After sending the housekeeper away, Xu Yan was not idle either.
He asked Shuangxi to withdraw ten taels of silver from the account as a gift to Mr. Wu, and took the opportunity to take a leave.
For the next period of time, he really didn't want to go out unless there was something urgent.
Xu Yan clearly remembered that the Dinghai County Chronicles recorded that the Japanese pirates ravaged Ningbo Prefecture and Dinghai County suffered the most serious damage.
Except for the county town, which was not captured, the entire county was almost completely looted by the Japanese pirates.
Dinghai County, which had escaped disaster, also paid a heavy price. Grain merchants in the city hoarded grain at exorbitant prices and colluded to raise prices, causing many ordinary people, unable to afford it, to starve to death.
Of course Xu Yan couldn't bear to see this scene, but for now he could only take one step at a time.
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Jiaomen Mountain, Liegang.
Naito Nagaharu looked at the waves crashing against the rocks, his eyes becoming increasingly sinister.
It’s been three days, three whole days late.
The merchants who had promised to deliver food, wine and meat to him on time remained silent.
This has touched Naito Nagaharu's bottom line.
This small island is not as good as Shuangyu Island occupied by the Portuguese. Apart from some fresh water, the land is barren and it is impossible to grow crops or fruits and vegetables. All supplies have to be imported.
Naito Nagaharu commanded over two hundred men, all loyal ronin he had gathered over the past decade. Two hundred mouths to feed, and the island's food reserves were less than three days' supply...
Naito Nagaharu tightened his grip on the knife and exhaled a breath of hot air.
People like them who have been robbing and living on the edge of danger for years have never had the word morality in their hearts.
Naito Nagaharu had been a pirate since the age of fifteen. For over a decade, he had plundered countless merchant ships and engaged in fierce battles with other pirates. In the past two years, he had reduced his raiding sprees and settled down on this small island, hoping to make a living by collecting tributes from coastal merchants. However, over time, these wealthy merchants began to believe he was a kind and easy target.
In that case, let's bleed them a little to teach them a lesson.
"Xin Wulang, give the order to go out to sea."
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......
Dinghai County, the second hall of the county government.
County Magistrate Zhao Ruohai looked worried and restless.
"This is an urgent report from Captain Sun of the Dinghai Guard. Master He, please take a look."
Zhao Ruohai handed a very thin piece of letter paper to He Xiang who was standing beside him.
Mr. He nodded slightly to County Magistrate Zhao, then took the letter and read it slowly.
There was a lot of sweat from County Magistrate Zhao on the letter paper, but it probably wouldn't affect Mr. He's reading.
After a moment, Master He said in a gentle voice, "It's just the Japanese pirates shouting. Don't worry, Mr. Dong. In my opinion, as long as Mr. Dong defends his territory and clears the countryside, these scoundrels won't be able to cause any major trouble. Besides, it's the duty of the garrison to eliminate the Japanese pirates. As long as Mr. Dong doesn't lose territory, even if the court blames him in the future, it won't be his fault."
Master He twirled his short beard and spoke leisurely.
"Although I say so, I still feel a little unwilling in my heart."
Magistrate Zhao sighed and said, "Emperor Taizu established the garrison system, whereby the people under its jurisdiction worked as farmers in peacetime and soldiers in times of war. Although it has been abandoned for a long time, now they dare not even fight over a hundred Japanese pirates... How sad, how lamentable!"
Although Magistrate Zhao had only been in office for less than six months, he already had a general understanding of the situation in Dinghai County. Dinghai County was located on the coast, and its neighbor was Dinghaiwei.
The Ming Dynasty's garrison system ran parallel to the prefecture and county system. Although the garrison system had fallen into disuse, it had not yet been abolished by the imperial court. The forces that should have protected the Ming Dynasty's frontiers instead viewed the Japanese pirates as a scourge, seeking to avoid them as much as possible.
Of course, in addition to the incompetence of the military households in the garrison, some merchants in the county also had complicated relationships with the Japanese pirates.
Although County Magistrate Zhao knew the truth, he could do nothing about it.
Although he is the father of a county, he does not command any troops. Even if he wants to suppress the Japanese pirates, what can he do?
I can only turn a blind eye.
"Dong Weng, the way to be an official is to be secretive and unobtrusive."
Master He said slowly, "If you want to do everything cleanly, then you're not an official, you're a saint. Right now, as long as Captain Sun and Mr. Dong can protect themselves, nothing else matters."
His words obviously made County Magistrate Zhao feel better.
"Alas, I just hope this Japanese pirate raid will end soon."
County Magistrate Zhao sighed and said.
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......
"The Japanese pirates are coming! The Japanese pirates are coming! Everyone, please stay home and don't go out into the streets to cause trouble!"
The yamen runners were scattered throughout the streets and alleys of Dinghai County, disseminating the county magistrate's orders to ordinary people.
In fact, as native locals, although they were afraid of the Japanese pirates, they were also used to it.
There are Japanese invasions every year and every month.
As one group left, another arrived. Aside from looting money and women, the pirates didn't cause much trouble. After all, the city walls were so high that unless the pirates could fly and dodge, it would be impossible for them to get in.
This Japanese menace will only last three to five days, or ten at most if it gets worse. We'll just hide for a while to avoid the spotlight, and then go on with our lives as usual.
As he searched in this way, his heart became more settled. He continued to shout at the top of his voice while beating the gong: "The Japanese pirates are coming, the Japanese pirates are coming! Neighbors, please hide in your homes and don't go out to the streets to cause trouble!"
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......
Time flies, and ten days later.
After their rampage, the Japanese pirates seemed to show no sign of stopping, which made Dinghai County Magistrate Zhao Ruohai feel very uneasy.
Many people's food reserves had been depleted, and the city's grain merchants were taking advantage of the situation to raise prices. If Magistrate Zhao ordered the grain merchants to lower their prices, he would offend these local wealthy merchants, and his future performance evaluation would be extremely negative. But if he did not intervene, would he just watch people starve to death in the city?
As for opening the granaries to release grain, County Magistrate Zhao had also thought about it.
But this matter was so serious that the granaries could not be opened for relief unless it was a year of great disaster. County Magistrate Zhao was truly unsure whether the granaries could be opened for relief at this moment.
Furthermore, Ningbo Prefecture isn't a grain-producing area; most of its grain is transferred from other prefectures. Dinghai County's granaries already have insufficient grain reserves. What if they release grain this time and then something goes wrong next time?
Just when County Magistrate Zhao was in a dilemma, a bailiff suddenly came to report.
"Reporting to the County Master, Xu Yan, the only son of Mr. Xu, requests to see the County Master."
The Xu family was a prominent local clan. In the past, County Magistrate Zhao might have met this young man to establish a friendly relationship with the Xu clan. But now, he was fuming and upset, so how could he be in the mood?
He just waved his hand and said, "No."
"County Master...Mr. Xu said he came here to donate grain..."
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P.S.: I am very excited to publish a book again after a year. Dear book friends, Lao Kun missed you all so much. Fellow scholars from humble backgrounds, let’s charge forward!
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