Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 188 Old Minister
Anping West City, the Mission Residence

In the hall, Zhang Tongchang, Liu Xiangke and the other five were sitting in the hall. Wu Jisi was sitting on the left chair, informing everyone about the situation of the generals in Zheng's army.
"Based on the intelligence we received from Shi Lang last night and the information obtained by Lin Cha, we now have a general understanding of the situation in Zheng's army."

"In the Zheng army, Shi Fu's army has more than 15,000 people, and is the main force of the Zheng army. Huang Ting has more than 50 warships, including three large ships. They are the strongest navy of the Zheng army except Zheng Cai. Yang Geng has about 8,000 people, and this army is also all land troops."

"In addition, there is the Zheng family's personal army led by Zheng Hongkui and Zheng Zhibao. The number of people in this army is unknown, but unless Zheng Hongkui surrenders, it is basically impossible to win them over."

After listening to this, everyone had a general understanding of Zheng's army. Zhang Tongchang thought for a moment and then asked:

"I had contact with Shi Lang last night. What is the attitude of the Shi family? Do they show any intention of joining us?"

Wu Jisi heard this, but shook his head slightly and said

"I tried to probe him several times last night, but Shi Lang was very tight-lipped. He just said that the matter was up to Shi Fu to decide. He showed no intention of joining the army. Even if I told him about the reward from the Duke, Shi Lang still refused to give in."

"Among the non-Zheng clan members, Shi Fu has the most soldiers under his command. Shi Fu has also been Zheng Zhilong's confidant for decades. Now that Zheng Zhilong has gone to Fuzhou to surrender to the Qing Dynasty, the situation is unclear. I'm afraid the Shi family will continue to wait and see the situation."

"But last night I used Feng Bo to seduce Shi Lang, but I found that he was quite tempted."

"This Shi Lang is not only Shi Fu's nephew, but I heard he is also very prestigious in Shi Fu's army and has a great influence on Shi Fu. He is very young and has a strong desire for gain. We may be able to use our strength on him in the future," Wu Jisi thought about the situation of the test last night and said.

Zhang Tongchang frowned slightly when he heard this. They came to Fujian alone, and the only bargaining chip they had was the imperial title.

The reward of being a duke is already the biggest reward they can offer. If the Shi family is still not interested, it will be difficult for them to offer more money to win them over.

Zhang Tongchang thought of this and couldn't think of a better way for a while, so he said

"Commander Wu is still in charge of this matter. He must continue to maintain contact with Shi Lang and others, and try to get Shi Fu and others to join the court as soon as possible. Lin, you are familiar with the situation in Zheng's army, so you should stay with Commander Wu for the time being."

"And Zheng Cai cannot be ignored. Although it is impossible to win over Zheng Cai, when you come into contact with Shi Fu and others, you should also find out the situation of Zheng Cai's army. Who knows, it may come in handy in the future."

Wu Jisi and Lin Cha all nodded in agreement.
Zheng Zhilong might return to Anping at any time, so it would be better to win over the generals as soon as possible. However, this matter could not be rushed. These Fujian generals commanded large armies, so they would not easily give in after a few words.

Zhang Tongchang said something to Wu Jisi and Lin Cha, and then looked at Liu Xiangke on the right.
"Rui Xing, how are the investigations of the old officials of Longwu near Anping going? Do you have a suitable candidate to be the governor?"

Liu Xiangke nodded slightly when he heard this and said

"I have made some inquiries in Anping over the past two days and have found that there are two old officials in Anping City who have the right qualifications and can be candidates for the governor."

"These two people were both ministers in the court during the reign of the previous emperor. One was Zeng Ying, the Grand Secretary of the Dongge, and the other was Lu Zhenfei, the Grand Secretary of the Wenyuange. Both of them were important ministers in the court during the Longwu period. They were well-known and upright people."

"Moreover, both of them had experience in governing Fujian Province during the Chongzhen reign, and they are widely respected in Fujian Province. Either of them can be appointed as the Governor-General at this time."

Zhang Tongchang thought for a moment and then said:

"What is the relationship between these two people and Zheng Zhilong?"

After hearing this, Liu Xiangke recalled the information he had gathered and said

"These two people have a close relationship with Zheng Zhilong. During the Chongzhen period, Zeng Ying served as the provincial governor of Fujian Province, Lu Zhenfei was the provincial inspector, and Zheng Zhilong was a guerrilla in Fujian Province at that time."

"Back then, the pirate Liu Xiang colluded with the Dutch Red Barbarians to harass the sea borders of Fujian Province. Governor Xiong Wencan wanted to send Zheng Zhilong to lead the army to suppress them. However, the then Fujian Governor Zou Weilian strongly opposed it because Zheng Zhilong was a pirate and had sworn brotherhood with Liu Xiang. Xiong Wencan was therefore hesitant."

"When Zeng Ying learned about this, he used hundreds of members of his family to guarantee Zheng Zhilong, and Lu Zhenfei also recommended him. Only then was Zheng Zhilong able to lead the imperial navy to fight and destroy Liu Xiang."

"And it was precisely because of his merit in suppressing Liu Xiang that Zheng Zhilong was promoted to the rank of general, so Zheng Zhilong respected Zeng Lu and the others very much."

"These two people have a close relationship with Zheng Zhilong. During the Longwu Dynasty, Zheng Zhilong was domineering and abused his power, and he relied on these two people's persuasion to restrain himself. If these two people are appointed as governors at this time, Zheng Hongkui and other members of the Zheng family should be happy to see it happen."

Zhang Tongchang frowned when he heard this. After thinking for a moment, he said

"Apart from these two, are there any other candidates?"

Liu Xiangke was stunned when he heard this. He also understood that Zhang Tongchang might not be satisfied with these two people, so he asked him to recommend someone else. However, he was quite puzzled.

"Master Zhang, do you have any doubts about these two people? However, they were both upright ministers in the previous dynasty and have a very good reputation in Fujian Province. They are indeed suitable candidates for the post of governor."

Zhang Tongchang waved his hand and said

"I have no personal opinion of these two people, and I have never had any contact with them before, but they are not suitable."

Zhang Tongchang looked at the puzzled people on the field and spoke again.

"Our mission is not just to win over the generals of Fujian Province. His Highness instructed us before we left that if we cannot persuade Zheng to surrender, we must find a way to delay the Qing army in Fujian Province to buy time for the court to deploy defenses."

"Zheng Zhilong has already gone to Fuzhou and will definitely surrender to the Qing. Once Zheng Zhilong comes back, we will most likely fight him."

"We are now behind enemy lines, and it is difficult to determine which generals we can win over. Once we engage in battle with Zheng Zhilong, the situation will be extremely dangerous. We need people who can fight to the end. These two are so close to Zheng Zhilong that I am worried."

"Besides, if we use these two people who are so close to Zheng Zhilong as governors at this time, what will those foreign generals think? Will they still dare to surrender?"

Liu Xiangke was also shocked when he heard this, and instantly understood what Zhang Tongchang meant. If Shi Fu and other foreign generals surrendered, it would be a betrayal of Zheng. But now they supported a minister who was so close to Zheng Zhilong as the governor of Fujian Province. How would Shi Fu and others feel about this?
Zeng Ying and Zheng Zhilong have a close personal relationship. Who knows what they will do to these Zheng family rebels?

If these two people were really intended to be governors, to put it bluntly, when the crisis came, it was not certain that these two people would surrender to Zheng Zhilong. Thinking of this, Liu Xiangke immediately excluded these two people from the candidates, but after a search, he could no longer find any available candidates.

The governor of Fujian Province cannot be just any old official of Longwu. The candidate for the governor must have sufficient reputation. If a person who is unknown to everyone is promoted, how can the gentry and generals in Fujian be mobilized?

The Gui Regent Dynasty was established for too short a time, and the people of Fujian Province had no idea what the Gui Regent Dynasty was like.

At this time, the imperial court not only appointed the governor-general, but also used the governor-general's prestige to establish the legitimacy of the Fujian Provincial Governor's Office.

Although Fujian Province was the center of the country before, it collapsed too quickly. Most of the important officials in the court were no longer in Fujian Province.
It was already a great fortune that Anping City could find two important officials who were suitable to serve as governors. In other words, the reason why these two people appeared in Anping was entirely due to their good relationship with the Zheng family.

If it weren't for Zheng Zhilong's care, these two people would probably have been captured by the Qing court in Fuzhou City like the other Longwu cabinet ministers.

At this time, it was almost impossible to find an old official of Longwu who was not close to Zheng Zhilong but had enough reputation in Anping City.

There was a moment of silence in the hall. Liu Xiangke frowned and kept thinking about the information of the old officials in the city, but he could not find a suitable candidate.

Lin Cha, who was standing below, looked at Zhang Tongchang, who was frowning and thinking, with a hesitant look on his face. He suddenly spoke:

"If Lord Zhang wants to choose a minister of Longwu who is not close to Zheng Zhilong, I have a candidate here."

Zhang Tongchang and the others looked over when they heard Lin Cha speak. Lin Cha no longer hesitated and spoke directly.

"When I was trying to gather information in Zhou Hezhi's camp, I unexpectedly learned that Zhang Kentang, the former Minister of War of Longwu, is currently training his troops in Aotou, Tongan County."

"According to Zhou Hezhi, Zhang Kentang was the governor of Fujian Province during the reign of Emperor Chongzhen. Zheng Zhilong wanted to surrender pirates at sea, but was stopped by Zhang Kentang. The pirates he recruited were also beheaded by Zhang Kentang, and a rift arose between the two sides."

"After entering the Longwu Dynasty, although Zhang Kentang was promoted to Minister of War for his contribution to the enthronement, the military power was always controlled by the Zheng family. As a result, Zhang Kentang was often made difficult by Zheng Zhilong."

"At the beginning of the year, the late emperor was determined to restore the country and planned to march north. Zhang Kentang volunteered to form a fleet to march north to restore the country. However, when the preparations were halfway through, all the ships, money and food were seized by Zheng Zhilong."

"Zhang Kentang was furious and submitted a memorial to impeach Zheng Zhilong, but the late emperor had no way to deal with Zheng Zhilong and could only appease him with gentle words and ask him to be patient. So Zhang Kentang left the court in anger and asked to go out to recruit soldiers."

"After leaving the court, Zhang Kentang spent all his family wealth to recruit soldiers in Aotou, intending to launch another northern expedition. However, just as Zhang Kentang had recruited soldiers, news came that the late emperor had suffered. I heard from Zhou Hezhi that Zhang Kentang was now short of silver and food, and the situation seemed very dire."

Zhang Tongchang's eyes lit up when he heard what Lin Cha said, and he immediately asked

"Are you sure that Zhang Kentang has soldiers? You may also be able to determine how many soldiers he has, and how far this Aotou is from Anping."

Zhang Tongchang asked questions repeatedly, and Lin Cha immediately replied

"It is certain that Zhang Kentang once asked Zhou Hezhi to buy military rations. According to Zhou Hezhi, there should be several thousand soldiers. Aotou is about a hundred miles away from Anping."

"If Lord Zhong wants to select a minister who is not closely related to the Zheng family, I think this person is a suitable candidate."

"The only problem is that Zhang Kentang was only a minister in the previous dynasty, but he never served in the cabinet to assist in government affairs. He may not be as popular as Zeng Lu and the other two mentioned by Liu Yushi."

After listening to Lin Cha's words, Zhang Tongchang did not speak immediately, but began to think about Zhang Kentang's situation.
In fact, when Zhang Tongchang knew that Zhang Kentang had troops, he had already decided to appoint him as governor.

They entered Fujian alone, and what they lacked most at this time was soldiers.
If Zhang Kentang was willing to serve Gui as regent and serve as governor, then they would immediately have an army that obeyed the court's orders, and they would be direct descendants of the Zheng family who had no connection with them. This was much more important than a hollow cabinet minister.

With this group of people, even if Shi Fu and others refused to surrender, they could still use them to make some noise and tie down some of Zheng Zhilong's troops, preventing the Qing government from attacking Guangdong with all its strength.

Zhang Tongchang thought of this and stopped hesitating. He glanced at the people below and said:

"I would like to send someone to invite Zhang Kentang to Anping. If he is willing to serve the court, he will be appointed as the governor of Fujian Province. Do you have any objections?"

When the people below heard this, they looked at each other and nodded slightly.
He was the Minister of War of the previous dynasty and had served as the Governor of Fujian Province. Although his qualifications were not the highest, they were sufficient.

The most important thing is that this person actually has soldiers. They have become more and more aware of the importance of having soldiers in their hands in recent days. The simplest thing is, if they had a few thousand soldiers outside the city a few days ago, who would dare to surround their mansion?

Zhang Tongchang saw that everyone below had no objection, so he decided the matter directly and looked at Liu Xiangke below.

"Rising, do you recognize this Kentang?"

"Of course I know him. He was famous for his uprightness during the Longwu Dynasty and had a good reputation among the scholars. During the Longwu Dynasty, I did not have much contact with Zhang Kentang. He may not recognize me, but I recognize him."

Zhang Tongchang nodded when he heard this. The reason why they brought Liu Xiangke with them to Fujian this time was because he was familiar with the officials of Fujian Province.
With this person, no matter who it is, they can immediately establish a connection and verify their identity as long as they know their name.

"This matter cannot be delayed. Since Ruixing knows this Shangshu, you should go there in person and invite him to Anping."

"Tongzhi Deng, take out 1,000 taels of gold and have Censor Liu take it with him. This will be considered as military pay from the court."

"We brought two thousand taels of gold with us this time."

Deng Mingwu heard this, but his face was hesitant, and he said softly

"I don't care about that. From what Lin said, Minister Zhang spent all his family wealth to recruit soldiers. He must be in a difficult situation now. It's better to help him in times of trouble than to give him more. Since you are going to invite him to be the governor, you have to show your sincerity."

"If we don't have soldiers, what's the point of holding all this gold and silver? The situation in Anping City is getting more urgent day by day. If we don't have soldiers, we will be unable to move forward."

Deng Mingwu saw Zhang Tongchang's determined expression and said no more. He just nodded.
At this time, everyone had decided. Wu Jisi and others continued to go out of the mansion to win over Shi Lang and others, while Lin Cha took Liu Xiangke and disguised himself and sneaked into Zhou Hezhi's mansion. Soon, more than a dozen riders rushed out of Anping City and galloped towards Tongan County.
(End of this chapter)