Chapter 805: Consort's Husband, Go Be a Japanese Pirate!

They really were weeping in each other's arms!

The Chongzhen Emperor, Empress Zhou, Zhu Cijiong, and a Princess Kunxing, Zhu Meichuo, who had appeared from who knew where — four people were weeping in each other's arms outside the Hall of Martial Valor, and not one of them paid any attention to Zhu Cilang.

They truly don't appreciate a good man's heart!

The Retired Emperor Chongzhen, still weeping, fumblingly drew out a banknote from the Maritime Merchants Bank (in fact a large-denomination certificate of deposit), folded up like a piece of dried tofu, and handed it to his son: "Third Brother, this is a little private savings your father and mother scrimped and saved for you — only 152,000 taels of silver. Take it all!"

Empress Zhou also wiped her tears: "My son, you must not stint yourself if the money is not enough to spend; your mother will think of something more for you."

Zhu Cilang frowned deeply at the sight. This looked rather like loving parents selling the house to pay off a wastrel son's loan-shark debts, did it not?

But the Chongzhen Emperor had more than 1.5 million taels of private savings deposited in the Maritime Merchants Bank and the Salt Merchants Bank, and now he brought out only 152,000, while making it look as if he were ruining the family fortune!

You are the Retired Emperor! Could you be a little more generous?

"Third Brother, your elder sister also has a little private savings." Zhu Meichuo, who had already borne two sons for Zheng Jiangong, also drew out a banknote folded into a neat square and handed it to her brother. "Only 33,300 taels. I saved it up over many years, and now I give it all to you."

When Zhu Cilang heard this he nearly choked. How could you, an elder sister, behave like this too? Your husband is the son of the richest man in the Great Ming, with mountains of gold and silver in the family, and you are a princess who married down — how could you have only a little over thirty thousand taels of private savings?

But since Chongzhen, Empress Zhou, and Princess Kunxing had all given money, Zhu Cilang, as the elder brother, could hardly refuse to part with a single hair.

He had no choice but to step forward and say to Zhu Cijiong: "Third Brother, We also have the privy purse. It is not much, but We will borrow a little more from Noble Consort Zheng and raise 300,000 taels for you. You must not think it too little!"

Now it was Zhu Cilang's turn to be looked down upon — his Royal Trading Company was a great financial power second only to the Zheng family's trading house! He could produce several million taels of silver at any time.

Zhu Cijiong was also deeply moved, and said through his tears: "Imperial Father, Imperial Mother, Imperial Elder Brother, Imperial Elder Sister, Cijiong thanks you all. When Cijiong goes to the northwest, he will fight the Tartar caitiffs to the death. Even if his bones are ground to dust, he will not let the Tartar caitiffs cross the Great Wall by a single step!"

The Great Wall? Zhu Cilang thought to himself: What about the Ordos Loop? Is the Ordos Loop not already under your control? So you are just abandoning it, and shrinking back to defend the Great Wall at Yulin Garrison?

That was what he thought, but all Zhu Cilang could do with his mouth was say a few words of encouragement.

"Third Brother is truly the Brave King of our Great Ming!" Zhu Cilang praised his good brother insincerely. "As long as you can hold the Great Wall at Yulin Garrison, the first merit of the Northern Expedition will be yours beyond dispute. When the Northern Expedition is won, We shall exchange your fief for a richer one to garrison!"

Before Zhu Cijiong could kneel to give thanks, the Retired Emperor Chongzhen broke in: "Why not enfeoff Beiping Prefecture to Third Brother!"

Enfeoff Beiping Prefecture? Would that not make him the Prince of Yan?

Emperor Zhu nodded with a smile: "Very well. With Third Brother guarding Beiping, We can rest easy on a high pillow!"

He spoke well enough now, but whether Beiping would actually be made a military governorship was still uncertain; it would depend on the northern defense situation.

Moreover, a military governorship did not mean setting up a separatist regime against the central government, and a military governor did not mean hereditary succession without replacement, nor even lifelong tenure — historically, the military governorships of the Tang dynasty did not equal separatism either; it was only that the military governor's office had broader authority and could oversee both military and civilian affairs.

In fact, the authority of some garrison Regional Commanders of the Ming, such as the Regional Commander of Liaodong, was about the same as that of a Tang military governor.

Having secured for Zhu Cijiong the promise of a transfer to Beiping, and having also fleeced Emperor Zhu of 300,000 taels, the Retired Emperor Chongzhen and Empress Zhou were finally willing to "let Emperor Zhu off." The whole family, chatting and laughing, entered the great hall of the Hall of Martial Valor. A family banquet had already been laid out inside — delicacies of mountain and sea, and even Zhu Cilang's favorite plain boiled eggs; everything one could want was there.

The familial affection of an imperial household truly makes one envious!

After eating a few plain boiled free-range eggs at the Retired Emperor Chongzhen's place, Emperor Zhu rose, took his leave, and returned to his own Western-style mansion.

Since the Great Ming court was still at Laoshan Palace, Emperor Zhu did not need to convene a joint meeting of the two offices, but today he still had to summon two important ministers.

One was Zheng Jiangong, the husband of Princess Kunxing, Zhu Meichuo, who had sponsored Zhu Cijiong with over thirty thousand taels; the other was Shen Tingyang.

By the time Zhu Cilang reached the Western-style mansion, the two of them were already waiting there, sitting outside Emperor Zhu's study. When they saw Emperor Zhu arrive, both rose at once to salute.

"No need. Come in and talk."

Zhu Cilang beckoned to the two men, then walked into the study himself.

Emperor Zhu's study in the Western-style mansion was also Western in style, fitted with light-admitting glass windows, spacious and bright. Inside were several leather sofas, produced by a factory opened by Western merchants in Shanghai.

Zhu Cilang seated himself grandly on the sofa, and beckoned to the two men before him, telling them to sit on the sofa opposite.

"Marquis Chongming (Shen Tingyang), Count Xiamen (Zheng Jiangong), is everything ready?"

"It is ready!" Shen Tingyang said. "The Northern Fleet has already drawn off 20 sand ships capable of operating in coastal waters, ready to sail for Joseon at any time."

For going to sea disguised as Japanese pirates, Zheng Jiangong's seven Western-style sailing ships were enough. In fact, the single ship "Flying" would have sufficed — 800 tons burden, armed with 44 cannon, with professional Dutch officers and sailors manning the key posts. That one ship alone was more than the permanent Spanish fleet in the East could contend with.

Although there now existed such a "leviathan" as the Sovereign of the Seas, in Europe it was the only one of its kind. Battleships of around 1,000 tons burden were still capital ships in the home navies of Holland, England, France, and Spain.

In the East, the 800-ton "Flying" was absolutely a giant among giants.

But in the coastal waters of Joseon, where islands are scattered like stars and the hydrography is extremely complex, the 800-ton "Flying" was not nimble enough; Shen Tingyang's sand ships were the most suitable vessels.

That was why Zhu Cilang had summoned Shen Tingyang from Lüshunkou to Nanjing, and ordered the Northern Fleet to detach 20 sand ships for transfer into the Eastern Fleet of the Great Ming Navy. The Great Ming Navy now had three major fleets: the Northern Fleet, the Eastern Fleet, and the Southern Fleet. The Northern Fleet was under the jurisdiction of the Northern Trade and Foreign Affairs Commission; the Eastern Fleet was directly subordinate to the Great Ming court; and the Southern Fleet belonged to the Dongning Army — that is, the Dongning Naval Force.

"Your Majesty, this subject's seven warships are also ready!" Zheng Jiangong answered as well.

"Good!" Zhu Cilang nodded. "The Northern Fleet's 20 sand ships are to be transferred to the Eastern Fleet as of today. Let the Northern Fleet submit a price! As for the personnel, they are all to be transferred to the Navy Office as well."

The Northern Fleet was a special entity, a half-official, half-commercial office, somewhat like the chartered trading companies of the Europeans. Therefore Zhu Cilang could not transfer the Northern Fleet's property to the Eastern Fleet without compensation; it had to be paid for at its assessed value.

"This subject has already submitted the price to the Shipbuilding Bureau of the Ministry of War and the Navy Office of the Grand Marshal's Headquarters," Shen Tingyang said, without standing on ceremony.

"Good." Zhu Cilang then said to Zheng Jiangong, "Count Xiamen, put your fleet to sea as soon as possible. Try to show yourselves before the ice closes in at Vladivostok, and fly the flag of the Japanese pirates."

The flags Zhu Cilang had prepared for the "Japanese pirates" were the "Rising Sun flag" and the "Five-Seven Paulownia," and there was also a command flag embroidered with the words "Regional Commander of the Combined Fleet of the Great Japanese Navy, Ukita" — this was prepared for Ukita Hideie!

He was living comfortably now, residing in a grand mansion in the Ryukyu Kingdom, eating white rice at every meal! He could even have Ryukyu pickled bitter melon and island tofu with it. Truly blissful.

Meanwhile, the Tokugawa shogunate in Japan was furious over Ukita Hideie's disappearance. Matsudaira Nobutsuna personally went to Kagoshima Castle to investigate, and the Shimazu clan's domain lord, Shimazu Mitsuhisa, was forced into retirement, yielding his position to his three-year-old legitimate grandson, Shimazu Nobuhisa.

"If this subject encounters Spanish warships, should he attack first?" Zheng Jiangong asked.

"Attack!" Zhu Cilang thought for a moment. "Driving them off is enough; there is no need to sink or capture them. After completing the mission of attacking Vladivostok, return to the port of Busanpo in Joseon to winter. Marquis Chongming, have your 20 sand ships go directly to occupy Busan, also flying the Japanese pirate flag."

(End of Chapter)