In mid-September of the third year of Yongli, after several months of migration, Zheng Chenggong moved the government from Xiamen to Fuzhou.

On the first day of working here, Zheng Chenggong received a ban on the sea issued by Xu Long to the Manchu Dynasty.

Looking at the articles about the ban on the sea, Zheng Chenggong handed the military report to Yao Qisheng with some annoyance, and said, "Xizhi, you can also take a look." The Manchus wanted to cut off our roots from the roots. ”

Yao Qisheng took it and looked at it carefully, and then said with a smile: "Heaven is evil, it is still violated; and thou shalt not live. Congratulations to the General, the Tartars are dead on their own, and the Tartars are just around the corner! ”

Zheng Chenggong asked with some confusion: "The Tartars strictly prohibit the people in the coastal area from trading, and even do not hesitate to move the people inward. This has dealt a serious blow to the trade of our trading houses in the four seas, and will also have a serious impact on the salaries of our army. How can it be said that the Tartars are self-inflicted? ”

The weather in September in the south was still sultry, Yao Qisheng put down the military newspaper, shook the paper fan and said: "If the Manchu Tartars are on the coast, except for the places where the mountains and mountains cannot be climbed, where the plains and wilderness are twenty miles or thirty miles, choose Gaofu to dispose of a beacon tower, build more thick walls, set up camps, and use fifty troops to defend each one; If our army comes to attack, the Qing soldiers will open fire at night, and they will raise smoke as a signal during the day, and send troops to suppress it. At the same time, the people were ordered to build their own food, so that they would not have to wait for grain, and if they were idle, they should supervise the construction of the flood soldiers. Our army is still in danger, and now there is nothing to worry about! ”

Zheng Chenggong hurriedly asked: "Xizhi, why do you say that?" ”

Yao Qisheng took a sip of tea and continued: "There has never been a thief for a thousand days, how can there be a thief for a thousand days!" The Tartars looked at themselves so much that they moved the coastal people inward for thirty miles. This is tantamount to giving up thousands of miles of sea and frontier to our army. Our army can attack when it wants, and leave when it wants. Our army is worry-free! ”

Zheng Chenggong heard and thought about it, but he still said with some doubts: "Even so. But without the goods provided by the common people's commercial history, they will have an impact on our trade after all! ”

Yao Qisheng said: "In the short term, there will be some impact, when businessmen are the most profitable, for the sake of profit, they will inevitably try their best to trade goods to our army through various means, or smuggling or bribery, so the general does not have to worry." Of course, in order to alleviate these effects, the general could also encourage the people of Fujian to burn paper porcelain, and at the same time send people to Jiangnan to contact those wealthy gentry. Buy silk. In this way, we can avoid the influence of the Manchu Qing Dynasty's ban on the sea and the relocation of the sea on our army. ”

Zheng Chenggong nodded and said, "Well, do as you do!" ”

Yao Qisheng Zou frowned and said: "The sea ban order and the sea relocation order are not for our army, but what General Xu said in his letter is that the Manchu Qing Dynasty intends to set up a water village in Tianjin and train the Great Qingshui Division, and the general should pay attention to it!" ”

Zheng Chenggong laughed when he heard it, "Da Qingshui Master!? If it was a full Mongolian eight-horseman, I would be afraid of it for three points. Navy? He's not qualified enough! ”

Yao Qisheng heard the arrogant tone in Zheng Chenggong's mouth and hurriedly persuaded him: "General, the proud soldiers will ......."

Zheng Chenggong interrupted Yao Qisheng. "Xizhi, it's not that I'm arrogant and think highly of myself, but that naval warfare is completely different from land warfare. The Tartars thought that they could become an army as long as they sent people to train for a few years, then they were very wrong! ”

Yao Qisheng heard it and hurriedly said, "I want to hear it!" ”

Zheng Chenggong thought for a moment and said: "Naval warfare is primarily about ships. At present, the good workers of shipmaking are all in Fujian, Guangdong and other places, and there are not many skilled workers in the north, and the ships manufactured are not as good as ours. Moreover, a good ship needs a good captain to be the most effective. Traveling at sea relies on the wind. A good captain knows which wind is blowing, and it takes years of experience at sea to accumulate. There were simply no good captains in the Manchu Tatar army. The second is the Haven drawings, the sea is vast. Without accurate Haiwen drawings, you may get lost at any time and lose sight. Our Zheng family has been crisscrossing the East China Sea for thirty or forty years, and we dare not say that we are safe and familiar with this sea area, so how can the Tartar landlubbers know about it? ”

After a pause, Zheng Chenggong raised his head and said, "The most important thing is that the ship is huge, and it is not easy to move. Therefore, every time a military order is issued, it must be cautious and prudent, which requires a general with rich combat experience to be able to command like an arm. ”

Saying that, Zheng Chenggong stood up and walked at the door looking at the sky, "The navy is the most difficult and expensive army to train, the army may become an army in two or three years, but the navy does not have thirty or forty years and does not expect to become an army at all." That's why I'm not worried about the Tartar sailors at all, no matter how many sailors there are, they just give us gifts! ”

Yao Qisheng heard it bow down and said, "Xizhi has been taught!" ”

Zheng Chenggong waved his hand and said: "Xizhi, now that the Manchu Qing Dynasty has given up thousands of miles of sea and territory, should we send a naval division to attack Shandong, contain the Tartars, and then send troops to recover the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions." ”

Yao Qisheng heard that he hurriedly stopped: "General, no!" ”

Zheng Chenggong said: "Why? ”

"General, the Manchu Qing Dynasty moved the coastal people into the interior, which would cut off their livelihood and inevitably cause strong dissatisfaction and anger among the people. At that time, as long as the general sends reliable people to incite it, he is not afraid that the people will not rebel. But now the Manchu Qing Dynasty has just begun to move the coastal people into the interior, and it is not yet time. ”

"Oh!!"

"And the general, now that he has just recovered Fujian, he has not yet stabilized, and he has taken the liberty of attacking Jiangsu and Zhejiang, which is not appropriate! There is a cloud in the art of war, and you will win after being undefeated. The general must not repeat the path of Li Zicheng's traitor. ”

Hearing Yao Qisheng say Li Zicheng, Zheng Chenggong remembered that when Li Zicheng occupied Henan, Shaanxi and other provinces and conquered the Beijing Division, he was one step away from winning the world. But after the Battle of Shanhaiguan, Li Zicheng was defeated.

Those who occupied the chassis, those who surrendered, saw it and immediately rebelled.

Li Zicheng did not have a stable chassis, he was chased and killed by the Qing army all the way, and he was unable to form an army, and there was no chance to turn over.

Now I am also going to attack Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and the victory is okay. Once it fails, it is possible that there will be no day to turn over like Li Zicheng.

Zheng Chenggong thought of it, and his forehead sweated with fright: "Thank you Xizhi for reminding me, otherwise Mingyan may fall into a trap!" “

Yao Qisheng hurriedly said: "Don't dare, it is the responsibility of subordinates to advise." The general is humble and admired. ”

"So in your opinion, what should we do now. Just waiting? ”

"No, General, the most important thing for you now is to recruit those squires in Fujian!"

"Soliciting the Squires? They've all been submitted, and they're quite cooperative! ”

When Zheng Chenggong first started the army, except for some close families and squires who were very disgusted with shaving their hair and easy clothes, most of the squires in Fujian maintained a respectful attitude towards Zheng Chenggong's anti-Qing appeal.

At the same time, in order not to offend the Qing Dynasty, those taxes and forced labor were handed over to the Manchu Qing Dynasty.

Until last year, Zheng Chenggong still maintained a favorable attitude towards those family squires, and he did not pay taxes, and Zheng Chenggong did not send anyone to collect them.

With the earth-shattering and fierce station at the end of the second year of Yongli coming to an end, and with the spread of more than three months, the entire south basically knew the outcome of the war.

Soon, the family squire began to re-examine the character of Zheng Chenggong.

Seeing that Zheng Chenggong was getting stronger and stronger, the Manchu Tartars couldn't help him.

Many squires felt that Zheng Chenggong's future was bright, and their attitude towards him was not as perfunctory as before.

Since March, there has been an endless stream of squires who have come to pay taxes, and from time to time there will be squires who "charge" a few peasants in the village to push unicycles and ox carts to pay taxes to the local governments.

When he saw the official history, he slapped the peasant a few times, and then said with a smile: "They are all mud legs who can't be put on the table, and they dare not pay official taxes." Now that I've arrested this Diao Ming, you should be closed, and you should be punished. Also, my lord, these are today's taxes, you can count them! ”

With the guidance of Yao Qisheng and Lu Ruoteng, Zheng Chenggong also knew how to meet the squires who came to meet him now.

Put on a shelf, and casually say a few words to those squires with a straight face, telling them that they must continue to be loyal to the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty will not treat you loyal and patriotic people badly.

When he went to meet those ordinary peasants, Zheng Chenggong had a kind face and talked to them cordially. And patted his chest and assured them that as long as it was under the jurisdiction of Zheng Chenggong, the agricultural endowment would be drawn from 1 out of 15, and he would never increase it!

In order to prove that he did what he said, he burned the arrears of taxes accumulated in previous years on the spot, and asked the people to bring back the excess taxes, and at the same time issued them tax payment certificates. It is guaranteed to be based on this certificate

With Zheng Chenggong's reputation for solemnity and kindness, starting in March, first Fuzhou, then nearby Ningde, and a little further away Longyan and other counties began to pay taxes to the official history appointed by Zheng Chenggong.

Those squires have rushed to take refuge!

Zheng Chenggong was puzzled why Yao Qisheng wanted to let himself recruit them! (To be continued.) )