There are many important matters that need to be discussed between Chen Kai and Zheng Chenggong. As the chief administrative official of Guangdong, Wang Jiang knows more or less about these matters.

But the problem is that just after the war ended, Zheng Chenggong sent such a letter, and it was sent all the way from Fuzhou using the post station system that had just been restored last year, instead of the usual sea transport used by the Ming army. Obviously, Zheng Chenggong

I didn't want the uncertainty of shipping to affect the speed of letter delivery, so I chose this more stable and speedy method.

Chen Kai probably has some understanding of the major events in Zheng Chenggong's letters. Regarding the digestion of the southern Jiangxi region, the restoration of people's livelihood in Fujian, the impact of Li Dingguo's entry into Yunnan, and also some changes in the battlefield in Zhejiang. These,

All are affecting the development of the Zheng Group. Even the changes in the Zhejiang battlefield have actually not affected Chen Kai. The most recent, the Fujian Green Camp stationed in Jianchang Prefecture to assist Ji'an Prefecture, actually came from the Zhejiang battlefield.

The chain reaction of the development further made Chen Kai less interested in continuing to march into the hinterland of Jiangxi.

Both sides need to discuss many things, so the meeting is inevitable, but Zheng Chenggong not only seemed very eager, but also chose the meeting place in Fuzhou instead of Nan'ao Island, which was a compromise distance from both sides. This weirdness made Chen Chenggong

Kai couldn't help but frown.

However, the furrowed brows were only after Wang Jiang was sent away, and the expression that only he appeared in the official room regained its appearance. The Zheng Group has always been Chen Kai's biggest support, with the strong strength of the Zheng Group as its backing

, Chen Kai can do more things and play a greater role. And this reliance cannot be questioned in the slightest. Even if it is just plain speculation from others, it will inevitably affect other people's view of Chen Kai.

confidence.

"I hope it's because of Zhejiang..."

He had just returned from the war and it was only the second day. However, Zheng Chenggong showed his willingness to meet as soon as possible in his letter. Chen Kai had no choice but to put aside the less important things and go home to spend time with his wife and children.

On the fourth day after returning to Guangzhou, I set off again and boarded a sea ship to Fuzhou.

………………

Two months ago, on the first month of the tenth year of Yongli, Zhongzhenbo Hongxu, who had just returned from Zhoushan some time ago, led a fleet of more than 300 large and small warships and sailed out of Fuzhou Pier in a mighty manner.

This fleet is not a reinforcement force rushing to Zhoushan. The Ming army is still stationed there, and there is no need to continue to increase the chips for a while. Hong Xu has always been Zheng Chenggong's most trusted general, and he relies on it very much. Apart from Chen Kai, he is the most

Suitable for people who take on responsibilities in various aspects.

The fleet floated on the sea and disappeared from sight along the coast of Fujian. When it reappeared, it was already off the coast of Taizhou Prefecture, Chengxuan, Zhejiang Province.

Zhejiang Province consists of eight upper prefectures and three lower prefectures, with a total of eleven prefectures. Taizhou Prefecture is one of the eight upper prefectures. It faces the sea to the east, Jinhua Prefecture to the west, and Wenzhou Prefecture to the south, north, northwest and southwest respectively.

, Ningbo Prefecture, Shaoxing Prefecture and Chuzhou Prefecture, but it is separated from the surrounding five prefectures by Tiantai Mountain, Dapan Mountain, Xiandu Mountain, and Yandang Mountain, forming an area of ​​its own. It is not like Jinqu, Ningshao, etc. in the same province.

Hangzhou, Jiaxing and Huzhou are based on basins and plains.

This prefecture is mainly mountainous, with some small basins and coastal plains interspersed. Its jurisdiction includes Linhai, Ninghai, Tiantai, Xianju, Huangyan, Taiping six counties and a series of coastal counties such as Haimenwei and Songmenwei.

Place.

This was the place where the Qi Army's first anti-Japanese battle took place. However, with the defeat of Master Jiang, the Qing army quickly occupied this land, just like other places in the eight prefectures in eastern Zhejiang. So far, it has been ten years.

In the past ten years, a large number of anti-Qing armed forces such as Yu Guowang, Jin Tang, and Dong Keshen were active here and in the mountainous areas at the junction of neighboring prefectures and counties. They fought against the Qing army for a long time and held on to the danger, although it was not enough to regain the lost ground.

, but in terms of integrity, he can be respected by others.

The anti-Qing movement in Zhejiang soon entered a trough with the victory of the Qing army in the encirclement and suppression of Dalan Mountain, Tiantai Mountain, Zhoushan and the vast area in eastern Zhejiang in the fourth and fifth years of Yongli. In recent years, Guangdong has

, Fujian is turbulent, and Zhejiang is inevitably affected. However, the Qing army slaughtered the anti-Qing movement in Zhejiang too much, so that now it is only slightly stronger than it was in history.

"Uncle, in front are Sanmu Mountain and Dachen Mountain, and to the west is Songmenwei..."

Sanmu Mountain and Dachen Mountain are both islands off the coast of Taizhou, and Nasongmenwei, together with Haimenwei in the north, were once the naval bases of the Qi family army. Now they are naturally controlled by the Qing army. At this moment, the deck of the flagship

Above, the captain pointed to Hong Xu the increasingly obvious bumps on the line between the sea and the sky. There were already soldiers beside Hong Xu unfolding the map, hunting in the sea breeze.

This sea route is not Hong Xu's first time. The most recent round trip was from Fujian to Zhoushan, but this time their goal is Taizhou Prefecture, which is very close at hand - the destination is not far away.

"Take a break at Dachen Mountain."

"The general will obey his orders."

The messenger on the mast waved the flag, and the semaphore spread around, and soon became the common thread of this fleet. After a short rest there, the army unmoored the anchor and set sail again, turning directly to the west. What was not within sight

, that is the outlet of Chengjiang River, and the acropolis of Haimenwei, which stands side by side with Songmenwei, is located there. And if you go upstream from here, you can go straight to the Taizhou capital city in Linhai County!

The fleet rushed into the Chengjiang estuary, and the first thing it had to face was the Taizhou Navy of the Qing Army. The establishment of this Qing Navy was very large, with a full size of three thousand soldiers. Compared with the Qiantang Navy guarding the Qiantang River Estuary,

Two thousand soldiers would be even better. However, this navy was organized according to the Qing court. The Hai Zhong Battalion assisted in the defense of Ningbo and Dinghai, and the left and right battalions were stationed in Taizhou. The Haimen Guards were the key points of coastal defense in Wenzhou and Wenzhou.

one of them.

With such a scale, the fleet led by Hong Xu was just like a little lamb surrounded by a pack of wolves. It was defeated without a single battle. Then, the Ming army swarmed in and reached the city of Taizhou. The roar of ship-borne artillery

Like an alarm clock, Taizhou Lieutenant General Ma Xin was forced to quickly send people to invite officials from the city to discuss strategies for war and defense.

Ma Xin, the deputy general of Taizhou, was from Chang'an, Shaanxi Province. He had been in Taizhou for many years, and the Qing government's rule here was as stable as Mount Tai. At this time, the Ming fleet headed straight to Bo Fucheng, which immediately caused a commotion in the city. The local officials were supposed to come to look for him.

Ma Xin discussed countermeasures and thought of something together.

The invited people hurriedly arrived. Fu Mengyu from the Military Prefecture, Liu Yingke from the Taizhou Prefecture, Li Yisheng from the General Magistrate, Xu Yu from the Linhai County Magistrate, and Liu Xisheng from the County Magistrate were all present. Even Zheng Zhiwen, the road sign guard, was invited to the scene. .

"Daotai, something doesn't smell right here."

"What's wrong?"

"The general doesn't know, I just feel it."

Zheng Zhiwen couldn't explain for a while what was wrong with him. Regarding this, Fu Mengyu, who was already anxious about the Ming army's attack on the city, would lead everyone directly into the horse whenever he did something. Letter to the government office.

"Shuai Ma, the pirates are coming to the city. Do you have any strategy to defeat them?"

Fu Mengyu immediately asked about the responsibilities of Bing Bei Dao. He and others also cast their sights on Ma Xin. Obviously, all their hopes were placed on this man who was known for his bravery and prowess in battle. On the body of Marshal Green Camp.

At this moment, everyone was sitting on both sides. Their faces were as black as black paint, their mandibles were slightly wide, and their beards were rooted at the temples. Although he was from Qin, he looked somewhat like Zhang Yide from Yan. The handsome man raised his eyelids, but A slight smile appeared on his face: "It is not difficult to keep the people here safe, as long as you all agree to my command."

The words were said in an understatement, and all the civil servants from Fu Mengyu down all secretly cursed this martial artist for being unsavory. Only Zheng Zhiwen turned pale and began to look sideways at the gate unconsciously.

"We are all colleagues here, and those who say something unpleasant are just grasshoppers on the same rope. If Marshal Ma has any good ideas, he should speak out."

The Ming army was just outside the city, and the sound of cannons was like a heavy hammer hitting his heart all the time, making Fu Mengyu so anxious that he almost threw all his energy-raising efforts into the Chengjiang River.

If he could retreat the enemy, he would naturally be able to fish out Nao Shizi from the Chengjiang River and continue to hang it on his face. But at this moment, not only him, but also the rest of the people were like this. In the final analysis, The Zheng Group has become so popular in Fujian and Guangdong provinces in recent years that they have never dared to look directly at it in Zhejiang. During this time, the Ming army launched a large-scale attack under the banner of Zhongzhen Bo Hongxu, which they saw It is possible that they wanted to copy Zhoushan's example, capture Taizhou Prefecture in one go, and further open up the battlefield in Zhejiang.

If the Ming army really achieves their goal, even if they escape, they will inevitably be imprisoned by the Qing court and even implicate their families. This is a result they absolutely do not want to see, and their concerns here are understandable.

In this regard, Ma Xin seemed a little unhurried. Facing everyone's eyes, he slowly revealed his method of defeating the enemy: "It's actually easy. I have already agreed with the surname of the country to raise Taizhou." The whole government has surrendered to the Ming Dynasty. You guys, as long as you cut off your braids, I will certainly have a good word to say to Uncle Hong."

The words rang in everyone's ears like thunder, but they were directly shocked in their hearts. After hearing the words, Fu Mengyu stood up suddenly and pointed his right hand at the halberd, but he said the word "you" over and over again. Many times I was never able to say anything.

He never expected that Ma Xin, who had been here for many years, would suddenly choose to surrender to the Ming Dynasty. In fact, this was not his fault, because he had no way of knowing that in history, Ma Xin was the one who succeeded in capturing Zhoushan when the Ming army captured it. When Zhang Hongde came to the Ming Dynasty, he sent his cronies to contact Zheng Chenggong, and then led his troops here to fight. Now, the Ming army's momentum in the southeast is stronger than ever in history, so Ma Xin's choice is naturally nothing surprising.

Here, Ma Xin was sitting upright on the Grand Master's chair. His aura was already condescending. Wherever he looked, everyone's faces were pale, and some big beads of sweat quickly condensed on their foreheads, and then on their official uniforms.

It fell to pieces.

The first drop of sweat was submerged in the fabric of the official uniform, but the cold sweat seemed to penetrate through the outer shirt and underwear, reaching the skin. The person sitting at the end jumped up, stepped forward, squeezed

After opening the door, Fu Mengyu, who was speechless, shouted directly to Ma Xin and asked: "Ma Xin, do you want to betray the imperial court?!"

None of the people present here are fools. At this moment, the window paper was pierced by Liu Xisheng, the lowest-level Prime Minister of Linhai County present. The faces of everyone were not just as simple as losing their color, but their lifeless and dilapidated appearance was different from the dead body in the coffin.

All that was missing was the sweat flowing like a stream and the unconscious trembling.

"Liu Xiancheng is indeed a smart man. I will not say that those who understand current affairs are heroes. Everyone, please sit here. As long as you cut your whip in a proper manner, in the future, you will be of the same dynasty in the Ming Dynasty."

As an official, I will never embarrass you."

"Shameless bastard! The imperial court has given you a high official position, and the kindness is as deep as the ocean. You actually ignore the righteousness of the king and his ministers, and do not want to repay the emperor's kindness. You go against the pirates. You are really a rebellious minister and a traitor without a king and a father!"

Liu Xisheng's scolding immediately startled everyone. Unexpectedly, when Ma Xin heard this, he sneered: "Can the righteousness of the monarch and his ministers be compared with the defense of Yi and Xia? I think you have read this in vain.

The sage’s book of the year.”

Ma Xin invited Ma Xin to discuss the war and defense plan. Their respective servants had withdrawn early. At the moment, there were only seven people in the big tent: Ma Xin, Fu Mengyu, Liu Yingke, Li Yisheng, Xu Yu, Liu Xisheng and Zheng Zhiwen.

.

At first glance, Ma Xin seems to be weak, but this is the main camp of Taizhou Green Camp. Since Ma Xin intends to rebel, their subordinates outside must have been controlled. In addition, Ma Xin is a veteran and has always had

With his reputation as a warrior, all the powerless civil servants had been frightened by the previous news and had no other thoughts.

As soon as Ma Xin said these words, everyone present was shocked, and their whole bodies could not help but tremble, as if they had been shocked by something. Only Liu Xisheng, seeing that his words could not arouse the resentment of the same enemy, shouted in anger.

He said "I'll fight with you" and rushed forward.

With a "boom", Liu Xisheng, who rushed towards Ma Xin, flew back and fell heavily to the ground. At this time, Ma Xin stood up, pulled out the sword from his waist, and took three steps together.

He rushed forward in two steps and chopped off Liu Xisheng's head with a sword, leaving only the lingering sound of "I'll help you" still surrounding the ears of everyone in the tent.

At the same time as there was loud shouting, the soldiers guarding the door pushed the door open directly. This was the most normal scene. However, at the moment when Ma Xin beheaded Liu Xisheng, Zheng Zhiwen, who was as trembling as a civil servant present, suddenly stood up.

, picked up a chair and threw it at the soldiers who had just pushed open the door. They were immediately slapped in the face. In a moment of shock, Zheng Zhiwen rushed forward with a single step, drew his sword in his hand, and slashed and hit.

He rushed out directly.

Everything was happening in a flash of lightning. Logically speaking, if Ma Xin killed Liu Xisheng, the others should have stepped forward to rescue or beg for mercy even if they moved. However, Zheng Zhiwen's first reaction was obviously that he had already done so.

After being prepared, he only waited for the few soldiers to push the door open and immediately took action. On the contrary, everyone present was shocked.

Forcibly rushing out, Zheng Zhiwen ignored the servants and soldiers who were being restrained by Ma Xin's cronies. He raised his sword upside down and threw it directly at the man who stepped forward to stop him. The sword did not hit the target, but with the help of

While dodging, Zheng Zhiwen had already rushed in front of his mount and turned over. Immediately, he gently pinched the horse's belly, and the war horse rushed out towards the gate as if it had a tacit understanding.

"Don't let Zheng Zhiwen escape!"

Shocked for a moment, the Taizhou green campers on the side hurriedly chased after them. At this time, Zheng Zhiwen twisted his waist slightly, put an arrow in his hand, shouted with his left eye, shot an arrow, and directly inserted it into the person rushing at the end.

The officer in front had a hole in his left eye that went straight into his head, and he died just before he saw it.

The power of an arrow caused another moment of confusion. With the help of this moment of confusion, Zheng Zhiwen rode away on horseback. At this time, Ma Xin, who had already controlled the civil servants, stepped out of the door and locked his eyes on

Zheng Zhiwen looked at his back and said expressionlessly, "I've heard that this guy has a reputation for being good at shooting, but this time I underestimated him." He stopped worrying about such trivial matters and quickly issued a greeting to Kaicheng.

The order of the Ming army.

After capturing these officials, the overall situation was decided. Ma Xin dispatched troops to march towards the base of the road sign. Zheng Zhiwen was very brave, but he still did not dare to make any mistakes, and quickly led his men to escape from the nearby city gate.
Chapter completed!