Ming Zhengzhi, I am Zheng Kezang

A few rebels walking out of a civilian house, laughing and holding their belts, were still commenting on the prostitution just now, when they suddenly bumped into a group of soldiers with guns and knives, before the rebels stepped forward to say hello , the leading young military officer gave an order, and this group of soldiers in black all over immediately attacked with the butts of their guns and the backs of their knives.As soon as a few rebels were knocked down, the soldiers skillfully tied them into a string with nooses, and then drove towards the Yanwu Pavilion imperial school field.

If you can zoom up the camera and look down at Siming from the sky, you will find that the scene just now is just a corner of the city's search. Of course, there are also rebels, but how can a group of unorganized miscellaneous soldiers come in a row? As for the long gun, Siming's law and order was quickly restored when several corpses that had been tied into a sieve were hung on the street.

"Report to Uncle Wu Ping that the Boy Scout Kunlun Biao has wiped out the vicinity of the Imperial Wharf and most of the city. It is strange to have arrested [-] rebels. Four of our soldiers were killed and eleven were wounded. Next, we will be ordered to go out of the city to clean up the enemy. Please Liu Shuai assigns a guide."

Liu Guoxuan looked at the middle-aged soldier in front of him, whose tone was respectful but with a hint of arrogance in his words. Before he could speak, He You next to him yelled carelessly: "Old eighteen, good guy, you have a good temper, but you This group of dark soldiers under my command is quite capable of fighting, and they cleared the city in just over two hours, but they have the capital to speak hard words."

Looking at the puzzled peers beside him, He You introduced to everyone: "This is He Gan, a brother of Yu Ben's family. , By the way, what's the matter with this mark, the armies of this domain don't seem to have such an organizational system, old eighteen, tell me."

He Gan looked at He You with some embarrassment, and Liu Guoxuan was also a little dissatisfied with He Youyi's old-fashioned disregard for his position as commander-in-chief, but He You was one of Zhu Jin's favorite generals, and He Gan was Zheng Kezang's pro-army, so he didn't mind It's too easy to get angry and reprimand, so he can only choose to ignore He You's words in the end.

"What's the matter, you lead Kunlun, Kunlun will rest for a while, and I will find a guide for you right away." Said, Liu Guoxuan turned his head and gave some pointers. "Jiang Sheng, Wu Gui, the two of you immediately executed ten draws and one kill, then regrouped the team and led the Kunlun Biao Road to wipe out the chaos on the island. You will not be in vain or indulge, and anyone who resists will be killed on the spot."

Ten draws and one kill is almost one of the most severe military punishments in the era of cold weapons. With the fall of more than 300 heads, the originally lax military discipline was suddenly abolished. It took Liu Guoxuan another day and a half to finally stabilize Siming's situation.

On February 26, Zhu Jin led the first batch of ships to withdraw from Taiwan to evacuate Siming, and arrived in Penghu three days later. Immediately, Chen Yonghua played the squadron of the whole army. Zhu Jin said "yes", but Zhu Jin did not immediately follow the brigade Returning to Taiwan, he was stranded in Penghu instead. It was not until two months later that Zheng Kezang arrived in Penghu with the penultimate fleet and did not return to Taiwan together.

In fact, from the beginning of Zhu Jin's retreat, the Qing troops in Fujian Province, such as Yao Qisheng, Wu Xingzuo, and Wan Zhengse, who were stationed in Tong'an City, had already received the news. Watching Zheng Kezang completely evacuate the two islands of Siming and Kinmen.

On March 1, the general retreat from Qiongzhou also began. Zheng Xingying, Chen Qing and others drove Zheng Jun, who was less than [-] people after Wenxun collapsed, to retreat to Dongning in eleven groups with more than [-] Qiongzhou people. A considerable amount of materials were returned, but in any case, it marked the complete collapse of Zhu Jin's conspiracy.

On April 28, Zheng Kezang accompanied Zhu Jin back to Anping. Before he had time to go back to see his two daughters who had been born for almost two months, he was summoned to Beiyuan Hospital together with Zhu Jin by Dong Guotai: If you are talented, it is better not to go; looking at this action now, it will only tire the homeland and suffer the soul, what good is it!"

Hearing Dong Guotai's angry reprimand, Zhu Jin's face was ashen, and Zheng Kezang naturally felt uncomfortable, so he softly defended Zhu Jin: "Grandmother, the Chinese are turbulent, and the father and king went out to understand the upheaval of the people. A hundred battles have been defeated, but this is by no means useless, and it must shake the foundation of the Tartars."

"Don't try to defend him." Dong Guotai stopped Zheng Kezang, and then pointed the finger at the eldest grandson. "Your father entrusted you with the task of supervising the country in Taiwan, what did you do?" Dowager Dong questioned. "Could it be that Siming still lacks you, and if something bad happens to the army overnight, what kind of situation will you put your father?"

The father and son looked at me and I looked at you, so they had no choice but to accept Dong Guotai's scolding obediently. After being tired of being scolded by Dong Guotai, the father and son escaped with their heads in their arms like amnesty. When they left the North Garden, Zhu Jin looked Looking at Zheng Kezang complicatedly: "Qinshe, my father can't do anything well, I'm really ashamed of your grandfather and the people of Taiwan, you are better than my father, so it's better to do it."

Zhu Jin's words were like last words, and at this moment it seemed even more unlucky. Zheng Kezang didn't dare to bear it, so he quickly responded: "Father, the child is young and naughty, how dare he bear such a burden?" It is a heavy responsibility, even if the father intends to cultivate it, the son can only charge forward, and the father is in charge of everything."

"Don't say too much, father can trust you." Zhu Jin climbed onto the shoulders and nodded to Zheng Kezang. "Even if there is anything uncertain, just ask your father-in-law. My father has been fighting for many years, and he is physically and mentally exhausted, and he will be alone and enjoy a few years of peace." After finishing speaking, Zhu Jin tapped on the shoulder, and the two wrestlers immediately raised their hands. As he went away, Zheng Kezang was feeling lost when he heard Zhu Jin's faint voice from afar. "Remember to bring the child to see the orphan in your spare time."

Zheng Kezang then knelt down in the direction where Zhu Jinyuan was going: "I will obey my father's orders."

"Dear Stevenson, the Dongning Kingdom has completely failed in competing with the Tartar regime for the ruling power of China. If the company does not make a mistake in its judgment, the Tartar regime will soon turn to counterattack. In this case, The company continues to set up a business office in Dayuan, which may affect the company's business with mainland China." Ming Zheng's military failure not only led to the change of hands in the mainland and Qiongzhou, but also interrupted the shrewd and cunning British guy. The mind of business dealings. "Therefore, it is imperative to withdraw the embassy. Please be prepared to withdraw all British merchants and craftsmen in Dongning as soon as possible."

"What made the company make such a decision?" Of course, not everyone agrees with the decision to withdraw the museum, at least Stevenson, who is the director of the store, is not willing to give up this position. "Is it a benefit? But the company should know that the current Tartar regime is pursuing a policy of sealing off sea areas and prohibiting foreign trade. Under such circumstances, isn't it a gamble to give up the interests that still exist and look forward to future unknown interests? "

"Gambling, my dear Stevenson, no, no, it's not like that." The envoy of the British East India Company shook his head, dandruff drifting around with the rich fragrance powder. "Although the Tartar regime is currently implementing a blockade policy, if the Dongning Kingdom is eliminated, the basis for this policy will soon disappear. The Tartars will need silver from Manila, spices from Batavia, and spices from India. Precious stones, European clocks and watches, for which they will pay for tea, porcelain, and silk, and it can be expected that the company will get a very considerable income from it, which in the short term is enough to offset the income of the lost Dongning."

"I do not agree with your judgment." Stevenson also had his own reasons. "Chinese goods are indeed valuable in Europe, and companies can also earn considerable profits from this trade, but Batavia's spices, Indian gems, and European clocks are not enough to pay for these goods from China. The price of goods, we, not just the company, all merchants in Europe must pay a huge amount of silver to the Tartars to buy these things, and once the silver flows in, it is like entering a bottomless abyss. There is such a steady stream in the European world Constant silver? Maybe the Spaniards, but definitely not the company."

With regard to the issue of silver not flowing out of China once it has flowed into China, some people in the British East India Company have long raised objections to this, but there has never been a fundamental solution. Therefore, when Stevenson said this, the special envoy's expression immediately changed, and he couldn't help but extend Straightening his neck: "What do you mean?"

"Your guess is correct. My personal opinion is that only war can make silver flow," Stevenson obviously had a well-thought-out plan. "I have made an analysis of the materials imported by Dongning in recent years. Among them, saltpeter, sails, iron ore and other materials used as gunpowder ingredients accounted for the vast majority, and the rest was brown sugar, which is used to make white sugar and rock sugar. and slaves." The envoy listened patiently. "Just two months ago, the crown prince of Dongning placed a huge order with the company, worth more than ten thousand pounds." Pound means a pound of silver, and one pound is almost equal to 14 taels. Silver worth 15 taels is indeed a big deal. "All are paid in cash."

"Does Dongning have such financial resources?" Although the special envoy was surprised by the huge figure of [-] pounds, he was not a small businessman who got carried away when he saw money. Based on his understanding of Dongning's financial situation, the first thing he thought of was Mingzheng. Writing a bad check. "Stevensson, how do you ensure that the other party will not renege on their debts?"

"First, the Crown Prince announced that such a business is not the only one. If they make a mistake, the subsequent trade will naturally be impossible." Of course, Stevenson did not simply believe in Zheng Kezang's guarantee. "Secondly, besides the sugar trade, Dongning has also launched the whale oil trade. Although it is just a start, the annual income will not be less than 5000 taels. If it is not possible, we can still accept whale oil. , whale bones, and discounts on whale products.” The third and most important point. "Dongning can also provide some tea and porcelain."

It’s not that Taiwan doesn’t produce tea and porcelain, it’s just that it wasn’t enough to meet the needs of the island before, so how could it be used for export, but now Zheng Kezang can only choose to squeeze this part in order to obtain the necessary imports under the condition of limited financial resources. domestic demand.

"So, it's really impossible to close the business hall of the senior officer immediately?" The special envoy pondered.

"Yes, Sir Hull can also explain to the company council." Stevenson smiled. "All for the king and money."

"That's right, everything is for the king and money." Hull nodded. "I'm going back to Bombay tomorrow!"