Chapter 114: Snow In The Veranda Offices
Taichang First Year, October.
Heavy snow in the Capital City.
Ministry of War office corridors.
Several clerks were shuttling between documents, sorting reports from various places.
In the main hall, fine charcoal had been lit, warming the room cozily.
Since August, except for Liaodong, reports from other places had decreased greatly, making the clerks’ work much more leisurely.
Recently, officials from various ministries had been busy investigating the Red Pill Case and Palace Relocation Case, with endless disputes before the throne, paying even less attention to minor departmental matters, which made the clerks feel unusually pleased; they flipped through reports while discussing which restaurant to visit for a drink after work.
“A new Huaiyang cuisine restaurant has opened west of the city. Shall we gather there after duty this evening?”
“Good idea. With Liaodong stable for once and no sea bandits causing trouble in the southeast, we do have time this evening.”
“The national mourning has just ended; isn’t that a bit flashy?”
“Don’t worry, the restaurant has a courtyard for parking sedans, ensuring no one sees us. Besides, with the chaos in the palace among ministers and censors these days, who has time to care about us?”
Someone interjected: “I heard that a few days ago, Censor Feng submitted another memorial, fiercely denouncing the Grand Chancellor for rewarding traitors and misleading the country, equating it to regicide; the matter is causing quite a stir.”
“The Grand Chancellor has always been prudent in governing; how could he do such a thing?”
“What prudent governance? I heard that a few days ago before the emperor, the Grand Chancellor debated fiercely with the censors, turning the ministers’ ire toward him.”
“Could it be intentional, to divert the court’s attention from Lady Li?”
A senior clerk cautioned: “That’s too much; gentlemen, watch your words!”
The corridors fell silent for a moment.
Only the crackling of the fine charcoal could be heard.
After a while, one person opened a document, glanced at it, and exclaimed in admiration: “Another Report of Merit from Liaodong! Since Governor Yuan took office, merits from Liaodong have been pouring in; it seems the Tartars are doomed, and Liaodong’s pacification is imminent.”
Someone said: “If it were like before, with just over a dozen heads in a Report of Merit, it wouldn’t be that impressive.”
The clerk holding the report said: “No. This is a great achievement: eighty-seven true enemies beheaded in battle!”
The other clerks’ faces lit up with joy upon hearing this.
“What? Read it quick, read it!” Someone urged impatiently.
Although Ming officials were notoriously corrupt, as Ministry of War clerks, they still enjoyed hearing reports of victories.
The clerk holding the report cleared his throat and read aloud: “Your subject Yuan Yingtai, Imperially appointed Governor of Military Affairs in Liaodong and other places, Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and concurrently Right Assistant Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, humbly memorializes:
On the twenty-first of September, surrendered barbarian scouts reported that over two hundred Jiannu cavalry had raided our Three Forks and other places…
Your subject selected three hundred elite and strong newly surrendered barbarians as the vanguard and galloped forth to engage them. The newly surrendered barbarians, grateful for favor, fought especially bravely at the forefront…
Beheaded eighty-seven true Jiannu in battle…
All minor achievements in suppressing the invaders should be reported in full for Your Majesty’s information.”
“Good!” Someone clapped and laughed, “Liaodong having Governor Yuan is truly the fortune of the state!”
One clerk asked: “Who are the newly surrendered barbarians mentioned in the report?”
The clerk holding the report explained: “They are some Mongolian deserters. Since autumn this year, Mongolian tribes have suffered great famine, and many have entered the passes begging for food; they were recruited by Governor Yuan for use.
At the time, some advised that accepting too many surrenders might allow the enemy to use them covertly. Now it seems that was pure overcaution. Governor Yuan truly has insight into people!”
The clerks chatted and laughed, praising Yuan Yingtai profusely.
Finally, someone said: “This is a major merit; it should be handed to the division officials for endorsement and processing.”
The clerk holding the report said: “Indeed.” He then placed the report in the red-bottomed basket on the table, to be delivered together to the Staff Director of the Personnel Bureau tomorrow.
The corridors fell quiet again.
Outside, the wind and snow grew fiercer; howling gusts swept through the corridors, and large snowflakes pounded the window frames with thuds.
The fine charcoal could not fully ward off the chill from the windows; a clerk near the door stood and rubbed his hands.
The elderly clerk said to a clerk outside the corridors: “Bring another basin of fresh charcoal.”
The rubbing clerk said: “The old charcoal isn’t fully burned yet; replacing it now seems a bit wasteful, doesn’t it?”
The elderly clerk replied: “Only when the body is warm can the mind be clear, better serving the Imperial Court; a bit of charcoal is no waste.”
Soon, a clerk brought fresh charcoal; the new charcoal burned bright red and, shortly after being brought in, made the room warm and cozy again.
The rubbing clerk sat down and continued examining documents.
Someone sighed: “Winter has just begun, yet the weather is already so cold; who knows how many poor folk will freeze to death before spring.”
The elderly clerk said: “Winters in recent years have mostly been this harsh; nothing particularly good or bad about it.”
“Oh? A harsh winter—is that somehow a good thing?”
The elderly clerk looked up: “Of course. With such heavy snow in the Capital City right at the start of winter, Liaodong must be even worse; if it can freeze a few more Jiannu to death, it’s naturally good.”
Someone added: “I’d say, without this cold winter, there would be no Mongolian deserters; even if Governor Yuan still beheaded over eighty in battle, it would have cost many Ming soldiers dearly.
As for common people freezing or injured, that’s for the Ministry of Revenue to worry about; as Ministry of War clerks, our primary concern is military affairs.”
“Well said.” The other clerks nodded in agreement.
“Hey, what’s this today—another Report of Merit.”
This drew the attention of all the clerks in the room: “From Liaodong again?”
“No, this one is from the south.”
“The south?” The clerks were momentarily stunned.
There were no wars in the south.
“It’s for suppressing sea bandits, forwarded by the Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi.”
That clerk looked back through the layers of endorsements and saw approvals from the Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi and the Fujian Governor; the report was written by the Nan’ao Vice General.
The elderly clerk stroked his beard thoughtfully: “Nan’ao Vice General? I recall that a month ago, he already submitted a Report of Merit, saying he had exterminated a major sea bandit named Li.”
“Indeed, the previous report just reached the Grand Secretariat and hasn’t been sent back to the locality yet; another new merit so soon?”
The clerk holding the report was clearly skeptical too; after all, what the southeast navy was like, as Ministry of War clerks, they knew more or less.
This time, the Nan’ao Vice General had exterminated a gang of sea bandits called Li Zhong.
This gang of sea bandits had just plundered a wealthy household in Huangyan, carrying a ship full of treasure fleeing south, passing Nan’ao Island, where they were intercepted and annihilated by troops dispatched by the Vice General.
Fifty-eight heads taken, and captured three bird ships of the sea bandits, one box of treasures from the wealthy household’s manor; the rest sank to the sea bottom with the sea battle.
The heads and treasures mentioned in the report were all verified by the Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi.
It was ironclad.
The clerks checked the report several times; no issues.
The elderly clerk sighed: “In the north, Governor Yuan; in the south, General Ma. Who would have thought our Great Ming has produced another figure like Admiral Yu.”
The clerk holding the report looked around: “If my colleagues have no objections, I’ll endorse approval of the merit.”
The surrounding clerks nodded one after another.
At that moment, a voice interrupted them.
“Hold on.”
The clerks looked over; it was the one by the wall, also holding a report, with a wry smile: “Strange, strange—another Report of Merit.”
“Where’s this new merit from? Liaodong or southeast?”
“Southeast. Haimen Guard Commander exterminated a gang of sea bandits on the Zhejiang East Sea surface.”
Haimen Guard?
The clerks were astonished; under the Nan’ao Vice General at least were somewhat incompetent camp soldiers.
Under the Haimen Guard Commander were the most rotten garrison soldiers of the Great Ming.
When did garrison soldiers start exterminating sea bandits?
The clerk by the window smiled wryly: “Perhaps that Commander used household soldiers; but that’s not the strangest part. The strangest is that the Sun-named sea pirates he exterminated are also claimed to be the culprits who robbed the Huangyan wealthy household.”
“The same household?”
“The same household.”
The clerks exchanged glances and pieced the two reports together to examine.
Indeed, the details of the extermination and the number of heads were completely different; not the same gang, no double-reporting.
But both reports explicitly claimed that the sea bandits they exterminated were the real culprits who plundered Lin Mansion in Huangyan County.
Upon closer look, they spotted the clues.
The Nan’ao Vice General’s report had only physical evidence and heads, no living captives as witnesses.
The Haimen Guard Commander’s report was the opposite: all captive witnesses, no stolen goods from Lin Mansion.
If two gangs committed the crime together, the captives’ confessions in the Haimen Guard report clearly admitted sole responsibility, unrelated to others.
Could it be pirate code of honor, covering for each other?
“Colleagues, how should I write the endorsement?” the clerk who received the report asked with a bitter face.
No one spoke.
After a moment, someone said: “In my view, copy each one; send the Haimen Guard copy back to Nan’ao, and the Nan’ao Island copy back to Haimen Guard; let them sort it out and submit reports again.”
The elderly clerk said: “Do it that way; no endorsement for now—mark both reports yellow and hand to the division officials for decision.”
……
While snow fell in the Capital City.
On the Fujian-Guangdong sea surface, Nan’ao Island was still in late autumn.
Daily temperatures hovered around ten degrees, not cold enough to freeze people to death.
In the Captain’s Cabin of the Santa Ana, Lin Qian sat at the oval table, holding a cup of hot tea, listening to Zhou Xiucai report on hauling the wealthy household underwater.
“Helmsman, as you instructed, my seventh brother and I have negotiated with Master Hu. Master Hu plans to book one voyage first, send a shipment to Macau to test the results; if voyages go smoothly, he’ll book long-term afterward.”
Lin Qian blew away the steam, took a sip of tea, and said: “He didn’t suspect you two?”
“My seventh brother and I got fake household registrations and travel permits from county clerks nearby, and bribed some village elders to vouch; he didn’t suspect our identities, just…”
Lin Qian took the teapot and refilled Zhou Xiucai’s empty cup: “Speak plainly.”
Zhou Xiucai placed his index and middle fingers together beside the teacup, tapped the table lightly three times with his fingertips, and said: “Owner Hu wants a deposit in silver; if something happens at sea, that money compensates his capital.”
“How much?”
“Ten thousand taels.”
“Give it to him.” Lin Qian’s expression unchanged.
What he wanted was to bind Owner Hu with interests; giving silver directly would make threats easier later.
Besides, the northwest monsoon was stable now; from Nan’ao Island to Macau, sailing close to shore all the way was very safe.
Even if Owner Hu reneged, Lin Qian could just replicate the Lin Mansion plunder once more.
Sea bandits’ silver wasn’t so easily taken.
Lin Qian’s quick agreement surprised Zhou Xiucai somewhat: “No haggling?”
Lin Qian took a sip of tea: “No need; this silver is just stored elsewhere. There are still a few pieces of Naozhou Island porcelain in the storeroom; take them along and deliver to him.”
“Good.”
At this time, someone knocked and entered.
“Helmsman, Jose’s ship is back.”
“Let’s go see.”
Soon, one Haicang Ship with two Cangshan Ships docked in Houjiang Bay.
Jose jumped from the ship’s rail onto the pier and ran up to Lin Qian, saying: “Helmsman.”
Lin Qian enthusiastically patted his arm: “Smooth sailing all the way?”
Jose laughed: “Three big ships together; smooth winds and waters, other ships steered clear.”
“Good.”
Jose continued: “Helmsman, on your errand, I asked around: no clockmakers in Macau; the councillor promised to help find some. As for coffee, the councillor never heard of it, but he promised to ask returning European captains.”
“Good.”
Lin Qian hadn’t really expected Fat An to know coffee; when it entered Europe, the Church once deemed it Satan’s beverage, and its spread was quite circuitous.
Help inquiring was enough.
Lin Qian looked at the unloading Haicang Ship and said: “To business: how many firearms this time?”
Jose pulled a list from his bosom: “Helmsman, please review.”
The list was in Spanish.
Jose explained beside him: “As Helmsman instructed, four Siren Cannons. Rapid-fire Cannons—that is, Franchi Cannons as Great Ming calls them—twenty-four. One hundred muskets; the rest gunpowder, cannonballs, bullets, etc.”
Lin Qian saw that on the list, just the Siren Cannons were priced at one thousand taels each, and each solid iron shot for Siren Cannon at two taels of silver.
War was indeed a gold-devouring beast.
Seeing Lin Qian staring silently at the list, Jose explained: “I inquired at the Macau Bokalao Foundry; Andre’s prices aren’t too high.
Macau has no mines; buying copper from Japan alone is costly, plus buying coal and iron from Great Ming, artisan wages at the Macau arms factory, auxiliary materials consumption—not cheap.”
Lin Qian knew inwardly that even if cannon costs were high, they couldn’t exceed profits; in arms trade, 50% gross profit margin was conscientious.
Without production capability, buying firearms from anyone wouldn’t be cheap; as long as quality passed, it was fine.
Lin Qian pocketed the list: “Inspect the goods first.”
Jose ordered men to fetch a box of muskets first.
Moments later, two ship workers brought a wooden box forward and placed it on the beach.
Jose had someone pry it open with a crowbar; inside was packed with wood chips, and among them lay three matchlock guns about three feet long.
Slender wrought-iron barrels, walnut wood wrapping the barrel, brand new throughout.
Lin Qian casually took one and inspected it closely; it felt cool to the hand, and rubbing revealed the walnut grain.
Hanging the musket, Lin Qian hefted it; about ten to fifteen pounds.
Already much lighter than the Spanish matchlock guns currently on the ships.
At least with the Portuguese matchlock gun, one could hold it with both hands when firing, no need for a forked rest at the barrel front.
Benefiting from its lightness, the Portuguese matchlock gun was more suitable for aiming and shooting in sea battles.
Lin Qian shouldered the gun, sighted through the front and rear sights at a distant seagull.
Then, pulled the trigger.
On the lock, a metal hook fell, right into the pan.
If the gun were loaded with powder and shot, the metal hook holding the match would ignite the priming powder, explode the main charge in the barrel, and fire the projectile.
But now the gun was unloaded.
The seagull flew off unhurriedly.
Lin Qian set the gun down and returned it to the wooden box.
The ship workers had brought a new wooden box; this one especially heavy, needing six men to carry by ropes.
That box was larger than the matchlock gun box, about five to six feet.
The ship workers placed the wooden box on the beach; it kicked up sand on landing.
Pried open, amid the chips gleamed an object with cold bluish-yellow luster.
Lin Qian stepped forward; in the box lay a bronze cannon barrel.
The barrel about five feet long, calf-thick, tapering gradually at the front, muzzle about three inches.
The barrel smooth throughout, with a pair of trunnions on each side.
Most striking was the open concave notch at the barrel’s belly.
This was the Portuguese rapid-fire cannon, the renowned Franchi Cannon.
The one before them was the Franchi Cannon’s main chamber.
Jose ordered men to fetch the sub-chambers.
After a while, a ship worker brought a box of sub-chambers.
Box opened, three sub-chambers lay amid the chips.
The sub-chamber like a bamboo joint, size fitting the main chamber’s concavity perfectly.
One end open, one closed with a touch hole.
In combat, load powder and shot only in the sub-chamber, then insert into main chamber to fire.
Thus, the main barrel doesn’t directly contact burning powder, no need to clean the bore frequently like front-loaders.
Moreover, powder and shot could be preloaded in sub-chambers before battle, fired directly in combat, saving loading steps for rapid fire.
Of course, Franchi Cannons had flaws: large gaps between main and sub-chambers allowed explosive gases to escape, limiting range and power.
Historically, after red-coated cannons appeared, the once dominant Franchi Cannons gradually fell from favor in the Ming.
But that was because historically, court armies mainly fought on land.
At sea, as long as boarding tactics persisted, Franchi Cannons would always have a place.
Jose also brought Siren Cannons, but they were too heavy, requiring wooden crane arms to move.
Simply hauling to the beach for display wasted labor.
Lin Qian decided, after other firearms were unloaded, to use the Santa Ana’s crane arm to mount the Siren Cannons directly on the Santa Ana’s cannon deck.
Inspection of firearms complete, Lin Qian was very satisfied with Jose’s work; he beckoned, and a crew member brought a brocade box.
“Well done; this is your consultant fee for this period.” Lin Qian said.
Jose took the brocade box, felt its weight, heart skipping; opened to see eight gold ingots inside.
The bright yellow gold ingots dyed Jose’s widened pupils gold.
Jose closed the brocade box, his smile now much warmer.
Then shared many Macau observations with Lin Qian.
While talking, Lin Qian sent for Chen Jiao and Mute Huang.
Soon, Chen Jiao, Mute Huang and his apprentice arrived at the beach together.
Lin Qian pointed at the unloading Haicang Ship: “Jose brought back twenty-four Franchi Cannons from Macau. My rough estimate: each Haicang Ship deck can mount six.
Elder Brother, in the harbor, select three seaworthy ships and hand to Uncle Huang for mounting cannons.”
“Yes!”
Lin Qian continued: “The remaining six Franchi Cannons go on the Santa Ana’s top deck.
Also mount the four Siren heavy cannons on the cannon deck.
Perfect timing as the Santa Ana needs maintenance; cannon mounting can proceed with repairs simultaneously.
During Santa Ana repairs, sea defense falls to the Haicang Ships armed with Franchi Cannons.”
“Yes.” Chen Jiao cupped hands.
Lin Qian then said to Uncle Huang: “No dry dock soon; Santa Ana maintenance must be done at sea.”
Mute Huang signaled to wait, fetched a tree branch, went to a wet sand patch and drew.
The others followed.
Mute Huang drew a tilted top.
His apprentice said: “Master says, use heeling method: load ballast stones on one side to expose the other above water, then repair the hull bottom.”
Chen Jiao nodded: “Many sea bandits use that method.”
But Lin Qian shook his head: “Ming Fuchuan Ships have low freeboard and are small, so it works. Santa Ana has high freeboard and high center of gravity; too dangerous.”
Mute Huang drew a ramp again, with a grooved frame on the ramp holding a ship drawing, then gestured to his apprentice in sign language.
Apprentice said: “Master says, use beaching method: dig a big pit on the beach, lay slipways; at high tide drag ship up slipways into pit; at low tide, repair hull bottom; when done, push back to sea at high tide.
Jose marvelled: “He sketches casually, gestures blindly twice, and you get it?”
Apprentice scratched head sheepishly: “My dad was mute too; used to it.”
Chen Jiao said: “Helmsman, I’ve not seen sea bandits use this, but heard early Fujian-Guangdong private ships did; should work.”
Lin Qian pondered, chin in hand.
Beach soft, with slipways; careful, keel unharmed.
Compared to dry dock repair, riskier but acceptable.
Key was, waiting for dry dock completion—unknown when; even if Lin Qian could wait, the wooden galleon couldn’t abide shipworms and barnacles fearless of cannons; more shipworms breeding harder to clean.
Thus, Lin Qian decided: “Do it! Uncle Huang, you build the beach slipways. Elder Brother, allocate labor, materials; assign all captives to help; if short-handed, hire more on island with silver. Prioritize shortening Santa Ana’s construction time; no worry over silver cost.”
Chen Jiao and Mute Huang cupped hands together in assent.
With Chen Jiao overseeing the Construction Department, artisans, labor, materials mobilized swiftly.
That afternoon, three hundred captives dug the pit; another fifty captives felled trees on mountain for slipway wood.
Mute Huang sited the temporary dry dock in Qing’ao Bay east of the island.
This place east of Guo Lao Mountain, facing South China Sea, gentle beach, sparsely populated—ideal for temporary dry dock.
Sole drawback: somewhat far from Nan’ao City, Guo Lao Mountain in between, inconvenient transport.
Fortunately, Lin Qian had many ships; daily food, supplies, personnel via sea, sparing mountain treks.
Main force building temporary dry dock were captives, used to huts; rebuilding sheds in Qing’ao Bay was easy.
Before starting, Lin Qian sent men to precisely measure Santa Ana’s length, beam, draft, keel length, hull bottom shape etc., handed to Mute Huang for reference.
Mute Huang’s temporary dry dock design simple: excavate rectangular deep pit into beach.
Pit bottom left a flat slightly above sea level; between flat and sea a gentle ramp, slope about five to ten degrees.
Sides of pit bottom and flat each dug rectangular small pits; three logs nailed together, half-buried horizontally; the two-log ramp surface exposed above as keel blocks to support hull, preventing keel stress damage.
Log surfaces polished, coated with vegetable oil and lard for lubrication, avoiding hull abrasion.
During this dry dock construction period.
Haicang Ship Franchi Cannon mounting also progressed simultaneously.
Chen Jiao carefully selected three Haicang Ships; Lin Qian personally drafted cannon positions.
Haicang Ships low freeboard, unsuitable for gunports and cannon decks; all cannon positions on open deck.
Six cannons per side, barrels on carriages, carriages with breeching ropes connected to hull structure.
Haicang Ship rails only thin wooden planks as bulwarks, unable to withstand cannon recoil.
Lin Qian redesigned hull reinforcements: added twelve cannon carriage bases on bulwarks, bases linked to deck and rails; each Franchi Cannon with two recoil ropes to bases for stability.
Also thickened bulwark planks, added net bags inside bulwarks for hammocks where sailors sleep.
Benefit of this structure: in sea combat, wet hammocks and bulwarks could slightly block arrows and splinters.
Also, with hammocks for berths, the large cabin space taken by crew quarters could be fully removed.
Freed space for storing gunpowder and weapons.
This was Lin Qian’s expedient for modifying Haicang Ships; firepower greatly increased, but flexibility and speed inevitably declined.
Strategic role: protect Santa Ana in combat, use light firepower to clear enemy decks, prevent enemy close approach for boarding.
Barely classifiable as frigates.
Thus, Lin Qian named the modified Haicang Ships Sea Wolf-class Frigates.
For simplicity, Lin Qian named the three modified ships Sea Wolf Ship One, Sea Wolf Ship Two, Sea Wolf Ship Three.
The three Sea Wolf Ships thus formally joined the Nan’ao Island sea bandit ranks.
