Late Ming sea owl

Chapter 138 Going south to help in the war
It's night on the first day of March in the sixth year of Tianqi.

Lin Hai returned to Tamsui from Keelung and urgently summoned Zheng Tingqiu, Lun Yiyi, Feng Yidao and others in Guandu City. The Iron King Wu Lang was also picked up from his bed in the dragon bed and went to Lin Hai's place to listen to instructions.

"Everyone, Master Xu from Zhoushan has sent a message, saying that the Zheng thieves from Singang will gather all their forces at the end of this month to plunder the Zhangquan coast. At the same time, the Taoist Master of Coastal Flood Control also gave me a warrant, asking me to Lead the troops south to assist in the war..."

Except for Wu Lang, the people Lin Hai summoned were either core executives or close confidants. They probably all knew about his relationship with Li Guozhu and Xu Xinsu, and they all heard Lin Hai talk about Zheng Zhilong's situation.

"This guy really dares to go ashore and plunder?" Zheng Tingqiu was a little surprised when he heard this.

In fact, except for Lin Hai, Xu Xinsu, Hong Chengchou and others did not believe that Zheng Zhilong would take the initiative to attack the coastal areas of Fujian and Zhejiang.After all, since Wu Ping, Zeng Yiben, Lin Daoqian, Lin Feng and other maritime giants were either wiped out by the court or fled overseas, few maritime heroes with thousands of people dared to go ashore and plunder.

Like Xie Tianyou from the Pearl River Estuary, he was a poor man who was crazy, and his total strength, including the small gang attached to him, did not exceed 2000. In fact, he was not a big pirate, but he still died after having fun. Fangui, who was invited out of Haojing by Guangdong officials, was killed by the group.

The last big pirate who dared to go ashore and plunder was the bandit Liang Benhao. This man was an old member of Zeng Yiben. In the tenth year of Wanli, he was captured alive by Chen Rui, the then governor of Guangdong and Guangxi. Now the grass on the grave has changed several times.

In that battle, the Ming army captured and killed more than 2000 people, surrendered more than [-] people, and sunk hundreds of ships. It was the largest naval battle on the southeast coast after the Jiajing Japanese pirates. The young and weak Emperor Wanli also fought for I went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple in person and succeeded.

"Of course, I have long said that he will definitely attack Fujian. The Southeast Navy is no longer what it used to be. It is ridiculous that for so many years, no one among the sea heroes has dared to stroke the beard of the imperial court. This man named Zheng really has some knowledge... …”

Lin Hai said to Zheng Tingqiu: "Brother Zheng, I plan to set off back to Zhoushan early tomorrow morning. You arrange a bird boat and a hundred sailors to send me back. While I am away, if Tamsui encounters foreign enemies, you will take charge of it." The big picture.”

Zheng Tingqiu nodded in agreement, and Lin Hai then asked Feng Yidao: "Have the personnel from the Security Department been filled in? If not, then they must be filled in as soon as possible and training can be resumed."

"Yes, sir, the Security Department is full." Feng Yidao continued, "As long as your Excellency gives the order, we can go to war at any time."

"Very good, that's how it is. If I want to go to Zhongzuo to assist in the battle, I will pass through Tamsui. Then we will decide whether the Security Department will participate in the battle."

Lin Hai encouraged Feng Yidao, but he was already leaning towards the fact that the Security Department would not be involved in this battle. Judging from the battle between the Security Department and Lei Lang's coalition forces, if he encountered Zheng Zhilong, he would probably not be able to help but shoot a cannon indiscriminately. It will be defeated.

Of course, today's Security Department must be different. Deserters are either beheaded or expelled from the unit, which not only purifies the team but also shocks the remaining people.But facing Zheng Zhilong, who was more organized and better armed than the Leilang people, Lin Hai still felt very guilty.

He finally understood that it would be extremely difficult to build a decent army from scratch in two or three months.

Qi Jiguang's Yiwu soldiers only trained for two months before heading to the front line. That was because he had already trained the Shaoxing soldiers for more than two years.

Although this Shaoxing army was mainly composed of urban slickers, it had already won many battles at the hands of Marshal Qi. On the one hand, it provided many outstanding officers for the subsequent Yiwu soldiers. On the other hand, Marshal Qi's own reputation had already been destroyed. When he came out, most of the Japanese pirates fled when they heard his name.

Therefore, Lin Hai cannot be compared with Marshal Qi when Yiwu was recruiting troops. He did not have that prestige and did not have so many talents under his command.

Not only the Security Department, but also Lin Hai has not yet decided whether the Zhoushan Battalion will go south to assist in the war. He has to go back to Zhoushan to discuss this with Wu Guoyi, He Ying, Yi Yifa and others.

As for how to deal with Xu Xinsu and Hong Chengchou, it's not too late to think about it slowly on the way back.Anyway, Lin Hai decided that whether the Zhoushan Battalion should go to war could only be decided by him as the battalion general and his officers, and no one else would tolerate him.

Finally, Lin Hai said to Wulang Helun: "During this period, on the one hand, you must seize control of the village community of the Leilang people, and on the other hand, you must hurry up and march to the upper reaches of the Keelung River. Before the end of April, you must conquer the Iron King's There shouldn’t be any problem with territorial expansion to the vicinity of Keelung Port, right?”

After Lun Di translated to Wu Lang, Wu Lang patted his chest confidently and said, "Shopkeeper Lin, don't worry, two months is definitely enough."

Lin Hai nodded to him, and then said to Zheng Tingqiu: "If there is a large-scale rebellion in Wulang and his army cannot suppress it, then let the Security Department go to war as soon as possible without delaying the matter."

Zheng Tingqiu nodded in agreement, and then heard Lin Hai continue: "If there are overseas people coming to Keelung, unless they come to get fresh water, don't act rashly, don't contact them, try not to expose our existence, and then send a message as soon as possible to Me, I will be back as soon as possible."

What Lin Hai was talking about mainly referred to the Spanish. He clearly remembered that the Spanish fleet would land in Keelung in May, but just in case, he made a special statement.

"Jinbaoli Society and Dajilong Society in Keelung Port, don't send troops there for the time being, and don't force them to pay taxes. Just do business with them normally. Tell these two village communities that if outsiders attack them, they can come and seek refuge. The Iron King, the Iron King will give them a new territory."

Regarding the policies for the two village communities, Lin Hai had told Wu Lang and Lun Yi before, and reiterated it again now.

The reason for doing this is because before the arrival of the Spanish, Lin Hai did not want any obvious changes to occur in Keelung Port. There were many maritime traders here. If drastic changes occurred, it might affect the Spanish's choice of initial colonization. point.

Lin Hai felt that Keelung was very good. The place leading inland was covered with mountains, and there were foreign maritime merchants supplying food. The early Spaniards were busy building fortresses here.

It was not until three years later that the Spaniards took the opportunity to reach out to Tamsui, which was less than a hundred miles away in a straight line, because the Guirou Society in Tamsui asked them for help in revenge.

After explaining the matter in Tamsui, Lin Hai set off back to Zhoushan early the next morning, and arrived at Cengang after seven or eight days of sailing in the wind.

Lin Hai did not return to the Qianhu Yamen Office of the Zhongzhong Institute. He went directly to the barracks of Zhoushan Camp and called Wu Guoyi, He Ying and Yi Yifa for an emergency meeting.

These three people basically knew nothing about Zheng Zhilong's situation. After Lin Hai briefly explained the situation, he asked: "Everyone, this Zheng Zhilong has been our Zhoushan Battalion's number one enemy in the past year or two. Are we going to Fujian this time?" Let’s get in touch and let the three of you share your opinions, right?”

Zhou Yifa was the first to answer: "Mr. Lin, I think the Zhoushan Battalion is ready to go to the battlefield. The opponents are just pirates. Even if there are thousands of people, they are just a bunch of rabble. What's more, there are Fujian officers and soldiers, the total strength We still have the upper hand.”

"You may not know much about the situation of the Fujian Navy. It is far behind Zhejiang. I can say this, if the Zhoushan camp fails, the Fujian Navy will probably be defeated by Zheng Zhilong." In fact, on this point, Lin Hai is 100% sure, but he didn't want to say it so fully, lest his subordinates become superstitious about him.

In the early days, you can use historical knowledge to fool others, but you must be cautious with army generals. This will be his main basis for fighting for world hegemony in the future - in densely populated Asia, the navy can only increase the upper limit, and the army is the fundamental weapon. .

After adding his views on the Fujian Navy, Lin Hai asked He Ying again: "Mr. He Bai, please tell me your views." He Ying replied in a deep voice: "I believe that the enemy's situation is not very clear at present, sir. In fact, I have never seen with my own eyes the fighting strength of Zheng Thief's men, and what I just said are just hearsay and conjecture. Therefore, it is not appropriate for the Zhoushan Battalion to dispatch this time, and let the Fujian Navy go and have a run-in with Zheng Thief first."

This guy was rude in his words, but Lin Hai still admired his straightforwardness. He then asked, "How does Mr. He Bai think the current Zhoushan Camp compares with the Zhejiang Navy?"

"Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. The Zhoushan Battalion does not eat empty pay or drink the blood of its soldiers. It also has strict military laws and proper training. These are far superior to the Zhejiang Navy." He Ying said, changing the subject, "But after all, the Zhoushan Battalion became an army. It has only been more than two months, the number is small, and it has never been on the battlefield, which is not as good as the Zhejiang Navy."

Lin Hai nodded to He Ying, and then asked Wu Guoyi, the only one with actual combat experience: "What do you think?"

Wu Guoyi said: "My subordinates thought that since there was a warrant from Hong Daozun..."

"You don't need to think about this matter. You can just give your opinion from a military perspective." Lin Hai waved his hand to interrupt Wu Guoyi. "If my soldiers are not ready to go to the battlefield, even if the King of Heaven comes to dispatch them, I will not give him any trouble." . Besides, Hong Daozun only gave me a letter, not a formal document."

"Yes, sir!" Wu Guoyi said, "My subordinates believe that the Zhoushan Battalion needs an actual battle to improve. The opponent should not be too strong, and it is best not to be too weak. Listening to your words, the subordinates of that Zheng thief in Dongfan are all seamen. He is from a bandit background, but has a lot of firearms. Such an opponent seems to be just right for my subordinates."

Lin Haidao: "So your opinion is that we go to Fujian to fight with them?"

Wu Guoyi said: "I think we can go to Fujian first. Since Zheng's troops are pirates, it is almost impossible to capture the city of Zhongzuo. The Zhoushan camp is a guest soldier, and there is no transfer of troops from Zhejiang officials. After leaving, There is no need to listen to the instructions from Fujian. When the time comes, we will help defend the city first, and if there is a suitable opportunity, we will go out of the city to meet the Zheng thieves."

"It makes sense." Lin Hai's eyes lit up when he heard this. Wu Guoyi's words were like an enlightenment, which suddenly made him enlightened.

In fact, he also knew that from a purely military perspective, He Ying's opinion was the safest. Wu Guoyi was somewhat eager for revenge and wanted to train the Zhoushan camp into shape as soon as possible, then expand the establishment and go north to attack the slaves as soon as possible.

But Lin Hai actually had similar considerations to Wu Guoyi. Once Tamsui began to immigrate on a large scale, it would be difficult to completely hide the situation from all the maritime forces.

Especially Zheng Zhilong, who was so close at hand, could not hide for a few days. Instead of waiting for him to discover the existence of Tamsui after he defeated the Fujian soldiers, it was better to meet him in advance.

The Zhoushan camp must see blood before this, and it is best to let Zheng Zhilong suffer some losses to let him know how powerful he is.

But the premise of all this is to win, even if it is a small victory or even a tragic victory. Otherwise, it is better to just live day by day, and Tamsui will just rely on passive defense.

Especially the battle between the Security Department and the Leilang people not long ago made Lin Hai feel a little guilty, and for a while he was afraid to take the Zhoushan camp.

Fortunately, Wu Guoyi's words woke up Lin Hai. In fact, there is no need to rush to make a decision on this matter. He can go to Xiamen City first and then take action.

After all, there are commanders of Quannan guerrillas and Wutong guerrillas stationed in Xiamen city. No matter how useless they are, they will not be defeated by a group of pirates who have never fought on land.

Lin Hai clearly remembered that Zheng Zhilong did not break through Xiamen City until the end of the seventh year of Tianqi, and killed Xu Xinsu in that battle.

At that time, Zheng Zhilong had been fighting against the Ming armies of Fujian and Guangdong for nearly two years. During this period, he also experienced a failed recruitment attempt. Compared with the first time he went ashore to plunder, he should have made great progress in land warfare.

"That's it, fuck him!" Lin Hai slapped his thigh and stood up and said, "Guo Yi, as soon as the attack is launched, you two prepare, and in three days you will lead the first round of soldiers south with me. Mr. He Bai, You will stay in Zhoushan, the troops will not move in the second round, and the auxiliary troops will be under your command for the time being."

"Yes, I have the order!" The lieutenant general and two general officers of the Zhoushan Battalion stood up to accept the order.

During this season, the northwest wind blew in the East China Sea, and there was a tailwind from Zhoushan to Xiamen. Lin Hai and others arrived at Zhongzuosuo City on March [-]th, which was still ten days before Zheng Zhilong's dispatch date mentioned in Xu Xinsu's intelligence.

That night, Xu Xinsu held a banquet in Xiamen City to welcome Lin Hai. At the same time, he also invited Quannan guerrilla Chen Qiwei, Wutong guerrilla general Fang Xianke and others.

Xu Xinsu himself has also mixed up the title of general, and is responsible for commanding Yang Lu and Yang Ce, the group of pirates who were recruited by Yu Zigao. This group does not yet have a battalion number, and is temporarily under the jurisdiction of the Quannan guerrillas.

~~~
same night.

Dongfan, Jingang.

In a luxuriously furnished study room, famous Japanese swords and a Spanish acoustic guitar are hung on the wall.

The whale oil lamp reflected a delicate face, and Zheng Zhilong was reading under the lamp.

He was born into a prosperous Binhai family. His father, Zheng Shaozu, was once a petty official in Quanzhou Prefecture. The Zheng family lived behind the government office, separated only by a narrow alley.

Born in such a family, Zheng Zhilong also went to school when he was young, but at that time he did not like reading, but only boxing.

Now that he's at sea, he actually likes reading. The books he reads are quite diverse, including classics and history collections and notebook novels. In his spare time, he also likes to practice Japanese swordsmanship and play Spanish guitar.

At this time, his clan brother Zheng Zhipeng came in from outside, handed Zheng Zhilong a letter and said: "First officer, this is the letter sent by shopkeeper Huang Da just now."

Zheng Zhilong immediately opened the letter and read it. After reading it, he burned it directly with the whale oil lamp on the table.

Zheng Zhipeng asked: "First officer, what did shopkeeper Huang Da say in his letter?"

Zheng Zhilong smiled slightly: "This guy said that there is an internal agent in Xiamen City, and he asked us to attack the city. As long as we kill Xu Xinsu, we will help us complete the recruitment."

(End of this chapter)