The Black Sails of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 32 New Goals

Lin Qian, aboard the large sailboat, was unaware that the pursuers had already turned back to port.

They were also unaware of the Spanish fleet's infighting in Lingayen Bay.

After all, his original intention was merely to set up a feint to lure away the Spanish warships; he hadn't expected things to turn out this way.

Therefore, at night, Lin Qian ordered all lights on the ship to be turned off, sails to be lowered, and the ship to stop.

When Jose came to the captain's cabin to look for Lin Qian, he was told by Bai Langzai, who was guarding the door, that Lin Qian was near the mainmast on the deck.

Jose walked to the mainmast but did not see Lin Qian. As he looked around, he suddenly heard Lin Qian's voice coming from above him: "Let's start with your family. How did your family rise to prominence and become nobles?"

Jose looked up and saw a dark figure straddling the mainspar.

"Captain, what are you doing there? Climbing like this at night is too dangerous."

Lin Qian's indifferent voice came from the air: "Thank you for your concern. Just tell your story."

Jose had no choice but to recount his family history while watching Lin Qian move swiftly across the spandrel with trepidation.

“My full name is José Enriquez de La Rea. My great-great-grandfather was a Castilian admiral in the 15th century…”

“My great-grandfather sponsored Columbus’s voyage and received 1/64 of the profits from the New World…”

"My grandfather heavily sponsored the Invincible Armada, but the Invincible Armada suffered a crushing defeat, and his investment was completely wiped out..."

"To be more specific, who is the investment target, what is the name of the ship, and what is the specific amount?" Lin Qian's voice came from above him.

By this time, Lin Qian had already climbed to the main mast and could barely see him anymore.

As requested by Lin Qian, José began to explain in detail. To be honest, most Spanish names are very long, and even he, as a native speaker, sometimes cannot remember them all. He didn't know why Lin Qian, an Easterner, wanted to know so much about them.

After recounting his family's failed investment in the Armada, José then spoke of the inflation caused by the influx of silver from the Americas.

Speaking of the Royal Decree on Price Controls for Land Issues issued in 1509.

It also talks about how the grandfather and father took out loans and mortgages from Genoese bankers in order to maintain a decent life.

Later, he was implicated by the downfall of the Duke of Lerma and had his property confiscated by the royal family.

Just then, Lin Qian lost his footing and fell vertically off the barge. Fortunately, a rope was tied around his waist, preventing him from turning into a bloody mess on the deck.

As Jose stared in disbelief, Lin Qian climbed back up the mast along the rope, and then carefully climbed down the support cable.

Jose only closed his mouth after Lin Qian clutched her waist and jumped onto the deck.

"You just mentioned the Duke of Lerma. If I remember correctly, that was in 1618. What happened in the two years that followed?"

Lin Qian's voice was calm, not at all like someone who had almost died from a fall.

José was momentarily stunned, and mechanically replied, "That was it. I became penniless. The royal family confiscated the last bit of my family's wealth, leaving me with only a noble title. I spent my days drunk on the streets of Madrid like a beggar. They called people like me 'bleached nobles'..."

"Then why are you on the large sailing ship?"

"Of course, it's about making money to revitalize the family. I heard that the shipping routes to and from the East are very profitable, so I asked a friend to help me get on board. Sometimes, the title of nobleman is still somewhat useful."

Lin Qian looked at him scrutinizingly: "What goods did you bring to Manila?"

"Three hundred pounds of tobacco."

Why do you want to go on the ship yourself?

"After all, this is all my possessions."

"What's the selling price? What's the profit margin?"

"It sold for over 300 pesos, with a profit of about 180 pesos."

“300 pesos is a huge sum of money for ordinary people, but it’s not like they can’t afford to pay for prostitution.” A cold glint flashed in Lin Qian’s eyes.

José said with a bitter face, "That little bit of peso is long gone, damn it... the casino run by the people of Ming, nurtured by the heavens and the earth..."

"Shouldn't we keep some money for the return trip?"

Jose sighed and said, "The governor found out about my situation and specifically ordered that I not bring any more goods back... Speaking of which, although the governor is a scoundrel, his daughter is quite something. The most popular girl in Wangcheng District dresses up like her... Hehe..."

Lin Qian went through what Jose had said in her mind, but couldn't find any flaws for the time being.

Seeing that Lin Qian didn't ask any more questions, Jose breathed a sigh of relief: "So, esteemed captain, have I passed the test?"

Lin Qian smiled and said, "Almost done. Now tell your story again, this time from the end to the beginning."

Three hours later, José finally finished speaking again, by which time he was parched and yawning incessantly.

In contrast, Lin Qian not only remained calm but also patiently pursued detailed questions.

Lin Qian meticulously reviewed and compared all the names, data, and dates in Jose's first version of the story. Any mistakes he made were immediately corrected by Lin Qian.

This put Jose on edge. As he recounted the story, he secretly thought that if Lin Qian weren't a pirate, she would be a good candidate for warden. Fortunately, he was telling the truth, and the second version of the story wasn't too different from the first, which earned him Lin Qian's initial trust.

“Okay, you promised sales channels and ship repairs, now tell me the specifics,” Lin Qian said casually.

José, with a pained expression, glanced at the eastern sea, where a faint white light was already appearing. He estimated he could sleep for another two hours.

"Shouldn't we... get some rest?" José pointed to the east, carefully choosing his words.

Lin Qian turned his head and looked around. Since it was almost dawn, he could use the morning light to finish writing yesterday's logbook.

At the current speed, it would take at least ten days to sail to the Ming Dynasty, so there's no rush to interrogate He Sai.

Lin Qian then waved to Jose, who, as if granted a pardon, ran back to his cabin.

Lin Qian stretched her waist as she walked towards the captain's cabin. The safety rope had tightened around her waist last night, and it was still a little sore after a whole night.

There were no doctors on the ship, and no one could be found to treat the illness.

Thinking of this, Lin Qian quickly walked back to the cabin, opened the logbook, wrote down yesterday's date, weather, wind direction and other basic information, and began to make a list of items to be added.

First of all, the ship is short of a doctor.

During the Age of Sail, sailors had an average lifespan of only 20 years, primarily due to the extremely underdeveloped state of medical care.

At that time, there was not much difference between Western medicine and carpentry. External injuries were treated by amputation, internal injuries by bloodletting, pain was relieved by opium, and diseases were treated with mercury.

The number of people who die from the treatment may be more than the number who are saved.

There was nothing that could be done about scurvy alone.

Not to mention diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, yellow fever, wound infections, and sepsis.

Lin Qian was a designer in her previous life and knew nothing about medicine. Now that she had landed in the Ming Dynasty, her top priority was to find a reliable traditional Chinese medicine doctor to bring on board.

Having a ship's doctor not only increases the survival rate of the crew and makes them more courageous in combat without worrying about injury, but also helps them save their own lives, preventing them from dying from stepping on a rusty nail.

Secondly, there is a shortage of crew members.

All things considered, he now has only about sixty crew members, each with multiple roles, just to barely maintain navigation. Maritime combat is basically out of the question.

Based on the operational requirements of a large sailing ship, plus combat personnel, Lin Qian estimated that the crew would need to number around three hundred.

As for where to recruit crew members, Lin Qian already had a preliminary plan, and the Tanka people in the Pearl River Estuary were a good candidate.

The Tanka people have lived on boats since childhood, are familiar with the ocean, are skilled at navigating boats, and have a strong technical advantage.

In the Ming Dynasty, the Tanka people were considered lowly, even more so than ordinary people. They were bullied by everyone and their lives were filled with hardship and discrimination.

Therefore, the Tanka people also deeply resented the Ming Dynasty and had a strong sense of resistance.

Coincidentally, many of Lin Qian's crew members were Tanka people, such as Bai Langzai.

Returning to the Ming Dynasty this time will be a good opportunity to help Bai Langzai resolve his troubles, firstly to fulfill Lin Qian's promise (Chapter 3), and secondly to take the opportunity to recruit him.

Finally, the only problem is the lack of a base.

Even if the crew doesn't need to go ashore, the ship still needs to dock for repairs. Large sailing ships are too conspicuous, and going to large ports makes them easy targets for people with ulterior motives; going to small ports, on the other hand, lacks the facilities and technology for ship repair.

Therefore, it is essential to find a base and build a shipyard.

This place must meet the following criteria: 1. It cannot be under the control of any single power. 2. It must have a deep-water harbor. 3. It must have a certain population. 4. It must be able to supply food and basic necessities. 5. It cannot be too far from towns or shipping routes.

Along the coast of the Ming Dynasty, there are countless islands, but very few of them meet all of the above conditions.

Fortunately, Lin Qian didn't have to search inch by inch with the nautical chart himself; someone in history had already chosen the place for him.

That is—"Nan'ao Island".

This island is located in a no-man's-land at the border of Fujian and Guangdong, isolated overseas. The imperial court has set up a deputy commander here with more than a thousand men under his command. However, the men are seriously embezzling funds and have almost no fighting power.

The island is surrounded by numerous excellent harbors, yielding abundant catches.

The island is covered with lush forests and has fresh water, making it suitable for building towns, cultivating land, and achieving self-sufficiency.

Most importantly, twenty miles west of the island lies the Chaoshan region of Guangdong. Six hundred miles to the southwest is the Pearl River Estuary; and three hundred miles to the northeast is Zhangzhou Yuegang, situated at the very choke point of the Ming Dynasty's maritime trade routes.

Controlling this area means controlling the lifeline of the entire Southeast Sea Route.

Historically, Zheng Zhilong also made his fortune in this area.

In the current timeline, Zheng Zhilong is only sixteen years old and is probably still an apprentice in some small port, not yet involved with Nan'ao Island.

This was a perfect opportunity for Lin Qian to get there first.

(End of this chapter)