Although the emperor didn't say it clearly just now, Yu Qian heard the emperor's implication.
To suppress Japanese pirates, it depends on the timing, not too early or too late!
If it is too early, then, after this group is exterminated, it can take as short as three or two years or as long as five years, new "Japanese pirates" will breed again. The lesson learned from last time is that these 'Japanese pirates' will hide deeper and become more difficult to conquer.
However, if it is too late, then when the merchant ship returns, these Japanese pirates will be waiting for the opportunity to grab a sum and then escape.
By then, they have enough gold and silver to hibernate. It will be almost impossible to find their traces in the vast sea.
Therefore, the timing must be chosen appropriately. To put it bluntly, the Japanese pirates must be eliminated before the merchant ship returns.
In this way, in a short period of time, it will be difficult for the Japanese pirates to form an organized force to threaten the merchant ships, and it will be able to ensure that the merchant ships can return smoothly. If everything goes well, then the gold and silver brought back by the merchant ships when they return can solve the urgent needs of the court. , at the same time, it can also be used as an opportunity to open the sea, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone.
However, the Japanese pirates are scattered. Even if you have this list in hand, it will not be possible to completely eliminate them in a month or two. Half a year is enough.
After all, from Yu Qian's point of view, whether this list is true or false requires further verification. It also takes time for the court to mobilize the army. In this case, the year before the end of the year is indeed the last time, and the latest is after the new year. , the army must set off, otherwise, things may be delayed.
At this thought, Yu Qian's attitude became firmer and he said.
"Your Majesty, don't worry. Within half a year, I will eliminate the Japanese pirates and ensure that the merchant ships can return smoothly!"
Seeing this situation, Zhu Qiyu also nodded, but didn't say much. In fact, there was another purpose in suppressing the Japanese pirates at this time, but it was not convenient to say this purpose.
However, even without saying it, he believed Yu Qian could understand.
That is, the private caravans that went to sea with Huangdian's merchant ships before...
You must know that the reason why Huangdian was able to go to sea smoothly was because there was a shipyard left in South Zhili from the time when Zheng He went to the Western Seas. Although it was dilapidated, the foundation was still there. Although he wanted to build the huge shipyard used by Zheng He, The fleet is difficult, but it is not difficult for ordinary medium-sized ships.
However, these private caravans were able to obtain enough ships to go to sea in a short period of time, but it was not that simple behind the scenes.
The imperial court has long had regulations, and there are strict regulations on the shape and size of boats that can be owned by the private sector. Even regular fishing boats should be registered with the government. In theory, there should be no large private ships that can go to sea.
However, when the contemporary king announced that he would hire people to go to sea to verify the charts, these ships that should not exist among the people did indeed appear.
And, there are quite a few!
Perhaps it was because everyone felt that the king had made his own decisions and secretly went out to sea for trade. Therefore, these people felt that they saw an opportunity and exposed their family background without much precaution.
Little did they know that this move would completely expose their true identity.
Judging from the rewards Zhu Qiyu has received now, there are at least six caravans that appeared this time, and there are more than ten sea-going ships. In total, there are at least fifty ships that borrowed the name of Huangdian to go to sea for trade. ship.
This is a huge sum of money!
The reason why they were allowed to go to sea in the first place was to ensure the safety of Huangdian's merchant ships. In fact, this was the reason why King Dai was willing to let them go to sea under his own name. They used the name of King Dai's palace to openly avoid the inspection of the government. In exchange, they need to ensure the safety of Dai Wangfu's merchant ships. To put it bluntly, they need to give a good greeting to the Japanese pirates who have relations with them and not to make any crooked ideas.
After all, after so many years, the Japanese pirates at sea seem to be scattered, but in fact they are organized, powerful, and well managed by people with names and surnames. Even if there are a few unsighted ones, the merchant ships have their own reserves. Weapons and manpower are enough to cope with it.
However, this is only one aspect. The other aspect is that these people have relied on sea trade smuggling and have lived happily along the coast for so long. It is time for them to bleed.
In terms of time, the merchant ships from Huangdian will not come back that quickly. However, these ordinary merchant ships have their own routes and have already taken familiar routes, so they will come back faster.
Sending troops to suppress the Japanese at this time would cut off their retreat.
Over the years, the imperial court has been focusing on the confrontation with Mongolia and has relaxed its encirclement and suppression of Japanese pirates. Now, these people really feel that the sky is high and the emperor is far away, and they can be the king of the sea.
Not to mention anything else, the construction of Prince Dai's Mansion in Zhangzhou has already been attacked twice in just over half a year. If Prince Dai hadn't finally released the news that he was organizing a caravan to go to sea, I'm afraid it wouldn't have been able to stop.
In this case, let them see how long the so-called Japanese pirates can last in front of the imperial army.
Zhu Qiyu wanted to see that these 'caravans' who went to sea in the name of Dai Wangfu found that his family had been arrested when they returned. They planned to wander on the sea with a boatload of gold and silver until they starved to death. Or keep your hands tied obediently!
After sending Yu Qian away, Zhu Qiyu opened another memorial in front of him, but his eyes became darker.
The memorial that Yu Qian saw just now was the result of Ren Hong's probing for a long time, but it was not the whole story. The one in front of him now was the original.
The difference between the two is essentially that what Yu Qian sees is limited to the local clan power.
However, Zhu Qiyu's share involved the court!
From the local officials in Zhangzhou to the imperial court, there were people who accepted money to cover up the traces of these 'Japanese pirates'.
At present, it seems that only some local officials have been dragged into the water. However, Zhu Qiyu knows very well that this is definitely not all.
After all, Ren Hong's time in Zhangzhou was too short. Even if he relied on trade routes and sea charts to reach cooperation with some clans and find out the distribution of their forces, if he wanted to find out what was behind them, Who it is, it’s really difficult.
After all, this is their lifeline, and they will never tell others easily. With Ren Hong's identity, if he inquires too much, the other party will definitely become suspicious.
Therefore, Ren Hong cannot be asked to investigate this matter. In that case...
…………
"What, summon me into the palace?"
In Dali Temple, Zhu Jian looked at the eunuch in front of him with a slightly surprised look on his face.
He frowned and thought about the recent cases that Dali Temple had handled, but he really couldn't think of any mistakes or omissions.
You must know that since the fourth prince was crowned king, the discussion about the East Palace reserve has basically been quelled. Although He Wenyuan went to Jiangxi for disaster relief, he was not transferred back after the disaster relief.
Over the past six months, the situation in the court has stabilized, and there have been no major disturbances. Zhu Jian himself also knew that he had offended the emperor when the prince left the cabinet, so he had been keeping calm, for fear that the emperor would find someone else. For what reason, he was demoted again.
Fortunately, since the emperor transferred him to Dali Temple, it seems that he has no intention of targeting him again. Now, it will be the Chinese New Year in a short time. What is the purpose of the emperor suddenly summoning him at this time?
However, no matter what the reason is, it is impossible not to go when summoned by the emperor.
After a brief tidying up, Zhu Jian followed the chamberlain who came to announce the decree into the palace.
"My lord, Zhu Jian, pay homage to your majesty. Long live my emperor!"
"Get flat!"
As usual, the emperor's face was very calm.
Seeing Zhu Jian stand up solemnly, Zhu Qiyu didn't say much and said straightforwardly.
"I summoned you here today because I received a secret report."
As he spoke, Zhu Qiyu ordered his chamberlain to hand over Ren Hong's memorial. The one given to Zhu Jian was different from the one given to Yu Qian.
Yu Qian's share only involved the collusion between local clan forces and Japanese pirates, while Zhu Jian's share was relatively more comprehensive. Based on the former, it added the content of officials from the DPRK and the Central Government accepting bribes to cover up Japanese pirates. Of course, the author of the memorial was His identity has been concealed.
After Zhu Jian finished reading the memorial, he also felt an uproar in his heart.
He knew very well how relevant the content of this memorial was. The part presented in the memorial alone had already involved a third-rank official in the imperial court. And judging from his many years of experience in officialdom, even this person was not end.
Of course, as a political figure, Zhu Jian, after a brief shock, immediately considered that the emperor suddenly summoned him and gave him such a memorial as soon as he arrived. The purpose was probably...
"Zhu Qing, what do you think after reading this memorial?"
Soon, the emperor's voice fell. Zhu Jian did not dare to neglect, and spoke carefully, saying.
"Your Majesty, if this report is true, it may be the biggest case in our court. It involves officials, not only accepting bribes and using power for personal gain, but also involving Japanese pirates, who may be guilty of collaborating with the enemy. It is really hateful!"
Mr. Zhu was full of righteous indignation when he said these words, but he did not mention anything about the rest of his words.
However, everyone was called, and Zhu Qiyu definitely couldn't let him go, so he nodded and said.
"Yes, this matter is of great importance. Once revealed, it will definitely be a major case that shocks the officialdom. However, such a crime cannot turn a blind eye."
"In this big plan, the Fujian governor's evaluation was average. I have discussed with the Ministry of Civil Affairs and plan to demote him to the rank of Fujian Zuobu envoy. In this way, the governor's position will be vacant. Zhu Qing has been in Dali Temple for some time. I must have a lot of experience in investigating cases. I would really not be at ease if I handed over such a big case to others!"
"I wonder, would the Qing family be willing to go to Fujian on my behalf to investigate the case thoroughly?"
Ah this...
Although he had expected it in his heart, Zhu Jian still felt a little helpless when he saw the emperor relying on him.
This job is not a good job. Judging from the information I have seen now, it is certain that the Japanese pirates have been active along the coast for so many years. In addition to various objective factors, there are also people in the DPRK and China who provide protection for them. , and, more than one.
As for the number of people in Fujian who are involved with Japanese pirates, there will only be more people. In other words, this is not a problem of one person, but a problem of the entire Fujian officialdom. If this case is investigated, it will affect the whole society. A chain of interests.
Let’s not talk about the risks he will face. More importantly, once he comes to investigate, there will definitely be a lot of people offended.
Above the court, all kinds of personal connections are extremely complicated. These officials have their own backends and connections. Perhaps their backends are not involved in this case, but if you want to deal with them, you will definitely offend the people behind them. .
Therefore, no matter who investigates this case, it will be a thankless job.
More importantly, although Zhu Jian is now in Dali Temple, he is still a capital official. If he becomes the governor of Fujian, he will be demoted in disguise.
Even if these are not mentioned, the difficulty of this case is still very high. There are many places in this memorial that are unclear. Although there are many people involved in the case, there is no conclusive evidence. many.
The most terrible thing is that there is a key figure here, the current but about to be demoted Fujian governor Jia Xiuping!
It is basically certain that this person is involved with the Liu family, the largest clan in Zhangzhou Prefecture. This Liu family is obviously a local squire, but secretly, he is a Japanese pirate who commits plunder.
According to what is said in the memorial, Mr. Jia knew what the Liu family was doing secretly. Local officials, from the county magistrate to the inspection censor, had all reported Liu's illegal activities. However, They were all suppressed by Jia Xiuping. It is absolutely impossible to say that there is no trick in this.
But the problem lies in this. For such a governor-level person, his power in Fujian is definitely not small. Since he is involved with Japanese pirates, then Zhu Jian, a new governor who was parachuted in, can't do anything even if he has the support of the court. Investigating such a major case under his nose, the risk factor has skyrocketed...
Seeing Zhu Jian's tangled look underneath, Zhu Qiyu naturally knew what he was worried about, and sighed, Zhu Qiyu said.
"I know that if Jia Xiuping continues to stay in Fujian, it will make the case difficult to investigate. However, please note that this is what I have to do."
"This man is as fake as he is and as traitor as he is loyal. Over the past few years, he has had a good reputation as an official. If it weren't for the frequent bandits in Fujian in the past two years and the two attacks during the construction of the Prince's Palace, he would not be here this time. In the grand scheme of things, this kind of evaluation will never happen."
"He is involved in Japanese pirates, and there is no concrete evidence. If he is dealt with rashly, even if he is transferred out of Fujian, it may cause alarm. By then, the case will only become more difficult to investigate, so we can only keep him in Fujian temporarily. Just treat it as an ordinary demotion. This way, it will be easier to investigate the Qing family when they arrive in Fujian!"
