"Mr. Concubine, I want to report to you one more thing!" Qian Dahai hesitated for a moment before speaking to Zhang Zong again.

"If you have anything, just say it, don't be polite to me!" Zhang Zong responded with a smile.

"This incident is about the South China Sea. In the past two years, with the prosperity of sea trade, more and more pirates overseas, and they even dared to openly rob the passing large fleet. When our fleet went to the South China Sea last year, we also encountered pirates and lost several ships of cargo. Fortunately, the people finally came back safely." Qian Dahai said.

Qian Dahai's name is not only one fleet. In fact, with the support of Zhang Zong, he formed several fleets, and the routes of each fleet are also different. For example, the fleet he personally led mainly to America, and also to Nanyang and Japan. The one who was robbed was the fleet to Nanyang. He only learned about this after he came back.

"Pirates?" Zhang Zong frowned when he heard this, and then asked again, "Are the pirates in the South China Sea serious now?"

"Seriously, it can even be said to be very serious. The sea trade is no better than other ones. A ship carries a huge amount of cargo. As long as you rob, it will be enough for pirates to eat for a long time. This kind of unsuccessful transaction can be said to have great profits, so many bold guys went into the sea to become pirates."

When he said this, Qian Dahai sighed again and continued: "In addition, as far as I know, some merchants and even officials in the coastal areas have colluded with these pirates to help them deal with stolen goods, cover up their identities, etc. This has also made the pirates increasingly powerful and have even become kings in the South China Sea area. Passing merchant ships have to hand over some of the goods to them before they can pass."

After hearing this, Zhang Zong also showed a silent expression. Many years ago, he knew that the pirates on the sea were very rampant, but he did not expect that they were so rampant. However, this is normal. After all, the development of sea trade has been too fast in recent years. In this way, the pirates born to sea trade will naturally grow stronger.

"Then do you have any corresponding solutions to pirates?" Zhang Zong pondered for a moment before asking Qian Dahai.

"The best way is of course the court sends troops to encircle and suppress, but the sea is too big, and the pirates' nests are very secret. In addition, they are familiar with the sea, so even if the court wants to clear it, they often cannot find a place."

"This is a big problem. Although the imperial court has built an independent navy over the years, it is not a large number of people and does not have strong control over the ocean. It is indeed very difficult to completely eliminate these pirates." Zhang Zong nodded and said after hearing this.

"In fact, the imperial navy is still very powerful. After all, their equipment and training are far from comparable to pirates. If pirates face them head-on, they will definitely have no chance of winning. The only difficulty is to let pirates appear. I have some ideas about this." Qian Dahai said again.

"You say!" Zhang Zong said happily when he heard this. Qian Dahai was a person who was very polite and familiar with the situation at sea, so since he said there was a way, he must have thought about it.

"Actually, this method is not complicated. It is difficult to find pirates, but it is easy to find us. For example, we can disguise the navy's warships, mix with merchant ships, and then go out to sea together. When the pirates appear, the navy will come forward to destroy them. After using them a few times, the pirates will probably not dare to rob them again. If they lose the source of the robbery, they will not last long." Qian Dahai smiled and said with his plan.

Of course, although Qian Dahai's plan seems simple, it has many things that need to be coordinated, such as the navy must make them agree, and the merchant ship fleet also needs to keep it confidential, etc. These are not something Qian Dahai can do.

"Good way, let's do it. I'll take you into the palace tomorrow. Your Majesty knows you, and he is also very interested in overseas affairs. He will definitely adopt your opinion at that time. As long as Your Majesty nods, the navy will not be a problem!" Zhang Zong immediately slapped his thighs excitedly.

When Zhang Zong met Qian Dahai, Li Chongye was next to him. At that time, Li Chongye was particularly interested in overseas affairs and even wanted to set sail to sea. Unfortunately, he was adopted by Li Hong later, and then from the prince to the emperor. Now it is not convenient to leave the palace, let alone go to sea.

"Okay, then I'll have to do my best!" Qian Dahai nodded immediately when he heard that he was going to see Li Chongye. Anyway, it was not the first time he saw the emperor. The last time he came back from America, he was summoned by Li Zhi.

"Haha, I believe that when His Majesty sees you, he will definitely be happier than me. He has always been concerned about America. If he hadn't been the emperor, he might have really gone out to sea with you." Zhang Zong laughed again at this time.

That night, Qian Dahai lived in Zhang Zong's mansion. The next morning, the two of them entered the palace in a carriage. When Li Chongye learned that Qian Dahai had returned from America, he was very excited to summon him, and as Zhang Zong guessed, he asked Qian Dahai about the situation in America and the sea.

Qian Dahai also showed great respect when facing Li Chongye. He once again explained his trip to America in detail and answered some questions raised by Li Chongye. Finally, he led the conversation to the pirates.

Li Chongye had been very concerned about overseas affairs before, so he was not unfamiliar with pirates. However, it was the first time he knew that pirates had reached such a rampant level, and they were also colluding with illegal merchants and officials on the land, which he could not tolerate.

It is precisely because of this that Li Chongye quickly made a decision and agreed to Qian Dahai's suggestion. However, the removal of pirates was not just a matter of his words, but a lot of manpower and material resources were required, and there was also coordination in various aspects, so this must be required to discuss with the ministers and then send a capable man to supervise it.

Regarding the supervisor, Zhang Zong gave a suggestion. Because there are officials on the southern coast who colluded with pirates, it is best not to use local officials. Di Renjie happened to be sent to inspect Jiangnan, so it is better to wait until he inspected Jiangnan before rushing to the coastal area to supervise the removal of pirates. Anyway, he doesn't need to command the army personally, and with his ability, he can be fully qualified for this matter.
Chapter completed!