Rise of a Lonely City: From Exiled Prince to Ruler of the Nine Provinces

The shadow of Japanese pirates loomed over the southeast, and urgent reports from Nanjing poured in like snowflakes, but Xiao Chen in the Forbidden City remained unusually calm.

Anger and anxiety won't solve the problem; what he needs is to act decisively and fundamentally reverse the disadvantage at sea.

"Your Majesty, this is a list of losses reported by the coastal garrisons, as well as the sharp decline in customs duties as compiled by the Maritime Trade Office."

Zhang Juzheng held a stack of documents, his brow furrowed. "At the same time last year, the customs revenue of the Maritime Trade Office was 800,000 taels, but so far this year, it is less than 300,000 taels. If this continues, the finances of the southeast will be unsustainable, and it may even affect the border defense in the north and the implementation of the new policies."

Xiao Chen didn't look at the numbers; his gaze fell on a special list, a "Record of Investigation into the Power of Southeast Maritime Merchants" jointly submitted by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the eunuch in charge of the Nanjing garrison.

The page was densely filled with dozens of names and their backgrounds, with several names circled in vermilion ink:

Li Dan, a native of Quanzhou, controlled the shipping route from Fujian to Luzon. He had a large fleet, maintained close ties with the Matsuura clan, the lords of the Hirado Domain in Japan, and also had contact with the Dutch East India Company. He was both a merchant and a pirate, and possessed considerable power.

Yan Siqi, a native of Zhangzhou, was a powerful figure in Southeast Asia in his early years. Later, he established a base in Taiwan, commanding a mixed force of Han Chinese, Japanese, and Southeast Asians. He owned a fleet of over a hundred armed ships and was a dominant force in the southeastern seas.

Zheng Zhilong, a native of Nan'an, Fujian, was originally a subordinate of Li Dan and Yan Siqi. He was brave and skilled in battle and knowledgeable in maritime affairs. Now he is showing signs of establishing his own independent force.

Xu Xinsu, a native of Yuyao, had a complex background and colluded with wealthy gentry in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, coastal garrisons, and even some imperial officials. His business spanned Japan, Korea, and Ryukyu.

These men were maritime heroes, lawless "outlaws" beyond the reach of imperial laws, but also the most outstanding sailors, ship owners, and adventurers of their time.

They are familiar with ocean currents, monsoons, and shipping routes; they possess the technology to build and operate large ocean-going vessels; and they have the courage and experience to survive and fight on the vast ocean.

"This is exactly the kind of person I need."

Xiao Chen put down the list and said to Zhang Juzheng and Luo Sigong, "But what I need is not lawless pirates, but a sharp blade at sea that is loyal to the court and obeys orders without question."

"Does His Majesty mean... to offer amnesty?"

Zhang Juzheng hesitated and said, "These people are fickle and unpredictable. The previous dynasty's policy of granting amnesty often turned into raising tigers that would cause trouble."

"It's not a simple matter of surrendering to the government."

Xiao Chen shook his head. "It's about incorporating them, integrating them, giving them an irresistible reason and a set of rules they must follow."

He stood up, walked to the huge nautical chart hanging in the hall, and traced the East China Sea and the South China Sea with his finger.

"deliver an imperial order:"

"First, effective immediately, the Royal Maritime Bureau shall be established, directly under my jurisdiction and the Ministry of War. A Governor-General of Maritime Affairs shall be appointed to oversee all maritime affairs, coastal defense, overseas trade, and shipbuilding matters. The first Governor-General shall be personally appointed by me, and several Deputy Governors-General shall be appointed to handle daily operations."

"II. The Maritime Department shall have the following subordinate units: the Coastal Defense Fleet, which shall be responsible for anti-smuggling, anti-banditry, and defense; the Ocean Trade Fleet, which shall be responsible for official overseas trade; the Shipbuilding Bureau, which shall be responsible for designing and building new warships and merchant ships; and the Maritime Academy, which shall train sailors, captains, shipbuilders and naval officers."

"Third, the Royal Maritime Decree was promulgated: All merchants from the southeast who wish to submit to the court may bring their fleets and sailors to join the Royal Maritime Office. They will be granted corresponding official positions and titles according to the size and number of their ships and the number of their sailors. Their fleets will be reorganized into sub-fleets under the Maritime Office, enjoying the court's salary and participating in officially permitted overseas trade, sharing the profits."

"Fourth, those who join the Maritime Affairs Bureau must accept the reorganization by the imperial court, abide by the regulations of the Maritime Affairs Bureau, fly the dragon flag, and accept the military supervisors and civil officials appointed by the imperial court. Their previous acts of plunder and smuggling are all pardoned, but they are strictly prohibited from committing such acts again. Those who violate this rule will be severely punished."

"5. The Maritime Department will build new gunboats and equip them with new cannons. All surrendered fleets will be given priority in this upgrade to enhance their combat capabilities."

"VI. Establishment of 'Sea Pacification Bounty': All fleets under the Maritime Affairs Bureau that annihilate Japanese pirates and other pirates will be rewarded according to the number of ships and heads taken, in the same manner as the army. Anyone who destroys or captures Japanese pirate or other pirate ships will have the ships become their property, and the goods will be awarded as a reward!"

"Seventh, those who do not submit will be considered pirates, punished the same as Japanese pirates, and the Maritime Affairs Bureau and the coastal navy will jointly suppress them!"

Zhang Juzheng was deeply moved, yet also somewhat worried: "Your Majesty, this plan is brilliant, turning private interests into public ones and bringing the maritime heroes under your command. However, these men are unruly and difficult to control. Moreover, the new gunboats and cannons are very expensive, and the national treasury..."

"Control?"

Xiao Chen sneered, "I have flintlock muskets, mountain cannons, and an endless supply of copper, iron, silver, and mercury. Why should I be afraid of not being able to control a few ships? They are familiar with the sea, but I am familiar with people's hearts and firearms!"

"As for money," Xiao Chen's gaze sharpened, "with the consolidation of maritime merchants and control of maritime trade, what's there to fear about money? The Dutch, Spanish, and Portuguese, sailing the seas, can become incredibly wealthy, comparable to nations. Is my Celestial Empire inferior to them?"

"Draft an imperial edict immediately and proclaim it to the southeast!"

No, directly send the Embroidered Uniform Guards, carrying my secret edict and the seal of the Maritime Affairs Bureau, to Quanzhou and Zhangzhou to hand them over in person to Li Dan, Yan Siqi, Zheng Zhilong, Xu Xinsu, and the others!

Tell them, either come and become my naval general, enjoying wealth, honor, and glory for your ancestors; or wait for my new gunboats to send them, along with the Japanese pirates, to the bottom of the sea to be fish food!

"Issue another decree to Zhao Tie and Xu Guangqi, suspending some civilian projects and concentrating craftsmen to fully develop new cannons and ships suitable for naval warfare!"

I don't want those cumbersome Fujian ships; I want warships that are faster, more agile, and have more firepower!

Use iron-ribbed wood shells, or even full iron shells!

"Move the 'Yuanfeng Cannon' onto the ship for me!"

The decree was sent out as quickly as possible.

When the Imperial Guards, carrying imperial edicts and official seals of the Maritime Affairs Department, appeared at Li Dan's villa in Quanzhou, Yan Siqi's Haichao in Zhangzhou, and Zheng Zhilong's base in Xiamen, these maritime heroes were all thrown into a state of great shock and difficult choices.

Submit to the imperial court? Become an official? Receive a salary?

Could they even participate in more profitable official trade? Or perhaps be equipped with newer, more powerful gunboats?

The temptation is too great.

Especially as the Japanese daimyo behind the Wokou became increasingly aggressive, and the imperial court displayed a strong stance of pacifying the southwest and reforming domestic affairs, continuing to be nameless and unrecognized pirates at sea seemed to have an increasingly bleak future.

However, surrendering also meant losing freedom, being subject to the control of the imperial court, and facing off against former colleagues and even allies (some maritime merchants did indeed collude with Japanese pirates and daimyo).

Should one continue to brave the storms for an uncertain future, or should one go ashore and become a new favorite of the court?

Different choices clashed fiercely in the minds of the powerful figures along the southeast coast.

Xiao Chen, meanwhile, remained calmly seated in the capital, quietly awaiting the ocean's response.

He knew that only when the first dragon flag embroidered with "Royal Maritime Office" was raised on the mast would the great ship of Great Xia truly set sail for the ocean.

The Japanese pirates who occupy the sea frontier and their masters will soon face their true nightmare.