The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 379 The Age of Nationalism Has Arrived
Mo Zibu's article on the debate between China and the barbarians, revised by Wu Shiren and others, was soon submitted to him. It was delivered personally by Song Xiang, a great talent from Jiaying Prefecture. He presented this long article to Mo Zibu with great concern.

Mo Zibu quickly flipped through it and found only one core idea.

That is the argument in the Huayi debate that "the rulers of the Di and Yi tribes who enter the Huaxia realm are Huaxia." This argument is no longer valid from now on.

This theory was formed by Confucius and further developed by Han Yu. It was originally a theory that was beneficial to China and could help China quickly assimilate the four directions.

However, after the two Song dynasties could no longer hold on to the world, some people misinterpreted it. These people were Hao Jing and Xu Heng.

Both of them were Han Chinese born in the Jin Dynasty. They served Kublai Khan in the early Yuan Dynasty and were high-ranking officials in the Yuan court in the late Jin and early Yuan dynasties.

They misinterpreted this sentence to mean that as long as the rulers of the Di and Yi tribes came to China and followed the Chinese etiquette and practices, they could rule China as kings.

This was also the legal basis they laid for the Mongols to rule China, that is, if the Mongol Khan respected Confucius and Confucianism, offered sacrifices to heaven and earth, and used the Chinese etiquette system, then he could be the emperor of China.

During the Qing Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty picked it up even faster. The three generations of Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong all said shamelessly, "I am a foreign monarch, but I rule China."

They can say it without hesitation, and the theoretical support comes from Hao Jing and Xu Heng.

This was also used as a fig leaf by the Qing Dynasty cynics. Since the rulers of the barbarians can become the rulers of China by using the Chinese etiquette and system, then we can also be loyal to them.

In fact, it is not as Wu Shiren said that the debate between China and the barbarians can only be used in the period of prosperity, but in fact it cannot be used now.

This theory that only talks about culture and completely ignores blood inheritance is outdated.

The debate between Chinese and barbarians could have been used because there are few people in the world, only a few tens of millions of people in the entire world, and the Eastern world accounts for the majority. There is uncultivated land everywhere, and the rulers are generally short of people.

Therefore, the debate between Chinese and barbarians means that as long as the barbarians learn the Chinese writing system, speak the Chinese language, and abide by the Chinese etiquette and system, they can become Chinese. The advantage of this is that it is convenient for expanding territory and expanding the ethnic group.

But can a policy and approach be used forever? Obviously not.

Because the world will soon be full of people, and if we continue to engage in the debate between Chinese and barbarians, we will say that as long as you speak Chinese and abide by the Chinese system, you can become a Chinese.

This... How can it be so cheap!

If this system continues, it will threaten the foundation.

It was so difficult to obtain citizenship in the later republics that it was possible that they suffered from the debate between Chinese and barbarians.

Not to mention the Republic, even the United States can't bear it. Once they come here, they are American bankers. Look at what their immigration problem has become.

Moreover, the harm of the debate between China and the barbarians does not lie in this, but also in the fact that it can reverse the subject and the object and is very misleading.

Although great men like Wang Fuzhi and Gu Yanwu could recognize the harm of the debate between Chinese and barbarians and disagreed with the theories of Hao Jing and Xu Heng, could ordinary scholars, or even the lowest Han people, make the clear distinction?

No!

If you continue to use the debate between China and the barbarians, then if the Emperor of Japan or the Queen of Britain conquers this land one day, and uses the Chinese etiquette system, can they rule this land reasonably and legally?
What happened to the Han people?

How deep was this poison? It was so deep that in the late Qing Dynasty, when the great powers showed signs of dividing China, Grand Secretary Weiren actually shouted, "Use loyalty and trustworthiness as armor and etiquette as oars."

Later generations criticized him, saying that Weiren was a fool. Even at this time, he still relied on Confucianism to defend his country.

Was Woren an idiot? At least not in this case. He wasn't just shouting nonsense; he was shouting for the Han governors who held real power.

What he actually wanted to say was, "Yangmaozi is not here to play the Chinese-barbarian debate with you. They do not believe in the orthodox religion but in Christianity. They should just be with us Manchus and do not be fooled."

At the same time in the east, relying on this theory in history, the Japanese quickly came up with the theory of Huayi abnormality.

That is, they believed that the Qing Dynasty ruled China and shaved their heads and changed their clothes, not because the Qing Dynasty invaded China, but because China invaded China and became barbarians.

Then all the Chinese in the Middle Earth would become barbarians, and Japan, which carries the Chinese culture, would be the only remaining Chinese. They would have the reason and qualifications to attack the mainland and reorganize China.

The so-called "no China after Yashan" and "no Huaxia after the Ming Dynasty" and some Japanese who attempted to invade us all used this set of fallacies and heresies.

Gentlemen, the harm is already obvious. Is the debate between China and the barbarians still useful?

It cannot be used. In fact, hundreds of years ago, Zhu Yuanzhang realized this danger. He issued a manifesto saying, "I have never heard of the barbarians occupying China and ruling the world."

But after saying this, due to the limitations of the times, Zhu Yuanzhang did not have a feasible theory to replace the debate between China and the barbarians, so he finally compromised with a large number of Confucian scholars who had served as high-ranking officials of the Mongols and Yuan Dynasty.

He wrote a history of the Mongols and Yuan Dynasty, acknowledging their legitimacy, which was a disguised recognition of Hao Jing and Xu Heng's debate on the distinction between Chinese and barbarians.

But Mo Zibu is not Zhu Yuanzhang. He now has sufficient theories to overturn the debate between China and the barbarians, which is to hold high the banner of nationalism.

The Di and Yi peoples who entered the Chinese were Chinese.

Humph, that doesn't exist. Only those who were born on this land, inherited the blood of Yanhuang, spoke the Chinese language, and used the Chinese moral etiquette and system are Chinese.

We can’t just look at culture, we also have to look at bloodline! Both are indispensable.

If the Diyi want to join China, you have to apply to me. If I see that you have made enough contributions, then I will agree to your application. If I disagree, then it is not your application either.

In other words, from now on, there is no need to use the Chinese-barbarian debate to identify whether you are Chinese or barbarians. Instead, if I say you are, you are, and if I say you are not, you are not.

Only in this way can we take the initiative into our own hands. The outdated debate between China and the barbarians should no longer be used!

So when Mo Zibu used the debate between China and the barbarians to attack the Qing rulers, they were not panicked at all, and were even eager to debate with him.

So Mo Zibu immediately changed his tune and said directly that from now on, if the ruler of the Diyi tribe came to China, let alone becoming the ruler of China, he would have to get my confirmation whether he was a Chinese.

Once the debate between Chinese and barbarians is eliminated, you will need to immediately come up with another method for achieving common understanding among ethnic groups.

If any Han Chinese dares to serve the king of the barbarians who have invaded China as a Han Chinese, he will be a great traitor to the Han nationality. The term "traitor" can finally be used.

At the same time, those who resisted the invasion of the Diyi kings into China were naturally the loyal and righteous people of the Han Dynasty. Mo Zibu even planned to invent the term "national hero".

Loyalty, this is a word that no longer refers to a certain emperor, but the entire Chinese nation!

However, this theory still has a flaw. Song Xiang looked at Mo Zibu worriedly.

"Your Majesty, ever since Xia Qi established the hereditary monarchy, the empire has been ruled by one family, and loyalty and treachery are judged solely by the emperor on the throne.

Your Majesty now wants to expand the concept of loyalty and treachery to the entire Han group. Does that mean that the world will change from a family dynasty to a world of all Han people?

Only when this world belongs to everyone can the distinction between loyalty and treachery stand firm, and only then will everyone recognize it as a substitute for the debate between Chinese and barbarians."

Mo Zibu pondered for a moment. "The world does not belong to one person, but to all people. Thousands of years ago, Jiang Shang said this wise saying. Huang Zongxi also made this point in the late Ming Dynasty."

I am not fighting against the Manchus and supporting the Han people for the sake of wealth and glory for one family or one surname. I am loyal to the Han people all over the world and I swear to restore the glory of the Han family. People all over the world should do the same as me.

Those who are loyal to the Han nationality and willing to shed their blood for their nation are loyal subjects of the nation and should receive greater rewards.

The Han people who bow down to serve the kings of the Di and Yi peoples are traitors to the Han nationality and are traitors!

From now on, those who remain loyal to the Han people will be rewarded, and those who betray their own people and willingly serve a foreign race will be put to death!

Song Xiang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said, "Your Majesty, once the people of the world understand this truth, they will use it to ask Your Majesty for power." "I will give it to him, as long as he deserves it!" Mo Zibu waved his hand, "When I was in Southeast Asia, I followed the ancient system and established a republican parliament, appointing elders and parliamentarians to participate in politics and affairs, all in preparation for that day.

As for power, Mo Zibu is not afraid. It is almost the 19th century, and if he still clings to his family empire, he will harm his descendants.

It is better to open up the power. As long as you have the ability, you can come to me, the emperor, and ask for power.

Let's hold a republican parliament together to discuss national affairs.

Mo Zibu prepared, step by step, and when he was about to leave this world, he would establish a constitutional monarchy with a nominal monarch in reality. The monarch would only act as a judge and would no longer be a feudal monarch who could decide the life and death of millions of people with a single word.

Song Xiang swallowed a mouthful of saliva. This was really going to change the world. He asked cautiously:

"Then according to your majesty's theory of Han loyalty and treachery, the Manchu Qing dynasty was a barbarian who destroyed the Han dynasty. There is no need to write history for the Manchu Qing dynasty in the future!"

"No more!" Mo Zibu waved his hand, "That's why I'm willing to pardon Ji Yun and the others. I only hope they can preserve the Ming Shilu. In the future, I, Dayu, will directly compile the Ming History.

As for the Qing Dynasty, Nurhaci rebelled as the Dragon and Tiger General, and his descendants are all traitors. When the time comes, I will pass on the title of traitorous and false master to them."

Song Xiang was convinced and prostrated himself on the ground. "Your Majesty has abandoned the honor of your family and surname just to restore China. I am willing to follow you until death to restore the glory of the Han Dynasty!"

Mo Zibu smiled and looked at Song Xiang. "Don't take the imperial examination anymore. It doesn't mean much to you. Go to Europe with Pan Youwei and see how their natural human rights work."

Mo Zibu was about to use his ultimate move, but he didn't know whether it was a flood or a beast or something else. But Mo Zibu knew that the world had changed.

Expelling the Qing Dynasty and restoring China is only the first step. Later, there is the need to take over the entire East and Australia, and even to get involved in Central Asia and North America. It is impossible to drive this solely by relying on the family-based model.

Because the lowest-class people will not pay for the monarch's personal desire to expand territory. As long as they can gain more, few of them will actively ask for increased difficulty. Without a large number of people voluntarily bringing their families, armed with guns and knives, and actively colonizing to expand the living space of their own people, many places will be impossible to defend.

Only with national ZY can it be realized.

As for whether this ideology will endanger the rule of the Mo Dynasty, I can’t care less about that.

Because it is about to become a trend, no one can stop it. Even if Mo Zibu doesn't do it, France will do it. Given his close relationship with France, I'm afraid the first country to be affected will be China.

Instead of being in a panic when the time comes, it would be better for him, the emperor, to do it himself, control the pace, take it slowly, and avoid exploding the country.

Thus, with Mo Zibu's insistence, this book entitled "On Righteousness, Loyalty and Treachery" came into being.

This book elevates the object of loyalty and treachery from a single monarch to the nation, calling on Han people all over the world to be loyal to the nation first, and then to be loyal to the monarch who can lead them and represent the nation.

A king who can represent the Han nationality must be of Han descent.

From then on, any Han person who was loyal to the Qing emperor was considered a complete traitor and a villain of the Han nationality.

At the same time, Mo Zibu limited the Han nationality to the descendants of Emperor Yan and Huang and Chi You. Anyone who respected these three as their ancestors could be called a Han Chinese.

The era of nationalism is finally coming. From now on, the emperor will gradually change from the master of the country to the patriarch of the country.

He is no longer the master of the nation, but its leader and protector.

(I won’t write books so deeply in future. Not only will I be criticized for nothing, but I will also lose subscriptions. The debate between Chinese and barbarians only considers culture and not blood. In modern times, it has become a cesspool. The Nationalist government even disdains to use it.)
. . . .

Macau, a small city located south of Xiangshan, has very tight defenses.

During the more than 200 years that the Portuguese occupied Macau, they built a large number of artillery batteries, all of which were large-caliber naval guns. In addition, there were a number of fortresses densely packed in this small city.

The port in the city is also under the protection of fortress artillery, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

At that time, Macau had a permanent population of about 12,000 people, but because Macau could trade with the Qing Dynasty on a small scale, the number of people coming to trade was also in the thousands or even tens of thousands all year round, totaling about 20,000 people.

Most of the population are Han Chinese, with only a small number of Portuguese, about three thousand people.

Mo Zibu naturally wouldn't rush in and start fighting against such a cockroach-like fortress city, because he had a better way.

That is to block the Portuguese escape route, then call all the Chinese back, and then block the land, not allowing a grain of rice, a vegetable, or a bucket of water to enter Macau.

This blockade lasted for two and a half months, and the Portuguese governor of Macau, Menezes, could no longer bear it. At this time, the city of Macau was littered with garbage and stank to high heaven, like a dead city.

At the same time, due to the extreme lack of food and water, residents in the city even began to fall ill in large numbers.

Under this tremendous pressure, Menezes tried several times to beg for mercy from Mozibu, but Mozibu ignored him.

This is just the beginning, the extreme pressure is not over yet.

"What does the cruel new emperor say? He still refuses to accept our request?" Governor Menezes asked irritably. Suddenly, a foul smell drifted from the street to the Governor's Palace, and he almost vomited on the spot.

"No, Emperor Seris insisted that we swear allegiance to him before he would lift the blockade of Macau," replied the negotiating representative, Colonel Antonio.

"He's crazy! This Emperor of Seris must be crazy. How could he ask the officials and soldiers of the Kingdom of Portugal to be loyal to him?"

Governor Menezes screamed in disbelief, then looked at Colonel Antonio suspiciously and asked:

"Colonel, did you forget to mention that we are willing to hand over the three million taels of silver sent by the Qing Governor, and we are also willing to pay an additional thirty thousand taels in compensation?"

"I did, but the emperor was very adamant. He said he wasn't short of money, but he just didn't want to see a governor in his territory who was loyal to another monarch."

"Oh my God!" Governor Menezes groaned in despair. "We are willing to surrender, as long as we can evacuate with our men and ships, and he won't agree?"

"That's agreed," Colonel Antonio replied. But just as Governor Menezes' face showed a hint of joy, the colonel continued:

"But the emperor said that we have been in Macau for over a hundred years and have only paid rent to the Qing Dynasty but not to him. We need to make up for the past hundred years."

"What an unreasonable robber!" the Governor cursed. "How much did he ask?"

Colonel Antonio was shocked. "Governor, you don't really want to agree to this, do you? If we lose Macau, the Marquis of Pombal will hang us all in Lisbon!"

The Marquis of Pombal was the actual ruler of the Kingdom of Portugal at that time. If he knew that Macau was lost, he would definitely hang Governor Menezes and Colonel Antonio.

Because after the Lisbon earthquake in 1755 destroyed the entire city, the Kingdom of Portugal fell into an economic crisis, or more precisely, a crisis of lack of money.

Losing Macau, a source of revenue that pays hundreds of thousands of taels of silver every year, would not be a big deal for Britain and France, but it would be difficult for Portugal, which had not yet fully rebuilt the city of Lisbon, to bear.

"How much does he want?" Governor Menezes asked through gritted teeth.

"Ten thousand taels a year, a total of 1.27 million taels." Colonel Antonio replied.

"Bastard, he doesn't even want us to surrender!" Governor Menezes cursed. "Colonel, go find the officials in Seres and tell them that I want to see the Emperor in person."

Colonel Antonio looked at Governor Menezes worriedly, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Your Excellency, Governor, I must report to you that if you choose to give up Macau, the merchants and soldiers who have lived here for hundreds of years will definitely not agree."

This is a threat! Governor Menezes was so angry that he felt dizzy.

But he knew in his heart that he didn't have much room for choice. Emperor Seris had never revealed his true demands, so he could only ask himself.

(End of this chapter)