Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 414 Timing
Zhoushan Island, on the 18th day of the first lunar month, when Chen Tianchong led his men to attack Ningbo City, the messenger sent by Chen Tianchong finally crossed the ocean and rushed to Zhoushan Island.

In the back hall of the house, Zhang Jiayu was sitting at the table in a black Taoist robe, with a calm expression on his face, writing a memorial about the capture of Ningbo.

Zhang Jiayu and his companions withdrew from Ningbo on the morning of the 16th day of the first lunar month, but they did not stop at all on the way. After picking up Zheng Zunqian and his companions in Dinghai, they returned to Zhoushan Island.

Zhang Mingzhen's troops returned to Zhoushan, Zheng Cai and others also retreated to Dinghai, and the attack on Ningbo was basically over.

Although there were many twists and turns during the attack on Ningbo, the established goal was finally achieved.
After Zheng Cai's main force withdrew, Huang Binqing's 3,000 weak soldiers alone could not stop Chen Tianchong and others who were well prepared.

Chen Tianchong was originally calculating without intention. With the assistance of Zhang Jiayu and others, he was in control of all the garrison situations of Huang Binqing's troops. In this case, how could Huang Binqing win?
The war that had been planned for several months was basically settled. Zhang Jiayu was extremely relaxed at this time. He only needed to wait for news from Chen Tianchong, and then he could set off to return to the court to report.

Zhang Jiayu wrote the memorial at this time in order to let the court know the course of the Ningbo battle as soon as possible. Although the attack on Ningbo was about to end, the Ningbo incident was not over yet.

In the early morning, the sea breeze on the island was fierce. The door of the study room suddenly opened, and a gust of cold wind rushed into the room, blowing the papers and books on the table.
Zhang Jiayu frowned slightly and looked out the door, only to see Qian Sufan walking quickly towards the room with an envelope in his hand.
Qian Sufan had a serious expression on his face. He didn't care about Zhang Jiayu's expression at all. He entered the room and spoke in a deep voice.

"News just came from Ningbo that Huang Binqing is dead"

Zhang Jiayu's brows furrowed when he heard this, and the relaxed look on his face disappeared immediately.

Zhang Jiayu thought that Huang Binqing would lose, but he never thought that he would die. The two sides had equal forces, and Huang Binqing had a large ship to support him in the east of the city. Even if he couldn't win, he wouldn't be unable to escape.
Chen Tianchong's target is Ningbo. As long as Huang Binqing gets on the boat, Chen Tianchong will never chase him.
Zhang Jiayu put down the brush in his hand and took the envelope. Seeing Zhang Jiayu's look, Qian Sufan also replied directly.
"Ninghai wants the governor to personally inspect the demolition. I came here immediately after hearing the news."

Zhang Jiayu didn't say much, and directly opened the wax envelope. After reading the contents of the letter, Zhang Jiayu's brows furrowed even more.

Zhang Jiayu handed the letter to Qian Sufan, then sat back at the table and fell into deep thought.

Qian Sufan took the letter and after reading it, he suddenly looked furious.

"This Huang Binqing really deserves to die"

The letter contained the content of Chen Tianchong and others' interrogation of Huang Binqing. Although Zhoushan was still occupied by Lu Jianguo at this time, in the eyes of Zhang Jiayu, Qian Sufan and others, Zhoushan had long been the territory of the imperial court.

Qian Sufan was furious when he saw that Huang Binqing was actually trying to lead the Qing invaders to attack Zhoushan.
The imperial court had repeatedly ordered him to withdraw his troops, but Huang Binqing turned a deaf ear to them and became extremely arrogant. Who would have thought that just after the thief was captured, a general would surrender to the Tartars.
There are too many villains like Huang Binqing in this world, which is why the country is in such a state of decline.
Qian Sufan saw Zhang Jiayu frowning and silent for a long time, thinking that Zhang Jiayu was dissatisfied with Chen Tianchong's killing of Huang Binqing, so he also spoke

"Although Chen Tianchong killed Huang Binqing without asking for permission, Huang Binqing betrayed the court and wanted to sell out Zhoushan. He deserved his death."

"I think we should focus on appeasing Ninghai at this time, and not let Ninghai get suspicious."

Zhang Jiayu came back to his senses after hearing this. He shook his head and said softly

"Whether it's right or wrong, the killing has already taken place. It doesn't matter what your attitude is now."

"Moreover, Chen Tianchong is a very important person, and we cannot dispose of him at will. I am thinking of another matter."

Seeing Qian Sufan's puzzled expression, Zhang Jiayu also spoke directly

"Zhoushan Camp"

Qian Sufan was stunned at first, but then his expression suddenly brightened up, and he immediately understood Zhang Jiayu's intention.
Although Huang Binqing was defeated and died in Ningbo, he was not the only one who had troops in Ningbo.
Huang Binqing is said to have 8,000 soldiers under his command. This time, Huang Binqing led 5,000 soldiers to the expedition, but there were still 3,000 people left on the island.

Huang Binqing's death immediately left Zhoushan Camp leaderless. Zhang Jiayu had obviously set his sights on the 3,000 Zhoushan naval divisions on the island.
Qian Sufan's face was excited, but soon he showed some hesitation and said

"The Zhoushan Camp is the army on the island, and is heavily involved with Prince Lu and others. Moreover, this matter involves military power, so should we consult the court first?"

"This matter is already on the verge of being resolved, we can't wait that long."

Zhang Jiayu shook his head when he heard this. He was the governor of Nanzhili. If he wanted to report to the higher authorities, he could only return to Guangdong Province.
Zhoushan and Guangdong Province are thousands of miles apart. Even if you take a ship that travels day and night, it will take several days to reach the capital. It will take at least ten days for the court's opinions to be transmitted back to Zhoushan.
In ten days, the news about Huang Binqing must have spread. Once Zhoushan Camp is prepared, there is no need to even think about capturing Zhoushan Camp.

Qian Sufan was obviously aware of this. He wanted to speak several times, but in the end he remained silent and just stood in the room in silence.
This matter is no longer something he can interfere with. Only Zhang Jiayu has the right to decide whether to do it.

Zhang Jiayu closed his eyes and thought for a while. Then he opened his eyes and spoke in a deep voice.

"The imperial court started building warships last year, but shipbuilding is a difficult endeavor because of the lack of wood and the difficulty in completing it in a short period of time. So far, no progress has been made."

"If we can capture Zhoushan Camp now, we can also add a navy to the court."

"I am the governor of Southern Zhili and have the power to make decisions on the spot. This matter will be settled here. I will bear all the consequences."

Huang Binqing was already the general of Zhoushan during the Chongzhen period. When Zhejiang Province collapsed, Huang Binqing was even more treacherous and attacked Wang Zhiren who came to gather troops, and annexed all the navy under Wang Zhiren's command.

Although Huang Binqing led nearly half of the warships to the expedition, there were still nearly a hundred large and small warships in Zhoushan Camp at this time.
Of course, warships are different from each other. The warships built by the Guangdong court in Fujian Province at this time were all giant sailing warships that could carry 200 to 300 people. Some of them were even equipped with Portuguese ships. They were real professional warships.

The Zhoushan Camp had nearly a hundred warships. Even Huang Binqing's ship was only a medium-sized warship that could carry a hundred people. The smallest warship could only carry 20 to 30 people. It was not an exaggeration to say that it was a fishing boat.

This is also the reason why the Guangdong Provincial Government has never taken action against Zhoushan Island. The only people on Zhoushan Island that can really catch the attention of the Guangdong Provincial Government are the navy under Zheng Cai.

As for the rest, whether it was Huang Binqing or Zhang Mingzhen, the navy warships under their command were somewhat unappetizing.
The Guangdong Provincial Government was not willing to spend a lot of money to obtain these naval forces, but if they could be directly incorporated, that would be another matter.

Zhang Jiayu thought for a moment, then looked at Qian Sufan below and said

"Brother Xijiu, go and invite Lord Yuyin, Lord Luanzhi, and Brother Xisheng to come. This matter cannot be delayed."

Xiong Rulin, also known as Yuyin, Wu Zhongluan, also known as Luanzhi, and Qian Sule, also known as Xisheng. These three were also the people in charge of the Lu Regent Court.
Qian Sufan hurriedly withdrew after receiving the order. Soon Xiong Rulin, Zhang Mingzhen and others were invited to the mansion.
In the lobby, Xiong Rulin, Zhang Mingzhen and other Zhoushan civil and military officials sat on the left, while Zhang Jiayu, Gao Yutai, Shi Xian and other Guangdong officials sat on the right.
Zhang Jiayu saw that everyone was present and spoke directly

"I just received news that Huang Binqing has been killed by the Qing invaders."

Xiong Ruolin and others originally thought that Zhang Jiayu invited everyone to discuss the aftermath of the Ningbo battle. Ningbo had captured a lot of spoils this time, so it was indeed time to discuss it carefully.

But when they suddenly heard what Zhang Jiayu said, Xiong Ruolin and the others were all shocked, and for a moment they were all a little confused.
The day before yesterday, Zhang Jiayu, Zhang Mingzhen and other talents returned with their entire army, saying that they had won a great victory in Ningbo. How come Huang Binqing suddenly suffered a defeat today?

Xiong Ruolin and the others were just shocked, but Zhang Mingzhen was horrified. He had just seen Huang Binqing two days ago, and now Huang Binqing was dead.
Zhang Mingzhen has fewer soldiers than Huang Binqing. If he had stayed in Ningbo like Huang Binqing, would he have been the one to die today?

When Zhang Mingzhen thought of this, he felt a wave of fear in his heart and couldn't help but say

“How did Huang Binqing die?”

Zhang Jiayu glanced at the people from Zhoushan opposite, his eyes flickered slightly, and he spoke

"This matter was reported by the secret agent I left in Ningbo. I only know that Huang Binqing was gathered in Jiangshan and was suddenly attacked and killed by the reinforcements sent by the Qing invaders. I don't know the specific situation."

Zhang Jiayu explained, and then without waiting for anyone to ask again, he spoke again.

"I asked you all to come here today to discuss something else."

"Huang Binqing is dead. If the Zhoushan Camp on the island knew the news of Huang Binqing's death, there would be chaos. For the sake of stability on the island, I think we should go to Cengang immediately and reorganize the Zhoushan Camp!"

Xiong Ruolin and others were originally shocked by Huang Binqing's affairs, but after hearing Zhang Jiayu's words, their faces immediately became serious.

Xiong Rulin looked solemnly at Zhang Jiayu, but Zhang Jiayu looked calm and also looked at Xiong Rulin. There was a moment of silence. Xiong Rulin and Qian Sule and others looked at each other and suddenly said

"The matter of Zhoushan Camp involves the soldiers and generals on the island, and we need to think about it carefully. This matter is of great importance and needs to be decided by His Royal Highness the Regent. It is not for me and others to make the decision."

Xiong Rulin and others did not understand Zhang Jiayu's intention. Zhang Jiayu said it was a reorganization, but in fact he wanted to take advantage of the chaos to swallow up Zhoushan Camp.
Although Xiong Ruolin, Qian Sule and others had already intended to surrender to the imperial court, they were still cabinet ministers in the Lu Regent Court at that time.
If Lu Jianguo had submitted a petition to withdraw from the vassal state at this time, they would naturally be willing to assist the court and persuade Zhoushan's army to surrender and recruit them. However, Lu Jianguo was still there at this time, and they really could not do the thing of offering Zhoushan's army to show goodwill to the court.

In fact, Xiong Ruolin and others should never do such a thing. This is an extremely short-sighted approach.

If Xiong Ruolin and others assisted Zhang Jiayu in disintegrating Zhoushan's army at this time, the court would naturally reward them greatly in a short period of time.

But once Zhoushan completely surrenders, these people will probably be abandoned immediately. Who would want to use a group of traitors?
Zhang Jiayu naturally heard the refusal from Xiong Rulin and the others, but he remained unmoved and spoke again.

"It's not that I'm anxious, but this matter cannot be delayed."

"The news of Huang Binqing's death cannot be concealed. As long as Zheng Cai knows the news, he will definitely rush back to the island immediately."

"Once Zheng Cai returns to the island, the situation will be beyond our control."

Xiong Rulin frowned when he heard Zheng Cai's name. How could they not understand Zhang Jiayu's meaning? Zheng Cai was always ambitious. Now that Huang Binqing had died and Zhoushan Camp was in chaos, Zheng Cai would never let go of this opportunity.

Zhoushan Island was previously in a three-way confrontation, and it was barely able to maintain a balance. If Zheng Cai swallowed up Zhoushan Camp, there would be no one on the island who could check and balance Zheng Cai. At that time, even the soldiers under Zhang Mingzhen might not be able to be saved.
Based on Xiong Ruolin's understanding of Zheng Cai, this person is definitely capable of doing such a thing.
For Zheng Cai, the more soldiers he has, the more bargaining chips he has in negotiations with the Guangdong Provincial Court. Zheng Cai will naturally spare no effort to expand his army.

Xiong Rulin was silent for a while, then suddenly spoke in a deep voice

"If we reorganize the Zhoushan Camp at this time, how will Governor Zhang deal with these 3,000 people?"

Zhang Jiayu heard what Xiong Ruolin said, but a smile flashed in his eyes. He knew that Xiong Ruolin had been shaken.

Since Zhang Jiayu had invited Xiong Rulin and others to come, he was naturally prepared and said directly

"After the reorganization of Zhoushan Camp, this camp will temporarily be under the command of General Zhang."

"The court will provide this camp with 1,000 dan of rice grain every month. This camp will be managed by Zhoushan in the court. The chief general will be appointed by the court, and the deputy general will be recommended by Zhoushan. What do you think, Lord Yu Yin?"

Zhang Jiayu acted first and asked for permission later. The only thing he could promise was to supply the monthly rice.
As for completely recruiting these 3,000 troops for the imperial court, regardless of whether Xiong Ruolin and others were willing, Zhang Jiayu himself did not have the authority to do so.
How can a minister do this without the permission of the court?

Although Zhang Jiayu took the initiative to send the Zhejiang Camp troops to Zhoushan, in fact, it was no different from directly taking them over to the court.

The commander is appointed by the imperial court, and the food and wages come from the imperial court. It is obvious who the troops will obey in the end.

Whether it was to assign the troops to Zhang Mingzhen's command or to allow Zhoushan to recommend a deputy general, it was just to save face for the Lu Jianguo side.

Xiong Rulin and Qian Sule exchanged a few words in a low voice, and finally decided to agree to reorganize the Zhoushan Camp.
Xiong Ruolin and others naturally saw Zhang Jiayu's intention to control Zhoushan Camp, but compared to letting Zhoushan Camp be annexed by Zheng Cai, they obviously preferred to let Zhoushan Camp be controlled by the court.
The officials of Zhoushan reached a consensus, and Qian Sule also spoke up.

"Let's not talk about Zhoushan's troops, what should we do with Huang Xiaoqing?"

"This man is Huang Binqing's younger brother. If he knew that the imperial court had reorganized the Zhoushan Camp on the island, there is no guarantee that he would not rebel."

"Brother Xisheng is right. This person is still in the enemy territory and needs to be handled with care."

"I think it is time to send someone to Dinghai to inform Zheng Cai of the court's incorporation of the Zhoushan Camp, and order Zheng Cai to bring Huang Xiaoqing back to Zhoushan."

Qian Sule heard this, but shook his head and said

"This method may not be appropriate. Zheng Cai has always been arrogant. If he knew that Huang Binqing was dead, he would probably swallow up Huang Xiaoqing's troops immediately."

"Then let's swallow it!"

Zhang Jiayu looked calm. The island was so small that once Zhang Jiayu and his men took action, the news would be unconcealable.

If Huang Xiaoqing knew the news, he would most likely surrender to the Qing invaders out of fear. Rather than letting the Qing invaders get the Zhoushan troops, it would be better to let Zheng Cai swallow up Huang Xiaoqing's troops.

When Zhang Jiayu thought of this, a hint of sternness flashed in his eyes, and he said

"And I can also take this opportunity to take a closer look at the quality of Zheng Cai for the court."

Xiong Rulin and the others listened to what Zhang Jiayu said, and their eyes were full of thoughts. Xiong Rulin saw that Zhang Jiayu had already made a plan, so he stopped talking and said

"This matter is of great importance. Please ask Governor Zhang to follow us into the palace to meet His Royal Highness the Regent Lu."

"As it should be, I will now go to the palace to see the King of Lu."

Zhang Jiayu agreed directly. Previously, Xiong Rulin and others said that they would discuss it with Lu Jianguo, but now they are ready to assist the court in persuading Lu Jianguo.

The group changed into official robes and soon entered the palace of the King of Lu.

In the back hall of the palace, Zhu Yihai listened to what Wan Xiong Rulin and others said, glanced at Xiong Rulin, then glanced at Zhang Jiayu who was waiting below, and said softly

"Huang Binqing repeatedly disobeyed military orders, which led to the defeat of the army. This is really wrong."

"Although Huang Binqing is dead, the Zhoushan Camp cannot be without a commander for long. Since Elder Xiong thinks it is time to reorganize the Zhoushan Camp, then let's do it."

Zhu Yihai is slightly fat, leaning on the chair, with a calm expression on his face.

Zhu Yihai actually knows everything. Even though he didn't understand it when he was the Prince of Lu, he now understands it after serving as the Regent for several years.
But he no longer cared about these things. At this time, Zhu Yihai himself was ready to retire to enjoy wealth and luxury, so why would he care about Zhoushan Camp?
Zhang Jiayu was relieved to see that Lu Jianguo agreed to this matter.
If Lu Jianguo insisted on not agreeing, Xiong Ruolin and others would never take the initiative to help. And if there were no 4,000 soldiers under Zhang Mingzhen, it would be impossible for Zhang Jiayu, Shi Xian and a few others to reorganize the thousands of soldiers in Zhoushan Camp.
Zhang Jiayu bowed and said

"Your Highness Prince Lu is right. It is not a good thing for Zhoushan Camp to be away from the imperial court. We should deal with this matter as soon as possible. Please ask Prince Lu to accompany the army to recruit the generals of Zhoushan Camp."

"Do I want to go too? This..."

Lu Jianguo was embarrassed. He originally thought that Xiong Ruolin and others came here just to ask him for an imperial edict to make the reorganization of Zhoushan Camp more legitimate. However, he never thought that Zhang Jiayu wanted him to go with the army.

According to Xiong Ruolin and others, there are still 3,000 people in Zhoushan Camp. If they fail to reach an agreement and a war breaks out, wouldn't he be in danger?

Zhang Jiayu saw Lu Jianguo's expression and guessed what was on his mind, so he spoke again.

"Prince Lu, don't worry. Not only will Elder Xiong and I be accompanying you on this trip, but General Zhang Mingzhen's 4,000-strong army will also be accompanying you as escort."

"Your Highness is only going here to appease the hearts of the generals of Zhoushan Camp and make them cooperate with the reorganization. Your Highness Prince Lu has great prestige, and Huang Binqing has died in the battle. No one in Zhoushan Camp dares to offend Your Highness."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jianguo nodded slightly. On Zhoushan Island, even a domineering person like Zheng Cai would never dare to fight against Lu Jianguo, not to mention that the Zhoushan camp had lost its commander.
Lu Jianguo thought for a moment and finally agreed to go with the army.
His Majesty, the Regent of Lu, took the risk and personally came forward to recruit some soldiers for the court. This was definitely a credit to the court.

(End of this chapter)