Begging in late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 550 Our Way of Survival

For a few months, Song Qingshu has been soaking in Northern Luzon. In the past, the Spaniards developed in a predatory manner. Except for the city of Manila and the barracks in four small towns near the coast, the Spaniards left no commendable civilization. It is the white lords who go to the countryside with sticks every year to force rents, forming a unique landscape in Luzon.

Song Qingshu wants to build this place into a vast space for manoeuvres. Naturally, we can't let this place go barren. The first thing to do after taking over Manila, the first thing the West India Company did was to build roads, connecting North Luzon to Manila. road network.

However, the Han people are not necessarily better than the Spaniards. On the one hand, because of the South China Sea issue in later generations, Song Qingshu is not very friendly to this place. On the other hand, the natives here are indeed full of hostility towards the Ming people under the instigation of the Spanish. , More or less, their hands are stained with Ming's blood.

It is very similar to the Westward Expansion Movement in the United States. When the road repaired by the West India Company went there, the natives in the entire village there were directly driven out, and the land was left to the coastal guards who had just been fooled. For the plantation, this time even the ten-year contract is not required. Hong Chengchou promised to issue household registration as the governor of the five provinces and release them all as civilian households. Almost all the guards and soldiers agreed.

Under the glorious glory of the Ming Empire, no one knew the hardships of these guards. They were not allowed to participate in the imperial examinations. Most of the land was plundered by military officers and tyrants. The tax paid for farming that land was even higher than that of ordinary farmers. The first one to die will be imprisoned in the area of ​​the guard for generations.

Decades ago, the Weisuo finally ushered in some hope. Zhang Juzheng came from a military household in the Weisuo. There were too many, and he didn't make any substantial changes to the guard.

As long as you reclaim and hold the land for one year, and harvest the first batch of crops, the land will belong to you!Even in this foreign land, the soldiers of the guards are still working, and they are full of energy.

On the other hand, a large number of natives have been expelled from their own land, and the newly opened workshops in Manila have sufficient labor force, respect, discounts and new business opportunities, attracting many businessmen from Jiangnan to invest Come in, less than half a year after taking over from the Spaniards, Luzon has become more prosperous.

As for South Luzon Island, the West India Company still didn't swallow the broken strip like a waist tendon. There is no way, this was the territory of the Sulu Kingdom before. This time they also participated in the war, and they did help the escape. The Han people did a favor, Hong Chengchou agreed with a big mouth when they approached, but Song Qingshu had no choice but to agree. Anyway, Song Qingshu didn't have so many people to fill Luzon Island for a while, so he put it in Sulu's hands first. Indian companies are strong, while Sulu is weak, so they can do whatever they want when they need it.

And Song Qingshu also kept a hand. The second prince of Sulu Kingdom Madan Gelu who brought the army to help the war that day was retained by Song Qingshu. On the pretext of learning Chinese culture, he was sent to the headquarters of Jiaduobao Company in Yingtian, where he served as a senior director.

People are affected by the environment. While staying in Sulu, Madangelo can only think about the one-third of an acre of land in Luzon. He can be placed in the company, and he has been in contact with the bourgeois upper class for a long time. The life of a capitalist in the Ming Dynasty is engaged in the business operation of import and export. At that time, it is estimated that he will return to Sulu as the king of the land, and he will not be willing to change. At that time, he will be helped to take the position, and the capital of Sulu Kingdom will be used as a shareholding, and he will be given the position of a major shareholder. , I believe that after the subtle ideological transformation, this young man who is only in his early twenties must have no reason to agree.

After all, Song Qingshu already had a precedent for successful transformation. Originally, Sun Chuanting was full of loyalty and righteousness. Now, setting up factories in Lianghuai and dealing with industrial and commercial owners is not a set of things. What he thinks in his head is ours. Benefit.

Miracles are created by people. In just four months, the city of Manila has seen no traces of war. The collapsed houses have been repaired. It is called Huaxia, and this Hua refers to the beauty of clothing. After Manila became a free trade port, a large number of businessmen from small Southeast Asian countries such as Java, Forou, Sanfoqi, Jambi, and Mataran all came to trade, and relying on their relationships Well, the Portuguese also opened a shop here, specializing in silk tea, which made Little William unwilling to go to the Governor's Mansion to protest every day, clamoring that they are the best friends and business partners of Daming.

"Stand at attention, take a rest, and walk forward! One two one! One two one!"

A resounding slogan sounded in the port, and a group of Ming soldiers carrying firecrackers and wearing Fan Yang Lis marched neatly in front of the chant, patrolling from the east to the west of the port, and suddenly walked in front of a two-story building. The people stood at attention neatly again, saluted, and then continued to walk west. Here is Song Qingshu's house.

Unlike other traditional rulers who try to build their houses in the middle of the city and show off as much as possible, the place where Song Qingshu lives is either willing to rely on the mountains or the corner of the sea. Dream, staying in the renovated Spanish Governor's Palace for a symbolic night, Song Qingshu moved out the next day, even in the port area outside the city, but he often complained to the gang of staff and bureaucrats under him, unfortunately, they The commander-in-chief has such a personality, he does his own way, and he doesn't listen to anyone's persuasion.

As soon as the patrol team left, the door of this room opened. Song Qingshu came out yawning, followed by a chattering Hong Chengchou.

"Song Xiaoyou, you have to take care of it. The old man has already planned to farm the land by the Chiang Mai River. Who knows that the surnamed Cao didn't even say hello, so he closed the land and insisted on growing tobacco. , Can that thing be eaten? When will it be the turn of the Ming Dynasty for these businessmen at the end of the four peoples to point fingers?"

Hong Chengchou promised that Emperor Chongzhen would seize the Lianghuai money and food, and he really did not break his promise, because Song Qingshu divided Northern Lusong into two roads, Lianghuai Road and Yingtian Road, to commemorate the place where he got up. However, in the final analysis, the whole of Northern Luzon is actually the private property of the West India Company. The company's shareholders' business planning here is quite different from Hong Chengchou's traditional view of governance. Major shareholders Cao Sanxi and Qu Boju went to Northern Luzon in person, and there were often frictions between them.

Poor Hong Chengchou, the prime minister of the five provinces, has less power than a shareholder of the West India Company. In Northern Luzon, Qingshu's governance model copied Taiwan's governance model. Locally, it is based on tuntian manors, and in cities, it is based on workshops and shops. It is not the traditional county magistrate who rules, but the business officers and clerks at all levels of the company. Even the legal trials are handled by the personnel department. It is the execution of the order of the majority shareholder.

This system of learning from the operation of the Western East India Company obviously made Hong Chengchou quite uncomfortable, and today he was angry again. Even the white flame on the grave of the peasant army, the legendary butcher couldn't help but quit and ran to Song Qingshu complained.

The two walked out along the seaside of the port, and after hearing the old guy's chatter, Song Qingshu finally coughed heavily helplessly.

"Brother Hong, I'm also a businessman!"

This sentence made Hong Chengchou choke back the next sentence, and rolled his eyes sadly. After a while, he was very hysterical and advised: "The agriculture is the foundation of all industries, and the business is the end of all industries. Song Xiaoyou, you are also considered big!" A person with a big heart, who does great things, immediately conquers the world and rules the world with benevolence and righteousness. How can he be willing to sink into a lowly career? No country!"

This was the first time that he and Hong Chengchou had an open and honest relationship, and Song Qingshu had a sneer on his face after listening to his heartbroken remonstrance.

"300 taels for the imperial envoy's letter, 2000 taels for a county magistrate of a rich county, 5000 taels of annual tribute for a scholar of Shoufu University, 50 taels of door bags, and 2000 taels of annual festival tribute for the governors of your five provinces, Mr. Hong, and door bags 20 taels, tsk tsk, benevolence and justice with clearly marked prices rule the world."

These are all the unspoken rules of the officialdom. Hong Chengchou has been around for so many years, so naturally he can't be alone. Hard steel like Hai Rui is really rare. Song Qingshu's sarcasm and sarcasm made him blushed.

But hitting him was not the purpose, after some sarcasm, Song Qingshu sighed again, and said dully.

"Kaifeng fell, I don't know if the official army broke the Yellow River embankment and completely destroyed the city. A few days ago, Zheng Chongjian, the governor of the three sides and the minister of the Ministry of war, was defeated in Jiaxian County. The Qin army suffered more than [-] casualties. Zheng Chongjian was defeated and returned to Tongguan. "

This begging army is flourishing in Southeast Asia, but the Ming Empire is stepping into the abyss step by step. If you are not in that era, you can't feel the anxiety of people who are about to face subjugation. Song Qingshu once didn't understand people during the Great Revolution. Now he understood why he was so fanatical and crazy.

Hong Chengchou, who heard the news, was also shocked, and the pupils of his dizzy old eyes dilated a little.

In the battle of Zhuxian Town, Emperor Chongzhen put all his eggs in one basket and invested almost all the troops he could mobilize. In order to save a few letters, the result was a catastrophic defeat. After the Battle of Kaifeng, Governor Yang Wenyue of Baoding Ding Qirui was defeated one after another, and Zuo Liangyu fled to Xiangyang in embarrassment all the way. The only troops that the court could rely on were the Guan Ning Army and the Qin Army.

The Qin army, which had already been seriously injured, became a bit weaker after this battle. The significance of the Qin army's existence is not just to defend the three sides of Shaanxi, it also threatens Li Zicheng's retreat in the Central Plains, so that He didn't dare to go east with all his strength to attack the capital. In history, after the Qin army under the command of Sun Chuanting was wiped out in Jiaxian area, the capital fell immediately and the Ming Dynasty perished. Zheng Chongjian's defeat can be said to have strangled the Ming Dynasty. The noose on the top was much tighter.

"No, Hong must hurry up and write a letter to strip off the military pay for the three parties. He must stick to Tongguan and can't be taken lightly!"

After being dazed for a few seconds, Hong Chengchou suddenly yelled anxiously like a lunatic, and was about to rush back in big strides, but after walking a few steps, he suddenly retreated dejectedly, and shook his head at Song Qingshu with a wry smile.

"Forget it, the emperor won't listen!"

Not only Hong Chengchou persuaded the emperor, even Hou Xun, the later supervisor, also wrote a letter to persuade the emperor to stick to it and not to go out lightly. If Zhu Youjian listened to the persuasion, the disastrous battle in Zhuxian Town could not be won at all. When he got up, seeing Hong Chengchou's slumped face, Song Qingshu also sighed heavily, and immediately spread his hands towards him.

"Why did the civilians and businessmen come all the way to this barbarian place? It was just to keep warm and have a better life. I, Song, was able to use so much manpower and material resources because the shareholders knew that I could bring them a better life." Great interests, this is the Huai Army, the West India Company, our way of life, Mr. Hong, if you want to integrate into us, you must adapt to us!"

Song Qingshu had a complete showdown, but looking at his dignified and earnest eyes, Hong Chengchou still sighed in distress. He wanted to protect the Ming Dynasty and Chinese etiquette, but according to Song Qingshu's path, Daming seemed to have a way out. But it was different from what he had imagined, and it really made him toss and turn.

On this side, Hong Chengchou is struggling with fierce thoughts, while Song Qingshu on the other side doesn’t push him, just looking at the beach with his arms folded. It’s a bit like some plots in idol dramas, but idol dramas are about a man and a woman for emotion. Worrying, he is a man and a bad old man, worrying about the country.

According to the storyline of the later generations, at this time, there will always be some unexpected interruptions. Unexpectedly, it is similar this year. Hong Chengchou is in a trance with emotion, and the sea on the other side suddenly becomes noisy, and several main battleships rush back. Sailing, I don't know what to convey with gongs, drums and shouts along the way, the merchant ships entering and leaving the port are also like a school of sharks, panicked and dodged around.

Wealth comes from the sea, and danger also comes from the sea. Seeing this scene, Song Qingshu's soldiers rushed out from the hiding place with a huff, and surrounded Song Qingshu, his brows twitched, Song Qingshu also picked up the binoculars suddenly, Looking into the distance.

Immediately behind his own battleship, a western battleship was also fluctuating with the ups and downs of the waves. On the mast, in the center of the red, yellow and red flag, a shield with a crown was particularly conspicuous. Looking at it for a moment, Song Qingshu was quite astonished Putting down the binoculars, he muttered to himself.

"Spanish, what are they doing again?"

(End of this chapter)