Ming Zhengzhi, I am Zheng Kezang

Zhang Qizhong, who was ordered to go ahead, had no more than 200 people including himself, and two Qiongzhou soldiers had absconded just after leaving Zhenhai Gate in the west of Yazhou City, but Zhang Qizhong was not disappointed about the future. In the nominally controlled area of ​​the Zheng army east of the Ningyuan River, Ding Lafu was drawn with great fanfare, coercing some gentry, regiment trainers, clans, and villages to provide soldiers, and he managed to expand his force to [-] after a patchwork of tricks, which is almost the same as Tian Chao's own team was the same size, and what's more, he even got a few donkeys and mules to form a small "horse team".

After the troops swelled, Zhang Qizhong crossed the river and broke into the coastal area of ​​Yazhou Bay. Although deserters also appeared, Zhang Qizhong showed his ruthless side at this time, and completely shocked the entire army with the heads of seven deserters.After Li Wei, Zhang Bu slowed down all the way, extorted food and pay from several villages that closed their fortresses while bluffing, and attacked the next two villages in a row in the name of disobedience to the king's teacher. Word spread like wildfire.

Zheng Qiaozhu, the deputy general of the Qingya Prefecture Association who retreated to be grateful, originally thought that he could calmly prepare to counterattack Yazhou when the reinforcements from Guangdong Province arrived and Zheng Jun shrank the front line, but suddenly heard that thousands of Zheng troops came to express gratitude, and he couldn't help being shocked. He lost his color, so on the one hand, he stayed behind closed doors, and on the other hand, he hurriedly asked for help from Changhua. When he was in a state of panic, a typhoon approached Qiongzhou. Only then did this "Brave Champion of the Three Armies" lieutenant general feel a little more at ease.

Of course, the typhoon forced Zheng Jun’s warships to return to the Lehui Boaopu line to avoid the wind, but before that, Zheng Jun’s navy, which was understrength, sank and destroyed 21 follow-up ships transported by the Qing Army, and captured the other three. Get hundreds of stones of rice grain, live pigs, live sheep and some drinks.

On June 23, the typhoon left the country, and Zheng and Qing started continuous small-scale battles between Huitong and Wenchang, Lehui and Anding. The battles were usually carried out on a scale of sentries or below.Because Qiongzhou is mountainous and hilly, and the roads have been in disrepair for a long time, both sides are often exhausted in such small-scale battles.

On the ninth day of July, another typhoon swept across the outskirts of Qiongzhou. After two days of heavy rain, He Fu hosted a military meeting in Qiongzhou Mansion.At the meeting, a group of generals of the Qing army were arguing about which attack route to choose. In the end, He Fu made a final decision and decided to use the main force of the Hunan-Guangxi Allied Forces and Guangzhou to garrison the Eight Banners of Manchuria and Mongolia. A total of 5000 people marched through the stable middle road, and the Cantonese army A group of 5000 people joined the Guangxi Army and a group of 4000 people took Wenchang East Road, while about [-] people from Qiongzhou Green Camp and local regiments went through Chengmai and Lingao West Roads to reinforce Changhua and thank the front line

"What is this?" Ma Chaozhi, who was in charge of the taxation of the Ryukyu Kingdom, was originally one of the so-called 15 people (note: equivalent to the ministers of various ministries). He wore a purple crown, flower arrangement, golden stem and silver hairpin It symbolizes his majesty, but at the moment he is so angry that he doesn't even care about the scattered beard, which shows how high the anger in his heart is at the moment. "The Zheng family collects sea tax from merchant ships from various countries to and from Naha. We have already pretended to be deaf and dumb, but now they even have to collect taxes from Ryukyu ships. They are too overbearing." Ma Liangzhi pointed at Suozhi, who is in charge of foreign affairs, asked. "Fang Anruo, Chicheng's relative, how did you negotiate with Dongning's business hall?"

"Qinfang Anmou" is the name of the head of Mao's Chicheng family (note: equivalent to a common word), and throughout the second Shang Dynasty of Ryukyu, the Weng family, Ma family, Mao's Chicheng family and Mao's Fengjian There were many officials in the city who served as the third division, so people at that time called these four families and the Xiang family, the branch of the royal family, "the five surnames of the Ryukyu" or "the five famous families of the Ryukyu". The second is that the current status is equal to that of Ma Liangzhi, whose Ryukyu name is Zhongjing Zhenqin Fang Liangqian, so there is no need to look at the other party's face to act.

"Ma Liangzhi, Dongning is talking about Master Kanashiqian (Note: Ryukyu King) accepting the canonization of the Qing court." Mao Enshou's words were actually full of helplessness. "We are a small country, caught in the midst of powerful countries trying to dominate the mainland, what can we do other than humiliate ourselves, is it possible that you are going to seal up Dongning's business houses and capture Dongning's businessmen?" Mao Enshou shook his head. "Now Dongning has ordered the ships from the Thai and Western countries and Siam to not enter Naha for trade. If there is an emergency and a complete blockade of Naha, wouldn't the national use be even more insufficient."

"But our income was originally exploited by Satsuma, and now it is exploited by Dongning, what is the benefit?" Ma Liangzhi's words are also reasonable. After the Amami Islands were captured by Satsuma, Ryukyu could only rely on the entrepot trade. , Now that even the re-export trade is going to be taken away by Dongning, then the Ryukyu Kingdom has indeed reached the moment of life and death. "The people of the country are chasing waves, but the property they exchanged with their lives has to be handed over to others. This, this, how can they convince the people of the country."

"What if we abandon the Qing Dynasty and continue to serve the Ming Emperor?" Boditou, who is in charge of port affairs, household registration, civil affairs, public security, fire protection, religion, and construction, suggested from the side. "Think about coming to Dongning as if there is no excuse to intercept our merchant ships?"

"How is it possible?" Mao Enshou shook his head. "Let's not talk about how the emperor of the Qing Dynasty will react when he finds out. Even if we re-obey Ming Zhengshuo, Dongning, who is poor in financial resources, will still take our money. At most, it's just a different name."

"Then what should we do?" Several other members of the table 15 were also discussing. "Can you try to get Satsuma to come forward?"

"That's also impossible," Mao Enshou said with a wry smile. "How can Satsuma be willing to be hostile to Dongning?" Of course there is a reason for this, not to mention that the shogunate now strictly prohibits all Japanese vassals from using automatic weapons. It is still a doubt that Ryukyu came forward to talk to Dongning, who had wiped out tens of thousands of Qing troops. "It is estimated that he is reluctant to invite him to come forward, and the benefits of blackmail are also amazing."

"What if the Satsuma boat is also required by Dongning to pay the sea tax?" Yi Fangwu, who manages state-owned property and forests, puts forward a hypothesis. "My lords, do you still remember the mysterious disappearance of the Satsuma ship a few years ago? We may say that we have found evidence that it was Dongning who did it. If so, will the Shimadzu family still be able to sit still?"

"There is no proof, what if it is cheated?" As one of the three law divisions (Note: the third division officer), the lead Fang hurriedly stopped. "At that time, whichever side makes a move, Ryukyu will only be subjugated. It is inappropriate, extremely inappropriate."

The third official is under the regent and is the highest-ranking official of the Ryukyu court. His status is equivalent to that of the Sangong and the third division in China. Power, as the name suggests, has three people, who are elected by relatives (Note: Ryukyu rank is the highest title among Ryukyu gentry and cannot be hereditary).There are more than 200 people who have the right to vote, including the royal family and the upper class of the Ryukyu.The royal family only has the right to vote, not the right to be elected.The three selected persons are responsible for the three responsibilities of using the place, giving the place, and bringing the party, and the ranks range from the first rank to the second rank.However, in 1611 A.D., Satsuma forced Ryukyu to sign "掟十五 Article" (掟十五ヶArticle), which stipulated that the position of the third officer could only be held by people who were inclined to the Satsuma faction. Therefore, since then, the third officer has only been Nominally the most senior official of the Ryukyu Kingdom, he has actually become an agent of the Satsuma clan ruling Ryukyu.

"Neither left nor right, are you just watching Ryukyu sit and wait for death?" Ma Chaozhi became angry, waved his hands, and walked out angrily. Looking at his back, Mao Enshou raised his eyebrows slightly, and then thoughtfully He squinted his eyes, but the others obviously didn't notice his expression, just sighed

That night, Mao Enshou quietly visited Ma Chaozhi.For Mao Enshou's sudden visit, Ma Chaozhi seemed very surprised, but after all, everyone has reached the position of almost the top, and there is still some city government, so they talked about it for a while, until Mao Enshou asked to withdraw everyone, and the two met. That's when the conversation got to the point.

"Actually, I thought there was still a way to save Ryukyu." Mao Enshou said straight to the point. "Just a little risky."

"Take a risk? If you don't take the risk, sooner or later Ryukyu will be annexed due to the withering of trade." Ma Chaozhi responded firmly. "Your Excellency, it's better not to be secretive. When is the time, just speak straight."

"If the Amami Islands are taken back from Satsuma, do you think there is still a chance of survival?"

"There are tens of thousands of acres of sugarcane fields in the Amami Islands. The benefits of sugar can relieve Ryukyu, but how can Satsuma Shimadzu be willing to return these benefits to Ryukyu? My lord expects to pray to them, I am afraid it will take bamboo It's all for naught."

"Let's talk to Dongning, how about asking Shangguo to help take back the islands on the condition of returning to the Ming court and paying the sea tax?" Mao Enshou didn't say this, but wrote it with water. There are no other reasons. Firstly, Satsuma has many eyeliners in Ryukyu. Secondly, he is also afraid that Ma Chaozhi will turn around and sell him.

"Relying on Dongning?" Ma Zhaozhi took a breath. "The Zheng family was born as a pirate. What if the front door drives away wolves and the back door enters tigers? No, no, it's too risky. Besides, I heard that Dongning's business in Nagasaki is booming now. Japan's business is for us."

"I thought that Dongning could turn against Satsuma, but Edo would never turn against Dongning." Mao Enshou also thought about it repeatedly. "First, the sea is banned by the Qing Dynasty, and only the Dongning family can provide the goods requested by Japan. Once they turn their backs, the wealthy merchants will suffer great losses; second, the merchants in Osaka and Edo have monopolized the trade of Satsuma for a long time. I am dissatisfied, I beat Satsuma, not the three capitals (Edo, Kyoto, Osaka), and it is too late for these rich merchants to applaud without their opponents; "The strength of the rich merchants is one aspect, and the key is the third factor. "Finally, with the power of Satsuma, whether Edo's status will be shaken or not, this is not what the elders want to see."

"There is some truth in the words, but can Dongning be persuaded?"

"How will you know if you don't try?" Mao Enshou stared straight at Ma Chaozhi. "It's just that there are many colluding with Satsuma in the country now. If the matter is not kept secret, disaster will happen in a blink of an eye."

"Then, if you come to see a certain family today, you are not afraid that someone will expose this matter?"

"My lord is the pillar of the country. I can trust my lord. Besides, if you and I work together, I won't be able to trust Dongning."

"How do you say that?"

"My lord, let me explain"