Chapter 60

Zhou Chong followed the bald, muscular man onto the largest seafaring vessel docked at the port. The ship was being loaded with cargo, which, though tightly wrapped, revealed through some gaps that it was all silk. There were a few other ships also being loaded, and if all the cargo was silk, the volume of this shipment would be truly astonishing.

The ship Zhou Chong boarded was likely the largest in the entire port, about ten zhang long, with a tall and sturdy hull. The deck looked like a basketball court. Following the bald, muscular man, they entered a relatively independent cabin at the stern. Inside were two spacious cabins, which seemed to be reserved for people of higher status on the ship.

The bald, muscular man walked to the door of the cabin on the left, knocked, and reported, "Miss, Master Zhou has arrived!"

"Please have Master Zhou come in!" A familiar female voice came from inside the cabin. Zhou Chong walked over, pushed the door open, and entered. He found three people in the cabin. Xie Lingyun was sitting behind a low table, leisurely brewing tea. Behind her stood two women, one of whom was naturally the young maid Suanzhu, and the other was an ordinary-looking middle-aged woman, standing there with her eyes slightly closed, seemingly indifferent to the outside world.

Seeing Zhou Chong enter, Xie Lingyun looked up and smiled, "Master Zhou, please sit. I just learned the art of tea from my mother. I wonder if you would be willing to taste the tea I have brewed?"

Hearing Xie Lingyun's invitation, Zhou Chong did not hesitate, walking over and sitting opposite her. "Miss Lingyun, you are a woman of great talent and grace. The tea you brew must be excellent. Unfortunately, I am not a connoisseur and might only waste the tea you have carefully prepared."

Hearing Zhou Chong, who had always been indifferent to her, suddenly praise her, Xie Lingyun was somewhat surprised. Then she smiled and handed him a cup of tea. "Master Zhou, you are too kind. I don't particularly enjoy tea either. To me, tea is just for quenching thirst, and its taste is secondary. This cup of tea is for you to quench your thirst!"

Zhou Chong took the cup without further ado and drank it in one gulp, showing no sign of savoring it. This made Suanzhu, the young maid behind Xie Lingyun, mutter to herself, "What a tasteless boy. You're a scholar, and you don't even know how to appreciate tea."

"Miss Xie, what is the purpose of your trip to Shuangyu Port? Is it necessary for you to personally oversee such a minor task as escorting the ship?" Zhou Chong asked after putting down the teacup. Generally, large smugglers like the Xie family had many trusted managers who handled the escorting of ships at sea, while Xie Lingyun only needed to manage from home. Only smaller smugglers would personally escort ships.

Xie Lingyun thought for a moment before answering, "Actually, there's nothing much. Our family has encountered some issues with our trade with Japan. The other party has invited me to Shuangyu Port for negotiations. Since you are also going there, I took the liberty of arranging for you to board my ship."

"Japan?" Zhou Chong's brows furrowed at the name. Coming from the future, he had an instinctive aversion to this country. He then asked curiously, "What kind of business does your family do with Japan?"

Xie Lingyun smiled and replied, "Japan is currently in a state of turmoil, and the country is poor and small. Almost everything is needed, from porcelain and cloth to food. Japan itself produces silver and sulfur, as well as some unique handicrafts. The annual trade volume is substantial, and it's no exaggeration to say that the Japanese are the easiest to make money from!"

"Ah, it seems Miss Lingyun is very knowledgeable about Japan. I've only heard that the country is currently under the control of the shogun, with the emperor's power being marginalized. Is that true?" Zhou Chong asked deliberately. Thanks to the extensive promotion by the Japanese in the future, especially through games and anime, he was quite familiar with the history of the Japanese Warring States period. However, he wanted to hear how much the Xie family, as a representative of Ming Dynasty smugglers, knew about Japan.

Xie Lingyun smiled faintly, "The situation in Japan is indeed complex. It's quite impressive that you know about the shogun."

At this point, Xie Lingyun gave Zhou Chong an appreciative look. As a scholar, it was quite rare for him to know about foreign affairs.

She continued, "However, the shogun's control over Japan's politics is a matter of decades past. Since the Meio War, the shogun's authority has greatly diminished. Ten years ago, Shogun Ashikaga Yoshitane led an army to suppress the Hosokawa clan but was instead deposed by them. Since then, the shogun's authority has been completely lost, becoming a puppet controlled by the daimyos."

Hearing Xie Lingyun's detailed explanation of Japan's situation, Zhou Chong was surprised. Her knowledge of Japan seemed no less than his, and due to business needs, Xie Lingyun must have a comprehensive understanding of Japan, which he could not match. At most, he knew some of the future developments of Japan's situation.

Speaking of Japan, Xie Lingyun seemed to remember something. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she said solemnly, "Since we're talking about Japan, we must mention the Japanese pirates. I have a warning for you, Master Zhou, regarding the Japanese pirates."

"Japanese pirates?" Zhou Chong's brows furrowed again. "Our dynasty suffered greatly from Japanese pirates in the early days, but weren't they eradicated? Why are they still around now?"

Hearing Zhou Chong's question, Xie Lingyun smiled coldly. "Japan is in a state of turmoil, and both samurai and commoners are bankrupt. To survive, they have turned to piracy. The turmoil in Japan has not only continued but worsened, so the number of pirates has not decreased but increased. These Japanese have become smarter, forming various large and small groups to smuggle between the Ming Dynasty and Japan for huge profits. However, they are still pirates, maintaining their pirate habits. For example, there are pirate groups in Shuangyu Port."

Hearing that the Japanese pirates had infiltrated the coastal areas of the Ming Dynasty, Zhou Chong's brows furrowed even more. He asked in a heavy voice, "Are these pirate groups very powerful? How do they compare to your family?"

Hearing Zhou Chong's probing question, Xie Lingyun rolled her eyes and answered indirectly, "These pirate groups are indeed powerful. In Shuangyu Port, there are five or six such groups. The strongest is called the Ashikaga Chamber of Commerce. Despite its name, it is essentially a group of aggressive pirates. They often engage in battles with other groups, so most people avoid them. They are also one of the four most powerful groups in Shuangyu Port, just like your father's group."

Hearing that a small group of Japanese pirates dared to dominate the coastal areas of the Ming Dynasty, Zhou Chong was filled with anger, wishing to drive them out of Chinese territory immediately. However, he quickly calmed down. The Ming Dynasty did not pay much attention to the coastal regions, and he was alone, unable to do anything. The most important thing now was to become stronger.

However, Zhou Chong did not notice that while he was angry about the pirates, Xie Lingyun was quietly observing his reaction. When she saw his anger, the cunning woman nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

Xie Lingyun then explained the distribution of the Japanese in Shuangyu Island. These Japanese were not a unified group; some factions were even at odds with each other. For example, the strongest group, the Ashikaga Chamber of Commerce, was led by a member of the Ashikaga family, who had fled to the sea to become a pirate due to being oppressed by daimyos in Japan. It was said that he still maintained contact with the Ashikaga family.

The other Japanese chambers of commerce were also not simple, with various daimyos in Japan supporting them openly or secretly. This led to a very hostile relationship between the Ashikaga Chamber of Commerce and the other Japanese groups, often resulting in battles. Some Japanese preferred to work under Ming Dynasty merchants rather than join their own chambers of commerce.

Finally, Xie Lingyun added that Shuangyu Port was not only home to Japanese but also Koreans. Their situation was similar to the Japanese, relying on smuggling between the Ming Dynasty and their own countries for a living. Due to historical reasons, there were frequent conflicts between the Japanese and Korean chambers of commerce. However, the Koreans were fewer in number and weaker, often being suppressed by the Japanese. If not for the occasional help from some Chinese chambers of commerce, the Koreans would have been wiped out long ago.

Meanwhile, in a secluded corner of the port, two small, dirty figures sat in a carriage. One of them said in a clear voice, "Sister, I just met Master Zhou, who saved us once. I wonder why he is here?"

The other did not respond but sighed lightly, "Little sister, we have been in Songjiang for many days. These smugglers are unwilling to let strangers like us board their ships. It seems impossible to escape overseas. Besides, our money is running out. We can only find a way to settle in Songjiang for now and hope that those people won't find us here!"

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