Although the Five Military Governor's Office existed in name only in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, its honor remained.
Huang Fei immediately knelt down and said: "I have only done my duty, and I feel guilty for accepting this order. Please, Your Majesty, take back your order."
Chongzhen smiled faintly: "This is my will, and it is also my attitude towards the military generals of the Ming Dynasty."
"I... obey your order and thank you!" Huang Fei supported his two strong arms on the ground and kowtowed three times seriously.
After rewarding people based on their merits, Chongzhen turned his attention to Zheng Zhilong.
"Zheng Tongzhi, how is the situation with the sea vessels transporting food and grass this time?"
"Your Majesty, we used a ship to transport 300,000 shi of grain and fodder. Due to the strong winds and rough waves, some of the cabins were flooded, so some of the grain was lost. The loss accounted for about 10% of the total."
"The seagoing vessel has docked in Tianjin and will be replaced by a grain transport vessel and sent to the capital within three days."
Zheng Zhilong wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Although a 10% loss is not much, it is very eye-catching at this critical juncture.
In addition, he didn't know why Chongzhen summoned him and his son to Beijing, so he took a risk to go to Beijing this time.
Chongzhen nodded: "The one standing on your right is Zheng Sen?"
"Yes, my son Zheng Sen is studying at the Imperial College in Nanjing, so I dare to call myself a student in front of Your Majesty!" Zheng Zhilong explained hurriedly.
Chongzhen nodded again and said to Zheng Sen: "Zheng Sen, who was your teacher in Nanjing?"
Zheng Sen bowed deeply and said: "I am a disciple of Qian Qianyi."
Qian Qianyi...
The leader of the Donglin Party, he was promoted to the position of Minister of Rites, but was later stripped of his official title and returned home due to his crimes. After surrendering to the Qing Dynasty, he was listed in the Biography of Traitors, and later he contacted Zheng Chenggong and Li Dingguo to fight against the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty.
Before the Eight Banners Army attacked Nanjing, his concubine Liu Rushi persuaded him to commit suicide by drowning.
Qian Qianyi thought for a long time, then walked down to the pool to test the water and said, "The water is too cold. I can't go in."
He is a weirdo from the Donglin Party who calls himself a clean official but behaves in absurd ways!
no!
Zheng Sen can no longer continue to study with Qian Qianyi. Such a good talent will be wasted in Qian Qianyi's hands.
Thinking of this, Chongzhen asked: "Zheng Sen, born in troubled times, what do you think a hero is?"
Zheng Sen thought for a while and said, "I think a real man should know how to behave in society and how to govern the country. He should be able to serve the country and bring honor to his wife and children. Only then can he be called a hero."
Chongzhen couldn't help but look at Zheng Senduo twice, and asked again: "Do you think that studying in the Imperial College in Nanjing can make you a hero?"
Zheng Sen shook his head without comment.
After studying at the Imperial Academy, the next step is to enter the court as an official, and a civil servant. In troubled times, few civil servants can turn the tide.
The last time a scholar tried to turn the tide was by Yu Qian, but the result was tragic.
Chongzhen continued, "In a time of chaos, how can an egg remain intact? In a time of trouble, there are people who are suffering from the wind!"
"If you want to govern a country, you must first keep it safe. To govern a country, you need civility; to keep it safe, you need military power. This is the original meaning of being both civil and military!"
"Of course, the Ming Dynasty does not lack scholars, but it lacks warriors!"
"Do you think what I said makes sense?"
Zheng Sen glanced at Chongzhen secretly, then stared at the floor tiles in front of him in silence.
After a long while, he bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty, I ask for your guidance."
"Your father is the deputy governor of the Front Army Governor's Office, leading the navy to guard Fujian! I think you should give up your pen and join the army to serve under your father."
"It's the right time to make achievements and establish a career, to honor my wife and children!"
Zheng Zhilong's heart moved, and he looked up at Chongzhen. He had asked Zheng Sen to study under Qian Qianyi because he didn't want him to follow his old path, but now it seemed that this hope was shattered.
but.
Since the emperor asked him to join the army, he certainly would not start from the grassroots level. In this way, he would not have so many concerns.
The promotion system for military officers in the Ming Dynasty was extremely strict. Not only were there requirements for years of service, but they also had to have outstanding performance in war.
"What does your majesty mean?" Zheng Zhilong asked hurriedly.
"I summoned you here for two things. Let me tell you the first one first!" After saying that, Chongzhen ordered Wang Chengen to spread a huge map of Liaodong on the ground.
Then he led the rest of the group to the map.
It depicts the terrain of Liaodong, cities, mountains, rivers, and several ferry crossings suitable for docking.
"Look, everyone!" Chongzhen pointed to the Liaodong area and said, "The Jiannu have occupied all the land outside the Great Wall. They have two naval forces. One is stationed in the upper reaches of the Songhua River, responsible for transporting supplies to the Jiannu."
"The other group is Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming and others who surrendered to the Jiannu. They are stationed in the southern part of Liaoning and are helping the Jiannu build the Eight Banners Navy!"
"Southern Liaoning?" Huang Fei had fought countless battles in this area and tried to find a suitable place for shipbuilding in Southern Liaoning.
"Here!" Chongzhen pointed to Shizikou in southern Liaoning (now Lushunkou District, Wafangdian) and said, "I heard that Jiannu is building a navy here."
Huang Fei and Zheng Zhilong looked at each other and understood what Chongzhen was thinking.
But this thought only stayed in their minds for a moment before quickly disappearing.
It’s difficult to launch a surprise attack on the Jiannu from the sea!
On the one hand, the other side has deployed various heavy artillery in the coastal areas. Those heavy artillery have a longer range and greater power than naval guns, and any sneak attack would require a heavy price.
Huang Fei clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, do you want me to launch a surprise attack on the Jiannu navy?"
“Yes and no!”
Chongzhen's words stunned everyone. Zheng Sen was the first to react. He frowned and speculated, "Is your majesty trying to lure the snake out of its hole?"
"Yes, what I mean is to use merchant ships to lure Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming will lead his troops to attack, and then concentrate our forces to destroy all their ships."
"Without the Jiannu ships, the Ming navy will be able to sail freely on the sea!"
"But..." Zheng Sen continued to ask: "What if the other party doesn't fall for it?"
"It doesn't matter. Just treat it as a training exercise for the Ming navy."
"What do you think?"
Huang Fei and Zheng Zhilong discussed in low voices for a while and then said, "It's feasible, but we can't guarantee that this expedition will yield any results."
"That's what we'll do!"
"Zheng Zhilong was promoted to the commander-in-chief of the Fujian Navy, and he led the Fujian Navy to station in Dengzhou, and he and Huang Fei jointly sent troops to Liaonan."
"The second thing is the military pay! We will go to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue to collect all the pay owed to the Fujian Navy."
"Then I have an important task for Zheng Sen!"
Zheng Sen first raised his head and looked at Zheng Zhilong. After receiving his eye contact, he quickly saluted and said, "I will do my best to serve you."
"From now on, Zheng Sen will be promoted to deputy commander-in-chief of the Fujian Navy!"
"I want you to send a batch of silver to Nanjing within a month, leave a portion for the Crown Prince, and send the rest upstream along the Yangtze River to Yuan Jixian stationed in Jiujiang!"
"The war in the southwest is intense. Qin Liangyu has money but no soldiers, while Yuan Jixian has soldiers but no money. The two of them cannot unite, so they can only transfer money from the capital!"
"You must deliver it on time! I hope you will be successful on this trip..."
"Well... In that case, I will name it Success as a blessing!"
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