Late Ming Dynasty: Oops, I am surrounded by the Donglin Party

Yes, now the Ming Dynasty does not want to lose the ocean, so it must vigorously develop the navy and maritime trade.

Zheng Zhilong wanted to blackmail the emperor by using the Zheng family's huge navy and the Ming Dynasty's coastal defense as bargaining chips.

But it was obvious that he failed.

But even so, the Ming court did not actually suppress the Zheng family. The Zheng family's titles were deprived purely because of Zheng Zhilong's own fault.

The wording of Huang Taiji's letter was more pleasant than that of the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, but what could be proved by just a letter?

Zheng Sen felt that his father was simply blinded by greed.

But even if what Huang Taiji said was true, the Zheng family didn't know how much it would cost to get those promises.

Up to this point, the Qing Dynasty had not been able to enter the pass, let alone capture Jinzhou, and had suffered successive defeats.

If the Zheng family joined the game at this time, they would not only have to provide naval support to the Qing Dynasty, but also have to pay a huge amount of financial and combat support.

Even if the Qing Dynasty really took over the world, who could guarantee that Huang Taiji would keep his promise?

After all, smart people know how much benefit is contained in the ocean. How can a powerful country allow such huge benefits to fall into the pockets of others?

This is just a rational analysis.

However, Zheng Sen's emotional thinking was more real. He grew up reading books of sages and was brought up under the influence of Qian Qianyi's patriotic voice. As a Han citizen, he went to rely on a foreign race and turned his butcher knife to massacre his own people.

This person is disloyal and unjust, and is despised by people all over the world.

Among the people present, whether it was Zheng Zhilong, Zheng Zhihu, Zheng Zhibao, or Zheng Cai, none of them were stupid. However, after working as maritime merchants for a long time, it was inevitable that their minds were filled with profit.

Only Zheng Sen, who had just started to come into contact with the Zheng family navy, had a clear mind.

He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and not only did he not experience the hardships that the Zheng family experienced when they became wealthy, but he also learned loyalty to the emperor and patriotism from great Confucian scholars since he was a child.

What no one told him was that loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, like love, also require bread.

But the Zheng family was already rich enough to rival a country, so Zheng Sen did not care about the money when he fought in the team, so he could only be loyal to the emperor and patriotic.

It was for this reason that when the Jianlu continued to invade the south and when his father surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, Zheng Sen still resolutely supported the last backbone of the Southern Ming Dynasty.

He even burned down the Zheng family's mansion without hesitation, took out all of the Zheng family's assets, and raised the banner of anti-Qing resistance.

"Brother, what Damu said does make some sense." The second brother Zheng Zhihu spoke first.

The brothers had been through thick and thin together, which had led to the current situation of the Zheng family. Naturally, they cared more about the safety of the Zheng family. That was why, when the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty deprived them of their titles and clearly showed his disgust for the Zheng family, they were all filled with a sense of crisis.

The promises made by Huang Taiji easily moved everyone, but they automatically ignored the risks behind the honey.

Where in this world can a pie fall like this?

"Scholars have a lot of ideas, but brother, if we risk our lives to help Huang Taiji, what if he denies it in the end?" Zheng Zhibao also changed his attitude.

"As far as I know, after the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty conquered the world, the first people he dealt with were those meritorious officials." Zheng Zhibiao added dimly.

The implication is that if the Zheng family really helped Huang Taiji to seize the world, not only would they not get what they wanted, they would also likely be liquidated.

After all, as the Son of Heaven, how could he tolerate the power of a family threatening the court?

Zheng Cai hesitated for a long time and said nothing. Zheng Zhilong hesitated for a while and finally said:

"Aren't they going to fight? That's great, let's wait and see!"

……

The tenth day of the fifth month of the fourteenth year of Chongzhen, Beijing.

Outside the Ministry of Revenue's Taicang, rows of horse-drawn carriages stretched from the alley to the outside of the alley. Porters carried bags of rice and piled them on the carriages.

Outside the other warehouses, there was also a busy scene. Officials from the Ministry of Revenue were directing and coordinating the movements of military uniforms, bedding, tents, etc., which were all being moved out.

The Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War were equally busy because the army would be setting out in a few days.

If the soldiers and horses are not moving, the grain and grass will go first.

Ever since the imperial court learned of the Jianlu's major move, all officials in the court understood that war was inevitable.

When Emperor Chongzhen mentioned this matter at the court meeting, not a single civil or military official spoke out against it.

Since Emperor Chongzhen ascended the throne, the court has never reached complete unity of opinion in every major war.

But this time, all the civil and military officials in the court were excited.

War! War! War again!

The atmosphere of a decisive battle with the Jianlu and regaining lost territory spread in the court.

After two years of recovery, the Ming court not only solved the financial crisis, but also greatly alleviated the food crisis with the help of new crops.

After the bloody purge of Zhang Shikang in the court, administrative efficiency was greatly improved.

Since the financial situation of the Guards and Tiger Guards was alleviated, the frequency of training has been increasing, and the supply of military equipment has been gradually updated.

Especially after the major workshops of the General Manufacturing Bureau began production, the replacement of instantaneous muskets has been greatly improved. Now nearly half of the Tiger Guards have been equipped with new muskets.

Five days ago, the 300 bronze cannons that the imperial court ordered from the French finally arrived in the capital city via land and canal.

In fact, it would have been faster if it had been transported by sea, but the court, considering its relationship with the Zheng family, ultimately chose the stupid method, which made Emperor Chongzhen extremely angry.

Among these 300 bronze cannons, 200 18-pound cannons will be transported directly to the Tianjin military port to replace the existing naval artillery of the Ming Dynasty.

The remaining one hundred twenty-four-pound copper cannons, together with the eighty copper cannons hastily produced by the General Manufacturing Bureau, will participate in this great war with the Jiannu.

For this war, the imperial court mobilized 20,000 horses, more than 50,000 mules and more than 30,000 cattle to transport a series of baggage for the army, including heavy artillery.

A tense atmosphere began to form in the court, and a few days later, the news spread among the people in the capital.

There's going to be a war.

Qianqing Palace.

Chongzhen stared at the map of the Guanningjin area in a daze, but there was no more sadness from the past between his brows, instead there was excitement.

This kid Wuji is finally going to go on another expedition.

He has been waiting for this day for two years.

And the boy also promised him that no matter what, he would recover some lost territory for the court during this expedition.

The Ming Dynasty had lost Liaodong and Liaoxi for too long.

While he was hesitating, Zhang Shikang led Zhu Cilang and his sister in. Emperor Chongzhen finally came to his senses and said to Zhang Shikang:

"We will set out on the expedition in three days, is everything ready?

If you need anything else, please tell me."

Part of the lost land was lost by his brother, and the other part was lost in his hands.

His brother had no chance, but he, Zhu Youjian, did.

He has to take back the land and dignity he lost by himself, and with Wuji's help, he will definitely be able to take them back.

Compared with Emperor Chongzhen's caution and excitement, Zhang Shikang was much calmer and said casually:

"Everything is ready. I've been busy for half a month, but there's actually nothing to prepare."

The main thing was that he didn't have to worry about most things, as there were two veteran generals, Huang Degong and Sun Weifan, in the military camp, and Hai Zhongqi from the Ministry of Revenue was in charge of military supplies.

Although Hai Zhongqi was stingy and spoke rudely, he never failed to deliver on important military and national affairs.

"Well, that's good, that's good." Emperor Chongzhen was excited but also a little disappointed.

Zhang Shikang quietly winked at Zhu Cilang, who immediately walked up to Emperor Chongzhen and said:

"Father, I want to follow Master Zhang to fight outside the Great Wall."

……