For a newly built country, the national flag, the national anthem, these symbolic things are indispensable. Chen Shouxu is now busy with many things all day long, and the national flag and national anthem are all thrown to the Senate to decide.

As a result, they sent in three flags at once.

"How many fights did they fight in order to set these three flags?" Chen Shouxu looked helplessly at the secretary in front of him who was running errands and delivering flags to the Senate.

"Uh...... These three flags were indeed carefully selected by the patriarchs among many excellent works, each with its own characteristics, and it is really impossible to decide, please ask your Excellency the ruling to decide. ”

"You can't tell if you win or lose in a fight." Chen Shouxu scolded secretly.

"Tell me about it."

"Yes, Your Excellency." The secretary walked up to the first flag on his left, which was centered on a white circle on a blue background, and in the center of the circle was a blue six-pointed disc of the same size. "Your Excellency, the patriarch who designed this flag said that the blue background symbolizes the sea, and the six-pointed disc is the winch of the battleship. On the ship, whether it is anchoring or sailing, a winch is used. The winch is a symbol of strength. ”

Chen Shouxu nodded, "It makes sense." ”

Then there is the second side, with a symmetrical red solid arc in the middle of the white background. The tip of the arc points upwards, like a sword.

"This flag, with its red solid arc, symbolizes a giant bird with its wings outstretched. The star dot under the wings represents the constellation of the Southern Cross. My lord, the patriarch who designed the flag said he would never forget the days and nights of sailing in Antarctica, and the Southern Cross was the only sign that could guide the way. And this giant bird is the royal albatross that appeared over the fleet after the rain passed through the Drake Passage. He hoped that the guardian bird of the republic would always open its wings to protect the people of the country. ”

Chen Shouxu clapped his hands, "Very good." ”

The third flag is an ordinary tricolor, as if it has turned the Dutch flag upside down. How does Chen Shouxu look like the national flag of a major country in later generations.

He pointed to the last tricolor, "Aren't the three colors of this flag representing freedom, equality, and fraternity?" ”

The secretary was a little surprised: "It turns out that the ruling already knows." ”

"It's actually true, who came up with TMD?" Chen Shouxu did not hesitate, "Don't want this flag, eliminate it first." ”

The secretary instructed his men to remove the tricolor, leaving only the winch flag and the star bird flag.

Chen Shouxu paced back and forth, "The remaining two flags are good, but they still need to be changed slightly." Bring a pen. ”

The secretary hurriedly opened the wooden box carried by his entourage, and there were various paintbrushes inside. Chen Shouxu glanced at him, this kid is good, and he is quite well prepared.

He walked over to the winch flag. Chen Shouxu, the idea of this flag, felt that there was no problem, but there was a large blank area between the six-pointed arms of the winch, and the visual perception was lacking excessively. He picked up a blue paintbrush and added six arcs between his arms, which made the visual effect a little fuller. Chen Shouxu nodded with satisfaction.

The same problem existed with the Star Bird Banner, where Chen Shouxu picked up a red paintbrush and symmetrically added two square arcs on both sides of the tip of the sword abstracted into a bird's head.

"Alright, that's it."

"Yes, Your Excellency, do you want both flags?"

"Both. The Star Bird Flag serves as the national flag, and the Winch Flag serves as the Navy Flag. ”

The secretary frowned and thought about it, but decided to ask more, "But in this way, if there is a naval flag, should there also be an army flag?" ”

Chen Shouxu patted his head, yes. The Army has just been formed, and although it is not as important as the Navy now, it is impossible to ignore them.

Chen Shouxu didn't bother to think about it anymore, "That's it." Swap the colors of the navy flag, change the background color from blue to white, change the center of the white circle to the center of the blue circle, and use white for the winch in the middle. ”

"Yes, Your Excellency......"

The secretary was about to go out with the template and deliver it for printing and dyeing, but was stopped by Chen Shouxu.

"Wait, I'll take another look."

Chen Shouxu stared at these two flags, and the more he looked at them, the more familiar he felt. Isn't this a slight modification of the Galactic Republic's Bendhu Badge and the Confederate Star Bird? He thought about the Army Flag again in his mind, and found that the problem was even more serious, as it seemed that Palpatine used such a variant of the Bendhu Badge in the early days of the Empire......

"Your Excellency, Your Excellency, do you still need to change it?"

The secretary's voice brought Chen Shouxu back to his senses, and he glanced deeply at the two flags, "No need to change it." Young man, what is your name and how long have you been in the fleet? ”

"Lynch, Your Excellency. I joined the fleet in Portobello and previously served on the Lima. ”

Chen Shouxu nodded and said, "Lynch, if you want, you can come to work in the ruling government tomorrow." ”

"Of course you do, Your Excellency."

The national flag was set, and the Senate did not bother Chen Shouxuan on the national anthem. The patriarchs almost unanimously agreed that the version of "He' a pirate" was changed beyond the face of Chen Shouxu, but this piece has no words yet, and someone will have to find someone to fill in the words in the future.

After settling the issue of the flag given to him by the Senate, Chen Shouxu summoned Marmont and Li Junchang. Now he wanted to solve the problem of the Senate itself.

The Senate now quarrels every day except quarrels. Just like in the taverns of the Bahamas, these old pirates were so noisy that they rolled up their sleeves and often beat them until their noses were blue and their faces were swollen. It's also thanks to them that they still remember some of the rules on the ship, and they don't use their hands and feet without knives.

They are all old brothers who have passed their lives, and he is not easy to use. But if left unchecked, these people simply turned a place like the Senate, which should be very serious, into a tavern and a vegetable market.

Chen Shouxu came to Marmont and Li Junchang today to discuss a way to reduce this habit of the rivers and lakes. The Senate is the face of the country, and there are fights all day long, which is a shame thrown into the sea.

As for why only two people were called over for the meeting, it was also because Chen Shouxu found that the fewer people who were in the meeting now, the faster things would move forward. Jincheng is still in a state of crossing the river by feeling the stones, and there is not much time to argue and conceive.

Marmont was the vice-admiral of the fleet and the Minister of the Interior, and almost all of the city's problems except finance, defense, law, and trade were now under his control.

Former deputy pavilion owner of Qingyun Pavilion in Malacca, Li Junchang now serves as Lin Tongwen's deputy in the cabinet. After the Battle of Jincheng, Li Junchang moved his family from Malacca to Jincheng. After seeing that he had brought with him a merchant fleet of more than 10 junk ships, the Senate gave him the status of a senator. As for the lord of the Qingyun Pavilion in Malacca, Zheng Zhenshu, who has great influence in Malacca, Johor, and Aceh, although she did not come, she also made overtures to Jincheng officials through Li Junchang, and presented three junk boats.

In Lin Tongwen's absence, Li Junchang was the highest-ranking Chinese in the city. So Chen Shouxu also called him over for a meeting.

Chen Shouxu consulted the two of them on how to alleviate the lack of order in the Senate today.

Marmont thought for a moment, "Ruling on, you should understand the character of these old brothers now. They are just doing it now, and they have not caused casualties, which is already very face-saving for you and me. ”

Chen Shouxu nodded, "I know." But things can't just go on like this, we have to do something. ”

Marmont: "It's not appropriate to be strong. The Senators are our core members, the highest ranking class in the city. Except for themselves beating each other, everyone else is hurting our common dignity. ”

Li Junchang: "I can't punish the doctor." ”

Chen Shouxu was a little irritable, "Then what do you say?" I know that the European parliament is not without fights, but it is still too exaggerated to fight at both ends for three days. ”

Marmont: "I've been thinking about this for a few days. Hard can't work, can we come soft? ”

Chen Shouxu was curious, "How can the soft one come about?" ”

Marmont glanced at Li Junchang, "Govern." Brothers, no matter how old they are, have one thing in common, being single. Can we think of a way to do that? ”

Chen Shouxu reacted, "You mean, let them get married as soon as possible and find a wife to take care of it?" ”

Marmont spread his hands, "With women consuming their energy, if there are a few more children, I think their temper will definitely be much more restrained." ”

Chen Shouxu held his chin and thought, "It makes sense, how can we find a marriage partner for them?" ”

Marmont: "We have some Chinese and Siamese friends in the city, and we can try to match them. In fact, there are already some unofficial cases. All we have to do is call for this at the official level. ”

Chen Shouxu: "You also said that the patriarch is the uppermost class of the brothers. But there are not many Chinese families in the city who meet the conditions for reciprocity, and these people may not be enough. And we still have so many officers and men of the Navy and Army, and their personal problems have to be solved. ”

Marmont: "Governance, I think, numbers are a real problem. But we don't want them to get married on the same day, Jincheng is developing, and there will be more and more suitable marriage partners. What we have to do is to keep creating better conditions and, at the official level, to put an invisible pressure on them. ”

"Somewhat." Chen Shouxu turned to ask Li Junchang, "But the marriage can't be hot, what is the marital status of this Nanyang Chinese?" ”

Li Jun often said: "My lord, in Southeast Asia, because there are more Chinese men and fewer women in Nanyang, this marriage has become a big problem. It is easier for Chinese to go overseas in Myanmar, Siam, Chenla, Quang Nam, Japan and other places, and they can combine with the locals. But this Nanyang is all a country of Heavenly Religion. We Chinese cannot marry a local woman unless we give up a lot of traditions. ”

"It is forbidden for women to marry Chinese, so Fujian and Cantonese people rarely marry so far, and all wives are Siamese women." Chen Shouxu repeated what he had heard from a certain scholar at Jincheng Academy a few days ago, "I know this. Since there are more men and fewer women, and you don't have enough people to distribute, how can you meet the need for marriage with the fleet? I don't want the official side to hype it up, but because the number of people is not enough, the brothers have no hope. ”

Marriage is much more than just finding a woman to control a man, it is a fusion of blood between foreign conquerors and local forces, which is conducive to improving the current situation of ethnic separation in the country. But Chen Shouxu has to be cautious on this kind of issue, official intervention in marriage introduction has always been a thankless task, and if you don't do it, you will be scolded very badly.

Li Jun often handed over a few pages of a survey of Chinese marriages written by the Dutch, "That's the first generation of immigrants, my lord." The Dutch have done research on this aspect, and they have written more comprehensively. “

Chen Shouxu took it and saw that the work done by the Dutch was really detailed, and the success of these European colonists was by no means just by cannons.

”…… In Malay countries and Sumatra, if a Chinese marry, in most cases they marry a woman from Siam or Chenla. In addition to marrying a wife, the Chinese also have other ways to solve their personal problems. In Batavia, most of the Chinese wives and concubines were female slaves bought from Makassar and Bali, and their skin was not too dark, yellow-brown, and their bodies were short and well-proportioned. As long as they can afford it, they can have as many wives and concubines as they want. For example, in Malacca, there are 137 brick houses and 583 Adaka houses in the city, of which 81 brick houses and 51 Adaka houses are occupied by Chinese. The Ataya is a traditional Nanyang building made of wooden planks, bark and palm leaves. The wealth of the Chinese in real estate is disproportionate to the size of their population, which makes it easier for them to find women. “

Chen Shouxu sighed, no matter what era it is, the house is one of the most important assets for women before they get married. He continued to look down.

"The number of wives and concubines of the Chinese is enviable.

When a Chinese died, his heirs would sell his wives and concubines again, leaving only the deceased's favorite one. According to the will, he was given freedom and listed as the main house, and the children born to him were recognized as real Chinese.

……”

Li Junchang added when Chen Shouxu read the information: "In the Nanyang countries, it is precisely because of this state of marital isolation that we have never been assimilated by the Heavenly Sects. ”

Chen Shouxu put down the information, "Okay, I admit that what you said makes a lot of sense. So where do we start? ”

Li Junchang glanced at Marmont, "Ruling power, please forgive me for being arrogant, Admiral Marmont and I both feel that you should stand up and take the lead." ”

Chen Shouxu was a little stunned. He looked at Li Junchang and then at Marmont. The two of them obviously had tacit understanding written on their faces.

Chen Shouxu opened the drawer, took out a bottle of coconut wine, poured a glass, and poured it down. He pointed to the wine and motioned for Marmont and Li Junchang to take care of themselves.

While Marmont was pouring wine for himself and Li Junchang, Chen Shouxu lit his pipe, squinted his eyes and asked, "Tell me, how long have you been discussing this matter?" ”

Hearing Chen Shouxu ask, Li Junchang's hand holding the cup trembled slightly. "For a while, actually, this is not what I mean, the rest of the cabinet thinks so. ”

Li Junchang took a shallow sip, suppressed his shock, and said, "This is also what Brother Tongwen meant." ”

Chen Shouxu: "Wasn't Lin Tongwen busy going on a business trip to the mainland some time ago to open up trade routes?" And mind mind my personal problems. ”

Li Junchang: "Ruling the country, you are the lord of the country, and your marriage is not just your business." ”

"In Europe, the marriage of the royal family and the aristocracy is not a private affair for them, but a matter of state and family diplomacy. ”

Chen Shouxu stood up and paced to the window, "What kind of family business did you pick for me?" ”

Marmont looked at Li Junchang, "After Li introduced us, we all felt that the Zheng family in Malacca was a good marriage partner. ”

Li Jun often said busily: "The Zheng family has more merchant ships than me. ”

Chen Shouxu calmed down his emotions, "Lao Ma, which wife did you choose?" ”

Marmont smiled, "That Phaya Yang Cheng in Siam happens to have a younger sister, I think it's quite suitable. They said maybe they weren't very good-looking, but I didn't think it mattered. Aren't you Chinese able to legally marry concubines, and we can also follow the customs. ”

Chen Shouxu: "Old horse." I can set an example for the fleet in everything else. But I don't agree with getting married. ”

Marmont still wanted to persuade again, but Chen Shouxu waved his hand, "Old Ma, you are the deputy admiral of the fleet, and you are more than ten years older than me. You come and take the lead, there will be no problems on the brothers' side. ”

Marmont: "You're not thinking about it anymore?" I heard that Miss Zheng was very beautiful. ”

Chen Shouxu shook his head and said to Li Junchang: "Brother Junchang, I can only apologize this time. There are many people in the fleet who are suitable for marriage, Sterling, Collingwood, and Holren, who are also single, so introduce Miss Zheng to them. I'll forget it here for now. ”

Li Jun often understood what Chen Shouxuan meant, and he didn't want to affect the interests of the country by refusing marriage: "The ruling word is serious. Sterling and several other chiefs are naturally the best choices, and the Zheng family will hand it over to me, so there will be no problems. ”

Seeing off Li Junchang and Marmont, Chen Shouxu walked to the map. He didn't want to think too much about the meaning behind Marmont and Li Junchang's suggestion that he marry, and what they secretly communicated with each other. Chen Shouxu didn't have the energy to care about these little things. However, Marmont and Li Jun often let him continue to think about a pressing problem, Jincheng is extremely short of population. Now the population of the fleet has just exceeded 60,000 officers and men, Chinese immigrants, Siamese people, prisoners of war and purchased slaves.

There were originally some natives in the outer areas of Jincheng, and since Jincheng announced that he would inherit all the original Pattani land, those people have now fled to the neighboring countries on the north and south.

Now that these people are invested in various infrastructure projects, Chen Shouxu can't even muster the manpower to go inland to cut wood.

Jincheng is not small. Although it is not as good as Tokyo's Thang Long Province, which is known as the capital city of one million people, it is also not as good as the Siamese Ayutthaya with a population of 200,000 people. But just talking about the surrounding developed land, accommodating more than 100,000 people is not a matter of pressure in the short term.

The masonry and cement material is now prioritized for the army, and the walls are temporarily sufficient to accommodate the core inhabitants. The newcomers could make do with the Atan houses, which were built very quickly, and then built masonry houses after the Sulu people brought in the next batch of ash.

The problem of urban construction is not big, so Chen Shouxu needs a goal that can quickly obtain the population. All with money, he can't afford it. It's better to go into battle on your own, he looks for a suitable target on the map.