July 11, the city of Beijing.

Zheng Sen led a team of guards, rode his horse and galloped, and in a very short time, he rushed to Beijing City, and brought Liu Yan a "letter of request".

At this time, Liu Yan had already received a double report from the Ministry of Military Intelligence and the Ministry of National Defense, and learned that Ding Kuichu, the governor of Liangguang, and Wang Xianchuan, the chief military officer of Guangdong, led the army to attack Jiangxi Province, Xu Jiaming, the chief military officer of Guizhou, led the army to Huguang Province, and Li Guozhi, the chief military officer of Yunnan, led the army to turn back and fight with Mu Tianbo, the prince of Qianguo, on the way to attack Sichuan.

At this time, Zheng Sen arrived in Beijing with Zheng Zhilong's letter of request, and the government and the opposition were shocked, and the shock caused by the huge momentum of the rebels in Liangguang and Yunnan and Guizhou was also eliminated.

However, Liu Yan was not too happy, after all, Zheng Zhilong is a model of left and right in history, although he sent his most relied on son Zheng Sen this time, how much sincerity there is in his heart, Liu Yan also has to put a question mark.

So Liu Yan convened the cabinet ministers at the cabinet office and jointly summoned Zheng Sen.

In the lobby of the cabinet office, Zheng Sen met Liu Yan, the first assistant of the cabinet and Lu Guogong, for the first time, looking at this "helmsman" of the Ming Empire, who was only in his early thirties and more than ten years older than himself, Zheng Sen looked very nervous, and at the same time his heart was full of admiration.

"Zheng Sen, the counselor general of Fuzhou Prefecture in Fujian, meet Liu Gelao!"

After Zheng Sen saluted, Liu Yan said with a smile: "General Zheng Shen is invited, he has come from afar, and he has worked hard." ”

Liu Yan's approachable words dissipated the tension in Zheng Sen's heart a lot, and then he got up and took out a handwritten letter from his father Zheng Zhilong, and said: "Elder Qiyuge, now Liangguang and Yungui have rebelled and raised troops, and my father, as the governor of Fujian, hates the rebellious behavior. ”

The cabinet official on the side handed the letter to Liu Yan, but Liu Yan did not open it and read it, but just looked Zheng Sen up and down, and said secretly in his heart: "This is the famous Zheng Chenggong in history?" The appearance, manners and conversation are really unusual, and he is a talent. It's a pity that under the hands of Zheng Zhilong, the wall-head grass, Mingzhu secretly cast! ”

Then Liu Yan said: "Fujian Governor Zheng Zhilong is your father, I don't know what General Zheng thinks of Ling Zun?" ”

Zheng Sen saw that Liu Yan did not open the letter, and his heart suddenly became nervous, so he paused and said: "My father was created in Weimo, and now as the governor of Fujian, he should be a hero for a while!" ”

"Hmm."

Liu Yan nodded and said, "Ling Zun deserves the word hero." However, what this Gongguan Lingzun has done recently is just a hero! ”

Zheng Sen was shocked in his heart and was about to speak, but he saw Liu Yan waving his hand and said: "The purpose of the imperial court's implementation of the new policy and military reform is to revitalize the Ming Dynasty and reproduce the prosperous scene. After the new policy and military reform policy enter Fujian, it will definitely have an impact on the power of your Zheng family, and this duke and Ling Zun are well aware of it. ”

"However, once the new policy and military reform are implemented in Fujian, the people can get tangible benefits, and for your Zheng family, this prince and the imperial court, they will not sit idly by, and will definitely give compensation, but why Ling Zun can't see this, but to disobey the yang and the yin, on the one hand, send Zheng Shen General into Beijing to ask for war, and on the other hand, secretly communicate with the rebels!"

Liu Yan suddenly became difficult, Zheng Sen's face suddenly stiffened, and he hurriedly clenched his fists and said: "Don't blame the elder pavilion, this is a rumor, my father will definitely not have anything to do with the rebels." ”

Liu Yan laughed out loud and said, "General Zheng thinks that the Military Intelligence Department and the Ministry of Defense of the imperial court are all eating dry food? ”

Zheng Sen was speechless, so he had to clasp his fists and salute, waiting for Liu Yan's fall, and secretly said in his heart: "I'm afraid it will be difficult to retreat this time!" ”

The surrounding ministers have set their eyes on Zheng Sen's body, for this young talent, everyone can see that he is stronger than his peers, but it is a pity that this person is the son of Zheng Zhilong, and Zheng Zhilong is not of the same mind as the court.

After a while, Liu Yan said: "This time, Zheng Shen will enter Beijing, and some people will say that Zheng Shen will be taken down and imprisoned, and some people will use Zheng Shen as a bargaining chip to negotiate a deal with Ling Zun. ”

But these suggestions were rejected by Bengong. Will Zheng Shen know why? ”

Zheng Sen shook his head and said, "The last general doesn't know. ”

"Because this duke knows that Ling Zun once led his troops to defeat the fleet of the Xiyi Dutch at Liuluo Bay, and the Zheng family's fleet has always suppressed the ships of the Waiyi in the South China Sea, and this is enough. As long as Ling Zun still has great righteousness in his heart, and he still thinks that he is a member of Huaxia and thinks that he is a military attache of the Ming Dynasty, then Bengong will not attack General Zheng. ”

Zheng Sen was stunned for a moment, and then excitedly clasped his fists and said, "Xie Ge Lao! When the last general returns, he will persuade his father. ”

"Don't be in a hurry."

Liu Yan waved his hand and said: "This time, General Zheng will go back, and I will be advised to recognize the reality and make the right decision." At the same time, Bengong also hopes that Zheng Shen will be able to participate in the great cause of the revival of the Ming Dynasty. ”

"The last general must be remembered!"

Liu Yan smiled and said, "Okay! If this matter can be successful, the Zheng family will definitely be able to have a bright future, this public opinion, it is better to change the name of Zheng Shenjiang, the word success, how about it? ? ”

"Zheng, success!"

Zheng Sen was immediately overjoyed, hugged his fists and said: "Zheng Chenggong Xie Ge gave him a name!" ”

Everyone around them had different expressions when they saw this, and they didn't understand why Liu Yan treated this Zheng Sen so well, according to Liu Yan's previous temper, not to mention punishing Zheng Sen, at least they would interrogate him.

But Liu Yan always smiled at Zheng Sen, and even changed Zheng Sen's name, what an honor!

On the same day, Zheng Sen, who had changed his name to Zheng Chenggong, rode out of the city, and after taking a group of guards out of the city from Xuanwu Gate, he went south along the official road, and his heart was still agitated, and he said secretly: "This time, Liu Ge Lao can attach so much importance to my Zheng family, and after he goes back, he must strongly persuade his father not to make a wrong decision and let the Zheng family go astray!" ”

When Zheng Chenggong left, Liu Yan left all the imperial court ministers in the cabinet office and began to discuss ways to deal with the rebellion.

"For rebellion, the imperial court has no second choice but to send troops to quell the chaos and suppress it directly!"

Liu Yan immediately made a decision, and everyone had no objections, after all, the reason why the rebels of Liangguang and Yungui raised troops was to oppose the new policy of the imperial court and the military reform under the pretext of opposing the imperial court.

So Liu Yan said: "Does the Ministry of Defense have a response strategy? ”

Tian Huixu, a scholar of the Ministry of National Defense, immediately said: "Elder Qiyuge, at present, the Ministry of Defense has a hardness strategy, which is as follows. ”

According to the strategy put forward by the Ministry of National Defense, the imperial court will mobilize the Laiden Battalion, Yanqing Battalion, and Jidong Battalion of the Shandong garrison to go south, and at the same time, with Shandong Governor Yan Jizu as the commander, he will be ordered to lead the Fubiao Battalion south to Jiangxi Province to fight against the rebels in Guangdong.

Mobilize Qin Liangyu, the chief military officer of Sichuan, and Ma Xianglin, the deputy chief soldier, to send troops south to fight against the rebels in Yunnan, and cooperate with the soldiers and horses of the Guizhou State Ministry to encircle and suppress the rebels in Yunnan.

Mobilize the battalions of the garrison in Huguang to fight the rebels in Guizhou Province.

Tian Huixu said: "Ge Lao, at present, the soldiers and horses in Sichuan and Jiangxi are not a big problem, and they can win against the rebels. It's just that the battalions of the garrison in Huguang Road belong to the grass creation, and there is still some lack of combat power, so the confidence of the subordinates is still a little insufficient in this battle. ”

Liu Yan pondered for a while, and then said: "According to the structure reported by the Ministry of National Defense before, Huguang Road currently has Yongheng Battalion (Yongzhou Mansion, Hengzhou Mansion, Chenzhou), Baochen Battalion (Baoqing Mansion, Chenzhou Mansion, Jingzhou), Changsha Battalion (Changsha Mansion), Huang Deying (Huangzhou Mansion, De'an Mansion) and other eight garrison battalions, the strength is sufficient, but the generals of each battalion are all newly graduated from the Huangming Military Academy and the Huangming Performing Arts Hall, and the battlefield experience is insufficient, and the soldiers and horses of each battalion have just been reorganized, and the combat strength has indeed not been tempered. Therefore, the selection of the main general is very important. ”

Tian Huixu agreed very much and said: "So at present, the candidate for the chief military officer of Huguang has not yet been determined, please ask the elder cabinet to select it." ”

Liu Yan pondered for a while and said: "In my opinion, Li Dingguo of the Huangming Military Academy will be transferred to the chief military officer of Huguang Road, Liu Liangzuo will be the general of the Changsha battalion, Gao Jie will be the general of the Baochen battalion, Huang Degong will be the general of the Yongheng battalion, and Ai Nengqi will be the general of the Huang Deying battalion. ”

"In addition, Lu Daqi is the chief soldier of Zhejiang Province, Li Yan is the deputy chief soldier of Zhejiang Province, and Hongniangzi is the staff officer of Zhejiang Province."

"With Qu Shiqian as the chief military officer of Nanzhili, he led his troops to garrison Nanjing and other places."

Up to now, Li Dingguo, Li Yan, Huang Degong and others have been studying at the Huangming Military Academy in Qingzhou Mansion for a period of time, and everyone has mastered the basic new military knowledge, and has fully accepted the new ideas taught in the academy, and has a new understanding of the new policy and military reform policies implemented by the imperial court, and now everyone is already a firm supporter of Liu Yan's new policy and military reform.

Therefore, Liu Yan faced the current situation of a serious shortage of available talents in the southern provinces, so he transferred all the people out to do things.

"My father gives them a platform to do things, and how far they can go depends on their own ability."

Regarding Liu Yan's strategy, Tian Huixu, the secretary of the Ministry of National Defense, had no objections, and the rest of the people had no objections, and Yue Ming, the secretary of the Ministry of Finance, also immediately said: "The subordinates will come up with a plan for adjusting money and grain as soon as possible, and coordinate with the Ministry of Civil Affairs to recruit and transfer people to participate in the war as soon as possible." ”

Liu Yan nodded and said: "In this battle, the imperial army is divided into three routes, the main commander of the western road will be Qin Liangyu, the chief military officer of Sichuan, the middle road will be Li Dingguo, the chief military officer of Huguang Road, and the eastern road will be Yan Jizu, the governor of Shandong. ”

"At the same time, the 10th Army of the National Defense Forces was requisitioned and stationed in Huguang Road, the 11th Army of the National Defense Forces was requisitioned and transferred to Jiangxi Province, and the rest of the 12th Army of the National Defense Forces returned to Beijing City to garrison."

Liu Yan said to Shang Shutian Huixu of the Ministry of National Defense: "The 10th and 11th armies of the National Defense Force are the ballast stones of this battle, responsible for supervising the formation in the rear, and participating in the battle to turn the tide of the war when necessary. ”

Tian Huixu said: "What does Elder Ge mean is to train troops in battle, and use this battle to test the training results of the garrison troops in various places, as well as the real effect of the military reform policy. ”

Liu Yan said: "That's exactly what it means! However, the Ministry of National Defense should be prepared and issue an order to the 11th Army of the National Defense Army, while garrisoning Jiangxi Road, it must closely monitor the movement of Fujian, and once Zheng Zhilong shows signs of participating in the war, the 11th Army of the National Defense Army must immediately abandon the vigilance in the direction of Guangdong, directly go east into Fujian, and encircle and suppress Zheng Zhilong's headquarters! ”

Liu Yan naturally would not completely give up his vigilance against Zheng Zhilong because he was optimistic about Zheng Chenggong, so the necessary preparations were still necessary, as long as Zheng Zhilong dared to participate in this rebellion, Liu Yan would not mind directly sending troops to pacify Fujian.

Of course, Liu Yan was unwilling to start a war with Zheng Zhilong at this time, after all, the new naval division of the imperial court had not yet been built, and once Zheng Zhilong was defeated in the land battle, he would definitely withdraw to Taiwan by virtue of his sea superiority, and even take Japan, Nanyang, and Taiwan as a whole to blockade the southeast coast of the Ming Dynasty, which was a situation that Liu Yan was unwilling to face.

"I hope Zheng Chenggong can persuade Zheng Zhilong not to do anything, otherwise don't blame my father's men for being ruthless!"