Zhu Piaoling spoke cheerfully. "Chongming Island is just south of here, right? Beyond that should be Suzhou. Heh heh, I think I will disembark here and wander my way toward Nanjing. Commander Shi, Master Tie, Instructor Jiang, we will meet again!"
Shi Kefa frowned slightly. He genuinely worried whether this naive young master, wealthy but inexperienced, could handle the tangled world of Jiangnan. He lowered his voice and said seriously, "Young Master Zhu, Jiangnan is filled with formidable figures. You must be extremely careful and avoid drawing attention to yourself. I can tell that your background is extraordinary, but your masked appearance means you cannot reveal your identity or rely on your family's influence. Therefore, you must keep a low profile. A very low profile."
Zhu Piaoling laughed casually. "I know, I know. Low profile is the key, right? I am just taking a stroll. After that, I will come find you in Anqing."
Shi Kefa saw that further persuasion would be useless and said no more.
The Wanli Sunshine slowed briefly by the riverbank. Zhu Piaoling and his attendants boarded a small boat, disembarked, and disappeared into the distance like drifting smoke.
Shi Kefa watched them go and sighed. "I am still worried. He is clearly inexperienced. I fear he will offend the wrong people."
Tie Niaofei laughed. "He may be inexperienced, but his guards are not. There is no need to worry."
Shi Kefa nodded. "That is true. Besides, I have no time to concern myself with others. We will reach Anqing soon. I must roll up my sleeves and get to work. I will apply everything I learned at Gao Family Village and strive to ensure that the people of Anqing Prefecture can also live prosperous lives."
After passing Chongming Island, the Wanli Sunshine officially entered the Yangtze River.
The Yangtze's waters were far superior to those of the Yellow River. The channel was wide and deep, making navigation smooth and effortless. Before long, they reached Nanjing.
The New Jiang Estuary of Nanjing was the Ming Imperial Navy's main garrison.
At its height, more than four hundred large warships and four hundred transport vessels were stationed here, along with countless smaller craft.
But by the Chongzhen era, Nanjing had become a destination for officials nearing retirement or suffering demotion. The Ming Imperial Navy had long since declined.
Very few large warships remained at the estuary. What could still be seen were transport boats coming and going, loaded with tribute grain.
When the colossal Wanli Sunshine appeared outside the New Jiang Estuary, the transport boats scattered in panic across the river.
"Japanese pirates!"
"The Japanese pirates are here to steal the grain!"
This time, however, Shi Kefa was prepared.
Standing at the prow, he clutched an iron-sheet megaphone and shouted at the top of his lungs, "This is a court vessel! No need to panic! This is a court vessel! No need to panic!"
He shouted again and again, repeating himself endlessly.
It resembled the mechanical shouting of a Sanbengzi's electric horn endlessly repeating its warning, which made the scene unintentionally amusing.
Unfortunately, unlike the Sanbengzi, Shi Kefa was using his own voice. After shouting for a long time, his throat quickly grew hoarse.
Anqing Prefecture, Anqing Harbor.
Wang Gongbi, the Right Administration Commissioner, sat near the pier, staring at the densely packed transport boats with a deeply troubled expression.
Earlier in 1635, after Zhang Xianzhong's West Camp Eight Great Kings breached Fengyang and desecrated the Zhu family's ancestral tombs, part of their forces did not withdraw northward. Instead, they continued south and invaded Anhui.
These bandit forces soon merged with local mountain and water bandits. The strongest among them were known as the Huangmei Water Pirates.
With Zhang Xianzhong's land forces backing them, the Huangmei Water Pirates became increasingly bold. They now openly intercepted official vessels on the river.
Transport boats carrying tribute grain were their favorite targets.
At this time, Anqing still belonged to Southern Zhili under Nanjing's jurisdiction. The court had dispatched Wang Gongbi to Anqing by imperial decree, ordering him to suppress the bandits north of the Yangtze and protect the transport routes.
Wang Gongbi arrived full of ambition. His first act was to audit the Anqing Guard, intending to reorganize the troops and confront Zhang Xianzhong's forces.
The results of the audit left him stunned.
The Anqing Guard suffered from severe shortages of manpower and provisions. Their weapons were old and broken. In practical terms, they had no combat capability at all.
They could not even suppress the Huangmei Water Pirates, much less face Zhang Xianzhong's main army.
Wang Gongbi clutched his head in despair. "What am I supposed to do? What can I possibly do? It is over. Completely over."
"Report!" A scout rode up at full speed. "Your Excellency, bad news! The Huangmei Water Pirates are advancing and are less than ten li away!"
Wang Gongbi exclaimed, "What?"
He looked toward the pier and saw the dense cluster of transport boats. His heart sank. "This is disastrous. So many transport boats gathered here. If the bandits seize them, that is no different from aiding the enemy."
After a moment of hesitation, Wang Gongbi clenched his teeth. "Rather than letting the bandits take the grain, it is better to give it to the common people. Men, unload the grain immediately and distribute it to the people. Quickly!"
The Section Chief was startled. "My lord, if the court investigates afterward, you will surely be charged with a serious crime."
Wang Gongbi replied firmly, "Let them charge me. I cannot care about that now."
Orders were swiftly issued.
Wang Gongbi's family retainers, the Anqing Guard soldiers whose fighting strength was barely greater than that of peasants, and large numbers of dockworkers all rushed to unload the grain.
There was no time to transport it far. They simply pushed it into the crowds near Anqing Harbor and handed it directly to the common people.
Anqing City stood right next to the harbor. The people surged forward, each grabbing bags of grain and fleeing.
In the blink of an eye, the area around Anqing Harbor became livelier than a marketplace.
"Report! Water bandits five li away!"
"Report! A massive and strange vessel is approaching from downstream. It is at least twenty zhang long!"
Wang Gongbi was startled. "Twenty zhang long? What nonsense are you talking about?"
The scout replied, "That estimate is conservative. It may be even longer."
Wang Gongbi frowned. "Have the water bandits grown that powerful?"
The scout quickly explained, "It does not appear to be a bandit ship. There is a man in official robes standing at the prow. He seems to be shouting desperately, but his voice is hoarse, and I was too far away to hear what he was saying."
Wang Gongbi asked, "Official robes? What rank?"
"It appears to be a third-rank official."
Wang Gongbi's thoughts raced. "Could it be Shi Kefa? The court recently appointed Shi Kefa to oversee military affairs in Anqing and Chizhou. His post is Right Vice Censor in Chief, which is indeed a third-rank position."
Wang Gongbi sighed heavily. "Even if it is him, his arrival will not help. The military situation here is impossible. The guard soldiers are drawing empty pay, troop numbers are insufficient, and the court owes them provisions and wages. They have no will to fight. Shi Kefa will only end up overwhelmed, just like me."
He waved his hand forcefully. "Forget Shi Kefa. Continue distributing the grain. Let the bandits take less, and let the common people take more!"
One transport boat after another was emptied and abandoned at the pier. The grain was seized by the people.
In a very short time, eight thousand shi of grain had been distributed.