Confidant

Maritime trade had another name in the Ming Dynasty: tribute trade.

It was the Emperor's purse, and also the purse of the imperial clan.

Of the Ming Dynasty's maritime trade, both legal and smuggled, the imperial clan and meritorious nobles occupied eighty percent. The remaining twenty percent belonged to local powerful families and sea bandits.

"If the maritime ban is lifted, the imperial clan won't be able to compete with merchants," Wang Ji said. "Ming merchants will bring back more, better, and cheaper foreign goods from overseas."

Jiang Gui disagreed. "If they can bring them back, can't the imperial clan? They'll just earn a little less."

Wang Ji shot him a glance. "When you buy things, would you rather patronize a shopkeeper who is humble, polite, and trustworthy, or one who struts about arrogantly, acts superior, and throws their weight around?"

"Well, of course..." Jiang Gui paused. Thinking of the businesses run by royal princes and powerful noble families, he fell silent.

Wang Ji said, "Their status is right there for all to see. If the maritime ban is truly lifted, they will not merely earn less—they may not earn anything at all. Besides, who would be willing to make less money?"

Jiang Gui said, "Then what do we do? Stop fighting Japan? Give up the silver mine?"

"We must still fight, and we cannot give up the silver mine," Wang Ji said unhurriedly. "But how we fight, and how we take it, must be considered carefully."

Jiang Gui grew anxious. "We can't take it slowly. What if Japan discovers the silver mine too?"

Wang Ji raised a brow and said leisurely, "Wouldn't that be one way of doing it?"

Jiang Gui looked completely bewildered. "What?"

Liu Ju shoved his head aside and squeezed in front of Wang Ji. "Old