Huang Fangdu
"This is a letter from Qin Shang, with some advice inside. I'm not sure what to make of it, so please take a look, Second Brother, and help me weigh the pros and cons."
In the Quanzhou Prefecture government office, Zhu Jin handed over the family letter he had just received to Feng Xifan and Chen Xiangwu. It's worth mentioning that Zheng Kechang sends a letter of inquiry every month to the military front. However, in the past, most of them were about trivial matters at home, interesting news from the children's camp, and reading experiences. This time, however, he talked about extraordinary military and national affairs, which made Zhu Jin feel somewhat displeased after the smooth journey westward. Nevertheless, after some serious consideration, Zhu Jin found that Zheng Kechang's words were reasonable, but if he really wanted to implement them, Zhu Jin couldn't make up his mind, so he called over his two trusted advisors who were by his side.
Feng Xifan and Chen Shangwu hesitated for a moment, took over the letter, and the two of them huddled together to take a look. The top half of the letter had already been folded up, presumably the normal family letter part, only the last paragraph was spread out before their eyes.
"My son has been reading various histories and occasionally comes across something that makes him feel uneasy. He secretly thinks that the only ones who can drive out the new attached military and unify the country are the Mongols, like the two Tatars of today. Now, the local soldiers have arrived in Fujian and Guangdong, and although many have followed them, they are not capable of fighting a single battle. Every time there is a war, it's not possible to win without the Taiwan precision troops, and it's often said that killing 1,000 enemies results in 800 self-inflicted wounds. How can this continue without worry? My son dares to speak out and asks your majesty to simplify the new attached military and have them enter our province's various garrisons. Those who are stubborn, old, and weak should be sent to the eastern capital to be managed by the various garrisons, and their families should be brought to Taiwan to be granted land for farming. Perhaps this can make them settle down."
Feng Xifan and Chen Shangwu looked at each other, both of them lowering their heads, neither daring to be the first to speak up.
"What's wrong with you two?" Zhu Jin asked anxiously as he saw the thoughtful expressions on their faces. "What do you think, both of you?"
Looking at Zhu Jin's eager gaze, Feng Xifan gritted his teeth and rushed to Zhu Jin with a bow: "Although Yuanzi has not studied military books or gone through battles, he can use the past to observe the present, which is truly heavenly wisdom. I congratulate the great king, I congratulate Dongning, and I congratulate the revival of the Great Ming dynasty."
"Flattery!" Chen Xiangwu secretly grumbled, but he also couldn't help but follow suit and prostrate himself on the ground. "Your Majesty has strategized in secret, with one glance you can see the advantages and disadvantages of our army. Although I have been by Your Majesty's side, I was blinded by a single leaf and unable to make up for the shortcomings in time. I am truly speechless, please punish me for my negligence!"
"Alright, alright, it's not necessary to hear you two say these things." Zhu Jin was also a ruler with many years of governing experience, so he naturally knew the purpose of the two people in front of him, one congratulating and the other apologizing. He just didn't want to spend too much thought on these matters. "You two speak, is it feasible for Qinshe to merge the newly attached troops?"
"Yuanzi roughly inferred from Wang Shang's flood control of the Huai River and its affiliated matters."
Chen Xiangwu was referring to the fact that in March this year, Zheng Jing ordered the destruction of the ancestral temple and shrine of Hong Chengchou in Zhangquan Town, and replaced it with a shrine for Huang Daozhou, and exiled Hong Chengchou's relatives to the remote border area of Dongning. This connection is not only far-fetched but also reduces Zheng Keshuang's suggestion to an inspiration for Zhu Jin's actions, which is quite belittling to Zheng Keshuang.
"But our clan is currently marching into Guangdong, it's the perfect time to recruit heroes from all sides. If we were to take action against the new attached army now, I'm afraid it would spread to the outside world and make various troops fearful. In the future, it won't be easy to persuade them to surrender." Chen Xiangwu dryly laughed twice. "Yuanshi's plan is good, but the timing isn't right yet."
After hearing Chen Xiangwu's response, Feng Xifan's heart moved, remembering that Chen Xiangwu had also opposed Zheng Kecang's suggestion last time. Thinking of this, Feng Xifan immediately decided to speak out and help: "Your Majesty, the new attached army is extremely weak, once they enter various towns, it will be necessary to reorganize them. Our province is currently focusing on going south to Guangdong, and speed is crucial in war. I also think that this matter should be delayed for now."
Feng Xifan was not really opposed to Zheng Kecang's opinion, in fact he was preparing a big pit for Chen Shuangwu.
"However, Yuanzi's words are extremely reasonable. It is unlikely that our army will suffer losses and casualties, while the newly surrendered troops occupy the city to rest and recover. Once our main force suffers a setback, it will be a situation where the tables are turned in an instant. Your Majesty must make preparations early."
Affected by two close ministers, Zhu Jin decided to temporarily put aside Zheng Kezang's advice on rectifying the army. However, Feng Xifan's words about consuming the newly attached armies took root in Zhu Jin's mind. Therefore, in April of that year, Zhu Jin issued an order requiring Huang Fangdu and other leaders of the newly attached armies to enter the court.
Huang Fangdu was worried that Zhu Jin's move was to lure the tiger out of the mountain, so he claimed illness and did not attend court. Huang Fangdu's actions inadvertently confirmed Feng Xifan's concerns, so Zhu Jin ordered his cousin Zheng Bin to enter Zhangzhou to comfort and instruct him.
"Or lead the troops to follow Zheng's army to attack Guangdong, or give up military power and enter the government as an official?" When Zheng Bin represented Zhu Jin's suggestion, Huang Fangdu, who was lying on the couch pretending to be ill, coughed twice with a seemingly difficult expression. "Zheng Zhangshi, it's not that I don't want to serve under the great general, but my old illness has relapsed. Please ask Zhangshi to explain to the great general, and when my body is slightly better, I will definitely give up my military power. As for entering the government, there's no need. At that time, please ask the great general to grant a few hectares of barren land in Taiwan, and the Huang family of over 100 people can cultivate and eat on their own."
Zheng Bin left with a disbelieving face, but before he had even stepped out of the Huang Manor, Huang Fangdu's elder brother Huang Fangtai rushed into Huang Fangdu's room with Huang Yi and other Huang clan members: "Duke, why didn't you seize this opportunity to detain Zheng Bin? It would be better for Zheng Jingxiao to be wary of his own kin."
"Nonsense! Zheng Bin is just a discarded son, what's the use of keeping him captive? It's better to let him go back and report, so that we can have time to prepare the city defense and train our soldiers." As he said this, Huang Fangdu looked at Huang Fangtai. "Big brother, you immediately sneak into Guangdong, pay respects to An Da Gong, and tell him that the Huang family is willing to be the internal response, please ask him to send troops to rescue us immediately."
Huang Fangdu's intention has already been made clear, but Zhu Jin did not make good preparations. On the one hand, Zhangzhou City is high and grain-rich, Huang Fangdu has been operating for years. On the other hand, the main force of Ming Zheng has successively moved south to confront Shang Zhixin in Chaozhou, so Zhu Jin had to continue to adopt a political solution.
Zhu Jin extended an invitation to Huang Fangdu through Geng Jingzhong, inviting him to go north and join forces with Geng Huan to attack Zhejiang. Huang Fangdu was worried that after leaving Zhangzhou he would be attacked by the Zheng army from both sides, and was also afraid that even if he went to northern Fujian he would still be cannon fodder. Furthermore, he was reluctant to abandon his old lair, which he had occupied for many years. Therefore, he ignored Geng Jingzhong's letter, and as a result, the opportunity to peacefully resolve the Zhangzhou situation was completely lost.
At the end of May, Qing'an Da Gong Shang Zhi's letter mobilized about 30,000 Qing troops throughout Guangdong to join forces with Zheng Jun in a battle at Jiaomu Mountain. Zheng Jun adopted the tactic of breaking through the middle road and attacking from both sides. He You, the commander of the Left Tiger Guard, led his troops in a fierce charge, piercing straight into Shang Zhi's central army. Just as Shang Zhi's troops were thrown into chaos, Liu Guo Xuan arrived on the scene, and Shang Jun's army was defeated. In this battle, Zheng Jun used less than 10,000 soldiers to defeat an enemy three times their size, greatly boosting their prestige. The failure of Shang Zhi also marked the beginning of the downfall of the Huang clan.
"Kill!" The thunderous cannon fire had just stopped, and the cries of "kill" filled the air again. In the eyes of the Zhangzhou garrison soldiers who crawled out of their hiding caves, the dense crowd of enemy heads below was like a raging sea, wave after wave pushing forward, rushing towards themselves who seemed to be in imminent danger.
"Fire! Kill them!" Huang Fangdu squeezed out a few words from between his teeth, standing in the enemy tower on the city wall to observe and command. Although Pinghe County had already been forced to surrender by He You's returning troops, the entire situation was extremely unfavorable for the Huang family, but Huang Fangdu had no way to retreat. To know that his father, Huang Wenguang, had personally dug up the ancestral grave of the Zheng family in order to show loyalty to the Qing court, now he had to pay off this debt with his own life, even if it meant dragging all of Chaozhou down with him to die.
As Huang Fangduo ordered, the city head of Zhangzhou launched a barrage of gunfire and artillery, amidst the thunderous explosions, rows of Zheng troops fell on the road ahead. However, in recent years, the Zheng army had retreated to Taiwan, and Zhangzhou was already a safe zone, so the Qing court did not deploy too many firearms here, and the casualties caused by the gunfire were still bearable for the Zheng army. But having dodged the relatively slow-firing firearms, the simultaneous shooting of arrows and crossbow bolts caused considerable losses.
Looking at the officers and men wailing in the hail of bullets, Zhu Jin's face was solemn.
"Wang Shang, we can't keep fighting like this." If Zhu Jin's face was only solemn, then Hua Shanglan, who had been driven to the front lines, looked as if she had lost her last relative. "If we fight again in Renwu Town, nothing will be left."
Looking at the similarly frowning and nervous Left Commander, Xingming Marquis Zhao Desheng, and Left Vanguard General Zhang Xueyao, Chen Xiangwu stepped forward and cupped his hands to advise Zhu Jin: "Your Majesty, the walls of Zhangzhou are high, and Huang Zu has long been prepared. I fear that it cannot be taken lightly for the time being. Today's vanguard morale is already lost, so why not temporarily return to camp and besiege the city, waiting for another day to fight again."
"When will the Red Barbarian Artillery arrive?" Ci did not take command of the army, and coupled with Zhu Jin's intention to consume the miscellaneous forces, he did not accept Chen Xiangwu's request in the first place. Instead, he urged: "Pass on the order, if they do not arrive within five days, behead the camp officer; if they do not arrive within ten days, behead all officers below the town general!" After hearing Zhu Jin's murderous words, everyone looked at Shang Hualan with pitiful eyes. It wasn't until then that Zhu Jin slowly said: "What Chen Zanhua said also makes sense, sound the golden drum."
The loud gongs let the whole city breathe a sigh of relief, and Huang Fangdu slowly walked out of the enemy tower, shouting at his subordinates: "Did you see that Zheng's army retreated? They are also human beings, with one nose and two eyes, they will bleed and die when shot by guns and arrows. There is nothing to be proud of! Today everyone has done a great job defending the city, and will be rewarded with double silver!"
A burst of cheers on the city wall, everyone is risking their lives to seek advancement, and naturally, the more money they get, the better. However, unlike the excitement of the lower-ranking soldiers, Huang Fangdu's general Cai Long still had a gloomy expression.
"Your Excellency, the scouts just reported that more than 40 people have died and over a hundred are injured," This number is not large, far less than the casualties of Zheng's army, so this is not what Cai Long is worried about. "One quarter of the gunpowder has been used up, and nearly four thousand arrows have been fired, what if the siege lasts?"
"What?" Huang Fangdu was shocked, the gunpowder was not enough, and his big cannon would soon be silenced. "Damn it!" However, after scolding this sentence, Huang Fangdu pretended to calm down. "Don't worry, Zheng's army is only 15,000, today's loss is too much for them to bear, in fact, the one who should be worried now is that Zheng Jing." As he spoke, Huang Fangdu clenched his fists, convincing both Cai Long and himself. "Even if Zheng's army just surrounds the city without attacking it, there's nothing to fear, Yu has already prepared enough food for a year, even if we are in a stalemate with Zheng Jing, we can still win."
