00:00into a single massive confederation. Ching-Chi did not marry into quiet luxury. She demanded an
00:06explicit legally binding contract, a 50% share of his wealth, and an equal share in command.
00:13When Zhang Yi died in a storm off Vietnam in 1807, Ching-Chi didn't allow the confederation
00:18to fracture in a civil war. She immediately seized control of the enterprise. Partnering with her
00:24second-in-command, Zhang Bao, she secured the loyalty of key captains and expanded the Red
00:29Flag Fleet into a force of over 18,000 junks and 70 to 80,000 crew members. Her real power
00:38lay in her
00:39legendary legal code. Ching-Chi recognized that a massive criminal empire could only survive through
00:45absolute uncompromising discipline. Her code was brutal and precise. One, anyone giving orders not
00:53issued by her was instantly beheaded. Two, theft from the communal treasury or from allied coastal
01:00villages was punishable by death. Three, deserters had their ears cut off before being paraded through
01:06the fleet. Four, female captives were strictly protected. Rapists were executed. And those
01:14who engaged in consensual relations with captives without marriage permission faced severe physical
01:19punishment.
