The Li family fleet's two medium-sized wooden sailing ships, the Shenchun and the Huachang, returned safely to Hangzhou within a few days. After turning over the more than twenty Japanese pirates they had captured to the Ming authorities, they received a commendation.
Of course, the "commendation" amounted to little more than a few words of praise. They could forget about any reward money or other tangible benefits!
The Ming authorities weren't paying any attention to the Japanese pirates at all. They were too busy lining their own pockets and chasing after benefits, and even more preoccupied with the barbarians beyond the passes and the rebels in the northwest. How could they spare time to care about the barbarians across the sea, Japanese pirates, or merchants?
As for the Li family fleet taking it upon themselves to fight the Japanese pirates and the like, that was even less their concern.
In any case, the Ming authorities along the coast wouldn't provide money, manpower, or ships. If the Li family wanted to fight, they could go right ahead. If anything went wrong, the Li family would take the blame, and the authorities wouldn't bear the slightest responsibility. But if they benefited from it—for instance, by capturing a group of Japanese pirates this time—all they had to do was report the victory, and it would become an achievement for the Hangzhou prefectural government. Why wouldn't they?
"Admiral!"
"We're back!"
At the Li family's private residence, which was modeled after a Suzhou garden, Li Huamei had finally been reunited with her foreign employees and followers. She had come ashore at the port two days earlier.
"!!"
"James, and Yukyu—you're back?"
"And Easun..."
"You've all worked hard. Sit down and have some tea first!"
Seeing her subordinates return one after another, Li Huamei breathed a