Sky Curtain: The opening scene explains the four major cases of the Ming Dynasty plus the early Ming

Ignoring the netizens, Zhu Dijun continued playing the third point.

3. Jiangnan → Japan (Maritime Smuggling Route): Merchant fleets + Japanese pirate escorts, monopolizing foreign trade.

• Starting point: Ningbo Port (Xu Hai's smuggling base), Quanzhou Port (Wang Zonghui's secret dock)

• Transportation: Armed smuggling ships (equipped with cannons and Japanese swords, and the crew members were mostly former pirates)

• Route nodes and obstacle avoidance techniques:

1. Ningbo → Nagasaki (East China Sea Route): Xu Hai's fleet disguised itself as "tribute ships" carrying silk and porcelain from Wang Zonghui and ironware from Wu Jizuo. Along the way, they avoided the Ming Dynasty navy (the naval commander Zhou Tai informed them of the patrol route in advance). The fleet was equipped with 20 cannons and directly confronted small-scale anti-smuggling teams with force.

1. Nagasaki → Ningbo (return trip): Transporting back Japanese silver, sulfur, Japanese swords, and firearm raw materials needed by Anda were handed over at "Shuangyu Port" (smuggling base) in Ningbo. The silver was directly transferred to the money shops of Wang Zonghui and Wu Jizuo, while the firearm raw materials were transported to the border town via land routes.

Key protectors: Zhang Kai, Tongpan of Ningbo Prefecture (who received 5 taels of silver annually from Xu Hai); Chen Rui, Lieutenant General of the Fujian Navy (who received financial assistance from Wang Zonghui for the imperial examinations); and Liu Liang, garrison commander of Shuangyu Port (a close confidant of Wu Jizuo).

4. Mongolia → Japan (Transnational Smuggling Route): Altan Khan Caravan + Maritime Transit, a Closed Loop of Interest

• Starting point: Mongolian grasslands (Anda Khan's tent)

• Transportation: Mongolian caravan (led by Chataiji), Xu Hai's smuggling boat

• Route nodes and obstacle avoidance techniques:

1. Mongolian grasslands → Xuanfu border (land trade route): Qiataiji's caravan carries silver and furs to the Xuanfu border to exchange for silk and ironware from Jiangnan. Wu Jizuo's men are responsible for the handover, and the border general Zhao Qing provides protection.

1. Xuanfu → Ningbo (land + sea combined transport): Silk and ironware were transported to Ningbo via land routes, then handed over to Xu Hai's fleet to be transported to Nagasaki, Japan, in exchange for Japanese silver and firearms. Some of the firearms were then transported back to Mongolia to enhance the combat power of Altan Khan's army.

Key protectors: Liu Han (relative by marriage to Wu Jizuo), deputy commander of Xuanfu; Xu Hai, a merchant from Ningbo; and Qiataiji, leader of a Mongolian caravan.

III. Newly Added Related Officials: "Interest Collaborators" at the Grassroots and Mid-Levels (Operational Details + Scale of Profits)

1. Li Song, Judge of the Lianghuai Salt Transport Office (a key grassroots official)

• Responsibilities: In charge of salt release and inspection of grain transport vessels.

• Method of collusion: Wang Zonghui bribed him with 2 taels of silver every year and gave him 100 bolts of Suzhou embroidery; Li Song secretly issued more salt permits to Wang Zonghui (an extra 5000 permits every year), and turned a blind eye when inspecting the grain transport ships, and even forged documents for him that "the smuggled goods are the private property of salt merchants".

• Profits: During his five years in office, he received a total of 100,000 taels of bribes and purchased 500 mu of farmland in Yangzhou, becoming a local tyrant.

• Key Operation: Before the Gengxu Incident in the 29th year of Jiajing's reign, Li Song assisted Wang Zonghui in disguising 2000 bolts of silk and 500 pieces of porcelain as "private items of salt merchants" and transporting them to Tongzhou by canal boat. From there, they were transferred to a border town and handed over to Altan Khan, thus providing supplies for his invasion.

2. Zhang Bin, the postmaster of Xuanfu Post Station (a grassroots logistics cover-up worker)

• Responsibilities: Responsible for the supply and passage management of Xuanfu Post Station.

• Method of collusion: Wu Jizuo’s fellow townsman received 1 taels of “tribute silver” every year; Zhang Bin provided “expedited passage documents” for smuggled military vehicles, allowing them to avoid inspections along the way, while also providing food, lodging and intelligence (such as the movements of the government’s anti-smuggling team) to smugglers at post stations.

• Profits: During his three years in office, he accepted bribes of 30,000 taels of silver and opened two inns in Xuanfu specifically to cater to smugglers.

• Key Operation: In June of the 29th year of the Jiajing reign, Qiu Luan bribed the enemy to persuade Anda to turn his attack on Jizhou. Zhang Bin informed Wu Jizuo in advance of Anda's marching route, allowing him to adjust the port where smuggling ships docked, so as to avoid the war affecting the transfer of supplies.

3. Liu Zhong, Commander of Tianjin Garrison (Mid-level military cover officer)

• Responsibilities: Responsible for coastal defense and vessel inspection at Tianjin Port.

• Method of collusion: Wang Yu bribed him with 3 taels of silver and gave him 100 Mongolian furs every year; Liu Zhong tacitly allowed Wang Yu's smuggling ships to load and unload goods in Tianjin Port, and even sent garrison soldiers to "guard" him and prevent local officials from intervening.

• Profits: During his four years in office, he accepted bribes totaling 120,000 taels of silver, purchased three smuggling vessels, and participated in the fur resale business.

• Key operation: During the Gengxu Incident, Liu Zhong allowed the gold, silver and silk looted by Anda to be transported out through Tianjin Port. Afterwards, he forged a report stating that "all ships in the port are legal cargo ships" to cover up the smuggling.

4. Zhang Kai, Tongpan of Ningbo Prefecture (a mid-level maritime smuggler covering for smuggling operations)

• Responsibilities: Responsible for ship registration and foreign trade management at Ningbo Port.

• Method of collusion: Xu Hai bribed him with 5 taels of silver every year and gave him 10 Japanese swords; Zhang Kai forged "tribute ship" documents for Xu Hai's smuggling ship to allow it to leave port smoothly, and informed Xu Hai in advance of the time and route of the government's anti-smuggling operation.

• Profits: During his six years in office, he accepted bribes totaling 300,000 taels of silver and opened three money shops in Ningbo and Hangzhou, specifically for laundering money for smuggling groups.

Key Operation: In the 29th year of the Jiajing reign, Zhang Kai assisted Xu Hai in transporting Mongolian furs that Altan Khan had resold to Japan, in exchange for 500,000 taels of silver. Of these, 100,000 taels were transferred to Wu Jizuo to purchase firearms for the border troops, thus forming a closed loop of interests between Mongolia, Jiangnan, and Japan.

5. Zhou Tai, Guerrilla General of the Yangtze River Navy (Mid-level Maritime Escort)

• Responsibilities: Responsible for maritime anti-smuggling and coastal defense in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

• Method of collusion: Wu Jizuo sponsored his success in the imperial examination and later gave him 8 taels of silver to help him get promoted; Zhou Tai provided "escort" for the smuggling fleet, informed the navy of the patrol routes in advance, and blocked the anti-smuggling team under the pretext of "exercise" when they encountered them, or even directly used force to disperse them.

• Profits: During his four years in office, he accepted bribes of 80,000 taels of silver, owned two smuggling ships, and participated in the resale of silk.

• Key Operation: In the 29th year of the Jiajing reign, Zhou Tai intercepted a Ming Dynasty anti-smuggling team at the mouth of the Yangtze River, allowing Xu Hai's smuggling ship to pass and transport Japanese silver to Jiangnan to replenish the smuggling group's financial reserves.

IV. A closed-loop logic across the entire chain (connecting the history of success, the route taken, and the coordination with officials)

1. Initial capital accumulation: Salt merchants accumulated capital by taking advantage of loopholes in the salt tax system and the protection of officials (Wang Zonghui relied on the monopoly of salt licenses, Wu Jizuo relied on embezzlement of military supplies, and Wang Yu relied on the price difference in logistics).

1. Network Building: Salt merchants formed a network of "collusion between officials and merchants" by using marriage alliances and bribery to bind themselves to the imperial court (Yan Song), border towns (Qiu Luan), and grassroots officials (Li Song, Zhang Bin);

1. Route Implementation: Utilizing grain transport boats, military vehicles, and smuggling vessels, four major smuggling routes were established. Lower-level officials were responsible for bypassing checkpoints, while mid-level officials were responsible for providing cover, ensuring the smooth flow of goods and funds.

1. Execution of the conspiracy: Salt merchants provided funds and supplies, officials provided protection, and Altan Khan provided military force, together launching the Gengxu Incident and forcing the court to implement the Gengxu tax increase;

1. Profit sharing: The newly added military pay was deducted by officials and smuggled, flowing back into the pockets of salt merchants and officials, forming a vicious cycle of "smuggling - war - increased pay - more smuggling".