Chapter 59: The Aftermath of the Overlord

The death of Zheng Zhilong was like a bombshell dropped on the entire province of Fujian, and even the southeastern coast. The news was so shocking that few people noticed the destruction of Zhangzhou Bay.

For more than a decade, Zheng Zhilong had fought for supremacy at sea, weathering countless storms. Although he had suffered major setbacks, such as being captured by the Dutch and the split with Li Kuiqi, he had always been invincible at sea with the support of Xiong Wencan. From a small smuggler, he had risen to become a great sea merchant, a guerrilla general of the Ming Dynasty, and the “Great Wall of Fujian.” Wherever the Zheng flag pointed, all bowed before it.

Now, this behemoth of the East Asian seas, the invincible young sea lord, had fallen in a single day of battle. The news came as a great shock to all who heard it, followed by disbelief.

Was Zheng Zhilong really dead?

Messengers and spies from all sides were dispatched, rushing to Anping, Xiamen, and other places.

Zou Weilian, the governor of Fujian, received the news on September 25th. In fact, on the day after D-Day, he had received news that “sea bandits had invaded Zhongzuosuo,” but he had not paid much attention to it. The Zhongzuosuo area was Zheng Zhilong’s main base. Although he was not completely loyal to the Ming Dynasty, he had always been very concerned about the security of Fujian. When Liu Xianglao attacked Min’an, it was he who led the army to defeat him. Now that his own lair was being attacked, Zheng Zhilong would surely fight to the death.

Unexpectedly, the subsequent news became worse and worse. The local officials in the Jinmen and Xiamen areas sent urgent messengers one after another, reporting that the sea bandits were powerful, the Zheng forces had completely collapsed in various places in Jinmen and Xiamen, and the men and horses were all fleeing to the mainland, requesting that troops be sent quickly to suppress the routed army.

Today, he received the most shocking news since he took office: Zheng Zhilong was killed in action!

The news of Zheng Zhilong’s death was conveyed in a letter from Zheng Zhifeng:

…The short-hair thieves crossed the sea and invaded Zhongzuosuo and Anping County, advancing by both land and water. Duke Zheng led his troops out of the city to meet the enemy, and recruited death-defying soldiers to fight hard, killing and capturing many. However, the enemy used continuous fire guns and fired huge cannons. Duke Zheng drew his sword and fought hard, killing more than ten people. He was hit by several bullets but still shouted and fought hard. He was wounded in the foot by a cannon but still commanded from the city wall, standing firm. A large group of short-hair thieves who had landed on the shore swarmed forward, and he was wounded by seven more continuous fire guns. Duke Zheng was exhausted and could not hold on. He bowed to the north again, untied his seal and handed it to the brave general of his camp, Tong Tailang, saying, “I cannot live any longer. You must quickly take my head and throw my body into the ditch.” He let out a great cry and died.

After Duke Zheng’s defeat and death, the thieves entered the city and plundered it. Tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians were killed or captured. The short-hair thieves also destroyed Zhongzuosuo and Anping County, and burned the remaining houses. All the stone pavilions and railings were destroyed; those that were too large to be destroyed were blown up with gunpowder. Thus, the two cities were reduced to rubble…

Zheng Zhifeng was Zheng Zhilong’s brother and one of the most powerful leaders in the Zheng family. The credibility of his report was very high.

So, was Zheng Zhilong really killed in battle? Zou Weilian felt a sense of disbelief, and for a moment, a mixed feeling of joy and worry arose in his heart.

He was happy because he had always been worried that Zheng Zhilong was too powerful and was gradually becoming a feudal lord. His predecessor had successfully pacified Zheng Zhilong and cleared the seas of Fujian. But any discerning person could see that the so-called clearing of the seas was just a matter of replacing the many chaotic pirates of the past with the Zheng family’s monopoly.

What was even more worrying was that the Zheng family, with the power of their official position, openly occupied Zhongzuosuo, recruited private soldiers, and forcibly levied taxes… they had gradually grown into an extremely large force. This force was gradually becoming uncontrollable by the governor of Fujian alone. The military situation in Liaodong was urgent, and the court had repeatedly ordered the Zheng family’s navy to go north to reinforce, but each time Zheng Zhilong had made excuses to refuse.

He was not like Xiong Wencan, who had a “debt of gratitude” and a private relationship with Zheng Zhilong. If he made a wrong move and Zheng Zhilong openly rebelled, the local forces in Fujian would not be able to suppress him at all, which would inevitably cause the entire southeastern coast to fall into chaos. The current Ming Dynasty was not like when the emperor had just ascended the throne. It was a time of fires everywhere. If he caused such a scene in Fujian, he would most likely lose his head.

Now that Zheng Zhilong had been defeated and even lost his life, Zou Weilian felt a sense of relief in addition to his surprise. With Zheng Zhilong dead, the Zheng family would be without a leader and would inevitably fall apart. At that time, he could use his own methods to divide and conquer them.

He was worried because the invading short-hair thieves had such power that they had swept through the Zheng family’s lair. The future seas would inevitably be a scene of bloody storms, and the seas, which had been relatively calm for a short time, would inevitably fall into chaos again. If this group of sea bandits invaded the coastal areas again, it would be another major threat to coastal defense.

He was not too concerned about a little chaos at sea, the robbery and killing of merchant ships and fishing boats. But if the sea bandits frequently landed to kill and plunder, the local gentry would inevitably suffer. Once the Fujian officials in the capital were alarmed, his own life would not be easy.

While he was hesitating, the servant brought in another report from Nan’an and Jinjiang counties. Zou Weilian opened them one by one:

Nan’an report: …The short-hair thieves attacked the city day and night. When the short-hair soldiers were near the city gate and climbing the city wall, a statue of Guanyin was suddenly seen in the smoke. The bodhisattva spread her sleeves, and suddenly it rained heavily. The enemy’s rockets, cannons, and continuous guns could not fire. The thieves were afraid and retreated.

Jinjiang report: …On the 20th, tens of thousands of short-hair thieves invaded Xiamen. The guerrilla general Zheng Zhilong fought hard and repelled them, but unfortunately he was shot and killed. The thieves then captured the city. Because of the bitter fighting, they carried out a great massacre, and no soldiers or civilians were left alive. …The short-hair thieves went in groups to plunder, and invaded Jinjiang. The people had no way to resist. The gentry in the county offered a large sum of more than a thousand taels of silver to recruit a hundred death-defying soldiers. They raided the short-hair camp at night, each with a white blade. The thieves were caught off guard and were greatly shocked. Although the short-hair thieves’ Frankish guns were sharp, they were met with chamber pots, and all the short-hair thieves’ fire guns were shattered. In the city, more than a hundred thieves were killed, and the thieves cried and wailed, abandoning their guns and cannons and carrying away the corpses to flee.

It was all nonsense, Zou Weilian thought. He himself had been the Haixun Dao of Yanping in this province and was very familiar with the coastal defense of Fujian. How could he not know the tricks of the reports from the prefectures, counties, and garrisons? He estimated that in the two counties of Nan’an and Jinjiang, the short-hair thieves had only shown their faces nearby and there had been no “great battle” or “death battle.” However, the Jinjiang report said that Zheng Zhilong had been killed in battle, which seemed to confirm what Zheng Zhifeng had said.

However, at least the two counties of Nan’an and Jinjiang had not fallen. According to the report, the short-hair thieves had retreated after a major plunder on land. In this way, the great crime of losing a prefecture or county could be avoided. As for Zhongzuosuo City, another victory could be reported to cover up this disastrous defeat. As for the death of Zheng Zhilong, although it shook the coastal seas, in the officialdom, he was just a small guerrilla general. In these years, it was not uncommon for generals, deputy generals, and colonels to be killed in action.

Thinking of this, Zou Weilian already had a plan in mind on how to deal with it. He called his advisors and asked them to first write a few letters to Zheng Zhifeng and others, telling them to immediately “suppress the troops, take in the refugees, and station them in various places to await further orders.”

Then he wrote letters to the county magistrates of Jinjiang and Nan’an, ordering them to close the city gates and set up temporary camps under the city to take in refugees and routed soldiers.

He ordered his advisors to write a moving and deeply sorrowful eulogy for Zheng Zhilong, to be used later.

Then he summoned the commander of the central army and ordered him to select some meticulous soldiers of local origin from the Fubiao Central Camp to quietly go to various places to inquire about the situation.

“You will prepare another three hundred men and horses, and ten ships, and wait for orders at the mouth of the Jiulong River. As soon as my arrow is given, you will weigh anchor and go to Zhongzuosuo. When you go, the Zheng family’s men and horses will probably have already arrived. You just need to go ashore, go to the garrison city for a walk, and then come back.”

“Yes!” The commander of the central army did not know what the governor was up to, but this matter was simple and did not involve any risks. There would be money for setting out and a reward for returning, which would be a small fortune.

“Don’t provoke the Zheng family’s people. As long as you come back safely, I will definitely recommend you.”

“Thank you for your grace, my lord!”

Next, it was how to deal with the Zheng family. Zou Weilian thought, now is a good opportunity to get rid of the Zheng family. Take advantage of his illness and take his life. The Zheng family is without a leader, and their power is greatly reduced. It is a good opportunity to make a move. Moreover, there are many forces in Fujian who are dissatisfied with the Zheng family. As a rising sea merchant, the Zheng family, after obtaining an official position, has been acquiring a large amount of land in southern Fujian, monopolizing export goods and maritime trade, which has caused serious dissatisfaction among many local gentry. But at that time, Xiong Wencan was well-fed by Zheng Zhilong, and pacifying Zheng Zhilong was Xiong Wencan’s political achievement. Therefore, this voice was suppressed when Xiong Wencan was in office. After Zou Weilian took office, many people came to complain to him through various channels. Many local officials also secretly incited him to “deal with” the Zheng family.

But getting rid of the Zheng family had no meaning for Zou Weilian. Although it was good to please the local gentry, he was not yet clear about the extent of the Zheng family’s losses. If it provoked a rebellion, the consequences would be unimaginable. Furthermore, Xiong Wencan was now the governor-general of Guangdong and Guangxi and also the governor of Guangdong. He was favored by the emperor. If he made a move, it would inevitably cause Xiong Wencan’s dissatisfaction.

In any case, the Zheng family had already suffered a great loss of vitality and had lost Zheng Zhilong as their leader. He could divide and conquer them.

He thought for a moment and then called one of his personal servants:

“You go to the accounting office and tell them to prepare a hundred taels of silver, ten shi of rice, and cured meat, roasted chicken, and dried fish. Also prepare one of my name cards and send them all to the county school in Jinjiang County.”

The Jinjiang report also mentioned that many of the Zheng family’s relatives had fled to Jinjiang and were currently being housed in the county school.

“After you go, try to find out which of the Zheng family’s relatives have fled to Jinjiang. Besides those who have fled to Jinjiang County, where else have they fled to? Where are General Zheng’s wife and young son now? You must find out everything clearly. You will also receive twenty taels of silver for your journey. Choose a few capable servants from the family to go with you.”

“Yes, master.” The servant took his orders and left.

Finally, he summoned his trusted advisors and asked them to first discuss how to write a memorial to the court and request for a posthumous title. How to word it, how to make “the emperor’s heart greatly comforted,” and how to conceal defeat and embellish success were all profound knowledge. In the end, it was inevitable to draw up a list of recommendations for meritorious service. These all needed to be carefully considered by the advisors in advance.