In Japanese legend, mermaids were food for humans; eating one granted eternal life.
There was also the belief that if old objects were carelessly discarded—umbrellas, wooden fish drums, pots, and other everyday items—they would turn into all sorts of yokai because of their resentment and come out to roam at midnight. The Japanese called this the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.
Yet one object differed from these yokai. A geisha, resentful of her lover, threw a pipa she had once cherished into the sea. The instrument became a yokai as well, but unlike harmless umbrella spirits, it often rose and fell with The Waves, playing eerie music that summoned other sea monsters. Thus, it was called the Ghost Pipa and did not belong to the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.
After the fleet reached Shanwei, it docked. The admiral decided that a loyal servant and Wan Ning's aunt would escort her overland back to her family home in Jingdezhen, while the others continued onward by sea. At that moment, the provincial graduate proposed leaving with them.
No one accused him of deserting before battle. In truth, Nick also wanted badly to leave with the provincial graduate. Compared with the Guangdong navy, the Fujian navy had a far heavier task. Chaozhou and Taiwan traded frequently, since Taiwan was Chaozhou's main source of rice. Chaozhou people had also migrated to Siam because of famine, seeking opportunities there and even monopolizing Siam's tribute ships, something expressly forbidden by the Qing Court.
It was not only Qianlong who worried that these Siamese ships operated by Chinese merchants might collude with pirates. Siamese ships also traded at the small coastal ports between Guangzhou and Chaozhou.
This could not be called smuggling, since they were tribute ships and carried no prohibited goods. Thus, the