The sun set gently on the horizon, dyeing the waters a glowing red. The land seemed to have been draped with a dark red brocade robe. Usually at this time of the day, the docks would be becoming more quiet. However, at this moment, it was still bustling with activity. The dockworkers came to and fro, hauling cargo on their shoulders and backs. Carts among carts were stacked high with goods from the sea-going ships. 

A bunch of brawny men dressed entirely in black patrolled the perimeter of the docks. All of their eyes were alert and they attentively observed the surroundings. In the cargo holds of the hundred or so ships, there were the seeds of unfamiliar crops as well as some precious goods from the western hemisphere and southern seas. 

The rarer something is, the greater its value. Silks and porcelain, which were commonly seen items for the Great Ming Dynasty, could be sold for ten times, even a hundred times their value in the west. On the flip side, goods that were considered commonplace in the west were worth more their weight in gold in the Great Ming Dynasty. The emperor had previously said that all of the goods from the voyage, other than the ones he listed, were the property of Royal Prince Yang. From the spoils of this trip, Prince Yang would definitely increase his wealth by a hundredfold! There were so many valuable items, so they naturally had to prevent unscrupulous people from seeing t...