The Black Sails of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 113 Four Offices
Jose was a little reserved, so Lin Qian took out a cigar from the drawer and handed it to him, saying, "We'll be going to Macau again in a few days. This time I'll arrange a Haicang ship for you and send two Cangshan ships to escort you. There shouldn't be any fools daring to hijack our ship on the Fujian and Guangdong seas."

José sat down at the nautical table, took a cigar, and said, "With three warships traveling together, we're lucky if we don't rob others on this route."

"Go to Macau this time and help me with three things."

Jose sat up straight and listened.

"First, buy more firearms such as rapid-fire cannons, matchlock guns, gunpowder, cannonballs, and bullets. Only purchase four Siren cannons."

At that time, there was no standardized classification of artillery calibers, and the naming of artillery in Spain and Portugal was heavily influenced by religion.

For example, the Siren cannon was a large-caliber ship cannon used on large sailing ships.

The last refit of the Santa Ana only added two Siren gun emplacements on each side, making a total of four.

The rapid-fire cannon is a lightweight breech-loading gun. Because it is breech-loading, it has an extremely high rate of fire and can generate dense firepower in a short time, effectively countering the boarding tactics that were most prevalent along the coast of the Ming Dynasty.

This type of rapid-fire cannon had a more famous name in the Ming Dynasty: the Franco-Germain cannon.

The six small gun emplacements added to the upper deck during the previous refit of the St. Anne were used to mount the Franco cannons.

Not only can the Santa Ana ship be fitted with it, but the Dafu ship and Haicang ship can also be fitted with it after simple modifications, making it highly adaptable.

This is the most suitable artillery for Lin Qian at this stage.

José noted it down and asked, "And the second thing?"

"The second thing is to go to Macau and find a watchmaker. I'll pay whatever it takes to bring him to the island."

"The third thing, ask the councilor if he has any coffee. It's a beverage that originated in Africa, was later introduced to the Ottoman Empire, and may now be in Italy. If the councilor can get some, ask him to get some; if not, that's fine."

José: "Watchmaker, coffee, I'll remember that."

"That's all, you can go now." Lin Qian said, taking one last puff before extinguishing her cigar.

Jose went out, but when he reached the door, Lin Qian called him back.

Lin Qian said calmly, "This time, Zhou Zhiku won't be going with the ship. You'll go to Macau by yourself. Don't disappoint me."

"Yes."

Jose pushed open the door and went out.

A sea breeze blew by, sending a chill down my spine.

……

After Jose left, Lin Qian got up and did her daily exercise. After a simple workout, she wiped her face with a towel and then asked someone to call Chen Jiao and Zheng Zhilong over.

A moment later, the two entered the captain's cabin, clasped their hands in greeting, and said in unison, "Helmsman."

"sit."

Lin Qian took out cigars and offered them to the two of them, but neither of them accepted them.

Lin Qian put away her cigar, sat back down at the nautical table, and asked, "How has the situation been on the island lately? Have there been any arguments, fights, thefts, or anything like that?"

If we take a company as an example.

Since starting Nan'ao City, Lin Qian has focused her main energy on financing and investment.

The internal affairs of Nan'ao City were generally managed by Chen Jiao and Zheng Zhilong in turn.

The two exchanged a glance and a few polite words before Chen Jiao spoke first.

"When we first arrived on the island, most of the labor force was used for clearing forests, leveling land, and building houses."

The islanders all have something to do, and life is relatively peaceful.

This month, with houses mostly completed, many islanders are now idle and without work or income. Fights and thefts are also on the rise.

Zheng Zhilong continued, "Captain, there's no need to worry. There's still a lot to do on the island, such as paving roads and reclaiming land. Once things get busy, these miscellaneous tasks will decrease."

"How are these kinds of disputes handled?" Lin Qian asked, her brows furrowed slightly.

“Just like on the shore, if you steal, you get caught and beaten. If you have a minor argument, you ask the crowd to judge. If you’re in the wrong, you back down.” Zheng Zhilong paused as he spoke. “But this method doesn’t always work. There are always some things that can’t be resolved quickly, and the judges can’t make up their minds.”

Lin Qian picked up the Inca gold button and played with it between her fingers.

Chen and Zheng knew that Lin Qian was thinking, so they didn't dare to interrupt her.

After a long while, Lin Qian flipped her hand and clutched the gold button in her hand: "We can't let this go on like this. There needs to be a governing body on the island."

Zheng Zhilong's eyes lit up: "Does the captain mean to build a government office?"

“Yes, it’s a government office.” Lin Qian said firmly, “But we’re not a county government office, we’re called the Government Affairs Office. The office is divided into four departments, which are in charge of military affairs, household affairs, public works and construction, and criminal law.”

This is an organization designed by Lin Qian based on the Six Ministries of the Ming Dynasty, except for the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites.

With only three thousand people on the island, Lin Qian could manage the appointment and dismissal of officials.

As for diplomacy and the imperial examinations, there is no immediate need for them on the island. The other miscellaneous functions of the Ministry of Rites can be temporarily assigned to the Department of Civil Affairs.

Throughout history, bureaucratic institutions have always progressed from simple to complex, but from complex to simple. Therefore, at this stage, Lin Qian would rather have fewer functions in the government office than add departments that draw salaries without working.

In addition, the reason for using such strange names as "Government Affairs Office", "Military Guard Office" and "Household Affairs Office" was to avoid the taboo of the Ming Dynasty.

Once the county government was established and the six ministries were set up, it would be a sure thing for the Ming Dynasty to rebel.

These strange names are the islanders' self-governing bodies, designed to numb the sensitive nerves of Ming Dynasty officials.

Lin Qian explained the detailed functions of the four departments on the island and added: "All officials in the four departments must be appointed through fair examinations. Before the candidates are selected through the examinations, someone will be temporarily appointed to their positions."

Chen Jiao was quite surprised: "An exam? The islanders can't read a single word, what kind of exam are they going to take?"

Lin Qian: "Good question. This is the first responsibility of the Civil Affairs Bureau: to teach the islanders to read. Only those who can read and write can pass the exam and become official clerks of the four bureaus."

Linking literacy to civil service exams solves both the literacy rate problem and the talent problem, achieving two goals at once.

The more Zheng Zhilong listened, the more fervent his eyes became. He thought to himself, "The captain is indeed ambitious! Back in my hometown, everyone praised how remarkable the merchant Li Dan was. I even secretly harbored the thought of joining him. I was truly a frog in a well, with limited vision!"
Compared to the helmsman, Li Dan is nothing but a mere Japanese pirate, not worth mentioning!

Now that I am fortunate enough to follow you, Lord, given time, I may very well one day rise to the highest ranks of officialdom!

Seeing that the two had no objections, Lin Qian continued, "I have already prepared a list of temporary personnel. The Director of the Construction Department will be temporarily replaced by my elder brother; the Director of the Criminal and Judicial Department will be temporarily replaced by my brother Yi Guan."

"Yes!" The two men stood up and accepted the order.

Zheng Zhilong was beaming with excitement.

……

After lunch, Lin Qian summoned all his brothers to the officers' mess for a meeting and announced the establishment of the Four Divisions.

Lin Qian also appointed two other acting directors.

"Lei Zhendong is temporarily appointed as the head of the Military Guard."

"Yes!" Lei Sanxiang solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute. Given his personality, he had no interest in the position of Director, but since the Chief had accepted the appointment, he had no reason to refuse.

Lin Qian said, "The Military Guard is mainly responsible for the training of crew members and the deployment of militia. In the next few months, we need to prepare to recruit another one hundred seamen and two hundred militiamen."

"Yes!"

After giving instructions to Lei Sanxiang, Lin Qian continued.

"The acting head of the Civil Affairs Department is Zhou Youcai."

Scholar Zhou stood up and replied, "Yes."

"For the past few months, the Civil Affairs Bureau has only had one task: to teach the islanders to read and write!" Lin Qian said, then patted Zhou Xiucai's arm. "Second brother, you have a heavy burden on your shoulders and you've worked hard."

There was no other way; Zhou Xiucai was the only talent in Lin Qian's internal affairs department, and he had to handle everything that involved numbers and words.

It was already difficult to deal with the merchant surnamed Hu without requiring Zhou Xiucai's intervention; to also entrust him with the responsibility of improving the literacy rate on the island was truly a dilemma.

Lin Qian then added, "Brother Yiguan, you'll need to help a lot with literacy!"

Zheng Zhilong should be right.

Finally, Lin Qian's gaze swept across the faces of the several acting officials, and he admonished them, "All of you brothers have suffered from the exploitation of cruel officials and know the hardships of the people's lives. I urge you all to restrain your subordinates and not to do anything wrong!"

Everyone stood up and bowed in unison: "Yes, sir!"

……

early morning.

Bookseller Wang Hao's boat docked at Houjiang Bay.

Since he started selling picture books, he has become the only bookseller on the island.

Including that big coal deal, he earned more money on the island in just over a month than he would have earned in a year on land.

In addition to bringing the latest official gazette, he also brought a large number of new picture books on his trip to the island.

Among them, "Pan Jinlian's Licentious Death in the Mandarin Duck Tower" is particularly good.

Like "Jin Ping Mei", this book uses the story of "Water Margin", but the writing style is much cruder and more straightforward.

With its one-page book and three-page illustration ratio, along with its massive scale of detailed depiction, it's sure to spark another reading frenzy on the island.

Wang Hao stepped out of the cabin, paid someone to help unload the cargo, and at the same time surveyed the harbor in front of him.

In just a few days, Nan'ao City has changed quite a bit.

What caught the eye was a group of people dressed as clerks. There were five clerks in the group, three of whom were carrying long and short sticks, and two of whom were carrying knives. They were patrolling around the dock.

Wang Hao had a bad feeling. He knew the clerk's character and thought that since he had run into him today, he would inevitably have to pay to avoid disaster.

Sure enough, after seeing the goods he was transporting, the clerk walked straight toward him.

"Are you here to buy books?" a leading clerk asked.

Wang Hao stepped forward, bowing and scraping, and said with a smile, "That's right, just doing some business to make a living."

As he spoke, Wang Hao took out several books from the box and stuffed them into the hands of the clerk: “Pan Jinlian’s Demise in the Mandarin Duck Tower, the latest illustrated book from Jiangnan, the content is extremely explicit, gentlemen, please take a look.”

"Who wants this thing?" The clerk pushed the book back.

Wang Hao cursed inwardly. The island had only just been established by clerks, yet they were already exploiting people like this. They were all the same. He gritted his teeth, took out two taels of silver from his waist, and handed it over.

"This little one is so clueless. Use these to buy wine for the gentlemen."

The clerk frowned and said, "You're a strange person. Who asked you for money?"

Wang Hao was taken aback, thinking to himself, "Are they really that ruthless? Two ounces aren't even enough?"

The clerk pointed to the books and asked, "Since you're selling books, can you read?"

Wang Hao nodded.

The clerk then asked, "Can you count?"

Wang Hao expressed his approval.

The clerk then took out a piece of paper from his pocket, handed it to Wang Hao, and said, "Take a look at this, how much is it?"

Wang Hao glanced at the paper and saw a very simple math problem: a merchant's monthly transaction records (eight or nine transactions in total) and the question asked him to calculate the total number of transactions.

Wang Hao immediately calculated the answer, handed the paper back, and replied, "Three taels and five mace."

The clerk, beaming with delight, said, "The department is currently recruiting literate and arithmetic-skilled teachers. The monthly salary is five taels of silver. Are you interested?"

The monthly salary of five taels of silver was considered extremely high.

Wang Hao considered himself to be only superficially literate and not capable of misleading students. Besides, he earned no less than five taels of silver a month selling books on the island.

Therefore, he very carefully refused the official.

He thought he would have to pay a sum of money to avoid disaster, but the official left on his own after he refused.

This surprised Wang Hao greatly.

Touching the two taels of silver in his hand, he felt a vague unease in his heart.

By this time, the books had been unloaded from the boat. Wang Hao paid the boat fare and then asked someone to move the books back to his original stall.

Along the way, Wang Hao saw that Nan'ao City had changed a lot.

The vendors who used to occupy the roadside have all moved to the side, making way for a wide road. The crowds of people who used to be drunk and fighting in the street are now nowhere to be seen.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the city seemed to have changed from a wild frontier to an ancient town in Jiangnan.

Upon arriving at the stall, Wang Hao paid the helper and then took out and arranged the books himself.

As soon as "Pan Jinlian's Adultery and Death in the Mandarin Duck Tower" was released, it attracted a lot of attention. People read it and then paid for it with satisfaction.

In just one morning, Wang Hao earned five qian of silver.

While I was eating lunch at my stall, I saw two pedestrians across the street start fighting over a minor argument.

The islanders are known for their fierce and ruthless nature; in no time, both men were bleeding from head wounds.

Wang Hao was enjoying his meal when a group of officials suddenly rushed out of the alley, pulled out long sticks, separated the two men, and took them away separately. The other officials dispersed the crowd of onlookers.

Wang Hao found it incredibly boring.

Not long after, the two returned to the street. Their wounds had been treated, and there was no longer any resentment between them. Like ordinary passersby, they went their separate ways.

Wang Hao was amazed, wondering what methods the officials had used to resolve the conflict so quickly.

After lunch, Wang Hao continued selling books. Just as he stood up, he heard a shout from across the street: "Picture books for sale! Full of pictures, even those who can't read can understand them! The stories are so exciting, you won't be able to sleep once you start reading!"

Wang Hao had a bad feeling. Looking around, he saw a book stall diagonally opposite. The stall owner was enthusiastically hawking his wares, and the book in his hand was "Pan Jinlian's Lewd Death in the Mandarin Duck Tower".

The stall owner's shop was much larger than Wang Hao's, with a wider variety of picture books, all displayed openly in the open. He also had two apprentices helping out, which immediately attracted a crowd.

He was the only book stall on the island. Later, others set up their stalls diagonally opposite, clearly trying to compete with him.

Wang Hao was furious and put all of "Pan Jinlian's Debauchery in the Mandarin Duck Tower" out in the open, imitating his competitors by loudly advertising for it.

After shouting all afternoon, Wang Hao's voice was almost hoarse, but he finally managed to win in a draw.

In the evening, an apprentice from the bookstall across the street jogged over, carrying a teapot.

Approaching the man, she said, "My master said that my husband has been shouting all afternoon, and his voice must be tired. He asked me to bring him a pot of tea."

Wang Hao didn't even look at him directly, just waved his hand impatiently: "No need, no need."

The apprentice stepped closer and said, "Sir, there's no need to refuse. Where's your water cup? I'll pour it for you."

Wang Hao angrily said, "Get out of here! Do you think I don't know what kind of bad intentions you have, delivering tea to a bookstall?"

The apprentice was taken aback and turned to look at his own stall, only to see the stall owner gesturing to him urgently.

The apprentice simply tossed the teapot aside, and it landed squarely on Wang Hao's book stall, gushing out boiling tea that soaked all the books.

Wang Hao flew into a rage and cursed, "You scoundrel! You're not even going to pretend anymore, are you? Come on, let's go see the magistrate!"

In his fury, he grabbed the apprentice's arm and found it unusually soft and smooth to the touch.

The apprentice's lips curled into a triumphant smile, and with his other hand, he swiftly unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his thin shoulders and a bright red undergarment.

"Ah—" the apprentice screamed in alarm.

It was only then that Wang Hao suddenly realized that the apprentice was actually a woman.

His face paled in horror, and he abruptly released his grip.

It was too late. A crowd gathered around, and there stood a disheveled woman and a bewildered man, frozen in place.

Wang Hao was now speechless and unable to defend himself.

At this moment, one of the people in the crowd said, "Sister!"

Wang Hao looked closely and saw that it was the other apprentice.

He rushed forward angrily, pointed at Wang Hao's nose, and said, "My sister kindly brought you tea, and you harassed her. Are you even human?"

Wang Hao stammered, "She... I didn't..."

Before Wang Hao could even refute him, the male apprentice addressed the crowd, saying, "Everyone, please judge for yourselves, what should we do with this scoundrel who harasses a woman in broad daylight?"

"Drive him off the island!" someone in the crowd shouted.

The commotion grew louder as the male apprentice instigated it.

A voice came from outside the crowd: "Disperse! The matter of right and wrong will be handled by the Ministry of Justice!"

The crowd quieted down and made way.

Three clerks from the Ministry of Justice approached, glanced at the people present, and asked, "What's going on?"

The two apprentices, one male and one female, were both stunned.

Criminal Justice Division, what is that?
Isn't it always the case that disputes on the island are resolved by the people around them?
At this moment, the bookseller from the distant stall also came over and bowed to the officials, saying, "Gentlemen, I am Li Zheng, a bookseller from Qinyou Mountain House in Chaoyang County. The aggrieved party in this matter is my apprentice. We have to rush back to Chaoyang tonight, so we won't trouble you gentlemen with this matter."

According to government regulations, if the victim in a case does not pursue the matter, the case can be settled privately.

Unexpectedly, the official said, "To harass a woman is a serious crime. You can't just ignore me. Speak."

The bookseller, Li Zheng, panicked. He took a few steps closer, pulled a silver ingot from his belt, handed it to the clerk, and whispered, "I really need to go back to Chaoyang tonight. Please be lenient, sir."

The clerk took the silver, weighed it in his hand, and said, "Well, you've openly offered a bribe. If you don't give a reason, your crime won't be light. Speak up now."

The people around him chimed in, "Yes, with the Ministry of Justice in charge, just say it already!"

Li Zheng could only bite the bullet and say, "I went to the island today to buy books and met some fellow scholars. I wanted to make some acquaintances, so I had my apprentice bring him tea..."

"Bullshit! Offering tea? If I accept this tea, I'll spill it all over my bookstall. This is something that everyone else has already done. You still dare to show it off!" Wang Hao shouted.

The official scolded Wang Hao, "Shut up."

Then he said to Li Zhengdao, "Go on."

Li Zheng: "This person is not only ungrateful, but he actually... he actually coveted my apprentice's looks and made indecent advances in the street."

pretty?

The clerk glanced at the female apprentice and saw that she had neither a good figure nor a pretty face. She was as dark as a charcoal ball and had a rough voice. If you didn't look closely, you really couldn't tell that she was a woman.

Is this what you call good looks?

The clerk already had a vague idea in his mind.

Li Zheng's idea was full of flaws from the start. His original intention was simply to create a topic of conversation and divert attention away from splashing water on the book.

As long as the officials don't interfere, the local people will generally speak up for the bullied woman, making it easy to solidify the harassment and force the rival to leave quietly.

These male and female apprentices were all hired on the spot, just to drive Wang Hao away so that he could monopolize the lucrative job of selling books on Nan'ao Island.

He has visited the island multiple times to scout the location and confirmed that this method is feasible.

They deliberately chose to do it in the evening to avoid being seen by pedestrians.

Who would have thought that when it came to actually taking action, some kind of criminal justice department would come out to take charge? There had never been such an office on the island before.

The only thing Li Zheng can do now is to insist that Wang Hao harassed him.

As long as he and his two apprentices don't budge, the matter will simply be left unresolved.

The official inquired about the matter but got no results.

I asked around among the locals, but unfortunately no one witnessed the incident.

Li Zheng felt relieved. As long as there was no evidence, he could take advantage of the situation.

The official said sternly, “I’m warning you all, harassing women is a serious crime on this island. At the very least, you’ll be given five lashes. Those who make false accusations will be punished the same way. While things are still relatively calm, you might as well confess now to avoid trouble later.”

No one answered.

The official waved his hand and led the group away. After a few steps, they stopped in front of a house.

The door to the house was wide open, with wisps of smoke rising from it. Inside, a statue of Mazu was enshrined.

The officials escorted the group to the statue of Mazu, where they respectfully offered incense.

Then he handed the incense to Wang Hao, Li Zheng, and the others, asking them to offer incense as well.

“Alright, tell the story again in front of Mazu,” the official said. “Tell the truth, Mazu knows who is lying.”

The people of Fujian and Guangdong have an extreme reverence for Mazu. Upon seeing this scene, the female apprentice lowered her head and could not speak.

Li Zheng braced himself and recounted the previous events, but this time he stammered, his heart was racing, and his back was sweating.

"You still dare to lie!" the clerk shouted.

Li Zheng and his male and female apprentices were so frightened that they knelt on the ground.

"Tell Mazu the truth!" The official's voice was authoritative, leaving no room for argument.

Seeing that his scheme had been exposed, Li Zheng had no choice but to honestly recount the whole story.

"You scoundrel, coming up with such a vicious plan!" Wang Hao spat, then said to the female apprentice, "Shameless!"

The official said, "False accusations are a crime, and all three shall be given five lashes each, and shall also compensate Wang Hao for the losses of his book stall!"

Wang Hao said, "Just compensate me for his book stall."

The clerk asked in a cold voice, "Any objections?"

Li Zheng remained silent.

"Take him away and execute him in the street!"

Moments later, the heart-wrenching screams of Li Zheng and his two apprentices echoed from the distant street.

Wang Hao cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, sir, for clearing my name."

The clerk waved his hand and said, "It's just part of my job."

……

Several days later, Wang Hao returned to Chenghai County by boat.

As soon as Fang stepped onto the dock, he encountered Zhang Xunlan, the dock patrolman.

"Hey, isn't this Master Wang? Just got back from the other side? You must have made a lot of money on that trip, right?"

Wang Hao cupped his hands and smiled, "Thanks to your good fortune, sir."

After saying that, he started moving his things on his own.

Zhang Xunlan squatted to the side and said, "There has been a military camp on Nan'ao Island for more than forty years. The number of people has always been small, never large. But in the last two months, a large city has sprung up from the ground, and many more islanders have joined. Isn't that strange?"

Wang Hao casually replied, "Who cares if it's strange or not? As long as I can do business and make a living, that's enough."

Zhang Xunlan shook his head vigorously and said meaningfully, "That's wrong. If the people on the island are soldiers, then it's called business; otherwise, it's called collusion with bandits!"

Everyone in Chenghai County knows who lives on Nan'ao Island, so why is the patrol bringing this up today?
Wang Hao was puzzled when he suddenly remembered something. He quickly took out three coins of silver from his belt, handed them to the patrolman, and said, "Thank you for your advice, sir. Please accept this money for the wine!"

Zhang Xunlan took the silver, a smile appearing on his face, and said, "No problem, Mr. Wang, please go ahead with your business. I'll go take a look elsewhere."

Sure enough, he took the money and left.

Wang Hao couldn't help but smile wryly. He had only been on the island for a few days, yet he had almost forgotten the rules on the shore.

On his way home, Wang Hao couldn't help but think that although he made a lot of money doing business between the two places, he was always exploited by the clerks on each trip.

Moreover, with Li Zheng stealing business from the island, there will likely be Zhang Zheng and Zhao Zheng in the future.

Selling sketchbooks is not a long-term solution.

Perhaps you should try teaching?
Not only does it save you the trouble of traveling back and forth, but you can also earn a net profit of five taels every month.

Considering the island's officials' integrity and competence, it's possible that the five taels of silver will be received intact.

Thinking of this, Wang Hao couldn't help but stop and look back at the sea.

He thought to himself, “Everyone in the county says that the island is occupied by a group of pirates. Are there really such pirates?”

Compared to the island, Chenghai County is more like a den of thieves.

(End of this chapter)