MLMD -Chapter 413 Yue Yang’s Troubles

“Rebuilding the navy?”

Everyone exchanged glances. A middle-aged man of average height with dark skin scratched his head in confusion and said, “Big brother, if the court wants to rebuild the navy, then let them rebuild it. What does that have to do with us? Could it be that we can stop them?”

This man was named Zheng Zhibao, the younger brother of Zheng Zhilong, famous for his bravery in battle.

Zheng Zhilong shot his brother a sideways glance and scolded irritably, “You lot still look at things so simply. Haven’t you carefully checked who the commander of this navy is?”

“Who is it?” Zheng Zhibao asked, still sounding carefree.

Zheng Zhilong sighed and shook his head helplessly. His brother had always been like this; it seemed he would never change. He then shifted his gaze to a young man in a white scholar’s robe, elegant in bearing. This young man was named Zheng Song, a distant cousin of Zheng Zhilong and the well-known strategist of their group.

Zheng Song did not answer immediately. Instead, he took the intelligence report from Zheng Zhilong, pondered it for a moment, then looked up and said, “Big brother, what you’re worried about isn’t the court navy itself, but the guerrilla general commanding it, right?”

“As expected of A-Song—quick thinker,” Zheng Zhilong said approvingly, then addressed everyone. “Do you think I’m worried about the court’s navy? No… what I’m worried about is the man leading it.”

Zheng Zhibao took the report and stared at it for a long while, still not understanding. He asked gruffly, “Big brother, after all this talk, who exactly is this guy?”

Zheng Zhilong glared at his simple-minded brother and sighed. “You… have you forgotten the man under Liu Xiang who gave us the biggest headache back then?”

Zheng Zhibao thought for a moment, then suddenly shouted, “Could it be that Guo Jingxian?”

Zheng Zhilong nodded. “Exactly him!”

“So it’s him!”

“That Guo Jingxian is still alive?”

“That bastard is actually still alive!”

The group looked at one another. Some cursed angrily, but more felt a chill rise in their hearts. Anyone who had experienced the brutal sea battle three years ago would never forget that ferocious warrior who wielded twin blades and led over a hundred death-defying fighters, charging in and out of their fleet three times. In that battle, Zheng Zhilong lost his beloved younger brother, more than five thousand elite subordinates, and over two hundred warships. Although he destroyed his greatest rival, Liu Xiang, he also suffered grievous losses. Even after more than three years of recovery, recalling that carnage made even someone as bold as Zheng Zhibao shiver.

After a while, Zheng Zhibao clenched his teeth and said word by word, “Big brother, since Guo Jingxian is a remnant of Liu Xiang, we can’t let him live. Why don’t we send people to wipe him out?”

“That’s right! Back then Guo Jingxian killed so many of our brothers. Second Master was captured by him!” said a scar-faced middle-aged man.

Hearing this, hatred flashed in Zheng Zhilong’s eyes. He gripped the armrests of his chair so tightly that they creaked. Three years ago, his most cherished second brother, Zheng Zhihu, had been captured by Guo Jingxian’s men and then personally wrapped in fishing nets by Liu Xiang and thrown into the sea. Liu Xiang later shot himself. To this day, Zheng Zhilong could not forget the despair and helplessness in his brother’s eyes as he was cast into the ocean.

“How would you wipe him out?” Zheng Song shook his head. “Guo Jingxian is now, like us, a court official. I’ve heard he’s been appointed a Guerrilla General. If we openly send people to kill him, wouldn’t that be tantamount to rebellion? Moreover, the new Shandong Governor is the famed Marquis of Loyalty and Valor, Yue Yang. He commands hundreds of thousands of elite troops and even beat the Manchu barbarians into retreat. If we kill his man, do you think he’d let it go?”

“Then what should we do? Does that mean we don’t avenge Second Uncle?” asked a handsome fourteen-year-old youth. His name was Zheng Sen, Zheng Zhilong’s second son. Because his mother, Lady Tagawa, was Japanese, he was also known as Tagawa Jirōzaemon. Intelligent and resourceful, he was deeply favored by Zheng Zhilong and had been allowed to attend the meeting.

The discussion went on, but opinions remained divided. Some clamored for immediate action; others urged caution and the bigger picture—after all, they now wore official robes and could no longer act as they pleased. No one could persuade the other side. In the end, everyone turned their gaze to Zheng Zhilong, awaiting his final decision.

Zheng Zhilong himself was torn. Emotionally, he wanted nothing more than to send men to hack Guo Jingxian into pieces to avenge his brother. Rationally, he knew that killing Guo Jingxian would completely offend Yue Yang, the greatest warlord of the Ming. Though Zheng Zhilong had long dominated the Fujian coast and the seas of Southeast and East Asia and had little direct contact with Yue Yang, he had learned enough about him through other channels to be deeply wary of his power.

After a long silence, under the expectant gazes of the others, Zheng Zhilong slowly said, “This is what we’ll do… I’ll personally write a letter to the Marquis of Loyalty and Valor, telling him that Guo Jingxian is a mortal enemy of our Zheng family. If he hands Guo Jingxian over to us, the Zheng family will owe him a favor, and he can name any condition he wants. Doesn’t he want to rebuild the navy at Weihaiwei? We’ll give him ships and men. As long as Guo Jingxian is handed over, everything is negotiable.”

Zheng Song frowned thoughtfully. The Zheng family was unrivaled in Fujian and the southern seas, but this time they were facing the Ming’s greatest warlord. Would the other side really give them face? After hesitating, he asked, “Big brother… will that really work?”

“Hmph… that depends on whether this Marquis of Loyalty and Valor knows what’s good for him,” Zheng Zhilong snorted. “News of his reopening the maritime ban has already spread everywhere. Why is he rebuilding the Weihaiwei navy if not to control the sea routes? If he offends us, does he still want to reopen the ban? To be blunt, without our Zheng family’s support, reopening the maritime ban would be nothing but empty talk.”

“Right! Big brother is mighty!” The commanders cheered, feeling greatly relieved. Only Zheng Sen felt uneasy. Though he thought his father’s words sounded imposing, something felt off. He glanced at his most respected distant uncle, Zheng Song, and saw the same worry between his brows. Zheng Sen opened his mouth as if to speak, but seeing everyone’s high spirits, he swallowed his words.

Thus the matter was settled, and Zheng Zhilong was confident. After years of effort, he had become a dominant power along the Fujian coast and the southern seas. He believed that unless Yue Yang had lost his mind, he would not refuse the olive branch—nor reject the goodwill of a hegemon with over seven hundred ships and tens of thousands of men, especially when the price was merely one man.

Governor’s Office of Jinan – Rear Courtyard Study

In the corner sat an exquisite incense burner, wisps of smoke curling upward. Yue Yang reclined lazily in a lounge chair, motionless. These days, Wang Yue—now even more voluptuous from his indulgence—nestled beside him, feeding him peeled grapes one by one. Yue Yang did not even have to lift a finger to enjoy the finest treatment. On the other side, Wang Yue and Dong Xiaowan took turns reading the memorials submitted from below.

“At present, your subordinate has recruited over five thousand three hundred naval personnel, expended more than twenty-three thousand five hundred silver dollars, and consumed three hundred twenty-six dan of grain…”

“Stop, stop—enough!” Yue Yang waved impatiently. “What nonsense is Guo Jingxian writing? He even reports how many silver dollars he spent. Does he think I’m a shopkeeper?”

Li Xiangjun stopped and gently persuaded him, “My lord, General Guo means well. He’s only recently pledged himself to you and has suddenly been entrusted with such great authority. So many eyes are watching him—how could he not tread carefully?”

“Hmph… what’s the use of their jealousy? Who among them knows naval warfare? Who can train a navy for me? If they lack the ability, they should shut up. Anyone dissatisfied can come find me—I’ll talk to them myself.” Yue Yang grumbled, though he knew that seniority and rank were deeply entrenched in the military, a problem that persisted even centuries later. He had no illusion of solving it entirely; he could only try to reduce it somewhat.

“Eh?” Dong Xiaowan, flipping through letters, suddenly exclaimed, “My lord, there’s a letter here from Fujian.”

“From Fujian?” Yue Yang froze for a moment. Did he know anyone there? He asked casually, “Who wrote it?”

Dong Xiaowan frowned slightly. “My lord, it’s personally written by Zheng Zhilong, the Fujian coastal defense guerrilla general. Would you like to read it yourself?”

“Give it to me.” Yue Yang took the letter, broke the seal, and read it. His expression darkened quickly, and he sneered, “So Zheng Zhilong dares to threaten me. Seems he’s enjoyed peace for too long and forgotten who he is.”

Seeing Yue Yang so rarely angry, the three women were surprised. Even Wang Yue, who had been peeling grapes, leaned in to read along as Yue Yang recited, “I have heard that Your Lordship intends to rebuild the navy to magnify Ming prestige upon the seas. I, your humble subordinate, have some small reputation at sea and am willing to serve you. Should Your Lordship hand Guo Jingxian over to me, I am willing to act as your vanguard, at your command…”

By the end, the women’s expressions grew strange. At first glance, Zheng Zhilong seemed humble, but on closer inspection, his words were full of threat. “Some small reputation at sea”? “Hand Guo Jingxian over and I’ll serve you”? Wasn’t he clearly saying: I’m well-known in the southern seas; if you hand him over and please me, I might help you rebuild your navy?

Worse still, Zheng Zhilong demanded Guo Jingxian without specifying how he would repay the favor, hiding behind vague phrases like “serve as your vanguard.” For Yue Yang, a marquis, to be coerced by a mere guerrilla general into handing over a subordinate—if word got out, his reputation would be ruined, and his men would lose heart. No one would follow a leader who could sell out his subordinates at any time.

Li Xiangjun held Yue Yang’s hand and comforted him softly, “My lord, don’t take it to heart. Zheng Zhilong is a former pirate with little learning; his words and actions are crude. It’s not worth getting angry over.”

“Yes, my lord, just ignore him,” Dong Xiaowan added gently.

Wang Yue said nothing, simply moved behind Yue Yang and gently massaged his temples, silently soothing him.

After a long while, Yue Yang sneered, “This fellow who rose by selling his body really thinks he’s someone important. From over a thousand li away, he dares threaten me and demand I hand over my own subordinate. Don’t worry—I’m not angry. It’s not worth it. We’ll keep this score for now and settle it later.”

Wang Yue, massaging his head, teased softly, “My lord, your language is getting rather coarse. What do you mean by ‘selling his body’? After all, he’s still a court guerrilla general. Even if he’s unreasonable, you shouldn’t slander him like that—it diminishes your dignity.”

“Slander him?” Yue Yang laughed and shook his head. “This time, I really wasn’t slandering him. There are things you just don’t know.”

In later generations, accounts of Zheng Zhilong varied, but descriptions of his appearance were strikingly consistent. In works such as Guangyang Zaji, Mingji Beilüe, and Xianyan, authors used phrases originally meant for women—“youthfully beautiful,” “charmingly seductive,” “exquisitely graceful”—to describe him. A man widely regarded as beautiful by his contemporaries was rare in five thousand years of Chinese history, rivaled only by figures like Wei Jie and Pan An. But these loyalist authors weren’t praising him out of admiration—they were hinting at his past.

The most detailed account appears in Mingji Beilüe, which says: “Fei Huang (Zheng Zhilong) was indeed beautiful and alluring; more than one merchant loved him, and he went with them.” Put plainly, young Zheng paid for passage with his body. In Japan, he soon became a son-in-law and had a child—Zheng Chenggong (yes, the national hero was of mixed Chinese-Japanese blood). Two years later, he again used his body to buy passage home, only to encounter pirates. At a life-or-death moment, his beauty proved invaluable—literally worth a thousand gold: “Fei Huang was valued as cargo worth a thousand gold, divided among the bandit leaders,” becoming their “kept husband.” Notably, he was already over twenty, well past the age of typical catamites, yet still commanded such a price—proof of irresistible charm. Even Yue Yang could not help but marvel at his “talent”; in modern times, he could have played a pretty-boy idol without makeup.

Though Yue Yang despised such behavior, he had no desire to discuss it with his wives; to him, it was simply disgusting.

Seeing Yue Yang calm down, Wang Yue wrapped her arms around his neck and coquettishly said, “My lord, let’s not talk about such unpleasant things. I want to ask—when will we bring Sister Hai Lanzhu, Sister Linglong, and little Sister Ying’er here?”

“Bring them here?” Yue Yang paused, then smiled and lightly tapped her nose. “You little temptress, what scheme are you plotting now? Why suddenly think of them? You know Shanxi is our base. Without trusted people managing it, how could I rest easy? Besides, Grandmother is getting old and can’t travel far—someone must look after her.”

“Oh…” Wang Yue replied softly, hesitated, then said, “My lord, recently the wives of some generals often come to see me, Xiangjun, and Xiaowan. They beat around the bush asking about certain matters. I wasn’t sure whether I should tell you.”

Curious, Yue Yang said, “Go on. Since when has our Yue’er become so hesitant?”

Wang Yue lowered her voice. “Those women subtly mention their sons, nephews, or brothers and inquire about Sister Ying’er. Their meaning is clear—they want us to introduce these men to you, hoping to form marriage ties with our family.”

“I see,” Yue Yang sighed, stroking his chin. “Yes… in the blink of an eye, Ying’er is already eighteen.”

At that thought, Yue Yang felt troubled. His younger sister Yue Ying was eighteen this year—nineteen by traditional reckoning. In modern terms, she’d still be clinging to her mother or attending university, but in the Ming dynasty, an unmarried girl of that age was already considered an old maid. And as his status rose, more people sought alliances through marriage. He could block them for a while—but could he do so forever?

“Sigh… such a headache!”