Late Ming Dynasty: The Counterattack Begins with Sea Pirates

Shen Er was stunned and didn't react.

"Sir...what did you say?"

Chen Qian sighed and gritted his teeth, saying, "Aren't you one of the people working for this letter? Take me there!"

Shen Er didn't know what was written in the letter, but Chen Qian's words were something he had to listen to at the moment.

However, what Shen Er found strange was that although Chen Qian asked him to take him to see the master, Chen Qian did not bring any other person with him.

He simply told the people at the government office that he had to go out to handle some business, and that they would talk about it when he returned.

Before leaving, Chen Qian even took off his official robes and changed into some inconspicuous clothes.

Although it was not particularly eye-catching, it was still made of fine silk and satin.

The two left the gate of Guangzhou city one after the other and arrived at Chi Honghai's boat stop in the suburbs.

From a distance, the ship's shape is clearly that of a foreigner.

Chen Qian was very puzzled. If it was a foreign ship, why was it this person in front of him who was delivering the fur trunk?

Only when they got closer did they realize that the people standing on the ship were not foreigners, but people from the Ming Dynasty.

He didn't know who they were, but their figures looked somewhat familiar, though he couldn't recall where he had seen them before.

Seeing Shen Er bring Chen Qian over, Chi Honghai had someone lead the two onto the deck.

After Chen Qian stepped onto the deck and stood in position, Chi Honghai clasped his hands and spoke first: "General Chen, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

Long time no see? Chen Qian pondered the other person's choice of words and sized up this person who felt so familiar.

"General Chen is really forgetful. We met briefly in Humen in August, but I didn't expect you to have forgotten so quickly."

Mentioning Humen, Chen Qian finally remembered that he had gone to Humen that day and had a conversation with Zheng Zhilong. The nameless man in front of him stood next to Zheng Zhilong with his head down and remained silent.

"Zheng Zhilong's men?" Chen Qian cut to the chase. "But didn't I already reach an agreement with Lord Zheng?"

Chi Honghai smiled. He knew that Zheng Zhilong and Chen Qian had agreed on terms, although he didn't know the specifics. But for Chi Honghai at the moment, it didn't matter.

"Sir, it doesn't matter whose man I am, does it? What matters are those two paintings that General Chen gave to the red-haired barbarians. Those two paintings are priceless."

Chi Honghai's words left Chen Qian somewhat confused.

Why did someone who wasn't Zheng Zhilong appear next to him? And how dare someone who was Zheng Zhilong hijack a ship from Guangzhou?

However, from the other party's words, Chen Qian understood that they had leverage over him.

Before Chen Qian could speak, Chi Honghai continued, "Sir, who is Zheng Zhilong? He's a pirate by trade, and you know the reputation of pirates. If he can have more, why can't he have more? Do you think I alone have the guts and ability to hijack a ship from your Guangzhou Prefecture?"

"You mean, Zheng Zhilong ordered you to sabotage the ships that Guangzhou Prefecture lost in recent months?"

"Hey, sir, let's put it more clearly. The ships that were lost in Guangzhou were ordered to be taken by Zheng Zhilong. I just happened to be lucky this time."

"Besides, sir, those ships probably don't carry anything that's respectable, do they?"

Chen Qian knew, of course, that the contents of the ship could not be shown to just anyone. The ship was full of smuggled goods; if others saw them, he would lose not only his official position but also his life.

Otherwise, there wouldn't always be only one ship involved in each smuggling operation.

"The painting is in your hands? What are your conditions?"

"Oh, sir, the way you're talking makes it sound like I'm threatening you. I wouldn't dare. The reason I didn't give this painting directly to Zheng Zhilong is because I respect you, General Chen, and that's why I risked my life to find you in private."

"Zheng Zhilong is a bottomless pit; no matter how much you feed him, he will never be filled. But General Zheng is different. You are pragmatic, know when to stop, and most importantly, you understand human nature. But General Zheng has no sense of human nature."

Chen Qian, being a seasoned official, was swayed by flattery and had little effect on it. He pressed Chi Honghai for answers.

"Tell me what you want to do."

"I can keep this painting to myself and help General Chen monitor Zheng Zhilong's movements. However, I will inform you of any suspicious activity. This will be convenient for you whether you are an official or a merchant. What do you think, sir?"

A deal that comes too eager to be made usually comes at a price, but Chen Qian had no choice but to accept the offer because he had no other option. Moreover, the services that came with the offer were good for him, or rather, they were a necessity for him at the moment.

As the commander-in-chief of Guangzhou Prefecture, he still doesn't understand what exactly happened at Humen that day, or how Zheng Zhilong knew about it in advance.

Information is crucial for both the battlefield and the officialdom. Being a step behind means being dozens or even hundreds of steps behind in one's career advancement.

The ancient practice of sending imperial edicts south before they even left Beijing is a prime example of how advance notice allows for better planning and execution, giving one the advantage of being the first to act.

As for the cost of this proposal, Chi Honghai proposed it to Chen Qian.

The Guangzhou government ceased its investigation into the previous shipwreck and concluded that it had sunk due to wind and waves.

In addition, an annual cooperation fee of 300,000 taels of silver was paid to Chi Honghai, while guaranteeing Chi Honghai's safety within the territory of Guangzhou Prefecture.

According to Chi Honghai's explanation, as Zheng Zhilong's subordinate, he was to obey Zheng Zhilong's orders to seize cargo ships from Guangzhou Prefecture, and the cargo on board would naturally be converted into money and handed over to Zheng Zhilong.

Without this money, it's as if there was no robbery at all.

If there's no robbery, it means things went wrong, and investigating will only bring trouble. So we have to get this money, otherwise neither he nor Chen Qian will have any peace.

Three hundred thousand taels a year shouldn't be a lot for Chen Qian.

There's a folk song from the Qing Dynasty: "A clean prefect for three years, ten thousand taels of silver."

The General of Guangzhou Prefecture was not exactly incorruptible on the surface. Guangzhou Prefecture was also a port for the government's foreign trade, a place where the land was fertile and the people were daring. They could easily make money from various sources.

The conditions were acceptable to Chen Qian, because he really didn't have the strength to deal with Chi Honghai and his group. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't, because he learned from the conversation that these people were ostensibly Zheng Zhilong's men, but they were using pirate flags when they hijacked the ship.

If he were to attack the pirate leader in front of him, it would be tantamount to using the imperial court's name to fight against the imperial court, which would be unreasonable. Moreover, he might not even be able to defeat Zheng Zhilong.

If things were to get complicated, expelling this group from Guangzhou Prefecture would have taken at least a year and a half, given the efficiency of the Ming Dynasty at the time.

After all, when it comes to getting things done, nothing beats making money directly.

This collaboration not only ensures my safety but also allows me to get advance information about Zheng Zhilong's affairs, making it a very worthwhile deal.

As for the veracity of the news, it's easy to judge. Guangzhou Prefecture and Fujian are neighboring provinces, so any changes will be known soon. Whether the ships will still be hijacked and killed by Zheng Zhilong also provides evidence.

Chi Honghai looked at Chen Qian and calmly had two cups of hot tea brought from the cabin.

"Sir, here's some fresh Longjing tea to soothe your throat."

Chen Qian looked at the tea in the teacup and knew its origin.

He picked up his teacup, glanced at Chi Honghai, and slowly took a sip.

"Good tea."