Chapter 494: What We Must Do Is Kill All the Sea Pirates

The place later called Gansu was now called Gansu Town, under the jurisdiction of the Shaanxi Regional Military Commission. Just like the Liaodong Regional Military Commission being under Shandong, any memorial had to go around Shaanxi. Before the Great Ming recovered the Hetao, it wasn't considered a detour, but now that the Great Ming had the Hetao, it had become a detour. It was the same logic as the previous detour through Shandong.

(Shaanxi Regional Military Commission—Gansu Town)

The meaning of the Viceroy of Shaanxi, Shi Mao Hua, was to upgrade Gansu Town to a first-level administrative region, a Pacification and Administration Commission, and then move the Shaanxi Regional Military Commission outside to the Zhang Zhang Qiwei of Guanxi, establishing military colonies and guard posts to achieve actual control. And with the strength of the country and the construction of post roads, gradually bring the Western Regions into the bag.

Without the Western Regions, there would be no Hetao. Without the Hetao, the Datong and Yanshan defense lines in Shanxi would be the front line. Recovering the Western Regions to guard the Hetao was guarding the capital's abdomen.

Zhu Yijun issued the memorial of the Viceroy of Shaanxi, Shi Mao Hua, to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel, asking for opinions and letting the court officials discuss extensively whether to reopen the Western Regions. It wasn't saying to fight immediately or open up immediately, but to proceed step by step.

The military, political, and economic centers of the Han and Tang dynasties were all in Guanzhong, Chang'an. Even starting from Chang'an to conquer the Western Regions, for every 30 shi of grain transported to the border, only one shi remained. Before the post road was built to Jiayu Pass, the Great Ming's expansion into the Western Regions stopped at the Zhang Zhang Qiwei of Guanxi. This was the clear proposal given by Shi Mao Hua, because exceeding the Zhang Zhang Qiwei of Guanxi meant having to fight across the desert.

The ambush operation began. This was the first time Yao Guangqi had seen a maritime inspection patrol in action. A figure swayed between the tree shadows, approaching the sentry post who was yawning. Cold light flashed, and the sea pirate at the sentry post went limp on the ground. In a corner Yao Guangqi didn't see, a hidden sentry was killed at the same time. One bright, one dark, mutually vigilant—they had been very cautious, but they had encountered a well-trained maritime inspection patrol.

Chen Tiande forced two children to dig out the hearts of the Japanese pirates. Regardless of whether these two children would become warriors in the future, digging out the hearts could be considered revenge.

Yao Guangqi forcefully covered his mouth, because on the two ships staying in Yuanquan Bay, four maritime inspection patrols had climbed up at some point, quickly resolving the sentry posts on the ships.

Chen Tiande still had that calm appearance and said, "That year was the 42nd year of Jiajing? I don't remember clearly. I had just turned sixteen that year, and my child was one. The Japanese pirates killed my child in front of me, raped my wife to death, and then castrated me for fun."

Of course, he wasn't a scholar, but he had practiced martial arts. His literary skills didn't succeed, but his martial arts were okay.

Chen Tiande didn't lie to Yao Guangqi; all the ships in the private market were sea pirates' ships.

Zhu Yijun even suspected that the approval of the Censorate officials was just to stop the kilns in the Western Hills and Mentougou, so that the rolling thick smoke could be further away from them.

Ask if Qi Jiguang writes poetry now? Qi Jiguang only knows how to write: "You have fast horses and whips, I have three cavalry battalions. Everyone has horses, beating you until you hold your head and flee."

Yao Guangqi understood. These people wanted to enter the private market at night, so now, around noon, they would sleep instead. Everything was proceeding in an orderly way according to the plan.

The private market caused great harm; this was part of the Great Ming's tariff war. Similarly, all the ships in the private market were sea pirates' ships.

"Dig out their hearts. They killed your relatives; this is the treatment they deserve."

Chen Tiande lay beside Yao Guangqi and said, "The ships in the private market are all sea pirates. Everyone has blood on their hands. You don't need to worry about killing the innocent, or hiding here. We will be done in half an hour."

The reason they hadn't been discovered before was that all the ships hid on the islands outside the estuary during the day and would only enter and exit when night fell. At night, the sea was pitch black, making it very difficult to detect.

And the ships of Chen Tiande and Yao Guangqi stopped on the northeast side. This was a dangerous shoal, and there were sandy beaches, making it easy to run aground or hit hidden reefs. Clearly, they had already explored the hidden reefs. The ships docked safely, and a total of 43 maritime inspection patrols jumped onto the beach and headed toward Yuanquan Bay on the west side.

Yes, the current Qi Jiguang had absolutely no poetic talent. The Emperor demanded it, so Qi Jiguang just wrote some doggerel to fool the Emperor.

Chen Tiande slowly drew his saber and said with a smile, "What we must do is kill all of them."

"The frost is all heart's blood, sprinkled toward the thousand peaks of autumn leaves red"—this was a poem by Qi Jiguang, written when he was the Regional Commander of Jizhou. At that time, Qi Jiguang was clearly somewhat lost. His life's efforts were like thick frost sprinkled on the thousand mountains and ten thousand ridges, finally dyeing the autumn leaves of the mountains red. He had finally washed away the sea pirates and brought peace to the waves, but when writing the poem, he could only resist the enemy and could not attack, feeling lost.

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to." Yao Guangqi put his hands together and apologized very sincerely.

"I'll go there, and by the way, I'll use Yao Guangqi," Liaoshan said with a smile.

"Where should I take your ashes back to?" Yao Guangqi's mouth was still like a poisonous snake. Anyone would have complaints about being sent on such a life-threatening errand for no reason.

The distant Marquis of the Mound, the night scouts, and the maritime inspection patrols could report to Liaoshan, who was by the Regional Commander's side, to ensure that intelligence would not be missed, swapped, or wrong.

Chen Tiande didn't want these two children to live in hatred forever. This was another reason for him to live.

Chen Lin believed the Emperor's promise, because the Emperor had never broken his word once! Even the words from his youth.

Yao Guangqi felt he had gone crazy! His hands were shaking—not from fear, but from excitement! It was as if a new vitality had been injected into his dull and boring life. He was about to witness and experience the front line of suppressing the Japanese pirates. This heartfelt excitement made his eyes start to turn red.

Furong Island was a small island with a circumference of less than thirty li overseas from Ningde. A nest was entrenched here, inside which were two two-masted ships preparing to go to the private market for trade. Chen Tiande needed to obtain the ship's permit for the private market. According to experience, the private market's ship permits were as strict as the Great Ming's ship permits. Only by obtaining a ship permit could one enter the private market.

Because Gansu was the Hexi Corridor, the Silk Road. Even if the camel bells were not as dense as in the Han and Tang dynasties, merchant caravans still appeared at Jiayu Pass continuously. It could barely be considered a fat job, and the Great Ming wanted to reopen the Western Regions. This was an opportunity to leave a name in history. There were plenty of merits waiting, so those who wanted to advance naturally had to fight for it.

A light rose in the sky, piercing the darkness before dawn. Sea birds chirped happily as they flew by, leaving bird droppings on Yao Guangqi's face.

Feng Bao was stunned by this, and then smiled. The Emperor's words always carried a trace of cold humor.

Below is the promise: let Chen Lin do as he sees fit, and even if he pokes a hole in the sky, the Emperor of Great Ming will cover for him! He will also fulfill his promise to protect Chen Lin, who is pacifying the sea pirates. Zhu Wan, Li Tianchong, and Zhang Jing sought glory but met with humiliation; they planned wholeheartedly and fought valiantly to stabilize the southeast, yet after achieving great victories, they met no good end—one committed suicide, the others were beheaded.

Chen Tiande thought for a moment, looked at the sea, and said plainly, "I really haven't thought about it. Just... sprinkle it on the sea."

Kill all of them—this was the only thing to do to the Japanese pirates and sea pirates.

The secret box had two layers of wax seal, and every time it passed a water horse station or maritime inspection patrol, an extra layer of wax seal and seal would be added. Where a problem occurred would be clear at a glance.

"If a problem appears, solve it. The Great Ming is so big; can it not have some trouble?" Feng Bao consistently believed that the Great Ming was not afraid of having problems; what it was afraid of was not daring to face them.

Zhu Yijun sighed and nodded, saying, "You are right. When Minister Ling was in the capital, he also told me that he didn't want to kill people either, but sometimes when he saw those things, he couldn't help it. The Governor of Guangdong, Wang Jiaping, complained to me a while ago, saying that if one cockroach was found in Lingnan, there would be a nest of cockroaches."

There was such a possibility.

"How many of them are there?" Yao Guangqi gripped the saber in his hand and asked in a low voice.

Chen Lin was the highest-value target in the navy. If Chen Lin were to fall in the Ningde County private market, that would be a massive disaster. Therefore, Chen Lin could not go.

The Emperor's credibility was the pillar supporting the Great Ming's sun and moon, which were about to fall.

Liaoshan was angered by this. He thought for a moment and said, "Chen Tiande, originally named Chen Wuer, later changed his name to Chen Tiande. He was originally from Mizhou, Shandong."

"Appropriate!" Chen Lin clenched his fists and said, "Why can't the Regional Commander go personally to investigate the enemy situation!"

The Emperor's final words were that he could use it as written evidence—that Chen Lin could truly take this letter and publicly question the Emperor: "You promised!"

Actually, even without this promise, Chen Lin would still do it. Around the private market, countless sea pirate nests would inevitably be born, and these pirate nests were the root of the Japanese pirate trouble in the Southeast. Only by finding the nests and thoroughly exterminating them could the suppression of the Japanese pirates be completed. As the Great Ming Navy Regional Commander, Chen Lin's duty was to stabilize the maritime frontiers. This was the banner handed to Chen Lin by Yu Dayou, who had fought the Japanese pirates his whole life.

The scale of the private market in Ningde County was no weaker than the scale of the original Shuangyu private market in Zhejiang. The ships coming and going included red-haired barbarians, Arabs, Japanese, and a large number of two-masted ships from the Great Ming—the desperate outlaws of the Great Ming.

"I have killed seventeen Japanese pirates in my life and eaten their hearts raw. It was worth it."

Slaughter and hope—such contradictory meanings were the reasons supporting Chen Tiande to live on.

Shi Mao Hua's entire memorial continued his style of being cautious and not looking for trouble, narrating his plans without seeking to be overly urgent and causing too heavy a burden on the imperial court.

The reason Liaoshan wanted Yao Guangqi was that Yao Guangqi looked more like a sea pirate. With that scar on his face and long-term life at sea, he was tanned dark and was no longer the scholarly young master he once was. Moreover, Yao Guangqi himself was a businessman, eloquent, and very suitable for gathering intelligence.

Wanting to advance and being willing to go to the border—this made it worth Zhu Yijun being so kind-hearted and giving earnest advice.

"Power is not enough; operate the ship to escape." Chen Lin seemed somewhat dejected. Once he became a Regional Commander, he couldn't easily venture into dangerous places. Back then, he had also taken a single ship to the Shuri Palace to investigate the situation, a "white-striped" scout who had been through life and death.

Yao Guangqi was brought to Liaoshan in a daze, and then a two-masted small boat loaded with goods headed toward Ningde under the cover of night. It wasn't until dawn the next day that Yao Guangqi knew the purpose of this trip.

"These two ships just bloodied a fishing village. In the hold, besides goods, there are four women and two children." Chen Tiande walked to Yao Guangqi's side, signaling that he could move.

The Great Ming's "Duty and Supply Office" took 6% of the value, and there was supervision from the military, political, and eunuch sides. With such low tariffs, there were still smuggling incidents. Zhu Yijun was indeed very angry, but also exceptionally calm. After careful investigation, he would kill with one blow, never be lenient, and never forgive. No matter who was investigated, he would investigate to the end. Even if it involved Wang Chonggu, he would have him beheaded.

The entire private market had seen over a thousand ships enter and exit in three days, showing its massive scale.

He was used to life at sea and was sleeping soundly tied to the mast when he was woken up, his stomach full of resentment.

The two-masted ships slowly docked on Furong Island. There was a round spring on the island providing fresh water, and the island was surrounded by dense forests. The round spring water flowed down, and on the west side of the island, there was a natural small port called Yuanquan Bay, which could dock. And the ships heading to the private market stayed in Yuanquan Bay.

Zhu Yijun pondered repeatedly before writing on the secret memorial: 【The frost-covered leaves are all blood from the heart, scattered toward the thousand peaks, the autumn leaves are red. The brave men of our dynasty have pacified the Japanese pirates for thirty springs and autumns, finally calming the sea waves. Today, the waves rise again; evil must be eradicated completely! I grant the promise of the Son of Heaven: the affairs of Zhu Wan, Li Tianchong, and Zhang Jing, the Grand Marshals of Zhejiang, shall never be repeated. This letter may be passed around and may also serve as written proof.】

After Zhu Yijun finished writing the content and stamped it with the "Zhongxing" vermilion seal, he took the "Wanli Treasure" and stamped it on the secret memorial before sealing it completely and placing it in the secret box.

Chen Lin lit the secret memorial, threw it into the fire basin, and watched it burn quietly. After it burned clean, he poured some water and stirred it. The development of the matter would exceed everyone's expectations. Even if there was one in a billion chance, he, Chen Lin, could fall, but the Emperor absolutely could not, and the Emperor's credibility could not be damaged.

A nameless person? The long river is the throat, the green mountains are the witnesses. How can one say there is no sound? The mountains and rivers are the name.

"Damn! Damn! Damn!" Yao Guangqi saw the women and children being brought off the ship. They were like many fishermen, wearing simple clothes—upper garments and lower trousers. When they were brought off the ship, their faces were full of fear and panic. The children hid in the women's arms, and those four women were all covered in bruises.

Hetao as the abdomen, Western Regions as the wings and fence—Shi Mao Hua's strategy received the approval of most court officials. But now the imperial court had no money. Most opinions were to upgrade the Shaanxi Regional Military Commission to a first-level administrative region, but the military colonies and guard posts would not be moved outside for the time being, waiting until the imperial court's finances were surplus before making plans.

"Oh, by the way, I also have a foster son. When fleeing, a woman who was starving to death gave the child to me. I carried the child and fled and fled, and met the Japanese pirates again. I fought to the death to kill those two Japanese pirates, but failed to protect the child. At that time, the Guangdong Regional Commander Zhang Yuanxun was recruiting guest soldiers, so I joined and have been following the current Navy Regional Commander Chen Lin ever since."

If the investigation involved the Emperor's teacher and Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng, the Emperor would have to make a choice. Toppling Zhang meant the New Policies would have to be overturned, and killing him, Chen Lin, would solve everything; or if it involved the family of the Empress Dowager Li's father, the Marquis of Wuqing, Li Wei—the Empress Dowager's relatives—the Emperor would be in a difficult position.

Yao Guangqi's heart was fiercely tugged. He opened his eyes wide and wanted to slap himself. This was truly a question that shouldn't have been asked! In this day and age, along the coast, whose family didn't have a blood feud with the Japanese pirates?

He was truly loose-lipped!

"Then haven't you remarried?" Yao Guangqi asked somewhat strangely. Liaoshan's stipend was not low; he could still afford to marry a wife.

"Don't you have any family?" Yao Guangqi asked indifferently. He was just chatting idly.

"Just a nameless person." Liaoshan shook his head. He rarely used his own name; usually, he was referred to as "Liaoshan." This was also the habit of most "Liaoshans." Names were actually not important.

Zhu Yijun's mood throughout July was as bright as the scorching sun in the sky. Reopening the Western Regions cost millions, and the mines opened might not necessarily earn it back, but at least the court officials didn't add trouble to the Emperor. Regardless of whether there were people or mines in the Western Regions, for the sake of the Hetao and to guard Suiyuan, they had to take back the Western Regions. It could be considered one of the few rare consensuses reached by the Great Ming from top to bottom.

Chen Tiande led the maritime inspection patrols forward, moving quickly while answering, "Eighty-seven people."

The maritime inspection patrol frowned, looked at Yao Guangqi, and said with great certainty, "Looks like it! Which area are you mixed in? Were you recruited by Liaoshan?"

There were no maritime inspection patrols in Ningde County, so they weren't discovered early. The Great Ming had over a thousand maritime inspection patrols—it seemed like a lot, but counting Nagasaki, Ryukyu, Luzon, and the Jiugang Governor-General's office, in such a vast sea area, this little bit of inspection offices was truly too few.

Shi Mao Hua's memorial triggered a fierce reaction from the Great Ming officials. These reactions were not opposition, but approval.

Reporting to the Son of Heaven and saving the common people below was never an empty phrase.

It never was.

"Damn! Damn! Damn!" Yao Guangqi pointed at the flying sea birds, furious, and pointed several times before wiping the bird droppings off his face, still feeling indignant.

This time, the recruitment of officials to serve in Gansu didn't encounter the previous dilemma where scholar-officials didn't want to go. The registration was filled very quickly, taking only three short days to complete the recruitment. Moreover, the Great Ming conducted a screening and supplementary selection, which was also filled very quickly.

Yao Guangqi was in despair, leaning against the mast. The sea breeze with a salty, fishy smell blew across his face, which was full of hopelessness.

Yao Guangqi was a bit confused because the number of people kept decreasing; it seemed they were scattering in the dense forest. Soon, the team of forty-three people was left with only three. They walked out of the dense forest and arrived at Yuanquan Bay. At this time, the sun had risen for a long time, and the sea pirates who had just finished gambling in Yuanquan Bay were yawning and crawling into the grass huts they had built casually.

Chen Tiande had not lied; he had truly killed seventeen Japanese pirates and truly eaten their hearts raw. If it weren't for the full hatred, Chen Tiande didn't know if he could have lived until now. For him, one of the reasons for living was to kill every Japanese pirate he saw, until the moment of death, when his soul returned to the sea.

Yao Guangqi was stunned for a long, long time. He was completely speechless. As someone from a powerful and influential family, he had never thought that this "Liaoshan" would be so miserable.

*Plop. *

Yao Guangqi was the "King of Seaweed." He had been ordered by the Governor of Shandong, Wang Yie, to escort a batch of cotton cloth, coal, and seaweed to Songjiang Prefecture to exchange for Songjiang cloth.

After resolving the four sentry posts, with the constant waving of hands, the figures of the maritime inspection patrols increased, approaching the grass huts with light steps from all directions.

Chen Tiande narrowed his eyes, looked at the dawn on the horizon, and asked in a low voice, "Can you hold a saber?"

Chen Tiande pulled the two children out of the woman's arms and pulled them to the side of the sea pirates. These were the two Japanese pirates leading the group. Chen Tiande seemed to be saying to Yao Guangqi, or to the children, or to himself: "Don't have even a little bit of sympathy, or even yearning, for the Japanese pirates—or sea pirates. Dying a miserable death is the end they deserve!"

Chen Tiande revealed a gentle smile and said, "You are not a Japanese pirate, so you don't need to be afraid of me. From now on, I am your comrade-in-arms."

All his talent was used to fight winning battles.

After all, even that old witch Cixi knew that the Western Regions had to be held in her hands to be able to sleep soundly.

"You know you are a Regional Commander, not the Assistant Regional Commander you were before," Liaoshan said with a smile. "You are the Navy Regional Commander; you cannot easily venture into dangerous places."

That half-person's leg socket was hit by an arrow and was wailing while covering the wound. Only a few breaths later, another round of arrow rain took away the last four and a half people.

Groups of three started to check all possible hiding places, while Chen Tiande held a flintlock gun, scanning continuously.

In late July, a secret memorial broke this good mood, coming from the Navy Regional Commander Chen Lin.

The secret box departed from the Kowloon Post Station, passed through Tongzhou to Tianjin Guard, and three hydrofoil sailing ships set sail overnight, not stopping at any station along the way, directly to Songjiang Prefecture's New Port. After stopping, the maritime inspection patrol added the wax seal and sent it to Liaoshan, who then added his wax seal and sent it to Chen Lin's hands.

Fighting across the desert, one could only win, not lose. Losing meant the entire army would be wiped out. Moreover, the consumption of grain and grass supplies was truly too astonishing.

"I am a scholar who cannot even truss a chicken! You want me to follow you to investigate the pirate nest? Are you sick, or am I sick! Send me back!" Yao Guangqi was almost going crazy. Were all the "white-striped" scouts crazy?

"Your Majesty... Feng Bao's voice was very, very low. He could see that the Emperor was now out of his mind with anger.

The Great Ming was too big, and its productivity was too strong. Transporting the cotton cloth production of Songjiang Prefecture for one year to the West could crush all the handicraft workshops in the West! This was the Great Ming's confidence! This was the Celestial Empire.

The maritime inspection patrol didn't alert the enemy. After discovering this place, they left immediately and reported directly to Chen Lin.

This was the benefit of the secret memorial system. Not many people knew that the Ningde private market had been discovered. At least the capital officials and local officials were not clear about it. Now that Chen Lin requested a strict investigation and then secretly prepared, using the excuse of an armed tour of Japan to catch them off guard, he would wipe them all out.

The battle unfolded silently, and the smell of blood began to spread. Yao Guangqi truly lay motionless in place. He was afraid that if he moved around, he would bring trouble to the maritime inspection patrol. He still had self-awareness about his own strength.

"I have also killed three sea pirates! I have practiced martial arts since I was a child. See this scar? Left behind when killing sea pirates!" Yao Guangqi said very affirmatively.

Suddenly, a scream came. Clearly, when they were being resolved, the other side resisted, immediately waking up the entire Yuanquan Bay.

"I have survived by luck, and I haven't remarried. What else do you want to know?"

Zhu Yijun synthesized the opinions of the court officials and sent them to Shi Mao Hua, quickly receiving Shi Mao Hua's reply. The answer was yes, and Shi Mao Hua stated that he would finish the population census in Shaanxi and Gansu by the end of next year and complete the abolition of the lowly slave status.

The Great Ming could not give up the mines in Suiyuan. Silver, copper, and coal were truly too important, too important for the current Great Ming. If the Hetao was lost, Datong would become the front line and couldn't mine coal properly. Did the capital officials want to endure the torture of coal smoke for a lifetime!

The estuary of Ningde was only four li wide. Even without a telescope, one could see everything at a glance. Such dense ships entering and exiting aroused the suspicion of the maritime inspection patrol. And the "water-flying" maritime inspection patrols took dry rations and investigated for three days, finally confirming that this was a private market.

The private market in Ningde County, the discovery of the private market, the maritime inspection patrol reported to the Great Ming Navy Regional Commander, the First-Class Earl Chen Lin. Chen Lin's secret memorial went straight to the imperial presence, destroying all of Zhu Yijun's good mood.

"I don't want to know too much! Enough, enough." Yao Guangqi waved his hands repeatedly. He truly didn't do it on purpose—tearing open people's scars!

Chen Tiande looked at the approaching Furong Island and said with relief: "You don't think I'm pitiful? Actually, many guest soldiers in the navy carry such blood feuds. The Great Ming's Southeast coast stretches for a thousand li. Every household has such a blood feud with the Japanese pirates."

Shi Mao Hua's memorial triggered a fierce reaction from the Great Ming officials. These reactions were not opposition, but approval.

Reporting to the Son of Heaven and saving the common people below was never an empty phrase.

It never was.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 495 =====

The Great Ming is too vast, and its productivity is too strong. If the annual cotton cloth production of Songjiang Prefecture were shipped to the West, it could crush all the handicraft workshops in the West. This is the foundation of Great Ming's confidence! This is the Celestial Empire.

The "White Stripes in the Waves" of the coastal defense inspection did not alert the enemy. After discovering this place, they left immediately and reported directly to Chen Lin.

This is where the benefit of the secret memorial appears: not many people know that the private market in Ningde has been discovered—at the very least, the capital officials and local officials are unaware. Now that Chen Lin has requested a thorough investigation, he will make secret preparations and, under the pretext of an armed cruise to Japan, catch them off guard and capture them all in one fell swoop.

The battle unfolded silently, and the smell of blood began to spread. Yao Guangqi really lay on the spot without moving; he was afraid that if he moved recklessly, he would bring trouble to the coastal defense inspection. He still had a good grasp of his own strength.

"I have also killed three sea pirates! I have practiced martial arts since I was a child. Do you see this scar? It was left behind when I killed sea pirates!" Yao Guangqi said with great certainty.

Suddenly, a scream came; clearly, when they were being dealt with, the other side resisted, immediately waking up the entire Yuanquan Bay.

"I survived by luck, and I didn't remarry. What else do you want to know?"

After synthesizing the opinions of the court officials, Zhu Yijun sent them to Shi Mao Hua and soon received Shi Mao Hua's reply. The answer was yes, and Shi Mao Hua indicated that by the end of next year, he would complete the census of the population in Shaanxi and Gansu, and also complete the matter of abolishing the status of lowly slaves.

The Great Ming cannot abandon the mines in Suiyuan. Silver, brass, and coal are simply too important, too important to the current Great Ming. If the Hetao is lost and Datong becomes the front line, they won't be able to mine coal properly. Do the capital officials want to endure the torture of coal smoke for a lifetime?

The estuary at Ningde is only four li wide, and one can see everything at a glance without the help of a telescope. Such dense traffic of ships entering and leaving aroused the suspicion of the coastal defense inspection. Later, the "Water Flyers" of the coastal defense inspection brought dry rations and scouted for three days, finally confirming that this was indeed a private market.

In Ningde County, Funing Prefecture, Fujian, a private market was discovered. The coastal defense inspection that discovered the private market reported it to the Regional Commander of the Great Ming Navy, Shuri Bo Chen Lin. Chen Lin's secret box went straight to the imperial presence, destroying all of Zhu Yijun's good mood.

"No, I don't want to know too much! Enough, enough." Yao Guangqi waved his hands repeatedly. He really didn't do it on purpose—tearing open people's scars!

Chen Tiande looked at the approaching Furong Island and said with relief, "Do you think I'm pitiful? Actually, many of the guest soldiers in the navy carry such deep blood feuds. The southeast coast of Great Ming stretches for thousands of miles, and every household has such deep blood feuds with the Japanese pirates."

Shi Mao Hua's memorial caused a fierce reaction from the Great Ming court officials. These reactions were not opposition, but approval.

Reporting to the Son of Heaven above and saving the common people below has never been an empty phrase.

It has never been.

(End of chapter)