The Ming Dynasty: Reshaping the Land

Chapter 4: The Japanese Pirates and Their Suppression

When Li Jinglong arrived at the East Palace, Zhu Biao was still engrossed in processing memorials.

Li Jinglong's gaze was drawn to the stack of memorials on the imperial desk, and then he glanced at the weariness in Zhu Biao's eyes, and a bad premonition suddenly rose in his heart.

Many books are vague about the cause of Zhu Biao's illness, some saying it was wind-related illness, others saying it was wind-cold. However, at this time, Li Jinglong was more willing to believe another rumor: Zhu Biao died from overwork.

"Jiujiang is here! Sit down, I'll finish reviewing this memorial!" Zhu Biao looked up, waved his hand, and continued to work on the memorial.

Zhu Biao's exhaustion was mainly due to the endless stream of memorials he had to submit every day. Seeing this, Li Jinglong suddenly had an idea: should he give it a try?

Zhu Biao's importance is self-evident. The bloodshed at the end of the Hongwu reign and the Jingnan Campaign during the Jianwen reign all stemmed from him.

Li Jinglong was lost in thought and did not notice Zhu Biao walking up to him with a memorial in his hand.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Ah? Your Highness, I have been rude!" Li Jinglong was about to rise and bow when Zhu Biao waved his hand to interrupt him, "We are uncle and nephew, no need for such formalities!"

Li Jinglong looked at the memorial in Zhu Biao's hand: "Your Highness summoned me here?"

"Take a look at this!" Zhu Biao casually handed the memorial to Li Jinglong.

"This..." Li Jinglong hesitated for a moment, feeling that he was not qualified!

"Look, then look!"

Since Zhu Biao had spoken, Li Jinglong had no choice but to take over and start reading.

"Your subject Tang He reports: Japanese pirates have invaded our Zhejiang Provincial Administration Commission. I was ordered to manage the maritime affairs, but upon arriving here, I discovered..."

The five mountains of Xiu, Lan, Dai, Jian, and Jintang are vying for profit, fighting amongst themselves internally and colluding with Japanese pirates externally, causing annual border troubles. I hereby request that, except for the residents of Changguo County's main island, all residents of the remaining islands be relocated inland...

Li Jinglong glanced at it briefly and frowned. It turned out to be Tang He's memorial requesting the relocation of people.

"What do you think?" Zhu Biao asked Li Jinglong.

"This..." Li Jinglong hesitated.

Faced with the threat of Japanese pirates, the Ming generals' approach was to build fortifications for defense. Moreover, the memorial was presented by Tang He, and the policy of banning the sea was also established by Zhu Yuanzhang long ago. Li Jinglong was immediately conflicted.

Did the maritime ban have any effect in defending against Japanese pirates? Certainly, but to what extent? Limited!

Li Jinglong, however, was well aware of the consequences of relocating the people. What seemed like a temporary peace was actually no different from abandoning the Japanese pirates and expanding his power.

Moreover, the policy of relocating people from their homeland and prohibiting maritime trade had an impact that led later generations to follow suit, becoming one of the regrets of the Chinese nation.

"Your Highness, I believe that what the Duke of Xin proposed is reasonable, but... but it is somewhat short-sighted!" Li Jinglong decided to speak out.

"Oh? Why?" Zhu Biao raised an eyebrow and asked patiently.

"Your Highness, the Japanese pirates' incursions are indeed despicable. However, while the Duke of Xin's actions may resolve the issue of the islanders' collusion with the Japanese and their mutual killings, the relocation of people and abandonment of the islands actually provides the Japanese pirates with a forward base that can invade our coastline at any time, which will have endless consequences!"

Zhu Biao frowned slightly: "Without residents, there are no supplies. The Japanese pirates have no use occupying it, so how can it become a future threat?"

Li Jinglong thought to himself: It's useless now. It became a stronghold for Japanese pirates during the Jiajing era!

Li Jinglong continued to advise, "Your Highness, although the isolated island is currently uninhabited, it may not be unusable under its management."

Zhu Biao frowned and looked at Li Jinglong: "According to you, what is a good plan?"

Li Jinglong then stated his thoughts: "Your Highness, the problem of the Japanese pirates lies not in blocking them, but in a combination of dredging and suppression!"

The thought of the Japanese pirates that plagued the Ming Dynasty in its early and middle periods filled Li Jinglong with rage.

The Japanese pirates were not just Japanese; there were also many unscrupulous merchants and bandits along the coast. They colluded with each other to harm the people. In Li Jinglong's view, it would not be too much to kill them all.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao's eyes lit up, and he pressed for an answer: "What does 'combining dredging and suppression' mean?"

Li Jinglong: "Your Highness, the root cause of the Japanese pirate problem is nothing more than profit. After the ban on sea travel, the livelihoods of millions of coastal residents were cut off. In addition, with the collusion of unscrupulous merchants, it is inevitable that some people will take risks and collude with the Japanese pirates."

As for suppression, the solution is to build a navy and launch proactive attacks. Those who commit heinous crimes will be executed. Moreover, the cost of building a navy will not be much higher than the cost of constructing cities and stationing troops along the coast!

From the early Hongwu period until the opening of the sea during the Longqing era, the threat of Japanese pirates along the coast was a persistent problem for the Ming Dynasty. Countless garrisons and military supplies were invested in this effort. With that money, Li Jinglong would rather build a navy and take the initiative to attack.

"Jiujiang, don't forget, building a city and stationing troops won't cost much!" Zhu Biao smiled and reminded him.

"Your Highness, the apparent expenses may not be much, but if you include the corvée labor for city construction and the hidden costs of soldiers' land reclamation and training, the total cost won't be much less!"

"Especially the excessive corvée labor, which causes unbearable suffering for the people, is, in my opinion, a waste of effort and may even have the opposite effect!"

The smile on Zhu Biao's face slowly disappeared, replaced by a serious expression, and he began to lower his head in thought.

Li Jinglong wasn't in a hurry; he simply waited quietly on the side.

"Ha!" Zhu Biao exclaimed after figuring it out, "Jiujiang's words have enlightened me!"

"Your Highness flatters me! I am merely a theorist!" Li Jinglong said modestly.

"No!" Zhu Biao waved his hand, his expression serious. "I have seriously considered your suggestion, and it is feasible!"

"However!" Zhu Biao's tone shifted, a hint of sadness flashing across his face, "This involves a maritime ban and the establishment of a navy, which are matters of national policy and cannot be decided in the short term. It's a long and arduous task!"

A sudden chill ran down Li Jinglong's spine. He suddenly remembered that Old Zhu had left behind the ancestral precept that "not a single plank may enter the sea." He wondered if Old Zhu would beat him up.

"Excellent! Jiujiang, you've changed so much in just three days!" Zhu Biao smiled and pointed at Li Jinglong. "Everyone said you were studying diligently behind closed doors during your mourning period, but today you've given me a wonderful surprise!"

Seeing Zhu Biao's delighted expression, Li Jinglong's heart skipped a beat: Oh no, I wasn't paying attention and forgot to hide my talents!

They all blame the Japanese pirates. If I didn't want to wipe you all out, would I have said so much all at once?

Li Jinglong waved his hand hastily, "Your Highness flatters me! I was merely expressing my feelings; whether it can be implemented is still unknown!"

"Jiujiang, don't be modest. You and your cousin are both skilled in literature and martial arts!" Zhu Biao praised.

Li Jinglong: "..."

Biaozi, if you keep doing this, I won't say another word to you!

"Zhejiang also belongs to your Left Army Commandery. Go back to Jiujiang and draft a memorial outlining your specific ideas so that His Majesty can consult you!" Zhu Biao instructed.

Li Jinglong was very reluctant, but seeing Zhu Biao's expectant eyes, he had no choice but to agree.

Zhu Biao glanced at the time, stood up, and said, "Alright, I won't keep you any longer. I still have quite a few memorials to review. Come to my place sometime when you have some free time, and we can have a good chat!"

Li Jinglong glanced at the stacks of memorials and couldn't help but grin. "Biaozi, you can't do it like this!"

Li Jinglong bowed and said, "Your Highness, there is something I'm unsure whether I should say."

"Speak freely!" Zhu Biao flicked his sleeve, indicating.

"Your Highness, you handle so many memorials every day. How can your body withstand this on its own?" Li Jinglong glanced at Zhu Biao's slightly plump figure. "Your Highness should take some rest!"

Upon hearing the mention of rest, Zhu Biao's expression immediately turned melancholy. "Even Father Emperor is exhausted; how dare I, as his son, rest?"

Li Jinglong immediately said, "Your Highness, I have a plan that can solve this problem!"

"Oh? Jiujiang, tell me quickly!" Zhu Biao immediately grabbed Li Jinglong and asked impatiently.