Wu Shigong's intention, which Xue Yongli knew very well, was to establish a buffer zone around the Runing Army. He also wanted to try to win over those losers, at least not to allow them to join the peasant rebel army.

At this stage, the status of the Runing Army as an officer is still quite popular, so as long as these grassroots feel that the Runing Army will not abandon them, and then let them feel the powerful strength of the Runing Army, in the future

In the battle with the peasant rebel army, these people will also be inclined to the Runing Army. Even after the interests are tied, it is possible to turn these people into die-hard members of the Runing Army.

Then, Xue Yongli asked another concerned question: "Uncle, Governor Hong has returned directly to Shaanxi, and the bandit-suppressing army will no longer go to Huguang. Do we still need to set up supply points along the way in Xinyang and Wuchang?"

During the Xinyang military meeting, Hong Chengchou learned that the peasant rebel army had entered Shaanxi in large numbers, so his original plan to suppress bandits in Huguang would not work. Therefore, after the meeting, Hong Chengchou hurriedly returned to Shaanxi with the main force. In this situation

Now, it seems that the Runing Army's expenditure of manpower and material resources to establish food supply points is somewhat unnecessary.

"That's not the case!" Wu Shigong waved his hand and explained, "What I'm interested in is the road to Wuchang. What I'm interested in is the Yangtze River waterway. If we have one of our naval forces in Wuchang, then our weakness in Huguang will be completely eliminated.

It has become harder. And it can completely guarantee the retreat of the Runing Army. As for Governor Hong! If you can help, please help. Besides, now that his warrant is in my hands, if I don't use it fully, I'm sorry to Hong.

The governor’s trust!”

After saying that, the two looked at each other and laughed.

"No wonder my uncle wanted to return the dividends from Fujian Zheng Guerrilla." Xue Yongli certainly knew Wu Shigong's purpose of establishing the navy, "But when I learned that my uncle made his own decisions, Mr. Deng didn't say it in front of you, but behind his back his face was all over the place.

It’s green!”

After this festival, Zheng Jiao and shopkeeper Zheng came to Runing Mansion again. They brought Wu Shigong more than half a year's dividends from his four sea-going ships - twenty-seven thousand taels of silver.

Of course, Zheng Zhilong, who was a hero at sea in the late Ming Dynasty, was definitely not stupid, nor would he give Wu Shigong his money in vain. He had his own intention in giving the dividends.

Last year, when Zhang Rubao led a hundred people to Fujian, he happened to meet Zheng Zhilong swearing an oath and setting off to fight his last powerful enemy at sea, Liu Xiang. Zhang Rubao also joined the expedition.

At the end of May in the eighth year of Chongzhen's reign, Zheng Zhilong encountered Liu Xiang's maritime armed group in Tianweiyang, Guangdong. The two sides immediately started a fierce battle, and they fought to the bitter end. As the battle progressed, the ships of both sides strangled each other. It depends on who is the best.

You can gain the upper hand in gang-hopping battles.

In the fierce battle, Zheng Zhilong's most capable and beloved assistant, his brother Zheng Zhihu, unfortunately died in the battle. But at this moment, the hundreds of people led by Zhang Rubao appeared. They changed the past chaos of pirates jumping gangs to fight.

, according to the tactics of the Runing Army, combat teams with left and right cover and equipped with near and far weapons were formed.

Each and every one of these teams was highly skilled in combat and coordinated well. Their weaponry was quite reasonable, so the battle against them became one-sided.

This also became the straw that broke the camel's back. Liu Xiang's warships were successively seized by Zheng Zhilong. Liu Xiang's flagship, which was trapped in a strangulation, was finally surrounded by Zheng Zhilong's warships. Seeing no way out, Liu Xiang burned himself to death.

Zheng Zhilong's last enemy at sea was eliminated.

In order to reward his merits after the war, Zheng Zhilong gave Zhang Rubao and others generous rewards, and used beauties and high profits to win over Zhang Rubao and others. However, these people were carefully selected by the Runing Army, and their families were all under Wu Shigong's control, so in the end

No one changed their careers to join Zheng Zhilong. And because Zheng Zhilong had a cooperative relationship with Wu Shigong, he couldn't do anything that would make him popular, so he just gave up.

After Liu Xiang's death, Zheng Zhilong incorporated all maritime forces into the local government system and gained control of the sea. He legally controlled the operation of the East-West trade system. Because there was only one official with maritime strength in the Ming Dynasty, Zheng Zhilong, so he was actually Zheng Zhilong.

Monopolized the Ming Dynasty's external maritime trade.

At this time, there were three golden sea lanes in the Far East: one was through Malacca to Macau, which was a common waterway among Western countries; the other was through Manila to the coast of the Ming Dynasty, which was exclusively used by Spain, and Zheng Zhilong also had a large part in sea trade.

The first is this sea route; the other is from the Ming Dynasty to Japan. This is the most profitable sea route now, and it is basically dominated by Zheng Zhilong.

But why add "basically"? Because the Dutch colonists who established a colonial settlement in Taiwan also used Taiwan as a base to conduct some ocean-going trade with Japan.

At this time, Zheng Zhilong was about to control and develop Taiwan and suppress the Dutch colonists. Zheng Zhilong's purpose of controlling and developing Taiwan was similar to Wu Shigong's purpose of setting up the Tuntian Villa in Henan, which was to set up a base for the Zheng family on the sea. But we

It should also be noted that he only suppressed, rather than drove away or eliminated, the Dutch colonists in Taiwan.

Because Zheng Zhilong still needs to do business with the Dutch colonists. In his opinion, national justice is not as good as money. As long as the Dutch colonists abide by the maritime rules established by Zheng Zhilong in the Far East, then some places in Taiwan will be ceded to the Netherlands.

Where a person settles down, that is insignificant.

But since the Dutch can be called "sea coachmen" at this time, they will certainly not submit obediently. Therefore, Zheng Zhilong will use force to subdue the Dutch in Taiwan, and then let them accept the maritime rules he formulated.

rule.

But the Dutch are also very powerful in firearms, and they have built several strong fortresses in Taiwan. If Zheng Zhilong directly attacks them with his direct descendants? He will definitely feel distressed, so Zheng Zhilong set his sights on mercenaries.

Zheng Zhilong himself gathered some pirates in Fujian and hired some ronin in Japan. Now he saw Zhang Rubao's strong fighting power, so he also wanted to hire some soldiers here in the Runing Army. To be honest, Wu Shigong is now in military cooperation with Zheng Zhilong.

Zheng Zhilong occupies an absolutely active position by virtue of his wealth.

So after Zheng Jiao met with Wu Shigong this time, he proposed to Wu Shigong to send another 400 soldiers with the same combat power as Zhang Rubao and others to help Zheng Zhilong control Taiwan.

As a reward, in addition to bringing dividends, Zheng Zhilong promised to give Wu Shigong two more sea ships, and would share some interests with Wu Shigong in the development of Taiwan. Of course, Wu Shigong had to raise his own manpower to develop Taiwan.

But Wu Shigong completely rejected this proposal. He returned the dividends and asked Zheng Zhilong to help build a batch of small and medium-sized inland river commercial and war ships that could be used in the Yangtze River and Huaihe River.

Zheng Jiao had no objection to this. For Zheng Zhilong, who could build sea-going ships, building some small and medium-sized ships was just a piece of cake.

But Wu Shigong next proposed: Send three thousand soldiers to completely occupy Taiwan. For this, Wu Shigong only needed to get more of the territory originally occupied by the Dutch, and the main control of Taiwan would still be in the hands of Zheng Zhilong.

But Zheng Zhilong did not have the authority to agree to such conditions. He could only send a fast horse to send the news back to Fujian, and let Zheng Zhilong make the final decision.

But not only was Zheng Jiao's request for Wu Shigong a bit strange, but no one within the Runing Army could understand Wu Shigong. So Xue Yongli asked again: "Uncle! Then Zheng Guerrilla bribed our Runing Army to go to war, let's not mention this for now

Whether this approach is appropriate or not, but Yizhou (Taiwan) is a barbarian land with poor mountains and rivers, and the only people who have to fight are Flemish people like Deputy Director Oka, is the income too little?"

Wu Shigong smiled and shook his head. People in the Ming Dynasty today have no idea that Taiwan is the treasure island of the motherland: "So I want to send three thousand troops. The sea trade of Yizhou can be given to Zheng Guerrilla first, but I want the territory of Yizhou

Accounting for 30%. In fact, you don’t know that Yizhou is a good place. It is just isolated overseas, and our Ming Dynasty has a sea ban, so we are afraid of overseas separatism and abandoned this place. Yizhou is rich in products, the fields are ripe three times a year, and there are many surrounding areas

It is rich in seafood. This island alone can support a million people and an army of 50,000."

Thanks to the long-term introduction of Taiwan by the news media, Wu Shigong also spoke in a convincing way at this time, which made Xue Yongli also doubtfully accept Wu Shigong's point of view.

However, Xue Yongli reminded again: "Uncle! The current strength of our Runing Army is also stretched thin. If we divide our troops again, we are afraid that we will gain nothing without relying on both ends!"

"How can we allow barbarians to trample on the land of China!" Wu Shigong replied firmly, "Fighting against the Shaanxi bandits is like brothers fighting against each other. Sometimes you can't kill them all. But fighting against the red-haired ghosts and Tatars is a national war, and you can sacrifice everything.

Rather than risking our lives, we, the Runing Army, are already the most elite sons and daughters of China, who else can take this responsibility but me? This is also a great responsibility given to you and me by heaven, this is destiny!"

Wu Shigong's encouragement made Xue Yongli excited. Coupled with those words about "destiny", Xue Yongli also became a little superstitious that his uncle was sent by God to save this troubled world. Don't tell me, sometimes the ancients just ate this

set.

Xue Yongli had no idea that as soon as he heard that Zheng Jiao invited the Runing Army to attack Taiwan, Wu Shigong immediately remembered the deeds of the national hero Zheng Chenggong. Back then, Zheng Chenggong could rely on Taiwan to deal with the Manchus for such a long time. If the Runing Army occupied Taiwan

, even if it is only a small part, then the Runing army really has the final retreat. Now Wu Shigong is still worried that the original history will repeat itself, and Qing troops will enter the pass and occupy the entire Central Plains in the future.

But what's very funny is that until now, Wu Shigong still doesn't know that Zheng Zhilong and Zheng Chenggong are father and son.
Chapter completed!