Chapter 1226: The Fleet

Cui Wensheng, the Defense-Eunuch of Fengyang, lifted his tea bowl. The tea inside was coarse and poor, and the liquid had already gone cold, but he drank a mouthful without the slightest concern. This time the silence stretched on a bit too long. Wang Zhaojing, on the other side, looked ready to speak, when Cui Wensheng finally spoke in a deep voice: "The two conditions you've put forward are nothing more than a desire to keep gathering population, drilling your forces, turning the Great Ming's commoners into your own subjects, and all the while not missing out on doing business and making a fortune. Once you've swallowed all of that, the next step is still to fight. After that, either your rebellion succeeds, or we talk again, and you'll put forward conditions even harder to accept. Since that's the case, why are you even bothering to talk?"

"You are the ones who wanted to talk." The one who spoke this time was Zhao Jin.

Cui Wensheng gave two bitter chuckles and continued: "Sooner or later, you're going to raise the banner of rebellion anyway. What use are the Great Ming's laws and rules to you? Why would you even care? What meaning is there in discussing these things?"

Hearing Eunuch Cui speak so bluntly, Zhao Yan and the advisors behind him all grew somewhat anxious. There are some matters everyone understands in their hearts, but speaking them aloud is highly improper. Yet Zhao Jin's side seemed utterly unconcerned — no one even showed agitation or panic at the word "rebellion." This composure chilled everyone's hearts even more.

"Eunuch Cui, these are all things we in Xuzhou are already doing or preparing to do. The imperial court has never been able to control them, or simply never bothered to. However, after this incident, neither side can afford any more misunderstandings. If conflict were to break out again and lead to war, it would be very bad for the court. That is why we are giving notice in advance."

"You... you... do you really believe that your Xuzhou bandit army can certainly defeat the government troops?" Zhao Yan finally could not hold back his shout. Zhao Jin's words had pushed him utterly beyond endurance.

"We certainly can!" Zhao Jin answered with absolute resolution, his expression and tone completely matter-of-fact.

The room fell silent again. Over on the other side, Cui Wensheng let out a mirthless laugh and shook his head. "Since Heavenly King Zhao intends to rebel, just raise the banner of rebellion directly. Why go through all this empty paperwork, troubling this old bones of mine and Lord Zhao here to come all this way and be put through this?"

"It is not we who want to talk; it is the imperial court that wants to talk. A man on his deathbed always wants to live a few more days. Even knowing full well he is going to die, he still wants to live a few more days. Eunuch Cui, Lord Zhao, wouldn't you agree?" Zhao Jin replied.

Once the conversation had reached this point, there was truly no need to continue. Zhao Yan, his body hollowed out by wine and women, already felt his energy failing. In truth, there had been no real bargaining between the two sides, yet that despair for the future, and the humiliation of facing the other party's oppression, left one feeling utterly exhausted. Stepping outside the room and breathing in the crisp, cold air, Zhao Yan's spirits actually improved considerably.

Only, Zhao Yan found it somewhat puzzling. Why did he not feel that disaster was imminent? His own glory, wealth, and rank all stemmed from this Great Ming; the grace was profound and weighty — that went without saying. Taking these conditions back from this assignment, knowing what he did of the court's purist officials, they would certainly seize the chance to attack and deal with him harshly. He had thought of all this, so why did he feel no fear or despair?

What surprised Zhao Yan even more, however, was Cui Wensheng. He remembered that when they left the capital, this Eunuch Cui had been a man burning with fervent ambition for fame, achievement, and profit. How was he now so detached and indifferent? By rights, people in such high positions always maintained a certain measure of restraint with one another, but at this moment, Zhao Yan allowed himself some indiscretion and asked in a low voice: "Eunuch Cui, they're clearly going to rebel, and they've put forward such provocative conditions. How is it you don't seem the least bit troubled?"

"Since they're going to rebel sooner or later anyway, what use is it for me to be troubled? It's not as if I can return to the capital. What comes next is either sweeping the imperial tombs or growing vegetables in Nanjing. What is there left to be troubled about?" Cui Wensheng answered with a smile.

Zhao Yan savored the words for a moment, then chuckled and shook his head. "I don't know whether this old man can return home to retire in peace, but looking at the situation, being thrown into the Imperial Prison seems far more likely."

Once the words were spoken openly, the worry and melancholy instead dispersed like smoke. Both men actually found themselves smiling. They were walking slowly and had not yet left the courtyard when they first heard the urgent clatter of hoofbeats outside. A household guard sprinted in. Neither knew what had happened. The two men looked around curiously, but were urged onward by the guard leading the way and had no choice but to walk out.

"Actually, it wouldn't be so bad if they really did rebel..." Cui Wensheng said softly. Zhao Yan glanced back at him; it was unclear whether he had caught the words or not.

At the start of each year, the port of Haizhou was not particularly busy. Even though the comings and goings of the Zheng family's great fleet had increased, it did not make the harbor docks much busier. When ships came, everyone toiled for a day, but more often than not, there were no ships at all. It was not until around the fourth month that the Yu family fleet and other seagoing vessels would begin arriving frequently. The Zheng family, for their part, had major business in Fujian, Japan, and the Southern Seas — the distances were too great for them to come too often.

Li Hai'ou was one of the remnants of the Li family who had fled to Haizhou. His status could only be described as ordinary. He was a distant paternal cousin of Li Simin, and had previously worked as a minor headman on the ships, never lacking for wine and meat. Having fought his way out this time, he had come away with two hundred taels of silver for himself, but any thought of being a minor headman was out of the question. He had been kept directly here at the port to serve as a patrolman.

He had assumed this patrolman post would be a supervisory role, but to his surprise, it was grueling work. Sometimes when there was a shortage of hands for unloading and loading cargo, the patrolmen would also go over to help. Li Hai'ou was reluctant at first, but later, seeing that even his own superior had no complaints, he simply kept his head down and followed along.

Although he had not been at this Haizhou port for long, Li Hai'ou found life quite comfortable. The rules here were strict, but people were treated fairly; he never had to worry about being bullied as an outsider. The food and lodging could not compare to the good times when he was a pirate, but he had enough to eat and wear, and this also left him quite content.

The one thing he was dissatisfied with was that people from the Zheng family's great faction were actually still active inside Haizhou port — and active openly, at that. The men of the Zheng and Li families could not stand the sight of one another. At first, private brawls and clashes were incessant. Once the punishment rule came out — participants in such clashes would be sent to the farming estates for six months of confinement and hard labor — everyone quieted down.

Li Hai'ou's favorite duty was going to the fort to stand watch and keep lookout. Although it was never his turn to operate the cannons, those gleaming bronze cannons and the exquisitely crafted gun carriages held an immense attraction for Li Hai'ou. After all, he was not yet thirty, and seafaring men are always endlessly curious about new things. The household troops at the fort welcomed Li Hai'ou well enough, but the squad leader would always bark reminders, telling Li Hai'ou not to keep staring at the cannons and to spend more time scanning the sea.

"Eighth Master, that cannon's got dust on it! Let me wipe it down!"

"Old Li, in our Zhao Camp, just use the rank to address people. You can call me Squad Leader Li. Also, there's a taboo here in Xuzhou — never use a number plus 'Master' to address someone. Those are forms of address reserved for Master Jin and his sworn brothers. Furthermore, that's not dust; those are scorch marks from the touchhole flame. And furthermore — you, kid, watch the sea! Don't keep staring at the cannon endlessly!" The squad leader had started out amiable, but ended up roaring. The fort erupted in laughter. Li Hai'ou, grinning sheepishly, scurried over to the observation platform on the other side. For them, this duty was really just a rest.

At this time of year, keeping watch over the sea was an exceedingly dull affair — nothing but the boundless sky and the endless sea. That was why every half-hour, someone would patrol the observation platforms to check if anyone was dozing off.

The household troops garrisoned at Haizhou port had lately been discussing only one thing: complaining why the Second Brigade was not sent to the battlefield, watching as only the other battalions earned merit. Some even spoke in alarmist tones, saying that if this continued, the other brigades would be promoted into larger formations, while the Second Brigade could only march in place.

After the complaining, everyone would again daydream about what it would be like if the Second Brigade went into battle — imagining scenes of sweeping away enemy forces, each man elated and animated. Unlike government soldiers who knew nothing of outside affairs, Zhao Camp had a custom of briefing on current events and the overall situation from top to bottom. Everyone was thinking: if it came to a decisive battle with the imperial court, what kind of opponent would the Second Brigade face?

Yet the cannon troops at the fort still had some worries. Everyone in Zhao Camp, from top to bottom, could feel the importance attached to this Haizhou port, and this fort was the most critical strongpoint of all. Would they just keep defending here forever, with no chance to sortie? Whoever brought up this topic would immediately get cursed out.

Right at that moment, someone was heard shouting: "There's a fleet outside the harbor!"

It was Li Hai'ou's yell. In the nearby fort, the household troops all rose to their feet. Someone was still muttering, "What's a fleet matter? There are fleets every day," but everyone grew tense. This was the first time the man on the observation platform had shouted like this. The squad leader in charge of this fort dashed out at a run, then turned his head and bellowed: "Stand ready! Stoke the braziers and get the fires blazing!"

The observation platforms near the various forts around Haizhou port, according to their elevation and distance, sent out signals in sequence. Those close enough could hear the shouts; more relied on flag signals. And the two bell-tower observation platforms used for lookout had already begun tolling the alarm. The entire port began to tense up. The squad leader ran back into his own fort to check. Everyone was going through the preparations with practiced ease, tirelessly cleaning the gun barrels. Some were wiping down the cannonballs. The education the cannon troops had received was this: the more meticulous the preparation, the better; the more earnestly one followed the drill manual, the better. Doing so on the battlefield would not only earn merit but could also save lives.

The squad leader ran out of the fort again, heading to the observation platform not far away. This was just a small stone guard post. Climbing up the ladder, he found Li Hai'ou holding two red flags, staring fixedly out to sea. Visible in the distance, not far from the harbor, many ships were sailing toward them.

"How many vessels?"

"Probably no fewer than a hundred!" Li Hai'ou answered tensely. Their fort was situated on the high ground of the harbor's hills, and from this commanding height, they could see very clearly.

Looking again at the ships below, there were no fewer than twenty large vessels, and over twenty medium-sized ones as well. The rest were not worth mentioning. But a fleet like this could easily carry several thousand fighting men — likely even more than that number. No matter how one looked at it, this fleet was no merchant convoy here for trade. And come to think of it, even if it were a merchant fleet, at this moment it would have to be treated as an enemy.

Because in this era, a merchant fleet and a pirate fleet were simply two sides of the same coin. The moment there was an opportunity to plunder and kill along the way, so-called sea merchants turned into pirates. Moreover, if they were coming to trade and dock at this port, old acquaintances would have long since raised their recognition flags. Even if it were their first visit, they should have dropped anchor by now and sent out an envoy — not bunched together in a mass, sailing straight for the harbor like this.

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