Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 307 A man named Wang Zhi wanted to defect to the imperial court.

"Jianwen's secret treasure..."

Haiyue was slightly taken aback.

Compared to the previous mysterious disappearances of the elite Imperial Guards and the unannounced mobilizations even by the commander of the Imperial Guards, this second incident was somewhat unexpected.

So many years have passed, he had almost forgotten that such a thing even existed.

Indeed, Haiyue initially contacted Sun Weixian because he was related to Jianwen. At the time, Sun Weixian even tried to drag her into the scheme to uncover the vast secret that Jianwen had been plotting to make a comeback after escaping from Nanjing.

But as time went on, especially as Sun Weixian's status in the capital improved, his mentality gradually changed.

He's already become the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Forget about your lousy secret treasure.

Indeed, Sun Weixian has never mentioned it again in the years since.

His trusted confidants, including those transferred from the Southern Garrison Command, were all focused on controlling the capital and firmly grasping power.

Until now.

Lu Bing returned after making meritorious contributions. Given his relationship with the emperor, Sun Weixian knew he couldn't win the position of commander and was losing his chance to retain it. So he set his sights on that place again.

Having roughly understood this thought process, Haiyue knew that persuasion was useless, as this matter had become an obsession for the other party, and asked directly, "Where do you know the approximate location of the secret treasure?"

Sun Weixian perked up and quickly replied, "It's right on the coast of Jiangsu and Zhejiang!"

Haiyue asked, "Was it discovered during the Japanese pirate raids?"

"Not bad!"

Sun Weixian nodded repeatedly: "Among the several subordinates I left in the Southern Garrison, one of them has never given up the investigation over the years. He happened to be sent to the coast due to the Japanese pirate raids and accidentally discovered a place that perfectly matched the clues he had collected over the years!"

Regarding the secret treasure, Sun Weixian's ancestors left behind many clues, and in order to avoid leakage, there are also many riddles and codes.

When this man was the garrison commander of the Southern Garrison, he sought out the Hai Hao couple in the hope of gathering different branches of the Jianwen lineage and finding the solution to these mysteries.

Zhu Lin didn't actually know the mystery; she was simply unable to explain it clearly because she was outmatched by her opponent, so she could only try to outmaneuver her.

When Haiyue entered officialdom and Sun Weixian was transferred to the capital, the two met again, and the latter's eyes began to clear, and he actively sought reconciliation.

Now, observing Haiyue's expression, his posture became even more humble: "The secret treasure is right here..."

However, just as she began, Haiyue raised her hand and said, "Stop! You don't need to tell me the exact location!"

"Yes Yes!"

Sun Weixian chuckled dryly, feeling both embarrassed and relieved.

The young man before me, who had become a powerful figure in the court and rivaled the Grand Secretaries, was indeed not interested in such matters.

That is precisely why he is here, to reveal everything.

If it were someone else, they would be an enemy who wanted to steal the secret treasure. How could they possibly reveal even a single word?

Haiyue, however, knew that this person probably had other intentions, and asked directly, "Is there any obstacle?"

"Have!"

Sun Weixian was equally decisive: "If my men are to safely unearth the secret treasure, there is one hurdle that needs to be overcome—Shuangyu Island in Zhoushan, Zhejiang, which is occupied by Japanese pirates!"

"Shuangyu Island?"

Haiyue's eyes flickered slightly, showing some surprise.

Shuangyu Island in Zhoushan, Zhejiang, was the largest free trade port in Asia at that time. As a core hub for trade between the Far East and the West, it was known as "Shanghai in the 16th century".

Of course, setting aside the embellishments of later generations, it was essentially a base for smuggling and Japanese pirates.

Due to the Ming Dynasty's maritime ban, the residents of the Zhoushan Islands were relocated inland, and Shuangyu Island became a lawless land without government jurisdiction, which gradually developed.

Later, merchants from Fujian and Zhejiang joined forces with the Portuguese to establish a base here, which included facilities such as a city hall and a church, with a population of over three thousand.

It may not seem like much, but as a transit port and a center of smuggling trade, it actually involved quite a lot.

Haiyue said, "When Shisilang inspected Zhejiang, he paid attention to this place. It is a stronghold for smuggling by thieves and has become quite a force to be reckoned with."

"Since Brother Mingwei knows about this den of thieves, that's good!"

Sun Weixian breathed a sigh of relief and said in a deep voice, "The bandit leader of Shuangyu Island is named Xu Dong, a native of Shexian County, Huizhou. He and his brothers Xu Song, Xu Nan, and Xu Zi are known as the 'Four Xu Brothers.' In his early years, after killing officials in a prison riot in Fuzhou, he fled across the sea and joined forces with notorious Fujian bandits Li Qi and Lin Bichuan to occupy Shuangyu Port. He took the initiative to contact Portuguese merchants, making them use Shuangyu as a base, and acted as an intermediary between the Portuguese and the Japanese pirates..."

The Portuguese were known as "Folangji". Haiyue had met the Portuguese during his time in Guangzhou. At that time, Lin Fu, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, suggested that the court open trade with Portugal. A key factor was that the Portuguese had fought against Ming Dynasty officials and soldiers in Guangdong and had a deep understanding of each other.

Even if Portugal had not chosen that area as a trading port, its ships would not have given up and would have continued to patrol the coast and engage in smuggling.

Rather than having them relocate to places like Fujian and Zhejiang where conditions are more lenient, it would be better to complete the transaction in Guangzhou.

Unfortunately, Lin Fu's memorial was ultimately not approved, and Portuguese merchant ships still headed north, with Shuangyu Island being one of their long-term strongholds. Now the imperial court has its sights set on this den of thieves.

However, compared to the actions of Zhu Wan, the governor of Zhejiang in history, although he destroyed Shuangyu Island, he also caused many Japanese pirate leaders to scatter, resulting in greater trouble. Haiyue was brewing a more detailed plan.

Since Sun Weixian has come, and it concerns the secret treasure he's been longing for, we might as well listen to his plans.

"My Imperial Guard has a hidden agent on Shuangyu Island. His name is Wang Zeng. He is Xu Dong's fellow townsman. He is exceptionally talented and highly trusted..."

Sun Weixian said, "After entering Shuangyu Island, Wang Zeng will first serve as the warehouse manager, in charge of finances, then as the sentry, in charge of defense, and then be promoted to be in charge of his own affairs. As an inside agent, he can play a crucial role!"

Haiyue asked, "Given such a position, can this person's loyalty be guaranteed?"

"Who among those who can pledge allegiance to the imperial court would willingly choose to become a thief?"

Sun Weixian replied matter-of-factly, "Wang Zeng's decision to place his family under the guard of my Embroidered Uniform Guard is a clear indication of his stance; he is indeed trustworthy."

"Ah."

Haiyue nodded slowly.

He also tends to believe that the other party is trustworthy.

Wang Zeng is Wang Zhi's original name.

In his early years, Wang Zhi joined the maritime trade group headed by Xu Dong as a "manager," responsible for trade with the Portuguese and smuggling in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, accumulating wealth and connections.

Historically, seven years later, Governor Zhu Wan led his army to destroy Shuangyu Port, fill in the port, and end its trading status. Wang Zhi took this opportunity to establish his own business, moved to Hirado, Japan to establish a new base, and used the smuggling chain he had previously controlled to dominate the triangular trade between China, Japan and Portugal. Later, he even called himself "King Hui".

Another point is that, also during his time on Shuangyu Island, Wang Zhi became quite envious of Portuguese firearms and later introduced them to Japan, which influenced the Warring States period.

Despite his achievements, Wang Zhi was different from ordinary Japanese pirates. He always wanted to be recruited by the government. With the tacit approval of local officials for the "private market," he actively cooperated with the government and worked very hard to quell many pirates who burned, killed, and looted, thus maintaining order along the coast.

He also submitted a memorial, hoping to open Guangdong as a treaty port, establish a customs office to collect tariffs, and extend this method to the coastal areas of Zhejiang to restore the tributary trade relations with Japan. In this way, the Japanese pirate problem in the southeastern coastal areas could be solved, and he himself was willing to "serve as a dog or horse and do my humble work" to pacify the coastal areas for the court.

For this reason, many people in later generations sympathized with Wang Zhi, feeling that the Ming court had broken its promise and acted like a villain, luring him ashore and killing him.

Haiyue didn't comment on whether Wang Zhi deserved sympathy, but she was interested in such a talented person who could travel to different countries.

Judging from the year, this person should not have gone to Japan yet, nor was he the owner of the Wufeng ship. Instead, he joined Shuangyu Island earlier and became a secret agent for the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Since we have this hidden lead, we should make good use of it!"

Haiyue said, "Otherwise, even if Shuangyu Island is wiped out, there will still be a large number of Japanese pirate leaders scattered in various places. Without stable trading places, they will become even more vicious and cause greater damage to the coastal areas."

Sun Weixian asked curiously, "What does Brother Mingwei mean?"

Haiyue said, "I would like to take this opportunity to gather the current leaders of the Japanese pirates on Shuangyu Island."

Sun Weixian frowned: "But there are a few bandit leaders who don't get along with Xu Dong and don't recognize his position. It will be difficult to get them all together in one place!"

Haiyue pondered for a moment: "Do these Japanese pirate leaders have any names?"

Sun Weixian was somewhat puzzled: "Name?"

"Like One Piece, Sea King, etc..."

Haiyue said, "We can have Wang Zeng suggest to Xu Dong that we spread the word that among the coastal forces, we should select nine pirate kings to gather on Shuangyu Island and elect the true sea king to command the heroes."

Sun Weixian, a man with a strong sense of江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world), immediately understood upon hearing this, his eyes lighting up: "This plan is brilliant! Those bandits value their reputation most. If we spread this news, I'm afraid all the Japanese pirates, big and small, will rush to Shuangyu Island. Then we can coordinate from the inside and outside to wipe them all out!"

Haiyue said, "If Wang Zeng can truly live up to expectations and complete the mission, we must protect his safety and not let such a righteous man be forgotten."

For the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the undercover agents were truly just pawns to be used and discarded. Sun Weixian smiled and said, "Wang Zeng is fortunate to have received such a favor from Brother Mingwei. I will do my best to ensure his life is safe!"

"it is good."

Haiyue nodded and stood up: "I will write a letter and give it to my fourteenth brother, asking him to cooperate with you in Zhejiang to make this happen."

Sun Weixian's face lit up with joy, and he stood up, looking on expectantly.

Hai Rui and Xu Jie wielded great power in Zhejiang and Southern Zhili, with the former being particularly prestigious along the Zhejiang coast.

Sun Weixian came here hoping to make contact with Hai Rui after returning to Zhejiang. He had heard that the iron-faced censor was very difficult to deal with, impervious to reason or persuasion, yet possessed brilliant methods. Moreover, his brother was backing him in the central government. If he didn't establish a relationship beforehand, he really wouldn't know what to do.

it's good now.

Haiyue personally wrote the letter: "Suppressing the Japanese pirates' rebellion is crucial to the stability of the southeast. I hope Commander Sun will do his utmost!"

"Please rest assured, Scholar Hai!"

Sun Weixian accepted it respectfully with both hands, unable to hide his excitement.

Nowadays, the threat of Japanese pirates is rampant along the coast of eastern Zhejiang. If we rashly open the hidden treasure, it may be looted by the pirates, and we will regret it then.

Only after the enemy's lair on Shuangyu Island is wiped out and the threat of Japanese pirates at sea is eliminated can the secret treasure be opened, which would be the most foolproof plan.

A century-old dream has finally come true!
(End of this chapter)