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Xie Yuan immediately ran to the local governor, contacted the Persian merchants through the governor, and got a few boats from the merchants to go south.

All expenses were paid in advance by the governor, and the reward was to transport a batch of goods exclusive to the governor and put them in Chittagong for Persian merchants to pick them up.They must be rare and good products, such as brocade, imitation Ru porcelain, top-quality tea, etc., which ordinary merchants cannot buy with money.

Xie Yuan first went to visit the King of Oman, who was very generous and sent two warships to escort them south.

By the way, there is an Oman prince who is still studying in Nanjing at this time.

Finally arrived in Madagascar, the original "Boyina City" was changed to "Wangxiang City" by the Chinese.

Among the mixed-race children born to Chinese and indigenous women, the oldest are fourteen or fifteen years old.There are also some teenagers between the ages of 20 and [-], who were the first indigenous children captured or rescued by the Chinese. They have learned to speak and write Chinese characters since they were young. .

In the complex river network around Wangxiangcheng, rice is planted everywhere, and many drinking and irrigation canals have been dug.

There are many "mansions" around the city, all of which are the houses of big Chinese landowners.The shape of the house is also Chinese. At first glance, it looks like a village in southern China.

Governor Deng Youzhang led dozens of people out of the city to greet them. When they saw the envoys, they also burst into tears.

"Boss Deng, you are tired." Xie Yuan said with emotion.

Deng Youzhang quickly said: "I'm not tired, it's good to meet Chinese people. We didn't expect to go back to China, so we just wanted to know how our family is doing. My old mother is almost seventy. I haven't known her for more than ten years. It's been a good day."

Xie Yuan asked, "How is the specific situation here?"

Deng Youzhang immediately explained: "In the beginning, there were 88 people from the navy, 73 civilians, logisticians, and sailors who floated on the island, and 4 Persian slaves. Those 4 Persian slaves also learned to speak Chinese. They are brothers. 165 people floated on this island, and in the past ten years, 7 people have died of illness and battle, and now there are only 158 old brothers left.”

"We gave birth to more than 830 living children. The military doctors on board lacked herbal medicine, and many children died. We also adopted many orphans and taught them to speak and write Chinese. There are more than 500 orphans in total. The oldest A group of them can already carry knives to fight."

"In the beginning, we could still use firecrackers and cannons, but now we have run out of gunpowder. We know the formula for gunpowder, but we don't know how to make nitrate. Now we can only use bows, arrows, knives and guns to fight against the natives."

"We have built six cities. They are said to be cities, but they are actually similar to small towns in the Celestial Dynasty. The old brothers took their children to be the city lords, the adopted sons served as officials, and the indigenous tribes lived and farmed around the cities. Except for the newly conquered indigenous , the rest of the natives obeyed the rule. After all, we taught them how to farm and dig canals, and the grain harvest was much higher than before.”

"There are also aboriginal people who have learned to speak Chinese, but those aboriginal aristocrats are brainless and regard Chinese as a noble language, and the common people of the tribe are not allowed to learn it. Any aboriginal commoner who dares to speak Chinese will be beheaded if caught. prohibited by law."

"..."

Deng Youzhang babbled for a long time, and Xie Yuan had already heard many contents on the way.

Xie Yuan was surprised and said, "There are more than 100 of you, more than 800 children have been born in more than ten years, and this is still a large number of deaths?"

Deng Youzhang smiled bitterly and said: "The surrounding area is full of indigenous people. We are afraid. Those who were born and adopted by ourselves are considered our own people. I married eight wives and gave birth to more than 20 children. Only eleven of them died young. .Other old brothers, the one with the fewest wives also married four."

"By the way," Deng Youzhang said again, "many of the wives of the old brothers are the daughters of the nobles of various tribes. For the tribes that voluntarily belong to, the nobles will send their daughters to marry them. If they don't accept them, they will feel uneasy. Tribes The nobles are sending more and more daughters, and the older brothers are getting more and more wives."

Xie Yuan glanced at the teenagers behind Deng Youzhang, and couldn't tell they were of mixed blood at all, as if they were Chinese.

This is because the aborigines of Madagascar, like the aborigines of the Hawaiian Islands, belong to the Polynesian race, and are very close to the genes of the Han people.

Deng Youzhang began to introduce the main officials, completely following the set of overseas governors.

There are also three prefectures under the Governor's Office, each prefecture has two counties, and each county has many villages and towns.

The administrative management is very extensive, and the area of ​​a prefecture is roughly equivalent to that of an island of Taiwan.A total of six counties, directly ruled by six cities, as well as the rural aborigines outside the city.Those who are a little farther away from the city still belong to the tribal autonomy and pay some tribute to the county magistrate every year.

Deng Youzhang invited the envoys into Wangxiang City, and said as he walked: "The reason for the rush to expand is that many old brothers can't wait. They also want to be magistrates and city lords. Now there are only six city lords, and only more than 30 senior officials. people."

Xie Yuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "You are trying to divide the title. After a hundred years, the city lords and magistrates who are divided will become princes."

"No way, everyone wants to be an official, even those who can't read or write want to be city lords." Deng Youzhang said helplessly.

Xie Yuan suddenly asked, "Do you want to go back to China?"

Deng Youzhang was stunned for a moment, he didn't know it himself.

It is the common will of all the old brothers to rush to build ships and get in touch with the motherland, and no one can go against the collective consensus.

It's really reluctant to let them go.

More than 100 old brothers, including the four Persian slaves, are now big landowners.The slaves they freed all became tenant farmers, farming and paying rent for their older brothers.

When you return home, you will definitely be able to buy more supplies, eat more exquisite food, and wear more comfortable clothes.But after going back, they can still have so much land?Bring back a bunch of wives and children, are they able to support them?

After thinking about it for a long time, Deng Youzhang said: "I don't want to go back to China, but I want to contact my family and know if my old mother is still alive. I also have a wife and children in my hometown. If they want to come, I can bring them. If they don't want to come, I also plan to send some money back... I have money, and I found a gold mine on the island!"

"Gold mine?" Xie Yuan's eyes widened.

Deng Youzhang nodded and said, "Now we can only pan for gold sand. Mercury is needed to refine gold, and there is no mercury on the island. I also discovered iron ore, and I can already make swords by myself. Many indigenous people still use copper weapons, and iron swords conquer them."

Xie Yuan said: "After I return to China, I will clarify the details to Your Majesty. Your Majesty should officially appoint you as the Governor, and then bring you mercury and supplies, and you are responsible for exchanging gold. Of course, how much gold you mine belongs to you, That's up to His Majesty and the Cabinet to decide."

"Everything depends on the angel!" Deng Youzhang was willing to distribute the gold to the court, because he couldn't get mercury, so he could only pan for some alluvial gold.

Moreover, with the materials sent by China, they have cotton clothes to wear and a steady stream of ammunition, which can conquer the tribes on the island more quickly.

Chapter 1017 [The motherland is China]

"These are all the golden sands you bought?" Xie Yuan's eyes lit up.

Deng Youzhang said: "Arranged 80 indigenous people to squat in the river day and night to pan for gold, and they can pan for more than [-] catties of gold sand every year. There are also people who have picked up dog's head gold in the river. Most of the upstream mountains have gold mines. But we people, I don’t even know how to search for mines, so I have to send a teacher from China to find mines.”

In fact, there are two larger gold mines in Deng Youzhang's territory, and the other one has not been discovered.

And the place where they panned for gold sand was near the original settlement, only a few kilometers away from the village.And where they are about to attack, there is also a large gold mine, which is also the first gold mine discovered in history. The gold sand alone can pan for more than 1000 catties every year.

More gold mines on the island are mainly distributed in the east, which is not Deng Youzhang's territory.

Let's put it this way, after Madagascar became independent, using the most primitive gold mining methods, the annual gold production was five tons - this was the leftover from the French colonists' mining.

Xie Yuan said: "You make a list of the Chinese people who have drifted to the island, and write down the address of their hometown. Your family members have all received pensions, and the money will not be recovered. Give me the gold After that, each of your family members will get 50 taels, and all the rest will be confiscated. I will not take your gold, muskets, and war horses for nothing.”

"It's a good feeling, there is a shortage of war horses on the island!" Deng Youzhang was overjoyed.

Xie Yuan reminded: "The male horses in the army have already galled. On the way back, I will help you contact the king of Oman and let him send ships to trade regularly. You can exchange gold with him, and you can buy some male horses to breed. The cavalry officers and veterinarians of the embassy, ​​I will leave you a few. You will learn to ride horses as soon as possible, and you will have to rely on yourself in the future."

To be honest, the Chinese court is not very enthusiastic about overseas gold and silver mines.

Gold and silver deposits have been discovered in Luzon and Borneo, and Zhao Han sent mining experts to go around.Since it was not a bonanza, the imperial court did not bother to interfere, and only sent officials to manage and collect taxes. The gold and silver in the mines were opened to immigrants, and the mines were purely used to attract immigrants.

Of course, the prospecting team has not withdrawn, and is still looking for rich mines in overseas territories with high wages.

And all kinds of poor mines in China have been shut down one after another and restored to arable land or mountain forests.It's not like when the country was first founded, when everything was lacking, and as long as there was a mine, it would be mined. No matter how small the mosquito's legs were, it was still meat.

Seeing that the rainy season was approaching, Xie Yuan didn't stay any longer. When Deng Youzhang took out the list, he threw down some supplies and left.

Three hundred muskets were left, some ammunition, and two hundred warhorses.

One thing is very bad on the island. Every New Year, it must be the rainy season.There is no way to reunite and celebrate at all. The Chinese can only eat a lot at home. The real festival will have to wait until summer.

The 24 solar terms have also become a symbol, existing as a thought, completely unable to guide agricultural production.

Deng Youzhang currently controls half of the land with a tropical plateau climate and half with a savannah climate, which is not as uncomfortable as a tropical rainforest.There are occasional tropical diseases, but only a few old brothers died, especially from May to October, which is very cool and dry.

Cool and dry, it's a good time to fight!

Generally, the harvest of rice is completed before mid-May, and it will be delayed until late May at the latest.

After obtaining the supplies, after a long rainy season, they are ready to send troops after harvesting the rice.

The targets they are going to attack are one south and one north.

The north is called Maeva Tanana, which belongs to the mountainous area, and there is a large gold mine. Of course, everyone does not know that there is gold, because even the indigenous people themselves do not know.Attacking there is purely for expansion, and it is easy to march along the river valley.

The southern part is called Malulinta, which is located in the alluvial plain of the river. The area along the river is very suitable for farming, and the areas farther from the river are all grasslands.

The Northern Route Army was led by Li Luosheng, who was the county magistrate in the north. Deng Youzhang sent 100 cavalry with 100 muskets.Although everyone has just learned how to ride a horse, it is enough to deal with the natives. After all, the aborigines on the island have never seen cavalry.

The South Route Army was led by Deng Youzhang himself, with 200 cavalry and more than [-] musketeers, they were invincible on the island.

Passing through the plateau and hilly area, the front is full of grasslands.

There are also two Chinese city owners in the grasslands. They built their cities by the river, and raised a lot of livestock while farming.The main ones are hump cattle, which are the type of zebu in India.They also raised some goats, but there are no sheep here, and Deng Youzhang plans to bring in some.

The materials were pulled by bullock carts, and indigenous troops continued to join along the way.

There must be enough troops, and ordering the indigenous tribes to follow them is to let the indigenous people remember their obligations and continue to demonstrate the force of the Chinese.It doesn't need too much. Each tribe can send 10 to 30 troops, and they will be given a little spoils after the battle.

After marching for a full month, we finally reached the target area.

Deng Youzhang also asked domestic shipbuilders to build more large ships, so that they could go to Africa for trade and send troops conveniently.For example, the current goal is on the seashore, and it can be reached by boat in two or three days, so it doesn't take a month's march.

The weather is cool and dry.

The rainy season two months ago made the grassland green, and some small tribes were already seen outside.They belong to nomadic tribes, and they change their grasslands regularly, but they also have their own so-called "king's court", which is actually the residence of the chief tribe.

"Governor, let me kill you!" Deng Anshun volunteered.

This is a 21-year-old indigenous guy who was adopted when he was a few years old. Chinese is his mother tongue.

Deng Youzhang nodded: "Take twenty riders."

Twenty indigenous teenagers, the youngest being only 16 years old, charged forward on horseback.Before they set off, they only trained for more than ten days in riding.After marching all the way, I had to ride a horse every day to get used to it, but I was afraid that the horse would be tired, so I only rode for two or three hours a day.

When the indigenous herdsmen saw the cavalry coming, they didn't know what kind of monster it was, so they turned around and ran away in fright, even wanting their cattle and sheep.

Deng Anshun rushed over to catch a few herdsmen, forced him to find out where the tent of the tribal leader was, and then rode his horse and continued to charge forward.He likes to ride, it's so cool, he thinks he's a cavalryman by nature.

When the leader of the small tribe encountered the cavalry, he could not escape, so he could only kneel down and beg for mercy.

Deng Anshun raised his sword and scolded: "We are soldiers and horses under the command of the Governor of China. We will either submit to the Governor or be killed by me. You choose!"

"Follow, I will bring the tribe to submit..." The tribe leader agreed again and again, and then went out with the army with ten young men.

Deng Anshun rode on horseback with his head held high and his chest held high. Facing the natives who could not speak Chinese, he felt superior to others.

He has heard from his adoptive father and teachers since he was a child that there is a Celestial China in the far east, where everything is available, the population is [-] times more than here, and the food is [-] times better than here.And the natives on the island belong to the adherents of the Celestial Dynasty. They forgot to speak Chinese for too long. Only by learning to speak Chinese can they restore their status as commoners of the Celestial Dynasty.

Deng Anshun is already a commoner of the Celestial Dynasty because he can speak Chinese and write Chinese characters.His educational level is probably equivalent to not graduating from primary school. Due to the lack of textbooks, teachers teach whatever they want.

After bringing the leader of the tribe back, Deng Anshun rode to Deng Youzhang's side: "Governor, will the emperor send someone over? When can I go back to China?"

"Do you want to go to China?" Deng Youzhang asked with a smile.

Deng Anshun nodded and said, "The teacher said that China is our motherland, and our ancestors came from there a long time ago. I just want to go and see if there is enough food there."

Deng Youzhang said: "Next time you come to the envoy, you can follow the envoy back to the country to meet the emperor."

"Great!" Deng Anshun was excited.

A few days later, the expedition force came to the tribal alliance's station.

This is a large gathering place, and there are soil cities built, thousands of people live inside and outside the city, and there are a lot of farmland in the river alluvial plain.

Deng Youzhang was not in a hurry to attack the city. He already had experience in dealing with such a large tribe.

Sure enough, seeing that they had only a few hundred troops, the chief of the alliance urgently summoned the army to fight out of the city.It was too late for the surrounding tribes to gather troops, civilians and slaves took up arms, and about 2000 people came to kill them.

Finally able to fire the gun, Deng Youzhang missed the days when there was plenty of ammunition.

"Bang bang bang bang!"

There are more than 100 musketeers, many of whom are adopted children of the indigenous people. They use random marksmanship and shoot randomly from a long distance.

A platoon of guns was fired, and the enemy army fell only a few people.

But this was enough to cause panic, and the natives had no idea what was going on.Near the man who was shot and fell to the ground, the indigenous soldiers backed away, thinking that the deceased had been witchcraft.

Immediately afterwards, the cavalry officer Xie Yuan left behind, with a hundred novice cavalrymen, walked around the flank in a mess.

"Rush!"

A hundred cavalry suddenly came from the side, and the native army, which had no formation at all, immediately began to panic and collapse, and they did not dare to resist the charging monsters.

The battle of bullying the natives is really lackluster and extremely boring.

However, the central plateau of Madagascar has established indigenous states.Its capital, Antananarivo, has a population of nearly 5 including residents outside the city. A capital with a population of [-] is enough to prove that the country is strong, and the handicraft industry is relatively developed.

At that time, it will be a little more interesting to fight with the indigenous countries.

It's a pity that there is a mountain range between the two forces.Deng Youzhang wanted to call there, either from the north or from the south. Counting the mountain roads in Qiqu District, the actual distance is equivalent to walking from Nanjing to Beijing.

Take this city and conquer another piece of territory.

An old brother from China was appointed the magistrate of the city to manage the surrounding tribes.

It's really a feudal system, like Li Luosheng in the north, who already has the strength to expand on his own, and doesn't need Deng Youzhang's help at all.

Even if the imperial court takes over the island in the future, these people will always be local clans, holding countless arable land and pastures.And through marriage, they are inextricably linked with the indigenous tribes.

Chapter 1018 ["Smart" King]

In the territory occupied by Deng Youzhang, there are a total of five major rivers, and he occupies 60% of the main rivers of the whole island.

But why did the aborigines establish a country in the central plateau?

Because the precipitation in the central plateau is more uniform, and the western area occupied by Deng Youzhang, except for farming along the river, is all tropical grassland with distinct rain and drought.