The matters of Shuangyu Island, he had naturally heard of long ago.
At this moment, he truly couldn't believe it and asked Yu Dayou again, "General Yu, you say Shuangyu Island is an opening to subvert the Great Ming? What do you mean by this?"
Yu Dayou and Li Wenjin exchanged glances, and almost simultaneously sighed. Yu Dayou then replied,
"Scholar Zhu, you truly don't know. Speaking of the Wokou, one must start with the Portuguese. They have naval bases in Joseon, Wa, and Ryukyu. Relying on these naval bases, they recruit soldiers and pirates, and simultaneously ferry porcelain, silk, and tea across the sea, profiting tenfold or more. Naturally, the scoundrels, officials, nobles, and royalty from all nations are eager to join. For decades, these naval bases have become countries within countries... You ask what Wokou are? They are such a very complex force.
The Wokou have strongholds in various countries. In the Great Ming, they are mainly Shuangyu Island, Chaolie Island, Lihai, Nan’ao, and Hainan. In Wa, they are Kyushu, Hirado, Goto, Okinawa, and Matsuura. In Joseon, they are Gyeongsang, Seohae, and Jeolla. I dare not speak for other places, but from what I have seen, Shuangyu Island is truly a terrifying place. The Wokou not only trade in produce but also traffic women and children and smuggle firearms. Because the profits are immense, the kings, nobles, and royalties of all nations turn a blind eye. After the Wokou grew powerful, with their sharp firearms and cannons and numerous warships, the various nations were helpless against them...
Thus, the Wokou became increasingly audacious. Instead, they colluded with the kings, nobles, and royalties of all nations, turning the coastal areas of these countries into states within states. The feudal lords of the Wokou, the prefects of Joseon, and the treacherous officials of the Great Ming all became involved in the Wokou's overseas trade, doing all sorts of wicked deeds in the coastal regions. If the coastal populace resisted, these individuals would unleash the Wokou to land, resulting in immediate slaughter and plunder!
For nearly twenty years, the reason the Wokou have been increasing in number and their influence has spread deeper is precisely because the officials and nobles of all nations have been in league with the Wokou! Scholar Zhu, in your reforms in Jiangnan, the ones who suffered the most were not the gentry, but the Wokou..."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Mo felt a chill run down his spine.
He found it difficult to believe, and was unwilling to believe.
He had pursued industrialization in Jiangnan partly because he considered that global trade had already been established, and by taking the initiative, the Great Ming could be revitalized. However, it now seemed he had completely misunderstood the reality of the Age of Discovery. If things continued this way, as Yu Dayou said, the greatest resistance would not come from the gentry, but from this transnational plundering group!
The more he thought about it, the more he trembled—
In Japan's Kyushu domains, along the coastal regions of Joseon, and in the southeastern provinces of the Great Ming, there were many insiders like the Otomo clan and the Yan family. All these countries were still in the feudal era. The appearance of such a supranational force was predictably subversive!
No wonder Yan Shifan would destroy the dikes to flood the fields? He merely wanted to utilize the land and population of the southeastern provinces, and through agents like Wang Zhi and Xu Hai, do business with the Wokou, or rather, with the Portuguese and Franks, to obtain tenfold or hundredfold profits. Furthermore, the Yan family used this as a stepping stone, advancing step by step, to gradually control the Great Ming entirely, with all members of the Yan faction joining in, ultimately turning the Great Ming into a land without a sovereign, where the Yan family would establish a shogunate, and all people under heaven would be incorporated into this model.
If it were before,
Wouldn't he, Zhu Mo, have thought this was only natural?
And from Yu Dayou's personal experience, military ports like Shuangyu Island, which served as colonial bases, were truly lawless places of sin. Such places operated only by the absolute law of the jungle. Except for the Wokou and a tiny minority of the officials and nobles of all nations, the vast majority of people were mere plunder.
At this thought,
Zhu Mo accessed the system, and the results were similar—
{Process: The First Maritime Globalization, Early Stage of the Age of Discovery;}
{Eastern Asia Data Collection: Great Ming related population 10 million, Japan related population 1 million, Joseon related population 500,000; Trade volume 20 million taels of silver/year; Matchlock guns 5,000, Cannons 200; Colonial bases 32;}
{Mode Analysis: Base-Extension Belt Mode. Using coastal islands as bases, extending through inland river belts, gradually controlling Asian mainland countries. The main leader is the Portuguese Royal Family, authorizing pirates and merchants to divide shipping routes and land populations; Main participants are: Southern Court Daimyo of Japan, coastal officials and nobles of Joseon, and the Yan Song father and son and their faction in the Ming Dynasty;}
{Ecological Analysis: Social Darwinism, extreme survival of the fittest;}
{Prospect Outlook: Within the next 5-10 years, Japan will fall, divided by civil war, the shogunate will lose its ruling power, and colonial daimyo will launch wars of unification; Within the next 5-10 years, at least half of Joseon will fall, due to the possibility of the Ming imperial family fleeing to Joseon exceeding 80%; Within the next 5-10 years, the possibility of the Great Ming splitting is 88%, with the probability of entering a hegemony exceeding 80%.}
{Recommendation: Any resistance is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.}
...
This assessment was basically consistent with Zhu Mo's view.
However, he naturally disagreed with the "mantis trying to stop a chariot." The dog system was merely an AI data collection and analysis system, and had no insight into historical choices!
To solve this predicament, there was a way.
Indeed,
This trend did not need to be resisted, but it needed to be regulated! How to regulate it? That would be up to Zhu Mo to establish a set of international laws!
Because, in the final analysis,
The reason for the emergence of such transnational subversive forces was actually the weakened ruling power of various countries. Japan was already in civil war and naturally could not control its southern daimyo; Joseon was in constant struggle among several powerful clans and was already in chaos. As for the Great Ming, it was all about the Yan faction.
Trade,
Of course, it must be done!
But it should absolutely not be left to pirates to do!
The Great Ming could completely operate through both official and private channels, all governed by law. The official channels would be handled by the Directorate of Weaving and Imperial Banks, while private enterprises would be licensed after review. As for Japan and Joseon, they could play or not play as they pleased, but if they played, they would have to abide by the international laws established by the Great Ming. The Portuguese must also adapt to local customs; otherwise, they would be annihilated.
Once the思路 was cleared, everything was actually quite simple.
The most important thing now was to push forward with reforms and balance the industries as quickly as possible. Only when the foundation was stable could an advantage be formed over the pirate model. When other countries saw that the reforms in the Great Ming were so good, their rulers would gain confidence, and thus they could resist those centrifugal forces.
Of course,
When necessary, the Great Ming would still need to send troops, money, and guns to help them, first to help these neighboring countries return to a normal state. Once countries entered a normal state, the Wokou, or more accurately, the transnational colonial forces, would lose their support, and eventually, only military confrontation would remain. And in military confrontation, things would be much simpler, at least it would not involve internal affairs.
At this moment,
He looked at Yu Dayou's dejected and weathered face, and finally understood something—
Yu Dayou, in history, had risen and fallen six times. Sometimes the court's evaluation was exaggerated; there was even an instance where it was said that Yu Dayou caused the outbreak of the Wokou. Yet, a few years later, he was reinstated. After defeating the Wokou, he was dismissed again, and this cycle repeated several times. Finally, during Zhang Juzheng's reforms, he joined forces with Qi Jiguang to quell the Wokou rebellion.
Looking at it this way, Yu Dayou's own life experiences showed that the Wokou problem was indeed extremely complex, and the Ming Dynasty remained indecisive...
Seeking collection, seeking silver tickets, seeking follow-up reading!