Before hanging himself, Chongzhen lifted the table

Chapter 193 Ping Haihou

It was daybreak, and everything seemed to be normal in Zheng Zhilong's mansion. The bustle at the entrance continued to be lively, and the rest of the place continued to be quiet.

However, if those who are familiar with the soldiers of the Biaoying directly under the imperial court observe carefully, they can find that these soldiers have actually begun to prepare for war.

The number of night watchers outside the manor has been doubled, and the scope of investigation has been further extended.

Although the emperor was still doing everything as usual and seemed confident, the generals below did not dare to neglect.Although the weather in Fujian is hot, they are all wearing armor, and their swords, guns, swords and halberds are all within reach.

If something happens, they can fight immediately.

Many soldiers were sweating on their foreheads, whether because of nervousness or because of the hot weather.

On the official road through Quanzhou, there is a small forest where about fifty people stay on guard all night, and sentries are also posted on the hills not far away.

When it was almost noon, Ye BuZhi, who was sitting on the ground to rest, stood up almost at the same time. A few quick-talkers said almost at the same time: "A cavalry team is coming!"

The leader, Ye Bu Sheng, immediately walked out of the woods and looked up to the other side of the hill. Sure enough, he saw his men on the other side of the hill sending signals.

After seeing it, he breathed a sigh of relief and immediately ordered his two subordinates: "Report immediately, saying that there are thirty cavalry coming from Quanzhou, and no others have been seen for the time being."

"As ordered!"

After watching the two men ride away, the commander-in-chief ordered the others to hide and did not intercept or ask.

When the cavalry galloped by, he recognized that the leaders were members of the Zheng family.And the people following him didn't seem to be ordinary people, they should be the leaders of the Zheng family.

After just observing for a moment, he breathed a sigh of relief.To explain it in more mysterious terms, he didn't feel the murderous intention.

About half an hour later, the crowd watching at the gate of the manor suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves coming from behind. They turned their heads and immediately made way for a passage.

The imperial guards at the door had already been notified, but they did not act as if they were facing a formidable enemy. They just held the hilts of their swords and looked at the group of knights who appeared.

They all recognized the leader, Zheng Zhilong.

When he saw that Zheng Zhilong was still dozens of steps away from the door of his house, he reined in the horse, immediately dismounted, left the horse alone, strode to the door of his house, clasped his fists to the captain of the imperial guard and saluted: " The last general, Zheng Zhilong, is here to meet you!"

This is his home, but he maintains etiquette and puts the king first, which shows his attitude through his actions.

The Jinyi guards at the door were relieved when they saw it, and someone immediately came in to report.

Zheng Zhilong stood quietly at the door, his eyes naturally seeing the weapons used by the emperor.Looking at the huge shield, hammer and hard bow, I was still a little shocked.

And the same is naturally true for those behind him.

Yesterday, there was a meeting very late, and Zheng Zhilong broke everything down and explained everything clearly to them.At this time, everyone was standing politely.

After a while, Fang Zhenghua came out with a smile, glanced at the thirty or so people standing at the door, then turned to Zheng Zhilong and said, "Commander Zheng, are these all your generals?"

"Go back to my father-in-law!" Zheng Zhilong heard this and immediately replied respectfully, "They are some of the generals under the general, and there are a few who are not in Quanzhou. The general was not able to recall them in time to see him."

After hearing this, Fang Zhenghua smiled and said, "Come with us!"

After saying that, he turned around and walked away.

When Zheng Zhilong saw it, he turned his head and looked behind him and said, "Follow me!"

The generals behind him, except for the Zheng brothers, were all here for the first time. When they saw the tall and sturdy guards in golden uniforms on the courtyards and terraces, even if they were all pirates, they had to feel a little bit a little bit nervous. Awe.

Not only do they represent the imperial power, but one can tell at a glance that these emperor's personal guards are very capable of fighting.

Soon, when they all arrived at the lobby, Emperor Chongzhen came out of the back hall, followed by Zheng Sen and Qian Qianyi in addition to the generals of the bodyguard.

"Long live my emperor, long live, long live!"

When Zheng Zhilong's people saluted the emperor as ordered in advance, they all felt a little strange.Before this, most of them never imagined that they would be able to see the emperor one day.

Therefore, when they heard the emperor say that he was equal, they all looked towards the emperor while standing up.

Of course, Emperor Chongzhen was also sizing them up.What surprised him a little was that among the generals Zheng Zhilong brought, there was actually a black man.If you look closely, you can still distinguish Koreans, Japanese and Nanyang people.

While he was looking at it, Zheng Zhilong reported to Emperor Chongzhen: "At the end of the day, the general has more than 540 ships and more than 23 people. I am willing to serve your majesty!"

As he spoke, he took out two thick account books from his arms, knelt on one knee, and presented them to the emperor.

When Fang Zheng saw it, he walked over and presented the two account books to the emperor.

Seeing the emperor flipping through the account books, Zheng Zhilong explained: "The fleet in charge of the generals, how many ships each person has, and who is on each ship, these generals do not know, they are mainly reported by them. These numbers in the hands of the general are only approximate."

He himself is not a soldier, but a pirate.It is equivalent to saying that he is the pirate king and everyone listens to him, but he is not very clear about the specific situation of his little pirates.This is completely different from the court's military management method.

Zheng Zhilong was afraid that Emperor Chongzhen would not know the situation, so he quickly explained it.

Emperor Chongzhen actually knew very well that Zheng Zhilong was similar to the bandit leader who occupied the mountain and became the king.Therefore, when he heard Zheng Zhilong's words, he stopped looking at the two account books. Instead, he looked up at Zheng Zhilong and said, "Zheng Qing's life!"

After Zheng Zhilong stood up, he smiled and said: "I am very happy that you can make the right decision. In this way, the court can save a lot of trouble, and some of you people will definitely be able to make contributions and win titles. Make a wife and leave your name in the annals of history!"

The people below were all very happy when they heard the emperor's words, with expectations in their eyes.

"Your Majesty is magnanimous and does not value the general because he is humble. The general should die as a result!" Zheng Zhilong was very good at talking. When he answered at this time, he always praised the emperor.

Emperor Chongzhen looked at him and could tell at a glance that he probably hadn't had a good rest in the past two days. His panda eyes were very serious and his expression was very tired.However, the spirit is good.

Looking at Zheng Zhilong, Emperor Chongzhen's expression became serious, and he said to him: "Your more than 20 troops will be reorganized. From now on, the troops and goods will be separated. Elite sailors and excellent warships will be selected for a navy of 1 people. To organize, five naval divisions are tentatively established, and the rest are organized into the government-run maritime trade fleet. The generals, generals, and generals of each navy are recommended to me by your Majesty. The government-run maritime trade fleet can be divided into different sea areas. It is organized by trade, and it is up to you to decide how to organize it."

"Both the troops and goods are under your temporary jurisdiction. Until I bring peace to the world, everything else can remain as usual except for the organization." When Emperor Chongzhen said this, he looked at Zheng Zhilong and said, "The reason why I title you the Marquis of Pinghai is for Third-class Marquis, serving as the Commander-in-Chief of the newly established Navy Commander's Office."

Zheng Zhilong was a little surprised when he heard this, because according to the emperor's wishes, he not only gave him the reward of a marquis, but also gave him great power. It can even be said that he still has the final say over his fleet.This was a little different from what he imagined. He thought that if he surrendered to the emperor this time, he would definitely take away some of his power.So he quickly thanked him.

After Emperor Chongzhen made him stand up, he turned to Yan Yingyuan and said, "Yan Qing listens to the order!"

Yan Yingyuan didn't expect the emperor to call his name, so he was a little surprised. He quickly stepped out of the line with his hands clasped in fists and echoed: "The general is here!"

Emperor Chongzhen looked at him and said seriously: "You have made great contributions in the battle of Dashengguan. You are granted the title of Uncle Dasheng, a second-class earl. You serve as the governor of the newly established naval governor's office and the commander-in-chief of the Nanjing navy. Temporarily Stay in Fujian to assist Zheng Qing in completing the formation of the navy."

"The general will obey the order!" Yan Yingyuan heard this and replied without hesitation.

Emperor Chongzhen then named him again: "Qian Qianyi takes the order!"

Qian Qianyi did not expect that the emperor would also name him, so he knelt down happily to receive the order and said: "The common people are here!"

He has no official status and has been expelled from the official status, so he calls himself a grassroots citizen.

Emperor Chongzhen looked at him and said solemnly: "You teach students well and are familiar with the Zheng family. I appoint you as the governor of Fujian to help set up the navy governor's office in Fuzhou. I will move to the capital when I have more time. .”

Qian Qianyi was originally a person who could join the cabinet, so it was not surprising that he became the governor.However, at this time, he became a feudal official. His dream of becoming an official for many years finally came true. Suddenly, his body was shaking with excitement, and he quickly received the order to thank him.

Then Emperor Chongzhen turned to look at Zheng Sen and said: "I know that you are very filial to your mother. Now that your father has been granted the title of Marquis of Pinghai, your mother can be granted the title of Madam Hou. According to the relevant decree, the reward will be given along with your father."

In the Ming Dynasty, a lady with a title was not always good at issuing imperial orders. If the emperor awarded a marquis to a marquis, her status would be as stable as Mount Tai.

When Zheng Sen heard this, he was immediately overjoyed and quickly turned to look at his father.

Zheng Zhilong quickly led his son to thank him.

After awarding the reward, Emperor Chongzhen first glanced at the men brought by Zheng Zhilong in the lobby.He will definitely not give a reward directly. Not only does he not understand it, but he has also explained that he has delegated power to Zheng Zhilong and Zheng Zhilong will recommend it. The final decision-making power still rests with him.

Finally, Emperor Chongzhen looked at Zheng Zhilong again and said to him: "In the next two years, your most important task, besides reorganizing the navy, is to raise 100 million shi of food for the court every year. You can only do more, not less." , just send it to Tianjin Wei by sea."

One million stones of grain was the amount obtained by Zheng Sen after his investigation. If Emperor Chongzhen could obtain this much additional grain, it would alleviate many food problems.

Zheng Zhilong immediately agreed without looking at his son.

Seeing that he readily agreed, Emperor Chongzhen said to him again: "Your expenses for collecting the command flags on the southeast coast will remain as usual for the past two years, and the income will still be distributed by you. But during this period, you will reorganize the navy." You still have to pay for the military pay. In two years' time, when I can probably free up my hands to develop the navy, these will be banned and turned into customs duties. The court will also be responsible for the navy's military pay, etc. "

Zheng Zhilong really didn't expect that he could be allowed to control the two years of protection money, and he couldn't help but be overjoyed.

He also understood what the emperor meant. During the period when the emperor still wanted to pacify the world, his nephew would still hold the lanterns as usual.In other words, it means that he can reorganize his subordinates and have two years to reorganize them.

So, he quickly replied: "The general will obey the order!"

Emperor Chongzhen looked at him and continued: "The Spaniards on Luzon Island massacred the Ming people in Luzon several times. I had no time to take care of it before, but after I build a navy in the future, I will definitely take revenge. You should make preparations for it. Be prepared and wait for my will."

In the original history, Zheng Zhilong did not respond to this, but his son Zheng Sen thought of attacking Luzon for revenge.Of course, this is in name only.

The actual situation was that Zheng Sen had suffered consecutive defeats on the mainland and suffered too much financial losses, so he turned his target to Nanyang.But before he could take action on this matter, he died of illness.

In this era, overseas Chinese who go abroad are just cattle and sheep to be slaughtered. Once they are killed, it is basically impossible for anyone to make decisions for them.Because to the court, these people who fled the country were no different from fugitives.

Of course, it was also because the dynasties at this time were basically land power dynasties, so they would naturally be resistant to the idea of ​​crossing the ocean.

Therefore, for various reasons, overseas Ming people have no motherland at all.

But now, Emperor Chongzhen's words clearly stated that he wanted revenge and had no other purpose. This surprised Zheng Zhilong and others.

As far as Zheng Zhilong is concerned, he is actually not willing to do this.Because in his eyes, those people are his clients, and if they want to sail in his territory, they have to pay him protection fees.

While he was thinking about it, he heard Emperor Chongzhen say again: "You have moved a large number of Fujian people to Dayuan. This is very good. In the future, you may continue to move some people there, and set up prefectures and counties in Dayuan, under the jurisdiction of Fujian. As for the island You can't deal with the Dutchmen above, but I will deal with them later. From now on, under the rule of the Ming Dynasty, no troops from other countries are allowed! When you come to the Ming Dynasty, you must obey the jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty..."

Zheng Zhilong was a little shocked when he heard the emperor talking there.

He did not expect that the emperor really knew the situation on the southeast coast very well. Not only did he know the situation in Luzon clearly, but even the senior Dutch also knew about it.

In addition, Zheng Zhilong once again felt the emperor's strength.

With this in mind, he quickly reported to Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, the ships of the Western Yi are fast, the artillery is powerful, and even the firecrackers are better than those of the Ming Dynasty. Those Dutch even built the Yi Yi in Dajuan. It is not easy to capture a city that is difficult to defend, and they still have strongholds in Nanyang, and the senior officials are just a subordinate of them in Nanyang..."

After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen smiled lightly and said: "I know that the Dutch are on our side, and their headquarters is in Batavia in Southeast Asia. It was a city they built with great effort, and then robbed the Portuguese colony. Now it is There is a tyrant in the sea, with tyrannical power. Therefore, you can make preliminary preparations first, and then deal with them when I have my hands free!"

In this era, the Dutch had risen and seized control of the Strait of Malacca from the Portuguese. They originally wanted to seize Macau and Luzon, but they failed, so they occupied a large position to trade with Japan.

Zheng Zhilong and others were very surprised when they heard this.

They thought that the emperor already knew the situation at sea very well, but they didn't expect that the emperor knew much more about the situation at sea than they thought, and he actually knew it so clearly!
Zheng Zhibao was behind Zheng Zhilong. Hearing the emperor's words, he couldn't bear it any longer, so he opened his mouth and said, "Your Majesty, you also know that these Western Yi are powerful. I'm afraid it will be difficult to fight them!"

Although the emperor said that he would take care of it later, in Zheng Zhibao's view, it was not to be fought with his Zheng family's fleet, or the reorganized navy.To be honest, it’s really hard to fight!
Emperor Chongzhen naturally recognized this brother of Zheng Zhilong, and immediately smiled lightly and said: "The power of Xiyi is only temporary. You should have heard me say two days ago that I will also build iron-clad ships! I might as well tell you again, my Ironclad ships are not powered by wind. Then I will let you see how powerful the Ming Navy is!"

Zheng Zhilong and others had indeed heard the emperor talk about building an ironclad ship, but they thought the emperor was just talking about it. Ironclad ships sounded powerful, but could they be used at sea?

If a wave hits it, the boat will capsize, right?
At this time, they were shocked when they heard the emperor mentioned the ironclad ship again and revealed more details. Could it be that the emperor's ironclad ship was really a ship they had never heard of, and could it be better than the sailboats of the Western Yi?

Suddenly, almost everyone became curious.I wish the emperor could take it out immediately, so that they can estimate whether they can defeat the Xiyi sailing warships!
However, Emperor Chongzhen didn't say much more, and just summed it up for them: "This is the plan and arrangement for the next few years. I hope you can make preparations early, and don't think that I am just talking."

This meeting ended like this.People at the time didn't feel anything, but later generations regarded this meeting as a sign of the birth of the most powerful navy in the world.

Within the next two days, Emperor Chongzhen visited Zheng Zhilong's shipyard and reviewed the navy in Quanzhou Prefecture. Finally, Yan Yingyuan was left behind and he hurried back north with Zheng Sen.

This time he came to Fujian, which took him almost three months. The price he paid was a title, and for the time being he only received 100 million shi of food per year, as well as the clear ownership of the Zheng family's fleet.

By the time Emperor Chongzhen hurried back to Nanjing, it was already early November of the 18th year of Chongzhen.

(End of this chapter)