Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 298 Accident
At this critical moment, Xia Yu, a Han general of the Qing Dynasty and the former governor of Shandong, had quietly arrived in Gaizhou.

There are still more than a thousand Green Camp soldiers forcibly recruited from Northern Zhili stationed in Fuzhou City. These soldiers are now led by Liu Tian, ​​a previously unknown Green Camp general.

Although Fuzhou City was ostensibly controlled by the Qing army, the people who really controlled the situation seemed not to be the Manchu bannermen, but these wavering Green Camp generals.

After repeated reinforcements, Fuzhou City now has high walls and tight fortifications, making it an impregnable fortress.

Even if Dorgon only left a few thousand troops to garrison, it would be difficult for Zhu Cilang to capture this fortified city within a month. Even if he used a brute force attack to win, the cost would be unbearable for the Ming army.

Zhu Cilang knew very well that a head-on confrontation was not a wise option and that he had to find another way.

Therefore, at this critical moment, those Green Camp generals who had different intentions in the Qing army became particularly important.

In fact, they had long been dissatisfied with the Qing court, but they had no suitable opportunity to surrender to the Ming army.

Now, as the Ming army's offensive intensified, these generals gradually saw hope of turning the tables. If they could cooperate internally and externally, the fall of Fuzhou City would be a piece of cake.

At this moment, Zhang Fu stood beside Lin Erbao, feeling mixed emotions.

As a former commander of the Ming army, Zhang Fu's life was full of twists and turns. He had fought against Zhang Xianzhong's rebels and resisted the attacks of the Qing army.

A few years ago, the situation suddenly changed and he was forced to surrender to the Qing Dynasty. He then joined the Qing army and participated in the campaign against the Ming Dynasty.

But now, he changed his stance again and stood on the side of the Ming army again. All these changes made Zhang Fu feel the impermanence of life, and his heart was filled with endless emotions.

"Here it comes!" Lin Erbao lowered his voice and stared ahead with sharp eyes.

Zhang Fu's heart suddenly skipped a beat and he held his breath. He heard a slight rustling sound in the distance and glanced around quietly.

I saw that more than 30 elite soldiers under Lin Erbao were ready for battle. Each of them held their weapons tightly, with a serious expression, as if they were ready to face a fierce battle at any time.

Zhang Fu did not dare to be negligent and stared at the darkness in the east.

Sure enough, after a while, he saw a flashing light, which seemed to be transmitting some secret signal in the darkness.

Zhang Fu quickly grabbed the lantern in his hand, the lampshade was covered with black cloth, and flashed three times as agreed in response.

A moment later, the distant light went out and a blurry figure slowly approached them.

When the contact messenger walked to the shore, Zhang Fu gave a secret signal that sounded like a frog's croak, and the other party responded with the call of a wild duck.

After the identities of both parties were confirmed, Lin Erbao stood up from the bushes and looked at the person in the faint moonlight.

The other party was dressed as a Qing soldier, with a typical rat-tail braid and a deep scar on his face, looking fierce and experienced. He was about 34 years old and looked like a veteran.

The man was obviously not intimidated by Lin Erbao's momentum. He just glanced at him lightly, then turned to Zhang Fu with a disdainful tone:
"Zhang Gou, is this the contact person sent by your Ming army?"

Zhang Fu's heart trembled, and he forced a flattering smile:

"Old Zhao, this is Captain Lin, General Zhang's confidant. You can discuss anything your general has instructed you to do with Captain Lin in detail..."

From Zhang Fu's expression, it can be seen that he is very familiar with this man named "Lao Zhao" and even a little afraid of him. Although Lao Zhao mocks him, Zhang Fu dare not refute him and just puts on a smile.

Obviously, this "Old Zhao" has a special status in the Green Camp.

Lin Erbao remained calm, just nodded slightly, then waved his hand to let his men relax their guard.

The most important thing in negotiations at this moment is to stabilize the situation rather than provoke conflict.

The old Zhao in front of him is a key figure among the Green Camp soldiers in Fuzhou City. He has a lot of internal defense information. If he can be persuaded to support the Ming army, the battle situation in Fuzhou may undergo a dramatic reversal.

The night wind was blowing gently, stirring the grass and trees in the forest, and the air was filled with a tense atmosphere.

Lin Erbao and Lao Zhao looked at each other, and there was a hint of inquiry and vigilance in each other's eyes. Tonight's negotiations will determine the fate of Fuzhou in the future. Any negligence may lead to the complete failure of the plan.

Lin Erbao spoke slowly, his tone low and firm:
"General Zhao, we are not here to threaten anyone, but to offer you a better choice. You and I are both Han Chinese. Why should we risk our lives for those barbarians and foreigners?
The Ming Emperor's benevolent rule hopes that all loyal people will submit, and now is the perfect opportunity."

Old Zhao's face was gloomy, and he stared at Lin Erbao with deep eyes. His hands were tightly gripping the hilt of the knife at his waist, as if he was thinking about something.

After a moment, he suddenly sneered, with a hint of doubt in his tone:
"Will the Ming Dynasty truly trust us, generals who once surrendered to the Qing? If we rebel, can we guarantee the safety of our families?"

Lin Erbao had anticipated the other party's doubts. He smiled slightly and took out a letter and handed it to Lao Zhao:

"This is a letter written by General Zhang himself, promising that the families of all the generals who defected would be kept safe, regardless of their past merits and demerits, and only their future loyalty would be judged.

If you and your general are willing to submit, you will be given the status and generous rewards you deserve."

Old Zhao took the letter, frowned slightly, and nodded after a moment.

A hint of hesitation flashed across his eyes, but in the end, he stuffed the letter into his arms and whispered:
"I will consider it carefully. If I really want to surrender, I will send someone to inform you, but the condition is that you must ensure the safety of my brothers and family."

Lin Erbao nodded, his tone firm:

"This is our promise to all the generals who surrender. The Ming Dynasty will not let down any loyal person."

The situation in Fuzhou City has gradually tilted towards the Ming army. The surrender of these rebellious generals will be the key to conquering Fuzhou. Everything that follows depends on the opponent's determination and whether the Ming army can seize this fleeting opportunity.

After hearing this, Old Zhao turned around and looked at Lin Erbao again, as if he was confirming something.

Then, his expression relaxed, he calmly took off his shoes, reached into the interlayer of the sole, and carefully took out a secret letter.

He handed the letter to Lin Erbao and said:

"This is a letter from my general to General Zhang. The last page of the letter is a map of the Qing army's defenses in the west of Fuzhou City. As for the deployment of other areas, they are not part of my general's defense zone, so he has no idea."

Lin Erbao took the secret letter and quickly put it in his arms.

Then, without hesitation, he took out another letter from his lapel and handed it to the other party:
"This is General Zhang's reply to your general." He stared at the other party and said in a serious tone:

"By the way, let me tell you, my Lord, that His Majesty has assembled 300,000 elite troops and is preparing to attack Fuzhou from the north and south. The defeat of the Tartars is a foregone conclusion.

If you don't want to be buried with those Tartars, you must make a decision now, abandon the dark and join the light, and submit to the Ming Dynasty. As for your past actions of surrendering to the enemy, as long as you turn back in time, all your guilt can be wiped out.

Official positions, military authority, and all these are not open to negotiation. All rewards will be given after the war subsides."

Although the Ming army's strategy was to try to get Green Camp generals to surrender as much as possible, in the current tense situation, Lin Erbao knew that he could not compromise too much with these wavering fence-sitters.

After all, these people are wavering between the two sides and their intentions are unpredictable.

While giving benefits, one must also demonstrate power and give appropriate warnings, otherwise one will be seen as weak and incompetent, which will weaken the prestige of the Ming army.

After hearing this, Old Zhao's expression changed slightly, but he immediately sneered, not trying to hide his disdain:
"Hmph, of course. My general knows his limits, but please also tell General Zhang that although my general is willing to rebel, how can he do so if there is no way out?
If your life really hangs by a thread, even if you want to surrender, you must save your own life first!"

Lin Erbao snorted coldly in his heart. He saw clearly that the other party just wanted to leave a way out for himself after seeing the Eight Banners soldiers retreat. He still pretended to be neither arrogant nor humble.

After all, the Green Camp generals are just trying to bargain and ensure their own interests and safety.

After all, with only a few hundred men and horses, if they rashly started an uprising under the suppression of the Eight Banners and the Baoyi soldiers, it would be quite risky.

"If that's the case, please tell your general to prepare his neck and wait for his head to fall off!" Lin Erbao showed no sign of weakness.

He was well aware of the bottom line Zhang Huangyan had set for him in the negotiations, so even if the other party spoke toughly, he was not going to give in:
"Don't think your attitude can influence the overall situation! I respectfully call him 'General' because I'm giving you face. Don't bluff here. Such cheap threats can't scare me."

Old Zhao was stunned for a moment, then looked annoyed, but he didn't dare to lose his temper easily.

He knew that the Ming army's offensive this time was fierce, and Zhu Cilang's 300,000 troops were approaching Fuzhou from the north and south. If the city was really attacked, his Green Camp troops would not be able to hold out for long.

Lin Erbao took out the letter he had just received, held it in his hand, and said in a cold but firm voice:
"Your Majesty's agreement to surrender is to give you a chance to live. Don't be so shameless!
Since your so-called general is so arrogant, please take this letter back and read it carefully!"

"Hahaha..." To Lin Erbao's surprise, as soon as he finished speaking, the other party's attitude immediately changed completely:

"Well! Your general is truly a hero! Please rest assured, my general has absolutely no second thoughts and is determined to submit to the Ming Dynasty.

As soon as your signal arrives, my general will rise up and fight these Tartar dogs to the death!"

Lin Erbao was slightly stunned when he heard this. He guessed correctly that the other party's previous toughness was just to test his determination.

But he originally thought that the other party was just bluffing, but he didn't expect that the man in front of him was so frank. He was obviously a man who was not afraid of danger.

But why would such a courageous hero be willing to serve the Manchus and become their minion?

Just as Lin Erbao was thinking in his heart, Lao Zhao suddenly spoke again:
"There's one thing my general doesn't quite understand, so he asked me to clarify it!"

"Speak!" Lin Erbao came back to his senses, his tone filled with impatience.

"Does General Zhang have the say in front of His Majesty..." The man was obviously worried about his future status and whether he could really gain the trust of the Ming army after he turned against the Ming army.

Lin Erbao's eyes lit up, he straightened his chest and raised his head, and said confidently:
"Do you know who His Majesty trusts the most now?"

The man shook his head slightly, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

Seeing this, Lin Erbao looked even more arrogant:

"Let me tell you, General Zhang is the most popular person around His Majesty. With him endorsing you, what do you have to worry about?"

After hearing these words, the other party's expression seemed much more relaxed, and his eyes were full of expectation and trust.

Lin Erbao knew in his heart that this meeting had basically achieved the expected goals.

Old Zhao quickly jumped onto his horse and picked up the bow, quiver, sword, and a saddlebag filled with a sharp dagger and caltrops from the horse's back.

Looking at the other person's receding back, Lin Erbao showed a sneer at the corner of his mouth.

He knew that although this negotiation failed to make the other party change its mind immediately, the message had been conveyed and the next choice was in the hands of the other party.

The Ming army's offensive is getting more and more intense, and the Qing army's defense line is retreating step by step. Whether this group of Green Camp generals can see the situation clearly and make the right choice will be revealed in the battle in the next few days.

As the night deepened, a cold wind blew in from the river, sweeping up the water plants and making them sway gently.

Lin Erbao understood that every word and every decision at this moment might affect the future outcome.

As Zhu Cilang's offensive intensified, the attitudes within the Ming army towards the Green Camp became increasingly divided.

Some people advocated opening the door wide, recruiting people who were willing to defect, and quickly expanding their own strength; others believed that those who had surrendered to the enemy and betrayed their country should not be easily pardoned, believing that they were difficult to trust and would only betray again at a critical moment.

Lin Erbao knew clearly that Zhang Huangyan's position was somewhere in between. He wanted to use these surrendered generals to expand his strength, but he also couldn't let them restrain his strategic layout.

Therefore, every word he said had to be both intimidating and sincere enough to make the other party feel hopeful rather than contemptuous.

Negotiation is an art, and the opponent before us is undoubtedly a cunning old fox.

He sorted out his thoughts a little, took out the letter from his arms again, and looked down at it.

The letter records in detail the defense details of the west city of Fuzhou, as well as the deployment of the Eight Banners soldiers and baoyi soldiers in the city. This information will provide crucial reference for Zhu Cilang's military decision-making.

He took a deep breath, put the letter away again, turned around and sneaked towards the agreed retreat route.

The night wind on the river surface was getting increasingly bitten, and the faint barking of dogs in the distance seemed to remind him that this place was not safe.

Lin Erbao quickened his pace and his figure quickly disappeared in the darkness. The content of this letter will play a crucial role in the near future.

When the war situation changes, those generals who are on the verge of surrender and betrayal will finally make a choice.

But during the retreat to the beach, an accident occurred.

Lin Erbao pulled out the dagger without hesitation and stabbed it fiercely at the hindquarters of the warhorse. The exhausted warhorse immediately let out a shrill neigh and then galloped away. After running dozens of meters, it fell weakly to the ground with a heavy "puff" sound.

He knew that the horse's neighing would attract the attention of those around him. He had no time to hesitate and ran towards a dilapidated village a few dozen steps to his left.

(End of this chapter)