Trade, the Sea Prohibition and the “Folangji” 121
The appointment of a single ofβicial with responsibility for the affairs
of both Zhejiang and Fujian made it possible for the βirst time to provide
military coordination between the two provinces. In response to raids
on Ningbo and Taizhou by the Chinese and foreign maritime elements
at Shuangyu that probably occurred toward the end of 1547 or the
beginning of 1548,^111 Zhu summoned Lu Tang, the Assistant Military
Commissioner (duzhihui qianshi) of Fujian,^112 to lead a pincer attack
with the Fuqing βleet and the Zhejiang troops. In March‒April 1548 the
government forces scored a decisive victory over the pirate gang, that
was forced to retreat to Shuangyu.^113
Lu Tang directed a second major attack against the trading-cum-
pirate settlement in Shuangyu in June 1548, and that campaign, too, was
a complete success. Estimates of the number of pirates killed or captured
ranged from 55 to a few hundred. It is not clear from the Chinese records
if any Portuguese were among them.^114
Zhu Wan decided to deal harshly with the captives taken in the battles.
In a memorial to the Court, he argued his case by citing existing laws.
He began by mentioning the sea prohibition adopted in the early days of
- The Ming shilu, under the entry of February 7, 1548, records that, having
received a memorial from Zhejiang Inspecting Censor Pei Shen concerning the
plundering raids by sea bandits on Ningbo and Taizhou, the Court called for an
investigation into the affair and consolidation of coastal defense (MSL: SZ, 331:
6a‒b). Clearly, Roland Higgins‘ suggestion (“Piracy”, p. 178) that the incident
happened on this date is incorrect, since about a month‘s time or longer was
needed for the transmission of the memorial and the Court deliberation.
According to Ming shi (juan 81, “shihuo 食貨, 5”, p. 1981), about a hundred
“pirate” ships were moored in Ningbo and Taizhou and several thousand men
from the ships came ashore and plundered in the 26th year of Jiajing (sometime
between January 22, 1547 and February 9, 1548). - Ming shi, juan 212 , “Lu Tang”, p. 5608.
- MSL: SZ, 340: 7a; also Chouhai tubian 籌海圖編 [Sea strategy illustrated: A work
on coastal defense], comp. Hu Zongxian, Zheng Ruzeng, et al. 胡宗憲 (1512‒65),
鄭若曾 (1503‒70) 等編撰 (1624 ed.; 1st printing, 1562), 4: 15a, in [WYG]SKQS
(reprint,Taipei: The Commercial Press, 1973), Vol. 584, p. 102. - Boxer, South China, p. xxvii. The number of casualties and captives is given as
“a few hundred”, including the pirate leaders and those who harbored them
or received “stolen” goods from them. Furthermore, “dark barbarians” and
Japanese were included. See Zhejiang tongzhi, 60: 14B; and Fan Lai 范淶, Liang-
Zhe haifang leikao xubian 兩浙海防類考續編 [A supplementary edition of the
investigation into materials concerning the maritime defense in Zhejiang]
(1602 ed.), 9: 43b. Chouhai tubian states that 55, including 2 Japanese, were
captured and executed. Many were drowned during the action. See 4: 15a‒b, in
WYGSKQS, Vol. 585, p. 102.