Ming Dynasty Maritime Merchants, from Bankruptcy to Silver Empire

During the Wanli period, Yuegang. A bankrupt boatman, a leaky old ship, a group of poor sailors who were trampled in the mud by the big merchant gang. When Shen Chaosheng came over, he couldn't even collect the ransom money for his sister. But he can understand the sea. You can tell the undercurrent by looking at the color of the water, you can tell the storm by looking at the shape of the clouds, and you can tell your friends and foes by looking at the shape of the ship. He crushed modern ocean knowledge and blended it into this era of early sea power—— Class splitting, ticket futures, guild alliances, and double-entry accounting. The Dashang Gang said he broke the rules. The Spaniards said he was too shrewd. Fellow officials at the Governor's Office said he looked more like a chess player than a businessman. Only he himself knows: He wants more than just a silver empire. It is to let those who kneel down to make a living, one day be able to stand and look at the sea. This is a story about the sea, numbers and dignity.