The generals did not speak for a moment, thinking about how to phrase and how to speak clearly.

"At the banquet just now, weren't you discussing the Northern Expedition?" Kuang Guogong Pi Xiong smiled: "Why don't you dare to speak out in front of the saint?" ”

"It doesn't matter if you're right or wrong." Zhu Yongxing said: "Although it is said that half of the country has been recovered now, the Tartars are already in a disadvantageous situation, but the hundred-legged insects are dead but not stiff, and the secretaries should not be neglected." Especially in the Northland, the Yuli Cavalry, which is very different from the South. If it is said that victory is won without a fight, then it can only be delayed, until the Qing court is financially bankrupt, the soldiers are not paid, the officials have no money, and there is no food, but I don't know how long it will be. And the people of the north are also my people of the Ming Dynasty, but I can't bear to suffer them. ”

"Your Majesty don't worry, it's true that the cavalry battle in the north is true, but our army has sharp weapons and strong morale, as long as the food and salary are sufficient, supplemented by a chariot battalion and a small number of cavalry, the infantry can also defeat the cavalry." Li Sixing hesitated for a moment and said: "Just to ensure the passage of food and salary, and to prevent harassment by enemy cavalry, we must be camped step by step, and the land occupied may need to be defended by garrisons, which consumes a lot of money." ”

"It's a big deal, that's for sure." Zhu Yongxing gave an appreciative look and said: "It is true that firearms are sharp, but they are more dependent on logistics. Otherwise, why didn't our army directly attack and advance after recovering the south of the river? In addition, according to the latest information, the Qing court is manufacturing artillery and shooting shotguns, and you should be vigilant and prepared for future confrontations. Well, King Han, let me introduce me. ”

"The artillery made by the Qing court is all based on the old method, which is bulky and unbearable, and the power is not as powerful as our army." Wu Sangui bowed in the chair and introduced the situation, "What about the shotgun, it is still lit and fired with a fire rope." The range and rate of fire are also inferior to the flintlock guns of our army. The sage judged that if the Qing army used firearms on a large scale, it might be easier to deal with than the cavalry. ”

"Your Majesty is wise." Wei Junzhong was the first to come into contact with the flint firecracker, and the first to command the firecracker troops, and after a little pondering, he understood the key, "Change the firecracker." It is necessary to adjust the military formation accordingly and make changes in tactics. A deeper layer involves the deployment and cover of artillery. If you only know the skin, the posture may have some appearance, but it is difficult to give full play to the power. ”

"Well said." Zhu Yongxing smiled and nodded, "Shotgun, hehe, if the battle formation collapses, it is better to hold it in your hand than to burn the fire stick." If the enemy uses bows and arrows, swords and spears. Our army has tactics to deal with; If the enemy uses shotguns and artillery, we naturally have to have the corresponding means. As for you, you must study more, ponder more, practice more, no matter how the enemy changes, you can always defeat the enemy and win, and you will be a famous general. Other words. There is no victory and a thousand-spirited formation, but there are famous generals who have won a hundred battles. An invincible army. ”

"Pingbei Hou, Jingbei Hou-" Zhu Yongxing swept his eyes and said to Xia Guoxiang and Hu Guozhu: "The Dangshuo Army was established relatively late, and it is different from other armies in terms of weapons and equipment and tactical play. And these problems cannot be solved by all the outfits. Bringing the old with the new. It is the tradition of our Ming army, and it is also an effective means of rapid expansion and formation of combat effectiveness. Therefore, I only draw the old to make up for the new, and I really hope that the Dangshuo army can master the new tactical play as much as possible. Do your best to become a strong team. ”

"The saint is painstaking, and Weichen understands." Xia Guoxiang hurriedly bowed down and replied.

"The Dangshuo army is based on Chongming, with the cooperation of the sailors, and must often go out to fight in order to adapt to and master new weapons and new tactics." Zhu Yongxing continued: "There are frequent wars, and it is inconvenient to go to the martial arts hall for further study. I came up with a way to call it correspondence. It is the textbook issued by the lecture hall, and there are periodicals issued, you and so on to self-study, the time to participate in the assessment, the pass by the lecture hall issued a certificate, as a promotion of a condition. ”

Chongzhen Dynasty, at the beginning only Zhou Kui was named Jiading Bo, and then there was Ping Xibo, who was not as high as the Marquis, and there was no hereditary. By the time several Southern Ming emperors arrived, the once unspeakably expensive titles had become flooded. There are a lot of princes and princes, and there are several princes with different surnames.

In view of this situation, Zhu Yongxing had the idea and measures to gradually replace the official with a military rank. The establishment of the martial arts hall and the role it played afterwards are obvious, and now the highest is only the lieutenant colonel of Wei Junzhong, who is still the commander of the first army! However, with the increasing complexity of the composition of the army, the training and further study of the martial arts hall seem to cover a somewhat narrow area.

For those above the rank of Guogong, or the elderly, or latecomers such as Xia Guoxiang, Hu Guozhu, Liu Tichun, Hao Shaoqi, etc., if there are no flexible measures, it seems that they will be excluded, so that they will have the idea that sooner or later they will be replaced by officers from the martial arts hall.

Therefore, Zhu Yongxing came up with the method of correspondence teaching. On the one hand, it is necessary to bring these people into the system, and on the other hand, the Jiangwutang will issue teaching materials similar to periodicals, which can also promote the continuous progress of officers, grasp the latest military trends, and understand the knowledge of the use of new equipment......

Xia Guoxiang, Hu Guozhu, Li Sixing, and even Ma Weixing, the prince of Xuguo, all lit up, and they all looked at the military rank mark on Wei Junzhong's shoulder, which was different from that of others.

Military ranks are not mentioned in the military reform for the time being, but they are all experienced, and naturally know that in the future, they will inevitably use military ranks in the army to judge their ranks and hold real power. Especially after Zhu Yongxing ascended the throne, the weight of the martial arts hall and the academy in military and political affairs increased suddenly.

The correspondence course can be regarded as Zhu Yongxing opening a door for them and pointing out a road to promotion that can adapt to the reform of the military system. Like Ma Weixing, the prince of the Syrian Kingdom, there is no need to feel embarrassed because he wants to pull down his face to teach martial arts and study with a group of young people.

Although it was not Zhu Yongxing's willingness to be flexible, but the actual situation was so, he could only hope that after the older generation of generals such as King Jin and King Zhao retired, he would be able to get on the right track.

This summons is to show closeness and closeness, and second, to make the generals more aware of the current situation and the general outline of the entire strategy, so that they have a good idea of what kind of military action will be carried out.

The next day, Zhu Yongxing rewarded the generals in the Fengtian Hall of the former imperial palace. All the ministries are still there, the civil and military officials serve the north of the Dan, the attendant class living note, the matter, the palace service Yu Shi, Shang Baoqing, the waiter and the chief of ceremonies are located in the east of the palace, and the military attache of the hanging sword is located in the west of the palace and so on. The award ceremony was very grand, highlighting the reputation of the honor.

Li Sixing, Xia Guoxiang and others, as well as some generals of a slightly lower rank than them, all had their own rewards for recovering Jiangnan.

The grand music seems to rise from the depths of the human soul; Solemn grooming. The congratulatory voices of the tide made the rewarded generals tremble with excitement.

"Hooray!"

"Hooray!"

"Hooray!"

In the tsunami-like cheers of the mountains, Zhu Yongxing calmly worshiped with the majesty of the emperor, rewarded and encouraged them one by one, and then held a banquet to celebrate. It's been a busy day. Only then did the dust settle and the show was over.

……………

"Hooray!"

"Hooray!"

"Hooray!"

Zheng Jing got up and took the holy decree with both hands, his attitude was respectful, but his heart was complicated. Although he had expected such a day, and although Zhu Yongxing had not changed Taiwan's current structure of functions and powers, Zheng Jing knew very well that Zhu Yongxing was not a Yongli calendar, and half of the country was in his hands. At present, Taiwan only relies on its geographical advantages, but it still has to rely on the mainland, and it has no strength to counter.

continued to respect Yongli, not only did not have the slightest practical benefit, but also regarded Zhu Yongxing as a usurper, and the two sides tore their faces, and there was no room for reconciliation. Even if Zhu Yongxing does not immediately send troops to attack, as long as he blocks the flow of materials and personnel exchanges between Taiwan and the mainland. At the beginning of the reclamation, Taiwan will also face great difficulties.

The will and morale of the people also did not allow Zheng Jing to make tough moves. The homeland is restored, but he still has to stay in this wild place. The soldiers and civilians who were forcibly relocated to Taiwan already complained a lot, and if they confronted the mainland's swords and soldiers, wouldn't it give those soldiers who were eager to return to their homeland a chance to turn to their homeland?

Then there are the clan officials and gentry in Taiwan, headed by Zhu Shugui, King of Ningjing, Zhu Jiang, King of Badong, Zhu Jun, King of Le'an, and other clans surnamed Zhu. I want to go to worship the tomb of filial piety.

Zheng Jing knew that the thoughts of these people were nothing more than that the conditions in Taiwan were not good, that the official salary given by the Zheng family was not high, and that the mainland was basically stable, or that they missed their homeland. Or is it a lust for riches...... In short, the mainland is very attractive to the people of Taiwan.

"The saint said: Taiwan has always been China's territory, not a place outside China's territory. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, internal and external troubles made it impossible to take care of Taiwan, which led to the Dutch occupying it for a while. Zhang Weihan, as the angel of the decree and the messenger responsible for conveying the message to Zheng Jing, was welcomed to the hall and talked eloquently, "The first king gave the surname to recover Taiwan, which is really an outstanding achievement." Every time the saint talked about this, he praised it, saying that the former king was a national hero and could be admired by all ages. ”

Zheng Jing listened respectfully, but his heart was a little awe-inspiring.

In the eyes of most people at that time, Taiwan was a wild land, with treacherous mountains and rivers, barren land, and a lack of natural resources. Even after Kangxi pacified Taiwan in history, the Qing court still believed that Taiwan had not been included in the territory since the Han and Tang dynasties and the Song and Ming dynasties, and that "it was only a small land, and nothing was gained, and nothing was damaged", and Taiwan was not regarded as a sacred territory that China has always had.

However, Zhang Weihan relayed Zhu Yongxing's words, but expressed this meaning, shattering the illusion of Zheng Jing and his henchmen "enlightening the country and Dongning" and "the foundation of eternity has been established".

All right! I don't care about you for the time being, Taiwan is isolated overseas, and it will soon be unable to open the country, but the trend of separating feudal towns is difficult to change. Zheng Jing thought about it for a while, and continued to maintain a respectful attitude.

The king reclaimed Taiwan, and the saint praised it, saying: Taiwan is vast and sparsely populated, and it is possible to show its strength and develop and build. Based on agriculture, sugar production, salt production, the development of handicraft industry, and the benefits of sea trade, it will become a rich treasure island in the future. Zhang Weihan continued: "At present, there is a shortage of food, but it is a temporary difficulty. Although the imperial court was also hoarding grain and grass for the Northern Expedition, it could also do what it could. ”

"The saint is wise, and the micro-minister is inscribed." Zheng Jing breathed a sigh of relief: At the beginning of Taiwan's development, food shortage was the biggest difficulty, and if the mainland did not provide assistance, it would really be difficult to solve it.

"The first king had the idea of crusading against the Spaniards in Luzon to avenge the Westerners for slaughtering my people, I wonder if the king had such intentions?" Zhang Weihan changed his words and asked more critical questions.

"This-" Zheng Jing hesitated for a moment, and said with a wry smile: "Taiwan's start-up, I'm afraid I can't catch it." If we wait a few years, when Taiwan's business is successful and the soldiers are sufficient, we will be sure of crusading against the Westerners. ”

"The Holy Lord asked the king: If the imperial court crusades against the Westerners, what kind of help can Taiwan provide?" Zhang Weihan smiled faintly, stared at Zheng Jing and asked.

Zheng Jing was stunned for a moment, but he didn't dare to express his stance lightly. According to the current situation in Taiwan, it is impossible to provide food and wages, so it can only provide a port as a foothold for the imperial army to conquer Luzon. In this way, Taiwan will not be defenseless. In case the imperial army makes a false plan to cut down the enemy, Taiwan will have to give up to others, right?

Zhang Weihan smiled faintly, and no longer asked, but talked about the mutual opening of trading ports with Taiwan to facilitate the exchange of materials.

That's the case, Zheng Jing didn't dare to agree rashly. In the end, Penghu was designated as a port and trading city, while Quanzhou was designated on the mainland.

Spend the belly of a gentleman with a careful heart! Zhang Weihan's face was as usual, but in his heart, he became more and more disdainful of Zheng Jing. Compared with the magnanimity of the saint, this new king of Yanping is really difficult to achieve. No wonder the saint didn't care, and only said that when Taiwan had another civil strife in the future, it would be just a gesture of effort.

But what is the cause of this civil strife? Zhang Weihan was puzzled, and felt that the saint was unfathomable. There may be a saint among the Zheng family generals standing below, just wait for the time to come-

"I heard that the Holy Lord is going to conquer the Satsuma Domain of the Wa Kingdom?" Zheng Jing also seemed to feel that he was a little too precautionary, too petty. Then the topic was diverted.

"Our army has gone to sea, hundreds of warships, tens of thousands of soldiers, and the Satsuma Domain is already in a catastrophe." Zhang Weihan is very determined and confident, "It is really arrogant that the small Japanese feudal clan dares to invade my Ming domain, Ryukyu. No thunder. Do you think I'm so deceitful? ”

Zheng Jing was taken aback and was worried that it would affect the maritime trade between Taiwan and Japan. Since the death of Zheng Chenggong, the surname of the country. The attitude of the Wakoku shogunate was no longer as friendly as it used to be. The killing of Zheng Tai and the defection of Zheng Zhangxu and others greatly weakened the original trade with the Japanese and the South Seas.

In the Ming and Qing wars, the Wa State had the intention of sending troops to assist the Ming army in the war, and when Zheng Chenggong led the boat division into the Yangtze River and forced Nanjing, the Tokugawa shogunate sent troops. It's just that the Japanese army encountered a typhoon after going to sea. It was blown all over the place, and a lot of people drowned.

By the time the rectification was completed, Zheng Chenggong had already retreated in defeat, which made it necessary for the Wa state to reassess the Ming and Qing wars. They thought that Nanming had experienced internal strife and that it was already a difficult situation to recover, so they died down. No longer responds to Zheng Chenggong's request to borrow troops.

But now that the revival of the Southern Ming Dynasty has been completed, Zheng Jing estimated that the Japanese Shogunate would show closeness to the Southern Ming, but Zhu Yongxing wanted to attack the Satsuma Domain, I don't know what the intention was? Do you want to use force to threaten each other and monopolize the trade with the Japanese? Or is it really fulfilling the responsibilities of the feudal lord and standing up for the Ryukyus?

Zheng Jing didn't know the essentials, and it was inconvenient to get to the bottom of it, so he continued to talk and laugh with Zhang Weihan with a puzzled stomach. The two sides also finalized a specific agreement on Taiwan's exchange of nitrate for weapons, and after the banquet, the guests and hosts dispersed.

"The Northern Expedition has not been completed, the world has not been decided, so it will conquer overseas, what is the intention of today?" Back at the mansion, Zheng Jing sank his face and asked his confidant officials for answers.

Feng Xifan was silent for a long time, and then said: "Today's actions in the southwest are quite similar to now, when the great enemy was not destroyed, and Annan was conquered. At the moment, the move seems to be a long-term plan. ”

"Could it be that the Imperial Court wants to occupy the land of the Satsuma Domain? Pressing the Japanese shogunate to pay for peace again? Zheng Jing thought about Annan and said as if talking to himself.

"It's certain to attack the Satsuma Domain, but it's not necessarily necessary to occupy the others." Liu Guoxuan thought for a while and said, "If you are obedient to the Ryukyus, why should you occupy the land of the Satsuma Domain?" If the Wa Shogunate refused to give up, wouldn't the war be protracted? Then how to talk about the Northern Expedition, how to talk about pacifying the world. ”

"Those who are alone are dealing with the Japanese trade." Zheng Jing sighed softly, looked at Chen Yonghua, and said, "Fufu, what do you think?" ”

Chen Yonghua smiled bitterly and said, "The king is wise, and now he is going to conquer the Satsuma Domain, in the name of demonstrating the responsibility of the suzerain, but it is actually for the sake of trade with the Japanese. If it were only a matter of gentle talk, the commercial status obtained in the Wa Kingdom would be the same as that of the Netherlands and Taiwan. Deter the military first, and then talk about the rest, and the gain may be more. ”

"Domination?" Zheng Jing frowned and asked.

Chen Yonghua thought for a while, shook his head and said, "According to today's style of acting, I'm afraid it won't be like this." If Taiwan is deliberately restrained today, how can it be helped? ”

"Even if it is not a monopoly, it will have a great impact on Taiwan's maritime trade income." Feng Xifan rolled his eyes and sneered: "Three families share profits, it's better than two!" ”

"So what?" Chen Yonghua's tone was light, but he was still secretly sharp, "The name of the monarch and the minister has been decided, do you want to separate right and wrong from the court?" What is the difference between it and today? The imperial court wanted to profit from the trade with the Japanese sea, but also to raise food and wages, drive out the Tartars, and raise the Northern Expedition. Now he wants to conquer the Westerners and avenge the overseas Chinese, which is also the thought of the previous king. ”

"The court is powerful, you are going to change the court and switch to Gaozhi?" Feng Xifan sneered, "The kindness of the first king, the kindness of the king, do you remember?" ”

"You-" Chen Yonghua's body trembled with anger, and he stretched out his hand to point at Feng Xifan.

"Alright." Zheng Jing coldly broke off, "Xifan, you have said too much, quickly apologize to Fufu." ”

Feng Xifan choked for a moment, and hurriedly arched his hand: "A certain family has lost its word, please don't blame Mr. Chen." ”

It is a big taboo to be incompatible with civil and military affairs, and Chen Yonghua is the most talented among Taiwan's civil officials, and he has made great contributions to the governance of Taiwan, and Zheng Jing is also very dependent. And Feng Xifan is a close guard. Zheng Jing did not want his cronies to cause a conflict and create an unstable factor for Taiwan.

Chen Yonghua is a literati in the end, and he has always been in contradictory thinking. The court and the emperor are righteous, and the first king and Zheng Jing are kind to him, which makes him very depressed. Feng Xifan's apology was not sincere, and Chen Yonghua was still angry and tilted his head to the side. (To be continued......)