Shenjing City, Daming Palace, Wuying Palace
It was mid-afternoon, and the warm winter sunlight shone in the courtyard.
Accompanied by all the palace officials, Emperor Chongping walked grandly into the palace.
"We have met your Majesty." Shi Jie, the Minister of War, quickly led a group of officers from the Military Aircraft Department to greet the general, with a smile on his face.
King Chen Ran of Wei, dressed in a green and red python suit, was also present. Seeing Emperor Chongping's arrival, he also stood up from behind the desk and saluted Emperor Chongping.
Emperor Chongping glanced at King Wei, ignored him, raised his eyes to look at the Minister of Military and Aircraft Shi Jie, and asked: "Shi Qing, is there an urgent military message from Duke Wei?"
Shi Jie said: "Back to your Majesty, Duke Wei has led boats to Fuzhou in the past two days, but the latest military report has not been received yet."
Emperor Chongping nodded and asked: "How many pirates and red barbarians are there on Da Yuan Island?"
Among the official names of the Han court, one followed the Ming Dynasty in calling Taiwan Jilong Mountain, and the other was that people in southern Fujian called the island Dayuan in the Ming Dynasty.
It wasn't until Kangxi established the Taiwan Prefecture that it was known as "Taiwan Prefecture" by later generations.
Shi Jie cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, according to the report from Jinyi Mansion, there are more than 100,000 soldiers from Hongyi, Haiji and Donglu on the island. Now the Duke of Wei is leading the troops to pursue them all the way, intending to regain this place. islands."
Emperor Chongping said: "Jia Ziyu is a mature minister who plans for the country. The day before yesterday, I mentioned to my superior that the big island is of great importance to the country and the country. Using it as a sea trade base can add nearly ten million taels of silver to the imperial court every year."
This is a memorial written by Jia Heng to Emperor Chongping not long ago, stating the importance of maritime trade to the imperial treasury.
Given Jia Heng's political influence, this memorial still caused an uproar in the court.
Some officials who have criticized the sea trade are dissatisfied, but because the customs tax is taxed this year, and the white snowflakes are in front of everyone, they can't say much else.
Shi Jie said: "Your Majesty, what Duke Wei Guo said is true. The big island should be an important sea trade route. If our country recovers it and uses it to control the main thoroughfare of Nanyang, it won't be long before all the sea is covered by Chinese merchant ships." Like weaving.”
Emperor Chongping said: "If we attack the big island, will Fujian and other places have enough troops and food?"
Shi Jie replied: "Reporting to Your Majesty, Fujian has reported that the local government has raised food and fodder. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Customs have allocated a batch of silver to His Royal Highness the King of Chu to purchase various military supplies. All necessary items for the war are sufficient. .”
Emperor Chongping nodded and said: "Although the war continues this year, the customs tax and silver revenue is quite large, which can barely make up for it."
If there was no customs revenue to allow the Han courtiers to taste the sweetness, perhaps this battle of recovery would cause an uproar in the court.
Shi Jie turned to mention another matter and said: "Your Majesty, I have drafted the maritime division's regulations, and I would like to ask Your Majesty to take a look at it."
A scribe took a memorial and handed it over.
Emperor Chongping took it from Dai Quan at this moment. He lowered his eyes and saw the detailed rules listed on it. He nodded and said: "The naval division is responsible for the system of defense. It is the town of the four seas, named East China Sea, South China Sea, and Beihai. The three great sea masters, Shi Qing obviously put his heart into it."
Shi Jie said quickly: "I don't dare to praise you as a saint. I went first and got a lot of inspiration from the memorial written by Duke Wei. This order was originally modified from the military system proposed by Duke Wei, and there are still many omissions." place."
Emperor Chongping said: "It's a pity that Ziyu is not here, otherwise... let's just ask the scribe to make a copy of it and go south to give it to Ziyu. You two will discuss it and try to come up with a plan for building a naval army."
Shi Jie said yes.
In fact, the civil servants of the imperial court also criticized the preparation of the naval navy because it meant the expansion of military commanders' power. However, Shi Jie explained that it was just the integration of the soldiers of the original coastal navy to better deal with the intrusion and expulsion of the North Korean navy. Hong Yi, escorting Nanyang sea trade, this objection gradually disappeared.
After that, Emperor Chongping sat in Wuying Hall for a while, and then returned to the inner study to resume his duties.
In the winter month of the sixteenth year of Chongping, as the New Year was approaching, the civil and military ministers of Shenjing City once again set their sights on the island of Taiwan, thousands of miles away.
…
…
Fujian, Quanzhou Prefecture
Accompanied by local officials, Jia Heng inspected the ships and various defense facilities guarding the port. Many forts and military facilities were built quite precipitously and steeply.
Warships were coming in and out of the port one after another, and there were many sergeants wearing mandarin duck war jackets and armor outside, walking back and forth with swords and guns.
On this day, Jia Heng received a military officer wearing a fourth-grade military attache's robe led by the guards of the Jinyi Mansion. He whispered: "General Guangdong Hai sent someone here to report what important matter?"
The general of the Guangdong Navy said: "Commander, Liu Xiang sent people out to the southern sea to fight the enemy. Our Guangdong Navy fought fiercely with them and suffered considerable losses. However, because the enemy's artillery and muskets were sharp, General Guangdong I sincerely request Duke Wei to send Jiangnan navy to assist."
Shui Rong frowned, stared at the person who reported the news, and asked in surprise: "Is Liu Xiang taking the initiative?"
Jia Heng pondered for a moment and said: "The island couldn't bear the blockade, so Liu Xiang took the initiative to attack."
Shui Rong said in a clear voice: "Ziyu, what are your plans next?"
Jia Heng said: "Right now, we will allocate a group of Jiangnan Navy armed with Hongyi cannons to assist the Guangdong Navy. The rest, let me think about how to capture Penghu."
Liu Xiang's navy also had Hongyi cannons, which immediately offset the firearms advantage of the official army. If they wanted to defeat the pirates and capture the Penghu Islands, they had to take a long-term approach.
Shui Rong nodded and said, "Then I will personally lead the troops to the waters of Penghu Island."
Jia Heng said no more, raised his eyes to Shui Rong, and said warmly: "Then there is Prince Lao."
After Shui Rong finished speaking, he said no more and turned around to leave.
Jia Heng did not stay too long in Wei Gang. He came to the shore and strode into the study where he temporarily occupied the official residence.
Chen Xiao's face was as clear as frost, and he held a letter in his hand. His voice was as cold as ever, and he said, "The three brothers of the Yang family have replied."
Jia Heng said: "Bring it to me and take a look."
Chen Xiao handed over the envelope in his hand and saw the words "Prince of the Duke of Wei" written on the surface of the envelope.
Jia Heng opened it and read it. After a while, he couldn't help but put down the letter in his hand and said in a clear voice: "Brothers of the Yang family still have doubts."
In the letter, he regretted his brother's plundering of merchants over the years, and begged the court for forgiveness. At the same time, he hoped to get assurance from Duke Wei that he would not take the blame for the past.
Chen Xiao stared at the young man with clear eyes under his willow eyebrows, his eyes flashed, and asked: "What are your plans next?"
Jia Heng said: "Reply the letter first to appease me. It's really not possible to resort to countermeasures."
Cao Cao sent the obliterated letter to Han Sui, which caused Han Sui and Ma Chao to turn against each other. He could also use this trick, but not in this way, because he would not burn it after receiving the secret letter. Just waiting for "Ma Chao" to check?
Chen Xiao said softly: "It has entered the winter months now, and the northwest wind is blowing. Our army is in the north, and it is actually a good time to advance."
Jia Heng nodded and said: "In the past few days, I have ordered all the ministries to inspect the ships and prepare for cross-sea operations. Once we find out the ocean currents heading to the island, we can directly launch troops."
This time, they won not only by surprise troops, but also by regular troops, and the entire island was recaptured with great force. The entire army was gathered in Quanzhou, and the troops could be divided into three groups to cut off the connection between Penghu and Tainan.
But such casualties would be too great, so we were still waiting for any news from the three Yang brothers.
Fortunately, during this time, the relatives who went to persuade them to surrender had already met the three Yang brothers and tried to persuade them.
Jia Heng said, after coming to the study, he picked up a brush and began to write a reply to the three Yang brothers.
Then, he handed the letter to Chen Xiao and said, "Give them this letter."
Chen Xiao nodded, took the letter, and turned to leave.
Jia Hengzhong left the study again and went to find Feng Zheng, the Fujian chief envoy who had come to Quanzhou Prefecture with him, to discuss the follow-up matters of military supplies for sending troops.
The King of Chu was not in Quanzhou at the moment, but in Fuzhou to purchase military supplies to supply the navy army.
At this moment, Feng Zheng and the magistrate of Quanzhou Prefecture were discussing how to store the transshipped grain, wine and meat in the treasury. When he saw the young prince surrounded by all the royal guards, he did not dare to neglect, with a smile on his face. He said, "Duke Wei is here, what are your orders?"
Jia Heng said: "Master Feng, I have something to do with you here."
Feng Zheng nodded, and then followed Jia Heng to the official office where the meeting was held.
Jia Heng said: "The imperial court will send troops to Jilong Mountain recently. Are the frontline grain and military supplies ready?"
Feng Zhengdao: "Don't worry, Duke Wei. Several granaries have begun to stockpile grain and military supplies, which is enough for the army to last for more than a month. The vassal Yamen is negotiating with other prefectures and counties to raise the remaining supplies as soon as possible."
Jia Heng nodded and said: "Master Feng has done a good job. I wonder how the farmland and the gentry's land purchase in Fujian have been in recent years?"
This time he not only wants to wipe out the pirates, but also lay a solid foundation for future governance in Fujian and Taiwan.
The first step is to understand the local situation in Fujian.
Feng Zhengdao: "There is not much land in Fujian and other places, and there are not many officials and gentry buying grain fields. Many people make a living by fishing on the sea. Later, the imperial court implemented a sea ban, and many people's livelihoods were even worse. Therefore, many people took risks and fell into poverty." As bandits, they went out to sea to plunder, but they were unable to defeat them, and when the officers and soldiers tried to destroy them, it was extremely troublesome."
Unlike Jiangsu and other places where people buy land and study for imperial examinations, Fujian mostly goes out to sea to engage in maritime trade, so land annexation is not so serious.
Jia Heng said: "The imperial court no longer imposes a ban on sea trade. Shouldn't the people welcome it with joy and participate in the prosperity of sea trade?"
"The people welcome it, but it cannot be said that the pirates who were originally captured by the bandits are welcome. In addition, there are also officials and gentry of the imperial court who previously colluded with the pirates through smuggling, and many of them made huge profits. Now the imperial court has relaxed the maritime ban, and the common people, regardless of officials or civilians, can The goods are so far away that it ruins the jobs of many people." Feng Zhengdao.
When Jia Heng heard this, a solemn look appeared on his face, and he said with emotion: "Previously, the government and businessmen colluded to monopolize maritime trade, and the huge profits made were indeed incomparable to today."
Feng Zheng nodded and said: "In today's Fujian, as far as I know, there are many officials from the Third Division engaged in maritime trade. When Duke Wei leads the troops to fight, we need to be careful not to let the news leak out."
"That's natural. If things aren't kept secret, there will be consequences." Jia Heng nodded.
The local situation in Fujian was more complicated than he thought. Feng Zheng was hinting to him that there were insiders in the three yamen, such as the Fansi and Zhensi yamen.
Jia Heng thought for a while and asked, "Master Yan, is he a native of Fujian?"
Feng Zheng shook his head and said: "In our dynasty, we implement the practice of serving prison officials in other places. Mr. Yan is not from Fujian, but his son married the daughter-in-law of Yu Fengxian's family, the prefect of Quanzhou. The two families are considered in-laws."
When Jia Heng heard this, his eyes flickered, his heart moved slightly, and he vaguely felt that Feng in front of him was hinting at something.
Jia Heng was silent for a moment and asked: "How is the official reputation of Yu Fengxian, the prefect of Quanzhou? Are any of the members of the clan involved in boat smuggling?"
Feng Zheng smiled and said, "I don't know about this."
Jia Heng knew what was going on and said softly: "It's getting late and it's freezing cold. Lord Feng, why don't you have two glasses of wine to warm yourself up."
This is Empress Dowager Feng's natal family, but she is also a relative. They belong to the same class.
Of course, it is also possible to state selectively, to use him to use Quanzhou Prefect Yu Fengxian to overthrow Fujian Governor Yan Ming, or for other purposes.
Because before the sea ban, Fujian must have been involved in large-scale maritime smuggling. Otherwise, how would the Dutch Red Barbarians, who were based in Taiwan and engaged in smuggling trade between Manila and China, sell their goods to China?
There must be the tacit approval of official figures here.
This matter needs to be investigated by Jinyi Mansion Guards.
Jia Heng made up his mind and called Feng Zheng to have lunch with him.
After the two of them finished lunch, Jia Heng returned to the service area stationed in Wei Gang.
…
…
The next day, in the afternoon.
Jia Heng was reading the Jinyi Mansion's summary of resumes and family relationships of relevant officials in the Fujian Mansion in the study. Suddenly someone reported that Guangdong General Wu Tao led a group of soldiers to see Duke Wei.
Jia Heng came to the hall and met Wu Tao and other generals from the Guangdong Navy.
"General Wu, the previous report mentioned that the officers and soldiers suffered between two and three thousand casualties and six or seven warships were lost. How was this war fought?" Jia Heng asked unceremoniously.
If both the government and the army had this kind of combat power, then there would be no need to even think about regaining Taiwan.
Wu Tao's expression suddenly changed and he said urgently: "Duke Wei, many of Liu Xiang's troops are equipped with Hongyi cannons. During the previous battle, our army was no match for Liu Xiang's troops in terms of firepower, but there was a big difference in casualties between the two sides." Not bad, Liu Xiang’s subordinates didn’t get much advantage either.”
Jia Heng frowned and said in a deep voice: "Are the drills and rectifications of the Guangdong Marine Corps this year useless? Even without the Hongyi cannon, how could they damage so many sailors?"
Wu Shou held his hands in apology and said, "I will be ashamed at last."
Jia Heng pondered for a moment and asked: "In the previous battle with the enemy, have you tried the traditional method of water warfare? How much damage can it do to Liu Xiang's ships? Can it be blocked?"
Wu Tao said: "Reporting to Duke Wei, we sent fire boats to break through the fleet and burned many ships. The pirates also suffered almost the same casualties. Now our army has anchored to Kinmen, and Liu Xiang has also retreated to Penghu."
Jia Heng thought for a moment and said: "Liu Xiang has just defeated the army, and his morale is rising. It will not be easy for our army to take Penghu in one fell swoop."
Although the start was winless, Liu Xiang actually lost the upper hand, allowing Liu Xiang to gain a firm foothold in Penghu.
This is different from Zheng Chenggong's recovery of Taiwan. After all, the Dutch Red Barbarians had few people. It is also different from Shi Lang's recovery of Taiwan. The Zheng Group is in a state of decay.
The only advantage is that the enemies are scattered, each has their own agenda, and cannot unite their strength.
This is the opportunity.
Wu Tao's heart trembled, and he quickly raised his hands and said, "I will be ashamed in the end."
Jia Heng said: "Previously Prince Shuijun has led the Jiangnan navy to rush to help. Tomorrow, I will personally lead the navy to Kinmen to attack Penghu together."
It is still necessary to capture Penghu first, otherwise, the enemy invaders on Penghu Island will attack later and they will not be able to land on the main island.
…
…
Time flew by and three days passed before I knew it.
On the vast sea area northeast of Penghu Island, under the blue sky, a ship was riding the wind and waves. The surrounding soldiers were holding long guns and patrolling back and forth, with solemn expressions on their faces.
In a ship flying a pirate flag, Yang Lu, the eldest of the three Yang brothers, was reading a letter, his thick eyebrows gradually frowning into the character "Chuan", as if he was a little undecided.
"What did Duke Wei say?" Yang Kuo, the third brother of the Yang family, asked.
Yang Lu handed the letter in his hand to Yang Ce and said: "I hope that we will attack Liu Xiang's infantry during the war. In addition, we will assist the Han army on the island. We will not hesitate to command the three brothers and the five nobles. Reward."
Yang Kuo snorted coldly and said: "The Jurchens often give gifts to princes and counts. Compared with the Jurchens, the Han court is a bit too petty."
"The Jurchen's title is not valuable, not as good as the title of the Han Dynasty." Yang Ce also read the letter and said in a low voice.
Yang Lu frowned and said: "I'm worried that if the Han people go back on their word or resort to tricks to induce them to surrender, it won't work. When it comes to a big defeat, our brothers will go to the islands in Nanyang to roam around casually. Although they are a little more desolate, they will always be there." It’s better than being unfettered like this.”
Yang Ce sighed: "It's hard to leave our homeland. Even if we are willing, our brothers may not be willing."
The Fujian people have a strong sense of ruralism, and many have become pirates at sea. They also buy property in the countryside and renovate houses. They will never return home unless they are desperate.
Yang Kuo said angrily: "Brother, if the Han people dare to be dishonest, we will fight with the imperial court!"
"At that time, people were under the eaves and had to lower their heads. If they wanted to fight with the court, they wouldn't have that chance." Yang Lu frowned and sounded worried.
Yang Ce said: "What my brother said is not unreasonable. The court cannot believe it easily."
Yang Lu thought for a while and said: "It's better to wait and see. If the army can't defeat us, we don't need to rely on others."
Yang Ce looked thoughtful and said in a low voice: "Then follow the wishes of the eldest brother and wait for the next move of the officers and soldiers."
Yang Lu put the letter in his hand on the flame, and as the smoke rose, the letter turned into ashes.
On Penghu Island, the stone and wood halls were crowded and lively.
Liu Xiang was rewarding the sailors and leaders under his command. In the hall, cups were exchanged, and people were drinking wine. It was a joyful scene.
The previous confrontation with the Guangdong Navy did not fail, which undoubtedly encouraged Liu Xiang and the leaders.
Liu Xiang put down the wine cup in his hand, a look of joy appeared on his face that had been roughened and darkened by the sea breeze all year round, and said: "Everyone, after two battles, we can see that Duke Wei of the Han Dynasty is nothing more than this. Really?" At sea, we have cannons with a longer range, and they are no match for us either."
The leaders sitting down below all smiled when they heard this and said, "What the boss said is that there are two shoulders supporting one head."
However, at this time, a leader came to Liu Xiang and whispered a few words in his ear.
Liu Xiang frowned, his ferocious face changed, and there was a hint of surprise in his eyes. He put down the tea cup and said in the midst of the confused gazes of the leaders: "Everyone, let's drink for now."
After saying that, he left the hall and came to the back room. He had a gloomy face and said in a deep voice: "What on earth is going on?"
"Master, there are many people under the three brothers of the Yang family in Zhuangzi, and they have been flirting with the officers and soldiers for a long time." The middle-aged man said coldly.
Liu Xiang's face was gloomy and he said: "Their brothers are on Wang'an Island in the rear. Once they join forces with the army, the consequences will be disastrous."
After pacing back and forth for a while, he asked, "Is there any solid information on this matter?"
The middle-aged man shook his head and said, "I don't know yet whether they have made an appointment with the army."
"Invite them out, I want to ask them what they want!" Liu Xiang's eyes flickered, and she had an idea in her mind.
Invite the three Yang brothers to come out, then kill the three of them, seize their tribesmen, and fight against the official army alone!
The previous battle with the army gave Liu Xiang plenty of confidence. With the Hongyi cannon in hand, why should he be afraid of the army?
(End of chapter)
