The arrival of Lord Taishan and his two eldest brothers-in-law delighted Li Shu beyond measure, and Zhu Ping’an was equally thrilled.
Though Lord Taishan’s face was stern, his generosity was unmatched.
Not only did he bring four of the latest ship-mounted Folangji cannons, but he also provided two Portuguese craftsmen skilled in cannon repair.
“Father, the pirate scourge in Zhejiang is severe, and the region’s military is in disarray. Brother Zhu has just taken up the post of Zhejiang Governor, facing a colossal mess. The pressure is immense. As his father-in-law, you can’t just stand by and do nothing,” Li Shu said during dinner, seizing the moment when she had her father in high spirits to secure benefits for Zhu Ping’an.
“Shu’er, before your brother and I came, we deliberately traded with the red-haired barbarians, exchanging two entire ships’ worth of goods for the cannons on their ship, along with two red-haired craftsmen to assist in repairs. Isn’t that enough?” Lord Li, the wealthy merchant, said, casting a jealous glance at Zhu Ping’an as he saw his darling daughter advocating for her husband.
Zhu Ping’an scratched his head innocently.
“That’s at most Big Brother and Second Brother’s contribution,” Li Shu said, clinging to Lord Li’s arm with a mix of coyness and reproach. “Father, as his father-in-law, you can’t be stingy. I know how deep your pockets are. If you’re miserly, I won’t pay attention to you anymore.”
“Little one, why are you turning your elbow outward?” Lord Li looked at Li Shu with a wronged expression.
“Outward? We’re all one family. No matter how it turns, it’s inward,” Li Shu said, shaking her father’s arm.
“With the way you’re turning, all my retirement savings will end up in his pocket,” Lord Li said, clutching his money pouch tightly.
Li Shu feigned indignation. “Retirement savings? Father, you’re not old at all. You have plenty of time to save more. Besides, you have Big Brother, Second Brother, and me. We’ll make sure you live better than the emperor in your old age. Saving for retirement—doesn’t that imply Big Brother, Second Brother, and I are unfilial? Hurry up, I know your wealth!”
“Girls always side with their husbands…” Lord Li said helplessly, shooting another glare at Zhu Ping’an.
Zhu Ping’an innocently touched his nose.
“Hurry, hurry!” Li Shu tugged at Lord Li’s arm insistently.
“Alright, alright,” Lord Li said, unable to resist his little cotton-padded jacket’s arm-shaking offensive. He surrendered. “Zhu, as Zhejiang Governor, you’ll need a navy, right? I’ll give you five—no, three Fuchuan ships.”
“So stingy. At least ten!” Li Shu pouted.
“My dear girl, do you know how much ten Fuchuan ships cost? One Fuchuan ship costs at least three thousand taels of silver, and they’re priceless—you can’t even buy them readily. Nowadays, there are only a few places in the Ming Dynasty that can build Fuchuan ships, and skilled craftsmen are scarce. Even with silver, you can’t get ready-made Fuchuan ships; you have to queue. If I give Zhu ten Fuchuan ships, my fleet will be left with barely any ships,” Lord Li said, his face contorted with reluctance.
Indeed, with the Ming Dynasty’s maritime ban, the shipbuilding industry had been severely crippled, almost withering away. Only a few places like Quanzhou retained the tradition of shipbuilding. The Fuchuan ship, a pinnacle of Ming shipbuilding technology, featured watertight compartment technology—a cutting-edge innovation that surpassed Western techniques by a millennium. Modern aircraft carriers and oil tankers still use this compartment technology. It was the technological backbone that enabled Zheng He, the Ming Dynasty’s eunuch admiral, to undertake seven voyages to the Western Oceans, sailing in Fuchuan ships.
Watertight compartments involved dividing the ship’s hull horizontally into independent compartments using camphor and cedar wood. The gaps between the planks were filled with silk, hemp, and tung oil, ensuring excellent sealing. The number of compartments—typically around ten—depended on the ship’s size.
With watertight compartments, if a ship collided or struck a reef, the hull wouldn’t flood entirely, retaining significant buoyancy and preventing sinking, thus enhancing safety. Additionally, goods could be categorised and stored in different compartments, facilitating loading and unloading. The transverse compartments also acted as ribs, optimising the shipbuilding process and increasing the hull’s lateral strength.
Craftsmen skilled in this technology were already rare, and with the maritime ban, their numbers had dwindled further.
Thus, Lord Li’s claim that Fuchuan shipbuilding was limited, that the ships were priceless, and that even with silver, one had to queue, was entirely true.
“With pirates so rampant now, it’s so dangerous. Father, you should stop letting the merchant fleet sail. Just give all the ships in your fleet to Brother Zhu. You can queue for new ships. Meanwhile, Brother Zhu can use this time to crack down on the pirates, creating a safe trading environment for you,” Li Shu said, acting as if she were thinking of her father’s best interests, urging him to hand over his entire fleet to Zhu Ping’an and queue for new ships.
Lord Li was stunned, wondering if he’d misheard. His daughter wanted him to give his entire merchant fleet to Zhu Ping’an? This wasn’t just turning her elbow outward.
It was as if her whole self had turned.
In one fell swoop, his daughter was handing over his entire fleet to her husband. Truly, a married daughter forgets her father.
Lord Li looked at Li Shu with a wronged expression. “My dear girl, you have to leave your father some foundation. The pirates are rampant in Southern Zhili, Zhejiang, and Fujian, but in Guangdong and Guangxi, they’re less aggressive. The smaller pirate groups ride the winds and currents, landing mostly in Southern Zhili, Zhejiang, and Fujian. Guangdong and Guangxi are farther, so the pirates aren’t as fierce there. In the South Seas, we deal more with the red-haired barbarians. Our fleet has many business partners there, and our trade in the South Seas is doing quite well.”
“Alright, alright, you owe Brother Zhu then. Give him ten large Fuchuan ships and five medium and small ones,” Li Shu said magnanimously, waving her hand.
“Good, good, I’ll listen to my girl,” Lord Li hurriedly nodded, fearing Li Shu might demand he give Zhu Ping’an his entire fleet.
“Besides the ships, what else?” Li Shu pressed.
“Aren’t all these ships enough?” Lord Li began to feel the pinch again, lamenting how daughters always side with their husbands.
“These ships are but a drop in the bucket for you, Father. Brother Zhu is new here, and Zhejiang lacks everything. You need to be more generous,” Li Shu continued to raid her father’s wealth, securing more benefits for Zhu Ping’an.
“There are no good horses in Jiangnan. In a few days, my merchant caravan heading north will return. They wrote back saying they’ve acquired a batch of northern horses. When they’re back, I’ll give the entire batch to Zhu,” Lord Li said slowly, glaring at Zhu Ping’an.
“How many?” Li Shu asked.
“Four or five hundred, at least,” Lord Li said after some thought.
“Alright then,” Li Shu nodded, satisfied.
Next, Li Shu continued to extract a slew of benefits from Lord Li for Zhu Ping’an.
Grain, cloth, bedding, and more.
Zhu Ping’an’s lips curved into a smile, while Lord Li’s mouth twitched…
