The most powerful patriarch in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 157

Chapter 155

Liu Ruolan smiled slightly: "No, the boat is in Mawei Village."

Mawei Village?
No way, Mawei Village is near the sea, but the water is too shallow to stop a big boat.
Besides, Mawei Village is only three miles away from the Changle County Wharf. A fleet of that size really arrived, and even the sentry posts found it without patrol boats.

Lu Changle asked with some doubts: "Miss Liu, when can I see the boat?"

"anytime."

Soon, Lu Changle and Liu Ruolan came to a swamp in the east of Mawei Village,

After looking around, Lu Changle frowned and said, "Miss Liu, you are not entertaining me, are you?"

There is nothing on the sea in the distance, here is a swamp,
No one has seen one, let alone any fleet.

If Liu Ruolan hadn't helped him a few times, Lu Changle would have gone crazy.

Liu Ruolan's expression was still very calm, she pointed to the front and said: "Is there any, General Lu just dig it, and start digging from the white stone in front."

Lu Changle just hesitated, and quickly asked Lu Changqing to take a few people to dig in the swamp.

If you don't come, you will come, just see what medicine is sold in Liu Ruolan's gourd.

The five team members went down to the mud and touched it with their hands. After a while, they pulled out a long wooden board from the mud of the swamp.

One person dug the plank, and the others also said that there was something in the mud, so they dug hard one by one.

"Wonderful, wonderful." Lu Changle's eyes lit up, she clapped her hands and said, "Miss Liu has thought carefully, she broke up the boat and hid it here. If you don't tell me, no one will know that there is a fleet of boats hidden here."

A boat is made up of many pieces of wood. Liu Ruolan broke the boat into pieces and buried it under the mud.
I don't know if the craftsmen buried it here without assembling it after building it, or buried the boat after dismantling it.

Ordinary wood will rot when soaked in water, but if you use dense wood, preferably mahogany, and bury it in water to isolate the air, it will not rot for decades.
In many places in the south of the Yangtze River, there is a custom of dragon boat racing during the Dragon Boat Festival. Most of the dragon boats are preserved in this way.
It is usually buried with silt, and it will be pulled out together when the Dragon Boat Festival is approaching. It can be used after washing off the silt, and then buried with silt after use.

Even in later generations with advanced technology, this traditional method is still used.

Lu Changle has met Liu Ruolan several times, but he has never seen her on a big boat.
At that time, I still thought, how could Liu Ruolan make trouble for Zheng Zhilong at sea with those small boats?

Unexpectedly, she still had so much in stock.

Cunning Rabbit Three Caves.

"The general is not what he used to be. Even if the little girl has a lot of courage, she doesn't dare to entertain the general."

Liu Ruolan pointed to the team members who were digging with bare hands and said, "General, it seems that you need to find more people. I'm afraid there are not enough people."

Three large boats and fifteen small boats were buried in the mud, and how long would it take for a few people to dig.

Lu Changle nodded, and immediately asked someone to notify Lu Jinyuan, asking him to pull people to dig.

Many people in the newly-built navy do not have a deep understanding of ships. Let them dig them out and build them up piece by piece. If they participate in the whole process, they will definitely learn a lot.

Two quarters of an hour later, Lu Jinyuan brought more than 300 people to dig the boat.
It took a full day and night to finally dig out all the materials of the eighteen ships.

The materials at the scene piled up three mountains.

Liu Ruolan kept a hand when she buried it, and each piece of wood was numbered,

As long as she faces the booklet in her hand, she can easily spell out those ships,

After digging, Lu Changle handed Liu Ruolan to Lu Jinyuan,

How to build the boat well, how to arrange Liu Ruolan's subordinates, let him have a headache.

Lu Changle has many things to do, while urging Song Yingxing and Lao Zhou to upgrade their firearms as soon as possible, while building the army,
Firearms have to be upgraded, ships have to be built, horses have to be collected, and the rural protection team has to be trained.

Also beware of thieves and Zheng,
Everyday is a busy day.

When Lu Changle was furiously mobilizing his troops, Mrs. Zheng was not idle either:

Hubei, Hankou, in a richly decorated manor, Zheng Hongkui is enjoying the song and dance leisurely,

The chaotic political situation did not affect Zheng Hongkui's mood.

It's only the Ming Dynasty that is in chaos, it has nothing to do with the Zheng family.
In a word, do as long as you give benefits. If the benefits are not in place, the Emperor and I will not give face.

When the sight was on the rise, his subordinates suddenly came forward to report that Sun Chuanting, the newly appointed governor of the three sides of Shaanxi, sent someone to deliver a letter and wanted to hand it over to Zheng Hongkui himself.
Zheng Hongkui could only stop, and got Sun Chuanting's handwritten letter from the messenger,

After reading it, wrote a reply letter, and asked someone to reward the messenger, let Maiko continue as if nothing had happened.

His confidant Huang Zhonghui poured Zheng Hongkui a glass of wine and asked in a low voice, "General, what did Governor Sun say in the letter?"

"What else is there to say? They urged me to send troops to fight Li thief. These people are really unreasonable. They want the horse to run and don't give the horse grass. There are no soldiers here, everything is your fault." Zheng Hongkui said with a sneer.

Xiong Wencan and Yang Sichang were beheaded and frightened to death due to ineffective suppression.

No one is available, Chongzhen guarded for three years Sun Chuanting released again to suppress the bandits,

As soon as Sun Chuanting took office, he first killed Heren Long Liwei, and then urged the various ministries to actively encircle and suppress Zheng Hongkui, who had more than [-] elites, was his key target.

"General, Sun Chuanting is an important minister in the court, and his disciples are all over the world. It is said that this time, he will have the Shangfang sword bestowed by the emperor. I'm afraid he won't offend him." Huang Zhonghui reminded.

"I didn't offend him, I readily agreed in the letter, but I asked him to make up the military pay and food owed to Zheng's army first, and it's okay to make up. If there is no money or food, even the three governors of Shaanxi can't discuss it. "

Xiong Wencan and Yang Sichang did a lot of meritorious deeds when they suppressed bandits. In terms of merit and loyalty, they are no less than Zuo Liangyu.

Even He Renlong, who was executed by Sun Chuanting, also fought his life on the battlefield,
But they all died, and their deaths were either miserable or worthless,
Zuo Liangyu, a self-respecting soldier, has repeatedly violated military discipline, disobeyed orders, and even plundered many times. He is still alive and well.

Now whoever has soldiers in his hands is the uncle.

"The general is brilliant," Huang Zhonghui complimented.

Zheng Hongkui said calmly: "There have been major changes in Fujian, and I don't know what happened to my eldest brother. I have a few people in my hands, so I have to use them."

If Jilongshan is the old nest of the Zheng family, then Fujian is the blessed land that the Zheng family regards as prosperous and prosperous.

Zheng Hongkui has always paid attention to the plague, bandits, etc.
Standing still, just waiting for news from his eldest brother Zheng Zhilong.

Although the situation is a bit unfavorable for the Zheng family, Zheng Hongkui has always been calm,

Sitting on an army of 20, this is Zheng's confidence,
No matter how the chaos in Fujian is, it has the ability to set things right.

"The fourth master and the second son split up the conquest in two ways. Some rebels are selfish, but they are just local chickens and dogs. When the general returns to Fujian, he will definitely be pacified." Huang Zhonghui said flatteringly.

"Today is different from the past, I'm afraid it's not easy to deal with."

With the big brother's withdrawal, many places in Fujian are in chaos.
Even if the common people don't say anything openly,
He must have hated Mrs. Zheng secretly,

Besides, most of the elite retreated, and there was also a shortage of troops.

Just when Zheng Hongkui was sighing, a famous soldier suddenly came forward and reported in a hurry: "General, the fourth master sent someone to deliver a letter, saying that he would hand it over to the general."

"Quickly pass it on!" Zheng Hongkui ordered immediately with a serious expression on his face.

I handed over the letter again, today is the second time.

The fourth brother sent someone to deliver the letter, there must be something serious.

Soon, Xu Chao, with a dusty face, handed the letter to Zheng Hongkui.

Zheng Hongkui received the letter, checked the wax, and quickly ordered: "Come here, take him down, so that he can entertain you."

The person who was recognized was Xu Chao, a confidant of the fourth brother's [-] households,
Xu Chao's hair was disheveled, his face was pale, and there were faint bloodstains on his trousers between his legs. He must have rushed all the way to deliver the letter.

The skin on the thighs is worn out, to be arranged.

"Yes, General"

After waiting for the people to go down, Zheng Hongkui couldn't wait to open the letter,
Slowly, Zheng Hongkui's face became more and more solemn, because the veins on his hands protruded because of the excessive force.

Less than a year after leaving Fujian An, so many things happened,

There was a three-eyed king who didn't know how to live or die, and formed the Twelve Heavenly Kings to resist the Zheng family.

The Eastern Expeditionary Army led by his nephew Zheng Du, the navy division Zheng Zhenchuan was wiped out.
Even Zheng Du fell into the hands of Lu Changle, the new general who suppressed the thieves, and his life and death were uncertain.

Zheng Zhibao analyzed in the letter that the relationship between Zheng Du and the Fuzhou Lu family is very bad. Judging from Zheng Zhenchuan's experience,
It is very likely that there will be accidents.

With a clatter, Zheng Zhibao squeezed the letter into a ball and shouted, "Zhonghui."

"My subordinates are here" Huang Zhonghui hurriedly stepped forward upon hearing the order.

"Pass me the order, Zheng Jiajun packs up his bags and sets off tomorrow, we return to Fujian." Zheng Zhibao said with a sneer.

I can't wait any longer, and I can't let the Three-Eyed King and Lu Changle sit down.

When Huang Zhonghui heard this, he was stunned, and quickly said: "General, I'm afraid it's not easy to explain to the court and the emperor about withdrawing troops without authorization."

The quarrel between Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong got bigger and bigger, and even Sun Chuanting was employed, and he planned to kill He Renlong as soon as he came,
Leaving at this time is not a matter of confession, it is possible to kill the Jiu Clan.

"Tell me a fart," Zheng Zhibao bluntly said: "I help the imperial court guard the sea, how much food has been allocated in these years? In Hubei, it is a bandit suppression, but when you return to Fujian, it is not a bandit suppression? One is more urgent when the war is called out, and one is when the food is paid. Compared with one delay, even a small prisoner can't take it down. Now the imperial court wants money but has no money, wants soldiers but doesn't have soldiers, and can't control us, so what are they doing?"

If Fujian can't keep it, the value of the Zheng family in the eyes of the court will be greatly reduced.
Fujian has been defended, and the coastal defense of Ming Dynasty has to rely on the Zheng family. According to the past habits of the imperial court, at most it is reprimanding and training salary.
When you have soldiers in hand, what are you afraid of?

Seeing that Zheng Zhibao had made up his mind, Huang Zhonghui stopped trying to dissuade him, but said worriedly: "General, it was only half a month ago that the supply of food and grass was insufficient, and if the whole army is dispatched, I am afraid that the food and grass will not be able to support us to return to Fujian. "

With more than 2 horses, the food and grass needed for Hubei to return to Fujian is not a small amount.

It is said that the three armies have not moved, and the food and grass go first.
If there is not enough food and grass, it is a big taboo in the army to start allotment rashly.

Zheng Zhibao had already thought about it, and ordered simply: "The Zheng family's army came all the way from Fujian and killed so many brothers. The reason is to protect the people here. Now that we are going back to Fujian to suppress the bandits, it is also appropriate for them to sponsor some food and grass. "

Hankou is an important town with a large population and prosperous business. Zheng Zhibao has long been greedy.
I'm still suppressing bandits, I need the support of those people, and I don't want to be too ruthless, I just tap it lightly to get some benefits,

I have to leave now, I can't go back to Fujian empty-handed,

The right to not use it, expired and obsolete, and then leave after earning a large sum of money,
If someone impeaches him, he will directly push it to the traitor Li Zicheng.

Huang Zhonghui understood, and said happily, "General, don't worry, the little one will be done properly."

Soon, the Zheng family's army guarding Hankou moved around, forcibly opening doors with knives and guns, grabbing whatever they liked, food, goods, and beauties, and killing them as soon as they were slightly obstructed.
After a while, Hankou was ablaze with flames and cries, as if it had suddenly become a purgatory on earth.

Jilong Mountain, Zheng's mansion.

Zheng Zhilong said with a serious face to a group of cronies: "Those damned mud-legged people dared to rebel while I was away. Now that the plague in Fujian has been eradicated, and the plague in Jilongshan has also been brought under control, we can't wait any longer."

"Pass me an order, except for those who guard the mountain, the rest of the people pack their bags immediately and go back to Fujian to clean up those muddy legs."

It is expected that after I leave, Fujian will be in chaos,
I didn't expect the chaos to be so severe. There was a three-eyed king and a general who suppressed the bandits.
The general who suppressed bandits killed Zheng Zhenchuan, and even his son Zheng Du fell into his hands. His life and death are unknown.
Fujian is not only the hometown of the Zheng family, but also a blessed place in the eyes of Zheng Zhilong.
Most of the profits of Haimao depend on Daming and Fujian. Zheng Zhilong must not let Fujian lose.

"Yes, Lord Chief Soldier." Everyone responded loudly.

Before going ashore, Zheng Zhilong liked others to call him the king,
After being canonized by the Ming Dynasty, Zheng Zhilong attached great importance to the position of Fujian General Soldier, and all his subordinates called themselves the General Soldier.

Zheng Zhilong gave an order, and the Zheng family's army in Jilongshan immediately moved.

As soon as Mrs. Zheng moved, Lu Changle quickly got the news.

Chen Qi sent people to secretly watch Zheng Zhibao early in the morning, and Zheng Zhibao allowed his men to rob Hankou's rich merchants,

The intelligence team got the news and sent it back as soon as possible,
Shouhou had established several pigeon stations along the way, and in less than two days, Lu Changle knew Zheng Zhibao's movements.

Jilongshan has Liu Ruolan's eyeliner, Zheng Zhilong moved, and the news was quickly sent back,
Liu Ruolan's news was only half a day ahead of Chen Qi's information, and Chen Qi also got the information that Zheng Zhilong was coming back.

Jilongshan is very close to Fujian, the nearest place is only 70 nautical miles, about 130 kilometers,

Send a few fast boats to pretend to be fishing boats, and cooperate with clairvoyance to monitor a large sea area.
Clairvoyance is a telescope. In the 47th year of Wanli, Western missionaries brought clairvoyance into Daming. Many people are familiar with it.

Lu Changle also prepared a batch and handed it over to the intelligence team to collect intelligence.

Unexpectedly, Zheng Zhilong and Zheng Zhibao acted at the same time,

Obviously, the defeat of Zheng Jiajun on the East Road has aroused Zheng's vigilance,

Prepare to kill the danger as early as possible.

Lu Changle was a little helpless, the decisive battle with the Zheng family for Fujian came earlier than he expected.

It's all because of that short-lived ghost Zheng Du, and they plan to deal with him later,
Fortunately, he insisted on bumping into the muzzle of his own gun.

Received two unfavorable news in one day, Lu Changle was a little surprised, but still calm,

From the moment Zheng Du was killed, he had already made preparations for this.
What shocked Lu Changle was the third information, Chen Qi finally found out the whereabouts of Li Dingguo.

(End of this chapter)