Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 399 Old Minister
In the lobby, Zheng Cai and Yang Geng were both silent. They had been in Zhoushan for a long time, so how could they not know the situation in Zhoushan?
Nowadays, the officials in Zhoushan are all very knowledgeable about Guangdong. Anyone with a discerning eye knows that Zhoushan can't hold out for much longer.
If the Guangdong court wanted to annex Zhoushan at this time, it would not even need to send troops. As long as it made some promises to the Zhoushan officials, I am afraid that the Zhoushan officials themselves could tie up Lu Jianguo and bring him to Guangzhou the next day.
Officials from all over Zhoushan Island are now looking for opportunities in the Guangdong Provincial Court.

Needless to say, Xiong Rulin and his friends are all over the world, and they have already divided the baskets. At this time, there are many of these people's friends and students in the Guangdong Provincial Center.
After the civil officials surrendered, even if they could not be employed, at least they could save their lives. What kind of momentum could a scholar civil official create?

The real danger at this time is Zheng Cai and other military officials. Zhoushan military officials hold a large army, which is an absolute destabilizing factor.

Even if the imperial court retains their military power for a while, they will eventually gradually disintegrate the Zhoushan army.

Among all the military officials in Zhoushan, Zheng Cai and Yang Geng were particularly embarrassed.
They had clearly rejected the Guangdong Provincial Court's recruitment and joined the Lu Regent. If they had surrendered to the court like this, their future would probably not be good.

This is the best opportunity for Zheng Cai and his partner to improve their relationship with the Guangdong court. Tian Xiong intercepted the goods in the palace without knowing whether to live or die. The palace wants to use military force against Zhejiang but it is not convenient to do so.

If they can help the palace accomplish this, they will not only make achievements in the court, but also make the palace owe them a favor.

For Zheng Cai and the others, their achievements in the court were not as useful as this favor in the palace. As long as they could avenge the palace, with this favor, many things would be much easier to deal with in the future.
Zheng Cai looked at Zhang Jiayu and said in a deep voice
"May I ask Sir Zhang, is this really the will of the Emperor?"

"This is the order from the palace. Without the approval of Your Majesty, how dare I start a war?"

Zheng Cai and Yang Geng looked at each other, and finally stopped hesitating and said in a deep voice

"I am willing to serve your majesty!"

Zhang Jiayu smiled when he heard this. Zheng Cai and the others were talking about serving the emperor, not the court.
Zhang Jiayu naturally knew what the two meant, but Zhang Jiayu didn't care about it.
Or maybe this is the result of Zhang Jiayu's deliberate guidance. As long as Zheng Cai and the others are willing to send troops, what difference does it make whether they serve the court or the emperor?

In fact, Zheng Cai and the others had no way out at this time. The current situation in the world no longer allowed them to have the best of both worlds.
There are now nearly 30,000 troops on Zhoushan Island. Zhoushan Island alone cannot support such a large army. The reason why the Zhoushan army can still survive at this time is entirely due to the grain supply from the Guangdong Provincial Court.
Zheng Cai and others simply cannot stand on their own. Once the Guangdong government cuts off Zhoushan's rice supply, Zhoushan will inevitably be in chaos within a month.
Zheng Cai and others were unable to support themselves, and it was also difficult for them to surrender to the Qing.
How did Zheng Cai split the Zheng family? He carried the banner of anti-Qing and won over the Zheng soldiers under his command.
These soldiers had fought with Zheng Cai and his men at sea for several years. Now Zheng Cai suddenly said that the imperial court was unjust and wanted to surrender to the Qing invaders. He was simply courting his own death.

If Zheng Cai dared to declare his surrender to the Qing Dynasty in the army, I am afraid that there would be seven or eight more Zheng Cai and Yang Geng in the army the next day, and they would be sent to the Ming court.

Zheng Cai and others decided to cooperate in sending troops at this time, and also focused on the plan this time. Zheng Cai said in a deep voice
"According to the plan of the court, this expedition needs to capture Ningbo, but Ningbo City is strong. Even if the soldiers under our command go out together, I am afraid it will be difficult to capture this city."

Almost all the soldiers under Zheng Cai were from the navy. Although Yang Geng originally led infantry, they were better at naval warfare than land warfare.

If they were to fight at sea, even if the Qing army had equal numbers, Zheng Cai and his men would be confident that they could take them down. But if they were to fight on land and attack the city, Yang Geng and his men would not be sure at all.

When they plundered the coastal areas of Jiangnan before, they found it difficult to capture even ordinary county towns, let alone a major city like Ningbo.
Moreover, Ningbo is not only a strong city, but also the garrison of Tian Xiong, where there are at least three to four thousand regular frontier soldiers. Even if tens of thousands of troops besieged such a city, it would definitely not be easy to capture it.

Zhang Jiayu heard this and said directly

"Since the imperial court wants to kill Tian Xiong, they must have made some arrangements. The imperial court has already made some arrangements in Zhejiang Province. The two generals only need to send out troops."

Zheng Cai and the others looked at each other, both of them were hesitant to speak. Although Zhang Jiayu said that he had made arrangements long ago, in the eyes of Zheng Cai and others, Zhang Jiayu had simply instigated some internal supporters in the city.

Internal help is certainly useful, but it depends on the situation. There are 4,000 to 5,000 troops stationed in the city. Unless you can persuade the generals of the Qing army to rebel, no matter what internal help you have, it will be of little use.
Zheng Cai and the others were about to ask further questions, but Zhang Jiayu changed the subject and just said that he would tell them when the troops were dispatched. It was obvious that he did not want to say more.
Although Zheng Cai and the others looked helpless, they knew better than to ask any more questions. The secret line set up by the Guangdong Provincial Court in Zhejiang Province must be a secret, and Zhang Jiayu would never tell them before the troops were actually dispatched.

After arriving in Zhoushan, Zhang Jiayu first entered the palace of Prince Lu. Since Zhang Jiayu had come to visit, Zhang Mingzhen and others under the command of the Lu Regent should have been negotiated by Zhang Jiayu. However, there were three military commanders on the island at this time.

Zheng Cai thought of this and said

"The court has issued an order, and we must obey it. But since we are going to send troops, Huang Binqing and his troops must also go with us."

The outcome of this expedition to Zhejiang Province is unpredictable. If there is any mistake, both Zheng Cai and Zhang Mingzhen will suffer heavy casualties.

Huang Binqing has 8,000 soldiers under his command, and is second only to Zheng Cai and the other two. Zhoushan is going to send almost half of the troops on the island this time, and they must not let this man stay out of it.

All three groups of troops must go out, otherwise if Zheng Cai and his men are defeated, the situation on the island will be unbalanced.

Yang Geng also frowned slightly at this time and said

"Huang Binqing is extremely cunning. We have been on the island for several years and have sent troops many times, but Huang Binqing has never moved. It may be difficult to get him to send troops."

Zhang Jiayu had learned about the situation on the island before coming here. After hearing what Yang Geng said, he said in a cold voice:

"As a minister of the Ming Dynasty, Huang Binqing should obey the order. This is not up to him."

Unlike Zheng Cai and others, Huang Binqing himself was not in Zhoushan City.

Zhang Jiayu and the two parties in the city decided to send troops. On the morning of the second day, Zhang Jiayu, Xiong Rulin, Zheng Cai and others rushed out of the city under the escort of hundreds of soldiers and horses and headed for Cengang in the east of Zhoushan.

Zhoushan Cengang, in the market town outside the port, hundreds of soldiers from both sides were guarding outside the courtyard, and all the parties in Zhoushan gathered in the courtyard.
There is only one city on the entire Zhoushan Island, which is Zhoushan City.

After Lu Jianguo and others settled in Zhoushan, Huang Binqing moved to Cengang in the north of Zhoushan. Huang Binqing was also the only high-ranking general on the island who did not live in the city.

In the courtyard lobby, Xiong Rulin, Zhang Jiayu, and Zheng Cai sat on the left, while Huang Binqing and Huang Xiaoqing sat on the right.

Huang Binqing looked at Zhang Jiayu opposite him with a serious expression on his face. When he just reported it, Huang Binqing also knew Zhang Jiayu's identity.
The Guangdong Provincial Court, Lu Jianguo, and Zheng Cai suddenly came to visit together, obviously with ill intentions.

Huang Binqing was the general of Zhoushan appointed by Emperor Longwu himself. After the Qing army conquered Zhejiang Province, Lu Jianguo fled to Zhoushan in a hurry. However, Huang Binqing refused to allow Lu Jianguo and others to enter the island, saying that he was a minister of Longwu and it was inconvenient to receive them.

Lu Jianguo and others were driven out of Zhoushan and could only settle on a small island near Zhoushan. Later, they were found by Zheng Cai and brought to Fujian Province.
After Lu Jianguo was forced to return to Zhoushan by the Guangdong Provincial Court, Huang Binqing still wanted to use the same reason to refuse Lu Jianguo entry to the island. However, this time Lu Jianguo and his entourage were no longer in a hurry. Zheng Cai, Yang Geng and tens of thousands of Fujian troops also returned to Zhoushan with Lu Jianguo.
Huang Binqing was forced to give up Zhoushan City and move to Cengang due to the military strength of Zheng Cai and others. Huang Binqing's Zhoushan General's Mansion became the temporary palace of Prince Lu.
Although Huang Binqing was forced to give up Zhoushan City, he still occupied a large area of ​​farmland in the north of Zhoushan, and Huang Binqing also refused to obey Lu Jianguo.

After everyone in the hall greeted each other, Zhang Jiayu spoke directly

"The court has discussed with the King of Lu and decided to send troops to Zhejiang Province. According to preliminary discussions, General Huang is required to send 3,000 troops. Does the general have any opinions?"

Huang Binqing cursed inwardly when he heard this. He knew that these people came here for no good reason. It turned out that they were targeting his soldiers again.
Huang Binqing's eyes turned, but he said

"If the imperial court wants to send troops, I will do my utmost to help. I am willing to donate a thousand stones of grain and a thousand taels of silver to help the imperial court."

"As for sending troops, it is inappropriate. I was ordered by the Longwu court to guard Zhoushan. If I don't get the order from the court, I will not be able to leave my post without permission."

Zhang Jiayu looked at Huang Binqing, who was looking serious, and was also shocked. He felt a sense of absurdity in his heart.

Although he had heard that Huang Binqing had always claimed to be a minister of Longwu before he came, he did not expect that this man would dare to use such a ridiculous reason to refuse to send troops at this time.

Yes, although Lu Jianguo has moved to Zhoushan for several years, Huang Binqing has never respected Lu Jianguo's flag.
After Lu Jianguo and Zheng Cai seized Zhoushan, Huang Binqing also secretly contacted the Guangdong Provincial Court, hoping to use the power of the Guangdong Provincial Court to eliminate these traitors who seized Zhoushan.
But Lu Jianguo was sent to Zhoushan by the Guangdong Provincial Court. How could the court pay attention to Huang Binqing's instigation?
Huang Binqing contacted the Guangdong Provincial Government several times, but seeing that the Guangdong Provincial Government remained indifferent, he simply cut off contact with the Guangdong Provincial Government and stayed on the island.

Zhoushan Island was extremely short of food. Logically speaking, Huang Binqing did not respect the banner of Lu Jianqi and occupied a large area of ​​farmland in the northern part of the island. Zheng Cai and others should have sent troops to eliminate Huang Binqing and seize the farmland on the island.

However, after the imperial court occupied the south, although Zhoushan was short of food and money, it could continue to buy food and money from Fujian and Zhejiang, and the contradictions between the two sides on the island were greatly reduced.
After Zheng Cai, Yang Geng and others had failed several times in their expeditions to Jiangnan, they realized that it was difficult to achieve anything with the Zhoushan army alone, so they also focused on preserving their strength, hoping to rely on the army in their hands to sell themselves for a good price in the future.

Zheng Cai and Yang Geng were focused on preserving their strength, Zhang Mingzhen's side was too weak to take action, and Huang Binqing was focused on staying in the north without doing anything.
The three parties on Zhoushan Island stopped fighting, and Huang Binqing, under this kind of restraint and balance, became the only minister in the world who still respected the Longwu Zhengshuo.
Zhang Jiayu's face darkened and he also spoke

"What Longwu court? Emperor Xiang was killed by the Tartars in Fujian Province several years ago. Now Emperor Xiang's brother, Prince Tang, has become the Grand Master of the Imperial Clan and respects the court as the legitimate government."

"Your Majesty won the support of all provinces in Guangjing and changed the reign title to Yongli. Now there is only the Yongli court in the world. Where did the Longwu court come from?"

Zheng Cai, who was standing by, sneered and said:

"When we returned to Zhoushan a few years ago, we informed General Huang that Emperor Xiang had died in Fujian Province."

"General Huang has been restless in recent years, searching everywhere for the descendants of Emperor Xiang, saying that he wants to serve his old master."

Zhang Jiayu's face turned cold when he heard this.

"Huang Binqing, you are so brave"

"Secretly searching for the relatives of Emperor Xiang, what do you want to do? Do you want to establish a false dynasty and rebel against the emperor?"

"I have absolutely no such intention"

Huang Binqing's expression suddenly changed. Whether Huang Binqing respected the Longwu court or searched for the Longwu clan, it was just a gesture, and the purpose was to allow himself to be independent and not be under the rule of anyone.

The situation in the world is complicated now. Needless to say, the Lu Jianguo faction is already in decline and has no chance to fight for the world.
However, Huang Binqing could not see clearly who would win or lose between the Guangdong Provincial Court and the Qing Dynasty. No matter which side he surrendered to, he would be given an advantage and would not be able to exercise his freedom.

Huang Binqing is overseas. As long as he insists on respecting the Longwu court, he can avoid joining the Lu Regent or the Guangdong court, and does not need to get involved in the disputes between these forces.
As long as he holds the soldiers in his hands on Zhoushan Island, he will be able to take action when the situation in the world becomes clear in the future.
Huang Binqing's idea was good, but in fact it was just a fantasy.
The reason why Huang Binqing has been able to live in peace in recent years is that he has been hiding on the isolated island of Zhoushan, and the court has no energy to pay attention to him for the time being.

Now that the imperial court had already set its sights on Zhoushan, Huang Binqing had no room to hesitate.
Huang Binqing was about to explain, but Zhang Jiayu shouted coldly
"Huang Binqing, I don't have time to waste with you. The court ordered you to send out 5,000 soldiers, but you are not going to do it."

"The imperial decree has been issued, even the King of Lu has obeyed it, how can you, a general, refuse to obey?"

"I will give you a cup of tea. If you continue to talk nonsense, I will report to the court immediately and send troops to wipe out your Zhoushan camp first!"

In the lobby, Xiong Rulin and Zhang Jiayu looked coldly at Huang Binqing, while Zheng Cai crossed his arms with a playful smile on his face.
As time went by, Huang Binqing's expression became uncertain. He tried to leave several times, but he remained seated on the chair.
After an unknown amount of time, Huang Binqing finally lowered his head and said in a deep voice:

"The imperial court has issued an order, and I am willing to follow the imperial court to send troops to Zhejiang Province."

Zhang Jiayu snorted coldly after hearing this. In Zhang Jiayu's opinion, all this was just a farce.

The Prince of Lu is at least a vassal prince. What is this Huang Binqing? He is just a military general. He wants to learn from others and refuse to obey the imperial edict. He is simply overestimating his own abilities.
That is, Huang Binqing is hiding on the island. If Huang Binqing was in Fujian and Zhejiang, he would have been beheaded by the emperor long ago.
Zhang Jiayu saw Huang Binqing bow his head to accept the order, and he no longer hesitated and spoke directly

"Since all parties on the island have received the order, they should start preparing soldiers and warships and prepare to dispatch troops."

Huang Binqing immediately spoke up upon hearing this.

"May I ask Sir Zhang when will the troops be dispatched to the island?"

"It will take at least five days, or at most seven days. Your warships and weapons must be ready immediately. Also, prepare three days' worth of food and water. Once the news from Zhejiang Province arrives, send troops to the island immediately."

In the courtyard, Zhang Jiayu and the three parties decided on the preparations for the war, and then everyone left to prepare.

On Zhoushan Island, every household was busy preparing the warships and food supplies needed for the expedition, and in the midst of this busyness, the first day of the first lunar month quietly arrived.
(End of this chapter)