Wu Shigong's meaning Xue Yongli understood very well that it was to establish a buffer zone on the periphery of the Runing Army. Moreover, we must try to win over those wall grasses, at least not to let them join the peasant rebels.

At this stage, the identity of the Runing Army is still quite popular, so as long as these wall grasses feel that the Runing Army will not abandon them, and then let them feel the strong strength of the Runing Army, in the future battle against the peasant rebel army, these people will also be inclined to the Runing Army, and even after the interests are bundled, it is possible to transform these people into the hardcore of the Runing Army.

Then, Xue Yongli asked another question of concern: "Uncle, this Governor Hong has returned to Shaanxi directly, and the army of bandits is no longer going to Huguang, do we still want to set up supply points along the way in Xinyang and Wuchang?" ”

In the Xinyang military conference, Hong Chengchou learned that the peasant rebel army had entered Shaanxi in a big way, so his original Jihua in Huguang to suppress bandits would not work, so after the meeting, Hong Chengchou hurriedly returned to Shaanxi with the main force. In this case, it seems that the behavior of the Runing Army to spend manpower and material resources to establish a grain supply point is somewhat unnecessary.

"It's not like that!" Wu Shigong shook his hand and explained, "What I fancy is the road to Wuchang, and what I fancy is the Yangtze River waterway. If there is one of our sailors in Wuchang, then our soft belly in Huguang will be completely hardened. And it can completely guarantee the retreat of the Runing army. As for Governor Hong! If you can help, just help. Besides, now that his warrant is in my hands, if I don't use it to the fullest, I'm sorry for Governor Hong's trust! ”

After finishing speaking, the two looked at each other and daxiao.

"No wonder my uncle wants to return the dividends of Fujian Zheng guerrilla." Of course, Xue Yongli knew Wu Shigong's purpose for establishing a water master, "But when I learned that my uncle made his own opinion, Mr. Deng didn't say it in front of you, and his face turned green behind his back!" ”

After this festival, Zheng Jiao and Zheng shopkeeper came to Runing Mansion again. They brought Wu Shigong more than half a year's dividends from his four seagoing ships -- 27,000 taels of silver.

Of course, Zheng Zhilong, who was a handsome man on the sea in the late Ming Dynasty, was definitely not stupid, and he would not give Wu Shigong silver in vain, he sent dividends with his own intentions.

Last year, when Zhang Rubao led 100 people to Fujian, he happened to meet Zheng Zhilong, who swore to set off to fight against Liu Xiang, a strong enemy at sea in Zuihou. And Zhang Rubao also joined the expedition.

At the end of May of the eighth year of Chongzhen, Zheng Zhilong encountered Liu Xianghai's armed group in Tianweiyang, Guangdong, and the two sides immediately fought fiercely, and they fought with each other. As the battle progressed, the ships of both sides were strangled together. It's up to whoever gets the upper hand in the gang jumping.

In the fierce battle, Zheng Zhilong's most powerful and beloved assistant, his brother Zheng Zhihu, was unfortunately killed. But at this time, the hundred people led by Zhang Rubao came out. They changed the chaotic situation of the pirate jumping gang war in the past, and formed a combat squad with left and right cover and equipped with weapons from near and far according to the tactics of the Runing Army.

This squad is skilled in combat and skillful in coordination. The armament was quite reasonable, so the battle with them became one-sided.

This also became a straw that broke the camel's back. Liu Xiang's warship was seized by Zheng Zhilong one after another. And Liu Xiang's flagship, which was in the strangulation, was finally surrounded by Zheng Zhilong's warship. See cornered. Liu Xiang committed suicide by burning the fire, and Zheng Zhilong was wiped out as a great enemy at sea.

After the war, Zheng Zhilong gave Zhang Rubao a rich reward, and won over Zhang Rubao and others with beauty and profit. However, these people were carefully selected by Ru Ningjun, and their families were all in Wu Shigong's hands, so in the end, no one changed their doors to join Zheng Zhilong. And Zheng Zhilong also has a cooperative relationship with Wu Shigong. I can't do something that is too ugly to eat, so I'll just do it.

After Liu Xiang's death, Zheng Zhilong incorporated all maritime liliang into the local government system and obtained sea control. Legally control the operation of the East-West trade system. Because the Ming Dynasty government only had such an official as Zheng Zhilong with maritime strength, it was actually Zheng Zhilong who monopolized the Ming Dynasty's foreign maritime trade.

At this time, there were three golden sea lanes in the Far East: one was through Malacca to Macao, which was the common shipping route for Western countries; One passed through Manila to the coast of the Ming Dynasty, which was exclusively used by Spain, and a large part of Zheng Zhilong's maritime trade also took this waterway; The other is from the Ming Dynasty to Japan. This is the most profitable sea road now, and it is basically dominated by Zheng Zhilong.

But what about adding a "basically" to weishenme? Because the Dutch colonists who established colonies in Taiwan also used Taiwan as a base to conduct some ocean-going trade with Japan.

At this time, Zheng Zhilong was about to control and develop Taiwan and suppress the Dutch colonists. Zheng Zhilong's purpose of controlling and developing Taiwan was similar to Wu Shigong's purpose of setting up Tuntian Villa in Henan, that is, to set up a base for the Zheng family at sea. But we should also note that he only suppressed the Dutch colonists in Taiwan, not drove them out or eliminated them.

Because Zheng Zhilong still needs to do business with the Dutch colonists. In his opinion, national righteousness is not as good as silver in vain, and as long as the Dutch colonists abide by the maritime rules formulated by Zheng Zhilong in the Far East, then it is also insignificant to cede some places in Taiwan to the Dutch to settle down.

But since the Dutch at this time could be called "coachmen of the sea", of course they would not obediently submit. Therefore, Zheng Zhilong had to use force in Taiwan to subdue the Dutch, and then make them accept the maritime rules he had formulated.

But the Dutch firearms are also quite powerful, and they have already built several strong fortresses in Taiwan, so that Zheng Zhilong can directly attack with his descendants? Then he would definitely feel distressed, so Zheng Zhilong set his sights on the mercenaries.

Zheng Zhilong himself collected some bandits in Fujian and hired some ronins in Japan, and now he saw Zhang Rubao's strong combat effectiveness, so he also wanted to hire some soldiers here in the Runing Army. To tell the truth, now that Wu Shigong is in military cooperation with Zheng Zhilong, Zheng Zhilong occupies an absolutely active position with his wealth.

Therefore, after Zheng Jiao met with Wu Shigong this time, he proposed to Wu Shigong to send another 400 soldiers with the same combat effectiveness as Zhang Rubao to help Zheng Zhilong control Taiwan.

As a reward, in addition to bringing dividends, Zheng Zhilong promised to give Wu Shigong two more sea vessels, and would give Wu Shigong some benefits in the development of Taiwan, of course, Wu Shigong had to raise his own manpower to develop Taiwan.

However, Wu Shigong completely rejected this proposal. He returned the dividends and asked Zheng Zhilong to help build a batch of small and medium-sized commercial and war ships that could be used in the Yangtze River and the Huai River.

Zheng Jiao has no objection to this. For Zheng Zhilong, who can build seagoing ships, building some small and medium-sized ships is just a gesture.

However, Wu Shigong next proposed: 3,000 soldiers should be sent to completely occupy Taiwan. In this regard, as long as Wu Shigong has more of the territory originally occupied by the Dutch, the main control of Taiwan will still be in the hands of Zheng Zhilong.

But with such conditions, Zheng Zhilong does not have the authority to agree. He could only send a fast horse to send the news back to Fujian, and let Zheng Zhilong decide.

However, not only Zheng Jiao's request to Wu Shigong was a little strange, but even no one in the Runing Army could understand Wu Shigong. So Xue Yongli asked again: "Uncle! That Zheng guerrilla used profits to buy our Runing army to fight, not to mention whether this approach is appropriate or not for the time being, but Nayizhou (Taiwan) is a barbarian land, and the people who have to fight are some Francophiles like Deputy Director Gang, is this too little? ”

Wu Shigong smiled and shook his head, the current Ming Dynasty people don't know that Taiwan is the treasure island of the motherland: "So I want to send 3,000 soldiers." Yizhou's maritime trade can be ceded to Zheng Guerrilla first, but I will account for 30% of Yizhou's territory. In fact, you don't know, Yizhou is a good place, it's nothing more than a lonely overseas, and I have a sea ban in Daming, so I'm afraid that overseas will give up this place. Nayi Prefecture is rich in products, the fields are harvested three times a year, and there are abundant seafood in the surrounding area. This island alone is enough to feed a million people and feed 50,000 troops. ”

Thanks to the news media's long-term introduction to Taiwan, Wu Shigong also said exactly what he said at this time, which made Xue Yongli accept Wu Shigong's point of view with suspicion.

However, Xue Yongli reminded again: "Uncle! The existing strength of our Runing army is also stretched, and this division of troops is afraid that if we don't rely on the two ends, we will get nothing! ”

"The hometown of Shenzhou, how can the barbarians be trampled on!" Wu Shigong replied very resolutely, "Fighting against the Shaanxi bandits is like a brother's wall, and sometimes it is impossible to kill them all." But fighting against red-haired ghosts and Tartars is a national war, and you can sacrifice everything to fight with it. Our Runing Army is already the most elite sons and daughters of China, who else is this responsibility? This is also the destiny of heaven to you and me! ”

Wu Shigong's encouragement made Xue Yongli also enthusiastic. Coupled with those words of "Mandate of Heaven", Xue Yongli was also a little superstitious that his uncle was sent by God to save this troubled world. Don't say it, sometimes the ancients ate this set.

Xue Yongli didn't know that as soon as he heard that Zheng Jiao invited the Runing Army to attack Taiwan, Wu Shigong immediately remembered the deeds of the national hero Zheng Chenggong. Back then, Zheng Chenggong could rely on Taiwan to deal with the Manchus for such a long time, and if the Runing Army occupied Taiwan, even if it was only a small part, then the Runing Army would really have a way to retreat. Now Wu Shigong is still worried that the original history will repeat itself, and in the future, the Qing soldiers will enter the customs and occupy the entire Central Plains.

But what is ridiculous is that until now, Wu Shigong still doesn't know that Zheng Zhilong and Zheng Chenggong are father and son.

After some excitement, Xue Yongli diverted the topic and said with a smile to Wu Shigong: "Our Runing Army has moved so much, and Mr. Deng is going to be anxious about grain and silver again." (To be continued......)