Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 291 Survival
Zheng Zhilong originally came here to persuade Li Guo, but the situation changed, and it was almost Li Guo who persuaded Zheng Zhilong.

Similarly, Zheng Sen was almost moved by Zhang Huangyan's arguments during his confrontation.

Zheng Zhilong knew that the situation was hopeless and had already considered avoiding the spotlight, but he had not yet made up his mind.

Although Zheng Sen and Zhang Huangyan exchanged words, they ultimately failed and returned to their own mansions with their personal guards.

However, what Zheng Sen never expected was that as soon as he returned home, he learned a shocking piece of news - Zhu Cilang had actually sent someone to deliver a message.

"For such an important matter, His Majesty only sent a eunuch?"

Zheng Sen narrowed his eyes slightly, took the letter from Feng Chengshi, and his tone was full of disbelief.

"As for the eunuch, I have already sent people to make detailed inquiries. Since he personally escorted the letter, it shows that Your Majesty attaches great importance to this matter." Feng Chengshi bowed with a hint of flattery in his tone.

Zheng Sen did not rush to reply, but just quickly browsed the contents of the letter.

After a moment, his expression was difficult to read, and there seemed to be no clear emotion.

Seeing this, Feng Chengshi hurriedly took the letter and read it carefully.

"Your Majesty's condition is to leave us with a mere 15,000 land troops, which is not enough to deal with the situation. Even if we retain the entire navy, there will only be 30,000 to 40,000 combat-ready soldiers."

After reading the letter, Feng Chengshi couldn't help but express his opinion, with a hint of worry in his tone:

"What's more, the garrisons outside of Quanzhou and Xinghua, and the garrisons in other prefectures, are all manpower arranged by the imperial court. If something unexpected happens, we might not even have time to give a warning."

Zheng Sen frowned, his expression solemn, and said in a low voice:

"Your Majesty's demands are indeed too harsh, especially Taiwan. With the Red Barbarians now entrenched, it will not be easy to take it."

Before he finished speaking, his tone suddenly changed, revealing a hint of anticipation:

"However, I heard that Taiwan is rich in food and fodder. If we can capture it, it may become our Zheng family's overseas stronghold and provide a steady supply of food and fodder for the army."

In history, after Zheng Chenggong suffered a crushing defeat in the Battle of Nanjing, he re-consolidated his advantage at sea and temporarily stabilized the situation by virtue of his victory over the Qing Dynasty in a naval battle.

However, with the defeat of the anti-Qing forces in the southwest, the Qing army's defense in coastal areas - including Huizhou and Chaozhou in Guangdong, as well as Zhejiang and Fujian - gradually strengthened, and the pressure faced by Zheng's army increased.

The issue of food and wages has become an intractable problem.

It was in such an extreme predicament that Zheng Chenggong heard that Taiwan was rich in grain, so he turned his attention there.

Opening up new anti-Qing strongholds was not only a necessity for survival, but also the key to maintaining the army's food supply. Conquering Taiwan had become a strategic decision deep in his mind.

After reading the letter, Feng Chengshi felt mixed emotions. Seeing the court pressing forward and the Zheng family's situation becoming increasingly difficult, he couldn't help but ask tentatively:

"How do you think we should respond? Does His Majesty's letter really mean to force us to submit?"

Zheng Sen did not answer directly. He stood up, walked to the window, and stared at the distant horizon with mixed feelings in his heart.

He knew that no matter what, the current situation did not allow him to hesitate any longer. Whether he accepted Zhu Cilang's conditions or continued to maintain his own power, it would affect the future situation.

“Although Taiwan is difficult to capture, once it is captured, it will be the new home of our Zheng family.

Furthermore, if Taiwan can be stabilized, the imperial court will not dare to act rashly."

Zheng Sen muttered to himself, his tone revealing a hint of thoughtful calmness.

"The general is right. Taiwan presents both an opportunity and a challenge. If we can successfully capture it, it will indeed resolve our current pressing needs."

Feng Chengshi echoed, weighing the situation in his mind.

The Zheng family has so many soldiers, and now they are facing an increasingly severe food and pay crisis. Taiwan may be the key to solving the problem.

Zheng Sen pondered for a moment, his eyes becoming more determined:
"If Your Majesty truly wishes to force our Zheng family to yield, then we must establish ourselves in Taiwan and open up a new base to counter the pressure from the imperial court."

Seeing that Zheng Chenggongsen had made up his mind, Feng Chengshi said no more, but he was secretly planning how to help his lord implement this strategy.

The current situation does not allow for any mistakes. If we act carelessly, the Zheng family's foundation will be in jeopardy.

Zheng Sen returned to his desk, wrote a simple comment on the letter, and handed it to Feng Chengshi:

"Reply to tell Your Majesty that the Zheng family is willing to cooperate with the court's military reorganization plan, but sufficient naval forces must be retained to deal with overseas affairs.

In addition, we will fully cooperate with the conquest of Taiwan."

Feng Chengshi took the letter and bowed, "I understand. I'll do it immediately."

The game between the imperial court and the Zheng family has entered a white-hot stage. Whether it is the military reorganization plan or the capture of Taiwan, it is a series of tests and competitions.

Although compromises have been made at present, future changes are still difficult to predict.

There are actually two reasons why Zhu Cilang wanted to retain the Zheng family's army.

First, he did not want to easily trigger a civil war. Zhu Cilang knew very well that to deal with the Manchus in Liaodong, he needed to concentrate all his efforts and avoid internal conflicts. Second, he planned to use the power of the Zheng family to retake Taiwan.

After all, if such a large army were to be disbanded, issues such as severance pay and resettlement land would be enough to give him a headache.

Instead of settling these people in the interior, it is better to let them continue to expand territory for the court and contribute to the country.

Feng Chengshi remained alert to this matter and advised:
"The situation in Taiwan still requires further investigation. According to my subordinates, the situation in Taiwan is not as rumored, and food resources are even more scarce.

Furthermore, since His Majesty is willing to give this place to us, perhaps there really is some hidden danger."

Feng Chengshi's reminder seemed very cautious. He suspected that Zhu Cilang's initiative to give up Taiwan might have other deeper meanings.

After hearing this, Zheng Sen did not respond, but just sighed softly. Although the conditions offered by Zhu Cilang were harsh, they were still within an acceptable range.

The court agreed to let him retain the navy, but the combat troops, cavalry, and musket and artillery units had to be cut by half.

In addition, the territory that the Zheng family can directly control is limited to two prefectures, and the scope of the garrison is restricted.

"Let's wait a little longer, wait a little longer for news about Li Guo and my father..." Zheng Chenggong muttered to himself, his eyes revealing some hesitation and helplessness.

Zhu Cilang was certainly aware that the current way of dividing forces was not a long-term solution and could not completely resolve the complex problems left over from the anti-Qing war, but it was the safest option he could take under the current circumstances.

At the very least, with foreign enemies at hand, his prestige was enough to delay the outbreak of civil war for decades.

Today, all the princes have powerful armies, and everyone has their own interests. Who would be willing to give up the power in their hands easily?

The conflict over the distribution of interests will sooner or later surface again.

Rather than allowing these armies to remain inland, fighting among themselves and depleting national strength, it would be better to send them abroad to expand territory and create a safer and more stable surrounding environment for future generations. This strategy would not only alleviate the potential for civil war but also weaken the military strength of local forces, shifting the focus from internal division to external expansion.

The development plan of Liaodong and Northeast China was Zhu Cilang's core strategy. He was well aware of the importance of this land.

In comparison, the northwest attacked by Li Guo, Mongolia managed by Hao Yaoqi and others, Annan focused on by Zheng Zhilong, and even the Taiwan recovery operation led by Zheng Sen, were far less strategically significant than Liaodong.

Moreover, Zhu Cilang had selfish motives hidden behind these arrangements.

He made Liaodong his primary target, not only for the revival of the country and the expansion of its territory, but also to consolidate his prestige and power within and outside the court by distracting himself from external wars.

The Liaodong region not only has important geographical and military value, but if he can successfully open up this territory, it will be enough to establish his position as the king of the revival.

At the same time, he was also using the power of local forces such as the Zheng family to ensure that he took the initiative on the broader battlefield.

Zhu Cilang's strategy was very shrewd. He did not rush to weaken the military strength of local forces such as the Zheng family, but instead directed their power outward.

In this way, we can avoid direct conflict and gradually weaken the influence of these local warlords through a long war of attrition.

In the long run, Zhu Cilang's plan was undoubtedly of far-reaching significance. He avoided the outbreak of civil war through foreign wars and bought breathing time for the court.
During this period, Zhu Cilang could gradually strengthen centralization and re-centralize power in the hands of the court.

However, Zhu Cilang also understood that all this was just a temporary expedient.

As time goes by, the conflict between the imperial court and local forces will eventually intensify again.

Although the Zheng family surrendered temporarily on the surface, their huge naval force and the family's roots in Fujian made them always have the idea of ​​independence.

Zhu Cilang knew that in order to truly and thoroughly resolve the problem of local separatist forces, the national military reorganization plan must be completed during his reign, otherwise the future would fall into greater chaos.

As for Zheng Chenggong and other local forces, they also understood the severity of the current situation. They were unwilling to completely submit to the court, but they were also unable to confront it head-on. They could only find a delicate balance in the complex situation.

Li Guo, Hao Yaoqi and others used foreign wars as an excuse to try to keep their military power.

Zheng Zhilong and the Zheng family were no exception in this regard.

However, the battlefield they chose was destined to cause their army to suffer heavy losses in the arduous campaign.

First of all, the challenges of deploying troops in the northwest are enormous.

Although Mongolia's combat effectiveness was weak, supply was extremely difficult.

The vast grasslands and Gobi Desert made logistical work extremely difficult, and any slight mistake could result in heavy losses for the army.

Although the Mongolian army was not a formidable force, this desolate and dangerous region was a severe test of the generals' will and the soldiers' ability to survive.

There was no food or water on the grassland, the long battle line dragged down morale, and the severe cold in winter often caused these expeditionary forces to lose more than half of their troops.

Zheng Sen faced an equally daunting challenge on Taiwan Island. The Dutch, who occupied the island, had a powerful navy far superior to Zheng's own.

More importantly, the Dutch had already built strong bastions on the island, and the defense was extremely tight.

Even if Zheng Sen launched an all-out attack, it would be difficult to achieve substantial results without losing 10,000 or 20,000 soldiers.

The capture of each bastion required a huge amount of manpower and material resources. Although the Zheng family navy was known to be powerful, it was still insufficient compared with the modern tactics and equipment of the European navy.

The most difficult challenge was Annan (now Vietnam), which was a severe test that Zheng Zhilong had to face.

The Pearl River Delta, the core area of ​​Guangdong and Guangxi, is separated from the Red River Delta of Annan by thousands of mountains and rivers, with high mountains, long roads and complex terrain.

Moreover, the local gentry and powerful families in Annan are deeply rooted. They have strong control over the land and possess great appeal.

Once they launch a guerrilla war, it will greatly slow down the Zheng family's advance and may even plunge Zheng Zhilong's army into a long-term war of attrition.

The flexibility and familiarity of guerrilla warfare brought constant trouble, which was also something Zheng Zhilong had to consider.

In comparison, Zhu Cilang's strategy towards Liaodong seemed much wiser.

The remnants of the Qing Dynasty in Liaodong had almost been wiped out, and the land in Liaodong had been developed and mature, with the indigenous people almost extinct.

As long as he could resettle the new immigrants in Liaodong and establish a solid stronghold, he would be able to easily take complete control of the region.

Zhu Cilang's plan did not stop there. He also planned to gradually infiltrate the entire Heilongjiang River Basin through a policy of control and trade means, and then control the entire Inner and Outer Northeast.

Given the productivity of the seventeenth century, this was not an unattainable goal.

Liaodong is not only a strategic location, but also a region rich in resources. Redeveloping and controlling this region can provide a lot of economic and military support to the country.

In other words, Zhu Cilang was planning a bigger picture.

When these frontier territories were basically recovered, or even if they were not completely recovered, the enemy had already been severely damaged.

At that time, it was the perfect time for him to reorganize the country and unify military power. His ultimate goal was to completely take back the military power of each province and realize centralization of power.

You must know that Zhu Cilang controls the most prosperous grain-producing areas in the country, especially the Jiangnan region. This region is not only the richest in the world, but also the main source of military forces and supplies.

Jiangnan was under his control, providing him with a steady stream of financial support, which enabled him to maintain a strong army and continue to expand his military and prepare for war.

It was this confidence that allowed him to boldly implement his military reorganization plan and gradually weaken the influence of local forces.

Li Guo, Hao Yaoqi, Zheng Zhilong and others were also somewhat aware of this.

They understood this, although they were unwilling to accept it in their hearts. However, the facts were before them: Zhu Cilang not only had a strategic advantage, but also had a firm moral foothold.

The court's actions were well-reasoned and based on solid evidence, so even if they were somewhat dissatisfied, they could not openly oppose it.

The current situation has forced them to compromise with Zhu Cilang.

Zheng Zhilong knew that the current situation did not allow him to think otherwise.

Whether facing the Dutch at sea, the guerrilla warfare in Annan, or the Mongols on the grassland, the difficulty and complexity of the war made him dare not act rashly.

Although the Zheng family is powerful, local separatist forces are not a long-term solution in the context of national unification.

He had to judge the situation, cooperate with the court, and maintain superficial peace in order to find space for survival and development in the complex situation.

After all, although the Zheng family occupied important locations on the southeast coast, they would not be able to survive for long if they confronted the central government.

All he can do is to preserve his existing power as much as possible, respond flexibly to changing situations, and wait for better opportunities.

(End of this chapter)