us are from the Central Plains. More than ten years ago, I think many of you will never forget the scene of starving thousands of miles and millions of displaced people. So we went to Nanyang to work hard to cultivate land and grow rice, just so that we would never go hungry again. ”

Whispers rang out in the auditorium, and many people had expressions of concern on their faces.

Li Junchang sighed with emotion, "What the baron said is that Houjiang has today, and it all depends on everyone working together. ”

Xing Zhengze: "Last year we solved the problem of food, and the canals and seawalls are also being built, if there is no major disaster, our food will grow rapidly from this year, right, Mr. Governor?" ”

"Yes, there will be more immigrants from the mainland, and production will increase."

"Then how does Mr. Governor solve the problem of the peasants hurting the peasants? Last year's grain price had dropped to 3 yuan and 1 stone of silver, and it looks like it will be even lower this year. ”

Li Junchang smiled and nodded, and secretly scolded himself, "It won't be the peasants who will be hurt, but you big farmers." ”

Someone next to him answered, "We can grow mulberry and silkworms, sugarcane, fruits, and hemp." ”

Xing Zhengze snorted coldly, "Everyone is making mulberry silk, we still have a lot of land, can you finish planting sugarcane?" ”

Li Junchang: "I understand, Xing Jue is worried about the future industrial development trend of Houjiang Mansion. ”

"Exactly, Mr. Governor."

"I called you here today to explain this problem, a new way to make a fortune."

The Houjiang bigwigs listened attentively.

"Look behind me, you all know, this is cotton. Our naturalists divided the cotton already available in the region into two categories, grass cotton and tree cotton (Asian cotton), and when the Führer returned from the Americas, he brought with him Brazilian cotton, New Spain cotton, and Peruvian cotton (Sea Island cotton). Since then, we have been importing some wild Brazilian and African cotton seeds from the Dutch every year. Imported cotton is naturally hybridized with tree cotton in cultivation, and some interesting new varieties have emerged. Look behind me, these cotton varieties that are more like Brazilian cotton have recently appeared in Houjiang and Zhenla, which are suitable for local cultivation. ”

The farmers listened attentively to what Li Jun often said.

"Cloth and rice are necessities, Indian cotton is hard currency, and the Dutchman's Indian cotton business is profitable, and it has been difficult for us to intervene. Now that we have real wax cotton, you can look forward to future profits. ”

The venue blew up.

Xing Zhengze trembled with excitement, "Your Excellency the Governor, I have one last question. ”

"Xing Jue, please speak."

"The immigrants want to grow cotton, we don't have enough people to weave cloth by hand, and the traditional male and female weavers of the Celestial Empire are not suitable for our plantations."

"You've seen the steam engine on your own soil, it's an artifact. I want to tell you the news that when we were digging the Yongji River, we found a coal seam near Ha Xian, of course, compared to the coal mines on the mainland, it was only a small mine worth mentioning, and the quality was not good, but it was enough for us to use in the initial period of the cotton industry. ”

"Is it okay to weave cloth with a steam engine?"

"Research is underway in the country, and the masters assure me that there are only a few small problems that need to be solved."

"The usual trick of defrauding the budget with empty cheques, Your Excellency the Governor, cannot be fully trusted."

Li Junchang shrugged, "You're right. Think about it another way, you have all seen hydraulic machinery, steam engines can lift water and weave cloth, but it really can't work, you can go back and repair the big pool. ”

"I don't have a problem, thank you for the Governor's advice."

"Xing Jue is polite, you can take the cotton seeds from the Governor's Mansion today, go back and arrange a trial planting, and wait for the immigrants to arrive and start production."

Cai Yuanding walked out of the auditorium in a daze, he only had one thought, the mainland's manpower input and output were too poor compared to Houjiang.

Back at the hotel, Cai Yuanding continued to study the materials of Nan Zhangguo, and the course became more and more difficult.

Siam, Chiang Mai, Laos, and the small states attached to them all consider themselves to be Tai, or at least their ruling class to be Tai. The Thai people and the Lao people have the same appearance and the same language, and it is difficult to distinguish them. Chinese history books call them mourning prisons.

The three countries believed that they had a common origin, and the Southern Zhao Southern Expeditionary Army.

King Pi Luo Ge sent two princes to conquer the south, establishing two kingdoms of Luang Prabang and Jing Line (present-day Chiang Saen, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand) respectively.

The Jinglu was destroyed by the earthquake, and the Tai people of the Jinglan branch continued to migrate southward, successively establishing the Kingdom of Chiang Mai, the Kingdom of Sukhothai, and the Kingdom of Ayutthaya; Luang Prabang conquered to the south and successively established the small states of Sichuan Khouang and Vientiane.

Ayutthaya annexed Sukhothai, Vientiane was united with Luang Prabang, and the Sichuan Khouang, despite the support of the Annamite people, recognized Vientiane's suzerainty at least nominally.

The Thai kingdoms fought for 1,000 years and finally trampled the Khmer people under their feet.

The authenticity of these records from hundreds of thousands of years ago is questionable, and many of them are legends compiled by later generations. Don't take it too seriously, but don't ignore it. Cai Yuanding focuses more on the influence of the blood self-identity of the ruling class of each kingdom on realpolitik.

In 1545, the nobles of the Kingdom of Chiang Mai rebelled and executed King Ji Krau, and after a meeting of the Phaya men invited the eldest son of the King of Laos, Prince Setatier of Luang Prabang, to be enthroned as King of Chiang Mai.

After a series of wars, Setadila became the king of Laos, which had a profound impact on the situation in the Indochina Peninsula until now.

The Yue watched vigilantly the development of the Tai, but they had not yet become enemies.

The powerful Burmese to the west have long been at war with the Tai and have the upper hand for most of the time.

In 1555, the Chiang Mai nobles took advantage of Setatila's return to Laos to wage war and set up a new king, Mekuti. Mekuti could not stop the army of Setatira and declared himself a vassal to Burma, attracting the Burmese army.

This devastated Siam and Laos, and Burma had an additional road to invade the Chao Phraya Valley from the north, and Ayutthaya could no longer resist. In 1569, the Burmese king Mang Yinglong conquered Ayutthaya and destroyed Siam.

Laos and Siam are in-laws, and both are allies against the Burmese. In 1574, the Burmese army conquered Vientiane and destroyed Laos.

At that time, Myanmar seemed to be the hegemon of the Indochina Peninsula, but after all, the Thai population was large, and the Burmese army occupied the capitals of the three Thai countries, but could not rule directly, and could only divide the Thai nobles.

As a result, King Narixuan and Prince Nomon, the son of Setatira, successfully restored the kingdom and launched a war of revenge against Burma.

Soon after, Burma fought back, reoccupying Chiang Mai and claiming Luang Prabang.

The King of Chiang Mai, a descendant of the King of Burma, still stood on the side of Burma and resolutely resisted the troops from Siam.

Chiang Mai's independence meant that Siam could never close its northern gates, and Ayutthaya saw Chiang Mai as a thorn in his side.

King Suria Wangsa of Laos, a descendant of King Setatila's sister, was more than willing to reclaim the territory of his ancestors.

So the secret protocol of the Triple Alliance of the Federation, Siam, and Laos targeted the Kingdom of Chiang Mai. Burma sent envoys to question the purpose of the Triple Alliance,

The three countries agreed that Siam would be the main force to send troops, and after the destruction of Chiang Mai, the capital cities of Chiang Mai, Lampun, Lampang, and Phra would return to Siam.

Nanfu and Phayao Province were returned to Laos.

Chiang Rai Province is leased by the Confederation, with Laos and Siam having joint suzerainty.

The Federal Army is in the process of training, and this time it will not directly send troops to help Siam destroy the country, but will only provide weapons and ammunition to Siam, and provide weapons, ammunition and mercenaries to Laos.

Thinking of Shen Yan who was far away in Yunnan, Cai Yuanding understood what he was going to do.