MLMD -Chapter 447 Returning to Weihaiwei

“Zheng Zhilong?” Yue Yang paused, asking with uncertainty, then his expression immediately darkened with anger. “Why didn’t I hear anyone report this to me?”

Ke Zhennan’s face grew grim. “This only started happening in the past month or two. At first, these pirates only robbed goods and didn’t harm anyone. Since coastal regions have always been plagued by pirates, the merchants didn’t take it seriously and didn’t report it to the authorities. But over the past half month, they’ve grown increasingly reckless. On several occasions, they not only seized entire ships but killed everyone on board. Only then did the merchants panic and report it to me, and that’s how I found out.”

Hearing this, Yue Yang immediately realized that these incidents were clearly directed at him. Not only were they retaliation for the severe losses the Zheng fleet suffered at the hands of the Weihaiwei navy, but they were also driven by fear following the reopening of maritime trade in Shandong.

The Ming dynasty’s maritime ban had lasted for generations. Of course, it was mostly nominal; behind the scenes, coastal merchants in Jiangsu and Zhejiang had grown immensely wealthy, which in turn fueled the pirate trade. Now that the ban was being lifted, Zheng Zhilong and the Jiangsu-Zhejiang merchants could no longer sit idle. If the government fully reopened maritime trade, they would have nothing to gain. The best strategy was to crush potential threats before they grew.

Yue Yang was certain that if this situation continued for any length of time, petitions calling to reinstate the maritime ban would pile onto Emperor Chongzhen’s desk like snow.

“Zheng Zhilong is challenging my authority!” Yue Yang muttered to himself. Then he asked, “Did you inform General Guo Jingxian of the Weihaiwei navy about this?”

Ke Zhennan and Ma Ke both shook their heads. Both thought to themselves: Who else but you, Yue Yang, could command the Weihaiwei navy? Telling them would just be asking for trouble.

Yue Yang, unaware of their thoughts, pondered for a moment. “This is a matter of great importance. Zheng Zhilong, as a Fujian Coastal Defense Commander, openly dispatching men to attack our Ming merchant ships is an egregious crime. As local officials, it is our duty to report this to the court. I propose that the three of us jointly submit a memorial to the emperor, detailing Zheng Zhilong’s actions. What do you say?”

“Of course,” they replied without hesitation. For Ke Zhennan and Ma Ke, there was no pressure; Zheng Zhilong had clearly overstepped, openly challenging their highest-ranking authority. Failing to report him would feel like a betrayal of their positions.

After agreeing, Ma Ke sheepishly said, “My lord, ordinarily in such matters, I shouldn’t be asking this, but…” He trailed off, his face reddening, unable to continue.

Yue Yang immediately understood. He laughed lightly. “Are you asking about the tax statistics for the end of May? Rest assured, I’ll make sure it’s handled properly. You’ll receive every silver coin you’re due; the lower officials shouldn’t be made to toil for months and end up empty-handed.”

“That’s a relief!”

Hearing this, not only Ma Ke but also Ke Zhennan, who had been eavesdropping, breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Ever since Yue Yang implemented the new policies in Shandong, one of the most appealing measures was that ten percent of the merchant taxes collected in Shandong would be returned to local authorities. This portion was distributed every six months according to the proportion of taxes collected. In other words, the more tax you collected, the more silver you received; collect less, and you received less. It was essentially “distribution according to contribution.” Any official who tried to let merchants off the hook would be undermining everyone’s income, which would provoke widespread disapproval.

Interest is always the greatest motivator. With the end-of-month silver distribution approaching, Ma Ke had the audacity to ask.

After Yue Yang’s assurances, Ke Zhennan asked with concern, “My lord, Zheng Zhilong’s behavior is so rampant. If we allow him to continue unchecked at sea, it may discourage Shandong merchants from venturing out. Should we dispatch the Weihaiwei navy to escort them?”

Yue Yang shook his head after some thought. “Escorting merchant ships only treats the symptom, not the root cause. The Weihaiwei navy is still relatively weak. Each day, dozens of merchant ships sail out. Our warships alone cannot protect them all. This is not an ideal solution.”

“Then what should we do?” Ke Zhennan asked anxiously. “If this continues, merchants will dare not go to sea. Won’t reopening maritime trade in Shandong then be pointless?”

“It could be even worse,” Ma Ke added, worried. “The court officials may exploit this matter, inciting the emperor to issue a decree to reinstate the maritime ban. That would be disastrous.”

Indeed, wealth sways the human heart. Having tasted the prosperity brought by reopening maritime trade, Ma Ke and Ke Zhennan had become staunch supporters of the policy. Every six months, they received tens of thousands of silver coins. If the ban were reinstated, they would be thrust back into hardship—they had no desire for that.

Seeing their worried expressions, Yue Yang finally made his decision. “Don’t worry. I’ll handle this. Zheng Zhilong won’t last long—just wait for my good news.”

After seeing Ke Zhennan and Ma Ke off, Yue Yang began instructing his servants to pack for the trip to Weihaiwei. This time, he was bringing Zhu Meichu with him. With over a hundred attendants for the princess alone, plus a large amount of household items, it wasn’t until two days later that the caravan finally set out. They arrived at Weihaiwei on the third day of the sixth month.

When Yue Yang and Zhu Meichu reached ten li outside Weihaiwei, Li Xiangjun, Wang Yue, and Dong Xiaowan were already kneeling outside with their entourage to greet them.

Yue Yang quickly dismounted to help them up, whispering to Wang Yue, “You little girl… don’t you know that I don’t like all this ceremony? What’s this about today—are you feeling mischievous again?”

Wang Yue struggled but stayed kneeling, lowering her head and pouting with a hint of grievance. “If you were returning alone, my three of us would not have prepared such a formal reception. But now that the princess has arrived, if we don’t show proper respect, what if she later causes trouble for us?”

“Heh… you really are…”

Yue Yang paused, then looked at Li Xiangjun and Dong Xiaowan, noticing their tense expressions and slightly pale faces. He immediately understood—the status of Princess Zhu Meichu was putting immense pressure on them.

Since the dawn of human society, “class” has existed—from primitive, slave, and feudal societies to capitalism. Despite modern slogans of equality, they are mostly empty words. Anyone who takes them literally is naive.

For Li Xiangjun and the others, though now concubines of the Loyal and Brave Marquis, their humble origins remained a psychological restraint. Even facing the maid-born Linglong sisters, they felt a tinge of inferiority. Now, facing the most honored princess of the Ming dynasty, the social gap was like a chasm. One misstep could provide the princess a pretext to harm them, leaving them without recourse.

Feeling a pang of guilt, Yue Yang realized that bringing Zhu Meichu had pleased the princess but imposed undue pressure on the three women.

He gently embraced each of them, whispering, “I understand your concerns, but I can guarantee nothing you fear will happen. The princess may be noble-born, but she is kind-hearted and still a child. She won’t act arrogantly toward you. You’ll see.”

Afterward, he helped them up.

At that moment, Zhu Meichu’s carriage arrived. Dressed magnificently, the princess alighted. Seeing this, the three women almost knelt again, but Zhu Meichu stepped forward and helped each of them up, speaking warmly: “Sisters, please don’t be so formal. Though I am a princess, I married down. You may call me sister as usual. Too much ceremony will only feel awkward. Don’t you agree?”

Her words were sincere. Having lived on the Qinhuai River for so long, Li Xiangjun and the others were perceptive and realized the princess spoke from her heart. This eased their tension, and with her help, they stood up.

Zhu Meichu then invited them into her carriage. They hesitated, glancing at Yue Yang, and upon seeing his approving nod, followed the princess inside.

With the three women settled, Yue Yang turned to greet Chen Zhenhui, Mao Xiang, Guo Jingxian, and others who had come to welcome him.

After the greetings, Yue Yang addressed Guo Jingxian, “General Guo, have you been aware that Shandong merchants have been frequently robbed by Zheng’s fleet recently?”

Guo Jingxian nodded. “I am naturally aware, my lord.”

“Then why haven’t you acted? Why didn’t you report this to me?” Yue Yang’s voice turned stern.

Seeing Yue Yang’s serious expression, Mao Xiang and Chen Zhenhui exchanged glances, about to speak, when Guo Jingxian responded, “My lord, it’s not that I haven’t tried, but Zheng’s fleet is far too cunning. Our navy is too small, and the men insufficiently trained, therefore…”

“Enough! I don’t want to hear excuses!” Yue Yang interrupted sharply.