Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 194 Persuading Surrender
In the back hall of the embassy's residence, Zhang Kentang sat at the top, while Zhang Tongchang, Zhou Hezhi and other members of the embassy sat on both sides at the bottom.
At this time, the atmosphere in the hall was extremely solemn, and everyone frowned. Liu Xiangke put down the letter in his hand, with a look of shock on his face, and couldn't help but speak

"The Qing invaders actually captured Zheng Zhilong"

On the 26th, a man claiming to be Zheng Zhilong's messenger suddenly arrived at Zhou Hezhi's residence, saying that he brought a letter from Zheng Zhilong, which was the letter Zheng Zhilong wrote to Zhou Hezhi to persuade him to surrender.
The letter said that he had surrendered to the Qing court and was about to go to the capital to meet the emperor. The Qing army would come to take over Zhangzhou and Quanzhou soon, so Zhou Hezhi was asked to lead the army and obey the orders of the Qing army.

Zhou Hezhi had been strongly opposed to Zheng Zhilong's surrender to the Qing Dynasty from the beginning. At this time, he had been awarded the title of Pingyi Bo by the imperial court. Naturally, he would not listen to Zheng Zhilong's words and surrender to the Qing Dynasty. Therefore, after receiving the letter, he immediately rushed to the mansion to report to Zhang Kentang and others.

In the hall, everyone had a solemn look on their faces. This incident happened too suddenly and everyone was caught off guard. For a moment, everyone was silent, thinking about the impact of this incident on the situation.
Liu Xiangke seemed to still not believe it. He picked up the letter of persuasion and read it again, muttering:

"Has this Qing captive lost his mind?"

Everyone nodded subconsciously when they heard this. This was what they were thinking at the moment. Seeing that everyone was still shocked, Zhang Kentang spoke up.

“Although this incident is somewhat sudden, it is not unusual.”

"I have studied the Qing invaders' style of doing things. They always detained the leaders of the surrendered Han army and then dismantled their troops. This is a common method used by the Qing invaders to control the surrendered troops."

"After the Qing invaders dispersed the surrendered troops, they would let them fight on their own and drive them forward as the vanguard to attack the city."

"Zheng Zhilong has tens of thousands of soldiers under his command, but he went to Fuzhou alone and handed himself over to the Qing invaders. He really walked into a trap," Zhang Kentang sneered.

The Qing court's actions were indeed as Zhang Kentang said. They had the habit of detaining surrendered army leaders and disbanding the armies. Zuo Menggeng and Liu Zeqing, former army commanders, were all taken to the capital and placed under house arrest after surrendering to the Qing.
Instead, Li Chengdong and his men continued to have the opportunity to lead troops independently, and were rewarded step by step after their meritorious service, and eventually took charge of a place.

At this time, the entire Qing court had only 80,000 to 90,000 Jurchen soldiers, which was almost the number of all the young and strong men in the entire Jurchen army. This was the result of their multiplying and living outside the Great Wall for decades.
The Jurchens had only this many people, but after entering the Shanhai Pass, they had to face tens of millions of Han people.
The population of any prefecture in the Ming Dynasty was probably greater than that of the entire Jurchen tribe. How could the Qing court not be vigilant and fearful?
In order to deal with this situation, the Qing court adopted the method of divide and rule.

All the generals who surrendered to the Qing Dynasty were dispersed, and the generals in the army were allowed to fight on their own and attack the prefectures and counties of the Ming Dynasty. Those who stood out among them were promoted. In this way, all the Han army generals became generals directly promoted by the Qing court.

Those Han army generals who were originally guerrilla commanders in the army, after being promoted by the Qing court, became generals and admirals in various places, and naturally they were grateful to the Qing court.
Even if this was done, the Qing army would still be full of Han generals, but this was the best method the Qing court could think of.
The Qing court had been using this method since entering the Pass, and from what we can see now, it was obviously effective, so there was no reason for the Qing court to change it.

Zheng Zhilong had more than 100,000 men under his command. This time he was delivered to the Qing court. Naturally, Bolo would not miss this opportunity.
As soon as Zheng Zhilong arrived in Fuzhou, Bolo arrested him and planned to use the same trick again to dismember the Zheng army under Zheng Zhilong.
Everyone was thinking about the possible impact of Zheng Zhilong's arrest, but the more they thought about it, the more excited they became.
The Qing invaders thought that by detaining Zheng Zhilong and forcing him to write a letter of surrender, they would be able to successfully take over Zheng's army. However, judging from their recent encounters with Shi Fu and others, none of these Zheng's army generals were simple people.

Just looking at Zheng Cai, we can know how complicated the Zheng family's army was at that time. Zheng Zhilong was still unable to suppress the generals in the army. Now that Zheng Zhilong was captured, the generals of the Zheng family must have become disloyal.
Zheng's generals now have them and Lu Jianguo as their retreat route. Will Shi Fu and his men really surrender after seeing Zheng Zhilong's surrender letter? How is that possible?
When everyone thought of this, their faces became more and more excited. Everyone below had happy expressions on their faces, but Zhang Kentang's expression was extremely solemn at this time, without any joy on his face.
Zhang Kentang thought for a moment, then looked at Zhou Hezhi below and said

"General Zhou, where is the Qing messenger who delivered the letter now?"

"I have been detained in the palace by the general."

When Zhou Hezhi saw Zhang Kentang asking about the messenger, he immediately understood Zhang Kentang's plan and spoke again.

"I have interrogated this person. He is just a servant of the Qing envoys. I can't get anything valuable out of him."

Zhang Kentang remained calm upon hearing this and continued to ask

"Have you confirmed where the Qing envoys are now?"

"I captured the messenger and found out the location of the Qing envoys. It was not far from Zheng's house. But when I sent people to investigate, the Zheng family had already sent troops to surround the Qing envoys."

"It is impossible for Lord Minister to start from here."

Zhang Kentang finally showed a trace of unwillingness when he heard this, and said softly
"Zheng Hongkui has very fast hands"

But Zhang Kentang had no time to express regret and asked again

"What is the situation in the army? Have Shi Fu and others also received Zheng Zhilong's letter?"

"I have received the letter and have come here to report. I will investigate the situation in the city in the future. However, since I have received the letter, I am afraid that Shi Fu and other direct descendants have also received Zheng Zhilong's letter."

Zhang Kentang's expression finally darkened when he heard this.
Zhang Kentang glanced at the people below who still had happy expressions on their faces, and suddenly spoke in a deep voice
"We failed to intercept the messenger in time. Anping City is no longer safe. We must evacuate immediately."

The people below were still thinking about how to take advantage of the current situation to win over Shi Fu and others. When they heard what Zhang Kentang said, they were shocked and immediately woke up. Their faces became solemn.

The capture of Zheng Zhilong certainly allowed them to better win over the Zheng family's generals, but at this time Anping City also became extremely dangerous.
Although Zheng Zhilong had surrendered to the Qing Dynasty before, all parties were able to remain restrained before Zheng Zhilong came back. At this time, the news of Zheng Zhilong's return instantly broke the situation in the city.

Anping City is the base camp of the Zheng family. At this time, Zheng Zhilong is in the hands of the Qing court. No one knows how the Zheng family will react. Once the Zheng family decides to surrender to the Qing court immediately in order to ensure Zheng Zhilong's safety, they will be in a desperate situation in an instant.

The Zheng family did not dare to touch Shi Fu and other generals in the army, but they would definitely catch them as soon as possible.
As long as the envoys were captured, they could cut off Shi Fu and his men's escape route to the Ming Dynasty, forcing them to surrender to the Qing Dynasty along with the Zheng family, thus ensuring Zheng Zhilong's safety.
When everyone thought of this, their expressions became nervous. Zhang Kentang thought for a moment, but without any hesitation, he spoke directly.

"We can't stay in Anping City anymore. We can't gamble with the Zheng family. We must evacuate Anping immediately before the Zheng family reacts."

"Bieshan, how is Zheng Chenggong's food and salary collection going?"

"All of them have been transported to the West City warehouse, but only half of the carriages have been collected, so there is still a shortage."

Zhang Kentang immediately replied upon hearing this.
"I don't care about that anymore. General Zhou and General Xin, gather your soldiers outside the city and escort the food and money out of the city immediately. Also, notify the warships under your command to all sail to Tong'an County. I'm afraid that the Zhangzhou and Quanzhou areas will soon be in chaos."

Zhou Hezhi and Xin Yigen all looked serious when they heard this, and they all responded in unison. However, Zhang Tongchang kept on giving orders.
"Everyone in the delegation must pack up immediately. Everyone must evacuate Anping in two quarters of an hour." "General Zhou, you lead the guards to escort the delegation out of the city first. General Xin, you go outside the city to mobilize troops to transport food. After General Xin transports the food and money out of the city, we will return to Tongan with the army."

Zhang Kentang gave the order directly, and everyone knew that they could not delay any longer. The Qing envoys had just entered the city, and the Zheng family was probably still in chaos. Once they reacted, they might not be able to leave even if they wanted to.
Everyone responded and prepared to leave, but Zhang Tongchang did not stand up. He glanced at everyone in the hall and said:

"What Zhang Butang said makes sense. We are still tasked with containing the Qing invaders for the imperial court. We cannot be trapped here at this time."

"But now that Zheng Zhilong is being held captive by the Qing invaders, it is a perfect opportunity to win over Shi Fu and others. We must not let this opportunity slip away."

"You and Zhang Butang will leave Anping immediately. I will stay here to continue to win over Shi Fu and others."

Everyone had already stood up, but after hearing what Zhang Tongchang said, they all looked shocked and looked at Zhang Tongchang who was calm above them.
Zhang Kentang also frowned and said

"Bieshan, although this is a good time to win over Zheng's generals, Anping City is too dangerous right now. You must not stay here."

"Besides, we don't have to stay in the city to win over Shi Fu and others. We can send messengers to contact Shi Fu and others after leaving the city, and we can continue to recruit them."

Zhang Tongchang shook his head slightly and said

"There are not only us in the city now. The Lu Regent Zheng Cai is also in the city and has not left yet. If our delegation evacuates Anping now, what will Shi Fu and others think? The court will surely lose the support of the people. The delegation must not be completely withdrawn at this time."

Everyone in the hall was stunned when they heard this. They immediately understood what Zhang Tongchang meant. When the Qing envoys arrived, the other regent Lu stood firm as a mountain, but you, the regent Gui, fled. How can you let others dare to join you?
In fact, this cannot be blamed on Zhang Tongchang and others. Zhang Tongchang and his entourage entered Fujian alone and were already weak. Although Zhang Kentang also had several thousand soldiers, they were hundreds of miles away and could not be used at all.
But Zheng Cai was different. He had long been planning a rebellion and had stationed several thousand soldiers outside Anping City. Of course, he could sit still.

Zhang Tongchang saw that Zhang Kentang wanted to persuade him again, so he waved his hand and said

"I was ordered by the Emperor to come to Fujian to recruit generals. Now that the opportunity has come, how can I miss it?"

"I am the chief envoy of the delegation. I am fully responsible for recruiting all the generals. I have made up my mind. Zhang Butang does not need to say anything more."

Zhang Tongchang looked at Liu Xiangke, Wu Jisi and others who were hesitant below and spoke again.

"The city is in danger right now, but the delegation cannot risk their lives here. I will stay in the city to continue recruiting generals, and the rest of you will evacuate with Zhang Butang."

"You stay outside. If anything happens, you can continue to complete the court's orders and continue to recruit generals from Fujian Province for the court."

Liu Xiangke and the others understood Zhang Tongchang's intention when they heard this. Although Zhang Tongchang said that he wanted them to evacuate in case of emergency, everyone knew that this was just an excuse Zhang Tongchang made for them so that they could feel at ease and leave Anping, a dangerous place.

But it was precisely because of this that everyone's faces became more hesitant.
Deng Mingwu below heard this and spoke directly

"In that case, I will stay to protect Minister Zhang, and everyone else will evacuate with Zhang Bu Tang."

Deng Mingwu saw Zhang Tongchang was about to speak, but he waved his hand to interrupt him and said

"Minister Zhang, there is no need to say more. His Highness personally ordered me to be in charge of the escort of the delegation. This is His Highness's personal order, and I am fully responsible for this matter."

Deng Mingwu had a determined look on his face, while Liu Xiangke and the others looked more hesitant.

At this time, Zhang Tongchang and Deng Mingwu, the two heads of the delegation, decided to stay in the city. If they left, it would be a shame.
Liu Xiangke, Wu Jisi and the others looked at each other and were about to say that they wanted to stay, but before they could say anything, Zhang Tongchang spoke up.

"I will stay with Deng Tongzhi, and the rest of you should evacuate immediately with Zhang Butang."

"It is enough for the two of us to stay in the city. Censor Liu and Commander Wu, you will follow Zhang Butang's army on behalf of the court. If a war breaks out in the future, you will continue to recruit people from Fujian Province who are loyal to the court on behalf of the court."

Deng Mingwu also looked at Lin Cha and said

"Lin Cha, you go too. From now on, you will be responsible for the safety of Censor Liu and Commander Wu."

Zhang Tongchang and Deng Mingwu looked at each other, and seeing that everyone was still hesitant, he stood up and said
"At this time, all members of the delegation must not stay in the city. If we are all in danger in the city, who will contact the court and prove the identities of Zhang Butang and others?"

"I am the chief envoy of the delegation. This matter has been settled. You are not allowed to say anything more. Please leave immediately with Zhang Butang."

After Zhang Tongchang finished speaking, he looked at Zhang Kentang and said

"Zhang Butang, there is no time to delay. Leave Anping as soon as possible. Don't delay."

Zhang Kentang was also shocked when he saw Zhang Tongchang and Deng Mingwu below, who looked determined.

The situation in the city was critical at this time, and one's life would be in danger if one was not careful, but Zhang Tongchang and his men still decided to stay without hesitation. Just by looking at Zhang Tongchang and his men's style of doing things, he had more confidence in the court of Gui Regent, whom he had never met.

Zhang Kentang was also a very decisive person. Seeing that Zhang Tongchang and the other man had made up their minds, he stopped trying to persuade them and ordered everyone to go down and prepare.

Two quarters of an hour later, Zhang Kentang and his companions, escorted by Zhou Hezhi, rushed towards the west gate.
At this time, the generals in the city had just received the letter of surrender from Zheng Zhilong, and all parties were discussing the matter urgently. For a while, no one noticed the actions of Zhang Kentang and his party. Zhang Kentang and his party left the West City without any obstruction.
A few hours later, Xin Yigen also led the soldiers to transport all the food and money that Zheng Chenggong had stored in the West City. After Xin Yigen and his men left the city, Zhang Kentang and his party also joined the team and rushed to Tongan County.

(End of this chapter)