King Luhuang of the Ming Dynasty: My father, Ming Taizu

"Are there many Japanese pirates near Changguo?"

Zhu Tan was sitting on a wooden stool in the side room without any image at this time. He looked at Wang Junliang in front of him and asked softly, "How many times have they come here before?"

Hearing this, Wang Junliang's face flashed with anger, and then he said softly: "In the first two years after I took office, there were not many Japanese pirates."

"There are many islands and reefs near Changguo, and there used to be villages on them."

"But somehow, in the past six months, the number of Japanese pirates has increased exponentially, and they have basically occupied all the surrounding islands and reefs."

"Before, they didn't dare to attack the county town, and sporadic harassment never ceased."

"A month ago, these pirates began to gather and attack the county town. Until today..."

"You didn't tell the higher-ups about these things?"

Zhu Tan frowned slightly. The old man knew about the Japanese pirates harassing the coastal areas, so how could the local officials not know?

What do they eat?
"The letter was sent several times, but..."

Wang Junliang hesitated to speak, how could Zhu Tan not know what he meant by not saying it.

They didn't even report this information to their superiors. Damn it.

Zhu Tan breathed out lightly, suppressed the anger in his heart, tried to keep his tone calm, and said softly: "I'll have to trouble you for a while."

"Tell me everything you know about the islands and reefs near Changguo, where are the Japanese pirates, and how many there are."

Hearing this, Wang Junliang's heart moved slightly, and then he whispered: "On the islands and reefs near Changguo alone, there are no less than thousands of Japanese pirates gathered..."

……

In the evening, on the warship.

Zhu Tan looked at the information he had sorted out in his hand, and his brows were already furrowed into a shape of a "川".

The situation seemed more complicated than he thought.

Wang Junliang talked about the Japanese pirates along the surrounding coasts, but he was not a military officer and did not have the strength to take the initiative to eliminate the pirates, let alone find out where these pirates came from. He only knew that the surrounding islands and reefs were basically the pirates' strongholds.

At present, Zhu Tan still doesn’t know how these Japanese pirates exchanged the looted property for supplies, but it is foreseeable that there must be a mature chain behind this, and many people are tied to this chain.

In addition, it was also somewhat strange that the Japanese pirates near Changguo County suddenly gathered to attack the county town.

These guys usually just rob property, coming and going like locusts.

But now it seems that they are planning to capture Changguo County and occupy all the surrounding islands and reefs.

This is an attempt to take a piece of meat from the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Highness."

Just as he was thinking, a soft voice was heard. Zhu Tan looked up and saw Ma He walking towards him quickly.

"According to your instructions, those Japanese pirates have been cleaned. Do you want to see them now?"

"Bring it with you."

Zhu Tan threw the document in his hand on the table and then leaned back on the couch.

Ma He went down in a hurry.

Not long after, Ma He came up with a dozen personal soldiers and four Japanese pirates.

The four Japanese pirates were only wearing loincloths, and the wounds on their bodies had been simply treated. At this moment, they all looked terrified and their faces were pale.

After carrying them closer, several bodyguards threw them to the ground.

The four Japanese pirates dared not say anything and just kept kowtowed.

This time, they were really scared, the kind of fear that made them feel like their souls were leaving their bodies.

They had never seen warships as tall as mountains, capable of spewing flames and easily tearing apart the sailing ships they were on.

This time, more than a dozen of them gathered together, but they were all annihilated by the Ming Dynasty like a crushing withered tree rotten wood. Only four of them were left among the Japanese pirates who landed on the island.

They were truly frightened. Faced with this kind of force that they had no ability to resist, they could only kneel down and beg for mercy.

Zhu Tan didn't even look at them. He just let the four of them kowtow, and then he picked up the teacup on the table and sipped it slowly.

Bang bang.

The four men kowtowed so hard that their foreheads were bleeding. When the guards on the side saw this, they looked down on them.

After a while, perhaps he could not bear it anymore, the only Japanese pirate among the four who could speak Chinese spoke in a trembling voice.

"Your Highness, please spare my life!"

As soon as he opened his mouth, the other three Japanese pirates also started chattering, obviously begging for mercy, but Zhu Tan felt annoyed when he heard it.

"Shut them up."

Zhu Tan spoke softly, and just as he finished his words, several bodyguards stepped forward, swung the knife handles in their hands, and smashed them hard on the faces of the four men.

After a few muffled groans, the four men were hit so hard that blood gushed out of their mouths and noses. They dared not make a sound and just knelt on the ground, trembling.

Zhu Tan glanced at these people indifferently, put the teacup on the table, then looked at the Japanese pirate who could speak Chinese, and said softly.

"Where did it come from?"

The Japanese pirate was stunned for a moment, then he quickly looked up and said incoherently: "Your Highness, I, I, I, I am... I am a Han Chinese."

"Han people?"

Zhu Tan narrowed his eyes slightly when he heard this, and looked at the pale-faced man in front of him, feeling a little surprised.

"I am a... I am from Fujian."

The man kowtowed and said, "When I was young, I crossed the sea with my father and was captured by the Japanese. That's how I went to Japan."

As he spoke, the man kowtowed again and said, "Your Highness, please consider that I am a Han Chinese..."

"Friendship?" Upon hearing this, Zhu Tan interrupted the man and sneered, "When you followed the Japanese pirates to slaughter the people of our Ming Dynasty, did you ever think about friendship?"

"Now that you are captured and kneeling before me, you are talking about kindness."

Upon hearing this, the man trembled violently and wanted to speak again, but he heard Zhu Tan say.

"Just answer whatever the king asks you. If you say one more word of nonsense, you will die."

The other Japanese pirates looked at the man next to them. They couldn't understand what the two were saying, but when they saw this man kowtowing and talking, they felt anxious.

At this moment, a Japanese pirate wiped the blood from his mouth and talked to Zhu Tan in a very noisy manner.

When the guards beside him saw this, they raised their swords and were about to hit him, but Zhu Tan waved his hand and asked, "What did he say?"

"He said... he was a vassal of the Toei Yamane family. Although... although he was defeated, he asked to enjoy the treatment of a vassal."

The man spoke tremblingly, but Zhu Tan laughed when he heard it.

Zhu Tan looked at the Japanese pirate and said softly, "Drag him away and beat him with fifty military sticks first."

"If you can still survive, we'll talk later."

Several bodyguards grinned and, without caring whether the man translated or not, stepped forward and dragged the Japanese pirate away.

When I went down, the man was still yelling nonsense.

Then, there was a dull sound coming from outside. It was the sound of a military stick hitting someone's back, which made the Japanese pirates in the room terrified.

Zhu Tan looked at the Japanese pirate again and asked, "Where did you sell the stolen property you captured in the Ming Dynasty?"

"Who helped you exchange the supplies, and how did you transport them back to Japan? Tell the truth."

The Japanese pirate no longer dared to associate himself with Zhu Tan. After hearing the question, he trembled and said, "Yes, yes..."

"I...after they robbed something, they would transport it to Quanzhou Port."

"There are special people over there who will take over, and then...then provide the corresponding items according to the price of the goods."

This was not beyond Zhu Tan's expectations. He held his chin with his hands and looked at the other two pirates with cold eyes. No one knew what he was thinking. "After exchanging the supplies, they will use speedboats to transport them to the surrounding islands and reefs, and then..."

"Then we will use a large ship to transport it to Japan."

It really has become an industrial chain.

Zhu Tan sneered in his heart and asked again: "Whose idea was it that you recently united to attack Changguo County?"

"Why do this?"

"Yes……"

This question seemed to scare the man. He trembled violently twice, and after calming down for a moment, he said, "It was an order from the Yamana family."

"The Yamana family is a great lord under the shogunate. They..."

"Okay, pull it down."

Hearing this, he knew that it was almost enough. Zhu Tan waved his hand, and several of his personal soldiers stepped forward and pulled the Japanese pirate down without caring whether the pirate had finished speaking or not.

"Mahe."

"The servant is here."

Hearing Zhu Tan calling him, Ma He immediately took a few steps forward and stood respectfully.

"Go and ask about the specifics." Zhu Tan said softly, "Ask about everything, no matter how big or small."

"What is the status of the Yamana family in Japan, and what is their relationship with their ruler?"

"Also, who is in Quanzhou, Fujian, contacting them?"

"This person doesn't know, so just ask the few who are still alive. If they don't tell me, you can do whatever you want. I just want the result."

"My slave obeys the order."

Upon hearing this, Ma He bowed respectfully and turned away.

At this time, Zhu Tan was the only one left in the room. He thought for a moment and said, "Send the order to have Duke Xin Tang He attack."

"Eliminate the Japanese pirates!"

……

The next day, Duke Xin Tang He led his warships from south to north, while a warship under Zhu Tan's command went from north to south, and they began to clear the surrounding islands and reefs.

Wang Junliang, the magistrate of Changguo County, requested to go with the army, and Zhu Tan agreed, but he himself did not go.

Although there were Japanese pirate strongholds on the surrounding islands and reefs, they were no longer a threat. Their steel warships could easily destroy us, so even if they had a large number of people, it would be useless.

There are several main things that Zhu Tan is considering now.

First, Changguo County.

Suffering from repeated harassment by Japanese pirates, the people of Changguo County suffered heavy losses. Not to mention the property losses, the deaths and injuries of the people alone made Zhu Tan frown.

This place must be preserved in the future, but the reconstruction of the county town and even the relocation of the population need to be reported to the old man for the decision.

He could help, but he couldn't go too far, otherwise the civil servants would definitely find fault with him.

Although it's harmless, it's annoying to have flies buzzing around your ears every day.

Second,

Things happening in Quanzhou, Fujian.

Tang He had received information before that there was a Pu family in Quanzhou, Fujian, who should have had connections with the Japanese pirates, but there was no substantial evidence.

Zhu Tan believed this. The Japanese pirates had also said before that they would transport all the supplies to Quanzhou, where there would be special people in charge.

Zhu Tan must be recruited, but how to do it still requires some planning.

The Park family was just a shield pushed out and a face-off person. The key lies in the court officials involved behind the scenes and other people who share the profits.

And these people behind the scenes may very well be high-ranking officials in the court.

Finally, let’s talk about the coastal areas of Zhejiang.

Wang Junliang reported the harassment by Japanese pirates more than once, but there was no response from above, and it seemed like a drop in the ocean.

Tang He's coastal defense forces were not omnipotent. They had been busy running around because of the harassment from the Japanese pirates and were unable to deal with it.

But this matter is not just the responsibility of the Coast Guard.

Those officials watched the Japanese pirates attack Changguo County without taking any action. Zhu Tan absolutely did not believe that there was nothing wrong.

Combining the above three points, the current issue of Japanese pirates may seem small, but the issues involved later are likely to be extremely wide-ranging and need to be handled with caution.

This is also the reason why Zhu Tan did not join the army and directly wipe out all the Japanese pirates.

According to the latest intelligence, the Japanese pirates are not only gathering along the coast of Zhejiang, but they also have bases on many small islands along the coast of Fujian.

That's their main force.

A day passed quickly, and in the early morning of the next day, the two warships had already met, and had basically wiped out all the Japanese pirate strongholds on the surrounding islands and reefs.

That afternoon, Tang He's warship docked near Changguo County, and he rushed to see Zhu Tan in a hurry.

"Your Highness."

Before he entered the room, Tang He's smiling voice had already reached Zhu Tan's ears, making him feel a little better.

Then Tang He strode in. Just as he was about to salute, Zhu Tan stood up and supported him, saying with a smile, "Old Taishan, is this a victory?"

Tang He smiled and turned around, still bowing slightly to Zhu Tan, then sat down and said with a smile: "This time we have taken out the Japanese pirates' stronghold, it is really a crushing victory."

"The warships opened fire, and the Japanese pirates had no chance to resist."

"When the men landed on the island, they could only see the corpses of the Japanese pirates, not a single living person."

Hearing this, Zhu Tan smiled and asked, "Didn't catch anyone alive?"

"We did catch a few." Tang He took a sip of tea and said, "One group of Japanese pirates saw the warships coming and did not resist at all. They just scattered and fled."

"I ordered my men to chase them. We caught more than a dozen of them. They are now being held captive on the ship."

"While searching for islands and reefs, we also discovered the pirates' warehouses."

At this point, Tang He paused, looked at Zhu Tan's face, and seeing that he was smiling, he continued, "Most of them are cotton cloth, silk, rice seeds, etc., in large quantities."

"They also had large ships docked in the bay, and they were all destroyed."

"Your Highness, it seems that the previous intelligence should be correct."

"These pirates have robbed things and are going to exchange them for the supplies they urgently need, and then transport them to Japan."

"Ah."

Zhu Tan nodded and asked casually, "Did you see any iron weapons? Firearms or anything like that?"

Tang He was stunned when he heard this, frowned, and said: "I haven't found that, but they have a lot of iron pots in their warehouse, which can be used to make weapons after smelting."

"Your Highness, what do you mean..."

"Japan is not a monolithic country either."

Zhu Tan said softly: "They are stealing cotton cloth and food, maybe they are storing strategic materials."

"There may be a war in Japan as well."

"That's not good."

Hearing this, Tang He grinned and said, "They have defeated themselves. Once our army arrives, we can easily destroy them."

"But before we solve this problem, there is one more thing that needs to be solved." (End of this chapter)