Di Ming

Chapter 89 Watching the Show (Two chapters combined)

When the human trafficker saw the cold-blooded old man in front of him and recognized him as the famous Hai Rui, he immediately went limp.

It’s over.

If it falls into Hai Rui's hands, the guild leader and the guild will be in grave danger.

His family, living a life of luxury somewhere...

O Almighty Lord, please bless us so that we may escape danger and be blessed with good fortune.

Good heavens!
It turns out that Zhu Yin caught the human traffickers who were following Ding Hongying and Ning Caiwei yesterday.

The human traffickers, seeing two beautiful women with unbound feet, were so eager that they waited all day until Ding Hongying finally took Ning Caiwei to the Confucius Temple night market.

The hunter appears as the prey.

He followed them, but was instead captured by Lancha.

Coincidentally, he was a kidnapper sent by Hao Zheng.

At first, Zhu Yin didn't know that the kidnapper was Hao Zheng's subordinate. But he found a cross that the kidnapper wore close to his body!
Zhu Yin knew perfectly well that he was a Chinese member of the Jesuit order.

So Zhu Yin used the name Hao Zheng to probe him suddenly and immediately deduced that the kidnapper was related to Hao Zheng.

Zhu Yin then realized that Hao Zheng was not only a traitor and spy, but also a leader of a human traffickers who trafficked women and children.

There was more than one kidnapper. But each kidnapper was a brainwashed fanatic, a trusted confidant who had followed Hao Zheng for many years.

He's not fanatical, and he won't be sent out by Hao Zheng.

These kidnappers only target girls and children, so they rarely fail. Even if they do fail, there is little risk because their targets are vulnerable.

This human trafficking gang was allowed to roam freely in Southern Zhili for many years.

Women and children go missing or are abducted every day in Southern Zhili, but the government is used to it, deals with it perfunctorily, and even refuses to file cases, let alone report them.

Once a case is reported, the superior will order it to be solved within a specified time. Reporting too many cases will be seen as a sign of incompetence in maintaining public order; isn't that just asking for trouble?

The dereliction of duty and laziness of government officials, along with their apathy, allowed human trafficking to flourish and become an industry. Not only did the traffickers escape justice, but they also amassed considerable wealth.

At first, this person was very stubborn, acting as if he would never speak, even if God forbid.

It's as if keeping a secret will earn you God's forgiveness, wash away your original sin, and grant you ascension to heaven.

But Zhu Yin's methods were far more sophisticated than those of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

He doesn't believe that a living person wouldn't confess.

The interrogation methods of the Ming Dynasty inherited the "five listenings" and "hooking and distance" methods of the previous dynasty, and some psychological interrogation techniques also appeared.

For example, interrogating people about foot bindings, large trees, bronze mirrors, and other items.

Zhu Yin's methods of winning hearts and minds were quite different.

He started by telling interesting stories, mostly biblical stories and many Western stories.

The human traffickers were very surprised, surprised that this child knew so much about the Kingdom of God.

He had heard some of the stories, but many more, more amazing and interesting ones, he had never heard before.

Then it's certain that this child understands the church and Westerners very well.

Then Zhu Yin told him that the translation of "God" was incorrect. The gods of the West are not actually called God; the Chinese god Haotian is God.

Westerners deliberately translated it this way, plagiarizing the name of God, just to deceive you and make it easier for you to accept.

Many Westerners themselves question their God, saying that the church is a fraud and that there is no heaven, only hell.

Some people even say that heaven and hell are actually the same place.

Even the church itself was divided into several factions, each with its own pope, and they fought each other. The faction that came to the East was considered heretical by the other factions.

There is no God on earth; it's all about power struggles and self-interest. There is no heaven, but hell certainly exists.

Then, Zhu Yin had Ning Caiwei speak a passage in Spanish. The translator said it was the King of Isisbaria's original words, meaning:

"The church is full of liars, they only know how to cheat me out of my money. You should let those Easterners believe your lies instead."

When the trafficker heard that Ning Caiwei's foreign language was similar to that of the foreigner, his fanatical belief finally broke down.

After telling these stories, Zhu Yin then ordered him to be tortured.

First, use bamboo skewers to nail into his fingernails.

The human traffickers' morale crumbled, and they soon collapsed.

Under Zhu Yin's inducement and interrogation, he confessed to Hao Zheng's crimes of trafficking people, colluding with foreigners, bribing officials, and secretly proselytizing.

In reality, although human traffickers are fanatical converts and "loyal believers" who have been thoroughly brainwashed, they don't actually know much.

The cunning Hao Zheng kept many secrets from these fanatical and steadfast "loyal followers," maintaining only single-line contact with them.

The traffickers wouldn't know about the more confidential matters.

However, this person confessed that the secret society had at least four or five hundred members, not only in Southern Zhili but also in Zhejiang.

He knew of at least two underground churches in Nanjing.

As for what he doesn't know, there's even more.

Besides secretly proselytizing, the underground church's mission also included collecting antique artifacts, craft recipes, and rare books that foreigners coveted…

Even the ancient artifacts, treasures, books, and classics of Xiaoling Mausoleum and Nanjing Imperial Palace have been stolen and sold.

Of course, they also trafficked women and children. They primarily trafficked respectable women who hadn't bound their feet and were fair-skinned and beautiful.

The buyer was a Westerner. Westerners admired women from the Ming Dynasty, believing them to have fair skin, beautiful clothing, and elegant manners, far superior to the women of the Southeast Asian barbarians.

One option was to become a female slave for foreign missionaries in the East.

Secondly, she served as a camp girl for foreign troops stationed in Luzon, Macau, Malacca, and other places.

Thirdly, foreign sailors on various warships and merchant ships served as ship girls.

Fourth, they were sold at high prices to various Western countries, becoming Eastern female slaves for Western estates to admire.

Because the mortality rate of these women in foreign military camps and warships was very high, they had to be continuously sold to replenish the losses.

Last year alone, Hao Zheng abducted and sold more than a thousand young girls from the Ming Dynasty to foreigners.

Over the years, it has accumulated to at least eight thousand, if not ten thousand.

Zhu Yin was not surprised at all when he heard these figures.

During the late Ming Dynasty, China was one of the main sources of slaves for the Western slave trade.

Human traffickers in the late Ming Dynasty were notoriously professional and ruthless throughout history.

Compared to the hanging punishment in the Tang Code, the punishment for human trafficking in the Ming Code was much more lenient, with only caning and exile as punishments, and often no cases were filed.

The slave trade of Chinese people intensified towards the end of the Ming Dynasty. By the Chongzhen era, with the extreme weakness of the Ming Dynasty, tens of thousands of Chinese were being sold overseas every year.

The difference is that the vast majority of Han Chinese trafficked during the Ming Dynasty were women. Their uses were also the most despicable and tragic.

Unlike African slaves, they were primarily used for labor.

Western historical papers have only revealed a small part of the large-scale trafficking of Chinese women by colonizers during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The exact number of women trafficked overseas during the decades of the late Ming Dynasty is difficult to estimate.

This exacerbated the already severe gender imbalance in the late Ming Dynasty.

Fujian, where women are most severely affected by the outflow of women, has a staggering gender ratio of two to one.

Upon hearing these figures, Ning Caiwei felt like killing someone.

Ning Qingchen was about to explode.

Human traffickers deserve to die a horrible death.

Zhu Yin said to Ning Caiwei, "Don't worry, he will not only die, but he will also have a difficult time dying."

Ning Caiwei said seriously, "Little Tiger, you said it yourself. We can't let him get away with it so easily."

……

Zhu Yin handed these confessions to Hai Rui and said, "Father, this man has confessed. Please investigate thoroughly."

When Hai Rui saw the confession, his aged face turned extremely cold.

"How dare you, you petty scoundrels, do such a thing!"

Hai Rui's eyes were filled with fierceness. "If this is true, I will give the world an explanation!"

He questioned the trafficker again, and immediately gave the order to have the yamen soldiers of the Censorate secretly detain the trafficker temporarily and keep him under strict guard.

After the human traffickers were taken away in a dazed and confused state, Zhu Yin said righteously:

"The human trafficker was caught in the accident, but he still tried to bribe and win over the child. He promised that if the child would let him go, his master would give the child a lot of gold and silver, making the child rich overnight."

“I have always respected my father the most. How could I be bribed by him? He said, ‘Are you stupid? Don’t you want to get rich?’”

“Your son said, even if we become rich, a gentleman acquires wealth through proper means! We will hand you over to Hai Qingtian, who will capture you all and rid the people of this scourge. The government will reward you handsomely!”

Hai Rui understood and laughed, "You child... never mind, I find joy in hardship, but I cannot expect you to learn from me."

"If this is a major case, there will be a reward according to the imperial court's reward system. You have rendered meritorious service by reporting the crime, and I will ask for a reward for you."

Zhu Yin liked this aspect of Hai Rui very much.

He did not demand that Zhu Yin meet his own standards.

He acted strictly according to the law. Rewards were part of the law, and therefore should be obeyed. The money the court was obligated to give was to be given.

Zhu Yin was overjoyed when he heard that Hai Rui had agreed to ask for a reward for him.

That's it.

This is a major case; the amount of money involved must be substantial. The larger the amount involved, the greater the harm, and the higher the reward.

Most people who claim the bounty remain anonymous to avoid retaliation.

The highest reward offered by the Ming Dynasty was for the capture of the pirate Chen Zuyi in the early Ming period, with the reward increasing from 500,000 taels to several million taels.

During the Jiajing era, a reward of up to 100,000 taels of silver was offered for the traitor Zhao Quan.

Even if you only make a few thousand taels after all your hard work, it's still a lot of money.

Mr. Ning at home is now eagerly waiting to solve the case and claim the reward.

Then, Hai Rui summoned Zhu Yin to his study and asked, "What is the truth of this matter? We must not listen to this person's one-sided account."

"The confession stated that Zheng Yuankui, the owner of Jinyunfang, had already colluded with Hao Zheng. Zheng had just boarded the pirate ship, so his heart must not be firm."

"I've divided my forces into two groups. One group has brought Zheng Yuankui in for questioning, and the other has brought Hao Zheng in for questioning. Zhu Yin, what do you think is still missing?"

He asked this question to test the child, of course. He wanted to see if the child was truly a precocious prodigy.

Zhu Yin secretly praised him. Hai Rui immediately discovered Zheng Yuankui as the key breakthrough point from the confession.

Zheng Qianhu had just made connections with the Jesuits and had not yet been brainwashed. At this point, he was cooperating with Hao Zheng entirely out of business interests.

If this person is caught, he could easily betray Hao Zheng.

With two witnesses present, Hao Zheng couldn't keep up his stubbornness for long.

This is Nanjing, not the Guanzhong Plain or the Zhoushan Islands where you can kill people at will. Therefore, Zhu Yin has no choice but to use legal means to eliminate Hao Zheng and Commander Zheng.

Sure enough, under his previous inducement by impersonating a member of the Zheng family, Hao Zheng actually went to bribe Zheng Qianhu.

Even if Commander Zheng hadn't gotten involved with the traitors, Zhu Yin was determined to link him to Hao Zheng. He would fabricate a false case to get rid of this scum who deserved to die long ago.

"Father is brilliant! He struck right at the heart of the matter from the very beginning." Zhu Yin was the first to offer a high compliment. "Father must have had this planned in mind all along."

“Since Father wants to test me, I will speak my mind freely, as children speak without restraint.”

As the boy spoke, he poured Hai Rui a cup of tea and handed it to him. Then, he said slowly, "In my humble opinion, we should not only arrest the person, but also do it at night."

"Only when the evening drum sounds in the city and all the inner and outer walls are closed can we send out troops to arrest people, so as to prevent the bandits and their followers from escaping out of the city upon hearing the news."

"With the city gates closed at night, it would be difficult for them to escape."

"This is one of them."

Upon hearing this, Hai Rui stroked his beard and nodded, his expression full of admiration.

“Good job, child. Please continue.”

Zhu Yin stroked his chin and said:
"Secondly, if this case is true, it must be a major case with far-reaching implications. Foreigners, officials, eunuchs, wealthy merchants... many people are involved."

"In the entire Nanjing, besides my father, who dares, who can, and who is willing to investigate thoroughly and remain impartial?! Only my father!"

"Therefore, if Father is to preside over a major case, he must be careful and protect himself properly so that he does not fall into the hands of villains."

Zhu Yin has no need to hide his talents, because there have always been child prodigies.

No matter how powerful they are, can they be more powerful than Xiang Tuo, the Child Saint, Gan Luo, the Prime Minister of Qin, or Wen Ji, the Lady of Han?
Even in this dynasty, didn't we have Xie Jin, Yang Shen, and Xu Wei?

At worst, it's just "returning to the primordial state and inhabiting the form of a child," nothing strange about it.
Hai Rui finally smiled.

"Zhu Yin, your temperament is completely different from mine, yet we are kindred spirits. What is the third point?"

Zhu Yin gritted his teeth: "If we don't act now, we won't act now; but if we do, it will be earth-shattering. We'll use thunderous methods, like wind, fire, thunder, and lightning, to get things done quickly and thoroughly. We'll dig three feet into the ground. We'd rather arrest a hundred people temporarily than let a single one escape!"

"This is an overcorrection. I believe that if this case hadn't been handled with the malice of a cruel official, it would have been a minor matter!"

"A cruel official?" Hai Rui suddenly burst into laughter. "Back in my day, I was accused of being a cruel official! What do I have to fear from the name of a cruel official? If it's for public affairs and upholding the law, then being a cruel official is perfectly acceptable!"

"More than twenty years ago, I submitted a memorial on maintaining public order. Now that I am old and frail, am I suddenly afraid?"

"Though there be thousands of people, I will go."

At this moment, the ascetic scholar, over seventy years old, is like an aging lion or tiger.

Though old, his might remains!

Zhu Yin stood up and said in a clear, childish voice, "If the Ming Dynasty didn't have my father, what would become of the people under heaven!"

"Your son is willing to serve as a humble advisor and do his utmost for this case!"

Hai Rui immediately dispatched his old servant to quickly summon the Imperial Censor in charge of the river.

The Nanjing Supervisory Council had military power. This military power was held by the Imperial Censor in charge of the river patrol under the jurisdiction of the Southern Metropolis.

The Imperial Censor in Charge of the River, together with the meritorious officials in charge of the river, controlled the naval camps along the Yangtze River in Nanjing.

Although this force was small in number, it was relatively independent for the purpose of maintaining a balance of power. It was not directly under the jurisdiction of the Nanjing inner and outer garrisons, but was instead under the control of the Southern Metropolitan Censor.

Hai Rui no longer trusts anyone, so he simply mobilizes the troops of the Imperial Censor in charge of the river patrol.

He was the head of the Nanjing Metropolitan Procuratorate and one of the three judicial departments, with the power to directly initiate and investigate cases. In the Southern Zhili region, "major matters were decided by imperial decree, and minor matters were decided immediately."

Unlike the Qing Dynasty, the Censorate was the most powerful of the three judicial departments in the Ming Dynasty. In other words, Hai Rui was the most powerful judicial official in the entire Southern Zhili region.

Because officials of the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review were subject to the supervision of the Censorate.

The supervisory body is naturally half a level higher.

After all, from a legal perspective, he could easily use the fact that the case involves officials and is related to corruption to propose an investigation.

First arrest and interrogate the person, then proceed with the formalities.

Hai Rui had long since mastered the art of achieving his goals without violating any rules.

If we were to follow the procedures rigidly, this matter would require issuing a warrant to Yingtian Prefecture, which would then issue a warrant to Jiangning County, allowing Jiangning County, which has direct jurisdiction, to take charge.

Then, after Jiangning County arrested the person and conducted a preliminary investigation, it submitted a detailed report on the grounds that the matter was of great importance and transferred jurisdiction.

First, it was transferred to Yingtian Prefecture, which then submitted a report and reviewed the case before transferring it further up the chain of command.

Then the Ministry of Justice issues a document, the Censorate issues a document, the Court of Judicial Review issues a document, and finally the three judicial departments can conduct a joint trial.

Because the case involves a wide range of people and foreigners, it may be necessary to report to the Nanjing Garrison Eunuch and the Nanjing Director of Ceremonies Eunuch, and send the Nanjing Eastern Depot and the Nanjing Embroidered Uniform Guard to participate in the trial.

The various departments also had to exchange tickets, pass documents, and issue announcements.

Going through this process takes a long time, making secrecy impossible.

The day lilies are cold.

If Hai Rui were so rigid, he would be truly pedantic, and could he have earned the reputation of "Hai Qingtian" (Hai the Upright Official)?
The premise of procedural justice is that there is no serious corruption in the procedural process.

If someone knowingly follows procedures despite knowing that there is serious corruption in the process, then it's not much different from dereliction of duty.

Then, Hai Rui began issuing warrants for detention, inspection, and imprisonment, issuing three imperial edicts in a row.

Then, one by one, they stamped their own seals on the South Courtyard official seal.

As Zhu Yin watched Hai Rui write one menacing legal document after another, he obediently ground ink for his father, his little face solemn, his heart filled with excitement.

Two full hours passed, until the sun had set, before Xiao Chongye, the Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Southern Capital and the Censor of the River, hurriedly arrived at Hai Rui's official residence.

"This junior greets Lord Hai!"

Xiao Chongye was from Yunnan and once served as a supervising secretary in the Nanjing Ministry of War.

In the thirteenth year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, he represented the imperial court on a mission to Ryukyu to confer the title of King of Ryukyu. The King of Ryukyu offered a large reward, but Xiao Chongye refused four times, accepting not a single penny, maintaining his integrity and incorruptibility.

When Hai Rui, who was then the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel in Nanjing, learned of this, he submitted a memorial to the emperor recommending Xiao Chongye as the Vice Censor-in-Chief of Nanjing and the Commander of the Yangtze River, replacing the unsuitable Zhao Huan.

Xiao Chongye was thus appointed as the Imperial Inspector in Charge of the River Defense, and gained partial control of the naval forces along the river.

Xiao Chongye arrived late because, although he was the Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Nanjing Metropolitan Censorate, he frequently went to inspect the naval camp.

He rushed back from the naval camp.

Hai Rui handed the detention warrant and confession to Xiao Chongye, saying, "Yunxiu, under the pretext of investigating water bandits who have infiltrated Nanjing, mobilize a bureau of troops to enter the city."

Zhu Yin knew that a "bureau" was a unit of some Ming army, and a bureau consisted of three divisions and three hundred people.

"Are three hundred people enough?" Zhu Yin was a little worried.

Xiao Chongye's expression was also very unpleasant after reading it.

If true, this case will surely cause a bloodbath! Even the imperial court in Beijing will be shaken!

"Yunxiu, I know your character; you are upright and capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities." Hai Rui's eyes appeared even more profound in the dim candlelight.

"But if you don't want to do it, you don't have to. I can do it myself. You should think it over carefully."

“Lord Hai,” Xiao Chongye said solemnly, “Why must you provoke me, Lord Hai! Such a momentous matter deserves your assistance; I shall be the one to lead the way!”

"If you cherish this life, you might as well go home!"

"Excellent!" Hai Rui slammed his hand on the table and stood up, his face full of admiration in the flickering candlelight.

"I knew I hadn't misjudged you!"

"Then, take my warrant and order me to immediately mobilize a unit of elite troops! Enter the inner city before the closing drum sounds!"

"Then they split into three groups and arrested everyone from Tianqing Pavilion, Jinyun Pavilion, and the underground church, imprisoning them in the Censorate Prison..."

"Just say that they are suspected of colluding with Japanese pirates and officials. Before arresting them, we need to find out whether Hao Zheng and Zheng Yuankui are at home and where they are."

"Apart from key figures like Hao Zheng and Zheng Yuankui, anyone who resists arrest with weapons will be killed without exception!"

Xiao Chongye said resolutely, "I will obey your orders! Rest assured, Lord Hai, I will give you an explanation tonight!"

After saying that, he picked up the playing card and left in a hurry.

The candlelight flickered in Hai Rui's eyes, like flames burning, making him resemble an old, fierce tiger.

Zhu Yin could sense that Old Man Hai was very excited at this moment.

His blood seemed to be burning, and his whole body radiated a fighting spirit.

"Hai Jiu!"

"Master," an old servant entered the study, "please give your instructions."

Hai Rui said, "Go and invite Master Wang to come and discuss matters."

"Alright." The old servant accepted the order and left.

Zhu Yin knew he was out of the picture. What followed was a battle of the titans.

"Father, I'll take my leave now," Zhu Yin said. "I want to go out and see what's going on."

Hai Rui nodded. "Go."

"Yes. Take care, Father!" Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei bowed and then turned to leave.

Hai Rui watched the two children's retreating figures with a somewhat amused expression.

Heh, this cunning child is as sly as a fox.

……

Late at night.

At 9:00 PM, the second watch drum had already sounded.

A magnificent sedan chair stopped outside the gate of Jinxiufang. The sedan chair bearers respectfully lifted the curtain, and a middle-aged man with a fierce face stepped out.

At first glance, he looks like a warrior, but upon closer inspection, he looks like a merchant.

This man is none other than Zheng Yuankui, the owner of Jinyunfang and the commander of Xin'anwei Garrison!

He was very happy and joyful tonight.

"The master is back."

The attendants at the door hurried over to greet him.

But there was another person in the sedan chair, a young boy of twelve or thirteen.

The young man was handsome, almost like a woman, but his face was very pale and he looked somewhat lost and dejected.

"Hehe. Come down, what are you daydreaming about?" Zheng Yuankui looked at the minor official and suddenly felt a surge of heat, his interest piqued again.

Then, several people helped the minor official down and carried him into the magnificent mansion.

But as soon as Zheng Yuankui entered the mansion, a sound like the tide came from outside, followed by the clanging of armor, which startled several night birds into flight.

More than a hundred armored soldiers rushed into Jinxiufang and shouted:

"Officials are handling a case; stand at attention!"

"Capture the Japanese pirate spies! Anyone who resists will be killed without exception!"

Zheng Yuankui, who had already taken off his clothes in the room, cursed upon hearing the news, put on his clothes, and rushed out.

"Where did this plague come from! Do you know who your master is? How dare you cause trouble here!"

"Who's the leader? Come out and speak! I'm the hereditary commander of a thousand households!"

Among the armored soldiers, a captain stepped forward, drew his sword, and laughed:
"Commander Zheng, you've accomplished something truly remarkable at home!"

"You are suspected of colluding with Japanese pirates and harboring pirates. You've been caught!"

"Colluding with the Japanese? Me?" Commander Zheng sneered, "Bullshit! I am a hereditary commander of a thousand men, a fifth-rank military officer. Colluding with the Japanese? Whose side are you on anyway?"

The captain's face darkened. "So you've been wronged? Even if you have, you should go to the yamen to clarify things."

"Men! Seize him!"

"promise!"

P.S.: I was too busy on Monday to add an extra chapter for the Alliance Leader. I can only write 6,000 words, so I'll combine two chapters into one. Extra chapters will start tomorrow! Thank you again to Alliance Leader Red Judge Larsen for the generous donation! Please, please, don't donate anymore, it breaks my heart! Just subscribe! Goodnight!

(End of this chapter)