Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 386 Southern Grain Transport North
November 24, Guangzhou, Huangpu Port.

The cold wind, carrying salty sea fog, lashed against the mottled hulls of the "Shunping" and "Funing".

On the deck, Captain Sun Delu stared at the gloomy sky, his brows furrowed in worry.

"At this time of year, are we really going to head north?" He spat and turned to a sailor beside him. "The northeast wind is blowing so hard; once we get to the sea, the waves will probably be higher than the city walls!"

Zheng Xiaosuo didn't say anything, but reached into her clothes and touched the amulet that her mother had obtained from the Mazu Temple.

I'm sure Mazu will protect me!

On the dock, Liu Qingfeng, the manager of Xinhua Second Shipping Company, held an account book in his hand and shouted loudly to the laborers unloading cargo: "Load the ship faster! The soldiers and refugees in the north are waiting for rice to cook, we can't afford any delays!"

The laborers remained silent, their backs hunched, moving back and forth between the pier and the cargo ships like ants.

Eight thousand bushels of rice were wrapped in coarse burlap sacks, each sack stamped with a bright red "Xinhua" wax seal. The sacks were carried onto the ship, causing the "Shunping" to sink even further below its waterline.

Not far away, a group of ragged refugees huddled in a corner of a house, their empty eyes fixed on the food sacks, like starving wild dogs staring at bones.

Several soldiers from the patrol station, their hands on their waist knives, pointed at the dock and occasionally burst into laughter.

"Manager Zhao, going out to sea this season... it's like gambling with your life!" Captain Li Dehai walked over and said in a low voice.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling timid now that it's time to set off?" Liu Qingfeng closed the ledger and turned to look at him.

"The sea was really rough on our way north, and the danger was considerable," Li Dehai sighed, his face showing worry.

Over the years, everyone who has worked on ships has known this fact: "After early winter, southern ships disappear, for they are afraid of the wind and waves!"

"There's nothing we can do about it!" Liu Qingfeng shook his head and said, "Commander Zhong of the Liaohai Colonization Team sent an order for our Second Transport Division to spare no expense in sending 20,000 shi of rice to the north for urgent use."

"You've all heard, haven't you? The news from the Ming court's reports is terrible. The Qing invaders have breached Qingshankou (present-day Qianxi, Hebei) and Qiangziling (present-day Miyun, Beijing), and tens of thousands of troops have swept into the capital region and Hebei, capturing dozens of prefectures and counties, leaving countless corpses on the ground. If it comes any later, Shandong will likely suffer as well, and there will be even more refugees."

"If this batch of rice doesn't get delivered, heaven knows how many refugees will die in the harsh winter, and who knows how long the soldiers in Dongjiang Town can hold out."

“But against the wind and current, it'll take at least another month!” Li Dehai rubbed his hands, which were red from the cold. “The brothers are worried…”

“Those who make a living at sea are bound to take risks.” Liu Qingfeng’s eyes sharpened, and he said in a deep voice, “Besides, this grain is being transported there to save lives! Think about it, the Tartars are ravaging the north, and there must be countless people displaced and homeless. Although this grain cannot save everyone, it can give thousands or tens of thousands of people a glimmer of hope to survive.”

"..." Li Dehai was speechless upon hearing this.

Sigh, it's really not easy to earn a salary at Xinhua!

Sometimes, you have to risk your life.

"Alright then..." Liu Qingfeng suddenly raised his voice and shouted to the busy sailors on the dock, "All those who go to sea this time will have their wages doubled! If they return safely, they will be rewarded with another five taels of silver! If... anything untoward happens, our Second Transport Company will give each of your families thirty taels of silver as compensation!"

There was a commotion in the crowd.

"Doubled!?" Sun Delu's eyes widened. "Dead and still getting thirty taels of silver in compensation? Damn, that's enough to buy several acres of paddy fields!"

Zheng Xiaosuo finally spoke: "This amount of money is enough for our family of six to live comfortably for a while... Maybe we'll get through this journey safely."

"That would be perfect!" Sun Delu licked his lips. "This season is really unpredictable..."

At this time, it is early winter, and the prevailing wind is the northeast monsoon, which is quite strong (generally force 4-6), making it extremely unfavorable for northward navigation. It is necessary to sail against the wind and take a detour.

At this time, although typhoons are rare, the northern part of the South China Sea may still encounter "local typhoons (i.e., strong storms)," which poses a considerable risk to navigation.

If you take the traditional route (sailing close to the coastline), the whole journey is against the wind and current, and it takes about 40-60 days (only 20 days when sailing with the wind).

Moreover, they were also highly likely to encounter pirate attacks and extortion by the Zheng family's fleet.

If one takes the outer ocean route (Guangzhou → Dongsha Islands → east of Ryukyu → Tsushima Current → Liaohai), although one can take advantage of the Kuroshio Current and travel with the current, which is faster (saving 8-10 days), the sea is rough and the winds are high. If one encounters danger, the chances of survival are slim.

"Your mission involves more than just delivering grain..." Liu Qingfeng hesitated for a moment, then said, "Once you reach Liaohai or Shandong, you will also need to transfer the refugees on shore to the sea to save them from the suffering of cold and hunger. We will accept all people who wish to go to my Xinzhou, no matter how many. Therefore..."

"So even if we deliver the grain, we'll still have to stay there?" Li Dehai said with a bitter smile. "You Xinhua people throw out huge sums of money, only to treat us like livestock!"

Liu Qingfeng patted him on the shoulder and said solemnly, "Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. If those suffering people are left unrescued, they will either die under the Tartars' swords or be swallowed up by the winter wind and snow."

“Our brothers’ lives are lives too!” Li Dehai sighed softly.

"In this world, human life is cheap as a dog." Liu Qingfeng turned and walked towards the dockside warehouse. "Take care on your journey. If you come back alive, I'll treat you to a visit to Fuxiang Tower. I heard there's a new Yangzhou girl there who plays the pipa exceptionally well!" "Hehe..." Li Dehai laughed. "Alright, I'll remember that. ...Don't renege on your promise when I get back!"

A commotion arose from the warehouse.

Three soldiers from the patrol station were striking a boy who was stealing scraps of rice with their scabbards, and purple marks immediately appeared on the boy's thin arms.

Liu Qingfeng strode over, took out a few copper coins and stuffed them into the soldiers' hands. The boy took the opportunity to slip into the crowd and disappear.

"Alas, the Ming Dynasty..."
-
December 5, Huai'an, canal wharf.

The cold wind howled, and the boatmen at Huai'an Wharf wrapped themselves tightly in their worn-out cotton-padded coats, their breath quickly dissipating in the cold wind.

Two sand barges were quietly moored on the shore, their hulls drafted quite deep into the water. The holds were filled with sacks of rice, each sealed with an lacquer seal—the official seal of the Ministry of Revenue.

"Lord Shen, it's not advisable to go out to sea in this weather!" Zhu Gaoyuan, the chief clerk of the Grand Canal Transport Office, rubbed his hands together, his brows furrowed.

He was nearly fifty years old and had spent most of his life on the canal, so he knew all too well the dangers of sea transport in winter.

Not to mention that they were just two flat-bottomed sand boats, which could capsize at any moment on the turbulent sea.

Shen Tingyang, a senior official in the Shandong Provincial Department of Revenue, stood at the bow of the boat, his light robe fluttering in the cold wind.

He gazed at the murky river, his eyes resolute. "Lord Zhu," he said, "the Qing invaders are currently ravaging the capital region and Hebei. The area must be devastated. Not only are our Ming army facing a food shortage, but millions of civilians are also displaced and starving. This shipment of rice by sea is a relief to the court. How can we let the cold weather and high waves hinder our national affairs?"

Zhu Gaoyuan sighed: "Lord Shen, since the founding of our Ming Dynasty, maritime transport has been neglected for a long time, and the nautical charts of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty have long been lost. This route is full of hidden reefs and treacherous shoals..."

“Hehe…” Shen Tingyang laughed upon hearing this. “If it were a few years ago, without a nautical chart to guide us northward by sea, there would be countless reefs and treacherous shoals. If we were not careful, there would indeed be a risk of our ships capsizing.”

"However, now that we have a more detailed nautical chart, we will have no worries about the many dangers we face on our voyage north to Tianjin."

"Hmm?" Zhu Gaoyuan looked at the doctor, who was so eager to restore the maritime transport of grain, with surprise. "Sir, where did you get the nautical chart? Could you have been tricked by someone?"

"Master Zhu, do you know anything about the people of Xinzhou?" Shen Tingyang did not answer directly, but instead asked a strange question.

“The people of Xinzhou?” Zhu Gaoyuan muttered to himself. “I’ve heard a little about them. They claim to be descendants of the former Song Dynasty, living on a new continent thousands of miles east of the sea. Several years ago, they even went to the capital to pay homage to the Emperor of our Great Ming Dynasty, requesting to become vassals.”

"Do you know that the people of Xinzhou started transporting rice from Southeast Asia and Guangdong to Liaodong via sea eight years ago to make a profit?"

"Hiss..." Zhu Gaoyuan was stunned upon hearing this. "What does Lord Shen mean..."

“Indeed!” Shen Tingyang smiled slightly. “Several months ago, I asked someone to obtain the northbound shipping map from the people of Xinzhou. This time, I personally supervised two sand barges heading north to Tianjin from Huai’an to verify this in person.”

"We all know that the Grand Canal transport costs millions, yet it still delays military supplies and wastes time and effort. If sea transport becomes feasible, it can save hundreds of thousands of taels of silver per year, the soldiers in Liaodong will no longer have to suffer from hunger, and the people of the north can enjoy the goods of the south. From then on, the north and south will be connected without any obstacles, which will be entirely beneficial to our Great Ming!"

Seeing that he was determined, Zhu Gaoyuan could only smile bitterly: "Lord Shen, you're gambling with your life..."

“Since the beginning of the year, when I submitted the ‘Memorial on Maritime Transport,’ I have already staked my life on it!” Shen Tingyang smiled faintly: “If I win the gamble, the problem of food shortage in the north will be solved; if I lose the gamble, I will only face death.”

He turned to the boatmen and announced loudly, "Those who accompany me on this journey north will receive double the salary! If we arrive safely in Tianjin, the imperial court will offer an even greater reward!"

A commotion broke out in the crowd, and a dozen or so sailors immediately stepped forward and jumped onto the deck.

At this point, as long as there's money to be made and a full meal to eat, what's the point of having a worthless life!
"Raise anchor!" Shen Tingyang gave the order, and the boatmen pulled the ropes, slowly raising the heavy anchor.

A biting wind howled, sails billowed, and two sand barges slowly sailed away from the dock.

In the distance, several officials from the Grand Canal Transport Bureau watched coldly. One of them muttered, "Hmph, trying to be a hero! Going out to sea this season, they're probably never going back..."

"Heh, we might run into the Tartars..."

"We may not encounter the Tartars, but the port is definitely going to be frozen. This Lord Shen probably has to find a place to dock even after his ship reaches the north."

"Hmph, this perfectly good canal transport has been running for hundreds of years, providing livelihoods for hundreds of thousands of people. Are they really going to be ruined by one person?"

"This act is nothing more than a publicity stunt to gain favor and advance his career!"

"Replacing grain transport with sea transport is probably no easy task... Let's wait and see!"

"..."
-
(End of this chapter)