After a pause, Yan Siqi's face showed a resolute look, and he said, "Your Majesty is merciful and gracious. Please pardon my crime. I am willing to serve you as a humble servant."
Yan Siqi was not entirely moved, and his doubts were not completely dispelled, but as long as there was a glimmer of hope, he was willing to give it a try.
Moreover, the Ming Dynasty lifted its maritime ban and reached a trade agreement with Japan, so the Chinese businessmen residing in Japan were almost cleared of the charge of being "pirates".
Both countries used restrictive measures such as "Fengshu" and "Zhuzhuang", which was equivalent to strangling the necks of the Japanese merchants who stayed.
If you do not receive the "letter and flag" from the imperial court, Japan will not allow you to come to trade; conversely, the Ming Dynasty will also use Japan's "red letter" as a symbol.
There seemed to be a loophole, but there was another rule: only Japanese merchant ships could carry a "red letter" and only Chinese merchants could carry a "letter and flag."
This was a very strict system. Merchants who wanted to continue doing business in Japan could only return to Japan to receive a "letter of farewell and raise the flag." Those who had committed crimes before could be forgiven and only had to donate money to build a port and then build their own shops.
As for smuggling, it’s still possible, but forget about it from Japan.
Trading in the East and sailing to the West. These were the only two routes for maritime trade, and the imperial court could be said to have already secured one.
Boss Yan is not stupid. On the surface, he seems touched and thanks the emperor for his grace, but in his heart he has already thought it through clearly and weighed the pros and cons accurately.
Moreover, being the first to respond to the court's call seemed dangerous. But "a thousand gold coins buy a horse's bones." Since the court could make such a big move as lifting the ban on sea trade, why would it go to such great lengths to kill a merchant and scare away others?
Yan Siqi thought he was not that important, and was even confused and puzzled about being noticed by the court.
Not to mention in Japan, even in Hirado, his strength is far inferior to that of Li Dan, the non-Japanese sea merchant who owns the most red seals.
So, when Wu Zheng proposed to choose a day to meet Li Dan, Yan Siqi knew that this opportunity was fought for by his good brother Yang Tiansheng, so he had to seize it.
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