Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 199: First Shaanxi, then Shandong
The brilliant victories achieved by the Ming army in Jianghuai and Huguang in the previous two years made many people in the court and the army think that the Eight Banners Army was no longer capable of fighting. Even Zhu Cilang, after a series of victories, could not help but send troops north to test the waters.

But the subsequent counterattacks by the Eight Banners in Yanzhou, Nanyang and other places woke everyone up. Even the commander-in-chief of the Tianqi Army, Lin Changfeng, no longer dared to clamor for raising troops to the north to drive the Tartars out of the pass. Instead, he advocated training the cavalry and preparing the army for war.

You must know that apart from having superior manpower and specific terrain, the Tianqi Army does not have the strength to engage in large-scale mobile warfare against the Eight Banners.

It was in this context that Zhu Cilang became more determined to adopt the Northern Expedition strategy of "Shaanxi first and then Shandong".

Shaanxi and Gansu are located in the northwest, and the Loess Plateau covers most of the area. It borders Outer Mongolia to the north, the Yellow River to the east, the Qinling Mountains to the south, and Qinghai-Tibet to the west. The mountains are undulating, the gullies are crisscrossed, and the terrain is complex and changeable. It is a natural barrier to defend against the enemy, and the Eight Banners cannot exert their full strength.

As the drought in the north eased, the Guanzhong Plain in the south once again became the "granary of the Northwest", providing sufficient manpower and material resources for large-scale military operations.

Of course, when Zhu Cilang wanted to recover Shaanxi and Gansu, he valued not only the dangerous terrain and the war horse resources in Shaanxi and Gansu, but also the unique geographical location of Shaanxi and Gansu for the Ming Dynasty, which only had half of its territory left.

In other words, this place is not only an important area for the Ming Dynasty to obtain war horses, but also an important strategic location for the future Ming army's Northern Expedition. At the same time, it can also directly contact the outside of the Great Wall and threaten Shanxi and Henan.

Not only that, if the Ming army could recapture Shaanxi and Gansu, it could also take advantage of the complex terrain around it to contain the Qing cavalry, and through small-scale cavalry battles, conduct actual combat training for the cavalry and prepare for the future decisive battle in the Central Plains.

Among the "Zhongzheng Camp" and the "Right Army in Front of the Palace", countless generals and officers had a comprehensive understanding of the geography, customs, products and people's hearts of Shaanxi and Gansu. Even many of the Green Camp troops in Shaanxi and Gansu were originally from the Shun Army.

Of course, these so-called Shun troops were actually the Ming troops from the Nine Frontiers at the beginning.

These were all important factors that Zhu Cilang considered when taking Shaanxi. Shaanxi, Gansu and other places had only been occupied for less than two years, and the people's hearts had not been lost. If this could be utilized, recovering Shaanxi would surely be twice as effective with half the effort.

There are countless Shaanxi people in the Ming army, enough to cooperate with the Five Military Commandery to formulate a thorough plan for the Northern Expedition.

However, it is not easy to recover Shaanxi and Gansu. Now Nanyang, Baoning and Hanzhong are all in the hands of the Qing army. If the Ming Dynasty wants to avoid the edge of the Eight Banners, it can only focus on Yunyang and Baoning and use the terrain to defeat the enemy.

In this situation, the attitude of the remaining Western Army troops became crucial. If they could not be successfully appeased and recruited, the Northern Expedition to recover Shaanxi would inevitably be delayed. By the time the Qing army realized what was happening, the Shaanxi Green Camp troops would have completely returned to their loyalty, and the situation would likely be truly irreversible.

Zhu Cilang was well aware that the success or failure of pacifying the remaining Western Army troops was related to the success or failure of the entire Northern Expedition strategy, and he had to seize the current opportunity.

As Zhu Cilang returned to Jingzhou after inspecting the military deployments in Xiangyang and Yunyang prefectures, the Tangma sent by Gao Yigong from Hezhou County, Chongqing Prefecture, finally brought good news about the negotiations.

After more than half a month of negotiations, he finally made progress in appeasing the remaining troops of the Western Army. Under his persuasion, the four brothers Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo finally agreed to the most important conditions of appeasement, namely, the division of troops and reorganization. Gao Yigong also agreed to replenish the remaining troops of the Western Army with food and grass for half a month.

Zhu Cilang looked at the newspaper sent by Gao Yigong and a relieved smile appeared on his face. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

"Sun Kewang, Li Dingguo, Liu Wenxiu, and Ai Nengqi have already accepted the offer and agreed to each lead a unit of troops and station them separately. Gao Yigong has already provided them with food and fodder. I will replenish the armaments of the two units after the armies are reorganized."

Zhu Cilang looked up at the ministers, paused, and continued:

"Liu Wenxiu and Li Dingguo remain stationed in southern Sichuan, while Sun Kewang and Ai Nengqi have come to Jingzhou to meet me. Gao Yigong has truly lived up to everyone's expectations. This successful pacification is truly a blessing from heaven for our Ming Dynasty."

Upon hearing the news, civil and military ministers such as Du Yinxi, Wu Jinxi, Chang Denggui, Chen Fu and Lin Changfeng were all very excited. They either had always advocated recruiting the remnants of the Western Army or understood Zhu Cilang's strategy of "first Shaanxi and then Shandong". They all knew that the surrender of the remnants of the Western Army meant that the power of the Ming Dynasty had been further strengthened.

Du Yinxi immediately clasped his hands and said, "This matter has been carried out smoothly, thanks to your Majesty's foresight and General Gao's efforts."

Chang Denggui then said, "Your Majesty, when Sun Kewang and Ai Nengqi lead the remaining troops of the Western Army to Jingzhou, I will lead the troops to inspect and ensure that they fully cooperate with Your Majesty's reorganization."

Zhu Cilang nodded in agreement, and became more determined in his heart about the established strategic deployment. As long as he could stabilize southern Sichuan and Huguang, he could immediately prepare to advance further into Shaanxi, seize Shaanxi and Gansu, and lay a solid foundation for the Northern Expedition.

Of course, in addition to Gao Yigong's Loyal Camp, he also needs to send elite troops to southern Sichuan to monitor Li Dingguo and Liu Wenxiu's Western Army, strengthen control over southern Sichuan, and wait for an opportunity to go north to detect military intelligence.

At the same time, after the main force of Li Guo's Loyal Camp moved north, Chang Denggui led his troops to station there. This not only strengthened the defense of Huguang, but also ensured that Sun Kewang and Ai Nengqi would not have any disloyalty, and the reorganization of the army would proceed smoothly.

In the following period, Zhu Cilang's most important military task was to continue to strengthen the training of the Tianqi Army and the Palace Front Cavalry.

In the "Battle of Recovering Shaanxi", although the cavalry did not need tens of thousands of people, they were equally indispensable!
Soon, an imperial edict drafted by Zhu Cilang himself came out from Jingzhou Prefecture and flew towards Hezhou County at the fastest speed. On it, Zhu Cilang, on behalf of the Ming Dynasty court, ordered the resettlement and rewards of tens of thousands of remaining soldiers and tens of thousands of families of the Western Army.

The imperial edict was soon delivered to the headquarters of the General of the Loyal Camp in Chongqing City, and to the hands of Gao Yigong, the general in charge of the right army of the Loyal Camp.

When Zhu Cilang was cheating, he was very ruthless in judging people. Although Gao Yigong lacked his own opinions, he was a man of both wisdom and courage, and had a delicate mind. He traveled between Hezhou and Chongqing several times, and devoted himself to recruiting the remaining Western Army for the Ming Dynasty, and he could be said to have devoted his life to it.

Moreover, because the matter was of great importance and his identity was quite sensitive, if it was not handled properly, some ministers in the court might seize the opportunity to attack him. He had always been very cautious and would record and report everything to Zhu Cilang.

Gao Yigong was therefore extremely cautious in his negotiations with Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo. He knew that this matter was of great importance. If he could successfully recruit the remaining Western Army troops, it would lay a solid foundation for the Ming Dynasty's Northern Expedition and would also elevate his position within the court.

On the contrary, if the negotiations failed, it would not only affect Zhu Cilang's strategic layout in southern Sichuan, but would also have an immeasurable impact on the entire Northern Expedition strategy. This required him to demonstrate the court's sincerity and determination during the negotiations, while also cleverly using coercion and inducement to persuade Sun Kewang, Li Dingguo and others to surrender.

At this time, after receiving the imperial edict from Zhu Cilang, Gao Yigong once again came to Hezhou County in the north of Chongqing City to meet with the four brothers Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo.

The four people had already received the news and had been waiting outside the city for a long time. Their expressions were still complicated, as if they were worried about something unexpected happening.

"General Gao, has His Majesty agreed to all the requests we have put forward?" Sun Kewang took the initiative to step forward and asked first, with a hint of inquiry in his tone and an expression of impatience.

Gao Yigong smiled slightly upon hearing this, looked around at the four Western Army brothers in front of him, clasped his fists and said:
"Rest assured, everyone. His Majesty has always been sympathetic to the people and has always been committed to appeasing the Western Army. Even when there are dissenting opinions in the court, he always convinces them with reason and educates them with virtue. His Majesty has said that he knows the four generals are extremely talented and knowledgeable. If they can return to the right path, they will surely become pillars of the Ming Dynasty in the future."

After hearing this, Li Dingguo's frown finally relaxed. However, he still had some concerns. He pondered for a moment and then asked:
"General Gao, we are aware of your majesty's grace, but the tens of thousands of soldiers under our command are all unsophisticated and still have many doubts about the pacification. I wonder if the court has any specific arrangements this time?"

Gao Yigong seemed to have guessed what Li Dingguo would ask, nodded, and said with a smile:
“Your Majesty is well aware of the loyalty of the four generals and has specially ordered the Five Military Commandery to draw up a comprehensive resettlement plan for the soldiers of the Western Army.

Generals Li and Liu will remain in southern Sichuan, continuing their recovery and reorganization efforts there, while training alongside the Loyalty Battalion. Meanwhile, Generals Sun and Ai will lead their troops eastward to Jingzhou, where they will undergo reorganization at the imperial court and train alongside the Imperial Guard, the most powerful army in the land.

Upon hearing this, Sun Kewang couldn't help but frown for a moment. He couldn't help but feel doubtful about such an arrangement, especially since Zhu Cilang also arranged for the central army in front of the palace to monitor him.

"General Gao, since I have already surrendered to the imperial court, I am naturally willing to follow your majesty's arrangements. However, the journey to Jingzhou is long. Can the imperial court really guarantee the safety of my soldiers?"

"Why, do you think His Majesty is plotting against you?" Gao Yigong's face darkened upon hearing this, causing Sun Kewang to break out in a cold sweat. Then he bowed towards the east and said solemnly:

"General Sun, your Majesty's sincerity is unquestionable. Jingzhou is a strategic military stronghold of the Ming Dynasty in Huguang. The presence of the Central Army in front of the palace will ensure the safety of the soldiers. Furthermore, the court will also provide adequate resettlement for the soldiers of the Western Army and their accompanying families, ensuring they will have ample food, fodder, and land."

Seeing this, Liu Wenxiu immediately spoke up, trying to ease the atmosphere, nodding in agreement:

"General Gao is right. My four brothers are all loyal and righteous men. We will naturally prioritize the greater good. Your Majesty is a master strategist and a master of foresight. This arrangement must be based on the greater good. We have now come to our senses and returned to the right path. If Your Majesty does not despise us, we will not blink an eye, even if it means risking our lives."

Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo exchanged a glance. Although they had their doubts, they had no choice under the current circumstances. Otherwise, Gao Yigong would immediately cut off their food supplies and block their advance, making it impossible for tens of thousands of soldiers and families to continue their journey south.

The two were silent for a moment, then finally nodded in agreement. Their hearts were filled with mixed emotions: hope for the future after the surrender, but also helplessness and worry about the current situation.

Surrendering to the imperial court is certainly their best option at the moment, but they are also worried that the imperial court will go back on its word, making their situation even more difficult, or even making them fish on the chopping board, at the mercy of others.

Among them, Sun Kewang had the most complicated feelings. He was glad that he and Li Dingguo could each lead an army, but he was also worried that this was a plan to weaken Zhu Cilang.

After all, he and Li Dingguo both knew that using the Ming court's power to divide the troops was the best option for them. They couldn't bring up such a matter, as doing so would undoubtedly diminish their prestige. "Master Gao, since the court trusts us so much, we must do our utmost to serve Your Majesty until our death," Sun Kewang said with a firm smile.

After hearing this, Gao Yigong's gloomy face disappeared, and he immediately revealed a relieved smile:
"Your Majesty will surely reward these four generals who have turned over a new leaf and contributed to the Ming Dynasty's revival. General Sun, General Ai, prepare yourselves as quickly as possible and lead your troops to Jingzhou for reorganization. Your Majesty is waiting!"

At this time, Li Dingguo was also in a state of confusion, but he also knew that things had developed to this point and they had no way to retreat. The only way to find a chance of survival for his brothers and families was to follow the general trend.

He thought about it, and finally said:

"General Gao, my eldest brother and fourth brother are leading troops to Jingzhou. There are over 30,000 family members accompanying the troops. I hope you can ask His Majesty to allocate supplies to reassure the soldiers."

Upon hearing this, Gao Yigong nodded solemnly. He knew what Li Dingguo was worried about and had long noticed the discord between the two brothers. But now that they were about to separate, the two seemed to have put aside their past grudges, and Li Dingguo had already begun to speak for Sun Kewang.

"General Li, rest assured. With Gao Yigong here, the court will definitely recruit civilians and allocate food and fodder to ensure the safety of the soldiers. Your Majesty is the emperor on horseback. For the past two years, you have led the army in battles across the country. You are well aware of the hard work of the soldiers and will never let them suffer any injustice."

Upon hearing this, Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo looked at each other again. Liu Wenxiu and Ai Nengqi also had mixed feelings after hearing this.

Although this was not the first time they accepted the Ming court's invitation, from the founding of the Dashi Kingdom to its demise, and now to being trapped in the small Hezhou County of Chongqing Prefecture, the four brothers are about to be separated. How can one not feel deeply moved by the unpredictable nature of life?

Finally, the four brothers nodded at the same time, ready to act according to Gao Yigong's arrangements. Sun Kewang and Ai Nengqi even bowed to Gao Yigong and said in unison:
"Don't worry, General Gao. We will prepare as soon as possible and lead the troops to set off on time."

Zhu Cilang in Yuezhou Prefecture also quickly received Gao Yigong's report. The commander of the Loyal Camp was very thorough and had already arranged civilian laborers in Chongqing. After replenishing food and grass, Sun Kewang's army set out eastward in less than ten days.

Zhu Cilang naturally felt relieved about this and immediately began to deal with the government affairs that came in like snowflakes from all over the country.

At this time, the Ming Dynasty was still in a situation of internal and external troubles, with many things to do. Although he had a big plan in mind, it still needed to be implemented step by step.

Military affairs are of course a priority, but Zhu Cilang must also properly handle various financial matters, especially maritime trade, banks, workshops, and other key matters that support the Northern Expedition.

Today, in terms of maritime trade, Zheng Zhilong of Fujian, relying on his dominance, is still selfish and needs to be rectified; and the money houses in the core capitals of provinces such as Huguang, Jiangxi, Guangdong and Guangxi, Yunnan and Guizhou, also need to be deployed as soon as possible to ensure the promotion of money houses through the military and government affairs; and the establishment of weapons workshops in Huguang and other places also needs to be carried out in an orderly manner.

Among these, the issue of overseas trade, as a breakthrough for increasing the court's financial resources, is the most difficult.

Zhu Cilang specially summoned Zheng Sen, Zheng Zhilong's eldest son, who was now the admiral of the Ming Dynasty's Dongting Lake Navy and had great influence in the Poyang Lake Navy and the Fujian Navy.

However, he was also very worried at this time because of his father's disloyalty to the court. Zhu Cilang knew Zheng Sen's loyalty and talent, so he had to guide him and break through Zheng Zhilong to obtain trade profits of millions of taels of silver.

After all, Zhu Cilang now has control over the entire country's military. With the surrender of the Western Army, the situation has become clearer, and his military strength has become sufficient. He has freed up his hands to deal with Zheng Zhilong. Naturally, he would not be willing to only get a small share of the millions of taels of silver.

In the imperial study of the temporary palace, Zhu Cilang saw Zheng Sen following Zhou Shixian in, smiled slightly, and said:
"Damu, you've come just in time. I just have a few things to discuss with you."

Zhu Cilang sat upright on the dragon throne at the imperial desk, his eyes blazing. The Jinyiwei on either side were fully armed, their majesty evident. Zheng Sen's heart sank upon seeing this scene, and he knelt cautiously, saying:

"Your Majesty, I, Zheng Sen, pay my respects to you."

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly: "Damu, stand up, stand up quickly."

After Zheng Sen slowly stood up, he hunched his waist and lowered his head, not daring to look directly at Zhu Cilang, as if he was asking for forgiveness with a thorny stick on his back, and he felt even more uneasy in his heart.

Seeing this, Zhu Cilang knew that Zheng Sen was not truly afraid, but was merely expressing his submission, just like the Jinyiwei on either side of him were demonstrating their power. He then spoke:

"Damu, Fujian is a major trading center of the Ming Dynasty, with prosperous maritime trade. However, due to poor governance by local officials, banditry is rampant. For the past year, the region has remained turbulent and the people are seething with resentment. You are from Fujian and understand the local situation. What are your thoughts on this?"

Zheng Sen didn't expect Zhu Cilang to be so direct. He was shocked and said quickly:
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. This is my father's fault and I am truly ashamed."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang thought that although Zheng Sen was young, he was indeed a thoughtful person. He actually tried to evade the main issue with a casual word of incompetence. He sneered and said:

"Mr. Zheng, that's wrong. Your father has reached his current position, so he's definitely not incompetent. I see your loyalty, so there's no need to worry. If you can help me govern Fujian and pacify the sea borders, I'll certainly make use of you."

When Zheng Sen heard Zhu Cilang change his words, he was even more shocked. This clearly meant he was being asked to make a choice. He immediately knelt down and kowtowed:
"I am willing to serve Your Majesty with all my heart and soul, until my death!"

"Your loyalty, Mr. Zheng, is excellent. I have been using you frequently lately because I know you are exceptionally talented and capable of accomplishing important tasks."

Zhu Cilang nodded with satisfaction, smiled slightly, and said:

"Then tell me, how should we deal with the Fujian pirates to ensure that the Maritime Customs can catch all the smuggling bandits from the north?"

Zheng Sen was sweating profusely on his forehead. Although he had been valued in the past two years, he was increasingly afraid of Zhu Cilang's authority and decisiveness, fearing that if he made a mistake, he would be severely punished and his future would be ruined.

After all, he did not see the decline of the Ming Dynasty and the emperor's absurdity as in the original history. He admired Zhu Cilang's supreme authority and foresight very much. He also knew that Zhu Cilang's unique strategic vision and ruthless means were not something he could challenge at all.

What he wanted was to be able to follow around and make some contributions. After a moment of contemplation, he immediately kowtowed repeatedly and said:

"Your Majesty, Fujian has always had a brutal and uncivilized people. Although maritime trade is prosperous, corruption among local officials is rampant and must be strictly rectified. I believe that if we want to revive maritime trade, we must first eliminate corrupt officials before we can see improvement."

Zheng Sen still tried his best to exonerate Zheng Zhilong and directly put the blame on the local officials. After all, many things could be easily passed over as long as he denied them, but once he admitted them, it would be completely different.

Zhu Cilang naturally agreed to this, having already formulated a clear strategic plan for the reorganization of Fujian and the revitalization of maritime trade. However, the Zheng family was already deeply entrenched in Fujian and unrivaled at sea. If he did not want to suffer a loss on both sides, he would have to rely on the power of Zheng Sen or Zheng Hongkui.

Therefore, he placed high hopes on Zheng Sen, hoping to use his status and talents to complete the task of completely controlling overseas trade. At the same time, he was wary of his father Zheng Zhilong's disloyalty.

Zhu Cilang nodded and said:
"Mr. Zheng is absolutely right. Fujian's local government does need to be rectified. However, I also intend to use the opportunity of maritime trade to promote money houses. What do you think?"

Zheng Sen's heart trembled, and he immediately replied, "I am willing to serve you as a dog and a horse to relieve your majesty's worries."

He actually had his own selfish motives. After all, this was a golden opportunity for him. If he could make a great contribution, he would not only be able to break free from his father's influence and completely control the power of the Zheng family, but also gain Zhu Cilang's favor.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang finally showed a relieved smile on his face and waved his hand:

"I am very pleased that Lord Zheng has such determination. However, this is not a one-day task. You must proceed steadily and not rush. If you encounter any difficulties, please feel free to consult me."

Zheng Sen bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will act with caution and live up to your trust."

Zhu Cilang nodded with satisfaction, then changed the subject and continued tapping:

"Now, money houses are gradually being established in Huguang, Jiangxi, Guangdong and Guangxi, but due to a shortage of funds, progress is slow. Weapon workshops in Huguang and Jiangxi are also stepping up their efforts, requiring a large amount of manpower and material resources, but due to a shortage of money and grain, progress is less than satisfactory.

"Mr. Zheng, the bank and the weapons workshop are the cornerstones of the Ming Dynasty's revival and cannot afford to fail. I have done my best to handle the complexities of various local affairs, but there are still many issues that require your assistance, and the most important of these is money and grain."

After hearing this, Zheng Sen secretly made up his mind. He then bowed deeply and said, "I will do my utmost to regulate Fujian's maritime trade and serve Your Majesty with all my strength!"

(End of this chapter)