Chapter 124 – Smuggling Suppression

In a blink, they arrived at the Admiral’s Mansion in Jinhaiwei, and indeed, Admiral Qin Jie personally came out to welcome them. During their conversation, he proved to be as accommodating as his reputation suggested. Although his father, the Duke of Jingguo, was quite a scoundrel who didn’t know how to improve himself, Qin Jie still managed to praise him a few times for his straightforwardness, generosity, and profound blessings.

Xu Chun, as before, exchanged some pleasantries. Indeed, Qin Jie asked about where he was currently staying, and Xu Chun mentioned the City Defense Camp’s Director General’s Office had taken over the backyard garden of the Director’s residence. Qin Jie immediately took responsibility for it, saying, “This matter was indeed brought up to me by Deputy Director Dong previously, and I ordered the City Defense Camp to vacate the space immediately. However, at that time, they said there was nowhere else for the soldiers to train, so they would temporarily borrow the space while negotiating with the Maritime Customs. I assumed that the negotiations had already been settled, but I didn’t expect that they hadn’t been resolved yet. This is truly my fault, and I will severely reprimand them.”

Xu Chun smiled and said, “Please don’t blame the brothers. Jinhaiwei relies on the soldiers’ protection, and our Maritime Customs often has to rely on the Admiral’s assistance to raid smugglers and suppress smuggling. The lack of training grounds for the City Defense Camp is indeed a problem. Let me take the initiative to find a suitable place for the City Defense Camp soldiers to train daily.”

Qin Jie immediately replied, “Absolutely not. This is our fault first. Besides, there are plenty of military camps in Jinhaiwei; how could we be lacking in training grounds? Clearly, they’re just being lazy and seeking convenience. I’ll issue an order immediately for them to withdraw soon.” He then turned around and shouted orders to his deputy general, “Go to the City Defense Camp’s Director General’s Office right away and tell Huo Shiduo that the new Director of Maritime Customs has taken office, and they can no longer occupy the residence. Clear out immediately!”

Xu Chun smiled and bowed repeatedly, saying, “General, your understanding is greatly appreciated.”

However, Qin Jie sighed slightly and said, “Prince Xu doesn’t know, but since I took office here, I’ve felt somewhat overwhelmed. Apart from the personal guard camp consisting of my family’s own officers, there are various factions among the troops here, including the City Defense Camp, the Naval Camp, the Artillery Camp, the Musketeer Camp, the Canal Transport Camp, the Cavalry Camp, the Logistics Camp, and the Yaguan Camp. Altogether, there are tens of thousands of soldiers, and since I took office, I’ve struggled to bring them under my control. They haven’t all been completely obedient to my commands.”

“The commander of the City Defense Camp is named Huo Shiduo, a native of Jinhai. His family runs several martial arts schools, and the Huo clan is influential in the city, so the city’s security and the pursuit of bandits mostly depend on them. Huo Shiduo himself has considerable skill in martial arts, which makes him rather arrogant and stubborn. He often ignores my orders and doesn’t take them seriously. Please understand my situation, Prince.”

Xu Chun smiled and said, “General Qin has already done a commendable job. Even hearing about it makes me worry for you. With such a large operation, others might have been flustered long ago, but you have managed to handle everything smoothly. It’s clear that the military aristocracy lives up to its reputation.”

Qin Jie’s face showed a hint of pride as he continued to smile and say, “Unlike the Duke of Guogong’s estate, which is truly a noble and wealthy family, Your Highness’s future is boundless and limitless.”

After a round of mutual flattery, Qin Jie also mentioned, “Speaking of which, I remember that the street leading to the Director’s office isn’t very spacious. I have a few vacant houses in Jinhai, and if Your Highness doesn’t mind their simplicity, you could move in.”

Xu Chun smiled and said, “I wouldn’t dare, General Qin. Your chivalry is commendable, but I wouldn’t dare burden you. To be honest, General, I left the capital this time because I offended Li Meiyao. My father sternly rebuked me, and with the help of my teacher, I ended up coming here. For the next three years, I only dare to keep a low profile and won’t dare to stir up any trouble. I certainly wouldn’t dare to involve you, General.”

Qin Jie was surprised, and Xu Chun recounted the entire story of his feud with Li Meiyao, every word true. Then he said sincerely, “Therefore, I came here, ostensibly to be stationed elsewhere, but in reality, it was mainly to avoid Lord Li. I’m afraid that under his watchful eye in the capital, he would find something wrong and strip me of my position and titles. It’s better to leave for a few years until things calm down.”

Qin Jie recalled that the timing of this young master’s arrival was indeed subtle, coinciding with Li Meiyao’s reinstatement. He couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of empathy, saying, “We military officers fear the censors of the Censorate Bureau the most. It’s best to avoid them.”

“I remember last year when our rations and pay were insufficient, I wrote to the court to propose strengthening coastal defense, buying two ships to enhance maritime defense, and building a naval academy based on the existing martial arts school in Jinhaiwei. However, I was reported by the censors, who accused me of burdening the people, amassing power, causing trouble locally, and embezzling rations and pay. What baseless charges are these? Without any evidence, they slapped such serious charges on me with just a few words! I seriously wrote a memorial in self-defense and spent a lot of money bribing people in the Ministry of War for help, which saved me from disaster.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Chun expressed great sympathy, “Lord Qin wanted to do good work sincerely, yet he suffered such persecution. How hateful!”

Qin Jie was truly touched by these words, sighing, “Indeed. I realized that people used to tell me that it’s better to do less than more, that I shouldn’t make suggestions casually, and that I should only focus on not making mistakes during my tenure. I shouldn’t expose the shortcomings of my predecessors nor leave a mess for my successors, and that’s already a rare good official! Now I understand that this is the truth. Today, I’m telling you, little brother, those literary officials and censors are skilled with their pens and tongues. It’s best for us to stay far away from them.”

Xu Chun sighed, “But coastal defense is important. Doesn’t the Lord want to build ships?”

Qin Jie said, “Naval forces, naval forces. Currently, Minzhou is making waves, while compared to us, who are directly connected to the open seas and benefit from the canal transportation, we haven’t made much progress. How could the Emperor bypass us if he wants to develop maritime routes? One day, this place will surely become a battleground for pirates, and all the glory will be earned by Zhejiang and Minzhou. That would be a pity. Now, the few ships in the Naval Camp are old and worn out, and I thought about replacing them for training, but after being reported like this, I lost heart.”

Sighing, Qin Jie said, “I was thinking that perhaps I could earn some military merit on this front and add some glory to my family. But now I realize that doing nothing is the safest.”

Xu Chun said, “The Lord’s only problem was that you asked the court for money and didn’t get it. If you don’t reach out to the court, and instead build the ships yourself, wouldn’t that solve the problem?”

Qin Jie’s eyes lit up as he looked at Xu Chun. “Could Director Xu have a solution? That’s right, the Maritime Customs faces sea merchants, so recruiting civilian ships for modification is also possible.”

Xu Chun shook his head. “Lord, warships and civilian ships are vastly different. I once saw overseas Western countries, like the Kingdom of Lyra, which already had ironclad warships. Their hulls were made entirely of steel, very sharp and powerful, able to withstand cannon attacks. If we remain fixated on modifying wooden civilian ships, we will eventually fall far behind and become vulnerable.”

Qin Jie’s eyes shone brightly. “I’ve heard of that too! It seems they used some steam engine method! If we could introduce these new ships, we would surely be invincible at sea, conquering all obstacles!”

Xu Chun clapped his hands. “Exactly. But, firstly, iron ore is controlled, and secondly, this thing definitely requires a shipyard to produce. Funding will be difficult, and we can’t afford to focus on it for the time being. We should try to buy them first, and then gradually work on it later.”

Qin Jie sighed, “A good cook can’t make a meal without rice.”

Xu Chun said, “To be frank, General, when I first took office, I found that our Jin Port’s Maritime Customs revenue was indeed too low. As you said, Jinhaiwei is the capital’s metropolitan area, and Jin Port reaches directly to the open seas, with cargo ships aplenty. How could our income be lower than that of Zhejiang, Min, and Guang? In my opinion, firstly, smuggling at sea is rampant, so taxes aren’t paid; secondly, business here isn’t thriving enough, which is why major sea merchants aren’t attracted to sell goods here.”

Qin Jie agreed, “You speak very truly. I see those barbarian merchants with high eyebrows and deep-set eyes, looking very cunning. Moreover, those overseas merchants are both merchants and pirates. Those who can smuggle and evade taxes naturally go around us.”

Xu Chun added, “Today, I also came to discuss with the General. We should establish a merchant smuggling suppression team, jointly operated by our Maritime Customs and the Jinhaiwei military. We should acquire several suppression ships to patrol the sea routes regularly, and we can surely catch the foreign barbarians who cooperate inside and outside, evading taxes. When we seize the goods, we’ll hand them over to the court, and then split the profits fifty-fifty. Especially those seized pirate ships and weapons…”

Qin Jie was filled with longing and ambition, slapping Xu Chun on the back. “Although Prince, you are young, you see things clearly and have a long-term perspective! This deal is worth it!”

Xu Chun chuckled, but Qin Jie realized he had misspoken and hurriedly laughed, “Just about the suppression ships…”

Xu Chun said, “Naturally, the Maritime Customs will provide them. After purchasing them, the Maritime Customs will also train some constables. Don’t worry, General. I’ll handle the memorial to the court from the Maritime Customs side. You don’t need to worry about getting into trouble. If there’s any punishment, I’ll take full responsibility.”

Qin Jie said, “How could I let you bear the responsibility alone? This is a good deed for the country and the people. Moreover, we aren’t asking the court for money. The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue will surely approve. Let’s submit the memorial jointly.”

Xu Chun smiled and got up, bowing deeply. “General Qin is indeed a man of high integrity, loyal and righteous. Having a general like you, with strategy and courage, guarding Jinhaiwei, is truly a great blessing for our officials and civilians!”

Qin Jie was extremely pleased by this flattery and took his hand, saying, “I was originally disheartened, but I didn’t expect there to be a twist. Young Prince Xu is capable and talented, with a quick-witted brain. Let’s do it this way.”

Xu Chun smiled as the two continued to flatter each other. Xu Chun’s sweet mouth, bright and sincere eyes, and likable appearance quickly led Qin Jie to personally escort him out of the Admiral’s Mansion. He even asked about his marriage, saying, “I see that Your Highness is young and capable, yet unmarried. Your marriage should be well planned. I know several young ladies from noble families who are well-matched for you. I’ll introduce you to them when the opportunity arises.”

Xu Chun had to politely decline, “My father is still in mourning, and besides, my family probably has plans. I can’t make decisions on my own.”

After a while, he got into the carriage and returned to the Maritime Customs office.

Jiang Mei then smiled and said, “This General Qin is indeed astute. Why didn’t Director Xu mention such a good idea earlier?”

Xu Chun laughed. “Mr. Jiang is also an old hand in officialdom. How could you not see that he was initially just humoring me and later reluctantly joined me?”

Jiang Mei was surprised. “What do you mean?”

Xu Chun explained, “Look at how he instructed his deputy general to notify Commander Huo to pass on the order. Such an order, I bet Dong Xian and the others have heard countless times. What kind of military order is this? What’s the deadline? What are the consequences of violating the order? He didn’t mention a single word. How can this be called a military order? When I instruct servants at home to do something, I still set a deadline and lay out the consequences beforehand.”

Jiang Mei thought about it and realized it was true, admiring him slightly. “Your Highness sees things clearly.”

Xu Chun said, “He’s an old hand in officialdom. He pushed the responsibility onto his subordinates with one fell swoop, leaving me to clash with the local bully if I have the ability.”

Jiang Mei asked, “And what about what he mentioned later about being reported by the censors?”

Xu Chun said, “First, he was definitely reported before, and second, he also used this to distance himself from me and clear himself of involvement. However, the governor, we can distance ourselves from and maintain a polite surface relationship. The admiral is different. Previously, Director Dong dragged his feet, knowing that we still needed to rely on them and couldn’t break ties. Moreover, the military equipment, maritime defense, city defense, and canal transport are all under his jurisdiction. Do you think the Maritime Customs has never mentioned smuggling before?”

Jiang Mei said, “Of course it was mentioned. The Guangzhou Customs also needs the army’s assistance to suppress smuggling.”

Xu Chun said, “That’s right. If I want to serve as the Director of the Maritime Customs, I must still befriend him. And this Jin Port’s maritime trade is so poor. This place obviously connects the seaport with the canal transport. How could there be no merchant ships passing through the sea route? Smuggling must be rampant. Do you think he, responsible for maritime defense, doesn’t know anything about it? He must have private channels for profiting from goods and has benefited from them for many years, just excluding us from the Maritime Customs.”

Jiang Mei thought about the situation in Guangzhou and was thoroughly impressed. “Your Highness is indeed perceptive. It’s exactly like that.”

Xu Chun said, “I proposed providing the suppression ships and also offered to submit the memorial to the court myself. Suppressing smuggling is inherently the duty of the Maritime Customs, and he has the duty to assist. He must participate. Moreover, he does indeed need to update his naval ships. Without using this favorable opportunity, he will achieve nothing. He can only cooperate with me.”

Jiang Mei sighed. “Your Highness, how is it that your insight is actually sharper than ours, who have been involved in officialdom?”

Xu Chun smiled, his eyes curving. “Mr. Jiang is caught up in the rules and routines of officialdom. Stand higher and look down to see what the other party wants. He’s the second son of Duke Jing’an. He has no share in the title, and even if the dukedom is demoted, there’s nothing good to strive for. He’s been in the military for many years and is mediocre, but he’s probably made a lot of money. What he seeks is military merit.”

“Knowing what he wants, find ways to provide opportunities. This way, he will willingly work for us. This is driving him with benefits. But also give him a high hat, praising his chivalry, loyalty, and selflessness. Once he has a good reputation and a promising future, he’ll naturally be willing to put in effort. Look, he even fears that I’ll submit the memorial alone. He’s afraid that we, the Maritime Customs, will take all the credit.”

Jiang Mei looked at Xu Chun. “Your Highness is employing people management techniques.”

Xu Chun smiled at Jiang Mei. “Don’t limit your perspective to within the Maritime Customs. Step out and look at it from the perspective of the imperial court. Why doesn’t the Ministry of War give him money? Why does the Censorate Bureau report him? Isn’t the Emperor clearly interested in maritime affairs? Jinhaiwei is a key area near the capital, and maritime defense is crucial. Why didn’t they approve his memorial?”

Jiang Mei couldn’t help but ask, “Why?”

Xu Chun’s expression subtly showed a hint of pride. “Naturally, it’s because the person is unsuitable. The Emperor disapproves of him. If the court gives him money, it’s likely to be wasted, with some of it being embezzled in the middle, hindering the task’s completion. It’s better not to give him anything.”

Jiang Mei laughed. “That’s just your speculation, right? I see that the Censorate Bureau does indeed love to stir up trouble and report military officers. Perhaps this memorial was already discussed and not approved in the cabinet.”

Xu Chun smiled slightly without defending himself, thinking, “I know Ninth Brother better than you. For such a big matter as maritime affairs, how could the cabinet not report it to Ninth Brother? How could the Censorate Bureau report a military officer without reason? Qin Jie became disheartened the moment he was reported, which must be because there were dirty dealings that were exposed, and he didn’t dare to continue fighting for it.”

Ninth Brother wouldn’t give him money, but when I submit the memorial, Ninth Brother will surely approve my memorial. However, I don’t want the court to give me money. I’ll earn money for Ninth Brother.