Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 386 The most important thing
Hong Xu's retreat wasn't unprepared. Before leaving, he even ordered the burning of all food and military supplies in the city, intent on destroying any resources that could potentially aid the enemy. Even the flames from the city couldn't stop him from retreating westward. He took with him the last few hundred soldiers, and while they were few in number, Hong Xu's mentality had become even more impatience and confusion.

Even so, Hong Xu carefully assessed the forces he had brought with him. Three hundred men, though far less elite than his previous force, still had the strength to make a final stand if he could quickly assemble them. However, the soldiers, now utterly disheartened, had long since lost their former spirit. Morale was low, and many had even lost their will to fight.

At this time, Hong Xu did not have more time to think about these things. After all, his goal was no longer to fight, but to preserve the remaining troops as much as possible, find a suitable retreat route, and escape the pursuit of the pursuers. After Hong Xu left, the soldiers in Hua'an City were not idle either.

The defenders, originally part of the Hong army, though suspicious, did not surrender. Instead, after some looting, they fled for their lives. Some fled to the countryside with military supplies, while others began to make arrangements for the rebellion, stopping the looting and arson by the soldiers, and continued to fulfill their duties as Ming defenders, preparing to welcome the imperial army's restoration.

"This battle was indeed quite big." Zheng Hongkui looked back at the corpses and traces of defeated soldiers on the ground and sighed softly.

"Indeed, we killed over 1,100 Hong soldiers and captured nearly 2,000. Over 1,000 died from trampling among themselves. The level of disorganization among the troops was truly astonishing," Li Xiaolin said lightly, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes. "However, even though Hua An succeeded, the Hong army is still stationed in Quanzhou. What should we do next?"

"We have enough food and horse fodder. Pursuit is necessary. The rebels along the way will most likely surrender, and the remaining battles will be insignificant." Zheng Hongkui paused, then continued, "However, there is still a problem. We are short of silver to accommodate and reward the army. How can we raise it?"

Li Xiaolin smiled slightly, a glint of wisdom in his eyes. "This problem isn't difficult to solve. As long as we're decisive enough, everything that follows will be under our control."

The two men smiled at each other, already forming a new strategic plan. This battle was only the first step in their grand plan. Zheng Hongkui knew clearly that Zhang Huangyan would have him play the role of a "villain" this time—to completely destroy his relationship with the gentry in Zhangzhou and Quanzhou.

On the surface, this approach placed an embarrassing responsibility on him, but in reality, it also provided him with an extremely rare opportunity. He didn't hesitate at all, and even felt an indescribable excitement in his heart. This was exactly the situation he had been looking forward to, and he had prepared for it as early as when he received Zhang Huangyan's instructions.

Although this action will make him a target of public criticism and bring him a heavy stigma, as long as he can carry it out smoothly, he will be able to use this power to advance further, consolidate his position in the Zheng army, and even take this opportunity to further weaken those forces that are dissatisfied with him.

"Don't worry, General Li. I'm the most suitable person to handle this matter," Zheng Hongkui replied, his eyes revealing a determination and hidden ambition. "Hua'an, Zhangping, and even the major cities in Quanzhou, although not as wealthy as Fuzhou, are still important centers of commerce. There are a large number of wealthy merchants and families there. The wealthy families in these places are definitely not short of money."

He paused briefly and continued, "These merchants have accumulated a lot of wealth. If we can control them, we can further stabilize our army's logistical supply."

"Yes." Li Xiaolin nodded, clearly very satisfied with Zheng Hongkui's plan. "General Zheng, since you have this intention, General Zhang will naturally keep it in mind. However, we still have to be careful in dealing with those local gentry and merchants who support us, and we must not go too far."

He slowed his tone and reminded them, "You must be careful. Don't call it military pay. It's better to call it a donation so that they can contribute voluntarily. Don't let them feel any resentment, otherwise the situation will become more complicated."

Li Xiaolin paused, a hint of vigilance flashing in his eyes: "The most important thing is, don't harm innocent people, and don't kill people easily."

Zheng Hongkui's heart trembled upon hearing this. Li Xiaolin's words reminded him of the sensitive nature of this operation. Although he had his own plans, he wasn't completely clueless about the importance of the matter. He nodded immediately and said, "Understood, General Li."

Zheng Hongkui held his breath. Whether he could maintain his position and continue his advancement depended on how he dealt with the reactions of these local forces. If he could operate skillfully, collecting sufficient resources while maintaining a semblance of justice, it would be a win-win situation.

After saying this, Zheng Hongkui led his team to continue moving forward.

At this time, the situation in Hua'an City was no longer the same as before.

Since Li Xiaolin and Zheng Hongkui left Hua'an to pursue Hong Xu, the city was under the command of the remaining general Zhao Zhengdong. Under these generals' arrangements, the lives of the civilians in Hua'an were not greatly affected, but the military was already on high alert.

To prepare for any unexpected events, Zhao Dong dispatched troops to set up multiple lines of defense within the city to ensure its safety. More importantly, the Ming army's entourage had already begun preparing sufficient food and supplies, which were precisely the emergency supplies that Hong Xu had originally reserved for himself.

Hong Xu had originally planned to hold onto Hua'an, Zhangping, and other cities, awaiting Zheng Zhilong's reinforcements. To ensure the defense of these cities, he prepared a large amount of food and supplies, hoping to provide sufficient support for himself in the event of a siege.

However, with the arrival of the Ming army, Hong Xu's original plan collapsed, and the supplies he had not burned became a source of supply for the Ming army. This replenishment of food and supplies not only allowed Zheng Hongkui's troops to continue their advance, but also guaranteed their logistical needs for the next three to four months.

The Ming army's main force of more than 20,000 people, Zheng Hongkui's army of more than 2,000 people, and the civilian laborers recruited along the way were enough to rely on these supplies to maintain their combat effectiveness in the next battle.

At this time, the main forces of Li Xiaolin and Zheng Hongkui had entered Zhangdong, preparing to continue their attack on Quanzhou, and their goal was to capture Fuzhou.

In order to prevent the two from advancing alone and encountering an ambush by the Hong army in the hinterland of Quanzhou, Zhang Huangyan ordered them to wait at the junction of the two places for a while and sent scouts to scout the surrounding enemy situation to ensure safety.

Li Xiaolin was very satisfied with this. He had always believed that rushing to attack would only put him at greater risk. Since there was a chance of receiving reinforcements, why not stabilize the situation first before making further plans?

However, Zheng Hongkui's intentions weren't entirely aligned with Li Xiaolin's. He preferred to take the initiative, striking a fatal blow while the Hong army's strength wasn't fully recovered. He knew that although Zhang Huangyan had ordered them to remain in two locations, it was simply to avoid exposing his intentions to act prematurely. If he could accurately grasp the opportunity, he could seize Longchuan before the situation became completely chaotic, thus severing the Hong army's retreat.

However, this plan was fraught with risk. If the Hong army launched a decisive counterattack, their troops might face a sudden encirclement if they penetrated too deep behind enemy lines. To avoid this situation, differences of opinion gradually emerged between Zheng Hongkui and Li Xiaolin.

Zheng Hongkui secretly planned his next move. It not only affected the control of Zhangzhou, but also his own foothold. If he could defeat the enemy and seize Longchuan in one fell swoop, his reputation would soar.

As for Zhang Huangyan, his calculations are constantly being deduced. How to seize opportunities in the changing situation is the key to whether he can finally control the entire Fujian war situation.

"General, the Jinyiwei are already accompanying Hong Xu. If all goes well, they should be able to pass on intelligence through their spies in Fuzhou soon. Once we enter Fuzhou, there will be new developments in the war, and we will likely receive their reports in time."

Wei Xian stood before a large table in the Hua'an General's Mansion, a detailed map spread out on the tabletop. Surrounding him were several generals closely monitoring the situation. After he finished speaking, Zhang Huangyan nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping deeply over the map. After a moment's silence, he spoke:
"The Jinyiwei's contribution to Li Xiaolin and Zheng Hongkui's ambush being so successful cannot be ignored. Now that our army is about to enter Fuzhou, the situation will become increasingly complicated. During this period, we need the Jinyiwei to quickly report on the movements of the rebellious army. We must ensure that every piece of intelligence is transmitted in a timely manner."

"Don't worry, General Zhang. This matter has been handed over to me." Wei Xian made the promise with a bow, his tone firm, and he was obviously confident in his mission.

The map before him showed the control status of the various cities in Quanzhou and Fuzhou. With Zhang Huangyan now in control of most of the cities in Zhangzhou, the only thing he needed to guard against was the local forces that hadn't yet fully committed to their side. Although the main force had deployed troops to garrison, some local villages remained on the sidelines, potentially turning to the enemy at any moment due to external pressure.

Zhang Huangyan knew that if he could not successfully defeat Zheng Zhilong's reinforcements, these local forces would quickly turn to the other side. At that time, the situation would become more complicated and the difficulty of the battle would increase exponentially.

"What's the situation in Fuzhou and Zheng Sen?" Zhang Huangyan frowned slightly, his tone tinged with unease. This affected the entire course of the war. If external reinforcements intervened, the situation would become even more unpredictable.

Wei Xian unfolded the scroll in his hand, quickly skimmed through the intelligence, and replied, "In Fuzhou, Zheng Zhilong has not made any major moves, and our insiders haven't reported any new information. The navy that entered Fujiang hasn't noticed anything unusual yet, perhaps because Zheng Sen's army to the north has temporarily halted its attack."

Furthermore, Zheng Zhilong and Zheng Sen seemed in no hurry to act, perhaps waiting for the right moment. However, without reinforcements, the troops defending Fuzhou would likely collapse soon.

Li Xiaolin snorted coldly when he heard this: "Zheng Zhilong and Zheng Sen are obviously waiting for us to see how we will respond to their arrangements."

Zhang Huangyan frowned deeply and replied in a low voice, "The same is true for Zheng Sen. He's probably waiting for us to lure Zheng Zhilong or one of Hong Xu's troops eastward so we can seize the opportunity to attack."

"The distance between Fuzhou and Quanzhou and the mountainous areas of central Fujian is not far, and Zheng Sen must have seen this." Zhang Huangyan continued his analysis:

"His previous failed attacks clearly exposed his weaknesses. Now that we've just entered Zhangzhou, he's naturally changed his strategy and is preparing to attack from the flanks. However, whether it's Zhangping or Hua'an, if Zheng Sen really wants to reinforce, it's easy."

Zhang Huangyan's tone gradually grew heavier, and it was clear that this series of changes had put him under increasing pressure. He realized that although the current situation in Zhangzhou was favorable to him, once the enemy's reinforcements arrived, the situation would change rapidly.

Furthermore, Zheng Zhilong and Zheng Sen showed no signs of rushing to attack, a silence that hinted at considerable uncertainty. If they failed to react promptly to the Ming army's movements, it could mean their intelligence hadn't fully penetrated, or perhaps they were waiting for a more favorable opportunity to reverse the situation.

"Zheng Zhilong's lack of action actually makes me uneasy." Zhang Huangyan pondered for a moment and continued, "Whether it's due to delayed intelligence or a hidden agenda, this means the enemy's actions could be sudden and unexpected. We must not only guard against Zheng Zhilong's counterattack, but also remain vigilant to Zheng Sen's next plan."

Li Xiaolin sneered and said, "If they think we'll slow down and wait for their attack, they're wrong. Since they're determined to lure the enemy deeper, we'll take advantage of their underestimation and defeat them in one fell swoop."

Wei Xian was more cautious. "General, although the situation is currently favorable to us, every move they make deserves our high vigilance. Zheng Zhilong and Zheng Sen may not be in a hurry to attack, but that doesn't mean they don't have plans. We must prepare in advance, especially in the Chaozhou area. Once the enemy reinforcements arrive, the battle will become more complicated."

"You're right." Zhang Huangyan nodded and took a deep breath. "We must always stay alert. We must not only speed up our progress and control the pace, but also ensure we lay a solid foundation in Fujian and quickly consolidate the situation."

He looked down at the map in his hands, his eyes focused, his mind already rapidly calculating the situation for the next few days. Every geographical location, every enemy troop movement, was crucial to the ultimate victory or defeat.

You know, every step of this war requires precise judgment and decisive decision-making, and he can no longer miss any opportunity.

　I will take three days off for the Spring Festival. Please let me know.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)