Chapter 573: Ruan Chuntang and Messi

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Ruan Chuntang walked along the newly built road inside Hongji Fort, his heart pounding with fear.

Although Ha Long Bay at this moment held many things that terrified him as a county magistrate, Ruan Chuntang himself had never expected that what frightened him most was actually the speed at which this fortress city had been constructed!

Ruan Chuntang was of the Kinh people of Annam. As a native clan that had lived for generations in the capital, Shenglong Prefecture, the Ruan Clan had grasped well the knack of political opportunism, managing to survive Annam's chaotic dynastic upheavals.

This was also the reason Ruan Chuntang could secure a county magistrate post in the frontier region. In the years since the current Grand Marshal Zheng Zhuang rose to power, in order to stabilize the capital and win allies, he had given the Ruan family a minor outpost assignment: Hengpu County in Quảng Yên Province, the location of the later Hongji City in Quang Ninh Province.

Although it was a minor post far from the capital, it was still extremely important to Ruan Chuntang; after all, this position was earned by the family siding with the Zheng Clan. That is to say, in the current court situation, the Ruan family had chosen power and powerful ministers, abandoning the Emperor, legitimacy, and morality... the cost could not be called small.

Precisely because of this, Ruan Chuntang, now in his forties and one of the clan's pillars, was diligent and conscientious in the daily county affairs of Hengpu County, not daring to make the slightest mistake. After several years of such diligence, Ruan Chuntang's capability for "diligent governance" was gradually hyped by his clansmen all the way to Shenglong Prefecture. Just half a year ago, word came that Grand Marshal Zheng Zhuang himself had heard his name, which for a time made Ruan Chuntang highly favored within the clan.

His good mood lasted until that day about a month ago.

When the yamen runners came rushing in panic to report that a large number of ships had appeared near Ha Long Estuary, and that pirates were landing en masse day and night without pause, Ruan Chuntang knew trouble had arrived.

In these times, not to mention the Great Ming, the Annam coastal area was equally plagued by bandits. It was common for large bands of pirates to gather, land ashore, and plunder, so Ruan Chuntang did not doubt the accuracy of the intelligence at all at first.

But just as Magistrate Ruan was gathering the militia within Hengpu County, strengthening defenses and preparing for the enemy, the continuous stream of follow-up intelligence plunged him into confusion — the pirates were setting up camp at Ha Long Estuary, the pirates were building a fort at Ha Long Estuary, the pirates were going to the villages to deliver relief goods to the locals, the locals were all going to join the pirates...

The chaotic and contradictory intelligence left Ruan Chuntang at a loss. Finally, after offering a generous reward, a subordinate risked his life to go to the coast to scout in person, and then sent back accurate intelligence: they were not pirates, but seemingly legitimate Great Ming troops.

Ruan Chuntang: "..."

After neurotically sending men repeatedly to "enter the enemy camp to negotiate" until confirming the identity of the visitors, Magistrate Ruan finally understood why the coastal fishermen were flocking to join the "pirates."

The terrified Magistrate Ruan, while urgently dispatching men to deliver a letter to Shenglong Prefecture, also prepared to go question OR request a meeting with the Ming troops — a tiny county magistrate like him could not meddle in the major affairs of war between two nations, but when the Shenglong Prefecture army arrived, as a local official, if he could not even explain why the Ming people had landed, he would lose his head.

So Ruan Chuntang came today. In full official robe, with full regalia, half-reclining on a covered lifting pole, he put on the airs of a local official and was carried by his subordinates to lodge a stern protest with the Ming Army.

However, when he arrived at Ha Long Bay, he was so shocked he nearly fell off the lifting pole: in a short time, a city had risen from the ground on the formerly desolate beach. A brick fort with thick walls had appeared so abruptly before Ruan Chuntang, as if thrown down by a god.

In a great fury, Magistrate Ruan grabbed his subordinate by the collar: "You fool, this is no mere fort, it's clearly a city! Why did you not tell me this the day before yesterday?"

The subordinate was also dumbfounded now, stammering so badly he could barely get his tongue straight: "M-Master, it truly was not this fast! When this lowly one came here the day before yesterday, the city wall was not even in sight!"

One could not blame the Annamese for their shock; the power of technology was something most people of this era did not understand. For a city wall built by a transmigrator, the most laborious part was actually excavating and leveling the foundation.

As for the wall itself, the existence of standard red bricks, firstly, eliminated the "grinding bricks to a seamless fit" process, an essential step for ancient craftsmen when constructing buildings. Secondly, the existence of cement also greatly shortened construction time; these black technologies were the key to the city wall's sudden rise from the ground.

After carefully examining his terrified subordinate and confirming that this trusted aide brought from the clan was not lying, Ruan Chuntang's expression immediately darkened: the Ming people had premeditated this; their intentions were surely not small.

Standing at a distance, after observing the harbor adjacent to the city and the dozen or so large ships in the bay for a while, Ruan Chuntang's party subsequently arrived at the gate of Hongji Fort.

Not long after, when Magistrate Ruan was let inside the fort and personally stepped onto the walkway within Hongji Fort, he momentarily stopped in his tracks.

Laid out beneath Ruan Chuntang's feet was a red brick walkway so luxurious it defied description. One had to know that even in Shenglong Prefecture, red bricks were only used for the walls of the imperial palace's inner court and some grand mansions. How could something so labor-intensive and time-consuming be laid underfoot?

And what was presented before him now were two red brick roads wide enough for horses to run on. Although not yet completed, the extension trajectory of the two brick roads was already very clear: a cross shape running through the inner fort.

Standing on the dry red brick road, Ruan Chuntang stomped hard several times: they were indeed high-quality red bricks.

At this moment, Ruan Chuntang first looked up at the bamboo and wood rain shelter erected above, then looked down at the craftsmen intently paving the road. Next, he turned around and deeply scrutinized the outer wall of Hongji Fort, likewise built of red bricks... and the cannons gleaming with a blue-black sheen atop the wall.

When entering the city gate earlier, deep down, Ruan Chuntang still somewhat disbelieved his own eyes: in this era, even the city walls of the Great Ming's two capitals, north and south, were all built with a yellow earth core and a stone brick facing. Never in the world had a city wall been purely constructed of stacked red bricks.

But just moments ago, when Ruan Chuntang entered the gate, he had indeed clearly seen the cross-section of the wall: it was entirely built of red bricks.

Now, with the walkway as confirmation, the last trace of doubt in Ruan Chuntang's heart vanished completely: "Truly unwelcome guests! But when did the Ming become so extravagant? Weren't they also said to be in the midst of internal strife?"

With deep confusion and deep unease, Ruan Chuntang ultimately arrived before the red brick mansion at the very center of the city.

After presenting his name card and official seal for announcement, suppressing the unease within, Ruan Chuntang strove to calm his emotions. Shortly after, led by a strangely dressed guard at the door, Magistrate Ruan was brought into the house alone.

To Ruan Chuntang's surprise, the interior of the large house was very bright, with seven or eight brightly shining kerosene lamps around, making the magistrate, accustomed to dim palace halls, somewhat uncomfortable.

Very quickly, upon first clearly seeing the person seated in the center of the main hall, wearing a Great Ming military officer's official robe, Ruan Chuntang ignored everyone else around, stepped forward with measured strides, bent at the waist, and performed a full salute: "Your subordinate, Ruan Chuntang, Magistrate of Hengpu County of the Annam Kingdom, pays respects to the esteemed lords of the Ming Nation."

Like all the small countries surrounding the Great Ming in this era, the Annamese, though viewing the Ming people as enemies, still had their upper class speak Chinese and write Chinese characters — the later Vietnamese script, a Latinized phonetic writing system, would only be promoted during the French colonization period starting in 1884.

Actually, before Ruan Chuntang entered, the person originally presiding over the reception was Shao Qiang, dressed in casual clothes. Unexpectedly, after this minor Annam official, clad in a knock-off Great Ming robe, entered, he mistook Sha Zhengming, who was in military attire, for the person in charge.

But it didn't matter; dealing with a minor Annam official, anyone would do. So Sha Zhengming waved his hand carelessly: "Mm, dispense with formalities. Give him a seat."

Although the Great Ming considered Annam a vassal state, the Annamese referred to themselves internally as the "Great Yue Kingdom," only using Annam externally.

In fact, ever since the Annamese defeated the Ming occupation army and established the Lê Dynasty two hundred years ago, their national subconscious had long viewed the Ming people as enemies, so Magistrate Ruan today could not afford to lose momentum under any circumstances... this was a diplomatic matter, after all.

Thus, in the next moment, in the center of the main hall, Magistrate Ruan calmly took his seat, subtly assuming a confrontational stance with the many Ming people seated opposite him in a semicircle.

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Since the atmosphere was poor, neither side bothered with pleasantries. After a few words, the conversation quickly touched upon the core issue of Magistrate Ruan's visit: what had the Ming people come for?

This question had been asked before by the negotiators Ruan Chuntang sent, but those who came were of too low a rank and were dismissed without receiving a definite answer.

Today, since Ruan Chuntang, the officially appointed county magistrate, was here, formally representing the Annam authorities, the transmigrators no longer prevaricated and openly stated their reason for coming here: to take over the land.

Take over whose land?

The Annam land put up by the defeated Frankish merchants in the Macau War to ransom themselves.

Upon hearing this, Ruan Chuntang, as expected by the observers, revealed a mixed expression of confusion and disbelief. After a while, having finally digested Sha Zhengming's words, he asked with a face full of incredulity: "Even if taking over some farm estates and agricultural land, is there any need to build a city on the soil of my Annam Kingdom?"

"A joke. Do you think we lords don't know? Not to mention the bandits everywhere in Annam, your court, from top to bottom, is full of no good people either. We lords, now bearing the imperial mandate, have no choice but to come to this godforsaken place. How could we not build a small fort to shelter ourselves?"

Hearing this, Ruan Chuntang was already too exhausted to retort: with the scale of this city, you have the nerve to call it a "small fort?"

Fortunately, Magistrate Ruan could also see by now that this Ming military officer was likely a crude fellow who didn't bother with reason. So he shook his head slightly and asked the next question: "Since it is land ceded by Frankish merchants, are there title deeds?"

"Isn't that nonsense? How could there be no title deeds?"

Sha Zhengming waved his hand impatiently upon hearing this, turned his head toward a side room door, and shouted: "Staff Officer Zhao, are you done yet? If you're done, hurry up and bring out the Frankish title deeds."

"Sir, right away!"

After a short while, a young man wearing a front-opening short jacket hurried out from the inner room, holding a stack of papers in his hand.

Seeing this, Sha Zhengming confidently waved his hand: "Show him the title deeds."

"Yes!"

Ruan Chuntang, equally brimming with confidence, took the title deeds: he was certain he could find problems with these deeds, because as the local county magistrate, he knew very well that the County Yamen could never have approved such a large area, sufficient for building a city and port, to some damn Frankish merchants.

In the next moment, Ruan Chuntang lowered his head and carefully examined these title deeds.

At first glance, the printing paper of these title deeds was very exquisite, and the official seals and stamps on them also seemed to be complete.

The topmost sheet — the land's original owner was a Frankish merchant named Leo Messi. Never mind whether it was real or fake; the acreage noted on this deed alone was already staggering: a full 5,000 mu of contiguous land, located precisely here at the city of Ha Long Bay, complete with a detailed map.

The original landlord on the sheet beneath it was called Nélson Semedo.

The next one down was called Sergi Samper.

The last sheet was called Ter Stegen, apparently a Prussian merchant.

The deeds were quite numerous — twenty-three sheets in total.

The next moment, Magistrate Ruan's mouth gaped wide, his eyes bulging, and he dabbed his middle finger on the merchant Messi's deed, then faced Assistant Regional Commander Sha and made an insulting gesture, asking in a trembling voice: "The ink's not even dry yet?"