Daming: I help my wife be the empress

The eight couplets are just a transliterated place name without any special meaning.

But the Balian settlement is special.

In 1603, when the Spaniards carried out the first massacre of the Ming people in Luzon, the Ming people resisted extremely fiercely.

The Ming people did business, settled, and farmed in Luzon much earlier than the Spaniards. In 1602, there were more than 1 Chinese merchants in Luzon.

If handicraftsmen, farmers and other practitioners are added, there will be more Ming people in Luzon Island.

Although the exact number is unknown, it is at least tens of thousands, and may even exceed [-].

At that time, there were only more than 1000 Spaniards in the entire Greater Luzon (Philippine Islands).

Coupled with the fact that the Ming people were still rapidly increasing at that time, it aroused the fear of the Spaniards.

It just so happened that the rumor that "golden beans grow on Yiji Mountain" appeared, and Wanli sent people to visit. Knowing that it was a rumor, he returned to Daming.

The Spaniards took this opportunity to spread rumors that the Ming people on the island would rebel and cooperate with the Ming army's invasion, so they launched the first massacre against the Ming people.

At that time, most of the Ming people who dared to go abroad were bloody and dared to fight.

After the Spaniards massacred thousands of people with artillery and muskets in Jiannei outside Manila, it aroused the Ming people's uprising around Manila.

At that time, the Ming people had long been unbearable to be oppressed by the Spaniards. Once the uprising started, it quickly expanded to thousands of people and captured several Spanish manors around Manila.

However, in order to save their lives and properties, some wealthy businessmen were confused by the guarantee of the Spaniards and did not join the uprising, which made the uprising team lack elite leadership.

Even so, the uprising troops grew to tens of thousands within a few days.Not only captured all the western manors around Manila, but also built ladders to attack the city of Manila.

Unfortunately, due to the huge gap in weapons and equipment, the lack of organization; the Spaniards were assisted by natives such as Japanese and Pampanga; and the wealthy business class betrayed at a critical moment. More than 800 people brought their belongings into Manila City to help defend the city. .As a result, the Luzon Ming People's Congress uprising ended in a disastrous defeat.

After the war, the Spaniards summed up their experience and lessons, and felt that thanks to the fact that many Ming people settled in Jiannei, it was convenient for them to use their muskets and artillery to massacre thousands of people at the beginning.

The reason why the Ming uprising force was able to grow to the point of attacking Manila was because there were still many Ming people living in other places, and they failed to catch them all at the beginning of the massacre.

Therefore, after that, the Spaniards strictly required that the Ming people could only settle in Jiannei, and built many forts and fortresses around them to suppress the Ming people.

In addition, in view of the fact that many Ming people had relied on masonry houses as fortifications before, and escaped the bombardment of guns.The Spaniards made it mandatory that Ming people can only use bamboo and wood to build houses, not bricks and stones.

If Ming people need to go to other places in Luzon to reclaim fields and manors, they will also send troops to closely monitor the whole process like treating prisoners.

In 1639, when the Spaniards carried out the second massacre of the Ming people on the island, this series of preparations really played an important role, making it easy for the Spaniards to massacre in Jiannei, which is now the eight-linked settlement. More than 2 Ming people!

After enjoying the benefits, the Spaniards implemented the relevant regulations more and more strictly.

Afterwards, the Ming people in Luzon learned about the two previous massacres, and when they saw that they were forced to settle in the Balian, a place surrounded by forts and fortresses, it was difficult for them to resist Spanish colonial rule. mind.

The people who were invited to attend the secret meeting this time were not only elders of the ten surnames, but also wealthy businessmen, so they did not regret their lives.

When Lin Lide and others learned of Hu Youcheng's identity, they mistakenly thought that the Ming court wanted them to serve as internal agents to assist the Ming army in capturing Manila, so they were naturally unwilling to agree.

Because they felt that, in the extremely impoverished area of ​​the eight-linked settlement, as long as they made any changes, they would be doomed.

No, after everyone was silent for a while, Chen Min also sighed, and said: "Hu Xiaoqi should have seen it too. These eight alliances were set up by the Westerners to suppress us. Therefore, it's not that we don't want to help the court, but we really dare not." Can't help it."

Hu Youcheng calmed down, took a deep breath, and said, "I think you got two things wrong.

First, judging from the virtues and past behaviors of the Westerners, if I, the Ming Dynasty, attacked Luzon, even if you did nothing, you would still be massacred by them, right?
After all, ten years have passed since the 12th year of Chongzhen, and you have accumulated a lot of wealth in this eight-linked settlement.Westerners are robbers, how could they not take the opportunity to slaughter and plunder? "

Hearing this, all the clan elders were filled with worry.

They knew the Westerners better than Hu Youcheng, and they were almost certain that if the Ming army came to attack, the Westerners would definitely use an excuse to carry out another massacre.

At this time, Zhou Yicai, the elder of the Zhou family, couldn't help but said: "Hu Xiaoqi, since you know this, why don't you help us write a letter to the imperial court, asking the imperial court not to try to take Luzon Island?"

Elder Zhang Jiazong sneered after hearing this, "We are all abandoned overseas citizens of Daming, how could the imperial court give up expanding the territory for our wealth and life?"

Wang Jiazong said in an old way: "I heard that your Majesty is a celestial daughter who loves the people like a son, and has also issued a decree that people living overseas are also the people of the Ming Dynasty.

I think, as long as someone tells His Majesty how powerful he is, His Majesty will take care of me and the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Luzon, right? "

Hearing that several Zong elders changed the topic again, and started to put a high hat on the emperor, Hu Youcheng suddenly felt that these people were really unreliable.

If it wasn't for time constraints, he would rather develop slowly and contact the farmers, craftsmen, and small businessmen below, rather than come far to persuade these elders and wealthy businessmen.

It's a pity that he doesn't have much time now. Only by relying on these elders and wealthy businessmen can he organize the Ming people in Manila in a short time.

So he suppressed his impatience and asked back: "Even if Ming Dynasty didn't take Lu Song, wouldn't the Westerners massacre you? Why did they massacre you in the 12th year of Chongzhen?
Besides, are you really willing to be oppressed by the Westerners all the time, and let your children and grandchildren live surrounded by Western forts?Life in the hands of Westerners? "

The elders were silent again.

Because Hu Youcheng's last words touched them.

If the situation on the island does not change, their children and grandchildren will really have to live surrounded by Western forts, and may be killed by Western gunfire at any time.

As for the saying that baptized Christians can live in Manila—isn’t this making them abandon their ancestors?

They have abandoned their ancestors, and their descendants will also abandon their ancestors. Who will offer incense to them in the future?
If the descendants do not offer incense, what is the point of their efforts to make money, accumulate family property, and carry on the family line?
Seeing that Lin Lide was frowning tightly and remained silent, Chen Min said, "What Hu Xiaoqi said is indeed reasonable, but how can we solve the deadly eight couplets? If we can't even get out of the eight couplets, how can we help the imperial army?" ?”

Although the other elders didn't speak, most of them looked over, obviously their thinking had changed.

Seeing this, Hu Youcheng smiled, and said, "I just said that you got another thing wrong.

I am contacting you not because the imperial court wants you to help attack Manila, but to help me organize the Ming people in Manila and prepare for the possible third massacre. "

Hearing this, Lin Lide, who had been silent for a while before, said, "You mean, the imperial court doesn't need our assistance in attacking the city, but just hopes that we can protect ourselves from the massacre of the Westerners?"

The rest of the elders were suddenly taken aback by this, and then they all showed disbelief, thinking to themselves: Even if the imperial court gets better, it won't be so considerate of them overseas people, right?

Fang Caizong said that there are 10,000+ people in Ming Dynasty in Lu Song, which sounds a lot, but in Daming, they are only the people of one county. How can the court be so bothered?
Under the skeptical eyes of the elders, Hu Youcheng nodded affirmatively and said, "That's right, the court just wants you to protect yourself, because Your Majesty doesn't want to see my people in Luzon, Ming Dynasty, slaughtered by Westerners again."

Even though these clan elders are selfish people, knowing that the emperor cares about them so much, one can't help being moved.

At this time, Hu Youcheng said again: "The imperial court hopes that the people of Ming Dynasty in Manila can protect themselves, not only in words, but also in actual support.

The guns and cannons of the Westerners are powerful, but my Ming's muskets and cannons are even more powerful than them.

As for the eight-joint death, the higher-ups have already figured out a solution for you! "

Second more.

Good night~