"At this point, we can basically conclude that the entire war situation is under Zheng Zhilong's control. I have every reason to suspect that he must have been planning this for a long time, and he must be the final winner."
Zuo Hua's conclusion did not convince the staff.
Operations staff officer Feng Guolun questioned: "Minister, we need to know the reason."
Because of Zuo Menggeng's deliberate training, the new army was full of vigor, with everyone competing for the lead and not convinced of each other.
If you want to convince the public, it is absolutely impossible to rely solely on your position.
You must show real results and performance.
Zuo Hua knew that as a latecomer, he still had a long way to go before he could make the navy work like an arm and a leg.
"You have all observed these days. Where are the artillery pieces we sold to Zheng Zhilong?"
When the staff thought about it carefully, they all suddenly understood.
In order to fight against the Dutch this time, Zheng Zhilong purchased many bronze cannons from Shandong.
This is his greatest reliance.
Of course, these staff officers knew exactly how many artillery pieces were sold to Zheng Zhilong.
They clearly remembered that these new artillery were all on the ship in Funing.
In other words, Zheng Zhilong's fleet lost in Xiamen did not even have a single new artillery piece.
It's hard to tell if this wasn't intentional on his part.
While the staff were thinking, Zuo Hua began to state his reasons.
"The Zheng family is a pirate group. In the process of its rise, Zheng Zhilong successively absorbed the legacies of Li Dan and Yan Siqi, and only then did it become what it is today. These forces certainly helped him grow, but within the pirate group, there must be forces that Zheng Zhilong cannot control.
.If these forces are not eliminated, Zheng Zhilong’s status will not be stable. But he cannot do it himself to avoid falling into the trap of his mouth. Under such circumstances, the appearance of the Dutch is a great help to him. "
This judgment made the staff officers of the New Army feel cold all over.
They can never imagine the scenario of plotting against their own people.
But Zuo Hua knew very well that this kind of thing was really common among pirates.
"At present, it seems that the imperial navy and the unstable forces within the Zheng Group have all been eliminated. As long as Zheng Zhilong defeats the Dutch, then all the maritime territory here will become his world."
Feng Guolun was quite doubtful.
"Is Zheng Zhilong sure of winning?"
Zuo Hua smiled.
"Zheng Zhilong is a local snake. He has been operating here for many years, and he must have some secret cards that are unknown to the public. I suspect that every move of the Dutch is under his surveillance. Just wait and see, Zheng Zhilong will definitely win this time."
He has full confidence in Zheng Zhilong.
But Fujian officials are like ants on a hot pot at this time.
Fujian Governor Zou Weilian has received the battle report.
Zou Weilian couldn't sit still when he learned that the Dutch actually arrived at the door of his house and burned, killed and looted everywhere.
"We must immediately mobilize a large army to conquer these barbarians and restore peace to the sea."
As a member of the Donglin Party, Zou Weilian had a firm attitude and was not at all intimidated by the difficulties before him.
But when the chief envoy came to Sri Lanka, he knew that nothing could be done.
"Now that the navy has been wiped out, although we can organize a large army, we are powerless against the barbarians in the sea."
The Dutch are all on the boat, making it easy to swim.
Although there are still defenders in Fujian, they can only look upon the Dutch with dismay on land.
Of course Zou Weilian knew, and asked: "Where is Zheng Zhilong?"
Someone will report it immediately.
"Zheng Zhilong is suppressing bandits in Funing."
Zou Weilian's eyebrows narrowed and he said matter-of-factly: "Let Zheng Zhilong send troops to quickly destroy these Folangji people."
Someone immediately went down to deliver the order.
I came to Sri Lanka but I didn’t have much confidence.
"I'm afraid that Zheng Zhilong is asking for prices all over the sky and watching from the other side."
Zou Weilian hasn't figured it out yet.
"The Zheng family's fleet suffered heavy losses in Xiamen. Can Zheng Zhilong swallow this sigh of relief?"
Laisixing gave him a pitiful look.
"The Zheng family only suffered heavy losses, but the navy of my court was completely wiped out. From now on, no one except the Zheng family can conquer the ocean."
With just one sentence, Zou Weilian felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and finally understood the seriousness of the situation.
Lai Si Xing opened up the fog, but the old god was there, pretending that it had nothing to do with him.
With the governor here, he, the chief envoy, is just a showman, so why bother to pour muddy water?
Another one, Laisixing is ready to resign.
His son-in-law is Chen Hongshou, who is now in Shandong and is considered a member of the rebel bandits.
When he came to Sri Lanka, he was deeply afraid that the court would find out about it and accuse him.
Before the court notices, run away first.
Laisixing's judgment quickly gave feedback.
The person sent to deliver a message to Zheng Zhilong has returned.
"Master Zhongcheng, Zheng Zhilong said that the banditry in Funing is serious and will not be quelled for a while. I would also like to ask you to have some grace. After he completes the suppression of the bandits, he will definitely return to the army for rescue."
boom……
Zou Weilian slapped the table, understanding that Zheng Zhilong was threatening.
He silently calculated in his mind how to punish this rebellious pirate.
However, before he could come up with an idea, the military information from the front line was rushed to him.
After the raid on Xiamen Bay, seeing that the Ming Dynasty officials were indifferent, the Dutch decided to increase their efforts.
The Dutch fleet blocked the coast of Kinmen and the Zhangzhou River successively, while plundering passing ships.
The Dutch also invaded the land and robbed coastal villages, causing the coastal people to lose a lot of wealth.
The squires from all over the country expressed their concerns one after another, and their words showed dissatisfaction.
Zou Weilian was under great pressure and knew that time would not wait for him. If the stalemate continued, nothing would happen to Zheng Zhilong, and he, the governor, would be punished.
"General Zheng Shen has made great contributions to his hard work. He is the Great Wall of China on the sea. He carries a heavy burden, and he should be worthy of his position. In my opinion, General Zheng Shen will be the commander-in-chief of Fujian Maritime Affairs. In response to the current critical situation, what do you think?
?”
William Zou decided to promote Zheng Zhilong from staff general to chief soldier.
According to the rules of the Ming Dynasty, the general soldier was basically the highest commander of a province's army.
By doing this, Zou Weilian was tantamount to handing over all military power in Fujian to Zheng Zhilong.
Of course other officials had no objections.
Anyway, the appointment was made by your governor, and if anything happens in the future, it will be your governor's responsibility.
So the news was quickly delivered to Zheng Zhilong's hands.
As long as Zheng Zhilong defeats the Dutch, then he will be the general soldier of Fujian.
For Zheng Zhilong, who is a fan of officialdom, the conditions offered by Zou Weilian can be described as extremely tempting.
At the same time, he also knew that the opportunity he had been waiting for had arrived.
"Assemble all fleets and send out scouts to search for news about the Dutch. Don't be slow to do so."
Zheng Zhilong finally moved.
He ordered all fleets to be assembled, and at the same time sent out scouts to look for traces of the Dutch.
Naval battles are more complicated than land battles.
After all, the sea is vast, and no matter how large a fleet is, it is just a drop in the ocean.
Just searching before the battle will consume countless hours.
Another thing is that it takes a lot of effort to assemble and prepare the fleet.
However, Zheng Zhilong took over the command of the battle against the Dutch, which finally made the Fujian officials heave a sigh of relief.
