Yang Jie, Zhu Yin

  Kangxi replaced Lang Tingxiang and Yang Xi with Yao Qisheng and Wu Xingzuo, and also called in the Jiangsu Green Camp to enter Fujian. The commander of Jiangnan, Yang Jie, led 20,000 troops southward, and after merging with the troops from Zhejiang, Fujian, and Jiangxi, this supporting army swelled to 50,000. However, although the Qing army had a large force, they did not dare to make any rash moves against Liu Guoxuan's forces, which were not weak.

  "Imperial Decree: Jiangnan Tidu Yang Jie, is said to be virtuous and able, good at military strategy, with the talent of a great general. He is appointed as the Fuzhou Land Force Tidu, do not disappoint my expectations." After conveying the imperial decree, the second-class Imperial Guard wearing a green dragon robe and a yellow horse cloak, Suolongge smiled and helped up Yang Jie who was still kowtowing. "Congratulations, Lord Yang."

  "It's all the grace of the Holy One." Although the second-class guard was only a fourth-rank official, Yang Jie, as a first-class official, did not dare to show off in front of these eagle dogs of the Qing emperor. He crawled back from the ground and bowed his head towards the north again. "Please ask Lord Suo to report to the Emperor, I, Yang Jie, will not disappoint the great expectations of His Majesty, and will lead the troops to defeat the rebel Zheng Liu Guoxuan's forces."

  "This is very good." Sorong Ge didn't seem to be moved by Yang Jie's empty words, and instead asked directly. "But when does Lord Yang plan to advance? The small soldiers in Haicheng City are numerous, but the grain and fodder are not sufficient. If everyone inside starves to death, won't it be too late for you to send troops?"

  Yang Jie didn't know whether this was Suo Lun Ge's own words or Kang Xi expressing his dissatisfaction through him, so he hastily replied solemnly: "Previously we had to wait for the reinforcements from the three provinces. Now that our army is strong and powerful, with unified command, I naturally dare not delay. Please rest assured, General Suo, within a few days we will surely capture Zheng's rebel camp in one fell swoop."

  "Is that so?" Soronger seemed to still have some doubts. "The Emperor is indeed very concerned about this!"

  "Yang has managed to get it." As he said this, Yang Jie gave a signal with his eyes to the attendant beside him. Before long, an envelope had been quietly slipped into Song Long's hand. "Lord Song, I have some local products here that I'd like to ask you to deliver to several nobles' residences in the capital. Would you be so kind as to help me out?"

  Suolong's eyes swept over with a glance, and a number jumped into his line of sight: "Three thousand two!"

  Although the amount is not small, if it were to be given to a certain big shot in the government, the quantity would still be too light. It should only be used as a gift for himself and his subordinates. He calculated that this errand was quite profitable, so he put it into his sleeve with satisfaction.

  Upon seeing Song Long receiving the gift list, Yang Jie's face broke into a smile and he invited him with both hands: "Lord Song, the wine banquet is ready"

  ??”

  Under the urging of Kangxi, Yang Jie led his troops to advance on Bizhao Mountain. Given that the Lamp Fire Fort below Bizhao Mountain is adjacent to the Daxi River, which flows directly into the sea, Liu Guoxuan ordered Deputy General Wu Shu to lead his troops to defend it. Wu Shu advanced overnight and occupied the Lamp Fire Fort. At this time, the Qing army discovered the movement of the Zheng army and launched a cannon attack. Wu Shu was well-prepared for this and had people dig trenches as soon as they entered the fort. When the Qing army fired cannons, the Zheng army hid in the trenches and escaped unscathed.

  However, Yang Jie was worthy of his reputation as a skilled military commander. He made the decision to launch a surprise attack on Zheng's army while sending troops to bombard Denghuojia. Under the cover of artillery fire, more than 10,000 Qing soldiers launched a fierce attack on the Ming-Zheng army along the Zushan-Touyue ridge line. The Qing army's offensive was like a tide, and with the use of tactics such as "shouting east and hitting west", Zheng's army was caught off guard for a time. The defending troops under Lin Biao and Zhang Feng were successively defeated, and Zhang Feng even died on the battlefield.

  When the Qing army, with its momentum like a rainbow, continued to attack Lin Sheng's camp, Liu Guoxuan, who had reacted in time, personally led his troops to counterattack. The Zheng army's cannons did not distinguish between friend and foe, firing indiscriminately, and the Qing army was greatly disheartened by this blow. Liu Guoxuan took advantage of the situation to launch a pincer attack, and the flag-bearing soldiers, who had been routed earlier, regained their strength and charged forward again, breaking through their own camp in one fell swoop. Yang Jie had no choice but to lead his troops in a distant retreat. Liu Guoxuan, having gained the upper hand, showed no mercy, pursuing and attacking the Qing army all along the way. The Qing army suffered heavy casualties, with many Manchu cavalrymen falling into the moat; they retreated in defeat, and the reinforcements from Haicheng were cut off.

  Yang Jie's defeat caused the Qing army to lose its ability to continue fighting in Fujian for a while. As a result, the newly appointed Governor of Fujian, Yao Qisheng, on the one hand, petitioned the Qing court to re-implement the sealed border order to cut off Zheng's supplies, and on the other hand, sent an envoy to Xiamen to try to restore peace talks with the Ming-Zheng side.

  "Judging from Yao Qisheng's past, he is determined to be a traitor and a running dog. This time's peace talk is just a delaying tactic." Feng Xifan advised Zhu Jin. "It's all about the lives of those tens of thousands of Qing soldiers in Haicheng. I think that even if we want to make peace, we cannot let these tens of thousands of Qing soldiers return."

  "You're right, one can only make peace after being able to fight." Zhu Jin nodded, as the local situation improved and the overall environment deteriorated, he had lost his motivation to advance, and every day was spent drinking and enjoying beautiful women. The reason he continued to hold on was solely based on his trust in Liu Guoxuan. "Let's leave this matter to Guanguang (Liu Guoxuan)." Feng Xifan was about to retreat when Zhu Jin suddenly asked, "What do you think of Yang Xian's letter?"

  Feng Xifan furrowed his brow and thought for a moment before responding, "The troops of Shang Kexi are not to be feared. If Yang Gong wants to send troops to Gaoluan, it's not necessarily a bad thing for our province. However, the cities of Cangzhou and Danzhou are still in the hands of the Qing army. If our main force heads north and they attack us from behind, that would be disastrous. It would be better to let Yang Gong pacify the rear first."

  "It's not that I'm asking you, but since Yang Xian is so far away in Qiongzhou, who would know better than him how to fight there?" Zhu Jin gestured for the beauty beside him to pour a cup of wine for himself and Feng Xifan. Feng Xifan was about to thank him, but Zhu Jin waved his hand. "What I'm asking is whether Yang Xian wants to transfer ships from Nanao and Tongshan."

  "At present, the military rations are somewhat insufficient. Although Qiongzhou has three harvests a year, I think Yang's suggestion is feasible." Feng Xifan had been pretending to be unclear, but now that Zhu Jin asked directly, he could only make his attitude clear. "It's just that grain ships need warships to escort them, and if too many are diverted, won't it leave a gap for the Qing army to take advantage of? Moreover, Zhu TianGui is an old man from our province, and if Wang takes troops away from him, won't he be dissatisfied?"

  "Zhu Tiangu should know the general situation." To be honest, Yang Xian's suggestion really made Zhu Jin's eyes light up. After all, in order to raise tens of thousands of troops for Zheng Jun, Dongning and Siming had already increased taxes once, and if they were to dry up the lake and burn down the forest, this battle might not need to be fought after all. "Alright, let's transfer half of the naval forces from Tongshan and Nanao to Yang Xian, but we must make it clear to Yang Qing that while we are giving him troops and ships, food supplies must be guaranteed."

  "I understand, I'll send someone to spread the word." As he spoke, Feng Xifan quietly raised his head. "Your Majesty, I heard that Chen Xiangwu has left Dongning." Zhu Jin's gaze condensed, and he waved his hand for the beauty who was massaging his legs to withdraw. Seeing that he had caught Zhu Jin's attention, Feng Xifan continued, "It is said that Chen Xiangwu followed the suggestion of Grand Commander Chen and plans to travel to Annam, Batavia, and Luzon to take a look around."

  Zhu Jin's gaze was fixed on Feng Xifan, the silent pressure making this powerful minister who held the key position of Imperial Guard somewhat restless: "Just take a walk, have a look around, and clear your mind? Previously, he had been suppressed by him, but now he could think it over, and this might not be a bad thing!"

  "Yes, Lord Wang is right." Feng Xifan echoed twice, but the arrow on the string had to be shot, his preparation was already sufficient, and he couldn't retreat at this moment. He gritted his teeth and dropped a bombshell. "Wasn't it just after Chen Xiangwu passed through Qiongzhou that Lord Yang came up with the idea of sending troops and asking for warships? Isn't that a bit too coincidental?"

  Zhu Jin's gaze suddenly contracted, but then responded with a nonchalant attitude: "Are you saying that Chen Xiangwu and Yang Xian have colluded to take advantage of the fact that our fiefdom is trapped in a bitter war on the mainland to escape to Nanyang and establish their own power? This is impossible. How could Yang Xian collude with Chen Xiangwu? If it's said that Chen Xiangwu suggested that Yang Xian use Qiong grain to make up for Siming's deficiency, I can still believe it. But if it's said that the two of them would betray their lord and establish themselves independently, this is impossible, absolutely impossible."

  Feng Xifan also knew that his conjecture was actually full of loopholes. Yang Xian was already old, and his family was in Dongning, in the military front, there was no possibility of rebellion. However, his intention was not to link Yang Xian with Chen Xiangwu, but had another purpose.

  "Your Majesty, my intention is that since the seven counties have fallen, the salt and grain officials originally stationed in various places have nowhere to settle. Rather than letting them idle in Siming, it would be better to send them to Qiongzhou or let them help Yang Gong with some heavy responsibilities, so as to balance each other out and prevent any unexpected events from occurring."

  Zhu Jin hesitated for a moment. If Yang Xian hadn't dispatched the naval forces to Qiong, he wouldn't have agreed to Feng Xifan's suggestion. But with the weight of over a hundred large ships added in, his mental balance began to waver: "It can be arranged for various officials to come to Qiong Prefecture as county magistrates."

  But this was not what Feng Xifan wanted, he was about to speak again, when Zhu Jin raised his hand to stop him: "Let Zheng Shengying take charge of the affairs of Qiongzhou Prefecture, and transfer Gongguan Yang Xian to be the Right Army Commander-in-Chief, in overall command of the Guangdong-Qiong army; Feng Xikuan as the Left Assistant Commander (Camp Supervisor) of the Right Army, Li Jing succeeded as the official in charge of works, Chen Tingzhang as the Salt Transport Commissioner of Qiongzhou, and Feng Xike promoted to be the Pacification Commissioner in overall charge of the local finances."

  Feng Xifan was not yet satisfied, but his two brothers had both been promoted to official positions. One held the financial power of the central military, and the other had gained a supervisory role, so he could only be content with what he had: "Your subject replaces his younger brother in thanking Your Majesty for your generous favor."

  "This is just a mere formality!" Zhu Jin's spirit was no longer as vigorous as before, handling these few matters, his eyelids felt somewhat heavy, so he waved his hand and dismissed him. "You may go down first."

  Feng Xifan bowed again, turned around and retreated. Zhu Jin closed his eyes weakly, and the faces of Yang Xian, Chen Xiangwu, Feng Xifan, Chen Yonghua and others appeared one by one in front of him. Even Xu Yao and Xue Jinsi's faces floated during the sinking. Looking at these familiar faces, he couldn't help but sigh. However, before he could open his eyes to disperse these faces that had become a nightmare, Feng Xifan, who had just exited, rushed back in hastily.

  "Wang Shang, the White Tiger Army led by Zhu Yin has arrived to surrender."

  "What? Zhu Yin can't even hold on in the mainland? Damn it, all the grain and money of our fiefdom have been fed to dogs!"

  "Wang Shang, this is not a bad thing after all. The White Armor Army still has tens of thousands of men left, whether it's to replenish our own army or to garrison the city, it's quite a considerable force."

  "This also makes some sense, however, Zhu Yin usurped the title of Zhu San Taizi"

  ??”

  "I understand, I will let him change his surname and name!"