The origins of the Japanese pirates in the early Ming Dynasty were quite unique.
In fact, most of the Japanese pirates were not real Japanese, but they were not Ming people either. Most of them were a group of marginalized people who were ruthlessly crushed by the wheel of history.
The reason is really like a child without a mother. It's a long story. In the past, Emperor Gaozu of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, King Wu, Zhang Shicheng, and King Han, Chen Youliang, divided Jiangnan into three parts. Zhu Yuanzhang first destroyed Chen Youliang, and also snatched his favorite concubine, Da, and cheated on the King of Han. Later, Da cheated on him and planned revenge.
Zhu Yuanzhang later destroyed King Zhang Shicheng of Wu. Xu Da and Chang Yuchun besieged Suzhou City for three months. Zhang Shicheng committed suicide. Chang Yuchun massacred half of the city but was stopped by Xu Da. The Wu Kingdom was destroyed.
However, although Wu was destroyed, the remnants of Zhang Shicheng were still very powerful, and most of them fled overseas. Because Zhang Shicheng himself started out as a private salt dealer, he had a strong armed force, and then he and his partner Shen Xiu (Shen Wanshan, the ancestor of the female official Shen Qionglian) engaged in international trade and became rich. He was a big sea merchant himself, and he raised a large private army. He secretly suppressed his opponents in the name of pirates, formed a monopoly position, and thus established a trust business empire with Shen Xiu that was rich enough to rival a country.
The businessman is rich but has a low status. Like all businessmen, money can no longer satisfy him, so he wants to taste power, such as the president of the Lighthouse Country in later generations.
At that time, the Yuan Dynasty had lost actual control over Jiangnan due to the uprisings of the Red Turban Army and peasants in various places. This was a great opportunity to establish himself as king.
At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Zhang Shicheng, the "□□", began to pursue higher-level political demands, cleaned himself up, and became the overlord of Jiangnan with money in his left hand and private soldiers in his right hand. He proclaimed himself the King of Wu and established his capital in Suzhou. His good friend Shen Xiu, who started a business together, continued to engage in international trade, provided money for Zhang Shicheng, and became the richest man at the end of the Yuan Dynasty.
Since Zhang Shicheng had a deep background in overseas trade and piracy, even though the Wu Kingdom was destroyed, the remnants of Zhang Shicheng still had money and private soldiers overseas. They fled overseas, similar to Chiang Kai-shek's escape to Taiwan in later generations, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack the mainland and recover the Wu Kingdom.
The enemy's enemy is an ally. Later, Zhang Shicheng's overseas remnants also absorbed the power of the remnants of Han Wang Chen Youliang to form an alliance. At the beginning, their purpose was very simple, just to counterattack the mainland and regain power. However, as the new Ming regime became increasingly stable, their hopes were dashed.
Later, pirates and a group of bankrupt Japanese wandering samurai joined in. As the bad company drew near, this group of people lost their political goals and their money was about to run out. The Ming Dynasty court repeatedly encircled and suppressed them. In desperation, they became friends with the pirates and degenerated into bandits who robbed houses and killed people for money.
Those who died by the sword were changed from the Ming army to innocent civilians. This group of marginalized people were too ashamed to face their former fellow villagers, so they simply shaved their heads and changed their clothes, wearing the moon-shaped head of the Japanese pirates, bare legs and wearing Japanese yukatas, and became Japanese pirates. In this way, they would not be considered to have forgotten their ancestors, and they would not feel guilty for killing their compatriots.
Pirates became a profession for making a living. The descendants of this group of people were marginalized people who did not identify with the Ming Dynasty and were not recognized by the Ming Dynasty. They were more cold-blooded and violent than the previous generation. They killed people, set fires and robbed people as often as they ate and slept. They worked as pirates seriously.
Therefore, the Japanese pirates always reappeared in the early Ming Dynasty, because most of them were not Japanese who had sailed across the ocean. They were familiar with the terrain, wind, waves, customs and local conditions. They had secret bases at home and abroad, and even went deep into the people, married and had children, and appeared no different from ordinary people.
The imperial court sent people to suppress the Japanese pirates, but after defeating them they would hide away, just like they were hibernating. Once the storm had passed, they would come out to wreak havoc on the coastal areas.
During the Yongle reign, the imperial court focused on the expedition to Jiaozhi in the southwest and Yongle's three expeditions to the north to personally lead the expedition against the Oirat Mongols. The Japanese pirates had a rest and recuperation, but have become rampant in the last two years.
The Japanese pirates were an experienced criminal organization. They were well-targeted and had spies in major ports and trade wars to mark the juicy "prey" in advance.
According to the intelligence from the spies, the cargo on this large merchant ship is of great value, including ginseng from Liaodong, furs from Mongolia, pearls from Korea, silk from Suzhou, etc. In addition, there is a young master who is new to the business world and is still wet behind the ears. He is accompanied by a wet nurse (female bodyguard) and carries many boxes and cages. Although the specific cargo has not been found out yet, judging from the degree of respect shown to the young master by the servants, this young master should be the only son in the family and a fat sheep. In addition to the cargo, if he is kidnapped as a hostage, a lot of money can be extorted.
As a result, large ships sailing near the coast became a walking piece of fat meat in the eyes of the Japanese pirates. When they saw the large ships going away and leaving the protection of the port defenders, they would immediately pounce on them like locusts.
The Japanese pirates were organized and planned. They shot arrows to warn the merchants first. If the merchants surrendered and handed over their property to avoid disaster, there would be no need to start a war. There is a code of conduct for thieves. If both people and property are lost, it would be too much and would be disadvantageous in the long run. Merchants are like leeks. Harvest one crop and leave the roots. Wait until new leaves grow before harvesting again.
However, relying on their large numbers, the large ship did not show weakness or wave the white flag of surrender. Instead, it closed its doors and windows and organized a resistance.
The Japanese pirates' gunboats followed up with a second round of attack.
The captain was also a tough guy. He calmly commanded the merchant ship to fire back and assured the six merchants: "Don't worry, sir. We are using the most advanced Portuguese cannons.
The range is much longer than the Japanese pirates’ homemade artillery, so let’s just fight, who’s afraid of who.”
The boatmen have been fighting against the Japanese pirates for a long time and are well prepared.
The two ships fired at each other, and the large merchant ship fired ten consecutive shots, sinking the Japanese pirates' gunboat. The Japanese pirates on the ship were forced to jump into the sea and were rescued by several flat-bottomed boats with sails woven from straw mats.
Arei was taken by the female escort to a relatively safe underground warehouse for protection. He had no idea of the battle situation outside. He only heard bursts of roars, like fireworks during the New Year.
After the Japanese pirates' gunboats were sunk, a dozen small flat-bottomed sailboats retreated about a hundred meters in all directions, surrounding the large merchant ship sailing like a group of wild wolves, always keeping their distance but refusing to leave.
The big merchant ship won, and Are went from the cargo hold to the main cabin to hold a meeting with five merchants and the captain to discuss countermeasures.
The Liaodong ginseng merchant was very anxious. "I am carrying all the ginseng I have bought this time. If they are robbed, I will have to beg on the street to get home. Captain, your Portuguese cannons are so powerful, why don't you blow up those small boats? I am terrified by the fierce Japanese pirates on the boats. I have to find a way to drive them away."
"My father died at the hands of the Japanese pirates. I hate them the most in my life. It's not that I don't want to, but I can't." The captain shook his head. "The boat is too small and the distance is far. It's like hitting a mosquito with a stick. Not only can we not hit it accurately, but we also waste artillery fire."
The silk merchant asked, "Why don't they leave when they know they can't defeat us?"
The captain said, "The pirates never leave empty-handed, and they lost a gunboat. The Japanese pirates want to force us to pay some money. If they can't defeat us, they want to scare us."
The ginseng merchant came from the north and was unfamiliar with the place, so he was very scared. "Why not give them some silver and send them away? It's a good deal to spend a small fortune and avoid a big disaster."
The captain firmly disagreed. "Three generations of my family have fought against the Japanese pirates. They are greedy and bully the weak. The more you show weakness, the more rampant they become. Since you can beat them, why bother giving them money and letting them follow you? When the tide rises and the waves rise, the boat will not be able to withstand the bumps and will naturally break apart."
At this time, the sailor ran in and said, "The Japanese pirates sent people to negotiate."
When everyone looked out the window, Arei suddenly felt as if pepper had gotten into his eyes. On the sea ahead, there was a Japanese pirate with a half-moon shaved head paddling a small sampan, like a newborn baby, naked.
The ginseng merchant said with a sigh, "It's really immoral."
The captain said coldly: "The pirate is here to show that he has no weapons and is here to negotiate."
After a while, the sailor brought a letter from the Japanese pirates. When they opened the letter, they found that the pirates demanded fifty taels of silver and said they would leave without causing any trouble if they were paid.
The ginseng merchant said, "Fifty taels is not much, just treat it as giving alms to the beggar. Don't you think so?"
The silk merchant looked moved.
The captain said: "Dear guests, please stay calm. They are trying to attack our hearts and test us."
The ginseng merchant was anxious. "Okay, I'll pay for the money by myself. No matter what the result is, I'll bear it. What if they back out?"
The captain refused, "Once you are on my ship, you must obey my command. You are not giving me silver, sir, you are playing with fire."
The situation was at a stalemate, and A Lei asked, "Captain, are there any Ming navy patrolling nearby? Let's send out a signal to warn them. If the imperial navy comes to rescue, we will be able to drive out these pirates."
After all, Arei is a rich lady. When something happens, the first thing she thinks of is the court and she relies on official solutions.
The captain shook his head. "There were some before, but recently, because Zheng He is going to sail to the West again, ships from all over the world have been gathering in Liujiagang, carrying all kinds of treasures. In order to protect the safety of envoys from various countries and the Liujiagang fleet, the Ming navy has concentrated on patrolling near Liujiagang. We are still a day's sail away from Liujiagang, so we can't see them even if we send a signal."
After hearing this, the ginseng merchant shouted, "Why don't you try to release one? What if you run into one?"
The captain was a hawk. "No, if we send out a signal, it will show that we are guilty. These pirates are the most afraid of the strong and bully the weak. I'm afraid they will think of other ways to seize the ship by force."
The ginseng merchant said, "Why should we listen to you? The six of us paid so much for the ship, so it should be us who decide. Raise your hands if you agree to negotiate with us for silver!"
The pearl merchant from Korea raised his hand.
Four to two. Everyone still trusts the experienced hawk captain.
The captain went to the deck and shouted at the naked pirates standing on the sampan at sea: "Get lost! We don't have silver, but we have plenty of cannons."
The captain knew that these Japanese pirates were basically dressed as Ming people, so he could understand them and saved the trouble of writing.
The negotiations broke down.
The Japanese pirates, who were completely innocent, were not angry and rowed away in their small sampan.
Suddenly, the sailor who had delivered the message just now took advantage of the captain's attention being focused on the back of the Japanese pirate in the small sampan - there was a dragon tattooed on the man's back, which was very lifelike. The sailor pounced on the captain like a monkey and cut the captain's neck with one knife!
Blood splattered from the captain's neck. The incident happened too quickly. After the sailor succeeded, he jumped into the sea and escaped. Everyone shot arrows at the sea, but the arrow in the sailor's hand did not float to the surface of the sea. He actually escaped like this.
Sailors are Japanese pirate spies lurking on ships at sea.
The captain died instantly.
After witnessing this scene, everyone truly understood the cold-blooded, brutal, shrewd and calculating nature of the Japanese pirates, and that they were by no means an ordinary mob.
After the hawkish captain died, his deputy took over, but it was obvious that he did not have the deterrent power of the captain. The people on the ship were panicked and quarreled.
The ginseng merchants had to negotiate with the Japanese pirates in order to avoid disaster by spending money.
The local silk merchants objected, "If the Japanese pirates were sure they could take us down, they would have done it long ago. Why would they go to such lengths to bribe the sailors and get rid of the captain first? They are deliberately trying to confuse us.
You gave them fifty taels, and they took it, but they didn't retreat. They demanded five hundred taels, and gradually increased the amount, not even letting go of the goods, and maybe even some people—"
The silk merchant pointed at A Lei and said, "This young master's family is rich. If you kidnap me, your family can at least pay 10,000 taels to redeem you."
Arei looked up at the sky speechlessly. My brother-in-law loves me so much that I packed my luggage like I was moving house. But then I was targeted by the Japanese pirates. I should have known this would happen. I didn’t expect that my good intentions would turn out to be a bad thing.
The two sides were deadlocked again, and at this time a sailor ran in to report: "Twenty-seven gunboats are approaching! There are nearly a hundred flat-bottomed boats! The Japanese pirates have been eyeing us for a long time, and today they are out in full force. We are surrounded!"
Everyone looked out the window with binoculars, and it was true. Now they were surrounded by wolves and they were on the sea, with nowhere to escape.
The naked Japanese pirates came to negotiate again: if you surrender, you won’t be killed; if you pay money, you won’t be killed; if you resist, you will be killed all.
The large merchant ship was unable to defeat the Japanese pirates on its own and had to surrender. Are became a prisoner and squeezed into a small boat with everyone else.
The Japanese pirates laughed and said, "There are also moral principles for thieves. If you surrender, we will not kill you. You are our breadwinners. How can you hurt them? It is simply unfilial. We have received news that the imperial court has recently sent people to destroy us. After we have done this, we will disperse and hide away from the limelight. The survival of the brothers in the second half of the year depends on the help of you, our breadwinners."
"We would like to invite all parents to visit the island as guests. We will have a good meal and have fun for a few days. We will not harm you. All parents need to do is write a letter home and ask their families to prepare 10,000 taels of silver to redeem the person. If they pay the money, we will release the person."
When it was nightfall, Arei and his companions were taken to an island by the Japanese pirates and locked in a house. The pirates locked the door and threatened them, "There are many insects and snakes on the island. The giant python is thicker than my waist. Don't even think about escaping. If you are eaten by a snake, your 10,000 taels of silver will be gone."
After that, he handed them pen, ink and writing paper and asked them to write a letter.
Arei picked up the pen to write the letter, but was troubled when writing the address on the envelope. She thought that if she wrote the address of Hu's residence in the capital, her identity as the daughter of an official would be exposed, and she might be killed by the Japanese pirates. What should she do
As he was thinking, he suddenly heard a loud noise, the earth shook, and even the ink in the inkstone rippled.
Someone screamed, "There are imperial spies setting fire to the island!"
The Japanese pirates hurried over to check, and were stunned: they saw that the twenty or so gunboats anchored in the harbor had turned into a sea of fire, the cannons on the boats exploded due to the heat, and the flaming fragments fell on the flat-bottomed boats, igniting the lowered straw sails. Straw sails were flammable to begin with, and almost all the ships became fireboats in an instant!
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
Zhu Zhanji was very smart. He deliberately kept his troops inactive for the past two months and found out the details and patterns of the Japanese pirates. Since the young army was not good at naval warfare and could not attack head-on at sea, he set up a plan to attack their lair. When the Japanese pirates were out in full force to rob large merchant ships, he ambushed them on the island early, and burned the ships after they returned with full loads.
Without ships, it is impossible to escape. Only by fixing the battlefield on the land where the young army is good at can the Japanese pirates be annihilated in one go.
The author has something to say: Zhou's left ankle has swollen like a pig's hoof. He went to the hospital during the day. I will update once today, and will definitely update twice tomorrow for everyone. Good night, my darlings!
I will continue to give out 200 red envelopes tonight, just leave a comment.
In addition, if you are interested in the world's overseas trade in the mid-Ming Dynasty, you can read my work "Jin Pingmei". Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated me with nutrient solution~
Thanks to the little angels who cast [mines]: Qu Jin 2; Langya 1;
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated [nutrient solution]:
30 bottles for senior diver; 20 bottles for mini; 10 bottles for Capricorn, Button, Asiluffy, Xiaoniao, and Gudong!; 5 bottles for Timmy and Yuki; 1 bottle for Yunqi;
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!