643 Zheng Zhilong's determination

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"Third brother, let's not care about how many fleets Li Zixiao sent this time, we have two major things to deal with now.

First, we must end the war with the red-haired ghost as soon as possible, and the time for this war to drag on has greatly exceeded our expectations.

If it drags on like this, it will not only seriously weaken the strength of our Zheng family, but also allow Li Zixiao to find more opportunities to take advantage of.

As long as we can defeat the red-haired ghost as soon as possible, with the strength of our Zheng family's fleet, there is no need to be afraid of Li Zixiao, if he wants to get involved in the East China Sea, he has to ask our Zheng family if he agrees.

The second thing is to find out as soon as possible, where did the Jiangbei fleet led by Lu Yuan go?

According to Ma Yuan, they were heading east, so they had to have a destination, find them, and find out the true size of their fleet. ”

Although Zheng Zhilong was also angry at Li Zixiao's preparation to meddle in the East China Sea at this time, he was still very calm, and he analyzed the difficulties faced by the Zheng family at this time very clearly.

Zheng Zhilong knew that as long as they could understand and deal with the red-haired ghost now, then Li Zixiao wanted to share the East China Sea with them, and they could completely refuse.

At this time, Li Zixiao saw that their Zheng family and the red-haired ghost had been fighting for a long time, and dragged their Zheng family, so he took the opportunity to make a move.

Before I saw it, before the Zheng family started a war with the red-haired ghosts, Li Zixiao had always maintained a tacit understanding with them, and never let his fleet cross the mouth of the Yangtze River and take a step south!

"Big brother is right, as long as the red-haired ghost can be leveled as soon as possible, then with the strength of our Zheng family's more than 300 sea ships, he Li Zixiao wants to share the East China Sea with us, but he is not qualified enough."

Zheng Hongkui said with a cold face, obviously he didn't want to share the territory in his hands, they have always eaten alone at sea, and he has never given it to others.

Not to mention Li Zixiao, even the imperial court at this time, they will not share half a tael of silver at sea, Li Zixiao is just an earl, and their Zheng family is really not afraid at sea.

At this time, Li Zixiao, through Zhang Fugui's Intelligence Bureau, discovered that the overall strength of the Zheng family's fleet was almost within 300 sea ships, and more than half of them were old ships from several years ago.

But what Li Zixiao didn't know was that Zheng Zhilong also hid his strength, he was a guy who used to be a pirate, and he knew the truth of the cunning rabbit three holes.

Zhang Fugui's intelligence bureau can infiltrate Fujian, but it cannot penetrate overseas islands, while Zheng Zhilong has several secret bases on several secret islands overseas.

These are several extremely secret places that he found when he was a pirate, and there are also the inheritance left by Liu Xiang that he obtained from killing another group of pirates Liu Xiang before.

In short, Zhang Fugui's intelligence bureau, which was unable to send people to infiltrate the sea, actually did not fully understand the strength of the Zheng family's fleet.

At this time, there are more than 100 sea ships of the Zheng family hidden on several islands such as the Penghu Islands, and most of them are new-style sea ships, all of which have been built by the Zheng family in the past two years.

In other words, the real strength of the Zheng family fleet is more than half of the more than 400 sea ships, and the launching speed of the new sea ships of the Zheng family fleet in the past two years is actually not slow.

If it weren't for such a powerful fleet force in their hands, why did the Zheng family control the entire East China Sea before, as well as a large area of Luzon Island, and even some parts of the northern part of the South China Sea, which were also controlled by the Zheng family at this time.

"Then launch another attack as soon as possible, annihilate the reinforcements of the fleet that the red-haired ghost came from the South Seas, and take down the two castles of the red-haired ghost in Dayuan, and completely solve this trouble."

Zheng Zhilong's tone was very heavy, and he said to Zheng Hongkui and the others.

"Big brother, we want to fight, but we just finished fighting a war before, and the reserve materials are too much to consume, and now if we want to launch another battle with the red-haired ghost, we need to supply ammunition and materials!"

Zheng Hongkui said helplessly.

At this time, the shortcomings of the Zheng family also appeared, and the Zheng family was unable to divide one side like Li Zixiao after all.

At this time, although Zheng Zhilong was the chief soldier of Fujian, he still couldn't cover the sky with one hand like Li Zixiao in Jiangbei.

At least most of the officials in Fujian are still appointed by the imperial court, and the taxes are also collected by the imperial court.

What the Zheng family can do is to replace the officials near Quanzhou with their own people, and even the money and grain of the government in Quanzhou City, he does not dare to use it without authorization.

Fighting is the most silver-burning, and the war between the Zheng family and the red-haired ghost in the past six months has been carried out by the Zheng family's own savings of money and food, and the consumption is huge.

Last time, the Zheng family mobilized more than 30,000 people to annihilate the red-haired ghost fleet at sea, and landed to attack the two fortified cities of the red-haired ghost in Dayuan, winning the naval battle, but losing the siege.

After this battle, the money and food prepared by the Zheng family were also exhausted, but the war did not end as they thought.

With the arrival of red-haired ghost reinforcements, their battle broke out again, and the Zheng family wanted to launch another decisive battle like before, and the money and food that needed to be prepared in front were a lot of money.

"How much food is missing?" Zheng Zhilong looked at Zheng Zhibao and asked.

"Big brother, because of the war between us and the red-haired ghosts, the sea routes have been blocked for almost half a year, and many maritime ships have not been able to go to sea, and our income has decreased by more than one-third last year.

Originally, our expenses in the past two years were not small, and our money and food reserves were insufficient.

In the past month, I have scraped together a lot of money, and so far, there is still a shortage of 60,000 taels of silver and 50,000 stone of grain.

After raising this piece of money, food, and materials, it will be enough to support our fleet for three months. ”

After hearing Zheng Zhilong's inquiry, Zheng Zhibao first complained about his grievances, and then said that they had a gap in money and food.

"Sixty thousand taels of silver, fifty thousand stone of grain, fortunately, it's not too much, this gap, let the Quanzhou Mansion make up for it, let's exterminate the red-haired ghost, the court has basically not taken out a penny so far."

Our Zheng family is also fighting for the imperial court, how can the imperial court not allocate money and grain? Zheng Zhilong said expressionlessly.

"Big brother, I went to tell Governor Zhang about it, but he refused us on the grounds that the imperial court had never ordered us to attack the red-haired ghosts, and that spring was about to begin, and the government needed money and grain to organize spring ploughing."

Zheng Zhibao also said indignantly at this time.

I don't know, I really thought that their Zheng family was fighting for the country this time, but the court didn't allocate money to them, but they didn't know that they started a war against the red-haired ghost this time, but it was not the instruction of the court.

To put it bluntly, this time Zheng Zhilong wants to drive away the red-haired ghost, swallow Ryukyu Island alone, and completely control the entire southeast sea.

At this time, in the entire southeast sea of the Ming Dynasty, the only ones who could threaten the Zheng family's fleet were these red-haired ghosts, and the rest of the pirates and so on had already been cleared by the Zheng family.

"I'll deal with it over there in Quanzhou, they will pay for the food, after you go back this time, prepare to launch a general attack on the red-haired ghost, and strive to completely solve the war within a month."

Zheng Zhilong's tone was cold, since he had already made up his mind to fight the red-haired ghost again as soon as possible, and to make a quick decision, he would not delay any longer.

On the side of the Quanzhou Mansion, I believe that as long as Zheng Zhilong comes forward, the Quanzhou prefect can only honestly take out money and grain.

"Okay, I'll plan an attack when I go back, and I can attack the red-haired ghost of the big man in four or five days at the earliest, and force the fleet of the red-haired ghost to go to sea and fight a decisive battle with our fleet.

However, although the red-haired ghost only came with about thirty warships this time, all of them were large sea ships, and the largest one was really more than our three-masted gunboat.

I really didn't expect that the red-haired ghost could build such a big sea ship, that sea ship was extremely powerful, we had fought several times at sea before, and we suffered a lot of losses from him.

It is precisely because of the powerful firepower of the red-haired ghost that we have not fought a decisive battle with it, and we continue to fight with it to find out the strength of the other party.

Fortunately, after more than half a month of testing, we have almost explored the strength of the other party.

Although the firepower of the red-haired ghost's big battle ship is fierce, if we gather three three-masted gunboats, it will be enough to suppress him. ”

Zheng Hongkui said to Zheng Zhilong.

"Well, third brother, I'll go back with you this time."

"Big brother, are you going to personally command this time?" As soon as Zheng Hongkui heard Zheng Zhilong's words, he knew that Zheng Zhilong was going to go out in person this time.

"Well, my wind chill is almost better, this time I have to go to sea to command in person, this battle is too important.

In addition, three small fleets were immediately dispatched to search the north shore of the Ryukyus to the north and northwest, where I estimate that Li Zixiao's fleet might be found. ”

Immediately, Zheng Zhilong said to Shi Daxuan on the side.

"The general thinks that Li Zixiao is preparing to attack the north shore of the Ryukyus this time?" After Shi Daxuan heard Zheng Zhilong's words, he instantly reacted and said.

"Well, I don't think Li Zixiao really sent his fleet this time to help us fight the red-haired ghosts.

At this time, eighty percent of the strength of the red-haired ghosts gathered in the two fortified castles of the Great Commander in the south of Ryukyu Island.

They have two castles to the north, one of which has been taken down by us, and there is only one left, and there are no more than a thousand garrisons in it

Before, when I sent Sen'er to Jiangbei to find Li Zixiao to help, he had shown his intention to watch the two castles of red-haired ghosts on the north bank of the Ryukyus.

Therefore, after thinking about it again and again, I still think that the fleet sent by Li Zixiao this time is probably going to the two red-haired ghost castles on the north shore of the Ryukyus.

Now, how many centaurs do we have on the north shore of the Ryukyus? ”

"General Huiyu, we were on the north shore of the Ryukyus before, and we had just laid down a remnant fort of the red-haired ghost on Jicoop Duliao Island, with more than 3,000 people stationed there.

We are expanding the port of the chicken coop and can put more troops into the chicken coop at any time. Shi Daxuan reported truthfully.

"Big brother, should we send some more people to the chicken coop?"

Zheng Zhibao was worried that Zheng Zhilong's guess would come true, and he was afraid that Lu Yuan's fleet was really going to the north shore of the Ryukyus, and said.

"We don't have so many troops in our hands, so for now, we still have to focus on the south and send a fleet of thirty sea ships to the chicken coop.

Send a batch of supplies to the 3,000 soldiers, and prepare them to hold out there, and call me back if anyone dares to attack them.

Let them repair the remnants of the castle left by the red-haired ghosts, hold there, and wait for our side to completely deal with the red-haired ghosts, and then deal with them. ”

Zheng Zhilong also had a clear priority, at this time they had to concentrate their forces first to completely eliminate the main force of the red-haired ghosts in the big army, and they had no time to divide their troops on the north shore of the Ryukyus for the time being.

I didn't see that after the Zheng family defeated the red-haired ghost in the city of San Salvador on the island of Jicoop Duliao, they didn't send people to attack the city of San Domingo in Tamsui!

In fact, this European-style fortress that was repaired by the Spaniards and red-haired ghosts before was too easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Before, if it weren't for the red-haired ghost's castle on the chicken coop Duliao Island, they had occupied the Spaniards before, and most of it was destroyed in the war, and the red-haired ghost hadn't repaired it much.

In addition, the red-haired ghost garrison here is only 400 people, and the Zheng family has more than 3,000 people, so that the Zheng family's army can be defeated.

On the other hand, the red-haired ghost is in Tamsui's castle, but it's different.

It was the castle that the red-haired ghost had rebuilt after defeating the Spaniards, the castle was perfect, and there were many garrisons, and it was not easy for the Zheng family to fight down.

Therefore, at this time, Zheng Zhilong's idea was to defeat the red-haired ghost fleet of the big man and seize the two castles of the red-haired ghost in the big man, so that the southern shore of Ryukyu Island would fall into the hands of their Zheng family.

As for the north shore, they will first guard the chicken coop that has been reached, and as for the hard bone of the red-haired ghost in the castle of Tamsui, if Li Zixiao's fleet is willing to gnaw it, let them gnaw it.

Let's not talk about it, Lu Yuan's fleet can fight from the fort of the red-haired ghost, even if Tamsui is defeated by Li Zixiao's fleet.

At that time, as long as their Zheng family masters the chicken coop, the worst situation on Ryukyu Island after the war will also be the land where their Zheng family and Li Zixiao share the north shore of Ryukyu equally.

With Zheng Zhilong's understanding of Li Zixiao, Li Zixiao will never suffer losses, and the timing of his choice to make a move this time is too good.

Therefore, this time Li Zixiao is destined not to return empty-handed, how can he get something.

And once Li Zixiao's fleet captured a place on the north shore of the Ryukyus, it would be difficult for the Zheng family to drive away Li Zixiao's men and horses on the north shore of the Ryukyus, even after defeating the red-haired ghosts.

After defeating the red-haired ghosts, the Zheng family will also fall into a period of weakness, and they are bound to compromise with Li Zixiao's actual occupation of the northern shore of the Ryukyus.

Therefore, at this time, Zheng Zhilong was already thinking in his heart that after they defeated the red-haired ghost in this battle, he should send someone to negotiate with Li Zixiao.

No matter how strong the Zheng family's fleet is, it is impossible to immediately turn against Li Zixiao after defeating the red-haired ghost.

At that time, even if their Zheng family fleet was still moving, their money and food would not be able to fight.

Now, what Zheng Zhilong has to do is to defeat the red-haired ghost in the shortest possible time, and not give the fleet led by Lu Yuan too many opportunities to attack the north coast of the Ryukyus.

"Hey, Li Zixiao, Li Zixiao, I really know how to seize the opportunity, maybe I shouldn't have attacked the red-haired ghost last year, but now that I think about it, I seem to have been bewitched by him when I went to Jiangbei.

Perhaps, the old man also fell for Count Li's trick this time, and it was really a talented person from the country! ”

(End of chapter)