Xie Ming

The camps stretched across the vast plains, their banners fluttering in the sky.

The horn swayed as the cold stars fell; the blade gleamed like autumn water.

The shadow of a hungry falcon lurks in the mountains, while a wall of broken clouds stands on the shore.

In the central command tent at midnight, who is pressing their sword against the frost?

Continuing from the previous text, it is said that on the Fujian navy's flagship, the Zheng father and son had a big argument, neither willing to back down, and the argument ended in a huff.

Zheng Zhilong, fearing that his son was unruly and might cause chaos and endless trouble, was furious and ordered Zheng Sen to be imprisoned in the warehouse.

After the farce, the thick fog over the river lingered and showed no signs of dissipating.

The Fujian military cavalry, in a vast procession of boats stretching for ten miles, continued westward.

This journey took place around noon, bringing us closer to the mouth of the Qiantang River.

But it was only at this moment that he realized he was trapped in the enemy's trap.

They dared not hastily approach the shore and anchor, but instead sent scouts ashore to investigate.

The soldiers were too arrogant and their ambitions were too great.

Only when the news arrived did I realize what had happened.

It turned out that a new emperor had already ascended the throne in Hangzhou, and Ma Shiying, Qiu Weizhen, Gao Hongtu, and others had all been executed.

The tide has turned, and there is no turning back.

Moreover, more than ten miles behind the shore, along the line of Tangzhen, Hangzhou, and Xiaoshan, heavy troops were densely deployed.

Once aboard the ship, Zheng Zhilong learned of the situation and gasped in shock, breaking out in a cold sweat.

With such a tight encirclement, if someone were to panic and take their troops ashore, the consequences would be truly unimaginable.

Unfortunately, the situation was urgent, but a large ship is difficult to maneuver.

To avoid any change in morale among the troops, he remained anxious and waited until nightfall before finally issuing the commander's urgent order.

The tail of the column became the head, and under the cover of night, they lowered their flags and stopped their drums, then hurriedly sailed eastward without firing a single arrow, thus hastily fleeing back to their lair.

With his plan falling through, Zheng Zhilong was furious.

He suppressed his anger and reluctantly returned to Fujian, having no other choice.

Although the die was cast, they returned disappointed.

However, it is also clear that this person is still unhappy, and may find it difficult to let the matter rest afterward.

Of course, the reason why Xiao's army also allowed enemy soldiers to scout and gather information must have been due to some unavoidable difficulties.

After all, in this battle against the enemy, we may have the upper hand, and if a war really breaks out, we will undoubtedly have a greater chance of winning.

However, even if they win, the enemy has a force of 100,000, so it will be a Pyrrhic victory.

At present, the Yangtze River defense line is already under strain in many sections, and fighting against the Qing army is the most important task for the defense of Jiangnan.

If trouble arises from within, then we'll really have to fight it out again right here at the mouth of the Qiantang River.

Not only would it waste troops, but it would also damage the vitality of Jiangnan.

It's hard to say whether the Jurchen Tartars will take advantage of the situation and make further probing moves once such news reaches the north.

If we can't balance internal and external affairs, the situation will be difficult to control.

Therefore, the best strategy in this battle is to subdue the enemy without fighting.

Xiao Jianglin mobilized the three divisions of Yuan Ping, Xu Jizu, and Li Huchen, making such a grand display to intimidate this Zheng family scoundrel.

I suspect that Zheng Zhilong is an opportunist who seeks personal gain and would not risk his life or threaten to kill himself to start a major conflict.

Therefore, this outcome was not unexpected.

Therefore, winning every battle is not the best of the best;

He who subdues the enemy's troops without fighting is a good person.

The best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans; the next best is to disrupt their alliances; the next best is to attack their army; and the worst is to besiege their cities. Siege warfare should only be used as a last resort.

Thus it was, and so it was. In short, on this side, the turmoil in Fujian was quelled by a well-planned strategy.

On the night of August 26th, the clouds cleared and the wind subsided overnight.

By the morning of the 27th, the river was completely eroded.

Xiao Jiang let out a long sigh of relief and ordered scouts on both sides of the river to head east, eventually reaching Linshan and Yuyao. They set up alarms and communication points along the way to prevent the enemy from turning back and attacking, in preparation for any eventuality.

Military horse deployment.

After several days of deployment, now that the enemy has retreated, Li Huchen's troops, originally heading towards Zhenjiang Prefecture, will continue to pursue and annihilate the remaining Tartar troops from the south.

Yuan Ping's several thousand cavalrymen intended to move south, from Huzhou to Deqing, Lin'an, and Xiaoshan, in order to secure the outskirts of Hangzhou.

As for the ancestral troops, they did not easily return north, but instead settled in Haining and Shaoxing, on both sides of the Qiantang River, to ensure safety and prevent any further attacks from the east.

Military affairs are numerous and trivial, and before we knew it, it was the evening of the 27th. Xiao, accompanied by Changting and a few guards, finally managed to settle everything and rode back to Hangzhou.

But who could have predicted it?
It can truly be said that one is entering a circle of mountains, where one mountain is passed only to be blocked by another.

The incident of the Fujian troops repelling the enemy had just subsided, but in the imperial palace in Hangzhou, a new scheme was being plotted to kill loyal and virtuous officials.

One wave subsides only for another to rise.
Ultimately, this whole affair stemmed from the evil schemes of eunuchs plotting to create chaos.

Since the night of the 25th, when the Duke of Jingguo took over the court, many new laws and regulations have been issued.

Even within the palace, the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs completely dismissed Qing officials.

This new regulation truly affected the vested interests of the eunuchs and palace servants in the imperial city.

On the 25th, taking advantage of Xiao leading his troops out of the city, Ruan Dacheng, who had a close relationship with Ma Shiying and was in charge of river works, secretly entered the palace gate at night.

This man had been implicated in the imperial mission of procuring grain for Xiao Xing in Zhenjiang Prefecture, and he had long harbored deep resentment towards Xiao Xing.

Now, the eunuchs in office feel that they have suffered such an undeserved calamity, so how can they be willing to let it go?
So, under the cover of night, while the troops were leaving the city, this man entered the palace and sought out Wang Zhixin, the former chief eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, who was fond of complaining.

The two talked all night, each filled with resentment, and the more they thought about it, the more they couldn't bear it.

Thus, a plan and conspiracy were devised.

He decided to emulate the method used by the Ten Attendants of the Eastern Han Dynasty to execute He Jin.

Subsequently, after thoroughly investigating the origins and development of this plan, several elderly eunuchs from the palace were brought in to assist.

With everyone talking at once and encouraging each other, these eunuchs got carried away.

On the 27th, after learning that the Duke of Jingguo had already returned to the city on horseback, he began what he called his plan to "purge the court of corrupt officials".

First, on the 26th, he secretly smuggled weapons from the palace and instigated others to distribute them to dozens of eunuchs and palace servants who were involved in the plot.

Afterwards, a secret meeting was held to determine the timing and location for the operation.

The final step is the most crucial juncture.

Guided by the king's heart, several senior officials in the palace, along with instigators such as Ruan Dacheng, summoned Empress Dowager Chen Wanxuan from the inner court.

After all, a legitimate reason is needed; whether this matter succeeds or fails, it can only be considered safe if someone gives the order.

On the night of the 27th, Chen Wanxuan hesitated and stammered. She was already in poor health and was also bound by family ties, so she did not want to cause trouble.

However, Wang Zhixin, Ruan Dacheng, and others engaged in near-coupling, resorting to all sorts of incitement and slander.

Forced to compromise and fall into the trap of societal norms, Empress Chen, for the sake of her immediate safety, had no choice but to comply with the arguments of others.

Soon, the eunuchs had everything ready and dared not delay any longer.

At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), a clever and worldly-wise young eunuch was dispatched to ride out of the palace gates and head straight for the Huang residence in the east of the city, the temporary residence of the Duke of Jingguo.

Of course, that's often how things are.

The more tightly linked the steps are, the more likely a sudden change will occur, leading to disastrous consequences.

Sure enough, the group of eunuchs were full of confidence and just gave the order to start.

What the mantis didn't expect was that, that very night, a little yellow sparrow also flew out from behind the palace gate.

Following behind, a young eunuch also rushed towards the Huang residence in the east of the city. (End of this chapter)