Chapter 16: Pirates

"Virtuous nephew, pay more attention to safety in the future." Tang He said: "Your Majesty has high hopes. capsized in the gutter, and it was said that future generations laughed. It's not good. ”

He Xi said; "Thank you Uncle Tang for your teachings. The little nephew will not dare to act like this again in the future. ”

Tang He said: "That's good. ”

Speaking of which, Tang He has nothing to say. Tang He came to Ningbo earlier than He Xi, and he had already started working during this time. However, if such a thing happened to He Xi, I still have to express my condolences. More words . There's nothing more to say.

He Xi opened his mouth and said; "Uncle Tang, how is the situation of the Southeast Pirates?"

Tang He was stunned for a moment and said; "Why are you interested in this?"

He Xi said: "There are too many things to do with pirates. No matter what you do at sea. They are all inseparable from them. Didn't pay much attention to it before. I'd like to ask today. ”

Tang He sighed and said, "It would be nice if I knew." ”

He Xi was stunned, he never expected that Tang He would say such a thing. After all, He Xi didn't doubt Tang He's ability at all. can command thousands of troops and horses, and follow Zhu Yuanzhang from the bottom to today's Tang He, perhaps lacking in handsome talent. But the decisive plan is not comparable to ordinary generals.

And in He Xi's impression. The piracy situation during the Hongwu period was not serious. How could it make Tang and helpless.

He Xi said: "But the pirates are powerful? ”

Tang He said: "It's okay to have a huge momentum. The more powerful, the easier it is to deal with. The problem is that the real pirates have escaped. I couldn't find out who the pirate boss was. I can't talk about the location of the pirates' lair, I guess combined with the war report, and the news from all sides. I estimate that on the islands off the southeast coast, there are a dozen or more pirates. Up to a few hundred. As few as a few dozen. Hidden in the sea, take time to go ashore to commit crimes. For Ayutthaya. Naturally, I didn't dare to touch it. But ordinary villages. Met. But it was terrible. ”

"But send an army to search. It's hard to find, and this group of people can hide on a reef by the way. The army is at sea, but it costs a lot of money. Procrastination, too much consumption. ”

"But you can't dare. Not to mention that they went ashore and wandered, plundering the sea. Actually, it's not a big problem. However, you must know that more than ten years ago, there were many guerrillas scattered and scattered in all directions in the southeastern princes. These people. These people did not dare to stay on the coastal islands. lest they be destroyed by the great army. Instead, they traveled far away to the South Seas. The problem is that some of them may have taken root in the South Seas. Not coming back. But some people aren't. These rangers are scattered, which is their eyeliner. Maybe when, he will lure the pirates of the South Seas to make a big deal along the coast. I don't know how to explain it to Your Majesty. ”

"Hey, it's a headache, it's not as easy to deal with as a wolf."

He Xi listened to it, and also had a headache for Tang He. The army encircled and suppressed, it was anti-aircraft artillery to fight mosquitoes. However, sending a small detachment to encircle and suppress mainly requires intelligence support. On this, to put it mildly. The Ming army, on the contrary, was at a disadvantage.

There is no other reason than the shrinkage of ocean trade in the early Ming Dynasty.

You must know that the ocean trade in the Yuan Dynasty was very developed. There are many reasons for this, and there are Mongolians who have very little control over it, and even less care about the sea. There were also a large number of Hui Semu people who were officials in the Yuan Dynasty, and even this faction was far more powerful than the Han people.

The fight between the Han faction and the Semu faction. It's almost to the point of fighting each other.

Among them, grievances and hatreds, political differences and fights. Enough to write a book thicker than a book.

And Hui Hui came not only from the northwest, but also from the sea. Returning to the sea was even more prosperous. But after arriving in the Ming Dynasty, the Ming court's control of the sea and the expulsion of the Hui merchants. Let the ocean trade decline. Among them, the destruction of the Pu family may be one of the standard events.

In the Yuan Dynasty, the Pu family was appreciated by the Yuan court for betraying the Zhao and Song royal families, and the Yuan Dynasty has always had a higher standard than the Han people. As a result, the Pu family became a tycoon in the southeast, controlling the water power along the southeast coast. It can be said that the maritime trade at this time was in the hands of the Hui Hui forces led by the Hui Pu family.

The Ming Dynasty arose, and the universe was reversed. The Pu family was naturally liquidated. Under Zhu Yuanzhang's order, the main line of the Pu family was destroyed, and the others were resettled in various places. The Pu family is gone. The strength of the Hui Maritime Merchants has been severely damaged.

Speaking of which, it was only a decade ago.

Among them, the hands-on one may be Tang He. Because Fujian was beaten down by Tanghe.

Under such circumstances, it is strange that the relationship between the Nanyang Hui Maritime Merchants and the Ming Dynasty is good.

The Han maritime merchants were all dependent on the coastal princes. For example, Zhang Shicheng, Fang Guozhen, Chen Youding and others. After the fall of these princes, many maritime merchants did not dare to stay in the Ming Dynasty.

No matter how you look at the maritime merchants, or the pirates. But one thing has to be admitted. That's one thing, and if you use any way, you can't solve it. No matter how hard it hits, it will come back to life. There must be economic factors behind this.

That's how maritime merchants are.

Regardless of whether Zhu Yuanzhang admits it or not. The southeast coast had a large number of maritime merchants from the Tang Dynasty. This is how many people eat. Even though, the imperial court, with its strong administrative ability, pressed the pirate into this child. But as long as the people of the southeast still want to make a fortune on the sea one day, and they still want to engage in ocean trade one day. It is impossible for these pirate courts to be cleaned up.

Even if it is, the soup and the can't do it.

After all, this is no longer a military issue. It's a political issue, an economic issue.

For political and economic reasons, many people secretly supported pirates. Even if there are countless sailors in the Ming Dynasty, there is not enough intelligence to support it, and in this case, there is no way.

He Xi felt in his heart.

"The matter of pirates may be negligible." He Xi said secretly in his heart.

It's a little helpless to say. But in fact, for thousands of years, until the establishment of New China in later generations, there were mountain bandits and water bandits in most parts of China. It's the same at sea. That is, Zhu Yuanzhang does not tolerate sand in his eyes. In the country, we will vigorously promote the suppression of bandits. The same is true at sea.

Actually, it's pretty good to put the pirates down to this point.

I want to clean up the ocean. It is almost unlikely, in fact, the biggest threat to pirates is not the pirates themselves, but their connection with the pirates of the South Seas.

He Xi said: "Uncle Tang, among the pirates of the South Seas, whoever is the leader is the strongest. ”

Tang He said: "Chen Zuyi, he can be regarded as the leader of the Southeast Pirate Alliance. It has only come out in the past few years. I didn't know whose old ministry it was. I heard that in the past two years, several pirates have been merged in Nanyang, and they have been integrated together, with thousands of ships and more than 10,000 people, and there are more than 100,000 Han people who depend on him to live. ”

"All businessmen who go to Nanyang must listen to Chen Zuyi. and even intercepted and killed the tribute envoys. The court offered a reward of more than 100,000 taels of silver for his head. It's a pity that it's not useful. I estimate that in the past few years, the price of this bounty will increase. ”

He Xi listened and muttered silently in his heart. Said secretly: "Chen Zuyi, how can this name be a little familiar." He Xi's heart suddenly moved, and he said secretly: "That's right." It turned out to be him. ”

Zheng He's voyage to the West, albeit a peaceful expedition. But in many places, force is also used. Among them is Chen Zuyi, and the Daming Old Port Propaganda Department is based on the pacification of Chen Zuyi and the surrender of Chen Zuyi's subordinates.

It's just that He Xi didn't expect that Chen Zuyi was not a new thief, but an old thief. In the Hongwu years, it has already emerged. It is likely to be undefeated for more than 20 years, and it can be regarded as a character. In the end, it was taken down by Zheng He.

He Xi's heart moved, and said: "Uncle Tang, cut the grass and remove the roots, raise the soup to stop the boiling, it is better to draw salary from the bottom of the kettle." Since the problem of the southeast coast is in Nanyang, why not send troops to Nanyang, exterminate Chen Zuyi, and pacify the bandits in Nanyang. In this way, the southeast coast will be much more peaceful. Just a few little thieves, so you don't have to worry too much. ”

Tang He sighed and said, "Fighting a war is never easy, you children. Fighting has always been taken too lightly. Forget that soldiers, the opportunity of life and death, the place of survival. Troops are sent at every turn, not to mention how many dead and wounded the soldiers and horses move, and how much the court needs to pay. Just ask, do you think the imperial court can win? ”

He Xi was stunned for a moment and said, "Can't you win?" ”