In summer, Taiwan is hot and rainy, and the wind speed is gentle and smooth in the southerly wind, which is conducive to boaters crossing the sea. Taking advantage of the southerly wind and light waves, June and July are good times to enter the army.

Zheng Jing had completed his preparations, and personally led Zhou Quanbin, the governor of the five armies, Feng Xifan, the guard, and Chen Yonghua, the adviser to the army, into Taiwan. And Zheng Tai is sitting in Xiamen, just in case.

The Ming army advanced steadily in Fujian Province, including new recruits and surrendered troops, already with 60,000 people, and tens of thousands of volunteers and brave villagers to help, and began to attack the periphery of Fuzhou.

On the fifth day of the seventh month, conquer Fuqing; On the seventh day of July, Yongtai was restored; On the eighth day of the seventh month, Minqing surrendered, and the Ming army took it without a fight. At this point, the Ming army completed the semi-encirclement of Fuzhou from south to west, leaving only a way for Geng Jingzhong to flee north to Zhejiang.

On the second day of July, Deng Yao and Yang Yandi joined forces, first attacked Taizhou, and then suddenly went north to the mouth of the Yangtze River, entered Huangpu Port on the eighth day of July, and arrived in Shanghai County, where the county order was paralyzed by fright. The people in the city clamored that "the king has arrived", some insisted on blocking the government, some wore scarves, some falsely confused the public, and some were afraid of drinking the government. Zhou Guozuo, the governor of Qingjiangning, quickly led troops to help, but was ambushed by more than 6,000 well-equipped Ming marines in Qingpu, and the 5,000 Qing soldiers were almost wiped out, and Zhou Guozuo was also beheaded in the battle.

On the tenth day of the seventh month, the Ming army attacked the county seat of Shanghai with the power of a great victory, and the county magistrate held a knife to the county magistrate, and held the county order to open the city and surrender. After resting in Shanghai County for two days, the Ming army arrived at Chongming Island in the north of the Yangtze River, and the Qing army in Chongming City had limited strength and did not dare to fight, so the Ming army was allowed to occupy Chongming's rice-producing hometown - Pingyang Mountain Qiandong and Xifusha.

On the third day of July, the Yangtze River sailors arrived at Jiujiang. There were only a few hundred sailors in the Nanhu battalion of the Qing army, and they did not dare to meet the battle and avoided them. Mao Erban, a poor fisherman in Poyang Lake, took the opportunity to make a noise, gathered thousands of people to break through the Nanhukou Inspection Division by boat, and entered the Yangtze River to join the Ming army. The Yangtze River sailor has the guidance of fishermen. Twelve warships and 1,000 soldiers were sent into Poyang Lake, and the sailors of the Nanhu Battalion were forced to land, and then they took Duchang County in the lake area lightly, plundered the rear of the treasury and drove back.

The people of Haiyi listened to their foolishness. All the thieves came, and there was no one to defend the city, but there were those who wanted to open the door and steal them. ”

"Pirates come and go like the wind, river boats are burned, shore markets are plundered, and the wealth of the district Xi Rong is here, because the prevention is not secret, and the application is not ear-catching."

But when the thieves arrived, the people rejoiced. Xu servants and others also openly enclosed the net. If the people's will is, it will be dangerous to change internally. ”

…………

The codex of the local officials to the officials and the recitals of the officials to the imperial court are all complaining and lamenting. It's chaotic, the southeast coast, along the Yangtze River, it seems that the Ming army is everywhere. The Qing army was exhausted and complained.

Raid like the wind. Once the mobility of the sailor is exerted, even if he breaks his leg on land, he will not be able to catch up, but he will be tired and exhausted. As for the painstaking operation of the intelligence bureau, intelligence stations and intelligence officers have been secretly planted in various parts of the south of the Yangtze River, and then there is the response and support of the coastal people. The attack of the sailor division was more accurate and ruthless, and it hit the weak points of the Qing army everywhere, making the Qing army unable to defend against it.

On 16 July, Deng Yao and Yang Yandi led two fleets of several hundred warships into the mouth of the Yangtze River and rushed through the flood control areas of the Qing army, such as Langshan (an important town along the river in the south of present-day Nantong City, Jiangsu), Fushan (across the river from Langshan), Jiangyin, Jingjiang, Menghe, Yangshe, and Sanjiang, which had been crippled by the Yangtze River Naval Division. Cross Jingkou (in Zhenjiang) and arrive at Yizhen (now Yizheng). After capturing hundreds of salt and grain ships outside the city of Yizhen, one returned with the captured ships to the east, while the main force continued westward, sailing through Jiaoshan and reaching Yanziji on the outskirts of Nanjing on July 20.

"The pirates directly violated Yizhen and failed to take precautions, resulting in the loss of hundreds of salt ships and grain ships, and the depreciation of hundreds of thousands of merchants. Sitting back and watching the business fatigue and lack of classes, it is obvious that it is careless. ”

"Jiangning is close at hand, and it is very rampant."

"The gateway of Zhenjiang and Guazhou, now the thief is deep in Tangao, how can he fly over."

"Fortunately, the Governor Ma Guozhu and the Admiral Guan loyal commanded the Manchu and Han soldiers stationed in Nanjing to 'bravely intercept and kill', and chased them outside the Sanjiang Estuary by victory.

The southeast shook and there were countless movements, but fortunately it seemed to be good news for the Qing court in the end. On July 26, the Ming fleet, which had been "bravely intercepted" by the Manchu and Han soldiers on land and "failed" to return home, landed in Lü Sichang, a subordinate of Yangzhou Prefecture, on the way back, defeated the defending Qing army, captured the garrison seal of the Dahe Battalion, and flaunted its might on the Guazhou River, blocked the mouth of the canal for more than ten days before returning to Changxing and Hengsha islands at the mouth of the Yangtze River, and continued to threaten the canal's transportation.

At this point, the Qing army in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River has been completely mobilized, and it is only natural to strengthen the strength of the troops deployed along the Yangtze River. In particular, Guazhou and Zhenjiang, as the key stations of the canal, had to station heavy troops and spend money to build fortifications to stop the river.

Perhaps the Qing army was still a little lucky, fortunately the Ming army was not strong on land, so it could only harass along the river, and could not land to attack important towns. But this happiness was soon to come to naught, and a Ming army had set out from Canton on July 13 and was heading north on the sea.

The effect of the attack of the naval division was very significant, and the people in the places where they passed responded positively, but they suffered from the fact that the land combat force was not strong, and it was difficult to expand the results of the battle. Zhu Yongxing and the General Staff Department realized this and made up their minds to transfer the Guangzhou Garrison Division and the Hainan Island garrison, which had not yet been fully manned, to form a 6,000-strong Northern Advance Corps, with Yiguo Gong Ma Zide as the main general and Li Chengjue, Lei Zhaosheng, and Gao Yingfeng as the chief soldiers, and Li Chengjue, Lei Zhaosheng, and Gao Yingfeng, who were assisted by them, and boarded the ship from Guangzhou and headed north.

As a result of this transfer, Guangzhou was defended by only more than 2,000 regular troops, while Hainan Island was almost devoid of troops, and all the garrisons maintained law and order.

We should seize the opportunity, quickly throw in our forces, and use the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the canal as a breakthrough point to firmly grasp the enemy's vital points and tilt the balance of war at an accelerated turn. Compared to these, the emptiness in the rear at this time is no longer a big problem. The Qing army could not be defeated, and Zheng Jing was busy attacking Taiwan's "rebellious ministers and thieves", and he did not dare or have the ability to do it.

…………

The south wind is soothing, and the ships are undulating. In the distance of the sea, the water is so blue and so clear, and yet it is so deep. It is shaking under the gentle blowing of the hot wind, a layer of fine wrinkles, dazzlingly reflecting the brilliance of the sun.

Wing Guo Gong Ma Zide was a little seasick, although his face was pale, but he seemed to be in good spirits. He refused to be told by the guards to rest in the cabin, and had to stand on the deck, looking at the beautiful scenery of the sea and sky, and breathing in the salty and humid air.

Patience has been studying in the lecture hall for half a year. Watching others make achievements, a young man will inevitably be red-eyed and hot-hearted. But Mazide did not regret the days when he left the army and the battlefield, as the son of Jiangmen, he experienced and was familiar with war. But during his studies, he broadened his horizons. It also changed his philosophy, and he gained a lot of new understanding of war.

War is not as simple as fighting, if a general who only knows how to fight a war knows the role of initiating and inspiring, and learns how to grow, how to take advantage of the situation, and how to cooperate with the overall situation, then his level will rise to more than one height.

"The main purpose of these 6,000 soldiers and horses is to open up the situation, and weapons and equipment will be supplied as much as possible, but the expansion of the army depends on your local recruitment. Don't keep counting on the rear. The ratio of soldiers and civilians in the rear must not be too unbalanced, otherwise who will grow food and who will make supplies? Not only will it be difficult to transport troops from the rear, but I am afraid that it will be necessary to withdraw troops from the front in the future. It is your task to grow and develop while fighting a war, and in order to complete the task well, you must cooperate well with the civilian officials dispatched to run the local area well......

"The battle must be fought. However, it is necessary to be careful in the initial stage and try not to fight uncertain battles. Try not to fight a battle that has no gain. What about this harvest, there are personnel, money, and materials, and we must fight stronger and stronger, and we must have a long-term vision. To achieve benign rolling development......"

Zhu Yongxing's words were still in his ears, soothing the fiery temperature in Ma Zide's heart that was eager to make contributions. He has thought about it and figured it out, it is not possible to rush for quick success, but to strive for the long term. Now it's six thousand. After that, 10,000, a veritable combat division, and then what? If you only care about pleasure, after a few big battles and a loss of the fundamentals, you will definitely have merit and fame, but I am afraid that your military career will end here.

I am still young, as long as I set my mind, I am afraid that there is no chance to make a contribution? Among the generals of almost the same generation, only Wei Junzhong and Li Sixing are the most brilliant at present, and His Royal Highness Min's intention to promote newcomers is obvious, and he has this opportunity to come out, but he must not live up to his grace.

Guogong, well, maybe it is because of this official that he will get the position of commander-in-chief. Is it rare to be yourself, inherited from your father, can it be regarded as your own merits? Lieutenant colonel, colonel, major general...... That's the way to prove your ability. In the future, only this rank can straighten the waist in the army.

When Fuzhou is defeated, Wei Junzhong should be promoted to major general, right? I definitely don't have a chance to surpass him at the moment, but what about in the future? There is still a long way to go, can't I catch up with the last? Even if you can't be the first, then becoming a general in the second or third rank is quite dazzling, right?

In the blue space between the sea and the sky, the sound of joyful waves is turbulent. This voice, and the brilliance of the sun, flashed in the sea in a thousand waves, forming a constant movement. Mazide's mind also kept churning, and it seemed that all the sounds and things around him were also full of lively pleasure.

…………

Breathing deeply in the fresh sea breeze, Tang Ji's gaze never left the direction of the land for a moment. It seems that there is Deng Xiu's expectant gaze.

In military operations, secrecy comes first. The barracks were closed in advance, and the order above only said to be ready to march and train at a distance. Even Tang Ji, an officer, only knew where he was going after boarding the ship, and he couldn't say goodbye to Deng Xiu.

She's going to be worried, right? Tang Ji smiled bitterly and shook his head. Even if it is a garrison division, it is a soldier, and it is not allowed to fight. But Deng Xiu naively thought that the garrison would only stay near Guangzhou, and this sudden transfer would definitely make her a little caught off guard and panicked.

I can only get to the destination, and then ask someone to bring a letter back, tell her where she went, and comfort her again. Tang Ji thought of this, he couldn't bear it anymore, turned around and went back to the cabin, to write a letter to the girl in the distance.

……………

A sudden cool breath blew from the sky, causing the sea to shiver, as if the setting sun had relieved a sigh of satisfaction.

Weiyuan General Weng Qiuduo let out a long sigh, and when he heard similar sounds around him, he couldn't help but withdraw his gaze looking at the sea.

Tongshan, also known as Dongshan Island, is the second largest island in Fujian Province. Its location is between Xiamen and Shantou, located at the southern end of Xiamen, Zhang, Quan, east of the Taiwan Strait, west of Zhao'an Bay and Zhao'an water, north of the Bachimen seawall, and Yunxiao County, its geographical location can be described as unique. There is also the ancient city of Tongshan, one of the five major water villages in the Fujian Sea, which is one of the important bases of the Zheng family.

"The imperial court - the strength is amazing." General soldier Lin Guoliang saw Weng Qiuduo's gaze, and had the courage to speak.

This action. Zhu Yongxing conscripted hundreds of merchant ships of all sizes in the commercial ports of Ha Long, Haiphong, and Saigon, not only carrying troops, but also a large number of grain and grass supplies, and also invited British and French warships to escort them.

But Weng Qiuduo knew that Lin Guoliang's explanation was not true. It's just a cover for everyone. The Ming army continued to attack in the southeast and recovered a large area of the country, but Zheng Jun and his family still lived on the island, only having a small amount of territory on land. In addition, the policy of reassuring the people and benefiting the people implemented by the Nanming government has aroused their desire to return to their homeland.

At that time, Taiwan was a barren land for most people, and the soldiers of Zheng Jun who first arrived in Taiwan did die a lot because of their unaccustomed water and soil. Historically, when Zheng Jun retreated to Taiwan. The officers and men of the Zheng army had a more intimate affection for their relatives in their homeland, so that the Qing government's recruitment of surrender achieved remarkable results. You must know that there are five or six out of ten people in the Zheng army who have no family dependents, and the widowed and lonely soldiers will naturally have thoughts of their homeland, so their military morale will inevitably be unstable. Zheng Jing finally gave up the Jinxia Prefecture and concentrated on running Taiwan, also considering that Zheng's officers and soldiers "even if they have the intention to surrender", but because "there is no land route." and there is no boat to cross" and cannot go.

Now, this longing to return to their homeland is also permeated among the officers and men of the Zheng army. And because he was going to the land occupied by the Ming army, the psychological burden was much smaller than that of surrendering to the Qing army.

Weng Qiu opened his mouth more, and sighed helplessly. The Ming army is getting stronger and stronger, and the imperial court headed by the Min Fan is becoming more and more prestigious, even if it is not missing the homeland, thinking about the future. Many generals also have a desire to serve. Chen Ba, the Marquis of Zhongyong, is a good example, and placing him in Quanzhou to guard is probably one of the means to attract Zheng Jun to the division of the Min Domain.

"The winner is still undecided, let's wait and see!" Weng Qiuduo was very conflicted in his heart, and he understood the hearts of the generals. and did not want to betray the Zheng family, so he had to be ambiguous and appeased first.

"The Qing Army's Fujian Navy Division has been wiped out, Geng Shun is trapped in Fuzhou again, and the overall situation of Fujian Province seems to be certain!" He Yi, the chief soldier, opened his mouth and said: "His Royal Highness Min continues to transfer troops to the north, perhaps it may be effective for the king's intentions, go straight into the Yangtze River, and restore Shenjing, thinking that she is a society." ”

"There are too few soldiers and horses to succeed." Weng Qiuduo shook his head again and again, and said: "Back then, the first king gathered tens of thousands of troops and thousands of ships, but he failed to do so, and now the Ming army is far behind. ”

"What if the imperial army conquers Fuzhou and sends troops to Jiangsu and Zhejiang?" Lin Guoliang seemed to be refuting Weng Qiuduo, and seemed to be speculating wildly, "With the cooperation of land and water, the Qing army is afraid that it will be difficult to resist if it takes care of one or the other, right?" ”

"The imperial court is already dying in several provinces, with tens of thousands of soldiers, and nearly 1,000 warships of all sizes, so I'm afraid that its strength is not inferior to that of the previous king, right?" He Yi's words are very reserved, on the one hand, it is a respect for the former king Zheng Chenggong, and on the other hand, it is not easy to say it too explicitly in public.

In fact, at that time, there were thousands of warships, which was almost as pompous as hundreds of thousands of troops. Of course, if you count even the small sampans, that's enough. However, there are only a few hundred ships that really install artillery and have the ability to fight in water.

Regarding He Yi's words, Weng Qiuduo was noncommittal, put on the majesty of Shangguan, and gave orders to his trusted generals to take strict precautions, and ships must enter and exit with his approval. Who is it guarding against? Everyone knows in their hearts that they are their own people, and they are not allowed to go ashore or turn to the court.

The same order was given by Zheng Tai, who was stationed in Jinxia, and earlier than Weng Qiuduo. Zheng soldiers continued to float into the sea and dive to the mainland, which shook the morale of the army; The fear of moving to Taiwan made Zheng Jun's soldiers even more worried.

"The Min Domain did not use the sword soldiers, but it made the hearts of our army fluctuate, all because the Ming army possessed the continent and the victory was obvious." Zheng Tai is still loyal to the Zheng family, and he doesn't want to see Zheng Chenggong's business foundation unstable for many years, after all, his surname is Zheng, and the interests of the Zheng family, a political group with maritime forces as the core, are closely related to him, so he can't help but do his best.

"When the prince succeeds in conquering Taiwan, the situation will change." Zheng Tai's brother Zheng Mingjun is not sure in the tone of his speech, now it is not the imperial court that has a request for the Zheng family, but the Zheng family has a request for the imperial court, not only the holy decree given to him by the imperial court, but also gold, Xiamen, and the food and materials needed by Taiwan.

At that time, Taiwan had just been recovered, and tens of thousands of officers and soldiers and their families had just begun to reclaim land and operate, and they could not achieve self-sufficiency. Jin and Xiamen are even more projectile lands, and personnel and materials are dependent on the mainland.

"I'm afraid it's hard." Zheng Tai saw through that although the Zheng family had seized some territory on the mainland, they then withdrew due to civil strife, and these territories were in the cracks of the Ming army's occupied areas, and if the Ming army blocked them, the supply of materials would be cut off.

"Then the only plan for now is to abandon the coast and move all to Taiwan, so that people can prevent people from thinking about their homeland and the soldiers sneaking in?" Zheng Mingjun looked very unwilling, and said angrily: "The first king worked hard, but now he gives it to others, how can he face the underground spirit of the first king?" ”

Zheng Tai didn't answer, and thought for a long time before he said slowly: "The court hasn't been forced too tightly, and the matter may still have to be discussed." If the court can give food and pay, the people's hearts will be greatly stabilized. ”

"According to the scheming and methods of the Min Domain, I'm afraid it's not easy, right?" Zheng Mingjun shook his head with a wry smile, and sighed: "If you didn't withdraw the troops at the beginning, alas, the prince would still be a little fussed. Well, it's no wonder that the first king died suddenly, and he was also responsible......"

"Don't talk nonsense." Zheng Tai coldly interrupted his brother's complaint, Zheng Jing's heart was very natural, for fear that Zheng Chenggong's death would cause internal changes among the generals, so he hurriedly gathered in Jin and Xiamen, which can be said to have given up the excellent opportunity to grab territory in the mainland. But you may know it in your heart, but you must not say it indiscriminately.

"Let's wait for the triumphant return of the son of the world, and then reason!" Reprimanded his younger brother, Zheng Tai also waved his hand helplessly, in the face of the increasingly powerful Ming army and the imperial court, there were too few ways, but the banner of this Ming minister still had to be played

(To be continued......)