#253 - Ming 38: Manchus, and Pirates, and Rebels, Oh My!
The History of China
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The History of Admiral Zhang Zhelong
Zhang Zhelong surrendered to the Ming in exchange for an extremely cushy posting as Ming Major General and Admiral of the Coastal Seas. With a fleet of some 800 vessels, Admiral Zhang proved to be just as effective a pirate hunter as he had been pirate lord. Spain was pouring more than double the silver into China via the Philippines in the early 17th century than it was extracting from all of America at that same time.
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