Shi Fu was about to accept Zheng Zhilong's military order when he suddenly remembered another thing.
He bowed and asked, "General, I heard that the court has successfully dispatched the Jiannu navy to the north to suppress the invasion of the border. If they encounter us, won't they kill each other?"
Zheng Zhilong was shocked and looked at Zheng Zhibao.
Zheng Zhibao was also stunned.
They didn't even think about this problem.
This is not only a problem, but a big problem.
This kind of misunderstanding can be fatal!
After thinking for a while, Zheng Zhilong came up with an idea: "Successful navies will fly the Ming national flag and the Zheng flag. When you see warships flying these two flags, don't hesitate and retreat immediately."
After he finished speaking, he felt a little uneasy and added: "Hongkui will follow Chenggong to the north. I will tell him not to rush to open fire when he encounters a warship flying the banner of the Jiannu navy. If the other party does not run away, it must be the real Jiannu, and you can open fire at this time."
"If they run away, no matter if they are real or fake, don't chase them!"
"That way, there won't be any killing among the people."
Zheng Zhibao, Shi Fu and Shi Lang thought about it carefully for a while and felt that there were no other loopholes, so they took the order and left.
August 16, the 22nd year of Chongzhen.
On the sea east of Quanzhou Prefecture, warships stood in rows with flags flying.
The sea water kept hitting the hull, and the stirred up sea water burst into white waves.
Zheng Chenggong, deputy commander-in-chief of the Fujian Navy, stood on the shore, looking high-spirited.
He had a resolute expression and sharp eyes as he looked at the warships on the sea and the soldiers on board, his heart filled with lofty ambitions.
The last time he went out to sea was when he followed his father Zheng Zhilong to transport food, fodder and silver, and was carrying out a transportation mission.
This time I am going out to sea to lead troops into battle, so I can't help but feel excited.
"Fusen," Zheng Zhilong called Zheng Chenggong by his nickname as he stood beside him, "I have only one request for you when you go north this time."
"Father, please speak!" Zheng Chenggong retracted his gaze and looked at Zheng Zhilong.
"Don't seek to achieve anything, but seek to avoid making mistakes!" Zheng Zhilong said seriously.
"Uh..." Zheng Chenggong hesitated for a long time, "Father, I believe that a real man born in troubled times should carry a three-foot sword and make great achievements, and should not seek benefits and avoid harm! So this time when I go north, I will try to make merit instead of begging for forgiveness."
Zheng Zhilong looked at his grown-up son and didn't know how to dissuade him.
Being young and frivolous is not a bad thing. Zheng Zhilong was also young and frivolous in the past.
In the sixth year of the Tianqi reign, there was a severe drought in southern Fujian. Zheng Zhilong recruited tens of thousands of people to go to Dongfan (now Taiwan) to reclaim wasteland.
As the number of soldiers and warships under his command increased, the imperial court regarded him as a serious threat and sent troops to encircle and suppress him.
Zheng Zhilong successively defeated the big pirate Xu Xinsu, the deputy general of the Fujian and Zhejiang Navy Yu Zigao, and the Dutch East India Company.
Yu Zigao is not very famous, but his father is a household name in the Ming Dynasty: Yu Dayou!
Not to mention the Dutch East India Company, which was a product of the emergence of capitalism and became a maritime hegemon through collusion between officials and businessmen.
Although Zheng Zhilong was worried about Zheng Chenggong's safety, he also understood that growth requires tempering.
If Zheng Chenggong was forced to retreat, it would harm him instead.
After understanding this truth, Zheng Zhilong stopped trying to persuade him.
He patted his son on the shoulder and said, "This is your first time leading troops into battle. You can make decisions on other matters, but you must listen to your second uncle (Zheng Hongkui) on matters of fighting. Do you understand?"
"I will always remember my father's teachings!" Zheng Chenggong answered seriously.
Even with Zheng Chenggong's assurance, Zheng Zhilong was still a little worried. He walked over to Zheng Hongkui and whispered a few more words to him.
After giving his instructions, Zheng Zhilong patted his son on the back and said, "Let's go."
"Yes!" Zheng Chenggong turned around and said to the generals beside him: "Today we are heading north to wipe out the Jiannu bandits. All ships must follow orders and make sure they are obeyed. Otherwise, military law will be ruthless!"
"Anyone who bravely kills the enemy after encountering him will be rewarded, and anyone who retreats will be beheaded!"
"Did you hear everything clearly?"
"I heard it clearly!" the generals responded in unison.
"Okay, take the small boat and board the big ship immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
The generals left their places one after another and stepped onto the small boats on the shore.
The boatman operated the sail to steer the small boat next to the big ship, and the generals climbed onto the big ship using the rope ladder.
Zheng Chenggong also used this method to board the ship.
After seeing the flag signals of the ships being ready, Zheng Chenggong ordered: "Set sail, set off!"
boom!
The cannons on the ship roared and the flags fluttered.
The sailors hoisted the sails, pulled up the anchor, and sailed towards the deep sea with the help of the sea breeze.
After leaving the coast, the fleet changed into a long snake formation and sailed towards the north under the influence of the sea breeze.
After stopping and walking along the way and replenishing supplies several times, we finally arrived near the mouth of the Yangtze River in early September.
The navy of Songjiang Prefecture in Nanzhili had already seen their tracks and quickly sent out a small boat to inquire about their identities.
After the identity was confirmed, the news reached Songjiang Prefecture.
The eunuchs who were waiting for the imperial edict in Songjiang Prefecture could no longer wait and immediately passed on the second imperial edict.
"Stop fighting the Jiannu and escort the merchant ships?" Zheng Chenggong looked at the imperial edict in his hand, feeling a little discouraged.
Zheng Hongkui, who was standing next to Zheng Chenggong, had a growing bad feeling.
But things have come to this point and cannot be changed, we can only leave it to fate.
"Don't be discouraged, Lord Zheng. You can still make meritorious service if you do a good job in the escort mission." The eunuch who conveyed the order said to Zheng Chenggong.
"Your Majesty, do you have any other orders?" Zheng Chenggong asked.
"Your Majesty has no other wishes. He only hopes that Lord Zheng will have smooth sailing and immediate success!" the eunuch replied.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Zheng Chenggong bowed to the eunuch and asked, "Excuse me, when will the merchant ship depart?"
"I don't know about that. The exact time of departure is decided by the Maritime Customs of Songjiang Prefecture."
"Then...thank you for your advice, eunuch! I will act according to your will!"
Shortly after the eunuch left, two officials boarded Zheng Chenggong's ship in a small boat.
They held official documents in their hands that stated the date the fleet would depart.
Zheng Chenggong counted on his fingers and found that there were still three days before departure.
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