Chapter 2458

After the signing of the Jinzhou Peace Treaty in 1639, although the northern border areas of the Ming Dynasty achieved temporary peace, both the Ming Dynasty and the Manchu Qing Dynasty understood that this was only a phased ceasefire agreement and did not stop preparations for war. Especially in terms of armaments

In terms of upgrading, both countries have very clear goals, which is to establish Haihan-style firearms units as soon as possible to enhance the combat effectiveness of their armies.

However, there are obvious differences in the upgrade paths between the two countries. The Manchu and Qing Dynasties obtained the gun manufacturing technology improved by the Japanese craftsmen of the Hirado domain, as well as the firearms unit training program provided by the Spanish; while the Ming Dynasty obtained through various channels

A large number of muskets and artillery were purchased from Haihan and imitated at the same time. However, the combat effectiveness of the imitations was still significantly different from those made by Haihan, so the counterattack launched outside the customs did not achieve the desired results.

However, after this battle, both sides also realized that the other side's fighting methods have changed, and if they want to defeat the other side, they must put more effort into armaments.

As the two sides went to war again, the Jinzhou Peace Treaty automatically expired. Since the Ming Dynasty did not request Haihan to send troops through official channels, Haihan had no intention of participating in the strangulation between the two countries from Shanhaiguan to Jinzhou. During this period, the relationship between the Manchu and Qing Dynasties

The trade volume is already considerable, and the benefits brought to Haihan also require the Executive Committee to carefully consider the choice of starting a war with the Manchus again.

At this time, due to the empty national treasury, the Ming Dynasty had to continue to send additional taxes to the country to supplement military expenditures. Especially in the areas in the south that were heavily penetrated by Haihan, such as Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang and other places, they became additional taxes.

The key areas for taxation. There is no other reason. At present, these are the only places in the Ming Dynasty that have maintained a stable situation for a long time and have prosperous foreign trade, so they are relatively wealthy. In the eyes of the imperial court, there is still a lot of oil and water to be exploited.

However, parts of Guangdong have fallen under the control of Haihan, and Fujian is controlled by Xu Xinsu. It is not easy to take money out of his pocket. As for Zhejiang, although it is still under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, most local governments at all levels have established alliances with Haihan.

Due to the close interest relationship, they also obeyed and disobeyed the imperial court's instructions.

In the autumn of 1642, eunuchs who were sent to Fujian to supervise tax collection clashed with local officials. Xu Xinsu was so angry that he arrested all the eunuchs and beheaded the leaders, and publicly announced that Fujian would not accept the imperial government.

Additional taxes.

Although Fujian still had governors and officials from the third division appointed by the imperial court in name at this time, most of the areas were already under the control of the Xu family. If Xu Xinsu was released, it would be more effective than the imperial decree. If the imperial court wanted

If Xu Xinsu is held accountable for this, then this conflict is likely to turn into a war that divides borders and divides the country.

Chongzhen finally chose to compromise in the face of the pressure of the outbreak of civil war. He knew that the local armed forces in Fujian were not comparable to the peasant army in the Central Plains. The elite troops under Xu Xinsu were almost all equipped with Haihan equipment, and many military attachés had Haihan equipment.

Given the army’s experience in fighting abroad, if they want to take action against Fujian, the consequences will probably be difficult to deal with.

But even if the imperial court remained silent about Xu Xinsu's transgressions, it still accelerated the split of Fujian from the Ming Dynasty. Soon after, Xu Xinsu found some reasons and announced that he would take over the local government affairs of Fujian, replacing the original administrative agency with an administrative agency located in Zhangzhou.

Some yamen were organized into three divisions, and local officials were purged. Those officials who still took a clear stand and insisted on being loyal to the imperial court were targeted for purges, and their positions were replaced by officials loyal to Xu Xinsu.

This purge lasted until 1643. During this period, although the imperial court tried to reach a reconciliation with Xu Xinsu, it was still unable to stop Xu Xinsu from doing whatever he wanted in the local area. The conflicts between the north and the Manchus continued intermittently, making it impossible for the Ming Dynasty to mobilize enough troops.

To deal with the civil strife in the south. What's more, once a war breaks out in the south, Haihan, who is closely related to Xu Xinsu, is likely to take action at the same time. By then, I am afraid that not only Fujian will be lost.

When both the north and the south began to annex the Ming Dynasty, Shi Diwen in Zhejiang was not willing to be lonely. However, the Executive Committee did not agree to take action against Zhejiang because Haihan also needed to import a large amount of goods into the Yangtze River Basin inland of the Ming Dynasty through this area.

, and thus obtain various supplies and raw materials. Once a war breaks out, trade may be interrupted for a long time.

In desperation, Shi Diwen could only once again set his sights on Japan across the sea. In the spring of 1643, the powerful East China Sea Fleet once again sent troops to Japan and conducted another round of cleaning of Hirado Island, which was being rebuilt.

At this time, the East China Sea Fleet not only consisted of the navy, but also two battalions of the army went out across the sea. With such a force configuration, it was natural to capture Hirado Island, which had just regained some of its vitality. But for the troops in

Shi Diwen did not intend to transport a large number of Japanese captured locally to Zhoushan Island, which had limited land, for resettlement. Instead, after the battle, he sent his troops south and directly occupied Sasebo Bay, which the military had been dreaming of for many years.

Shi Diwen's purpose is very clear. Since the scope of expansion in Zhejiang is limited, if he wants to continue to expand the scope of control, he can only attack other countries. And he and Chen Yixin in the north have reached a certain tacit understanding. North Korea

The area north of the peninsula belongs to Chen Yixin, and the south is under the responsibility of Shi Diwen. The island of Taiwan in the south is directly managed by the Executive Committee, and Shi Diwen cannot intervene, so naturally he can only target Japan.

The Zhoushan authorities were responsible for half of the funds for the entire operation, so the Executive Committee did not raise any objections to it. After Sasebo Bay was brought under the administration, Shi Diwen could use this as a basis to gradually control Japan's import and export trade, and also

Being able to bring in people nearby will definitely be a good deal in the long run.

Moreover, after setting up a military base in Sasebo Bay, Shi Diwen also had more reasons to continue to expand the establishment of the East China Sea Fleet. Although the Japanese archipelago is poor in natural resources, it is enough to support a powerful fleet with a range of activities that can radiate throughout the Western Pacific.

In 1644, Haihan launched greater operations in the South China Sea.

The Manila authorities sent troops south to raid the remaining Spanish colonial settlements in Mindanao and the Sulu Sea area, and took over the Spanish colony in Sarangani Bay at the southern tip of Mindanao, and moved more than 1,500 Han immigrants into the area.

In the direction of the Strait of Malacca, Roger led his troops south from Star Island to the Sunda Strait and captured Banda Lampung at the southern end of Sumatra Island. This was originally just a small seaport belonging to Aceh, but after Haihan took control of it, it was

The southern passage from the Indian Ocean to the Java Sea and the South China Sea is no longer the exclusive resource of the Dutch East India Company.
Chapter completed!