Fu couldn't help but reflect: Is it that obvious?
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Author's Note: Zhu Ci: "Whatever the superior says, goes. Zheng Chenggong is just being a bit more honest, what's the problem?" *Cat confidently kicks the memorial into the trash can. jpg*
Next update at 6:00 PM~
Chapter 195
Whether it was obvious or not, he was conveying the Emperor's words to soothe Zhang Huangyan, not to fan the flames.
Moreover, since the Emperor's attitude had been made clear, he naturally had to write it according to Zhu Ci's oral instructions.
Zhu Ci gave a chuckle and handed him the letter, saying, "Send it to Zhang Huangyan."
When Zhang Huangyan received the letter, he was somewhat puzzled, but after reading its contents, he realized that while the letter was nominally written by the Grand Secretary, it was actually the Emperor's intention, just expressed in a more tactful manner.
He frowned as he placed the letter on the table, the strategist who had come with him said, "His Majesty is clearly favoring that Zheng Chenggong."
Zhang Huangyan said, "His Majesty is young and also likes to promote young people; this is only natural."
He said it was normal, but in reality, he was somewhat dissatisfied.
He couldn't understand what charm Zheng Chenggong possessed; clearly, he had committed a mistake, so why did the Emperor insist on protecting him?
No matter how he looked at it, Zhang Huangyan felt that Zheng Chenggong's chances of victory in this surprise attack were very slim.
The Strategist sensed the regret in his tone and comforted Zhang Huangyan, saying, "His Majesty might just want to give him a chance. Besides, since Zheng Chenggong has already departed, it is indeed not suitable for him to return. Didn't the Grand Secretary also say that if he is defeated in battle, the punishment will be doubled.."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw a messenger running up hurriedly and saying, "Reporting to the General, a battle report has arrived from the front lines: General Zheng has already landed at Luer Men."
Zhang Huangyan was extremely surprised upon hearing this: "What did you say? Luer Men Port?"
The messenger presented the battle report with both hands and said, "Yes."
Zhang Huangyan immediately walked over, took the battle report, opened it, scanned through it hurriedly.
After reading it, he looked again at the letter sent by Grand Secretary Fu lying by his side; for a brief moment, he even felt somewhat lost.
Could it be that His Majesty had already guessed Zheng Chenggong's movements?
Otherwise, there would be no way to explain this matter. After all, the Little Emperor had always been very fair and just; upon receiving a memorial, if there was evidence, he would issue punishment directly, if there was no evidence, he would require the accuser to provide proof while simultaneously allowing the accused official to defend himself.
This was the first time a memorial had been suppressed, which was why Zhang Huangyan had felt somewhat uneasy before.
But Zheng Chenggong has indeed succeeded now, most importantly, he chose Heliao Port instead of the Dayuan Port that had been originally decided upon.
The reason why Heliao Port was not chosen before was primarily because the Luer Men waterways in the southwest of Taiwan are narrow, with numerous shallows, making it impossible for large vessels to pass through.
Accordingly, due to its natural geographical advantages, the Dutch did not arrange for excessive defenses.
How did Zheng Chenggong pass through the Luer Men waterway?
The guard, who had been silent until now, couldn't help but ask a question.
The strategist stroked his beard and said, "The tide rises during these two days."
It is difficult to pass through on ordinary days, but once the tide rises, won't we be able to land?
The guard glanced at Zhang Huangyan and muttered, "Even if the tide rises, it would still be easy to run aground."
Zhang Huangyan sighed and said, "A while ago, Zheng Maoxun mentioned that he had made contact with a Taiwanese merchant who provided hydrological intelligence, but I did not believe him at the time."
That merchant's arrival was too suspicious. Why did he want to help the Ming army? What were his demands? It was all unknown. This kind of intelligence, arriving so suddenly, was enough to make one wary.
He looked at the battle report again and remarked with emotion, "His Majesty's insight is indeed sharp; Zheng Maoxun is truly a formidable general."
Zheng Chenggong was resolute and decisive, with excellent timing, at the same time, sufficiently composed.
After passing through the Luer Men waterway, he did not land at a nearby port, but instead chose Heliao Port.
When Zhang Huangyan was assessing the situation in Taiwan, he knew that Heliao Port was closer to the indigenous villages, the Dutch military presence there was very weak; as long as he landed, it would be easy to establish a beachhead.
Perhaps he could even gain the support of the locals.
By avoiding the strong and striking the weak, by using unexpected tactics to secure victory, Zheng Chenggong was indeed a natural-born military talent.
The Emperor suppressed the memorial, going to great lengths to use the Grand Secretary's letter to appease him, which also demonstrated that the Emperor had sufficient trust in Zheng Chenggong.
But at that time, they didn't think much of Zheng Chenggong.
“His Majesty is truly His Majesty,” the Strategist said, admitting defeat. “His ability to recognize and employ talent is already the sign of a wise ruler.”
Zhang Huangyan said no more, merely standing up and saying, "Pass down the order: prepare to set sail."
The Strategist was somewhat surprised. "General?"
Zhang Huangyan said, "Although Zheng Maoxun successfully landed, what follows will be a tough battle. What we must do now is launch a surprise attack on Taiwan Port. If we can land successfully, it will be a great achievement; even if we fail to land, we can still tie down the Red-haired Barbarians' forces."
The Strategist wanted to say more, but Zhang Huangyan gave him a deep look and said, "The current Emperor hates factionalism most of all."
Before this, the disagreement between him and Zheng Chenggong was at most a difference in military strategy, Zheng Chenggong was indeed in the wrong, so there was nothing wrong with his submitting the memorial.
But if this continued, if he even missed a strategic opportunity just to get revenge on Zheng Chenggong, it was uncertain whether he, as a Navy commander, would even be able to return to Nanjing safely.
Moreover, Zhang Huangyan had already suffered enough from factionalism; if it hadn't been for Zheng Cai's monopolization of power and his purging of dissenters back then, they might not have lost so quickly.
The Strategist was startled upon hearing this and instantly shut his mouth.
Although his position was called Strategist, it was more accurate to say he was Zhang Huangyan's retainer, so when he considered matters, he did so primarily from Zhang Huangyan's perspective.
In his view, Zheng Chenggong had already become a threat to Zhang Huangyan's position.
Before Zheng Chenggong surrendered, Zhang Huangyan commanded the Great Ming Navy; after Zheng Chenggong surrendered, although the navy under his command was reorganized, it was not brought under Zhang Huangyan's control.
That part of the Navy commanders still belonged to Zheng Chenggong. Now that Zheng Chenggong had taken the initiative to land again, he was still young and had even received a bestowed name from His Majesty; how could they even be compared?
Therefore, the strategist instinctively felt that Zhang Huangyan should wait for a while, until after Zheng Chenggong had suffered a defeat.
As long as he is defeated, it won't matter even if he is the first to successfully land.
Landing is meant to win battles; what are you talking about when you haven't even won?
Even if His Majesty had favored him at that time, it wouldn't have mattered; wouldn't the court officials have been in an uproar of discussion?
At this moment, Zhang Huangyan gave him a subtle nod, only then did he realize that if the Emperor found out about this, Zheng Chenggong might not necessarily be punished, but his patron would certainly lose his official position.
The Strategist said with a shameful bow, "I was narrow-minded."
Zhang Huangyan looked at the vast sea and said, "Don't be anxious. Our Emperor never treats meritorious officials poorly, not to mention that Zheng Chenggong is still under my command. He has rendered meritorious service; could His Majesty possibly bypass me?"
After Zhang Huangyan finished speaking, he ordered preparations for the expedition. Before setting out, he received a battlefield report stating that Zheng Chenggong had split his forces to occupy Pro-min-zhe City, severing the connection between Zeeland City and the outside world. The Dutch commander, Maonanshi Ding, had surrendered, the Chikan area was now under the control of Zheng Chenggong and his subordinates.
They were attempting to attack Zeeland City, where the Dutch Governor Kui Yi was located; naturally, to attack Zeeland City, one had to first take Utrecht Fort.
Upon receiving the news, Zhang Huangyan quickly dispatched his troops, hoping to seize the opportunity to capture the Port of Taiwan and, at the same time, send word of his victory to the Capital, letting the whole world know that Great Ming had forced the Dutch to contract their defensive lines and that victory was just around the corner.
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Author's Note: Zhu Ci: Remember this from now on, do not question me. A kitty wearing sunglasses. jpg
Next update tomorrow morning at six o'clock~
Chapter 196
When the Imperial Court received the news of victory, everyone from top to bottom was in high spirits.
Everyone had been somewhat depressed due to the fall of Xuzhou and the death of He Gang in battle.
Speaking of which, those standing in the imperial court were all veteran officials who had weathered many storms; perhaps because things had always gone too smoothly for them, they felt somewhat discouraged once defeat struck.
Especially since everyone was well aware that the Great Ming was no longer what it once was. Although its military preparations were not considered sufficient, that was due to the constraints of productivity; in a true comparison, their current military equipment was actually much more advanced than that of the Tartars.
Yet even under these circumstances, even the combined strength of Liu Zhaoji and Shi Kefa was not enough to contend with the Regent of the Tartars, Dorgon.
It was indeed a blow to morale.
After all, in the hearts of many, Liu Zhaoji and Shi Kefa were the true insiders, while many still remained wary of Li Zicheng, fearing that he might turn against them again.
If he holds military power, what if he rebels again?
It is a pity that Liu Zhaoji and Shi Kefa were truly no match for Dorgon.
Previously, even Xiaoxian was nearly lost.
Although Zhu Ci's bottom line was that Fengyang and Huaian must not fall, once Xiaoxian fell, Dorgon would inevitably attack Fengyang and Huaian.
So, while listening to the battle reports, he truly felt his heart was racing with suspense; he even said to Fu in private, "If this continues, I won't be able to help myself."
What couldn't he resist? A personal expedition, of course.
Although he didn't think he could be a match for Dorgon, but what if?
Moreover, with the consecutive defeats over there, the atmosphere in the imperial court was extremely oppressive, let alone on the front lines; the Emperor's personal expedition could sometimes serve as a great boost to morale.
Most importantly, Zhu Ci possessed a certain degree of suppressive power over the Tartars.
Fu said nothing this time. If the main force of the Tartars truly approached Fengyang and Huaian, even he would be unable to stop the Little Emperor.
As long as the Little Emperor said that the Imperial Ancestral Mausoleum must not fall into enemy hands, who would dare say anything?
Fortunately, although the defense was extremely difficult, they ultimately held their ground.
Now there is also news of a victory from the south; currently, the Dutch should be preoccupied with their own affairs, so there is no need to worry about them being able to assist the Tartars.
Next, it remains to be seen whether Li Zicheng can bring some pressure to the Tartars. If not, Zhu Ci will have to consider having the Navy sail north along the coastline after Zheng Chenggong and the others have conquered Taiwan, to launch a surprise landing from the sea.
"Strange, why is there no news from Li Chuangwang?" Zhu Ci asked, looking at the sand table with some confusion.
Li Hongji was naturally Li Chuangwang; this was his real name.
In this era, even addressing someone by their given name was considered quite disrespectful, so Zhu Ci usually used courtesy names when dealing with outsiders. However, Li Zicheng only had one childhood name, Huanglaier, so he simply used his original name as his courtesy name.
Li Chuangwang, who was being watched by Zhu Ci, was also feeling somewhat troubled at this moment; originally, his journey to Datong had been relatively smooth.
However, while attacking Datong, he was met with a fierce surprise attack. If he hadn't recognized the danger and adjusted his strategy in time, he would have suffered heavy losses by now.
Li Chicheng did not expect the Tartars to still have enough strength to launch a sneak attack; even the scouts he had sent out failed to detect such a force.
The opponent's numbers were quite significant; how could they have gone unnoticed?