The Black Sails of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 123 It’s a matter of course
"General, no! You must preserve your life so you can still be of use!"

"We'll accompany the General to fight our way back!"

Ma Chenglie roared, "Let go of me! Don't stop me!"

The surrounding soldiers naturally refused to let him go. Ma Chenglie struggled in vain, and tears streamed down his face as he cried, "I started learning martial arts at the age of five and joined the army at the age of thirteen. When have I ever suffered such a crushing defeat and such a great humiliation? I am ashamed to have failed the Emperor's grace. How can I face living in this world? Don't stop me, let go!"

"General, we have not avenged our great humiliation! We have not avenged our great humiliation! Please, General, lead us to the island!"

"Go to the island?" Ma Chenglie smiled bitterly, tears streaming down his cracked lips, salty and bitter. "Now that all the ships are destroyed, are we going to row a sampan to the island?"

The surrounding guards racked their brains but couldn't think of any more words of comfort, and remained silent for a moment, creating an extremely awkward scene.

Fortunately, Ma Chenglie's determination to die vanished after this delay. He slumped to the ground, his eyes vacant, and remained silent for a long time.

Just then, a soldier pointed into the distance and exclaimed, "General, look!"

Ma Chenglie looked in the direction his servant was pointing and saw a Haicang ship towing a bird-shaped boat on the distant sea.

The bird boat was severely flooded, with most of it submerged in the sea, and was being towed along by the Haicang boat.

It seems the pirates thought the ship was too damaged and difficult to repair, so they didn't want to accept it and sent it back to the navy.

How dare they... how dare they steal the food and then complain that it's spoiled! They're treating this dignified Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Nan'ao like a beggar!

It's too much to bully others, it's too much to bully others!
Ma Chenglie's eyes were bloodshot, one hand clutching his chest, the other pointing at the Haicang ship, he roared with all his might: "Send troops! Send troops! Kill the pirates on board! Send troops!"

The soldiers around them looked at each other, wondering if the commander-in-chief had lost his mind. There were only sampans left in the water camp, how could they send out troops?

The family soldiers were formidable and believed they could slaughter the pirates in close combat. The question was, would the pirates allow them to get close?

The soldiers still vividly remember the pirates' guns and cannons on the night of the 28th of the twelfth lunar month.

They rowed forward in their sampans, looking completely bewildered. Weren't they just making themselves easy targets?
For a time, none of the loyal guards moved.

The people on the hillside watched as the Haicang boat slowly sailed to the outer edge of the water village, slowly untied the ropes connecting it to the bird boat, and then slowly turned around, changed sails, and left.

Ma Chenglie's head throbbed with pain, and he roared in fury, "How dare you scoundrels insult me ​​like this! I..."

He was only halfway through his sentence when Ma Chenglie finally collapsed, his vision went black, and he fainted.

After an unknown amount of time, Ma Chenglie slowly awoke and found himself lying in the camp. He asked with difficulty, "How long have I been unconscious?"

A group of soldiers gathered around and said, "The commander-in-chief has been unconscious for an hour or two, and someone has already gone to fetch a doctor."

"Where am I?" Ma Chenglie asked weakly.

"Zhelin Village".

Ma Chenglie struggled to his feet and said, "There's no need to call a doctor."

The soldiers rushed to help him up, and were about to speak to persuade him when the general interrupted: "Send someone to...to Chaozhou Prefecture to fetch my memorial, and...and prepare the boats again."

The soldier looked troubled: "General, retrieving the memorial is not a problem, but the boat..."

He dared not continue, fearing he might further agitate Ma Chenglie and cause him to faint.

Ma Chenglie said, "We just need to find a merchant ship that can cross the sea. I want to see this five-clawed dragon."

"General?" The surrounding soldiers were shocked.

"My mind is made up. There's no need to persuade me anymore. Go and prepare."

"Yes."

The soldiers all left the barracks.

Ma Chenglie lay back down on the bed. After this bout of unconsciousness, his boiling blood subsided, and his intelligence and wit took over again.

He realized that his only option now was to seek refuge with the bandit leader.

With Zhelin Village destroyed, all the naval warships lost, and the surrounding garrisons suffering losses of their own soldiers, Ma Chenglie alone could not possibly conceal these losses.

The pirates first sent a severed head and a government report, then a leaky bird-shaped boat, clearly trying to curry favor.

Putting yourself in their shoes, the pirates certainly didn't want to break ties with the imperial court and wanted to rely on him, the deputy commander of Nan'ao, to mediate.

If they can join forces, both sides will get what they need and achieve a win-win situation.

Therefore, Ma Chenglie made the decision to go to the island.

As for the naval defeat, the humiliation, the loss of sovereignty and territory, and the emperor's boundless grace, what do they matter compared to one's life and fortune?

The next morning, everything Ma Chenglie needed was prepared.

The guards found a two-masted Fujian-style ship, and just as he was about to board, a mournful cry came from afar: "Master."

Ma Chenglie turned around and saw that it was his most beloved concubine, Ru Niang, who had followed him.

Ru Niang was in her early twenties, in the prime of her life, with a slender figure, delicate skin, and bright, spring-like eyes. She came from a respectable family and had worked as an actress in her younger years, which gave her a beautiful voice like the silver bells. When she was in love, her cries were like the warbling of orioles and the chirping of swallows, and just hearing the sounds of her could make one's bones melt.

Since taking Ru Niang as a concubine, Ma Chenglie has indulged in nightly revelry and devoted himself to her.

However, having suffered a major defeat and with his life and fortune in danger, he had no interest in matters of love and sex, and thus he had been neglecting her, causing her status in the household to plummet.

Hearing that the master was in Zhelin Village, Ru Niang rushed over as if grasping at a straw.

Ma Chenglie was extremely annoyed and was about to sternly kick her out, but when he saw her beautiful and charming appearance, he changed his mind and said, "You've come? Very well, let's go together."

Ru Niang was overjoyed upon hearing this, lifted her skirt, and took small steps onto the boat.

……

As soon as Ma Chenglie's ship left Zhelin Bay, it was spotted by the Sea Wolf ship, which was ordered to monitor the area.

Faced with muskets and cannons, Ma Chenglie braced himself and explained his purpose.

That afternoon, Ma Chenglie's two-masted Fujian-style ship, towed by the Hailang warship, docked at Houjiang Bay.

All the people on the two-masted ship were blindfolded, their hands tied behind their backs, and taken to the deck of the St. Anna.

After a thorough body search, Ma Chenglie was led forward a few steps and stopped.

A voice came from behind, "You are Ma Chenglie?"

"I am Ma Chenglie, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Nan'ao."

In the officers' mess, Lin Qian remained noncommittal, her gaze fixed on Huang Hetai beside her.

Huang Hetai recognized the general's voice and nodded to Lin Qian.

Lin Qian then asked, "What brings you here?"

Ma Chenglie declared in a loud voice, "I have come here specifically to seek refuge with the captain!"

"Heh..." Lin Qian chuckled softly, and all the brothers around her burst into laughter.

After laughing, Lin Qian teased, "General Ma, you, a dignified deputy commander, have come to join a pirate like me?"

Lin Qian was pleasantly surprised that Ma Chenglie had come to seek refuge with her. She was more than happy to welcome him. However, she wanted to test Ma Chenglie's sincerity and also to temper his arrogance and make him realize his place so that it would be easier to cooperate in the future.

As expected of a high-ranking military officer, Ma Chenglie remained calm and composed despite being ridiculed by Lin Qian and his brothers. He said matter-of-factly, "Your Excellency is a hero of unparalleled bravery. Although I hold the position of deputy commander-in-chief, I deeply admire you. I brought with me a report on the maritime affairs of Nan'ao, which is in my possession. Please inspect it, Your Excellency."

Lin Qian gave Bai Langzai a look, and he stepped forward to retrieve the memorial and handed it to Lin Qian.

Lin Qian opened it and looked at it carefully, and immediately felt that Ma Chenglie was third-rate at fighting, but first-rate at reporting.

It was clearly a crushing defeat, but they insisted on calling it a turnaround, absolving themselves of any responsibility while subtly conveying the image of a tragic hero.

Add a few words of subtle criticism of the Donglin Party, and perhaps you can really get away with it.

The description of Lin Qian's troops in the memorial was also quite conventional, neither exaggerating nor dismissing them as insignificant.

It just so happens to be in a rather awkward position.

The court felt that it was neither advisable to send governors and viceroys to fight as a peacekeeping operation, nor was it worthwhile to mobilize troops to suppress the rebellion, as it would be too costly.

Ma Chenglie was an expert in political alignment, deceiving the court, and exaggerating the war situation. Even if Lin Qian had written this memorial herself, she could not have written it as well.

To be on the safe side, Lin Qian also showed the memorial to Zhou Xiucai and Huang Hetai, and neither of them had any objections.

"Well written," Lin Qian said calmly.

Ma Chenglie was greatly encouraged and continued to show his sincerity: "I have also brought my family with me to the island this time."

"Oh?" Lin Qian looked at the boat owner who had escorted Ma Chenglie to the island.

“There is a woman,” the acting ship owner replied.

“Her name is Ru Niang, and she is my concubine,” Ma Chenglie explained.

Lin Qian's voice turned cold: "This is what you call your family?"

Ma Chenglie hurriedly said, "I arrived on the island in a hurry and was not well prepared. I will send the rest of my family members here when I return to the shore."

Lin Qian leaned back in her chair, remaining silent, one hand resting on the edge of her teacup, fiddling with it.

In this situation, Ma Chenglie has no choice but to seek refuge with him.

If the guards of the garrison commander are killed or wounded, they must pay compensation in silver.

The water fortress has been destroyed, so we need to borrow some boats to maintain appearances.

After submitting the memorial to the court, one must make arrangements to bribe officials.

None of these matters could be handled by Ma Chenglie on his own.

We must bring in Lin Qian as an external ally.

At the same time, Ma Chenglie colluded with pirates and deceived the imperial court, which was essentially a pledge of allegiance to the enemy and a sign that he had boarded the pirate ship.

If Ma Chenglie ever disobeys, find an imperial censor to expose the matter, and Ma Chenglie will surely be held accountable by the court.

Having been immersed in the factional strife of the Ming Dynasty for many years, Ma Chenglie was very determined to side with Lin Qian.

After joining Lin Qian's side, Ma Chenglie was not only able to cover up his mistakes, but also continue to serve as the deputy commander of Nan'ao. He could even cooperate deeply with Lin Qian, and every now and then collect pirate heads from Lin Qian as military merits.

A win-win situation with multiple benefits.

Sending his family to the island was, to some extent, advantageous to him. After all, such collusion with pirates and deceiving the emperor was a heinous crime punishable by the confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan. If the matter came to light, he could simply flee to the island and have a way out.

Compared to Huang Hetai's hesitant attitude when he joined Lin Qian, Ma Chenglie's decision to join was much more decisive, befitting someone who could become a high-ranking official.

Lin Qian pondered the matter repeatedly and felt that accepting Ma Chenglie's allegiance was definitely a worthwhile deal.

After a long while, Lin Qian finished her thoughts. Since she had decided to accept the offer of refuge, she might as well expand the scope of the win-win situation.

He picked up the memorial on the table and said with amusement, "Since the General has such thoughts, I think it would be better to revise this memorial?"

Ma Chenglie was unconvinced, thinking to himself that while the "Five-Clawed Dragon" was indeed formidable in naval warfare, it was utter nonsense to suggest that he should change his memorial.

Every word in this memorial was carefully considered before he wrote it, demonstrating both his ability to deflect blame and his sense of responsibility, making it extremely difficult to strike the right balance.

Ma Chenglie had spent over twenty years navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom, pouring his heart and soul into writing this memorial, boasting that not a single word could be altered. Wuzhaojiao was nothing but a pirate; what merit did he possess to change his memorial?

Now that he had pledged allegiance, he had to show deference. He didn't reveal the slightest bit of his disdain on his face, and his attitude was extremely sincere. He cupped his hands and said, "Please enlighten me, Master."

“Since Commander Huang is still on the island, how can Nan’ao Island be considered to have been captured by pirates? It should be said that the General fought a bloody battle to defend Nan’ao,” Lin Qian said slowly.

Ma Chenglie's brows furrowed deeply, but thankfully his mask concealed his expression. He carefully chose his words and cautiously began, "But everyone in Chaozhou Prefecture knows that the captain led his men to the island. The imperial court isn't stupid. Even if I try to hide it, the truth will eventually come out..."

Lin Qian smiled and said, "I did land on the island, but who says that everyone who lands on the island is a pirate?"

"Huh?" Ma Chenglie didn't react for a moment.

Lin Qian patiently guided her: "Let me ask you, according to the Ministry of War's records, how many soldiers and how many warships are stationed on Nan'ao Island?"

Ma Chenglie answered honestly: "Nan'ao Island has 5,000 soldiers and 300 warships of various sizes; Zhelin Bay has 1,000 soldiers and 100 warships of various sizes."

"Leaving aside those who are paid without working, how many troops and how many warships are actually stationed in the two places?"

"In total, there are more than two thousand soldiers and less than two hundred warships."

Ma Chenglie reported data up to the 28th of the twelfth lunar month. According to the latest data, there was probably only one water-damaged warship left. At the same time, he seemed to have some understanding in his heart.

Lin Qian: "I have over three thousand men and nearly a hundred warships. How many do you have in total?"

The number of people and boats on Nan'ao Island was no secret; Ma Chenglie had already learned about it from the merchants who came to the island.

As for the more than one hundred warships Lin Qian mentioned, that included the Haicang, Cangshan, and Bird ships that were not equipped with cannons, as well as the ships that had just been captured from Zhelin Bay.

Upon hearing this, Ma Chenglie felt as if he had been struck by lightning. According to the Ministry of War's data, there should be five thousand people on the island, and there were actually nearly five thousand. Wasn't this reasonable? Didn't this match up?
The presence of both men and women on the island is easily explained; soldiers stationed in one place for extended periods naturally have families accompanying them.

As for Nan'ao City, it's even easier to explain. Wasn't it built by the Deputy Commander of Nan'ao himself?
Therefore, the sudden appearance of a large city on Nan'ao Island was not only not due to being occupied by pirates, but was actually a great political achievement!

Of course, Ma Chenglie wouldn't be so foolish as to actually report Nan'ao City as a political achievement to the court. As long as he could explain it away when asked, that would be enough.

In the Ming Dynasty, there were several types of officials who served as the eyes and ears of the imperial court and inspected local areas.

First, there were the governors and viceroys. Nan'ao Island was a special case, jointly administered by Fujian and Guangdong provinces. There was little opportunity for personal gain on Nan'ao Island, so it was largely ignored by the governors and viceroys of Fujian and Guangdong.

Secondly, there were the secret police and imperial guards. By the late Wanli era, these secret police and imperial guards had become severely corrupt and gradually shifted towards their function of catching thieves. They were inadequate even in supervising officials in the capital, let alone local officials.

Thirdly, there was the Military Defense Circuit. Guangdong established the Huizhou-Chaozhou Military Defense Circuit, located at the border of Fujian and Guangdong, which was responsible for monitoring coastal defense. Over the years, they had become old acquaintances of Ma Chenglie.

Ma Chenglie neglected his post and spent the entire year in Chaozhou Prefecture drinking and chatting with the military commissioner, without anyone saying a word.

Fourthly, there were the Imperial Inspectors. These were specially appointed by the imperial court and were rotated annually. Like the Governors-General, one was appointed in Guangdong and one in Fujian. However, the Imperial Inspectors held high positions and wielded great power, and were also responsible for civil affairs, criminal cases, finances, and other matters. As long as one was careful to deceive, it should not be difficult to pass the test.

As long as the report to the imperial court states that Nan'ao Island has not been lost, what does it matter if there are more losses? Don't forget that he still has two hundred heads as battle merits!

Moreover, this way, the subtle blame-shifting to the Donglin Party in the memorial could be omitted, thus avoiding the vortex of party and government politics and greatly improving safety.

This memorial only needs to explain two events: the naval battle on the 28th of the twelfth lunar month and the naval battle at Zhelin Bay.

Given Ma Chenglie's writing skills and the escalating factional strife, he was absolutely certain that he could ensure the memorial would fall into the hands of the Ministry of War without causing a ripple.

With his mind opened, Ma Chenglie's thoughts flowed freely in an instant. He felt that everything made sense. From the Five-Clawed Dragon landing on the island to the naval battle at Zhelin Bay, there was nothing that could not be explained and nothing that could not be explained.

His inspiration truly flowed freely.

He wished he could pick up a pen on the spot and revise the memorial.

In an instant, Ma Chenglie was stunned again, wondering if all the events from the Five-Clawed Dragon landing on the island to the naval battle in Zhelin Bay were arranged by the "helmsman" in front of him long ago.
Otherwise, why would he have exactly three thousand men under his command, which perfectly matches the number of personnel missing on Nan'ao Island?

With this thought in mind, everything he did—from the Five-Clawed Dragon building the city, to killing Li Kuiqi, to the naval battle on the 28th of the twelfth lunar month, to the surprise attack on Zhelin Bay, to sending him his head and official documents—became unfathomable.

Everything seemed to pave the way for what was to come; everything happened naturally, effortlessly, and without any apparent difficulty.

Ma Chenglie stared in disbelief, his mouth dry, his body trembling slightly, his heart filled with fear, thinking to himself: "Is there really anyone in this world who can plan so far ahead? Is this really... even human?"

Because Ma Chenglie was wearing a mask, Lin Qian couldn't see his frightened expression and couldn't guess what he was thinking.

In fact, everything Lin Qian just said was on a whim. He is not a god and cannot plan a hundred steps ahead. Many times, people think that he has premeditated his actions, but that is only because he is quick to react.

Lin Qian is considering how to expand the cooperation and extract the maximum value from Ma Chenglie.

After thinking for a while, Lin Qian said, "After you return to the shore, do two things. First, bring all your family members here."

Ma Chenglie quickly replied, "I will do it immediately after I get ashore."

"Second, send someone to the capital to make arrangements in advance, especially two people. Remember this."

"I'm all ears!"

“One was a eunuch named Wei Zhongxian, or Wei Jinzhong, or Li Jinzhong. He was from Beizhili and was the husband of the emperor’s wet nurse, Madam Ke.”

"Yes," Ma Chenglie answered loudly, while inwardly he was extremely shocked, wondering what kind of deity the Five-Clawed Flood Dragon was, that it even knew about such a palace secret as the emperor's wet nurse's affair.

And this Wei Zhongxian is relatively unknown; he probably wasn't a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial.

The Five-Clawed Dragon specifically pointed out this person, which must be paving the way for what's to come. The scheme is so far-reaching, it's truly terrifying!
"The other one is the Emperor's wet nurse, Madam Ke. She is also from Beizhili. We can start with her family."

"Yes."

Ma Chenglie's voice trembled, his resolve growing ever stronger.

Historically, when a new emperor ascends the throne, the people he tries to curry favor with are mostly former officials from his time as a prince. I have never heard of anyone currying favor with the emperor's wet nurse!

The five-clawed dragon's direction was so clear; such insightful vision is probably beyond even the reach of cabinet ministers. It is truly... truly possesses extraordinary abilities.

Ma Chenglie's body trembled slightly. At this moment, he had completely submitted and thought to himself that he had truly deserved his defeat.

Lin Qian paused for a moment, then continued, "I will allocate eight thousand taels of silver to you to compensate for the casualties among the garrison soldiers, and the remainder will be used to make arrangements in the capital."

In return, you can continue to receive the salary for working on Nan'ao Island; I will not take a penny from you.

Furthermore, I will send men to Zhelin Bay as a show of force. To ensure the safety of my men, you must clear out Zhelin Bay and make it available to me.

Ma Chenglie gritted his teeth and agreed.

"That's all for now. You can go back. Remember to show me the new memorial after you've finished writing it."

"Yes!" Ma Chenglie responded loudly, then paused and added, "Master, I have a request."

"explain."

"May I be allowed to see the captain's true face?"

"Next time you bring your family to the island, you can take off the hood." Lin Qian chuckled, then stood up, patted Ma Chenglie on the shoulder, and whispered, "Welcome aboard."

After Lin Qian left, the brothers filed out.

Ma Chenglie was pulled onto the two-masted Fujian-style ship they had come from, and his hands were untied by ropes.

The ship that brought them was about to pull them away from the port.

Ma Chenglie called out, "Wait a minute."

Then he asked, "Ru Niang, are you there?"

A sweet, delicate voice came from the crowd: "Master~"

Immediately afterwards, a fragrant breeze wafted over, and soft jade was drawn into his arms. Ma Chenglie pushed her away and whispered in her ear, "You will stay on the island. From this day forward, you are the captain's woman."

"What?" Ru Niang exclaimed in shock, asking incredulously, "Master, are you going to hand me over to the pirates?"

"Slap!" Ru Niang received a slap on her delicate face.

Ma Chenglie, blindfolded and worried about ruining Ru Niang's appearance, didn't slap her hard, his voice as cold as ice: "If you dare mention those two words again, I'll beat you to death."

Ru Niang collapsed to the ground, crying uncontrollably, begging her master not to abandon her.

Ma Chenglie lifted the man up and yelled, "Stop crying!"

Then, after a pause, he said earnestly, "Not only do you have to stay, but you also have to serve the captain well, using all your means to make him comfortable."

As long as the captain is willing, he can do whatever he wants, and you have to put up with it!

If this is done well, I will take good care of your family on shore; otherwise, well…!

Ru Niang finally gave in to Ma Chenglie's insistence and disembarked.

Ma Chenglie explained to the crew guarding the boat that Ru Niang was a gift for the helmsman, and the crew members couldn't refuse on Lin Qian's behalf, so they let Ru Niang return to the pier.

After the two-masted Fujian ship left the port, the crew reported Ru Niang's situation to Lin Qian.

Shortly afterward, the crew returned, removed Ru Niang's hood, and took her to an empty house.

Having grown accustomed to the luxurious mansion of the General's Mansion, Ru Niang found this ordinary dwelling, with its one bright room and two dark rooms, extremely uncomfortable and insisted on seeing the boatman.

However, outside Ru Niang's door, there were two female guards with knives who stood guard day and night, never leaving her side, even when Ru Niang went to the toilet, they watched her from the side.

Ru Niang possesses exceptional skills in serving men, yet she has nowhere to use them, giving her a sense of being a hero with no opportunity to shine.

……

The first month of the year is over.

As promised, Ma Chenglie sent all his family members to the island, a total of twenty or thirty people, including men, women, and children.

Lin Qian designated an entire area of ​​houses on the south side of the island for her family to live in.

Ma Chenglie's family, accustomed to a life of luxury in Chaozhou, found it extremely difficult to adapt to the harsh life on the island and cried and begged to return.

Ma Chenglie adopted the airs of a family head before suppressing the objections of his family members.

At the same time, Ma Chenglie also brought the roster of soldiers from Nan'ao Island and issued recruitment notices and waist tags to each of Lin Qian's subordinates.

Unlike the hereditary garrison soldiers.

The naval force on Nan'ao Island was a battalion-based force, which, to put it bluntly, was a conscripted force. It was not hereditary and was not registered as a military household. Compared to the garrison troops, the battalion-based troops were more personally dependent on their generals.

For example, the famous "Qi Family Army" was this type of troop.

The roster of soldiers was produced and kept by the General's Office and filed with the Ministry of War.

In order to embezzle funds, Ma Chenglie had ready-made recruitment notices and waist tags for the soldiers, so there was no need to make them on the spot or report them to the Ministry of War. He could just distribute them directly to Lin Qian's subordinates.

Everyone on the entire island of Nan'ao has been given a new identity.

Lin Qian's sworn brothers were also granted military officer status, and were directly given platoon leader badges.

Lin Qian herself was even a centurion.

It turns out that the Ming army was embezzling salaries, not only from ordinary soldiers but also from officers. This is truly terrifying.

Having a waist tag means having a public identity, which makes it easier to go ashore and engage in activities in the future.

Of course, recruitment notices and waist tags alone are not enough. To complete the forgery, one must also provide a household registration certificate to be considered proper.

This will have to be achieved by cultivating relationships with the county magistrate and the prefect in the future.

(End of this chapter)