Zhao Lin and Zhou Hai boarded a large ship.
Zhao Lin praised: "What a big ship."
Zhou Hai said proudly, "This is a Fu ship, the largest warship of our dynasty, capable of accommodating hundreds of men. Furthermore, due to its tapering bottom, deep draft, and wide hull, it is extremely stable at sea, suitable for deep-sea and ocean warfare. It is a powerful naval weapon that has taken many years of research and development by our dynasty's craftsmen."
Qi Ziang was surprised and said, "With such a powerful weapon, why are there still so many pirates? Why can't we completely wipe them out?"
Zhou Hai explained, "Master Qi, you may not know that there are many reasons why we cannot completely wipe out the pirates. In summary, there are three reasons."
"First, there's the geographical environment. Because the coastal area is densely populated with islands and harbors, there are numerous small islands not far from the coastline, which provide pirates with hiding places. Their ships are small, allowing them to freely navigate and hide among these islands, while our ships are large, making some areas impassable. Furthermore, it's impossible to search every island individually; that's simply unrealistic."
Qi Ziang nodded repeatedly, saying, "That's true. It's easy to find the bandit's lair when fighting them on land, but it's really hard to find them at sea. What's the second reason?"
"Secondly, it is related to the local economy." Zhou Haidao.
Qi Ziang was surprised and asked, "Is this related to the economy?"
Zhou Hai said: "Master Qi, do you know when the pirates are most active?"
Qi Ziang thought for a moment and said, "I've read the court reports before. During the reign of the late Emperor Zhengde, the number of pirates suddenly increased several times, and it was impossible to suppress them."
Zhou Hai asked again: "Does your Excellency know what policies the court issued regarding maritime trade at that time?"
Qi Ziang was able to serve as the Imperial Censor, so he must have been well-read. He immediately said, "Banned the sea."
"Yes, during the Zhengde reign, the imperial court issued a maritime ban, causing countless people who relied on maritime trade to lose their livelihoods. They were forced to take risks and join the ranks of pirates. This is why the number of pirates suddenly increased several times during the Zhengde reign."
Qi Ziang was puzzled and asked, "Now that the sea is no longer banned, why are there still so many pirates?"
Zhou Haidao said, "Because there are still many poor people. They can't make a living, so they are easily recruited by pirates and become their spies, or simply join the pirates directly."
Qi Ziang nodded and said, "Indeed. What else?"
Zhou Haidao said, "There is also a third reason. Corruption in the navy is becoming increasingly serious, and the combat power is empty. Some of them can't even defeat the pirates."
Qi Ziang was surprised and said, "How is it possible that the soldiers can't defeat the pirates?"
Zhou Hai was surprised and said, "Master Qi looks surprised? That shouldn't be the case. Although Master Qi doesn't know much about pirates, he should know about bandits on land. Can the local army defeat them?"
Qi Ziang blushed and said, "It's true that we can't defeat them, but those are local troops. They usually have to farm and so on, so they can't keep up with training. The navy is an army that specializes in suppressing pirates. Could it be that they have also fallen?"
Zhou Hai smiled and said, "Master Qi, you don't know that the navy has fallen even more severely. Master Qi, what do you think of my camp?"
Qi Ziang nodded and said, "The soldiers and horses are strong, very majestic."
Zhou Haidao: "Logically speaking, I should have 30,000 soldiers here, but in reality, I only have 15,000, of which 15,000 are vacant."
Qi Ziang was surprised: "You ate half of the salary?"
Zhou Hai laughed and said, "Even if I wanted to collect the salary without working, I wouldn't be so bold. All the people who were missing were taken away by Admiral Pang to help protect his business."
Qi Ziang's eyes widened: "Pang Dongxing uses the water conscripts as bodyguards for his business?"
Zhou Hai was surprised and asked, "Why is Lord Qi so shocked? Isn't this what many officials do? A general has his men do the work, and an official has his servants do the work. What's the difference? Lord Qi shouldn't be so shocked, right?"
Qi Ziang said angrily, "It would be fine if he just did some personal things, but he actually transferred nearly half of the troops to do it. This is simply lawless. I have never seen such a rampant person."
Qi Ziang looked at Zhao Lin.
This guy doesn't count.
Zhou Hai shook his head and said, "How can this be considered outrageous? If you knew that some people would slander and harm others for their own business, that would be truly outrageous."
Qi Ziang said angrily, "Who did this? Is there any evidence? While Lord Zhao is here, let him deal with those people."
Zhao Lin laughed and said, "You are good at finding trouble for me."
Qi Ziang asked, "Could it be that Lord Zhao could bear to see this?"
Zhao Lin said: "It's okay if it's an official, but if it's a general, I can't move."
The military has always been sensitive, and if the time really comes, the other side is likely to rise up in rebellion. Zhao Lin is unwilling to start a war for a little benefit.
His main focus now is making money. Those things are not his business, and he has no intention of caring about them.
He has every right to be in charge of maritime trade, but if he gets involved in the military, isn't that courting death?
Qi Ziang sighed: "That's right, it's really hard to manage."
Zhao Lin said, "Lord Qi is the imperial envoy. If Admiral Zhou has any evidence, please give it to Lord Qi and have him pass it on to the emperor."
Qi Ziang nodded and said, "That's right. The emperor will not let him go if he is so lawless."
Zhou Hai hesitated.
He has evidence.
But if he handed it over, he would completely offend the other party.
Zhao Lin knew Zhou Hai's concerns and said, "It's like this. Each radish has its own hole. If you don't pull out this radish, how can you plant another one in it, right?"
Zhou Hai shuddered.
He understood that Zhao Lin knew his reluctance and expectations.
This is an opportunity.
Although there are great risks.
But it is indeed a rare opportunity.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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