The Black Sails of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 117 Sea Rebel

After chatting with the porters for a long time, Mr. Hu finally had a moment to speak with Zhou and Bai.

"Master Bai, was the journey smooth?"

Bai Langzai nodded slightly: "This trip yielded a total of over seven thousand taels..."

Mr. Hu quickly stopped him, looked around, and whispered, "Let's go back to the manor. Please, gentlemen."

Scholar Zhou and Bai Langzai boarded the sedan chair at the Hu residence.

Half an hour later, the sedan chair arrived at the entrance hall of the Hu residence. The two men came out and followed Master Hu through several connecting corridors and courtyards to the main hall, where the three of them took their seats as host and guest.

Master Hu loudly ordered the butler, "Brew tea, brew good tea!"

"Yes!" the butler replied, and ordered someone to prepare tea.

Looking at Bai Langzai, Master Hu couldn't wait to ask, "Master Bai, now you can tell us, how was the harvest on this ship?"

Bai Langzai said expressionlessly, "A boatload of Chaozhou silk sold for more than seven thousand taels in Macau."

"And then?" Master Hu pressed.

“That’s all.” Bai Langzai said, then took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Master Hu. “This is the invoice, with a detailed breakdown of the prices.”

Master Hu took the order, glanced at it, and put it down. He had been selling Chaozhou silk for most of his life and knew the market price of goods. The amount of seven thousand taels was no problem.

"We didn't encounter any storms on the way. Sea pirates?" Master Hu asked.

"No." Bai Langzai shook his head.

Zhou Xiucai continued, "Once winter arrives, the northwest winds on the sea become stable, and we generally don't encounter any major storms. As for pirates, the surrounding waters have been calm recently, and since we are sailing against the wind, it's naturally unlikely we'll encounter them."

"Oh." Old Master Hu sounded somewhat disappointed.

At this moment, the servants brought over the brewed tea and placed it on the tables of the three people.

Master Hu picked up his teacup and said with a smile, "Luojie tea, please."

Zhou and Bai also picked up their teacups: "Please."

Scholar Zhou lifted the lid of the teapot, and white steam rose up, releasing a refreshing fragrance that was invigorating.

He drank a lot of Longjing tea on the island, but he never expected that the aroma of Luojie tea would be even stronger than that of Longjing.

Zhou Xiucai took a sip. It was slightly bitter at first, but sweet aftertasted in the throat. After swallowing, his mouth was filled with a refreshing fragrance. It was indeed a good tea.

Scholar Zhou praised the tea a few times, and Master Hu responded with a few modest words, looking quite pleased with himself.

The topic then shifted back to the ship.

The reason why Master Hu built a three-masted Fujian ship but dared not sail it himself was because he was afraid of storms, pirates, and government raids.

A Fujian-style ship, along with its cargo and people, costs between 20,000 and 30,000 taels of silver. If it is lost, the losses will be too heavy.

That's why he asked for a deposit of 10,000 taels of silver before cooperating with Master Zhou and Master Bai, just in case the two of them drowned at sea and his goods went down the drain.

But now that they have cooperated three times and each time has been a safe return trip, Mr. Hu has started to have some ideas. It turns out that running a ship is not as difficult as he thought.

Zhou and Bai earned five hundred taels of silver from him for each voyage. Wasn't it a bit too easy for them to earn this money?

Master Hu subtly inquired, "I heard from fishermen along the coast that a five-clawed dragon has appeared at sea. Do either of you know anything about it?"

Scholar Zhou replied dismissively, "I know a little bit about it, but it's probably just a folk rumor."

"That's not quite right," Master Hu said mysteriously in a low voice. "Do you know Li Kuiqi?"

Bai Langzai's gaze sharpened as he stared at Master Hu.

Zhou Xiucai nodded slowly: "I know."

"This man hasn't appeared on the sea for a long time, and even the brothels in the three coastal counties of Chaozhou aren't as popular as before. I heard that he was swallowed by the Five-Clawed Dragon." Master Hu said solemnly.

Bai Langzai looked away and took a sip of tea.

Zhou Xiucai breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "That is indeed possible."

Master Hu leaned back in his chair and said, "That's why we haven't encountered any pirates at sea lately, perhaps because the Five-Clawed Dragon has eliminated evil."

Zhou Xiucai was both amused and exasperated: "That makes sense."

Master Hu then changed the subject: “I see that you two owners have quite a few guards on your ship. Since the sea is calm, there’s no need to bring so many guards. Why not bring fewer?”

Bai Langzai tried to interject, but was stopped by Zhou Xiucai's gaze.

Master Hu continued, "With fewer guards, the boat fare might be lower, wouldn't you two agree?"

Scholar Zhou readily agreed: "Alright, then let's reduce the price by another hundred taels for each voyage."

"Great!" Master Hu laughed heartily, but at the same time felt a pang of regret, realizing that the previous three voyages had indeed been too generous.

Bai Langzai looked at Zhou Xiucai questioningly, and Zhou Xiucai mouthed, "Calm down."

After laughing for a while, Master Hu said, "The silk in my warehouse has been sold out. Fortunately, there are still some autumn cocoons left, enough to weave another boatload of cloth before spring."

With the money from selling to the people of Macau, I can collect more cocoons next spring, and then I can hire a few more weavers and book more voyages next year.”

Scholar Zhou accompanied Master Hu as they discussed their business plans.

After finally finishing their conversation, Scholar Zhou smiled and said, "Master Hu, I have a favor to ask."

Mr. Hu put down his teacup: "Oh? Please speak freely."

Zhou Xiucai: "Master Hu, you know that we boatmen need a lot of tung oil to maintain our boats. However, we are not locals and are not familiar with the market here. We would like to ask Master Hu to help us purchase it."

Mr. Hu waved his hand and said, "No problem, leave it to me."

Scholar Zhou then took out a list from his pocket and placed it on Master Hu's desk.

"These are the items that need to be purchased. Please take a look, Mr. Hu."

Mr. Hu was quite puzzled. It was just tung oil, wasn't it? Why did he need to make a list?
He casually picked up the list, opened it, and saw that it read:

"Rice, 20,000 shi. Wheat, 20,000 shi. Cloth, 30,000 chi."

Three thousand catties of tung oil. Five thousand catties of rope.

Two million bricks. Two million tiles. Three hundred thousand catties of lime. Five hundred thousand catties of river sand. One hundred thousand catties of rubble.

......"

There were also a large number of miscellaneous items, such as various medicines, ironware, tools, oxen, mules, and horses.

The list was over a thousand words long, covering virtually every detail.

During the ten breaths, Old Master Hu didn't even blink.

His eyes darted back and forth between those outrageous numbers.

Twenty thousand shi? "Ten thousand"?
Two million? "Million"?
Master Hu's first reaction was not shock at all; he thought that Scholar Zhou must have made a mistake.

Looking up, I saw Zhou Xiucai calmly drinking his tea.

Bai Langzai's gaze shot over coldly, and a dagger had appeared on the table sometime earlier.

A tremendous storm raged in Mr. Hu's heart!
"You, you, this..."

Scholar Zhou said calmly, "What?"

Master Hu suddenly realized the identities of the two men.

All those claims about being a merchant from northern Fujian, a family in decline, clan recommendations, and household registration permits are all fake!

These two are pirates!

No, that's not all. Daring to openly purchase these things is no longer just being a pirate; it's rebellion, it's being a traitor!
"I want……"

Old Master Hu's face was completely bloodless, and he couldn't even speak coherently.

He wanted to say "I want to sue the authorities," but he swallowed the words back down.

In an instant, Mr. Hu understood many things.

Why did Bai Dongzhu sail so ostentatiously? Why did he choose to dock in Chenghai County? Why did he offer such a low price for transporting his goods? Why did he agree to give him a deposit of 10,000 taels of silver?

The Hu family has been firmly bound.

Can these two really absolve themselves of any wrongdoing?
Self-blame, regret, resentment, fear, and anger.

The expressions on Mr. Hu's face were quite varied.

For the duration of half an incense stick's burning, Master Hu sat in the main seat without uttering a single word, as if struck by lightning.

Scholar Zhou did not interrupt, and leisurely sipped his tea.

Master Hu remained silent for a long time, and even the Hu family steward noticed something was amiss. He looked at Master Hu with concern for a long time, and finally couldn't help but whisper a reminder: "Master?"

Hearing this greeting, Master Hu snapped out of his daze. His fingers trembled as he folded the list neatly, put it in his pocket, and said with a trembling voice, "No problem."

Master Hu wiped his sweat, raised his cup and gulped down the tea, then said in a trembling voice, "Please, gentlemen, have a chat in the study."

“Very well.” Scholar Zhou put down his teacup.

After passing through the covered walkways and waterside pavilions, we arrived at the study of the Hu family mansion.

Master Hu dismissed the servants, assigned his trusted steward to guard the main gate, and then closed the door to his study.

"Pfft!"

Master Hu knelt down heavily, pleading, "My lords, I'm begging you! I was blind and ignorant, please forgive me!"

Scholar Zhou quickly went to help him up: "Master Hu, what do you mean by this? Please get up quickly."

Master Hu refused to get up, and even made a gesture as if he wanted to kowtow.

Bai Langzai slammed his hand on the table and said in a cold voice, "Get up!"

Old Master Hu stood up abruptly.

Bai Langzai: "Stand while you're answering!"

Master Hu looked at Scholar Zhou pleadingly, took out the list from his pocket, and begged, "My family has only had one son for three generations, and we are a small family. We barely make a living by weaving silk. We are not a big family in Chenghai County, and we are even less significant in the entire Chaozhou Prefecture. Please spare me, gentlemen."

Zhou Xiucai didn't take it. Instead, he sat down at his desk and said leisurely, "We already know about the Hu family's situation. We carefully selected you. Seventh Brother, show him the benefits."

Upon hearing the call, Bai Langzai took out a cloth bag from his bosom, opened it, and found it filled with top-quality South Sea pearls the size of longan seeds.

Mr. Hu glanced at it only once, but his eyes were immediately drawn to it.

“This is just a deposit; the previous ten thousand taels of silver don’t need to be refunded,” said Zhou Xiucai. “We will pay for everything on the list, and at 20% above market price. The Hu family will make a profit, so don’t worry.”

“It’s not because of the money… I can’t buy the things on the list at all with my small household,” Master Hu said with a bitter face. “Not to mention anything else, just take the three thousand catties of tung oil. This stuff is strictly regulated. If there is no clear purpose, hoarding it privately is tantamount to treason.”

Zhou Xiucai said, "I've already thought of an excuse for you. Everyone in Chenghai County knows you're in the maritime trade. Once you've made some money, just build a new mansion."

"what?"

“This mansion is built outside the city, occupying a large enough area, and surrounded by high walls, so you will have an excuse to buy large quantities of blue bricks, tiles, lime, tung oil, and river sand.”

"Huh?" Master Hu was dumbfounded.

"Anyway, the mansion is in the suburbs, and the construction is hidden by high walls, so no one can see it. You can stockpile a batch of materials every month and transport them to Malau at the end of the month."

Master Hu was speechless, finally realizing that Master Bai's ostentatious boat voyage had a second purpose.

"That rice, wheat..."

"Now that you've become rich, you should naturally do good deeds and give back to your hometown by establishing community granaries and charitable granaries."

"This?" Master Hu was speechless.

The so-called "community granaries" or "charitable granaries" were public granaries established by the people for the purpose of stabilizing grain prices and providing relief to disaster victims.

This system was first established during the Jiajing era, and in the eighth year of Jiajing, it was proposed by Wang Tingxiang, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, to be promoted nationwide.

Since the Zhengde era, the Ming Dynasty had a policy of commending righteous people, which encouraged ordinary people to engage in public welfare and carry out self-help measures for famine relief and disaster relief.

The Hu family wasn't considered a wealthy household; in the past, they wouldn't even open a soup kitchen. Now, having made money from shipping, they're rich and powerful, and establishing a charitable granary is indeed in line with the mentality of a small family suddenly becoming rich.

Master Hu's mouth gaped open. He thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a rebuttal. He could only say dryly, "This move is still too risky. Sooner or later, the government will find out."

Scholar Zhou chuckled: "The government? Master Hu, you know perfectly well that we are a private boat and you still dare to hire us, so why would you be afraid of the government?"

“Smuggling ships and building... these are two completely different things from what you do.”

"Don't worry, I've thought of that for you. Before the new magistrate arrives in Chenghai County, you should first win over the minor officials in the yamen. After the new magistrate takes office, you should try to win him over, and then use his connections to win over the prefect." Master Hu smiled wryly: "Easier said than done."

Zhou Xiucai sighed softly and took out another piece of paper from his pocket: "The boatman has also written down the methods to corrupt the county magistrate."

Master Hu took the note with surprise, glanced at it a few times, and was immediately amazed. He closed the note, cupped his hands, and said, "May I ask, Master Hu, who exactly are you?"

Zhou Xiucai didn't answer, but instead asked, "So, you agree?"

Mr. Hu felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Zhou Xiucai stood up, walked to the door of the study, and said, "From today onwards, you're on board. If you encounter any troublesome problems in the future, we'll take care of them for you. The helmsman said that you must keep your hands clean."

Master Hu readily agreed.

"From now on, stop doing those loan sharking and coercing weavers. We have plenty of money in this business, but reputation is what matters."

Master Hu cupped his hands and said, "Understood, my hands must be clean."

Scholar Zhou smiled slightly: "You're on the right track."

After saying that, he pushed open the door and went out, with Bai Langzai following behind.

Long after the two left, Master Hu remained standing there, stunned. He took out the two slips of paper from his pocket, looked at them, then at the bag of top-quality South Sea pearls on the table, his expression complicated.

He walked slowly to the table, as if his soul had been ripped out, and slumped into the chair.

After about half an hour, he slowly exhaled, "What a... terrible thing..."

……

The 17th day of the 11th lunar month.

Astronomical high tide.

After a month and a half, the Santa Ana has completed all its overhauls.

Today is the day we go back to sea.

On the beach, Lin Qian and her brothers were already waiting.

Midday on the moon.

The tide kept surging onto the beach, and the wooden gate that had blocked the dry dock had been removed. The waves surged through the gap and into the hull of the large sailboat.

On the distant sea, four Haicang ships and ten Cangshan ships were lined up in a V-shape. Thick cables were tied to the sterns of these ships, with the other end of the cables fixed to the large sailing ships.

In the temporary dock, all the logs surrounding the large sailing ship have been removed.

On the shore, the craftsmen involved in the repairs were all on high alert.

All eyes were fixed on the waves.

Under the full moon, a wave crashed in, pushed far across the beach, and then receded, leaving a dark, wet mark on the sand.

A moment later, another wave swept in, matching the previous mark.

Chen Jiao whispered, "Chao Feng is coming."

Four or five waves surged in succession, but the tide line remained unchanged.

The mute Huang waved to the apprentice.

The apprentice understood, put his hands to his mouth, and with all his might, shouted in a drawn-out voice, "The high tide has arrived! Raise the sails—"

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding craftsmen joined in the shouts.

The air was filled with shouts of raising the sails.

A huge red flag was picked up by a strong craftsman and waved continuously on the beach.

On the distant sea, fourteen ships heard the shouts and saw the flags waving, and simultaneously raised their sails to half-mast.

The northwest wind was blowing strongly at that time.

Dozens of Chinese-style hard sails, catching the side wind, propelled it forward slowly.

The mooring lines were gradually pulled taut, and then a tremendous force came from them, causing the ships to be towed to a stop by the large sailboats.

The large sailboat swayed violently from the force.

Bai Qing stood at the bow of a Haicang ship, surveyed the situation on all the other vessels, and shouted, "Raise the sails to full capacity!"

Behind him, the crew picked up the blue flags they had prepared earlier and waved them.

Each ship raised its sails to full.

A strong northwest wind was blowing, making the blue flag flutter loudly.

The stern of the ship where Bai Qing was located was creaking eerily from the planks and mast.

"Wow!"

Another wave surged onto the beach.

"It's moving! The large sailing ship is moving!" a craftsman exclaimed in surprise.

In the dry dock, the large sailboat moved forward slowly, but its momentum was unstoppable.

Everyone watched from the sidelines, holding their breath.

On the beach, there was only the sound of the whistling wind and the sound of the waves.

Half an incense stick later, the bow of the large sailing ship had already left the dock.

Everyone's face showed excitement, but they dared not make a sound, for fear of disturbing the ship pulling the mooring rope.

Compared to leaving the shore, sitting on the shore is more difficult, so for safety, large sailboats are pulled into the dock with their bow facing the shore.

The downside is that a boat must be used to tow it away from the shore.

Compared to pulling cables on land, towing at sea saves manpower, but it is an extremely technical job.

Each cable has a section made of oil-soaked leather to absorb impact loads.

Iron bars with rings were also installed between the cables to prevent the combined force from causing the more than ten tugboats to collide.

After another incense stick's time, half of the large sailboat's hull had already emerged from the dock.

The red flags on the shore waved again.

Upon seeing this, Bai Qing ordered, "All ships, lower your sails to half-mast!"

As the sails decreased in size, the creaking of the timbers on the boats also lessened considerably.

On the beach, the large sailboat slowly shifted its center of gravity and finally landed on the slide.

Despite the similar slope between the dry dock and the slipway, the slipway was still smashed open to both sides, splashing sea sand everywhere.

The tension of several cables eased, but fortunately the leather rigging cushioned the impact, so the dozen or so ships at sea were not significantly affected.

The slide was already coated with a thick layer of grease, and the large sailboat glided into the sea under its own weight.

At the same time, the cable was tightened again.

Under the combined action of tension, buoyancy, gravity, and friction.

Most of the large sailboat's hull re-entered the water, and then its bow left the slipway and entered the sea.

The wooden slide extends all the way into the sea, preventing large sailboats from running aground and capsizing, and also preventing damage to the keel due to the buoyancy of the seawater.

The large sailboat entered the sea, greatly reducing its weight, allowing the more than ten tugboats to pull it even faster.

After a long while, the Santa Ana's draft returned to normal, the ship righted itself, and it floated steadily on the sea.

The crowd cheered.

The craftsmen, including the mute Huang, led the islanders in small boats to inspect the damage to the hull caused by the towing.

Of course, wear and tear on the bottom plating is unavoidable, as long as the keel is not seriously damaged.

On the shore, Lin Qian breathed a sigh of relief and asked Zhou Xiucai behind her, "How is Hu Zhaoyuan doing?"

Zhou Xiucai replied, "I've resigned myself to my fate. I've already bought bricks and tiles these past few days and am building walls in the countryside. I estimate that by the end of this month, I'll be able to ship a boatload of supplies to Malau Island."

Bai Langzai added, "I sent a few brothers to keep an eye on the Hu residence, but there was no unusual activity."

Zheng Zhilong listened silently.

Every time Zhou and Bai reported on the Hu family's affairs to Lin Qian, Lin Qian would intentionally or unintentionally bring Zheng Zhilong along.

At first, Zheng Zhilong thought it was a good thing to be the liaison on the shore. He was a little sad that Lin Qian didn't let him contact the Zheng family in Quanzhou to do it.

After hearing more and understanding Lin Qian's methods for dealing with Master Hu, as well as the things she wanted Master Hu to purchase,

Zheng Zhilong then realized that this wasn't about protecting him at all; it was clearly about not betraying their own people!
Lin Qian deliberately chose to side with the distant Zheng family in Quanzhou, even though the Zheng family in Quanzhou was clearly a better fit.

They'd rather expend so much effort and take such great risks to support the Hu family than involve the Zheng family of Quanzhou.

Brother Lin truly treats him like a brother!

Zheng Zhilong not only stopped blaming Brother Lin, but also repeatedly blamed himself, truly showing that he was judging others by his own petty standards.

Lin Qian clapped her hands, threw away all the sea sand, and said to Chen Jiao, "When the supplies arrive at the port at the end of the month, we'll build a dry dock first."

Repairing a ship while it's stranded is too risky; it's only a temporary measure.

The Santa Ana has now completed its repairs and will not need to be dry-docked for a while, but the more than fifty Chinese warships under his command still need to be repaired, and the dry-dock work cannot be delayed.

Chen Jiao responded and then said, "The new type of mortar that the captain asked the stonemason to prepare is ready. One wall has been built, and the mortar will be completely dry by the end of the month."

"Okay," Lin Qian asked, "Remember to splash water on the wall to keep it moist."

"I remember, I check it every day."

The sea breeze blew, stirring up sand and causing everyone's clothes to flutter loudly.

The sandstorm was too strong, so Lin Qian led her people away from the beach and found a sheltered spot by a fire to warm themselves.

The crew members by the fire were quick-witted and immediately poured hot water into bowls and distributed them to everyone.

Lin Qian picked up the hot water, blew on it to cool it down, took a sip, and then asked, "How is the literacy campaign progressing?"

Zheng Zhilong quickly replied, "Since the teaching stall was moved to the evening, the number of people coming to listen to the lessons has increased significantly. In the past month and a half, most of the islanders have been able to recognize a few characters."

Literacy education is a slow process; it cannot be rushed.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, a literacy class would take one or two months to complete, let alone in this era.

Counting the days, there's only a month and a half left until the Lunar New Year. Let's just schedule the island's first civil service exam after the New Year.

There is plenty of time, and it won't affect everyone's mood for the New Year.

Lin Qian told Zheng Zhilong about the arrangements for the civil service examination and added, "This time, we don't need to fill all the civil service positions. Just let the other islanders know the benefits of being literate."

“I’ve got it,” Zheng Zhilong said earnestly.

It must be said that Zheng Zhilong was indeed very capable. He not only managed the Criminal and Constitutional Affairs Department in an orderly manner, but also assisted in handling most of the affairs of the Civil and Household Affairs Department.

Moreover, Zheng Zhilong is extremely hardworking and dedicated to his job, and his passion for it is almost second only to Lin Qian.

Lin Qian then looked at Bai Langzai, who was holding the Japanese-slaying sword, and asked, "How is it? Is this sword easy to use?"

Bai Langzai: "It's a good knife, but it's a pity I haven't had a chance to see any blood."

Since the last raid on the Lin family mansion, the pirates have been behaving themselves for two months, and it's clear that everyone is itching to get back to their old ways.

Lin Qian smiled. There were far too many opportunities to draw blood on the sea.

For example, now that the northwest monsoon is stable, many fleets will take advantage of this time to go to Southeast Asia to sell goods, especially those going to Manila, which are all large ships.

That's the advantage of Nan'ao Island: whether you're going to Macau or Manila, you'll be passing through the nearby waters.

If you want to catch fish, there are plenty of fish to catch at any time.

However, Lin Qian's current problem is not a lack of money, but rather that she has money but no way to spend it. Her focus should be on the development of Nan'ao Island and the cultivation of Hu Fu as her agent.

Once the southeast monsoon arrives and the fleets from Southeast Asia return laden with silver, that will be the best time to set the nets.

Lin Qian decided to raise these fish for a while first.

(End of this chapter)