In fact, when he was formulating the Pacific Island Chain plan, Tang Jian had specifically studied the large and small islands in the South China Sea such as Luzon (Philippines), Borneo (now Kalimantan). (As for Lan Fangguo, he was still the Minister of Education Liang Qichao specifically told him that in 1905, Liang Qichao published "Biographies of Great Chinese Colonial Figures" in the 63rd issue of "Xinmin Congbao". From then on, the affairs of the Lanfang Republic were known to the Chinese people. Of course, what is known here, It means that some people know that, like Tang Jian, most people in China do not know the existence of Lan Fang Country at all.
When Aunt Hong said this, she couldn't help crying secretly, and she was choked and speechless.
Tang Jian sighed and said: "The Lanfang Republic, the full name of the Lanfang Republic, was established in 1770 (between the 42nd year of Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty and 1885) in Borneo, South Asia (the line occupied by Indonesia is called Garin Mandan). The founder of the Chinese country on the island was Luo Fangbo of Meizhou, Guangdong, because the first president was Chen Lanbo, and the second president was Luo Fangbo, who was named Lanfang, but was later destroyed by the Dutch."
Aunt Hong said in surprise: "How do you know so clearly?"
Tang Jian smiled slightly and said: "I know a few words, and I am more interested in the Nanyang Islands, so I have studied them specifically. I still know a thing or two about the history of Lanfang Kingdom."
In fact, Tang Jian's understanding of Lan Fangguo is more than this. What Tang Jian said was not a lie. He was indeed more interested in the Nanyang Islands. Of course, he did it for China's national defense construction needs. Tang Jian Jian has indeed studied it carefully.
There have been Chinese settlements in Borneo for a long time, and most of them are engaged in trade. They often form their own companies, and the Southern Company headed by Luo Fangbo is one of them. Due to the intensification of the invasion of Southeast Asia by the Dutch and other Western colonists at that time, Luo Fangbo followed the current situation and the requirements of the local Chinese and backward ethnic groups to protect their rights to survive, and established the Lanfang Republic in 1770, with its capital at Dongbanting. He was also supported as the Large total system.
Among the many countries in Southeast Asia, Luo Fangbo followed the Chinese tradition to establish Lanfang, and imitated the political system that had just emerged in the West at that time, stipulating that all matters of the country must consult the people before they can be implemented.
The most commendable thing is that Luo Fangbo did not proclaim himself emperor, and the empire was self-contained, let alone king (he only proclaimed himself king to the local indigenous people, and was still called Lanfang Company to the Qing Dynasty. Shortly after the establishment of the Lanfang Republic, Luo Fangbo sent people to drive away the Lanfang Republic. He went to Beijing to report the situation to the central government of the Qing Dynasty at that time, paid tribute, met with Emperor Qianlong, and asked for vassal status. He also wanted to include the land of West Borneo into the territory of the Qing Dynasty, but Emperor Qianlong at the time ignored it. He arrogantly believed that these people were abandoned by the Celestial Empire, and did not adopt Luo Fangbo's suggestion to include Borneo in the territory of the Qing Dynasty. It has to be said to be a pity.
Lan Fang Kingdom was established six years earlier than the United States, and 11 years earlier than Washington was elected as the first president in 1787 and realized the federal republican system of the United States of America. This has to be said to be a miracle in the history of Chinese overseas colonization. It is also a miracle that has been forgotten by most people.
However, the development and growth of the Lanfang Republic was jealous of the Western colonists and the backward ethnic groups in Southeast Asia who relied on them. As the Qing Dynasty gradually became a semi-colonial and semi-feudal country, the solid backing of the Lanfang Republic could not provide help, and it lost its support. This small Chinese country established in a foreign land was attacked by the Dutch colonial invading army.
At that time, all the people of the Lanfang Republic put up a tenacious resistance. In the end, due to poor weapons and betrayal by the local indigenous people, this small Chinese country unfortunately perished. It only existed for a total of 110 years. However, this record is greater than ever in the history of mainland China. The political power established lasted much longer. Later, Borneo was transferred from the Netherlands to Indonesia and renamed Kalimantan. These are things for later.
In short, the Lanfang Republic can be said to be the pride of the Chinese colonial history in Nanyang, and it was also the beginning of the suffering of overseas Chinese, because from that time on, the status of the Chinese on the Nanyang islands became increasingly low and they suffered oppression.
Aunt Hong wiped away her tears and said: "We Lanfang Man are the descendants of the Lanfang Kingdom. During the Dutch-Chinese War more than sixty years ago, the Dutch-Indian government sent Andersen to lead troops to invade Borneo and wipe out all Chinese colonies. , during this period, our Lanfang country raised troops to resist many times. However, due to backward weapons and the ungratefulness of the local indigenous people, we assisted the Dutch foreigners to expel the Chinese. We Lanfang people were outnumbered and could only retreat. The local indigenous people got the Dutch With the support of the foreign martyrs, they massacred the Chinese in Borneo, completely forgetting that it was Lanfang who provided them with shelter in the first place, and these natives were able to survive until now. However, they united with the Dutch foreign martyrs to come Resisting Lanfang, Mr. Tang, did you know? Tens of thousands of us Lanfang people died under the spears and guns of the local indigenous people and the guns of the Dutch foreigners. At that time, all the descendants of Lanfang were killed and injured, and their blood was It flows into a river, and the corpses are piled as high as a hill.Under the joint suppression of local indigenous people and Dutch foreigners, as long as we Lanfang people fled Borneo, many people fled to Malay, Kuala Lumpur and other places, and we Lanfang people are a small branch of them. Abandoned by our motherland, unable to return to our homeland, and unable to return to Borneo, we had no choice but to wander on the South China Sea and start a career as pirates. "
Tang Jian could feel from Aunt Hong¡¯s slightly trembling voice how heavy the Lanfang people had suffered. This was simply a history of blood and tears that contained too much pain.
Aunt Hong added: "Although we are abandoned citizens of the Celestial Empire, we have never forgotten our identity as Chinese. Therefore, although we have become pirates, we Lanfang Man have never intercepted Chinese merchant ships. We It's just the merchant ships of the foreign martyrs. This time is an exception, because under the pressure of the South China Sea Fleet, our living space is getting smaller and smaller, and the weapons on those foreign martyrs are becoming more and more powerful. We are really We only robbed the Chunlan when we had no other choice."
Tang Jian nodded and said, ¡°I understand this. "
Aunt Hong said again: "No, you don't fully understand it yet. I will take you to see the real Lan Fangman and you will understand."
Tang Jian had no choice but to nod and follow Aunt Hong. Aunt Hong led Tang Jian through the woods and came to another place. If the meeting hall and the cell where the hostages were held just now were Lan Fangman's "office area", Then this place is the residential area of ????Lan Fangman.
Because Tang Jian was a hostage, he had never stepped into this residential area. When Lan Fangman's residential area was completely presented in front of Tang Jian's eyes, Tang Jian was still shocked by the scene in front of him.
What appeared in front of Tang Jian's eyes were rows of well-proportioned bamboo buildings, with streets and streets connecting each other, and dogs and cats chatting with each other. It is not easy to carve out such an idyllic residential area in the dense tropical jungle. If the peach blossom source described in "Original Records" is real, then this place is another peach blossom source on the sea.
Tang Jian followed Aunt Hong into the residential area from the field path. Everywhere in the residential area, some old people could be seen leisurely sitting in front of the door, looking peacefully at the urchins playing in the open space. From time to time, there were a few local dogs chasing them. A black cat ran by.
If we didn¡¯t say that this is the home of Lan Fangman, the largest pirate organization in the South China Sea, outsiders would definitely think that this is just an ordinary residential gathering place on the Nanyang Islands.
However, there is one thing that is a flaw in this peaceful school, that is, whether they are old people, women or children, they are all very thin. Not only are they thin, there is no blood on their faces, they are pale and pale, obviously due to nutrition Even those local dogs behaved badly, they were so skinny that they were just skin and bones.
Seeing Tang Jian frown slightly, Aunt Hong said, "Mr. Tang, come with me again."
Tang Jian followed Aunt Hong into a house casually. Aunt Hong walked straight to the kitchen of the house, opened the rice vat and said, "Look!"
Tang Jian stretched his head over and saw that the rice vat was empty, not even a grain of rice could be seen. As Aunt Hong said, Lan Fang was in a difficult situation at this time, even more difficult than Tang Jian imagined. No wonder Lan Fang's descendants They will be forced to give up their previous vow not to rob Chinese merchant ships. Now Tang Jian finally understood that as hostages, their food was not bad, and it was even better than that of Lan Fangman's children. This may be Du Sanniang's compensation for breaking her original vow.
Because Lan Fangman has reached the point where she has no rice to cook, if Du Sanniang no longer creates "income", then all the children in the living area are likely to starve, or even starve to death.
Aunt Hong said: "I saw that the old people and children had no rice to cook, so I advised Sanniang to intercept your boat. Although Sanniang was firmly opposed at first, saying that the Lanfang people had made an oath, Lanfang Fang people are also Chinese, and Lanfang people have never intercepted Chinese merchant ships. However, Lanfang's plight is really before our eyes. If we don't go to sea to do business, these children will starve to death. In the end, they will not be able to withstand us. After your persuasion, Sanniang ordered your ship to be intercepted."
Tang Jian was silent, this Du Sanniang is really a strange woman!
Tang Jian asked: "Since Lanfang has destroyed the country, why don't you return to the mainland and live a normal life?"
"We thought too! We wrote a letter to Zhang Zhidong, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi at the time, but Mr. Zhang refused our request to return because we had no land and returning to the mainland would inevitably cause local rebellion. Therefore, We, the people abandoned by our motherland, can only continue to wander on the sea all day long." Aunt Hong sighed.
Tang Jian was speechless. At that time, the former Qing Dynasty experienced the rebellion of the Tianping Heavenly Kingdom and the Nian Army. The Qing government had no control over these landless people.The control of refugees is extremely strict, so these Lanfang people who have been floating overseas for more than a century are not allowed to return to the mainland.
"But then China was founded. Why didn't you join China?" Tang Jian asked.
Aunt Hong gritted her teeth and snorted coldly: "Return to China? If it weren't for President Tang Jian, I'm afraid we would have returned long ago."