Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 388 Shen Tingyang's "Olive Branch"

December 1th, the eleventh year of the Chongzhen reign (January 18th, 1639).

Nan Changshan Island.

A biting wind blew and sea fog filled the air. After disembarking, Shen Tingyang wrapped his cotton robe tighter around himself and walked along the slippery wooden planks of the dock toward the nearby water fortress.

"This humble servant greets Lord Shen!"

"Please forgive me for not greeting you properly, sir!..."

At the gate, a group of soldiers wearing tattered mandarin duck jackets knelt down hastily upon seeing their superior, dressed in the robes of a fifth-rank official, arrive.

Liang Tianqiu, the leader of the Miaodao battalion, kowtowed heavily on the cold ground, repeatedly apologizing.

Under the Ming Dynasty's official system, low-ranking military officers were not required to kneel and pay respects to civil officials. The usual etiquette was a bow or a cupped-hand salute, with the specifics adjusted according to rank and subordinate relationship.

However, after the mid-Ming Dynasty, under the political climate of respecting civil officials and belittling military officials, military officers, especially those of lower rank, often had to show higher etiquette, such as deep bows, humble speeches, and even kneeling and kowtowing, which made them look very undignified.

This Lord Shen is a senior official in the Shandong Provincial Department of Revenue. Not only is his rank far higher than Liang Tianqiu's, but he is also a high-ranking official in the capital. Even the governors of Dengzhou and Laizhou would probably have to show him some respect, let alone this lowly military officer.

"Hmm." Shen Tingyang responded, raised his hand to signal them to get up, but his eyes were fixed on the few guards in tight-fitting short clothes standing on one side of the gate.

The man wore a felt hat, stood upright, and had a determined look in his eyes. He was holding a musket equipped with a gun and sword in his right hand, which made him stand out conspicuously among the group of disheveled soldiers stationed on the island.

"Lord Shen, please!" A tall, composed man came out of the village to greet him, smiling and cupping his hands in greeting.

"Lord Shen, you have come from afar, I am so sorry for not welcoming you properly! I am Zhong Minghui, Special Envoy of Xinhua to the Ming Dynasty and Commissioner of the Liaohai Colonization Area. I have long admired your reputation in the Grand Canal transport, and it is an honor to meet you today!"

Shen Tingyang's expression softened slightly, and he returned the greeting with a cupped hand, saying, "Special Envoy Zhong, you are too kind. I am on my way north to transport grain, and I heard that your esteemed envoy is staying here, so I came to pay my respects. Please forgive any intrusion on my part."

"No, no!" Zhong Minghui bowed politely again.

The crowd welcomed Shen Tingyang into the village and went straight to a trading post set up there by Xinhua.

Although the museum's furnishings are rather small and simple, they are kept clean and orderly.

Several braziers of charcoal fire warmed the hall, instantly dispelling the chill brought from the sea.

Zhong Minghui gestured for him to sit down and ordered someone to serve him hot tea.

Amidst the fragrant tea aroma, Shen Tingyang subtly observed the other man. He appeared to be around thirty years old, without a beard, making him look younger than average. He had short hair, about an inch long, and bright eyes. His speech and mannerisms were unlike those of an ordinary merchant, instead exuding a military and ruthless air.

"I've heard that the New Continent is a vast and fertile land, rich in resources. Is that really true?" Shen Tingyang didn't waste any time on pleasantries and went straight to the point.

Zhong Minghui smiled slightly: "The New Continent is indeed vast, several times the size of the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, it has many good harbors along the coast, and the inland plains and valleys have fertile soil and crisscrossing rivers, making it suitable for both farming and animal husbandry. Our Xinhua has already established hundreds of towns and villages on the west coast, planting grains, mining minerals, and setting up workshops, living in peace and contentment, forming a self-contained system."

"It is truly astonishing that you have been able to sail so far, operate and thrive in such a remote place! I wonder how your ships manage to cross the ocean?"

Zhong Minghui said, “Our Xinhua ships use modern sailing ships and travel with the ocean currents. From Japan, heading east, we can reach Xinzhou by taking advantage of the Kuroshio Current. Although the journey is long, it is safe if we understand the patterns of the monsoon currents.”

He paused, then said, "I have heard that Lord Shen is an expert in maritime transport. If you are interested, Xinhua is willing to provide nautical charts and navigation methods to help Ming Dynasty merchant ships explore the open ocean."

A flicker of eagerness flashed in Shen Tingyang's eyes, but it quickly dimmed, and he sighed, "I appreciate Special Envoy Zhong's kind intentions. However, the court is currently beset by internal and external troubles. The Jurchens have repeatedly invaded the capital region, and the court's finances are stretched thin. How can we have the spare resources to expand overseas?"

“The imperial court has no spare resources, but the common people may be able to try.” Zhong Minghui was very enthusiastic. “The wealth at sea is immeasurable. If we don’t take it, it will only benefit the Western barbarians.”

"Hehe..." Shen Tingyang chuckled lightly, "Our Great Ming Dynasty has been opening up the seas for quite some time now, how could we not know the immense wealth at sea? Unfortunately, the domestic situation is difficult, and the world is in turmoil, which has greatly affected private maritime merchants."

Ha, the Western barbarians got off easy?
Don't you people from New Zealand know this?
In the mouths of many officials and commoners of the Ming Dynasty, you were also "barbarians".

Of course, you are "new barbarians" who have some Chinese blood.

“Indeed, the Ming Dynasty is currently facing a difficult situation, with the world in chaos, which is truly regrettable.” Zhong Minghui’s expression also became solemn. “Recently, the Jurchens have been rampaging in the capital region and Hebei, causing countless people to be displaced, which is truly heartbreaking.”

He pondered for a moment, then said, "However, precisely because of this, expanding overseas might also be a way out. If the Ming Dynasty's maritime merchants could cooperate with our Xinhua to open up overseas trade, they could not only obtain silver and goods, but also transfer suffering refugees and alleviate internal pressure, which would be of great benefit to the Ming Dynasty!" Shen Tingyang pondered for a long time, then slowly said, "Special Envoy Zhong's words are reasonable, but this matter involves a wide range of issues and requires careful consideration. I wonder if your side currently has any urgently needed items? Perhaps I, Shen, can mediate and introduce a few maritime merchants to your side for small-scale trade, so as to exchange goods for each other."

Zhong Minghui laughed and said, "That's exactly what I was thinking! Xinhua needs raw silk, porcelain, tea, cotton cloth, tung oil, medicinal herbs, pig bristles and other goods, as well as skilled craftsmen and farmers. If Lord Shen can help recruit immigrants or provide the convenience of transporting grain, Xinhua is willing to exchange silver, furs and even firearms from Xinzhou."

“Our Great Ming Dynasty is rich in resources and has abundant goods of all kinds, which should be able to meet your needs.” Shen Tingyang nodded slightly. “If Special Envoy Zhong is interested, he can send someone to Chongming Sand (now Chongming Island). My Shen family can also run some maritime trade business.”

“In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony.” Zhong Minghui smiled and cupped his hands in greeting. “When I have time in the future, I will personally go to Chongmingsha to pay my respects to Lord Shen.”

Just when I was worried about not being able to find the prosperous Suzhou and Songjiang area in Jiangnan, I happened to meet this "delightful" Lord Shen.

What a golden opportunity!

“Uh…” Shen Tingyang paused for a moment, then nodded slightly. “Alright, alright.”

This special envoy from New Zealand was really not polite. I just tentatively raised an intention, and they immediately accepted it!
However, upon further reflection, he realized that the people of Xinzhou were the largest fur supplier within the Ming Dynasty and the dominant grain middlemen in Liaohai. They would be of great value to him, whether for the further expansion of his Shen family's "sand ship gang" into maritime trade or for the grain transport he had been politically advocating for.

Yes, we still need to work on winning them over.

"Lord Shen, is this shipment of rice northward intended to push the Ming Dynasty to change its grain transport system from canal transport to sea transport?" Zhong Minghui aptly shifted the topic to canal transport.

“Exactly.” Shen Tingyang nodded. “The Grand Canal is extremely expensive and requires constant dredging and clearing. If the land route is affected by war or ice in winter, it becomes difficult to proceed, hindering the transport of grain from the south to the north. Sea transport, on the other hand, is accessible year-round, except for a few stormy days. Moreover, sea transport costs far less than the Grand Canal, saving the court millions of taels of silver annually.”

"But has Lord Shen considered the losses suffered by the prefectures and counties along the canal route, as well as the millions of people who have to pay their taxes?" Zhong Minghui gently reminded him.

“Yes, the biggest obstacle to changing the grain transport from the Grand Canal to the sea, besides economic considerations, is probably the opposition from the imperial court and local authorities.” Shen Tingyang’s expression turned serious upon hearing this. “Promoting the sea transport of grain will undoubtedly be fraught with difficulties. The grain transport authorities, officials from various provinces and counties along the river, as well as numerous customs offices, commercial ports, boatmen, and porters, will all rise up in protest. If we don’t handle this carefully, at best it will lead to local unrest and popular uproar, at worst…”

With that, he sighed heavily, picked up the hot tea on the table, and drank it all in one gulp.

"It turns out that Lord Shen had already made up his mind. I was overthinking it." Zhong Minghui nodded.

"But in the current situation of our Great Ming Dynasty, the court's finances are insufficient, the local areas are in ruins, and disasters are constant. Without sufficient household funds, how can we maintain this?" Shen Tingyang frowned. "As we all know, shipping rice by sea saves time and effort and reduces waste. If it succeeds, it will benefit the country and the people. If it fails, it can still provide merchants with a convenient channel to transport more goods between the north and south, thereby promoting trade and revitalizing the market."

“Lord Shen is absolutely right!” Zhong Minghui nodded and said, “If we disregard the losses along the canal, sea transport is far superior to grain transport. If we were to speak frankly, if the Jurchen army were to invade Shandong and cut off the canal, wouldn’t that immediately sever north-south transportation, preventing even a single grain of rice from being transported north?”

"Hehe..." Shen Tingyang chuckled after hearing this. "Special Envoy Zhong's words seem to overestimate the strength of the Jurchen army. The distance from Liaodong to the capital and Hebei is a thousand miles. They must already be at their last gasp. How could they possibly march south and attack as far as Shandong?"

"What if?" Zhong Minghui asked in a low voice.

"What if?" Shen Tingyang paused for a moment, then shook his head. "...It's unlikely. Even if the Ming army is utterly useless, it will not allow the Jurchens to break through the entire Hebei province, reach Shandong, and cut off the Grand Canal."

"Let's see." Zhong Minghui also picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and began to have his own doubts.

I remember that the Jurchens invaded the pass several times, plundering the area. It seems that on one or two occasions, they even reached Shandong, massacred Jinan, captured a Ming prince, and completely crushed the Ming's weak defenses.

"Lord Shen, if we are to promote the shift from grain transport to sea transport, we will need the support of Xinhua. Please give us your instructions, and I, representing Xinhua, will certainly grant your request. Whether it is providing nautical charts, or corresponding shipbuilding techniques and new methods, we can provide assistance."

"Excellent!" Shen Tingyang's face showed satisfaction. "I thank Special Envoy Zhong for his kindness..."

"Sir..." Liang Tianqiu, the battalion commander of Miaodao, suddenly burst in, holding a newspaper in his hand, his face full of panic.

"...What is it?" Shen Tingyang looked at him with displeasure.

This bastard has absolutely no manners!

"Battle report of Julu..." Liang Tianqiu handed the report in his hand to Shen Tingyang. "On the eleventh, Commander-in-Chief Lu Xiangshan led his troops to fight against the Jurchens at Julu. When their cannons and arrows were exhausted, the entire army was wiped out. Commander-in-Chief Lu... also perished in battle."

"When the Grand Eunuch Gao, who was in charge of military affairs in Liaodong, Ningyuan, Jinzhou and other places, was retreating south, he was ambushed by the Jurchens and suffered a great defeat. Tens of thousands of troops were scattered and disappeared without a trace."

"Subsequently, the Jurchens took advantage of their victory and swept through dozens of prefectures and counties in southern Hebei, then suddenly turned their forces towards... Shandong."

"The Jurchens are coming to our Shandong territory!"

(End of this chapter)