Chapter 100: For Now, Only Imperial Merchants Can Collude! (Please Collect, Please Recommend)

"Tingyang," Zhu Cilang's tone remained very gentle, and his face was wreathed in a brilliant smile, "you need not be afraid…"

"This subject is filled with trepidation…" Shen Tingyang thought to himself: I'd be a fool not to be afraid!

Zhu Cilang smiled. "This decree relieves you of all your substantive and concurrent posts!"

Stripped of everything, just like that?

Tears were nearly falling from Shen Tingyang's eyes. He had spent a fortune in silver to obtain his present office! How could he be dismissed just like that?

"However, We know that you are a man of ability, one who can bear responsibilities!" Zhu Cilang said. "You are a rare talent! And a talent ought to be promoted and employed by exceptional appointment… and at no charge. The office you previously bought with money, We have now revoked. Now, in accordance with your ability and merit, We shall grant you a new appointment!

We shall appoint you Assistant Regional Commander of the Navy Guard of the Grand Marshal's Office, with overall charge of Northern Sea maritime transport, and confer upon you the rank of General of Manifest Might."

What was the meaning of this?

Shen Tingyang was utterly bewildered. He had been an Instructor at the Imperial Academy, a civil official of the principal sixth rank. Now he had become an Assistant Regional Commander, a military official of the principal fourth rank. At first glance it seemed like a promotion, yet it meant exchanging a civil post for a military one.

In the Great Ming, civil officials were far more honored than military ones! A fourth-rank military officer could not even compare with a sixth-rank civil official…

"Tingyang," Zhu Cilang understood Shen Tingyang's thoughts completely, "once Beijing falls, the realm will have fully entered an age of chaos. The Great Ming will no longer be the common sovereign, but merely one of the contenders in a turbulent world. In peace, employ the civil; in chaos, honor the martial. Civil control of the military can only be practiced when the realm is at peace; it will not do in an age of chaos.

Therefore We have received the mandate to command the armies, and in the name of Grand Marshal of All the Realm's Armies We direct the four quarters, serving as the Great Ming's Regional Commander. We too are a military man! The subordinate officials of the Grand Marshal's Office are naturally all military men. Are you willing to take office in Our Grand Marshal's Office?"

How shrewd an honest merchant was Shen Tingyang? With one hint from Zhu Cilang, he understood at once. Zhu Cilang meant to make him one of his old retainers from before his rise!

Although it was a military post, his immediate superior was the Army-Commanding Crown Prince himself… that backing was as solid as a steel plate!

"This subject is willing to die in the service of His Highness the Crown Prince!" Shen Tingyang immediately rose and kowtowed to Zhu Cilang.

Zhu Cilang smiled. "Good, good. The Great Ming now needs loyal subjects like you! By the way, We have also heard that you are the Chief Helmsman of the Sand Ship Guild? Is that true?"

"This…" Shen Tingyang dared not deny it—who did not know of this? He could only grit his teeth. "The Sand Ship Merchant Guild is this subject's family inheritance, and the position of Chief Helmsman was inherited… However, since this subject took office, he has devoted himself wholly to public duty and has not been much involved in the Sand Ship Guild's business."

Only a ghost would believe you!

Zhu Cilang merely shook his head and laughed. "How can you not be involved? In commerce, sincerity is the foundation! All the world knows you are loyal and reliable; even Our Imperial Father has issued an edict commending you. A merchant such as you is a pillar of the state—how can you cease to do business? If you do not do business, to whom can We entrust the maritime affairs of the Northern Sea?"

"This subject does not exactly refrain from business, only does not do much of it…" Shen Tingyang was baffled. What was the matter with this Crown Prince? His words were so strange.

Zhu Cilang cut off the stammering Shen Tingyang and said with a smile: "We shall issue a decree granting the Sand Ship Guild a special charter to administer the maritime trade of the Northern Sea, and to form a chartered armed merchant fleet… In this way, your Sand Ship Guild will become a chartered trading guild!"

A chartered trading guild? Why did this scheme sound so familiar?

Shen Tingyang mulled it over—this seemed to be the way the Westerners conducted maritime trade: a charter to kill and plunder!

Zhu Cilang continued: "The Sand Ship Guild shall be a trading guild chartered by Us! Do you understand what this means?"

"This subject…" Shen Tingyang truly did not quite understand.

"It means," Zhu Cilang's tone deepened, "that henceforth the Sand Ship Guild cannot, and need not, pay bribes or tribute to any officials or ennobled favorites! You are Our man. Those people have no standing to demand money from you, nor to make trouble for the Sand Ship Guild's business. Your Sand Ship Guild conducts trade by imperial decree—you are imperial merchants!

And on the Northern Sea trade routes, the Sand Ship Guild has the final say!"

"This…" Cold sweat broke out on Shen Tingyang's forehead. He understood now. This Crown Prince meant to contend with the officials for profit!

He himself, an honest merchant, paid several hundred thousand taels of silver every year to the officials, ennobled favorites, and eunuchs of both capitals… From now on, would that money go directly to the Grand Marshal's Office?

"Name a figure!" Zhu Cilang said. "How much do you give them in a year? And how much can We, this Army-Commanding Crown Prince, get from you?"

Shen Tingyang immediately dropped to his knees. "Your Highness, this subject—this subject has never bribed anyone! The officials of the Great Ming are all—all incorruptible…"

Zhu Cilang burst out laughing. "Get up, sit down and speak!

We are not about to punish anyone! Besides, you need not be afraid… The court is now in exile, and the ennobled favorites and powerful eunuchs of the capital have become toothless tigers—they can no longer bite you. The tigers of the Southern Metropolitan Region still have teeth, but as long as you and Zheng Zhilong can support Us, they amount to nothing.

Moreover, We are the most fair-minded of men, and would never take the Sand Ship Guild's or the Eighteen Zhi's money for nothing… We know your Sand Ship Guild has difficulties, and We can help you resolve them!"

The Sand Ship Guild was engaged in the Northern Sea maritime trade, which differed from the Southern Sea and Eastern Sea trades. The latter two mainly exported goods and imported silver, with an annual surplus of several million taels. The Northern Sea trade, by contrast, was essentially balanced—there were exports and imports alike. The exports were porcelain, silk, tea, salt, and the like produced in Jiangnan and the Jianghuai region. The imports were furs, ginseng, eastern pearls, and various sea products. These imported goods were fine things supplied to the great houses of Jiangnan, and the profits were very considerable.

But now the source of goods had become a problem!

The sources of furs, ginseng, eastern pearls, and various sea products were, first, Liaodong, and second, Joseon. Now Liaodong had become the territory of the Qing state, and Joseon had likewise become a vassal of the Qing. Business had become very difficult for Ming merchants—especially since the Sand Ship Guild had all along supported the Ming and opposed the Qing. It had caused no small trouble for the Manchus, and was entirely unlike the Shanxi merchants.

Zhu Cilang looked at Shen Tingyang with piercing eyes. "Tingyang, We intend to re-establish the Dongjiang military garrison!"

What? Re-establish the Dongjiang garrison?

Given the Great Ming's present state, barely able to save itself, could it still establish a garrison at Dongjiang? Was this Crown Prince indulging in wild fantasies?

"We are not indulging in wild fantasies," Zhu Cilang said, as though he could see through Shen Tingyang's thoughts. He smiled. "We know that the Ming army's land forces cannot defeat the Manchus at present… but they can defeat the Koreans! There is no need to destroy Joseon; it is enough to harass Joseon with troops transported by the Sand Ship Guild's seagoing vessels.

As long as Joseon can be defeated, will not your Sand Ship Guild's trade routes be secured? Once the trade routes are secured, will not wealth flow in torrents? Once wealth flows in torrents, is it not easy to spend a little money maintaining a Dongjiang garrison? As long as establishing the Dongjiang garrison is profitable, the Great Ming, however hard-pressed, can still scrape together troops.

This is an age of chaos now; human life is cheap. As long as there is a monthly wage of one tael and five mace of silver, how many soldiers can we not get?"

Shen Tingyang was stunned again and again, thinking: Has this Crown Prince ever done business? Why does his approach sound just like a merchant's?

So establishing the Dongjiang garrison was, in the end, just a business deal?

"This Dongjiang garrison can in fact be regarded as a business venture!" Zhu Cilang said with a smile. "A venture in Northern Sea maritime affairs! Therefore the cost of establishing the garrison must be borne by your Sand Ship Guild; the chief command of Dongjiang shall also be held by you concurrently, and its day-to-day operations shall be the Sand Ship Guild's responsibility. The Grand Marshal's Office will only handle recruiting and training troops, and provide a few officers to lead them. Does this seem workable to you?"

"This…" Shen Tingyang had completely failed to anticipate Zhu Cilang's approach, and of course had made no mental preparation; for the moment he did not know whether it was workable or not.

Zhu Cilang also understood that so large a venture could not be settled in one sitting, so he smiled and said: "Tingyang, the venture of establishing the Dongjiang garrison is certain to be profitable… Go back and think it over carefully, and give Us your answer when we reach Dagukou. As for how much the chartered jurisdiction over the Northern Sea maritime trade is worth per year, go back and calculate that in detail as well, and give Us a figure once we reach Jiangnan. We can then discuss it slowly. Once it is settled, we shall draw up a contract. We are a man of Our word and will strictly abide by the contract. So doing business with Us will certainly be more advantageous and more profitable than going through the doors of those ennobled favorites, officials, and palace attendants."

(End of Chapter)