Win the Ding 1617

July of the fifth year of Chongzhen, October 1633 AD.

On the official road to Zhangzhou, more than a hundred cavalry, under the guidance of a large flag, urged their horses to gallop along the official road between banana or orange groves on both sides towards Zhangzhou City. come.

The cavalry in the team seemed to show off their equipment intentionally. They all wore iron pointed helmets with eight-petal caps, cotton armor, and a breastplate on the outside to protect the vital parts such as the chest and back. Added a piece of protection.

Surrounded by the crowd, a flag-bearer galloped along with a snow-white war horse holding a high flag of recognition.The officer on the horse had a slight beard stubble on his fair face. Although he was galloping on the horse, he half closed his eyes that were a little bit astringent from the sea breeze, making up for the lack of sleep these days.

The galloping of the horse team brought gusts of wind. The autumn wind rolled up the corners of the flag and blew the cloaks of the cavalry. The cloaks of the officers also rose and fell with the gusts of autumn wind. A bared iron steel sword carefully decorated with silver and jade.

A line of small characters embroidered on the flag marked the official position of the person at the foot of the flag, and the big black characters embroidered in the white moonlight proved his surname.

"Five Tigers Guerrilla General!"

"Zheng!"

It was Zheng Zhilong and his personal troops.

On September 9, Fujian governor Zou Weilian received an imperial decree, and Emperor Chongzhen severely punished the Dutch rebels.Zou Weilian immediately sent an order to civil and military officials from all over the country not to talk about the word "mutual market" and "swear to die as a barbarian". On October 22, Zou Weilian arrived in Zhangzhou from the provincial capital.Call out the generals and gather the boat masters.

Zheng Zhilong and his party came to Zhangzhou to participate in the reading of the imperial decree and discuss military plans under the governor's military order.

Arriving at the foot of Zhangzhou city, look at the flags temporarily planted on the crenellations on the top of the city, and listen to the sound of golden drums coming from a distance. Unfortunately, there are villages, forests, and temples blocking his sight. He can't see where the officers and soldiers are. Practicing formations is still practicing martial arts.

"I don't burn incense on weekdays, so I hold my feet temporarily! Fifth, do you think so?!"

"Brother, that's exactly the case! The officials still have to rely on Big Brother to fight against the Hongmaoyi this time!"

At the gate of the city, I don't know if the city gate officer guarding the gate was critical of the armor on the cavalrymen's body, the knives and firecrackers on their waists and backs, and they were picky about the official documents that Zheng Zhilong ordered to take out.Zheng Zhilong had to take out the guide before they could be let into the city.

"Puyou Amo! Go! Tell them. I never walk without leading the way. I am Zheng Zhilong, the guerrilla general of the Five Tigers! I came here to discuss military affairs at the request of the governor! Don't let me enter the city, it will delay The emperor's will, be careful of his dog's head!"

Although the words are harsh.But Zhilong still gave Zhibao a wink, and Zhibao patted his horse forward, and amidst the chaotic snorting of war horses and the sound of hooves beating on the bluestone slabs, he began to chat with the city gate official in a low voice.

"Going out to lead the way is the common people's business. We have never brought any way. This time, following the urgent order of Futai Master, Xingye came to discuss the military aircraft. We didn't bring any documents. However, we brought this thing , I wonder if I can act as a guide?"

As he spoke, Zhibao took out the bronze seal of Zhilong's Five Tiger Guerrilla Generals, shook it in front of the gate officer's eyes, and slipped a pack of silver dollars in his other hand, about a dozen yuan.

"It turned out to be Master Zheng. The general was ordered to guard the city gate. If there is any offense, please forgive me." The city gate officer ordered the guards in tattered clothes to move away the horses and let Zheng Zhilong's cavalry enter the city.

"It's nothing offensive, it's business!" After saying this, Zhilong whipped the horse's ass, and a group of people urged the horse into the city, and went straight to the place where Master Futai lived.

Governor Zou's Xingyuan was set up in the Guandi Temple, probably because he prayed for the divine power of the Buddha and Demon Emperor of the Three Realms to bless him, so that he could win a complete victory in this campaign against the Niyi.

The streets and alleys around the Guandi Temple were full of soldiers from the Fubiao Battalion patrolling the streets. As soldiers directly under the governor of a province, their equipment was luxurious compared to those at the gate of the city.

Not to mention that almost everyone has cotton armor. What makes ordinary soldiers envious is that the waist knives and gun heads are all made of wrought iron, which is far better than the pig iron pieces in the hands of soldiers at the gate of the city.

The Yuanmen is set up on the square outside the Guandi Temple. The two hundred guards standing on duty here look even more mighty and majestic. Shining brightly in the sun.On weekdays, two apricot-yellow flags are hung on two large flagpoles more than six feet high that hang the flag of "protecting the country and protecting the people".Wrong wrong!Mixed up with yesterday's storytelling.The flag on the left was embroidered with "Conquering the Barbarians" and the one on the right was embroidered with "Command of the Three Armies". The stitches of the flags were still new, and it was obvious that the tailors in the city had spent a lot of money to make them.

In addition, there are two rows of flags erected outside the gate, each with five sides, forming a pair. The height of the pole is one foot and three feet, and the flag is seven feet square.A flying tiger is embroidered in the center of each flag, and the colors are determined according to the so-called principle of mutual generation of the five elements. For example, the flag representing the east is cyan, while the flying tiger in the middle is embroidered in red, and the one representing the south is a red flag and yellow flying tiger, and so on.These ten flags are called Feihu Banners, which are the gate flags of Governor Xingyuan.This street has been cut off from the common people, and even the horses of civil and military officials have to stop about ten feet away from the gate.

Zheng Zhilong and his team's cavalry team were stopped here by a chief executive of Fubiao Battalion, and the whole group got off their horses one after another at the sound of Zhibao's password, and rested on the spot, waiting for the time when the governor would discuss the military plan.

With the sound of three cannons, the gate of Guandi Temple opened wide.From the gate to the hall, there are two deep courtyards with two gates in the middle.Eight guards stood outside the second gate; from the inside of the second gate to the steps of the lobby, there were also two rows of guards standing on both sides of the wide stone-paved Yonglu Road.In the courtyards of the two entrances, there are many military flags of different colors and shapes, embroidered with colorful patterns according to the five elements and the 28 constellations.Under the stone steps outside the second gate, next to a stone lion on the left, there is a huge Chinese army sitting banner made of dark green satin.It is trimmed with a flame-shaped edge of white silk; the apricot-yellow tassel on the flagpole is five feet long, with a tassel head decorated with beads; a silver spear is exposed from the tassel head.The center of the big banner is embroidered with a picture of Tai Chi in red, surrounded by eight trigrams, and outside are stars such as Dou, Niu, Fang, and Xin.The lobby is called White Tiger Hall, and two seven-foot-long leopard-tailed flags are erected at the foot of the steps, with a sharp knife at the end of the flagpole.This is the symbol of the military aircraft powerhouse.This kind of flag was erected outside the door, and officials of all sizes were not allowed to enter without the order of the master, and those who violated it would be punished.In the last years of the Ming Dynasty, the coach ordered him to fail.Military law is lax.became commonplace.

Governor Zou Weilian's pretentiousness this time, in addition to rectifying military discipline and boosting morale, is not without the taste of showing off.

After the first shot.Civil and military officials entered the gate one after another.Stand and wait outside the second gate.Along with the crowd of civil and military officials attending the meeting.Zhilong sneered from the bottom of his heart at Master Zou's tricks. "Hey! An ignorant and rotten scholar, using this show to bluff people?!" Haunted the sea.He is used to seeing storms and waves, so he will naturally not be afraid of them. Can the atmosphere created by human beings be more shocking than the might of heaven and earth? !

After the second cannon rang, the music of the inner drums of the second door sounded, and Master Zou was formally ascended to his seat amidst the drumming.Turning around the statue of Guan Gong, after burning incense and saluting in front of the statue, he sat down behind the nanmu gongan with a red satin and brocade curtain in the middle, and nodded slightly to the Chengqi official standing outside the hall, trembling. Dantian yelled loudly: "Your Excellency is promoted to the throne! All officials have an audience!"

Following the thunderous reply from colleagues who were not very familiar with him, Zheng Zhilong carefully checked the armor, bows and arrows, swords and other things on his body.After a while, I made preparations for the special ceremony for the military officers to meet with the superior.Appearing with the scorpion ceremony—an ancient military general greeted his superiors and saluted. He should wear his whole body to be regarded as very respectful.Not only must you wear a helmet and armor, but you must also carry a bow and arrow.Saluting with this suit is called "橐鞬礼". "橐" is for holding arrows, also called "箙"; "鞬" is for holding bows, also called "Tao".

According to the rules of Wendong and Wuxi, dozens of officials filed in two lines.The civil servants wore Buzi official uniforms according to their ranks, and the generals were in neat armor, with bows and swords.According to their ranks, all the officials paid respects to Zou Weilian in turn, bowed and stood in silence, waiting for instructions.

Lord Zou first ordered someone to bring out the imperial edict wrapped in yellow silk, read it out in public, and then ordered everyone to stand up and take their seats, and scanned all the officials present with his gray eyes.

"The emperor has been kind to me for a long time, and I have entrusted him with a heavy responsibility. This time, I vowed to wipe out the rebellious barbarians, and I have repaid the king's kindness! All the kings, whether they have received the country's favor in this life, or are recognized by the present, should all be killed with one heart. Do your best to kill thieves, report the grace of His Majesty, and return the peace of Li Shu. The first thing in today's meeting is to strictly enforce military discipline, rewards for meritorious deeds, and punishment for crimes. If anyone ignores military orders and fails to fight effectively, this Futai will definitely be the foundation Participate in impeachment, punish the crime severely, and never lend money!"

Speaking of this moment, Mr. Zou watched the faces of Zheng Zhilong, Gao Yingyue, Zhang Yongchan, Wang Shangzhong, Wu Zhenyuan, Chen Mengzhu and other military officers one by one with his majestic eyes.

For this battle, the Fujian side mobilized hundreds of warships, large and small, which can be said to have cost a lot of money, and the few in front of them are people who want to fight the enemy in person, unlike these civil servants, who can so-called strategize and stay away from the artillery fire. The killing battlefield is far away, and the same group of Qing literati who are leisurely drinking and composing poems, talking about wars and swords, and then they have the credit for their proper command and scheduling.If they were defeated, it was because the military officers shrank and avoided the battle, fearing the enemy like a tiger.

"Now start the discussion!"

"close the door!"

Following Cheng Qiguan's loud shout, the second gate and the gate of Guandi Temple made a creaking sound, and then the gate was closed and locked.

"General Zheng, I have heard for a long time that the general has many ships and cannons, and his son is brave. This time to conquer the rebels, you must have your soldiers to fight the enemy bravely!"

After the meeting, Lord Zou ordered Zheng Zhilong, the general of the army, to meet him alone in his temporary signing room.

This is also what should be in the title.When all the adults were discussing the matter behind closed doors, the Chinese army received the secret order from the adults and quietly went out from the back door of the Guandi Temple, and conducted a private investigation of the military discipline of various ministries and armies in Zhangzhou City.

The Chinese soldier took off his official uniform, and put on a temporary blue and half-worn green cotton robe with round collar, purple silk thread around his waist, and a [-]% New Yuan Qing tribute satin folded scarf, with a rectangular piece on the front. Light green jade.This was the ordinary attire of ordinary scholars and gentry in the field at that time, in Zhangzhou city, which lived luxuriously because of its earlier business with overseas.It can be regarded as an ordinary dress.

Because it has always been in business with foreign countries, especially Nanyang, the houses on the streets of Zhangzhou are very Western-style. Among the houses, occasionally there are some huge tree canopies protruding from the courtyard, covering the street with shade. , making the already deep alley look even darker.

Passing through two deep alleys and coming to the street in front of the temple, here is another scene.

The soldiers, servants, and bearers of the adults may drink tea and eat in the teahouses and restaurants on both sides of Miaoqian Street.Noisy drinking.What's more, crowds of people gathered under the temple wall of Guandi Temple, betting money or throwing dice.Or bucket cards.A group of groups.It's a big bet.

An alley a little farther from the Guandi Temple is the famous Flower Street Willow Alley in Zhangzhou City, where groups of prostitutes are showing off and leaning on the door to sell their charms.Attracting the soldiers who don't know which adult came in and out here.

Only the more than a hundred Zheng Zhilong's soldiers waiting outside the gate, under the command of Zhibao, tied up the horses in a very regular manner, and used the material bags and buckets they brought to feed and drink the horses.More than a hundred cavalrymen were divided into three groups, one group ate in the nearby restaurant led by the general, and the other group fed and watered the war horses.Another group of people didn't blink their eyes, and just stood in front of the gate outside the temple with their hands on the hilt of their knives.

"Among all the armies, it seems that only Zheng Zhilong's troops are available!"

After walking around the city, the Chinese army reported the conclusions it had obtained to Governor Zou Daren.Thus, there was this private interview.

"Fei Huang has lived at sea for a long time, and knows a lot about this generation of people who have conquered the red-haired barbarians, so they must have already made up their minds?"

Mr. Zou put on a humble attitude, and affectionately called Zhilong's character. This was a great face for the military officer in the period when the status of civil servants was so high that it was almost morbid in the middle and late Ming Dynasty.

Zheng Zhilong didn't care about that, when the governor asked him, he just expressed his opinion.

"My lord, the battle at sea depends entirely on the power of artillery, and it also depends on the power of ships. In the past, General Yu Zigao of Guangdong, when he regained Penghu, he sighed and said, "Big ships are better than small ships, more ships are better than fewer ships, and more guns are better than fewer guns." .A fast ship is better than a slow ship.”

"Although our army has hundreds of ships of all sizes, there are only a dozen or so ships from the headquarters of the Red-haired Niyi in the Netherlands, and dozens of bandits from Liu Laoxiang's bandits attached to the rebellion, but less than a hundred. The number of ships in our army is far greater than Niyi."

"It is because of this that Ben Fu recruited ships along the coast of Fujian in order to destroy this thief in the first battle." Hearing what Zheng Zhilong, who has always been good at naval warfare, said was in line with his own strategy, Mr. Zou couldn't help but twist. The short beard is quite self-satisfied.

"My lord, don't be too happy. Although we have a large number of warships, the number of sails and the number of guns are far inferior to the Dutch plywood ships! The Dutch East India Company ships are about ten feet long. , there are dozens of cannons of various types, traveling on the sea, they are as fast as galloping horses, faster than wind and thunder, and the cannons fired by a ship can split mountains and rocks!"

"According to detailed investigations, there are also so-called Galen ships in the Dutch Rebellion Fleet. This ship is even worse than the East India ship! It is reported that there are as many as three or four masts! The front two masts are square sailed, and the rear two masts Hanging a triangle sail, the size of the ship and the speed of the ship are far better than that of the East Indian ship! Because of the large number of sails and the fast speed of the ship, it is beneficial to seize the upper hand and launch an attack. It has many ships, fast ships, and many guns. , cannon, they are far better than me!"

Hearing that his proud strategy was belittled to nothing by the pirate leader recruiting security in front of him, Mr. Zou couldn't help feeling displeased.However, I know my own affairs, if I want to win this battle, I have to rely on this annoying guy in front of me!

"I want to appoint General Fei Huang as the vanguard of this battle, with Gao Yingyue as the left wing, Zhang Yongchan as the right wing, and Wang Shangzhong as the ranger. I wonder if the general can?"

Mr. Zou threw out the forward's appointment and threw it in front of Zheng Zhilong.Don't you talk about this and that, and flaunt yourself as an expert?good!I'll let you, an expert, play forward!Let your men and ships consume the Dutch guns!

"Grandma Pu! Is it okay to treat me as Song Jiang?!" Zheng Zhilong cursed in his heart, but he still knelt and kowtowed to thank the governor for his cultivation.

"Xiong Du has repeatedly praised General Feihuang as a loyal man in front of the students. Seeing him today, Xiong Du was right!"

Seeing Mr. Zou praising him, Zheng Zhilong pretended to drink the other party's poisoned wine as ginseng soup.

"In combat at sea, our ships and guns are not as good as others. The only way to fight hand-to-hand with arson is to make use of our strengths and avoid our weaknesses. Since your lord has the intention of ordering Zhilong to be the vanguard, can you hand over the ships solicited this time?" Under the unified deployment and command of Zhilong?"

"In addition, fighting for life at sea, as the saying goes, there must be a brave man under a heavy reward. I also hope that my lord will set a reward and make up for the owed salary, so that the soldiers can use their lives to inspire the morale of the army."

This kind of request was high-sounding and reasonable. He clearly knew that Zheng Zhilong was taking the opportunity to extort money and expand his strength and influence, but Zou Weilian couldn't find any reason to refute him for a while.

"Of course the ships can be assigned to General Fei Huang's command. It's just like giving a sword to a hero! These ships will surely show their power in the hands of General Fei Huang and destroy the barbarians at sea. It's just a matter of rewards. The treasury is empty right now. To prepare for the battle, add equipment and gunpowder, and spend money everywhere, I am afraid it will be difficult to prepare a heavy reward. I wonder what General Fei Huang's plan is?"

"The subordinates thought that all those who participated in the war, regardless of their positions, would be given two yuan of silver for each soldier. If the war was prolonged, an additional five yuan would be given. Each fire boat had 16 men. If the Dutch ship was burned, 200 taels of silver would be given (16 men points), if anyone captures the head of a red-haired Niyi, a Dutch head will give 50 taels of silver."

"Hiss!" Hearing such a reward from Zheng Zhilong, the governor couldn't help but snap off a few of his beards, and gasped for air because of the pain.

"Fei Huang, you don't know how empty the treasury is now, how hard it is to maintain it! Such a reward, even the annual salary of a first-rank official in the court, is only 120 taels!"

"My lord! Don't bother me, other people's subordinate Fei Huang dare not say anything, but Fei Huang's family will provide all the rewards for Fei Huang's subordinates!"

"Okay! Good! Good! The general is so loyal, worthy of the sun and the moon! The students will be the topic of the special book. After this battle, the general will be recommended as the deputy general of the Fujian Navy to control the entire province's navy!"

After the two old foxes finished bargaining, they looked at each other with a smile, and Zhilong kowtowed to leave, and returned to Xiamen to repair the ship and prepare for the war without mentioning it.

On October 10, Zou Weilian, the governor of Fujian Province, offered sacrifices to heaven and the flag, and swore to fight.

The Luowan War broke out. (To be continued..)