Chapter 124: Opening the Weir

As agreed.

Ma Chenglie cleared out the Zhelin Bay naval stockade, and Lin Qian dispatched twenty warships without cannons installed to move into Zhelin Bay, while delivering eight thousand taels of silver, along with some pearls and treasures that were hard to liquidate.

With silver to compensate the guard station commander's household troops and repair the naval stockade, plus Lin Qian's warships to put up a front—

Ma Chenglie's defeat was concealed to the greatest extent possible. Not only did he keep his position as Regional Commander, but he could continue pocketing the pay of phantom soldiers, and Lin Qian was even helping him suppress the sea bandits on the Fujian-Guangdong waters. His days were truly visibly improving.

Of course, now that Lin Qian's crew had official military status, they had to cut back on raiding around Nan'ao Island.

After all, the camp soldiers on Nan'ao Island were "at full strength on paper," and sea bandits were being suppressed wave after wave—yet merchant ships kept meeting with disasters in Nan'ao Island waters. Even a fool could guess something fishy was going on.

But not raiding didn't mean not generating revenue. Hijacking ships as sea bandits was only the most primitive, most basic means of making money.

Official troops had official ways of generating revenue—collecting protection money (baoshui), for instance.

And maritime merchants had maritime merchants' ways—long-distance trade, for instance.

Lin Qian now held an identity spanning both sides of the law. He had ships when he needed ships, men when he needed men, cannons when he needed cannons. Going back to the old housebreaking and ship-snatching work would be simply idiotic.

In Lin Qian's vision, there were three paths forward.

The first was to go north, kill Li Dan, and swallow up the Japanese market.

Although the people of the Great Ming thought Japan was nothing but a tiny speck of a country, in reality, Japan's smallness was only relative to the Great Ming—its territory stretched nearly as far as all of Europe.

Moreover, Japan was rich in silver and copper, and had an extreme thirst for the Great Ming's raw silk, silk fabrics, porcelain, cane sugar, and other goods.

It could be said to be the Great Ming's most important trading partner.

Of course, the drawback of going north to Japan was that it would tread on the Portuguese's interests, and might well drag one into the predicament of fighting on two fronts against the Portuguese and Li Dan simultaneously.

Lin Qian didn't yet have the strength to challenge these two powers, so he still needed to lie low and develop first.

The second path was to go south and seize the Southeast Asian market.

Southeast Asia abounded in spices, deer hides, rhinoceros horn, ivory, rice, gemstones, beeswax, and more—all excellent trade goods.

Especially for shipbuilding, the most important teak was also found there.

To build maritime hegemony, one could not do without ships, and for shipbuilding, teak was the first choice—so Southeast Asia was a place that must be fought over at sea.

Of course, Asia did have oak as well—the northeastern regions of the Great Ming produced Mongolian oak, which belonged to the same genus as the white oak widely used in European shipbuilding.

On this point alone, the Jianzhou barbarians squatting in the northeast already deserved death.

But that was a matter for later.

In short, Southeast Asia was also very important at present.

It was just that the forces in Southeast Asia were currently tangled and numerous—the Spanish, the Dutch, and the Portuguese were all major powers, and the English in the South Asian region were not to be trifled with either.

Charging in rashly was still dangerous.

As for the third path—that was to go east and develop the island of Taiwan.

Taiwan was rich in natural resources. Its west had vast plains, and it was currently a wild, uncultivated land—perfect for reclamation.

Even after seizing Taiwan, Lin Qian wouldn't even need to think up how to develop it himself.

The Dutch colonizers in history had already set the example.

Taiwan's climate was extremely well-suited for growing sugarcane and developing the sugar industry.

In the Age of Sail, white sugar was also called white gold—expensive, with extremely high profits, and beloved by the European and Japanese markets.

At the same time, sugarcane pulp could be put to use brewing liquor, and the rum produced was practically hard currency on the seas—another source of profit.

On top of that, Taiwan also had enormous deer herds and produced deer hides in abundance.

Deer hide was a strategic material used to make Japanese-style armor and bowstrings, and could also be made into Noh theater costumes. Japanese lacquerware also required deer hide for polishing. Japan itself had few deer, and domestic supply was severely insufficient, so the market demand there was extremely high.

As for labor—the indigenous inhabitants of Taiwan already made their living hunting deer. Buying deer hides from the natives would both solve the problems of labor and supply, and give the natives a chance to earn money and live well, so there was no need to attack or colonize them.

When it came to growing sugarcane and grain, the Han Chinese were born experts at farming. The Great Ming had severe land concentration and acute conflict between people and land, so there was no worry about recruiting immigrants.

Even as to how to attract immigrants to reclaim wasteland on Taiwan—predecessors in history had already demonstrated the way.

That was Zheng Zhilong's "three silver, one ox" policy from history: every immigrant who went to Taiwan received three taels of silver, and every three people shared one plow ox.

It involved direct economic subsidies and means of production, with a slogan that was simple and catchy.

Presumably, even directly copying the Dutch and Zheng Zhilong's methods wouldn't turn out badly.

Moreover, at this point in the first year of Tianqi, there was one place with an extremely abundant labor supply that Lin Qian had long since planned to send people to recruit from.

Of course, reclaiming Taiwan also had its difficulties.

The foremost was silver—three taels per person and one ox per three people was no small sum.

And colonial reclamation meant harsh conditions and enormous upfront investment. This was precisely why Lin Qian had set his base on Nan'ao Island rather than Taiwan.

Second was the potential threat of the Dutch. Historically, the Dutch fleet had entered Fujian-Guangdong waters in the second year of Tianqi, first failing to attack Macao, then seizing Penghu, and from there formally setting their hands on Taiwan.

One island cannot hold two dragons. If Lin Qian wanted to develop Taiwan, a war with the Dutch was inevitable sooner or later.

Comparatively speaking, all these difficulties could be overcome.

Therefore, Lin Qian's next step was to prepare to develop Taiwan.

Of course, his choice to develop Taiwan didn't mean giving up on Japan or Southeast Asia—it was only a matter of timing.

Rice must be eaten mouthful by mouthful; enemies must be killed one by one.

The tenth day of the second month, first year of Tianqi.

The new County Magistrate of Chenghai County, Cai Yang, took up his post. This man was a juren by examination, and in the Great Ming officialdom he belonged to the "muddy stream"—even at his absolute peak, he could only ever rise to County Magistrate.

Were it not for the Great Ming's severe shortage of officials, and Chenghai being a remote border county, this magistrate's seat wouldn't have fallen to Cai Yang at all.

Magistrate Cai did not think less of himself for his juren background. He held a fire in his heart, wanting to make his mark in Chenghai and achieve real accomplishments.

Unfortunately, no sooner had he arrived than he was struck hard by the iron fist of reality.

Outside, there was the corrosion of local gentry and wealthy households; inside, there was the obstruction of yamen clerks. He presided over a yamen whose coffers were scraping bottom and which owed over a decade of unpaid taxes to the court.

Magistrate Cai toiled for half a month and accomplished nothing—worse, by cutting off the clerks' source of income, he was framed and falsely accused, nearly losing his official cap.

Fortunately, there were good people among the gentry. The Hu family, who wove Chaozhou silk, spent silver to smooth things over for him and saved his post.

After this incident, County Magistrate Cai thoroughly recognized his own position, growing ever closer to the Hu household, and the benefits he accepted from them increased accordingly.

The head of the Hu household, Hu Zhaoyuan, was a model of righteousness in Chenghai County—not only was he lenient with the weavers under him, but he also paid out of his own pocket to build a charity granary and stabilize grain prices.

On the day the charity granary was completed, Chenghai County held a grand ceremony, and County Magistrate Cai personally wrote the four large characters "Blessings Upon These People" and affixed his seal and signature.

Hu Zhaoyuan, beaming with smiles, immediately ordered the calligraphy made into a plaque and hung above the granary's door.

Since he had provided the calligraphy, a token of appreciation was naturally unavoidable.

When County Magistrate Cai returned home that afternoon, he discovered that his household had gained a set of Huzhou brushes and Duan inkstones, fifty taels of silver, and two beautiful concubines.

Cai Yang personally taught the beautiful concubines to compose poetry and paint, feeling that only now did this county magistrate position carry some real flavor.

The first year of Tianqi, end of the second month, evening.

North Zhili, Dingxing County, outside the home of a wealthy household.

A mounted traveler, having drunk too much wine, fell from his horse and lay sprawled on the ground, dead drunk.

Though it was already deep spring, the climate in North Zhili remained cold—if no one came to his aid, this drunkard lying outside all night would surely freeze to death.

Fortunately, the gatekeeper of that household heard the commotion and came out to check. As soon as he approached a few steps, he caught a heavy smell of alcohol.

The gatekeeper picked up a tree branch, covered his nose with one hand, and poked at the drunkard.

"Hey! Wake up!"

The drunkard was deeply intoxicated, sleeping soundly and unresponsive, while his horse stood nearby waiting for its master.

Seeing that the traveler wore fine clothing and had a horse for transport, suggesting some status, the gatekeeper wished to forge a favorable connection, so he tethered the horse and dragged the man into the compound, placing him in the woodshed to pass the night as best he could.

Unexpectedly, when he woke the next day, the drunkard insisted on making a fuss about seeing the head of the household to express gratitude for saving his life.

The gatekeeper said, "I saved you. Thank me instead."

The drunkard took out five taels of silver from his bosom and gave them to the gatekeeper, thanking him for saving his life, yet still insisted on meeting the master of the house to offer his thanks in person.

The gatekeeper had no choice but to instruct the drunkard not to reveal that he had privately let him into the compound, and then went to the inner quarters to report the matter.

While the gatekeeper was entangled with the drunkard, in the main chamber of the rear residence, Ke Yinyue was before her mirror, applying her makeup.

She was already in her thirties, but her well-maintained skin was smooth and firm, her hair jet black, her eyes holding autumn waters, her figure graceful and alluring—one might rightly say she looked a girl of twenty.

Behind Ke Yinyue, her younger brother Ke Guangxian paced anxiously about the room like an ant on a hot pan.

"My dear sister, are you done dressing yet? Once you're done, hurry on your way—don't be late!"

"What's the hurry?" Ke Yinyue bit at her lip rouge, admiring her tempting vermilion lips in the bronze mirror, and said softly, "Let the Jiao boy wait a good while."

Ke Guangxian was greatly alarmed. Even knowing they were within the household, he looked left and right, fearful that someone might overhear, then lowered his voice and said urgently, "How can you still call him Jiao boy? He is the Emperor!"

Ke Yinyue flashed a seductive smile at the mirror: "Even if he is the Emperor, he is still my Jiao boy. Come, help your sister see which dress looks best."

Ke Yinyue rose from her dressing table to select clothing. At this moment she wore only a thin undergarment, and her chest naturally revealed a heart-stirring quiver.

Her brother was startled, turned around, and continued, "Sister, you're not still angry about the Emperor sending you out of the palace, are you? Think about it—since ancient times, has there ever been an emperor who, after his wedding, kept his wet nurse by his side? The Emperor has already given you and our family ample honor and favor. Don't throw it all away yourself!"

Ke Yinyue selected a large red overdress and put it on, admiring herself in the mirror as she said, "You don't understand men. The harder something is to obtain, the more a man wants a taste of it. If you let him have it too easily, he won't cherish it anymore."

Even knowing his sister's nature well, Ke Guangxian couldn't help his face twitching at these words. He couldn't be bothered to manage the relationship between his sister, the Emperor, and those eunuchs who were her "paired eaters"—as long as his sister could maintain the Emperor's favor, that was enough.

After the Tianqi Emperor ascended the throne, within just one month he had appointed Ke Guangxian as a Battalion Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and bestowed upon his sister Ke Yinyue the title of "Lady Who Serves the Sage." The weight of this favor was plain to see.

But Ke Yinyue was, after all, of wet nurse status. Having remained in the palace even after the Tianqi Emperor was weaned was already a breach of precedent.

Bestowing upon his sister the title of "Lady Who Serves the Sage" was even more than those hypocrites of the Donglin Faction could stomach.

Time and again they submitted memorials to the Emperor, demanding that Ke Yinyue be expelled from the palace.

Mindful of their "bond of mother and son," the Emperor had never consented.

By early second month of the first year of Tianqi, the Emperor married. Having wed and come of age, by common custom he ought to move out and establish his own household—there was no longer any reason to dwell with his wet nurse.

So the Donglin Faction sang their old tune once more, urging the Emperor to drive Ke Yinyue from the palace.

Perhaps the Emperor believed their talk that he had grown up, or perhaps he had grown weary of the Donglin Faction—in any case, this time he agreed and sent Ke Yinyue out of the palace.

The Donglin hypocrites congratulated one another, and court and country alike briefly believed Ke Yinyue had fallen from favor, and that even his position as Battalion Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard had lost its real power.

Fortunately, before a month had passed, the Emperor, recalling their old bond, issued an edict summoning Ke Yinyue back to the palace to serve him.

The Ke family was on the verge of regaining its power—how could he not be anxious?

Just as he was about to urge her again, he suddenly heard a maidservant outside the door say, "Madam, someone at the gate requests an audience."

Ke Guangxian asked, "Who is it?"

"The gatekeeper says it's a passerby who drank too much yesterday and leaned against the eaves outside the gate to shelter from the wind, surviving the night. He has come specially to express his thanks."

Ke Guangxian said angrily, "What beggar dares to tread upon the threshold of the Ke family? Drive him away!"

"Wait." Ke Yinyue commanded. "Have him brought in."

"Yes." The maidservant acknowledged and went off.

Ke Guangxian's face was full of anxiety: "Sister, what time is this? Getting to the palace quickly is the real business. Why meet some beggar!"

Ke Yinyue said calmly, "Let me see him first, then we'll talk."

After a moment, the drunkard was brought to the main hall. Ke Guangxian came out to receive him with a face full of impatience, inquiring about the visitor's identity.

The drunkard clasped his hands and announced himself: "I am Chang Lei, a household retainer under Vice Regional Commander Ma of Nan'ao. I was sent here by the Vice Regional Commander on business, but I drank too much and collapsed by the roadside. Had it not been for your esteemed household, I would likely have lost my life, so I have come specially to pay my respects and give thanks."

"Understood." Ke Guangxian waved his hand as if shooing away a fly, dismissing the guest.

"Please accept this small token of my gratitude." Chang Lei said, then drew a cloth pouch from his bosom and placed it on the table.

Ke Guangxian saw the pouch was the size of a palm, stuffed full, and wondered what it contained.

But since this man was merely a household retainer, he surely had little money, so Ke Guangxian thought nothing of it and continued coldly dismissing him.

His task complete, Chang Lei did not linger. He clasped his hands and said, "I take my leave."

After the man left, Ke Guangxian said to the servant boy, "See what kind of rubbish he left."

The servant boy stepped forward, opened the pouch's mouth, took one look, and was instantly dumbstruck: "It's... it's a pouch of pearls."

"Look at you, acting like you've never seen the world!" Ke Guangxian scolded. "Bring it here for me to see."

Pearls were not a rare commodity in the capital; though this small pouch was worth some money, it could hardly catch the eye of Ke Guangxian.

But when the servant handed the pouch over and Ke Xian'guang glanced inside, his eyes went wide on the spot.

The pearls in the pouch were each full and perfectly round, the size of lychee pits, gleaming white throughout, some even tinged faintly pink.

These were... these were top-grade southern pearls! Every single one was worth a fortune.

Though it was only a small pouch, it could well count as a weighty gift!

The next day, Ke Yinyue arrived in the capital, and after comforting the young Emperor, returned to her own residence, Xian'an Palace.

Before long, the newly appointed brush-holding eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Wei Jinzhong, arrived at this place.

"You've come~" Ke Yinyue's face held an autumnal pool of longing, her cheeks flushed crimson.

"All of you, get out." Wei Jinzhong said with a stern face to the eunuchs and palace maids attending around him.

An hour later, Ke Yinyue's face was suffused with red, her body limp on the bed, her chest heaving rapidly as she gasped for breath.

Wei Jinzhong fetched a silk cloth and considerately wiped the sweat from Ke Yinyue, then casually wiped his own three fingers as well.

After catching her breath for a moment, Ke Yinyue told him about the person who had come to deliver pearls the day before.

Wei Jinzhong was briefly startled, then said: "A pouch of top-grade southern pearls? This gift was sent with real investment."

Ke Yinyue turned over, looked at her political ally, and asked: "Tell me, should we accept this gift or not? That so-called Regional Commander—is he seeking some favor?"

"Since it's been brought, just keep it." Wei Jinzhong laughed. "I reckon this man is only here to forge a good connection. But sending a gift during the time you were out of the palace... this Vice Regional Commander of Nan'ao is rather interesting."

The first day of the third month.

The dry dock on Nan'ao Island was completed.

The dry dock was sited at Yandun Bay on the southeastern side of Nan'ao Island, a location close to Yundong.

Yandun Bay faced the South China Sea and was a natural deep-water harbor; even in later ages it would be the site of a national ten-thousand-ton port, perfectly suited for building a major naval base.

The dry dock was simple to construct—in plain terms, they dug a rectangular pit on shore, then lined the bottom and slopes with lime mortar and stone, making it look like a large cement basin.

After more than a month of curing, the cement basin had reached its designed strength—it was time to remove the cofferdam and release the water for testing.

At Dongdun Point, a high spot east of Yandun Bay, tables, chairs, stools, fruits, and tea snacks had been laid out. Lin Qian and his sworn brothers sat drinking tea, waiting quietly.

Stoneworker Chu stood to one side, explaining the dry dock's condition with spittle flying.

"The Yandun Bay dry dock is thirty zhang in total length, eight zhang wide, and three zhang deep..."

"Mother of mine." Lei Sanxiang cut in. "I figure the galleon is no more than twenty zhang altogether—what's the point of building it so big?"

Stoneworker Chu explained: "The dimensions were all per the helmsman's instructions—room had to be left for installing scaffolding and such after the galleon enters port, and it also needs to be convenient for building larger ships in the future."

Seeing the doubt resolved, Stoneworker Chu continued: "The dock entrance was also built per the helmsman's instructions, facing southwest to avoid facing the monsoon head-on—this way, regardless of winter or summer, the dock has crosswinds available, making it easy to enter and exit. The cement mortar in the dock was also mixed according to the helmsman's method. Ahem... please direct your attention to the cofferdam..."

The cement mortar used for the dry dock also differed from the original version—natural volcanic ash replaced the coarse pottery powder, producing cement of greater strength with strong hydraulic properties, extremely well suited for underwater engineering.

Historically, the "self-healing" Roman cement was made from natural volcanic ash as its raw material, and its stability was even greater than that of modern cement.

In the Great Ming, volcanic ash was called "calamity ash," treated as waste that no one used. On the shopping list Lin Qian gave Hu Zhaoyuan, this was the least conspicuous item.

But Jiangnan had no volcanic ash—this ash had been shipped by sea from Qiongzhou Prefecture, with no small transport cost and low output.

Fortunately, there were also volcanoes north of Dongfan Island; once developed, mining it directly on Dongfan Island would be far more convenient.

As they spoke, the dry dock had completed its preparations for opening the cofferdam.

Stoneworker Chu took a deep breath and called out loudly: "The cofferdam can be opened—please give the order, Helmsman!"

Lin Qian: "Open the cofferdam."

Stoneworker Chu shouted toward the dry dock: "Open the cofferdam!"

At his command, a craftsman who had long been waiting by the timber cofferdam took up a heavy mallet, carefully climbed onto the cofferdam, and looped a rope through a hole in the middle timber pile.

The other end of the rope was connected to a wooden gantry frame; through a combination of countless rope pulleys, the upward-running rope was linked to winches on both sides of the dry dock, with dozens of captives standing by each winch.

The craftsman then used the heavy mallet to strike repeatedly at the timber pile wrapped with the rope. His blows were not heavy, but the frequency was high—this was to loosen the soil at the pile's base and break the adhesion between pile and earth.

After several dozen strikes, the craftsman stopped and shouted: "Heave!"

The captives obeyed and pushed the winches together, and the harbor was suddenly filled with work chants urging strength.

As the winches turned, the ropes fixed to the timber piles drew taut as bowstrings, and the gantry frame, winches, and timber piles all groaned.

The craftsmen shouted: "Put in more effort—once the first pile is out, the rest will be easy. Pull!"

The captives' faces twisted with exertion, low growls rumbling from their throats.

At last, the tension on the winches suddenly released—the entire timber pile was pulled free, and seawater surged through the gap, pouring into the dry dock.

The iron pre-embedded keel blocks at the bottom were gradually submerged by the seawater.

The stout timber pile was swept by the seawater into the dry dock, tethered by ropes and knocking about ceaselessly, while endless seawater poured into the dock with a spectacular roar.

The might of nature was on full display at this moment.

On Dongdun Point, Lin Qian's brothers watched this scene in utter amazement.

Even Lin Qian, accustomed to grand engineering projects, found it awe-inspiring—had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would have found it hard to believe that such a colossal work could be accomplished by human strength, timber, iron nails, and mortise-and-tenon joints alone.

An hour later, the dry dock was barely a third full of water.

Lei Sanxiang muttered: "This water's filling too slowly. Old Chu, can't we pull out a few more piles?"

Stoneworker Chu explained with a smile: "Filling slowly is better—if the water flows too fast and strikes the dock walls, that would be improper. Besides, once the dock is full, the piles will gain buoyancy, making it easier to pull the rest."

Lei Sanxiang said to Lin Qian: "Helmsman, are we just going to sit here and wait?"

The dry dock was extremely important, directly affecting subsequent development—so Lin Qian, unable to rest easy, had come personally to inspect the site.

Chen Jiao said: "Say a little less."

Zheng Zhilong, cracking melon seeds as he spoke, said: "The four departments on the island have had plenty of business lately, and everyone's been busy with official duties every day. Coming out to look at the sea is rather pleasant and relaxing. By the way, why haven't I seen Brother Bai?"

Lin Qian pointed toward the distant sea: "He's on the big Fujian junk."

Zheng Zhilong followed Lin Qian's finger and saw several ships anchored in the waters of Yandun Bay—among them, the Jia-2 large Fujian junk seized from Zhelin Bay stood tall and conspicuous.

Lin Qian took a sip of tea: "Once the dry dock is properly prepared, this large Fujian junk will be the first ship to enter it."

This was the first trial run of the dry dock, and the craftsmen were still inexperienced. Lin Qian didn't dare risk the Santa Ana, so he had the large Fujian junk test the waters first—which also gave them a chance to refit and repair the big junk at the same time.

Yundao, west of Yandun Bay, was also flat ground. Since over a thousand people involved in the dry dock construction rested and ate there every day, a stretch of barracks had developed over the past few months.

Near noon, the Yundao barracks finished making lunch and sent it over to Yandun Point.

Lin Qian ate his lunch as he spoke: "By the way, I've looked over the exam questions. No problems—let's print the papers as they are. When do we plan to hold the exam?"

Scholar Zhou swallowed a mouthful of rice and replied, "Ten days from now."

Lei Sanxiang said, "Finally, the exams are starting. Once the new clerks are recruited, hurry up and get me out of this position as Director of the Guard Command."

When he'd first become Director, he'd been fairly interested in holding office. But who would have thought that despite the name "Guard Command," he'd still be facing paperwork all day long—and since he was illiterate, he was utterly miserable. Compared to that, Lei Sanxiang much preferred firing cannons on a ship.

Chen Jiao teased him: "With you being as blind as a bat, it'd be hard for you to cling to the Director's seat even if you wanted to."

Lei Sanxiang was furious and bickered with Chen Jiao, while the brothers all burst into laughter.

When the laughter died down and there was a moment of silence, Lin Qian said, "Big Brother, after the exams are over, set aside your work in the Construction Bureau for a while. There's an important matter I need to entrust to you."

Chen Jiao asked, "What is it?"

Lin Qian: "It's still too early to say now. Come to the captain's quarters tonight."

"Sure thing." Chen Jiao replied.

After lunch, the subordinates cleared away the dishes and brought out tea and refreshments.

By then, the water filling in the dry dock was mostly complete. The winches on both sides of the gantry frame continued turning, hoisting the wooden piles high, lifting them over the cofferdam, and lowering them into the sea outside the dock.

(End of Chapter)

Yahei

Fenyuan

Pen