Zheng Zhilong's death was like a heavy bomb dropped across Fujian Province and even the southeastern coast. The news was so shocking that few people noticed the destruction of Zhangzhou Bay.
For more than ten years, Zheng Zhilong has been fighting for hegemony at sea and has experienced countless stormy waves. Although there have been major setbacks such as being trapped by the Dutch and Li Kuiqi's split, he has always been invincible on the sea with the support of Xiong Can. From a small A smuggler suddenly became a merchant on the sea, a guerrilla general of the Ming Dynasty, and the "Great Wall of Fujian". Zheng Ziqi refers to everything that is invincible.
Now, this behemoth on the East Asian sea, the invincible young sea master actually fell suddenly in just one day of battle. When the news came, everyone who received the news was shocked and then questioned.
Is Zheng Zhilong really dead?
Envoys and agents sent by all parties rushed to Anping, Xiamen and other places.
Fujian Governor Zou Weilian received the news on September 25. In fact, on the second day of D-Day, he got the news that "marine invaders entered the Zhongzuo Suo", but he didn't pay attention to it - the area around the Zhongzuo Suo was Zheng Zhilong's camp. Although he was not completely loyal to the Ming Dynasty, this However, he has always been concerned about the safety of Ba Min. Liu Xianglao's attack on Min'an was also defeated by his army. Now that his home base has been captured, Zheng Zhilong will definitely fight to the death.
Unexpectedly, the subsequent news got worse and worse. Local officials in the Jin and Xia areas sent emergency envoys one after another, reporting that the pirates were powerful. Zheng's troops were completely defeated in Jin and Xia, and the troops were fleeing to the mainland. Ask for troops to be sent quickly to crush the defeated army.
Today, he received the most shocking news since taking office: Zheng Zhilong was killed in battle!
The news of Zheng Zhilong's death in battle was informed by a letter written by Zheng Zhifeng:
...The bandits crossed the sea and entered Anping County, where the bandits were on the left, advancing by land and water. Zheng Gong raised his troops out of the city to meet the enemy, and recruited dead men to fight hard, and gained a lot. However, the bandits fired a series of muskets and fired huge cannons. Zheng Gong drew his sword and fought hard. After killing more than ten people and being shot several times, Judah screamed and fought. You commanded the head of the city to remain motionless because the Kun artillery was wounded in the foot. A large group of Kun thieves came ashore and injured seven more muskets. Duke Zheng was exhausted and could not hold on, so he bowed again to the north. He gave the seal ribbon to Tong Tailang, the general from the camp, and said: " I cannot be resurrected, so please spare my head if you are too anxious. I will throw you into the body ditch." He died in grief.
Duke Zheng was defeated, and the thieves entered the city and plundered it. Tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians were killed and plundered. The Kun thieves also destroyed Zhongzuo and Anping County, and burned the remaining houses. All stone pavilions and railings must be destroyed; those that cannot be destroyed will be destroyed. He even exploded it with gunpowder. As a result, the two cities were reduced to rubble...
Zheng Zhifeng is the brother of Zheng Zhilong and one of the leaders of the Zheng family who attaches great importance to advice. His report is highly credible.
So, Zheng Zhilong really had to die in battle? Zou Weilian felt quite unbelievable, and for a moment a mixture of joy and worry came to his mind.
Fortunately, he has always been obsessed with Zheng Zhi. Worried about the potential to become a vassal town, his predecessor successfully recruited Zheng Zhilong and purged the foreign side of Fujian. But anyone with a discerning eye can see at a glance that the so-called cleansing of the ocean is nothing more than turning the many pirates who had troubled the past into the Zheng family.
What's even more worrying is that. Taking advantage of their official position, the Zheng family openly occupied the central and left positions, recruited private soldiers, and forcibly collected water... It has gradually grown into an extremely huge force. This power. The governor of Fujian alone has gradually become unable to control it. The military situation in Liaodong was urgent, and the DPRK discussed transferring the Zheng family navy to the north for reinforcements. Zheng Zhilong always excused himself.
I am no better than Xiong Can, and I have a "favor" and a personal relationship with Zheng Zhilong - if I make a wrong move and Zheng Zhilong openly betrays him, he will not be able to suppress it with the power of Fujian, which will inevitably cause the erosion of the entire southeastern coast. Today's Ming Dynasty is no better than when the emperor first came to the throne. As the saying goes, fires are everywhere and smoke is rising in all directions. If he makes such a fuss in Fujian again, most of his lives will be lost.
Now Zheng Zhilong was defeated and even lost his life. While Zou Weilian was surprised, he couldn't help but feel relieved secretly - once Zheng Zhilong died, the Zheng family would be leaderless and would inevitably fall apart. When the time comes, it would not be difficult for him to use his skills to divide and conquer them.
What is worrying is that the invading thieves actually have such power to plow holes into the Zheng family's nest. There will be another bloody storm on the sea in the future, and the rough ocean will inevitably fall into chaos again. among. If this group of pirates invades coastal areas again, it will be a serious problem for coastal defense.
He didn't take it too seriously when there was a little chaos on the sea, and merchant ships and fishing boats were robbed and killed. However, if pirates frequently came ashore to kill and plunder, the local Jin gentry would surely suffer. Once the Fujian officials in the capital were alerted, his life would not be easy. Better.
While he was hesitating, the servant sent Detang newspapers from Nan'an and Jinjiang counties. Zou Weilian opened them one by one:
Nan'antang Newspaper: ...The Kun thieves attacked the city day and night. When the Kun soldiers approached the city gate and climbed up the city wall, they suddenly saw the Guanyin statue in the smoke. The Bodhisattva spread his sleeves, and there was a heavy rain. The enemy's rockets, shells, and spears fired, and no one was left. If it can sound, the thieves will be afraid and retreat.
Jinjiangtang Newspaper: ...On the 20th, tens of thousands of bandits invaded Xiamen. The guerrilla general Zheng Zhilong fought hard to defeat them. Unfortunately, he was shot and died, and the bandits fell into the city. Due to the bitter fighting, massacres were carried out, leaving no survivors among the soldiers and civilians. ...The Kun thieves broke up into groups to plunder and invade the Jinjiang River. The people were unable to resist them. The gentry in the county spent more than a thousand dollars to recruit hundreds of dead soldiers, and attacked the Kun camp at night. Each of them was armed with a white blade. The thieves were caught by surprise and were shocked. Although Kun Thief Fran's gun was sharp, Xu responded with a clean barrel, and all Kun Thief's fire guns cracked. In the city, hundreds of thieves were beheaded, and the thieves abandoned their guns and cannons, carried their bodies, and fled.
What nonsense. Zou Weilian thought. He himself once served as the Provincial Yanping Coast Guard and is very familiar with Fujian's coastal defense. I don’t know what the tricks of the state, county, and military newspapers are. He estimated that in Nan'an and Jinjiang counties, the Kun bandits just showed their faces nearby, and there was no "big battle" or "death battle" at all. However, the battle report in Jinjiang said that Zheng Zhilong had died in the battle, which seemed to confirm what Zheng Zhifeng said.
However, at least Nan'an and Jinjiang counties were not lost. According to what the Kantang newspaper said, the bandits had retreated after landing and looting. In this way, the serious crime of losing the county can be exempted. As for the city of Zhongzuo, , we can report another victory to cover up this disastrous defeat - as for Zheng Zhilong's death, although it shocked the coastal waters, in the officialdom, he was just a small guerrilla general. In recent years, the general, deputy general, and staff generals have died in battle. are no longer rare.
Thinking of this, Zou Weilian already knew how to deal with it. He called his staff and asked them to write a few letters to Zheng Zhilong and others, asking them to immediately "suppress the troops, take in the exiles, and divide them into various places to wait for future orders."
Then he wrote to the magistrates of Jinjiang and Nan'an counties, ordering them to close the city gates and set up temporary camps under the city to accommodate refugees and defeated troops.
He ordered his staff to write an emotional and deeply painful memorial tribute to Zheng Zhilong, and prepare it for use.
Then he sent a call to the Central Army and ordered him to select elite sergeants from several places from Fubiao Central Camp and quietly go to various places to inquire about the situation.
"You prepare another three hundred men and horses, prepare ten ships, and stand by at the mouth of the Jiulong River. Just wait for my arrow to shoot, and you will weigh anchor and head to Zhongzuo. By the time you go, the Zheng family's men and horses will have already arrived. You just need to board Go ashore, go to the city for a walk, and then come back."
"Here!" The Chinese Army didn't know what kind of medicine the governor was selling in his gourd, but it was a simple and risky thing to do. It was indispensable that he would get some silver when he went there, and he would be rewarded with silver when he came back. It could be regarded as a small fortune. .
"Don't provoke the Zheng family. As long as you come back safely, I will recommend you."
"Thank you for your grace!"
Next, is how to deal with the Zheng family. Zou Weilian thought to himself that now was the opportunity to kill the Zheng family. Take advantage of his illness and kill him. The Zheng family was leaderless and its power was greatly reduced. It’s a good opportunity to get started. Moreover, there are many forces in Fujian that are dissatisfied with the Zheng family. As a rising maritime merchant, the Zheng family aggressively acquired land in southern Fujian after gaining official status, monopolizing export commodities and maritime trade, which aroused serious dissatisfaction among many local gentry. But Xiong Can was fed by Zheng Zhilong at the beginning, and it was Xiong Can's political achievement to recruit Zheng Zhilong, so this kind of voice was suppressed when Xiong Can was in office. After Zou Weilian took office, he went to Zou Weilian to complain through various connections. many people. Many local officials also secretly encouraged him to "govern" the Zheng family.
But killing the Zheng family didn't mean much to Zou Weilian: it was good to be able to please the Jin gentry, but now he didn't know to what extent the Zheng family had been damaged, and the consequences would be disastrous if chaos arose. Furthermore, Xiong Can is now the governor of Guangdong and Guangdong and also the governor of Guangdong. The emperor's family is prosperous. If he does it himself, it will inevitably cause Xiong Can's dissatisfaction.
Anyway, the Zheng family has been severely weakened and has lost its leader Zheng Zhilong, so he can divide and rule.
He thought for a while and called one of his close family members:
"Go to the accounting office and ask them to prepare one hundred taels of silver, ten shi of rice, bacon, roasted chicken, and dried fish, and a copy of my full sticker, and send them to the school in Jinjiang County."
Jinjiang's Tangbao also mentioned that many family members of the Zheng family have fled to Jinjiang and are currently being held in county schools.
"After you go, try to find out who are the Zheng family members who fled to Jinjiang? In addition to those who fled to Jinjiang County, where else could they flee to? Where are General Zheng's wife and youngest son now? Find out everything one by one. You can receive another twenty taels of silver to use on the road, and choose a few capable people from your family to go with you."
"Yes, sir." The family members followed the order and left.
Finally, he called his close aides and asked them to discuss how to write memorials and petitions to the court. How to phrase things, how to make "the Sacred Heart so comforted", and how to conceal one's faults and cover up one's merits are all profound knowledge. Finally, it is essential to issue a list of recommendations and requests for credit. These all need to be considered by the staff in advance.
