Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 196: Envoy from Lu
In the back hall of Zheng's mansion, a crowd of people gathered. All the generals of Zheng's army gathered here.
The first person on the left is Zheng Chenggong, followed by Zheng Hongkui, Zheng Zhibao, Zheng Tai and other members of the Zheng family.

On the right sat Shi Fu, Huang Ting, Yang Geng and other direct military generals, and on both sides below sat Hong Xi, Shan, Liang Li and other middle-level generals.
At this time, there was silence in the hall. Generals such as Hong Xishan looked at Zheng Hongkui, Shi Fu and others who had no expression on their faces, with their eyes flickering.
Although not everyone in the field was eligible to receive the letter of persuasion written by Zheng Zhi himself, the Qing envoy had been in the city for two days, and the people in the city had already known what they should know.

Zheng Hongkui looked at Zheng Cai who was sitting below Yang Geng, his face turned cold, and he said

"Zheng Cai, I don't remember sending anyone to ask you to come here to discuss matters. Now it is my Zheng family army that is discussing matters. What qualifications do you, a traitor, have to sit here?"

Zheng Hongkui's voice was stern, but Zheng Cai's face did not change at all, instead she showed a hint of a smile.

Zheng Cai glanced at the generals on the field and said

"Brother Shengyi, what you said is wrong. Isn't the matter we are discussing today about Zheng Zhilong's letter urging him to surrender?"

"I, Zheng Cai, also have a copy of Zheng Zhilong's letter. Why am I not qualified to come here to discuss matters?"

Zheng Cai chuckled, picked up the envelope at hand and raised it gently. When Zheng Hongkui saw the envelope in Zheng Cai's hand, his face suddenly darkened.

Before Zheng Zhilong left to surrender to the Qing Dynasty, Zheng Cai was still submissive. Zheng Zhilong naturally did not know that Zheng Cai would immediately rebel openly after he left.
Zheng Cai controlled most of the navy under Zheng's command. How could Zheng Zhilong ignore Zheng Cai when he wanted to write a letter to persuade him to surrender?

Zheng Hongkui looked at the silent generals in the hall, and his heart sank. The generals' silence at this time meant that they also agreed that Zheng Cai could attend the meeting.
Or maybe it could be said that the generals in the hall were not only agreeing with Zheng Cai, but also with the Lu Jianguo represented by Zheng Cai. The generals in the army were already waiting for the price.

Zheng Hongkui looked at Zheng Cai below with a hint of murderous intent in his eyes, but when he looked at the generals with different expressions on the field, he felt a sense of powerlessness in his heart. The generals would never allow the Zheng family to use force to get rid of Zheng Cai at this time.
Since Zheng Cai dared to appear here, he would not give the Zheng family such an opportunity. Although the generals entered the Zheng Mansion alone today, there were countless soldiers and horses hidden outside the mansion. Once Zheng Hongkui used force at this time, Anping City would probably be in chaos immediately.

Zheng Hongkui thought of this and had no idea what to do. He could only snort coldly and stop looking at Zheng Cai below.

Zheng Hongkui glanced at everyone in the room, and didn't want to get involved with Zheng Cai anymore, so he spoke.

"The day before yesterday, Duke Ping sent a letter asking us to open the city and surrender to the Qing court. You are all the backbone of the Zheng army. This matter concerns the future of our Zheng family. Shengyi dare not take the initiative. That's why I invited you all to come and discuss it today. May I ask what are your opinions on this matter?"

When the generals heard this, they were silent. No one spoke. They looked at Zheng Hongkui above them, with a hint of thought in their eyes.

This Zheng Hongkui really doesn't know the truth. It is time for Zheng Hongkui to tell them what the Zheng family is going to do, instead of hiding behind and asking about their attitude first.
How they plan to do it is their business. Why should they tell you first, Zheng Hongkui? Do you think you are Zheng Zhilong?

There was silence in the hall for a while, then Shi Fu on the right coughed lightly and said

"May I ask Brother Shengyi, how is the Zheng Mansion going to deal with this matter?"

After Shi Fu finished speaking, all the generals in the field nodded and looked at Zheng Hongkui above.

Zheng Hongkui's expression changed slightly when he saw everyone looking at him.
At this time, even Shi Fu, a direct general who had followed Zheng Zhilong for decades, was unwilling to express his position first, which shows the attitude of the people in the army towards the Zheng family at this time.
The Zheng family can no longer command the support of the army as they did before. If he does not express his stance today, I am afraid that no general in the army will take the lead in expressing their stance.
Zheng Hongkui thought for a while with a gloomy face, and then he said in a deep voice
"Duke Ping was deceived by the Qing invaders and was detained by them because of his carelessness. Duke Ping is the head of Fujian Province. The most urgent task at this moment is to find a way to rescue the Duke first."

Zheng Hongkui glanced at the generals present, gritted his teeth, and said

"I think we can pretend to surrender to the Qing Dynasty at this time. The generals can send people to occupy the important roads in the cities of Zhangzhou and Quanzhou. I will immediately detain the Qing envoy and negotiate with the Qing court to release the Duke. As long as the Duke returns, we will immediately surrender to the Ming Dynasty."

Zheng Zhilong surrendered to the Qing Dynasty sincerely, but was detained by the Qing court. At this time, Gui and Lu continued to win over the generals. I am afraid that few people would be willing to surrender to the Qing Dynasty. Zheng Hongkui could only promise everyone that the Zheng family would return to the Ming Dynasty afterwards.
Zheng Hongkui had no choice at this time. Only in this way could the Zheng family have a reason to continue to unite the generals and negotiate terms with the Qing court.
If Zheng Hongkui told everyone that they would surrender to the Qing Dynasty in the future, why would everyone follow the Zheng family to fight against the Qing Dynasty?

"Don't worry, everyone. After this incident, the Duke will definitely see the true face of the Qing invaders, and will definitely come to his senses and return to the court."

"The Duke and the generals have been friends for decades. Now the Duke is in danger of being captured by the thieves. I ask the generals to help our Zheng family rescue the Duke. As long as the generals are willing to help, our Zheng family will agree to any request."

The generals looked at Zheng Hongkui with an earnest expression, but they were all silent. Shi Lang, who was standing behind Shi Fu, looked even more disdainful.
Pretend to surrender to the Qing, and then wait for Zheng Zhilong to come back and lead everyone to surrender to the Ming?

What a joke

If they want to surrender to the Ming, can't they do it now? Why do they have to wait for you, Zheng Zhilong, to come back and take them there?
Does Zheng Hongkui think that without him, Zheng Zhilong, the generals in the army will not do anything?
And since they want to surrender to the Ming Dynasty, why don't they just obey the imperial court? Why do they have to put Zheng Zhilong on their heads? It's ridiculous.
Shi Fu and the others remained silent, but Zheng Cai sneered and said

"Brother Shengyi, I don't agree with what you said."

"Pretending to surrender to the Qing? Treason is a serious crime, how can it be covered up by just the word "pretend"?

"We are all marquises and generals of the Ming Dynasty, and honest and upright officials of the Han Dynasty. We must not be vague about what is right!"

Zheng Hongkui's face darkened immediately after hearing this. He stared at Zheng Cai below and was about to shout at her to stop him.

But Zheng Cai didn't give him a chance and continued to speak.

"Those of you who want to surrender to the Qing should think carefully. Those Tartars were very rude in their letters. They threatened to send a large army south to crush the rebellion at any time. They didn't take us seriously at all."

"These Tartars belong to two different ethnic groups from the Han people in the Central Plains. They are very wary of us. Although they are now saying that we can continue to lead the original army to defend the prefectures and counties, I am afraid that once we surrender, we will be driven to die by them and attack the city."

"The Tartars are barbarians outside the Great Wall. They have always been unfaithful and disloyal. Zheng Zhilong went there alone to offer his services. That was sincere enough, right? But the Tartars went back on their word and captured him. Even Zheng Zhilong was like this. You can imagine what will happen to you if you surrender to them..."

Zheng Cai kept talking, but was suddenly interrupted by a shout from above.
"enough"

Zheng Hongkui stood up suddenly, stared at Zheng Cai below, and said angrily:

"Zheng Cai, what do you want to do?"

Seeing Zheng Hongkui's furious expression, Zheng Cai also turned cold, slammed the table and shouted

"What do you want to do?"

"I, Zheng Cai, am here today to advise your Zheng family not to make the same mistake again and again, and to turn back to the right path as soon as possible!"

In the hall, all the generals looked at Zheng Hongkui and Zheng Cai arguing with each other, but they remained silent and said nothing.
The two sides were on the verge of drawing their swords, refusing to give in. Just as they were about to draw their swords, footsteps suddenly sounded at the entrance of the lobby.
Zhang Tongchang walked into the hall in a bright red official robe, followed by Deng Mingwu and several other guards in brocade uniforms.
As Zhang Tongchang entered the hall, the momentum of both sides suddenly stagnated. Zheng Cai looked at Zhang Tongchang standing in the hall, and his heart sank. Then he snorted coldly and sat back at the table again.
Zheng Hongkui looked at Zhang Tongchang who suddenly broke in, and glanced at Zheng Chenggong above him, but there was not much surprise on his face.
As early as when he called everyone to discuss the matter, Zheng Hongkui had already anticipated today's situation. Since Zheng Cai was here, how could Gui Jianguo's party not come?
Zheng Hongkui looked at Zhang Tongchang who had barged into the hall and said, "Minister Zhang is still so resolute and swift. I thought it would be Governor-General Zhang who would come to visit today."

"Governor Zhang has already led General Zhou and General Xin to Tong'an to prepare for the capture of the enemy. They are no longer in the city. If Lord Zheng has anything to say, I can pass it on for him."

When the generals heard this, their expressions changed slightly. Zhang Tongchang had been running around in the city for the past two days, so everyone thought that the delegation was still in the city, but they didn't expect that Zhang Kentang had already quietly left the city.

Organizing the army to prepare for the enemy. Now that Zheng Zhilong has sent a letter to surrender to the Qing Dynasty, it is obvious which enemy Zhang Kentang is preparing for.
Zheng Hongkui's face darkened as he looked at Zhang Tongchang who looked calm below him and said in a cold voice:

"Why is Minister Zhang still in the city? He even dared to break into my Zheng family at this time. Minister Zhang is really brave."

Zhang Tongchang's face did not change when he heard this. He spoke directly

"I am here on the orders of the Emperor to come to Fujian to confer titles on the generals. How can I leave now when the orders have not yet been fulfilled?"

"I am a Ming official, and Anping is my Ming territory. It is only natural for a Ming official to act in Ming territory. What should I be afraid of?"

The generals in the hall looked at the tall middle-aged civil servant in the hall, and a hint of admiration flashed in their eyes.

Zheng Zhilong was captured by the Qing court, and even Shi Fu and others could not judge the movements of the Zheng family. Once Zheng Hongkui and others decided to surrender to the Qing, Zhang Tongchang would really be putting himself in a dead end if he broke into the mansion at this time.

Zhang Tongchang could have followed Zhang Kentang out of the city safely, but in order to win over the Zheng family and the generals of Fujian Province, he resolutely stayed in the city. This courage alone was beyond that of an ordinary person.

Zhang Tongchang ignored what everyone in the room was thinking and looked directly at Zheng Chenggong on the upper left. He said

"It has been ten days since I last entered the government. The conferment of the surname has been successful. Are you willing to accept the order and serve as the governor of Fujian Province?"

"Thanks to the Imperial Court for not abandoning me, I, Zhu Chenggong, respectfully accept the Imperial Court's instructions and will assist the Governor-General in governing Fujian Province on behalf of the Imperial Court."

Zheng Chenggong heard this, but he did not hesitate at all, and stood up and saluted to express his gratitude.
After Zheng Chenggong stood up, he looked around at the generals and said

"My father was captured by the Tartars. The letters sent to the city must have been forged under the Tartars' coercion."

"These Tartars have always been sharp-tongued and have no integrity. Uncles, you must not be deceived by their evil schemes at this time."

"Gui Jianguo is the direct descendant of Emperor Shenzong, the orthodox court, and all the people in the world obey and support him. The court showed us sincerity, but the Qing invaders deceived us with treacherous schemes. Good and evil are clearly distinguished here."

"Da Mu begs all uncles to return to the imperial court and defend the borders for our Ming Dynasty."

After Zheng Chenggong finished speaking, he bowed to everyone in the hall, and then without any hesitation, he walked directly behind Zhang Tongchang to make his position clear.

Shi Fu and other generals in the field were shocked when they saw Zheng Chenggong accept the order. After all, Zheng Chenggong was the eldest son of Zheng Zhilong.

At this time, Zheng Chenggong expressed his intention to join Gui's regent dynasty. Does it mean that the Zheng family has made a choice and would rather give up Zheng Zhilong than surrender to the Qing Dynasty?
When all the generals thought of this, they all looked up at Zheng Hongkui.

Zheng Hongkui's expression changed slightly, but before he could say anything, Zhang Tongchang spoke again.

"The imperial court has issued an order that all the generals of Fujian Province who have defended the country in times of crisis have made great contributions."

"Today, Zheng Hongkui's former title is restored as Duke Dingguo, Jin Wuyi Earl Shifu is restored as Duke Guguo, Jin Yong'an Earl Huang Ting is restored as Marquis Yong'an, Jin Front Army Commander Yang Geng is restored as Marquis Nan'an, Jin Yongsheng Earl Zheng Cai is restored as Marquis Yongsheng..."

Zhang Tongchang kept talking about several titles of nobility. The generals in the field were all shocked when they heard him talking about dukes, marquises and earls. They didn't react for a long time.

At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded, interrupting Zhang Tongchang's announcement.

"Zhang Tongchang, you, the ruler of the pseudo-dynasty, cannot confer the title on me, Zheng Cai."

"Today I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that I, Zheng Cai, have been granted the title of Duke of Jianguo by the Imperial Edict of the State of Lu!"

Everyone was stunned as they looked at Zheng Cai, who looked calm. In just a short moment, three dukes and two marquises had appeared in the hall.
However, before everyone could react, another voice rang out in the hall.

Yang Geng glanced around the field and spoke softly

"I have also been granted the title of Duke of Anguo by the Regent of Lu, but I dare not aspire to the title of the Regent of Gui. Minister Zhang, please withdraw your order."

The generals looked at Yang Geng who suddenly spoke up, and they were even more shocked. It was not three dukes, but four dukes. These titles were thrown out like they were free.
Zhang Tongchang's expression also changed slightly. Zheng Cai had already surrendered to the Lu Regent, so it was not surprising that he refused the title. However, Yang Geng's sudden acceptance of the title of Lu Regent was completely beyond his expectation.

Zheng Cai looked at Zhang Tongchang, who had an unpleasant expression on his face, but a smile flashed across his face. He suddenly stood up and spoke loudly.

"I have another piece of good news to tell you today. Just the day before yesterday, the Imperial Regent of Lu arrived at Zhongzuo."

"His Highness the Regent of Lu is now waiting for you to meet him at the Zhongzuo Residence to discuss the plan of conquering the enemy. The Regent of Lu's special envoy has also arrived in Anping with the imperial edict of conferring the title."

As Zheng Cai finished speaking, a young man in a scarlet robe suddenly stepped into the hall.

The young man walked into the hall, glanced around, bowed slightly, and spoke loudly.

"Lu's special envoy Zhang Huangyan greets all the generals."

Zhang Tongchang looked at the young man in the hall wearing the same civil servant robe as himself, and his face became completely gloomy.

(End of this chapter)