Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 394 General Qi Wants to Drink Water from the Vast Sea? An Urgent Report from the Western Hills!

The whale meat captured by the ocean-going fleet was sold to the people of Ningbo on the same day. Whether they cooked it themselves or dried, smoked, or pickled it was up to the people to decide.

The whale oil extracted from whales weighs approximately 70,000 to 80,000 kilograms and is highly sought after.

The Ocean Guard naturally didn't have time to handle or sell these whale oils, so they were handed over to the Xishan Bank for disposal. The Xishan Bank adopted a limited supply method, and a large portion of the oil was transported to the Xishan Workshop in the capital. The workshop had a lot of research and manufacturing, but it couldn't do without whale oil.

Furthermore, the whale whiskers and teeth were all made into handicrafts on the spot and transported to the capital to be sold to those wealthy and powerful people.

Compared to the previous one, the profits from this giant whale were less, amounting to approximately eight or nine thousand taels of silver for the entire whale.

It should be noted that this was only the profit from one voyage, while the previous ten thousand taels was the sum of profits from three or four voyages.

All things considered, whaling is much more profitable than fishing.

Qi Jiguang was not stingy; after receiving the silver, he immediately distributed it to his sailors.

Although each person only received two or three taels of silver, if you include the previous rewards, the soldiers of the ocean-going fleet have received nearly ten taels of silver this month.

For someone as wealthy as Zhang Yunxiu, ten taels of silver might be nothing more than a snap of the fingers.

But for these sailors who were terrified of poverty, ten taels of silver was a huge sum of money.

It should be noted that the salary of a sixth-rank official in the imperial court, when converted into silver, was only ten taels per month.

In the eyes of the sailors in the past, a sixth-rank official was already a local tyrant or a county magistrate.

After receiving the silver, the sailors were naturally overjoyed, as if it were New Year's Day, and almost no one complained about the hardships at sea.

It can be said that as long as they can earn money, they are willing to risk their lives.

Especially when the news reached his hometown of Yiwu and Yongkang, it immediately attracted countless people to flock there and join the ocean-going navy.

In the past, it was extremely difficult for the imperial court to recruit soldiers.

But now, there's no need for soldiers to come and conscript them; the people will go on their own.

Because everyone knows that the ocean is truly full of treasures!
The ocean-going navy had a strength of far more than three thousand men, but Qi Jiguang was not in a hurry to expand the military force. He simply selected a few hundred men from those who signed up to join him.

He knew very well that the most important thing now was to lay a solid foundation for the ocean-going navy. With the reserve forces in Xishan and a steady stream of military and food supplies, it was only a matter of time before a fierce and powerful force was trained.

While the iron was hot, after repairing all the ships, replenishing ammunition and supplies, and allowing the troops a brief rest, the ocean-going fleet set sail again.

Including rest time, the navy made a round trip almost every five days.

"Brother Yuanjing, when are you ready to set sail? I've been sitting on this deck in the wind for half an hour, and my face is covered in salt. I'm practically turning into a piece of cured meat."

Yin Zhengmao had somehow gotten back on the boat. He wiped the salt off his face and started cursing.

Only after spending a long time at sea do I understand why the faces of people living by the sea are so rough.

Spending all day with the sea breeze, it'll either become cured meat or braised tofu.

Qi Jiguang looked him up and down with considerable disdain.

"Governor Yin isn't handling official business at the Yingtian Prefecture office, so why does he have the leisure to come to my ocean-going naval garrison?"

These past few days, Yin Zhengmao has also become fascinated with life at sea, and he often comes here at just the right time.

With a stern face, Yin Zhengmao said in a serious tone, "What are you saying, General Qi?"

As the Governor of Yingtian, I have the authority to control the generals of the various garrisons in Jiangnan. The ocean-going navy was appointed by His Majesty and should therefore be taken seriously.

"Accompanying the ocean-going fleet on this voyage is naturally part of my duty."

Qi Jiguang bluntly stated, "The ocean-going navy is directly under the jurisdiction of the Five Armies Commandery and is not subject to the control of you, the Governor of Yingtian."

Yin Zhengmao looked embarrassed, then burst into hearty laughter and patted Qi Jiguang on the shoulder.

"Brother Qi, what are you saying? This ocean-going fleet has caught fish and saved the people of Jiangnan from suffering. How can you say that it has nothing to do with Yingtian Prefecture?"

"Stop arguing. Now that I'm on board, I will certainly be under your command and obey your orders."

In fact, in order to resolve the Luomu Camp mutiny, the imperial court granted Qi Jiguang the title of Right Vice Minister of War and concurrently Vice Censor-in-Chief, to oversee the two Zhejiang provinces and act expediently.

The governor of Liangzhe was an imperial envoy, but wasn't Yin Zhengmao, the governor of Yingtian, also an imperial envoy?

It's all because Zhu Yuanzhang made the official system too chaotic in the past, adding imperial envoys on top of imperial envoys.

In many cases, to prevent chaos in the local power structure, the imperial court could only continue to add more titles and honors.

If we trace it back to Yin Zhengmao and Qi Jiguang, it's really hard to make sense of it all.

However, Qi Jiguang was just joking, and he patted Yin Zhengmao with a smile as he spoke.

"Brother, you're always thinking about the military. Why don't you become some kind of governor? Just volunteer to His Majesty and you might just get a generalship."

At that time, you and I, one in the south and one in the north, will lead our naval forces across the land, just as Lan Yu and Xu Da once roamed the grasslands, fighting all the way to Buyur Lake. We too will fight to the ends of the earth.

When he said this, Qi Jiguang's eyes gleamed. What might have been a joke before, he now truly believed that this goal could be achieved.

Yin Zhengmao's face was also moved. He was stunned for a moment, and images of the sea battles began to appear in his mind.

Throughout history, the ambitions of military generals have been nothing more than "sealing the wolf's lair," "drinking water from the vast sea," and "trampling the northern desert with their horses."

The grasslands are relatively peaceful now, but enemies from the sea are constantly coming. It is the time for military generals to make achievements and leave their mark on history!

But in an instant, he sighed again.

Not everyone is like Li Ruqi.

This "Ruqi" refers to Li Chengliang, the general of Liaodong. Starting from the fourth year of the Longqing reign, he fought against the Mongols and Jurchens in Liaodong many times, and his achievements were remarkable, with one victory after another.

Although Li Chengliang had a poor reputation in the court and was often impeached for being arrogant, exaggerating his military achievements, and embezzling military funds, he was undoubtedly a pillar of strength in Liaodong.

Qi Jiguang couldn't help but squint his eyes as he spoke.

"Speaking of which, this Earl of Ningyuan is two years younger than me, and he is indeed full of energy."

A few days ago, the Mongols invaded Yizhou in Liaodong. He led his troops in an ambush and surprise attack. His cavalrymen were all brave and skilled in battle, and they routed the Mongols.

He stroked his beard, his eyes filled with envy.

Everyone says that Li Ruqi is the most accomplished border general in the two hundred years since the founding of the country.

This statement is absolutely true.

If we were to name the most accomplished military figure of the Wanli era, it would undoubtedly be Li Chengliang. Even though he had a poor reputation in the border towns, the court had no choice but to accept his illustrious military achievements.

Such status and strength were something that all the military generals of the Ming Dynasty envied.

Yin Zhengmao smiled and shook his head, saying, "Brother Yuanjing, don't be envious. Nowadays, the navy is what all the military generals in the world are eager to join. I see that the flags on the deck have already been raised. Isn't it time to set sail?"

The sea is full of treasures, and one can even legitimately make money. How could this not make the generals envious?

Qi Jiguang then came to his senses, patted his head, and said.

"It almost ruined the important business."

He immediately summoned his deputy, Hu Shouren, to his side.

"Is the navy fully prepared?"

"Reporting to Commander Qi, we are fully prepared and ready to depart!" Hu Shouren's eyes showed a hint of eagerness.

"start sailing!"

Standing at the very top of the deck, Qi Jiguang drew his sword and pointed it forward. Thousands of naval officers and soldiers on each ship immediately erupted in a deafening roar.

"Set sail! Set sail!"

Even though there was no catch at sea that day, countless people still gathered at the port.

They either gaze into the distance, eagerly anticipating what's to come.

Or perhaps they would invoke various sea gods to bless the departing fleet.

The voyages of the ocean-going fleets are not only for themselves, but also for the livelihood and future of the people in the entire coastal area of ​​Jiangnan!

Yingtian Prefecture Government Office.

It was already past midnight, but a study in the government office was still brightly lit. Hai Rui held up a kerosene lamp, examining the yellowed map closely.

This map depicts the coastal areas of Jiangnan in great detail, showing not only the locations of ports but also the various shipping routes.

Most importantly, it contains detailed information on fishery resources in various regions.

The locations of these fishery resources are almost all marked with "Qingyunmo".

Ordinary officials were naturally not allowed to use vermilion pens, so blue ink became the color commonly used by scholars for marking.

Hai Rui's voice was somewhat low, tinged with weariness.

"Since the beginning of spring, the imperial court has opened the ports of Songjiang Qinglong Port, Ninghai Zhapu Port, and Taicangzhou Port for three months. At first, the coastal people still had many concerns, but after the ocean-going fleet went to sea to seek huge profits, fishing at sea became a way of life for the people of Jiangnan."

Nowadays, people have less and less farmland. They rely on the weather and the sea for their livelihood, but the sea offers far less exploitation.

Gentry and merchants of all ranks who trade cloth overseas should also emulate the Xishan workshops and recruit workers at fair prices.

Whether they engaged in the production of cloth and silk or went into business, it can be said that they found a way to make a living for ordinary people in Jiangnan.

In the past, when the imperial court opened up the sea, it had to worry about the Jiangnan gentry becoming too powerful, making the situation in Jiangnan difficult to control.

But now things are completely different. The gentry and aristocratic families of Jiangnan have gone through many ups and downs. Although there are still some who are not obedient, they are difficult to make a difference.

Zhao Rui, who was calculating on the side, smiled and analyzed for Hai Rui.

"Opening up the sea is a policy that benefits all people. The tax register of the government last month shows that the fishing tax and the maritime tax have increased by 30% compared with last year."

Last year, due to the floods, the imperial court set up soup kitchens in various places to provide relief. Some people who could not find a livelihood had to rely on the soup kitchens to survive.

However, after the seas opened up, everyone who knew a little about swimming went out to sea to fish, or to sell goods to foreigners and vassal states from various places.

Those with quick wits become wealthy, while those who are less intelligent can still make a living.

Zhao Rui is said to be the manager of Xishan Money Shop, but he also has some work in the Yingtian Prefecture's accounting department. It's not because he has special privileges due to his Xishan background, but because the accounts of Yingtian Prefecture are now really inseparable from Xishan Money Shop.

Since arriving in Jiangnan, Hai Rui's complexion had grown increasingly dark, and he spoke with a serious expression.

"With the money in hand, the government office was able to settle the problems that used to cause headaches, such as resettling refugees and building bridges and roads."

As migrants returned to their hometowns, some weavers in Changzhou set up workshops along the river, making it even faster to transport goods to Southeast Asia by taking advantage of the convenience of river and sea shipping.

Every advantage has its disadvantages. Yesterday, I went to Taicang Prefecture, and in Kunshan alone, there were more than twenty lawsuits that had accumulated in just two or three days.

Local thugs and bullies controlled the sea route, extorting money from every boat's catch. Meanwhile, wealthy merchants and gentry, relying on their fierce servants, oppressed the fishermen everywhere.

As for those who take advantage of the chaos to seize farmland and monopolize the fishing business, they are countless.

The implementation and development of any new system is never smooth sailing and will inevitably give rise to various problems.

To encourage production, the imperial court has kept fishing taxes very low, or even not collected at all, which has given many clerks the opportunity to exploit loopholes.

Although ordinary people are starting to go to sea, they lack experience in this field. Some people rush into the sea, or modify their boats arbitrarily in order to catch fish during the fishing season.

Countless people perished at sea as a result.

“The Xishan Peiwen Academy has issued regulations for this matter,” Zhao Rui said thoughtfully. “A few days ago at the Xishan Academy, Commander Zhang summoned a group of students to discuss the rules and regulations after the opening of the sea.”

It offered many suggestions, which I hope Your Excellency will consider.

Hai Rui glanced at the documents on the table and nodded.

"I have already read this article thoroughly."

He couldn't help but feel emotional.

"Zhang Shiyuan is truly an extraordinary person. He always has ingenious ideas, and these ideas are often useful."

Zhao Rui chuckled, looking quite pleased with himself.

"Commander Zhang is intelligent and quick-witted. He is always able to find a solution if he puts in the effort."

Hai Rui remained cautious: "A method is one thing, but its implementation is quite another. Let's put the rest aside for now. However, it would be good to establish 'Fishing and Navigation Offices' in various ports. These offices would be under the unified jurisdiction of the Yingtian Prefecture. In addition to the clerks who run the offices daily, some leaders would be elected from among the boat owners, fishermen, and merchants."

The township office is responsible for registering ships, verifying their load capacity, and other related matters. Customs clearance and sea departure must be carried out in an orderly manner.

A patrol inspection office was established, each staffed with twenty musketeers to investigate and punish those who violated laws and regulations.

Zhao Rui's eyes lit up immediately; Hai Rui's method was a more detailed version of Xishan's.

Although he did not adopt all of them, the local situation was ultimately different from the theory, and Zhang Yunxiu also noted "act as you see fit" on the document he sent.

He nodded and said.

"This method is brilliant. It involves local officials and clerks handling affairs, rather than village elders. Instead, the people themselves elect leaders to oversee the process."

With these key measures in place during governance, conflicts between the government and the people can be reduced significantly.

Thinking about it this way, many of the problems arising from the opening of the sea can be easily resolved.

Hai Rui's expression was serious, but a slight smile finally appeared on his lips.

"Don't rush. Opening up the sea is a complicated matter that requires careful planning. Tomorrow, have the Household Department draft the regulations and submit them to the court. We can also pilot the program in Ningbo Prefecture first. Once we see positive results, we can then implement it more widely."

Later generations often described Hai Rui as "foolish and straightforward," believing that he was inflexible and lacked the ability to govern flexibly.

Whether Hai Rui was truly "foolish and straightforward" is a matter for another time.

However, after Zhang Yunxiu provided some accurate direction and laid out a general framework, his "foolishness and straightforwardness" became an advantage.

Zhang Yunxiu offered advice and strategies from the perspective of later generations, guiding the direction of government policies.

Hai Rui, on the other hand, was able to implement government orders from the perspective of ordinary people and from a local standpoint.

The two complement each other, naturally leading to twice the result with half the effort.

"Manager Zhao, it's getting late, you should head back now."

As the sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, Hai Rui reminded Zhao Rui.

"It's alright." Zhao Rui smiled shyly.

After tidying up his study, Hai Rui and Zhao Rui went out together. The lanterns in the courtyard flickered, reflecting the faint white light on the horizon.

Hai Rui abruptly asked, "When will Governor Yin return?"

Yin Zhengmao had been secretly at sea for three days. Naturally, Hai Rui was dissatisfied that the governor of Yingtian was constantly going to sea.

Zhao Rui said with an embarrassed expression, "I suppose we're returning today."

Hai Rui said expressionlessly, "Next time, we must persuade the governor to stay. It's fine now that nothing's wrong, but if an emergency happens, he will definitely be punished for dereliction of duty."

Zhao Rui felt helpless.

These two are high-ranking officials, the Governor and the Censor; how could a mere merchant like myself possibly control them?

Just as he fell silent, footsteps suddenly came from outside.

Hai Rui frowned, turned his head and saw a Jinyiwei captain stepping forward.

"Hai Xiantai! This is an urgent report from the capital. Please check it."

Hai Rui asked in confusion, "Why are you, from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, giving me information?"

The Jinyiwei captain said helplessly, "It was originally the commander who passed the message to Zhang Qianshi, but Zhang Qianshi went to sea. The commander instructed that if General Qi and Zhang Qianshi could not be found, the message should be sent to Hai Xiantai first."

What message came from Zhang Yunxiu?

Hai Rui immediately became serious. Although Zhang Yunxiu was unreliable, this news sounded like it was definitely not simple.

He took the bamboo tube containing the secret letter, skillfully opened it, then returned to his study, scraped off the seal with a knife, and opened the letter inside. He was immediately stunned.

There was only one line of text written on it.

"Ningbo Prefecture may be harassed by Japanese pirates in the near future."

(End of this chapter)