3.7.9 The story of the boss--- Jiugang Xuanwei Division
Xiao Wu found it unbelievable and hurriedly said: "You mean, the religious beliefs in the East, including the Philippines and Indonesia these 27,000 The island is actually decided by you? Why do you want to do this? Why not introduce Confucianism and Buddhism? "
Zheng He said with a smile: "The first reason is that Siam will Monopolizing the South China Sea needle route. Since the merger of Siam Kingdom and Luowo Kingdom, its strength and territory have greatly increased. When I first visited the country two years ago, I found that it claimed to be the master of the South China Sea, but I had no intention of changing it. , I just hope that its power will not continue to expand southward. Therefore, I think it is best not to believe in Buddhism in Srivijaya (Sumatra), so as not to easily form alliances with Siam. "
" The second factor is that it is against distant vassals. To impart education, we need a large number of manpower. All the boatmen under my command either only understand Taoism or only understand Islam. In my opinion, the only one who can compete with Buddhism is Islam. Most of my disciples are Muslims. I have taken advantage of the situation and allowed them to enter the fertile lands of Java, Srivijaya, and they are in the right place."
Xiao Wu understood a little bit and said: "Besides, you think Islam is possible. It is no longer suitable to survive in and Ming , so allowing it to expand towards the East is a destiny that is good for both people and ourselves."
Zheng He nodded and said with a smile: "This is not only true for Ming Dynasty, but also for . It seems to be the same in places like Chengdu. I don't want to change the fact that Champa is already familiar with Confucianism. I just persuade the Muslims in Champa to move to Java to preach; after all, there is no Confucian opponent there, and they want to defeat some in Java. The original religion of cows, ghosts, and snakes is out of the question. "
Xiao Wu suddenly realized: "I remember the nine missionaries (Wali Songo) who introduced Islam to Java. The most famous one, Peng Ruihe, came from Champa!"
"When I was studying the history of Indonesia, I said that most of the famous nine missionary envoys were your subordinates. I was also surprised that there were Champa people among them. It turned out that you persuaded them to immigrate to Java!"
Chart 23 Peng Ruihe (Bong Swi Hoo) Family Genealogy
Chart 23 Peng Ruihe (Bong Swi Hoo) Family Genealogy
[Main Figures of the Indonesian Islamic "Evangelist 9"]
Pictures from the Internet
Zheng He smiled slightly and said: "Of course, education requires manpower, and we can use some It is naturally better to have people from overseas, otherwise my number of boatmen will soon be insufficient. "
" The third factor is that most countries in the South China Sea originally had some Muslim seaside strongholds, most of which were built by Arab merchants of the previous dynasty. Although these strongholds were small, they also gave the locals some knowledge of Islam. Therefore, what I do is just to take advantage of the situation and expand the Islamic community. It is not as difficult as starting from scratch. "
Chart 24 Chart of the spread of Islam in Southeast Asia
Chart 24 Chart of the spread of Islam in Southeast Asia
[Islamic forces from China have gradually become the main force]
Pictures from the Internet
Xiao Wu took a deep breath, nodded and said: "Understood. You are a pragmatic person, and if preaching is too difficult, you will not force it. I just didn't expect that this spring breeze would turn into rain, and it would really determine the future of Southeast Asia. "
Zheng He said softly: "Relatively speaking, Luzon is an unowned land, and they also believe in ghosts and gods. When I first sailed to the West, I visited Pangasinan (in Luzon ), Mayit (in Mindoro ), Gumalalang (in Mindanao ) and other places, and found that the native people It is already weak, but many Tang people from Fujian and Guangdong have moved in. Therefore, we can take advantage of the situation and let the local people believe in Taoism. "
Xiao Wu laughed and said: "You are probably doing this because you don't have enough Muslims in your hands, right? Perhaps only , Xu Chailao, (Xu Laoge) and others are available locally. Otherwise, Luzon may also become Islamic."
Zheng He shook his head and chuckled: "You actually know Brother Xu? You know, the more you want, the harder it is to achieve it! My request for Luzon is very simple. I need to build a fleet supply center here. "
" After the Ming Dynasty established its first overseas official warehouse in Pangasinan ( north of Manila ), Xu Chailao was responsible for managing and administering the place. At the same time, there were several other Tang people who were responsible for the management. Palawan and other places of navigation.
Xiao Wu said in awe: "So you also established governors on those small islands in the South China Sea?" "
Zheng He nodded slightly and said with a smile: "Any place where the South China Sea can be docked must have material supply points, ship maintenance offices, etc.; local officials also need to be appointed to manage, and it is best to use overseas Tang people. Therefore, I asked the emperor to appoint some suitable candidates, especially Xu Chailao as the governor of Luzon. It was not until Yongle 22 that Xu passed away shortly after leaving office and was buried in Quanzhou, Fujian. "
" However, I only went to Luzon three times during my first, second, and fifth voyages to the Western Ocean, and I went less often after that. During those 20 years, there was no problem around Luzon, and I was very pleased to have the people who entrusted me with it. "
Xiao Wu smiled and said: "It seems that Luzon Island is a strong cornerstone for the Ming Dynasty to expand overseas! But why have you only been there three times? And according to records, you have been to many places as many as six or seven times! "
Zheng He smiled and said: "Because later on the Nanhai Needle Road, we gradually found a more effective and suitable place to establish a supply center. However, everything is based on the situation, just like the Ming Dynasty established the Xuanwei Department of Old Port. It was not forced at the beginning, but later it took shape and it took shape naturally. "
Xiao Wu was shocked and said: "By the way, could you please explain this carefully? I am very interested. "
Zheng He nodded and said: "Old Port is the center of the Srivijaya area, and the local name is Palembang. Previously, because Srivijaya was destroyed by Majapahit, the native power here weakened, and instead, the Tang people imported from Fujian and Guangdong became the main body. There are more than a thousand local Chinese immigrants who support Liang Daoming as the main body to rebuild the Bolin State. "
" When I first went to the West (the third year of Yongle), Liang Daoming had already recruited several fellow travelers from the Ming Dynasty and thousands of households Yang Xin. His adopted son went to Nanjing to meet the emperor the following year (Yongle 4th year), but someone revealed that the Bolin State was a fake surrender. Its troops sometimes pretended to be pirates and often robbed passing ships in the throat of the South China Sea, including merchant ships of the Ming Dynasty. "
Xiao Wu said in surprise: "Liang Daoming? I don’t know this man very well. Is he a pirate? "
Zheng He shook his head slightly and said softly: "Since the leader of Bolin State has been recruited by the Ming Dynasty, I can send people to investigate after hearing the news. However, Liang Daoming flatly denied that his men were pretending to be pirates. "
" Taking advantage of the opportunity for the emissary to return home to report that the Western King of Java offered gold as compensation for human life, I also sent a message to Emperor Yongle --- requesting the emperor to quickly issue an order to transfer Liang Daoming back to his native Guangdong as an official. In this way, regardless of whether what he said is true or false, let Bolin State change its leader.
Xiao Wu suddenly smiled and said: "As an emperor and a courtier, you should be the one who appoints or guarantees the leadership of the Bolin Kingdom anyway!" "
Zheng He said solemnly: "If you read the sea chart, you will understand how important the old port is! The outside of the South China Sea Needle Road is completely controlled by it, and all merchant ships from the east and west cannot fly over this place. "
" If this place is occupied by pirates, whether it is an envoy or trade, everything will stop. I have realized this, and I must truly control this place in Ming's hands. "
Xiao Wu nodded and smiled: "Not bad. In a key place for navigation, there was finally a place where the Tang people made up the majority. How could we not control it? You definitely need a leader in Bolin State who will obey your orders. "
Zheng He nodded and said happily: "Emperor Yongle also understands this truth very well.He quickly issued an order to establish the Old Port Xuanwei Department in the Srivijaya area, following the example of Three Propaganda and Six Comforts of the southwestern Yi. Liang Daoming Cheng'en returned to his hometown as an official, and the old port was taken over by his recommended Chen Zuyi . From then on, this place was called Bolin State to the local area, and Jiugang Xuanweisi to the Ming Dynasty. "
Chart 25 Srivijaya Kingdom and the Xuanwei Department of Old Port (Palembang)
Chart 25 Srivijaya Kingdom and the Xuanwei Department of Old Port (Palembang)
Pictures from the Internet
Xiao Wu thought for a while and said with a smile: "Give me an example For example, this is like the Lanna Kingdom ( Chiang Mai ) in the north of Siam. The local area is called Lanna Kingdom, and the Ming Dynasty is called Eight Hundred Dadian Xuanweisi . Or the Kingdom of Lan Xang, also known as Xuanwei Si in Laos.
Zheng He smiled lightly and said, "Do you also know about the Babaidadian Xuanwei Department and the Lao Xuanwei Department?" Very good too. The Ming Dynasty has appointed Chen Zuyi as the Propaganda and Comfort Envoy of Jiugang. This is a gentle gesture and hopes that he will serve our country well. But he never expected that the leader of the old port army who often pretended to be a pirate was none other than Chen Zuyi. "
" When Liang Daoming was there, his power had been eclipsed by his subordinate Chen Zuyi. After he returned to Guangdong, Chen Zuyi became even more unscrupulous, acting like the king of Bolin State. Although he was canonized by the Ming Dynasty, he didn't take it seriously. He only thought that robbing merchant ships was a way to get rich quickly by accumulating gold and silver, eating, drinking and having fun. The troops who followed him were also accustomed to this method. "
Xiao Wu shook his head and sighed: "Yes, a person who is used to being a bandit doesn't want to be restrained when he becomes an official! They are used to making 'quick money', but they just don't want to be more responsible and make money in a reasonable and legal way! In fact, the treatment given to them is already good and could not be better, but they still find it slow to get money! "
Zheng He smiled softly and said: "Chen Zuyi is well-known in the world - during the Hongwu period, he was a thief at sea. He offered huge rewards but failed to catch him. Later, he took refuge with Liang Daoming, the leader of the old port. On the surface, he was responsible for commanding the defense forces of the old port. In fact, after he had a cover identity, he took both black and white. Liang Daoming knew this very well, but he had already been unable to do anything about it, so he was happy to leave his job behind and return to his hometown in fine clothes. "
"Of course I have already found out the inside story, but on the surface I still showed Chen Zuyi the strength of the Ming Dynasty's fleet, and at the same time encouraged him to enter the court and pay tribute, just like Liang Daoming did the year before last. When Chen Zuyi and I inspected the hundreds of giant ships entering the old port, he obviously showed envious eyes.
Xiao Wu frowned and thought: "Not to mention the size of the ships, your fleet has nearly 30,000 people?" How many troops can Chen Zuyi have under his command? Considering the size of Bolin State, at most he only has 1,000 people who can participate in the battle, right? How dare I plot against you? "
Zheng He chuckled and said: "There are many reasons here. I simply cannot trust this man's surrender. On the surface, his army in Old Port is only a thousand men, and they have legal status; but secretly, he is stationed along the entire South China Sea Needle Road and is involved with pirates, such as in There are at least thousands more people on Riau, Temasek , Natuna and other islands. "
Xiao Wu suddenly said: "In this way, if Chen Zuyi went to sea to rob, was it actually a collusion between officials and bandits? He has both the status of a white Taoist and a pirate to take orders, so he can cover the sky with one hand! Except for you, no one in the countries along the South China Sea can do anything to him. "
Zheng He said with a smile: "So I have to show my weakness as much as possible. First, let him think that I am the emperor, but I am only favored by Emperor Yongle, but in fact I am very incompetent and cannot command such a huge navy at all. At the same time, I also told him that the fleet was heading west to India and other countries, hoping to bring back more treasures to make the emperor and queen in the palace happy. "
" I personally told Chen Zuyi that the return trip of the treasure fleet from the West will be about a year later; it is entirely up to him to protect the safety of the waterway so that we can safely sail back to the old port in the future. Then our team set off until we returned a year later. If everything was in order, nothing was hidden from him.
Xiao Wu said with a smile: "You inspired his greed and set a trap for him. Of course, the situation must be stabilized and no abnormalities can occur."But what about his side? Does it also appear to be very stable? "
Zheng He sneered: "Not bad. Chen Zuyi's plan was huge, so he would naturally hold back for the time being. Therefore, there were almost no pirates committing crimes in the South China Sea during this year. This also shows that his previous support for me to ensure the safety of the waterway was indeed very effective. "
" At the same time, Chen Zuyi also sent people to Nanjing to pay tribute. But I later heard that the ship was empty, and the robbery only started when it arrived near Taiwan; and then the cargo of other people's merchant ships was passed off as tribute and sent to Nanjing. "
Xiao Wu laughed and said: "Okay, you two act for each other and see how it works in the end. But I still have a question: Although the treasure fleet is powerful, Chen Zuyi is obviously an experienced local snake, and the entire South China Sea channel is full of his spies. I am afraid the strength of the two sides is not clear, right? "
" On the other hand, you went west for a year, and during that time he was able to calmly deploy in the South China Sea. So it is obviously easier for him to understand your actions than it is for you to understand theirs. "
Zheng He took a deep look at Xiao Wu and said, "You are absolutely right! In order to make up for this disadvantage, I secretly intercepted Liang Daoming on the boat returning home and had an in-depth chat with him. As a result, he recommended to me a nail that has been buried beside Chen Zuyi. "
" That person is called Shi Jinqing . Although he is Liang Daoming's confidant, he has long pretended to be congenial with Chen Zuyi, likes to rob treasures, and has also participated in passing messages with pirate leaders, so he is well aware of Chen Zuyi's every move.
Xiao Wu took a long breath and said with a smile: "It turns out that although Liang Daoming's people left, they still tricked Chen Zuyi and left such an important spy for you!" This is very much like a Hong Kong gangster movie! "
Zheng He smiled and said: "After connecting with Shi Jinqing, it is like installing an eye next to Chen Zuyi, and everything will be much easier. In the fifth year of Yongle, our navy returned to the vicinity of the old port. Chen Zuyi came to welcome us personally to congratulate us on completing our mission to the Western Ocean. That night, I specially allowed everyone to "drink and celebrate", and the commanders of several main ships were "drunk". "
Xiao Wu sighed: "The play has finally reached its climax! "
Zheng He said calmly: "In the middle of the night, a total of more than 5,000 pirates set out from multiple islands and divided their forces into three groups to attack our fleet. However, they all fell into the naval encirclement. "
" Our ships quietly dispersed, and then surrounded the other party's ships like a chain, and then launched a fire attack. Ten enemy ships were burned on the spot and seven were captured. "
" At the same time, there was also a special task force to capture Chen Zuyi himself. After he was tied to my deck, I asked him with a smile: Is this eunuch only flattering the emperor? He just started fighting on horseback and not used to fighting on water at all? Were the Ming treasure ships so big that they moved slowly? I’m not familiar with the surrounding terrain, so I can only get beaten and can’t fight back? "
Xiao Wu smiled and said: "After he heard this, he immediately understood that you were around, and passed his words of encouragement to the pirates to you intact. This way he can die in peace! "
Zheng He shook his head and said with a smile: "It doesn't actually matter whether you kill Chen Zuyi or not. The important thing is that he mobilized almost all pirate groups along the South China Sea in order to make huge profits. In the end, dozens of pirate groups, large and small, who had colluded with him were all wiped out in this battle, and almost no one slipped through the net. "
"There were very few survivors from this battle, but it was Chen Zuyi himself. I sent a ship to escort him back to Nanjing, and he was executed by the emperor's order in front of many envoys from foreign vassals. "
" From then on, the South China Sea will be peaceful for decades, and countries will also know the strength of the Ming Navy. In addition, I guarantee that Shi Jinqing, who made great contributions in this campaign, will take over as Palembang's ambassador of comfort, and will be granted the title of King Srivijaya from the third rank. As long as he does not make mistakes, he will be hereditary and will not be replaced."
Chart 26 Place names on both sides of the Strait of Malacca
Chart 26 Place names on both sides of the Strait of Malacca
[Western Malaysia and West Indonesia Sumatra]
Chart 27 Zheng He's voyage to the Strait of Malacca
