People's hearts are unpredictable, and for Shang Kexi, who has been working for so many years, he naturally has a deeper understanding than his son Shang Zhixiao. Especially in this unfavorable situation, for the sake of personal glory and wealth, and for the preservation of family members, it is not surprising to have a different heart.

At the beginning, the siege lasted for more than ten months, and finally broke through Guangzhou. Thanks to the fact that artillery is one thing, the surrender of Fan Chengen, the main general of the Ming army guarding the outer city of the West Gate, is also a reason that cannot be ignored. When attacking the city, I can't wait for a few more generals like Fan Chengen; When defending the city, he was afraid that such a rebel would come out again.

Moreover, when besieging Guangzhou City at that time, although many long-standing Haikou were recruited to block the sea route, it was not tight, and in the end many defeated Ming troops fled to the sea. Now, the Cantonese naval division has completely collapsed, and there is no hope for the sea route at all. It can be said that the Qing army in Guangzhou had no other choice than to defend it. Of course, surrender is also a way out, and the benefits are obvious.

Seeing that his father didn't speak again for a long time, Shang Zhixiao couldn't help but speak: "Father, the city of Guangzhou is strong, the soldiers are well fed, and there is no problem in holding on for several months. In a few months, reinforcements will arrive, and the inside and outside should be combined, and the enemy will be defeated. ”

For a few months, Shang Kexi smiled bitterly, he thought the same way when he stuck to Xinhui, I'm afraid everyone thought so. But as a result, in just a few days, the Ming army broke through the city and advanced. How can you be so passive, if not unexpected.

"Don't be careless!" Shang Kexi sighed lightly and said: "Xinhui City is broken, although I don't know the details, but the Ming army must have a special siege method. ”

"Maybe it's because the defenders underestimate the enemy, and they go out of the city to fight and fail." Shang Zhixiao made an analysis, and at the same time gave some comfort to his father and himself, "Maybe it was the traitor who rebelled, causing the city to be lost." As long as it is handled cautiously, Guangzhou City will be worry-free. ”

"Perhaps!" Shang Kexi seemed to find some comfort. At the same time, he also realized that his sluggish feelings had caused a lot of pressure on his son, and if this mental state faced the generals, it would be even more adversely affected, so he barely cheered up and showed a slight smile on his face, "Okay." It's not too early, so let's rest in peace! Tomorrow, I have to get up early to patrol the city to see what tactics the Ming army can have? ”

…………

Taking advantage of the tyranny of "coastal relocation", the Ming army in the southwest brazenly launched the Eastern Expedition with the call to save the people. First, it is fully prepared, and secondly, it is supported by the people, since the defeat of the Qing army's Guangdong naval division, the water and land have advanced together, which can be described as a breakthrough.

Such a large-scale military operation. Naturally, they will not avoid the Zheng family in the southeast. There was a report, but at first Zheng Chenggong was still in Taiwan besieging the last stronghold of the Dutch, the city of Geranza, and Zheng Jing, who was sitting in Jin and Xia, was not enthusiastic about this and responded with perfunctory.

However, the offensive of the Ming army in the southwest has been gathering momentum for a long time, and it is extremely sharp. After forcing Sun Yanling and Ma Xiong to retreat, Liankegao, Lei, and Lianzhou took Xinhui lightly and forced Guangzhou. Although the news at this time is still stuck in the conquering of Xinhui a few days ago. But Zheng Jinghe's subordinates were already able to anticipate that the Ming army was approaching the city of Guangzhou.

The rapid change in the battle situation is not only gratifying. As well as the Qing army everywhere was shocked. The Zhengjia Group of Jinxia and Xiamen also felt the same way, and discussed the possibility of adjustment.

I can't help but make adjustments, and two major events happened to Zheng Jun in Jin and Xia, forcing Zheng Jing to face some changes.

After Zheng Chenggong besieged the city of Gelanza, the overall situation in Taiwan was basically decided, and he ordered the families of soldiers and officials to be sent to Taiwan. That would have been a good thing. But it's too hasty. At this time, the situation on the islands off the coast of the mainland was relatively stable, and after the recovery of Taiwan, it was entirely possible to encourage soldiers and civil officials to gradually move their families to Taiwan along with the progress of the development process of land reclamation and housing construction. In the development stage, the conditions were difficult. More care should also be given to the soldiers.

But Zheng Chenggong insisted on going his own way, and the usage was severe, and he was killed. He successively killed the family of Yin Yang Chaodong for petty crimes, and killed Zhu Jing of Wannian County, and his family was distributed. Then the hearts of the people were panicked, and the generals disintegrated. Zheng Chenggong also sternly ordered to move, Zheng Tai, Hong Xu, Huang Xu, etc. did not want to do it. Therefore, not a single ship was sent to Taiwan. And ten people including Ji Hongchupi, who sent a ship to hang the superintendent, were in charge of the Fanshe, but they were all retained and not sent, and the information at sea was isolated.

As a matter of fact, forcing the soldiers stationed on the coastal islands of the mainland to send their families to Taiwan was a strategy of Zheng Chenggong, while the family members who went to Taiwan were hostages, with the intention of preventing the soldiers from defecting to the Qing side. This is similar to the Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang's family belonging to the Beijing Division, and the Qing court ordered the civil and military officials to enter the palace with their children as guards, which is an attempt to maintain the loyalty of the subordinates with the safety of their relatives, which is not advisable.

Moreover, the desolate situation in Taiwan at that time could hardly be compared with that of Nanjing in the early Ming Dynasty and Beijing in the early Qing Dynasty. The generals who first arrived in Taiwan were suffering from miasma because they were not accustomed to the water and soil, and seven or eight out of ten were sick and many died. Under such circumstances, the forced implementation of this measure is bound to arouse resistance among some officers and men (especially those guarding the coastal islands of the mainland, such as Kinmen, Xiamen, and Nanao).

When people's hearts are unjust, so do rumors. It is rumored that Chen Bao (i.e., Chen Ba), the loyal and brave marquis who guarded Nanao, had surrendered to Shang Kexi, the king of Pingnan who had established a domain in Guangdong in the Qing Dynasty, because he was unwilling to send his family to Taiwan. Zheng Chenggong did not find out the truth, so he rashly sent an edict to Zheng Jing and Hong Xu, ordering Zhou Quanbin, Du Hui, Huang Chang and others to lead the boat division to South Australia to quell the rebellion. Chen Bao was self-explanatory, and led his troops to defect to the southwest Ming army in the direction of the South China Sea.

This incident was a symptom of the beginning of a split within the Zheng family, while another incident caused a lot of damage because of Zheng Jing's indecision.

Cai Lu and Guo Yier of Tongshan (Dongshan) secretly colluded with the rebel general Huang Wu, and had already plotted to surrender to the Qing Dynasty. In May, Zheng Jing had learned that Cai Lu and Guo Yi had conspired, but he did not send troops to prevent it in time. On the 3rd day of June, after receiving the open rebellion of Cai and Guo, martial law was imposed and ships were prepared. In the ninth day of the first month, Xiamen sent Huang Ting, Du Hui, Huang Yuan, Weng Tianyu, He Yi, Huang Chang, Yang Laijia and other unified troops to Tongshan by boat to quell the rebellion.

At this time, Cai Lu and Guo Yi had already gathered the crowd to calmly loot the copper mountain, and surrendered to the Qing side from the Bachimen to the mainland under the response of Huang Wu of the Qing Dynasty, Wang Jinzhong, the general of the right road of Fujian, and Liu Jinzhong, the deputy general of Zhao'an. It was too late to put down the rebellion and the Zheng army landed on Tongshan, so they had to send troops to defend the fort and pacify the remnants.

The two incidents, for the Zheng Group, both meant defection, but in different directions. Zheng Chenggong focused on running Taiwan, and the strict orders he issued made the generals of Jin and Xiamen resist, but it consolidated Zheng Jing's position.

"Cai Lu and Guo Yi rebelled and surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, they are already enemies, so there is no need to say more. However, Chen Bao switched. It is also like defection, how to deal with it? The prince Zheng Jing looked around at his subordinates and asked in a deep voice: "And the friendly forces in the southwest have won consecutive battles, and they should have reached the city of Guangzhou." The Qing army in Guangdong is already empty, if our army takes advantage of the time to move, it will seize a land base in Guangdong. Is it feasible? ”

Three problems, two to solve. Cai Lu and Guo Yi ran to the side of the Qing army, and they couldn't deal with it for the time being; As for Chen Bao, although he was forced to join the Ming Army in the southwest, and he was in the same camp, this wind could not be long, and he had to be explained. The rest is to take advantage of the fire to rob, and take advantage of the fact that the Qing army in Guangdong was pinned down and attacked by the Ming army in the southwest. It seems that the Zheng family can seize a piece of land as a foundation. No matter how big the territory is and how good the location is, it is better than the barren Taiwan!

But the two problems to be solved involved the imperial court, and the southwestern forces represented the imperial court headed by King Min. Although the Zheng family has been separated, they are still nominally ministers, and they still have to use the signboard of Yongli to attract the support of the gentry and the people, and they also have to respect the emperor and pay courtesy. Because, regardless of strength and fame. The Zheng family is not enough to be completely independent.

If the southwest Ming court is weak, or the mountain is high and the emperor is far away. Zheng Chenggong is naturally not afraid, he can be arrogant, and he can be self-controlled. However, the changes in shape shì made the Zheng family feel more and more embarrassed, and they felt more and more that their relative independence would be limited.

The southwestern Ming army's eastward crusade was detrimental to the interests of the Zheng family, because Zheng Chenggong had already exposed his intentions a few years earlier by not responding to the military campaign of Li Dingguo, the king of the Jin Dynasty, in Guangdong. Haruka Bong can. Military and political affairs are inherited from the imperial court, but they can't. However, the survival of the Qing army in Guangdong happened to become a firewall between the Zheng group and the Ming court in the southwest, and the Zheng group naturally did not want to be broken, so naturally it would not send troops to help Li Dingguo attack Guangdong.

In the same way, after receiving a report from the Southwest Imperial Court. The Zheng family is repeating the old tricks again, perfunctory and delaying. Attention is attention, but not a single soldier is sent to help the war.

But now, the Zheng family is going to send troops and come to fight for the fruits of victory. It's a bit of a nasty thing to say, but it's true. As for Chen Bao, it is also to be dealt with. Otherwise, as soon as this example is opened, there will inevitably be more followers.

"Your Highness, it should be easy to ask for Chen Bao, just send someone who can speak." Hong Lei is the son of Hong Xu, the general of the Zheng family, and the young man did not think about it, so he said: "And it is the right time to attack Guangdong, Xu Long and Su Li are either defeated or killed, it is no longer enough to be in trouble. ”

Zheng Jing smiled on his face and nodded slightly. Zheng Chenggong has been overseas for more than ten years, and even the imperial court has never disobeyed his will, and never dared to refuse his request. Now, Zheng Jing thinks that his status is similar to that of his father, so he should naturally have such domineering.

Chen Yonghua, who joined the army, frowned slightly, obviously disagreeing with Hong Lei's arrogant words. Although the current shape is somewhat similar to the second attack on Guangdong by Li Dingguo, the king of the Jin Dynasty, Chen Yonghua saw very clearly that there was a big difference.

At that time, Li Dingguo's plan for the Guangdong campaign could be said to be fully prepared, and only the east wind was owed. Dongfeng is the main force of Zheng Chenggong, and whether it comes or not determines the success or failure of the Guangdong Campaign. Therefore, although he had high hopes for Zheng Chenggong, he repeatedly wrote letters asking him to send troops to help. The Eastern Expedition was different, and the imperial court left behind the Min clan only wrote a letter informing the strategic intentions of the Ming army in the southwest, but did not open his mouth to ask for help.

One is looking forward to it, and the other is a routine notice, and comparing the two, you can see the change in the court's attitude towards the Zheng family. In fact, the Southwest Ming Army launched an offensive on its own, without counting the Zheng family's assistance at all. What does this mean, it shows that the Min Fan has alienated the Zheng family, and he will not curry favor with Yinghe with a low profile.

Sending a kind person to get Chen Bao back, this is really a bit naïve, but it is not impossible to try. Chen Yonghua opened his mouth, but swallowed the words back. In front of so many generals and civil officials, if you tell the truth, it seems that you have the meaning of despising Zheng Jing, so it is better to remind you in private.

"Chao and Hui have always been the main sources of food and salary and soldier supplies for my Zheng family, and now we should take advantage of the situation." Zheng Jing jumped directly to the issue of sending troops, and obviously recognized Hong Lei's proposal on how to claim back Chen Bao, "It's just that the most convenient port of anchorage seems to be in the hands of the Ming army, if they don't borrow the way, or they have overcome the tide and benefit, what should they do?" ”

Feng Xifan, the son of the engineer Feng Chengshi, bowed his hand and said: "Your Highness, Chao and Hui are important, but it may not be appropriate to take them at this time. Guangzhou was attacked, how could Fujian Geng rebel sit idly by, and would send reinforcements to the west. If our army is based on the tide and favor, it will be fought with it, so be cautious. ”

Chen Yonghua smiled and said, "This is in one word. The timing of the dispatch of troops is crucial, and it should be carefully observed and acted with caution. Or you can also take another place and criticize the falsehood, which is also in line with the meaning of the art of war. ”

It is necessary to send troops to grab the territory, but not to pay too much price. Zheng Jing immediately understood what Feng and Chen meant, thought for a while, and felt quite reasonable. or occupy Chao and Hui, as a shield for the Ming army in the southwest, and fight a big battle with the Qing army in Fujian; or wait for the opportunity, and then try to tide and benefit; Or choose a different place to avoid the sensitive area where the battle with the large Qing army is engaged.

"Is it feasible to attack the neighboring places of Nanao Island first, such as Jieyang and other places?" Zheng Jing gave up the first goal, Chao and Hui, and considered the fastest route for using troops.

"Your Highness is wise." Feng Xifan took the lead in complimenting: "Nanao Island is in the hands of our army, and it is fast and convenient to attack the nearby places, and it can also give an explanation to the imperial court." ”

It was a little late, but it was enough to deal with the imperial court. Zheng Jing thought so, so he agreed with Feng Xifan's statement.

"Father Wang Zeng Yan used today's Wolong." Zheng Jing suddenly turned to Chen Yonghua, and his attitude became more respectful, "Before raising troops to recover Taiwan, he also made it clear to me that he should serve him with a teacher's courtesy." I want to invite Mr. to the Imperial Court, but I don't know Sir-"

Chen Yonghua sighed secretly in his heart, this messenger actually fell on his head. According to his analysis, Min Fan is not a weak person, and bowing his head to the Zheng family is probably not as easy as Zheng Jing thought. However, since Zheng Jing has already been named, how can he refuse?

"The subordinates are willing to go to the southwest and declare to the imperial court that they will take back the rebel general Chen Bao." Chen Yonghua didn't dare to speak as a teacher and in a tone, although Zheng Jing's words were so, but if he didn't know the proportions and accepted it calmly, I was afraid that his status in Zheng Jing's mind would plummet.

"Then there's Mr. Lao Chen." Zheng Jing smiled even more heartily, probably thinking that his strategy and decision had been successful.

............. (To be continued......)