Chapter 695 - The Pirates
"I've heard Tai O was also an important den for pirates and smugglers in the Pearl River Estuary—historically speaking," Le Lin remarked.
"Both Tung Chung and Tai O on Lantau Island are important targets we need to address. Ideally, we'd clear them out completely." Chen Haiyang leaned back. "For now, let's gauge the attitude of the pirates gathering at Lantau."
As they spoke, a sentry arrived to report: a sampan was approaching the temporary pier from the direction of Lantau Island.
"Sounds like a local envoy." Chen Haiyang rose. "Let's hear what they have to say."
He hadn't planned to receive them in the command tent. Chen Haiyang understood the mindset of natives in this timeline very well—especially those encountering transmigrators for the first time. If you didn't put on airs, people would think considerably less of your ability and credibility. Approachability had its place, but certain formalities were indispensable.
So headquarters had specially constructed a "Great Tent" in a sheltered hollow not far from the pier. Curtains surrounded it, with nets draped outside and adorned with many bells—a concept borrowed from Japanese military curtains and Mongol net fortifications. The materials were exquisite, decorated with intricate patterns.
Around the curtains stood various flags and banners newly devised by the Australian regime—the overall effect was most impressive. Combined with fully armed Marines and cadets standing guard, the entire net fortress appeared solemn and awe-inspiring.
Five or six envoys arrived by boat. The three leaders were relatively well-dressed, looking like prosperous local residents. They followed the Marines respectfully toward the Great Tent.
Quite a few gifts were unloaded from the boat—the transmigrators had witnessed this many times. Nothing more than pigs, sheep, and shochu, along with silk and silver.
Upon entering the Great Tent and seeing Chen Haiyang enthroned in the center, the envoys immediately knelt and kowtowed, presenting the gift list.
The visitors were indeed pirates—a small band, to be precise. The leader of the group was the second-in-command of this band, a man named Jin Caifa.
Jin Caifa's primary purpose was to request "submission" and join the "Australian Big Gang" in looting together. Jin Caifa's "Boss" was named Zheng Bao. He commanded twenty-eight large two-masted ships and roughly seventy "long dragon" boats and sampans capable of maneuvering on inland rivers. Among the smaller bands, his strength was quite significant.
Zheng Bao planned to exploit the government army's crushing defeat, their collapsed morale, and the vacuum in both land and sea defenses to launch large-scale raids up the Pearl River. For this purpose, he had not only anchored around Lantau waiting for opportunities but had also gathered many scattered small bands—including the group led by Zhao Yajin that had launched a surprise attack on the Task Force days earlier. He currently commanded quite a few fishermen-turned-temporary-pirates, ranging from single boats to flotillas of three or four vessels.
The sudden arrival of the Australian fleet had made Zheng Bao sense opportunity. If he could attach himself to this powerful gang, it would greatly benefit his future career in maritime looting. When Zhao Yajin had launched his reckless attack, Zheng Bao hadn't stopped him—he'd wanted to observe firsthand how the Australian warships actually fought.
"So you intend to enter the Pearl River?"
"Yes, my lord! We wish to follow the Australian bosses—fight together and get rich!" Jin Caifa declared eagerly.
"Hmph." Chen Haiyang remained noncommittal. If he accepted their submission, they would prove a useful force in the upcoming Pearl River operations. But such pirates couldn't be effectively controlled; their obedience to orders depended entirely on sufficient profit. Moreover, pirates' excessive cruelty in action would cost the Australians popular support. Additionally, the pirates were strong; operating in formation with them would give them opportunities to turn on the fleet—all factors requiring careful consideration.
He thought for a moment, then replied:
"Do you understand that we are the formal regular army of the Australian-Song Court? How can we 'get rich' with you?" Chen Haiyang's expression turned contemptuous. "If you are willing to submit to the Australian-Song Court, you become Australian-Song subjects. You become Australian-Song soldiers—not pirate bands looting the seas as you do now. Are you willing?"
Jin Caifa shifted uneasily on the ground. He couldn't parse the meaning behind these words—was it agreement or refusal? In his conception, everyone robbed together; the leaders took the big shares, the followers took small ones. Simple as that. Why drag in talk of a "regular army"? Did they want them to become Australian soldiers?
"Please clarify, my lords."
"Go back and tell your leader," Chen Haiyang said. "If he sincerely wishes to submit to our Australian-Song, he must first inventory all personnel, silver, money, gunpowder, and weapons into a register—then personally bring the register here."
Jin Caifa hesitated, but reading the expression before him, he knew there was no room for negotiation. He said he would return to "report to the chief for decision" and took his leave.
"It's clear they won't surrender," Wen Desi observed. "This is our golden opportunity to make a name for ourselves at the Pearl River Estuary."
"If we had enough political workers, I wouldn't object to a nominal absorption first, then sending political workers in to reform the pirates. There's no time for that now—we'll have to let the purification camp handle the heavy lifting."
Le Lin volunteered to reconnoiter the pirate situation on Lantau.
Chen Haiyang shook his head. "Forget it. Don't imagine that spending a few holidays on outlying islands makes you familiar with the terrain. Let the Special Reconnaissance Team handle it."
As Jin Caifa walked toward his sampan at the pier, he suddenly spotted a familiar-looking bald bandit nearby. A closer look confirmed it: Shi Shisi, formerly one of Zhucailao's subordinates. The man wore the bald bandits' buttoned jacket, belted at the waist, carrying a short sword and the famous "Australian hand cannon."
Shi Shisi stood on the bow of a large ship, looking full of ambition. Without knowing his background, no one would guess he was actually a "fake bald bandit."
Jin Caifa had worked under Zhucailao in the past. Though Shi Shisi hadn't been a major leader, he was no unknown small fry in the big gang either. Jin Caifa recognized him immediately.
Returning to the anchorage at Tung Chung, Jin Caifa reported the details of his meeting with Chen Haiyang to Zheng Bao.
"That big leader was extremely arrogant—demanding we become soldiers of some Australian-Song Navy..." Jin Caifa spat. "I'd rather live my carefree life than be controlled by him, becoming a soldier for an Australian-Song whose shadow I've never even glimpsed..."
"They didn't mention giving our brothers any official positions or military pay after switching sides?"
"Nothing! Not a word. Just wanted us to hand over registers and prepare for reorganization."
"Damn it, these Australian wretches! What do they take me for!" Zheng Bao cursed along. "I'm at least the Marquis of Guiyi and General of Ninghai of the Great LĂŞ Dynasty!"
"This lowly one is still a Vice General!" Jin Caifa remembered his own title—and a substantial wooden seal. Though he couldn't read the characters on it, he'd stamped it on paper again and again with considerable satisfaction.
Zheng Bao's pirate band had traveled to Jiangping, where they'd accepted the pacification of Vietnam's Northern Dynasty (the Lê Dynasty), becoming nominal Lê naval forces. The Lê Dynasty's puppet emperor had bestowed various official titles and peerages upon them—accompanied, naturally, by wooden seals and numerous documents.
Chinese pirates like Zheng Bao accepting so-called pacification from the Later LĂŞ Dynasty wasn't purely for empty titles. The arrangement provided certain protections and a place to fence stolen goods. And the Northern Dynasty was equally interested in gaining revenue from pirate activities.
But empty titles held tremendous attraction for pirates. Originally, they had been the lowest-status people along the Chinese coast—subject to exploitation and bullying by officials and gentry. Now, they had suddenly become "officials" of a small court, possessing peerages they wouldn't dare dream of in China. Even if the titles were mere paper, they'd gained prestige and status abroad through maritime robbery. This attraction was no less powerful than getting rich.
Zheng Bao had hoped to receive even more generous titles from the Australians. Unexpectedly, the Australians had treated them with cold indifference, setting conditions that amounted practically to unconditional surrender. Listening to Jin Caifa's rambling complaints, Zheng Bao's temper flared.
He summoned the trusted aides who had accompanied Jin Caifa to inquire about specific details from their time on Hong Kong Island. Then he ordered: "Invite Advisor Wang."
The so-called Advisor Wang was Wang You, former general manager of Zhucailao's main camp. Amid the chaos following the crushing defeat at Nanri Island, he had barely managed to break out in a small boat, escaping with his life. He had fled to Zheng Bao.
Zheng Bao had once been a local tyrant along the coast—half-civilian, half-bandit. After Zhucailao's defeat, over a dozen of Zhucailao's large ships had come to join him. He'd also gathered and sheltered many remnants of Zhucailao's subordinates, expanding his influence dramatically. Zheng Bao had then simply raised his own flag and entered the pirate business.
Pirates like him differed fundamentally from Liu Xiang, Zhucailao, and Zheng Zhilong. Those great pirates were also maritime merchants; their fierce battles at sea were primarily struggles to seize monopoly rights over overseas trade. But Zheng Bao's sole purpose was looting to get rich. He was a true "sea bandit."
Zheng Bao had intended to use Wang You's prestige as former camp manager to recruit Zhucailao's old subordinates. But efforts to re-recruit the remnants had yielded little result. Zheng Bao faced competition from two great powers: on one side, Zheng Zhilong's vast organization; on the other, the Lingao group.
Zheng Zhilong's power was at its zenith, and the Lingao Australians had consolidated their base area—both were far more attractive than Zheng Bao. Most of the treasure in Zhucailao's main camp had been snatched by Zhu Ting, whereabouts now unknown. Zheng Bao possessed only the empty title of a former camp manager. As a newly emerged group leader, he naturally lacked the wealth to deploy. Without money, ships, and men, sworn brothers could turn hostile at any moment. Wang You's name couldn't attract anyone either.
Though he'd collected quite a few scattered personnel and small boats, he ultimately hadn't recruited many large ships.
Note: The Vietnamese court granting official titles to Chinese pirates to involve them in civil war actually occurred in the Qing dynasty. There are no such records in the Ming dynasty.
However, given the intensity of the Northern and Southern dynasties' fighting and both sides hiring Europeans as external aid, it would be strange if the Vietnamese hadn't attempted to recruit pirates highly active in the South China Sea.