I was living at the end of the Ming Dynasty, and I dealt a brutal blow to the Eight Banners!

This time we really made a profit, and a huge one at that!

Zhang Jingchuan looked at the list of goods that had been presented to him while smoking a cigar.

Zheng Zhilong squinted as he drank, his upturned lips never fading from the moment he started drinking.

After years of wandering at sea, this was the first time he had ever been so happy, not because he would make a lot of money this time, but because of the few days between setting sail and returning home.

In the past, Zheng Zhilong had stolen other people's goods before.

But this time was different. This time, he was robbing the bandits' goods, and for him, it was a truly profitable venture.

What pleased Zheng Zhilong was Zhang Jingchuan's smooth command and operations, which could be said to have the Qing army completely under his control.

When making money has become a habit, what excites Zheng Zhilong is how to make the process elegant and smooth, and how to make money while standing up.

"Congratulations, Commander," Zheng Zhilong said with a smile.

"Congratulations, congratulations! Let's not call each other 'Lord Garrison Commander' anymore," Zhang Jingchuan said, puffing on a cigar. "From now on, we can just call each other brothers."

Seeing Zhang Jingchuan take the initiative to befriend him, Zheng Zhilong naturally didn't hold back, grinned, and asked:

"What do you plan to do with these twenty-odd ships of cargo, my brother?"

"I need to transport strategic materials like grain, fodder, and weapons back. As for the rest, you can take 80% and deliver the remaining 20% ​​to the Zhou and Su families. How about that?"

Strategic materials such as grain and cotton cloth are scarce in Liaodong, but they are worth little money in the coastal areas of Jiangnan or Southeast Asia.

As for firearms, he had no shortage of them, and the firearms manufactured under the supervision of the Ming court were of poor performance and quality, so he didn't even consider them.

The remaining mountain produce does have some value; if Zheng Zhilong takes 80%, he will have made a huge profit.

But Zheng Zhilong was not one to seek short-term gains, and besides, this amount of money was nothing to him. What he wanted was to befriend a young general like Zhang Jingchuan, who was both literate and skilled in martial arts.

“Since provisions and supplies are urgently needed in Liaodong, we, as citizens of the Ming Dynasty, should do our part,” Zheng Zhilong said with a smile. “As for the remaining goods, let’s split it 50/50, how about we brothers each take half?”

"How can that be?" Zhang Jingchuan said politely, "Brother not only provided the boat but also the men. How can we let Brother suffer a loss!"

"It is my honor to befriend a hero like you, my brother. We are family, so let's not stand on ceremony!" Zheng Zhilong said, waving his hand.

Zhang Jingchuan's eyes flickered, he quickly put down the list, poured wine for Zheng Zhilong, and then said in a humble manner:

"Brother, there's something on my mind that I'm not sure if I should say it."

"There's no need for us brothers to hide anything from each other. Just speak freely, and I will never shirk my responsibility if it's within my power!" With that, Zheng Zhilong downed the wine in his cup in one gulp.

Zhang Jingchuan quickly filled Zheng Zhilong's glass with wine and then began a passionate and moving PUA speech.

This voyage,

Zhang Jingchuan's greatest gain was not the grain, supplies, and mountain goods he had seized from the Qing, but Shi Lang.

Although Shi Lang was only twenty years old, he was proficient in military strategy and possessed both wisdom and courage.

Through his interactions with Shi Lang, Zhang Jingchuan learned that Shi Lang had been following Zheng Zhilong since he was seventeen years old. For the past three years, he had been Zheng Zhilong's right-hand man, not only familiar with naval warfare but also knowing how to train the navy.

Zhang Jingchuan didn't want to miss out on such talent.

This time, ten Fujian ships were seized from Gaizhouwei. Once equipped with cannons, they would be formidable warships.

Historically, when Zheng Chenggong recovered Taiwan from the Dutch, Fujian-style ships were his main warships.

If Shi Lang could be recruited from Zheng Zhilong's command, he would have his own navy within a year, at which point he would pose a greater threat to the Qing territory on the eastern shore of Liaodong Bay.

Zheng Zhilong was also a shrewd man, and naturally he would weigh the pros and cons.

At this point, Shi Lang can only be said to have just begun to show his talent, and has not yet fully demonstrated his potential.

Zheng Zhilong has plenty of people like Shi Lang who are familiar with naval warfare under his command, so he doesn't need another one. If he could exchange Shi Lang for a long-term and in-depth cooperation with Zhang Jingchuan, it would be more advantageous for Zheng Zhilong.

First of all, Zhang Jingchuan is an exceptionally capable person.

Secondly, at such a young age, he was able to become a garrison commander of a fortress and hold the title of centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. If he didn't have a powerful figure backing him up, how could he have reached such a position today?

The Ming Dynasty is currently beset by internal and external troubles, which is precisely the opportunity for someone like Zhang Jingchuan, who is skilled in both literature and martial arts, to put his talents to good use.

In Zheng Zhilong's eyes, Zhang Jingchuan's future was limitless!

……

The fleet sailed at sea for two days and successfully arrived at Donghaibao.

After leaving Shi Lang behind, Zheng Zhilong took a ship full of goods and headed south.

As agreed, Zhang Jingchuan instructed Wu Guozhong to transport 70% of the grain and supplies looted during the raid to Songshan City and hand them over to Ma Shaoyu.

then,

He then sent Shi Lang and Li Daniu south by ship to recruit sailors along the coast. After all, it was best to recruit from the south to build a navy, and Shi Lang's connections were also in the south, which would help speed up the formation of the navy.

Two days later,

Wu Guozhong returned with his troops, bringing not only the imperial court's rewards but also two thousand able-bodied auxiliary soldiers recruited from within the Great Wall.

As expected, Zhang Jingchuan, the garrison commander of Donghai Fort, was promoted to guerrilla general under Ningyuan Guard, still under the command of Wu Sangui, the general of Ningyuan.

As for Wu Guozhong and the two thousand able-bodied auxiliary soldiers, Ma Shaoyu had two intentions.

The first step was to curry favor with Zhang Jingchuan.

After all, Zhang Jingchuan had indeed plundered several ships of grain and supplies from Qing territory, thus fulfilling his agreement with Ma Shaoyu.

After Zhang Jingchuan was promoted to guerrilla general, his troops should have been organized into a battalion of more than 3,000 men. These 2,000 able-bodied auxiliary soldiers were just enough to make up for Zhang Jingchuan's battalion.

The second meaning was to allow Zhang Jingchuan to continue expanding his gains, so Wu Guozhong returned with the original team.

As the saying goes, if you follow the right person, you can save yourself many years of struggle.

This statement couldn't be more fitting for Zhang Jingchuan.

With the addition of these two thousand able-bodied men, plus the original two thousand men of Donghai Fort, Zhang Jingchuan now has four thousand soldiers under his command. If Wu Guozhong's eighteen hundred men are also included, he can mobilize a total of five thousand troops.

Although Zhang Jingchuan was delighted, he did not become complacent. Instead, he turned his attention to the front lines in Jinzhou.

Because he knew in his heart that the stalemate between the Qing army and the Ming army could not last long.

The Ming court couldn't wait any longer, and the Qing army was unwilling to delay any longer either.

Now that Zhang Jingchuan has been promoted to guerrilla general, Wu Sangui and Song Ben will surely have designs on him, and he has to be on guard.

Based on the original 1,700 infantrymen of Donghai Fort, another 1,300 able-bodied men were added to form a full-strength infantry battalion of 3,000 men, named the "Jing" Battalion.

Based on the 300-man musketeer team, another 200 men were added to form a musketeer battalion.

The remaining 500 men formed an artillery unit, equipped with 15 general cannons, 20 enemy-annihilating cannons, and 20 tiger-respecting cannons.

The Jingzi Battalion was assigned to Wu Guozhong for training, the musketeer battalion and artillery battalion were personally supervised by Xu Fuzou, the chief steward, and the elite cavalry unit of one hundred riders was trained by Zhang Jingchuan himself.

In early October,

Huang Taiji secretly ordered Ajige to launch a surprise attack on Tashan, seizing twelve piles of grain and fodder that the Ming army had stockpiled at Bijia Mountain under cover of night. Wang Pu, the general of Datong stationed at Bijia Mountain, suffered a major defeat and returned home.

Subsequently, the Qing army began to encircle the Ming army in Jinzhou, intending to starve them out.

Hong Chengchou sent a message by carrier pigeon to Ma Shaoyu in Songshan, planning to launch a pincer attack on the Qing army from the north and south.

this day,

Zhang Jingchuan received a military order from Ma Shaoyu, instructing him to lead his troops in a surprise attack on the Qing army camp.

……