Southern Ming Rebel Army

Chapter 501 Ping Liao (5)

Before Zheng Chenggong arrived at the dock, he saw a sea of people on the flagship. Qian Cheng, the prefect of Tianjin, led a group of local officials to greet him at the dock.

Many people were surprised to see such a large ship for the first time. After Zheng Chenggong captured Taiwan and conquered Luzon, the Propaganda Department, at the suggestion of Meng Jun, reported extensively on Zheng Chenggong's achievements in expanding territory.

Therefore, many people in Tianjin wanted to see what the Prince of Nan'an, who had expanded his territory by a thousand miles, looked like. They wanted to know whether he was as heroic and extraordinary as described in the newspapers. The people were simple and honest. They were happy to hear that the country had expanded its territory. As for where Luzon was, it didn't matter to them. This could prove that the Celestial Empire had unparalleled military power.

As for some sour Confucian scholars' sarcastic remarks about warmongering, the people today don't care. The Qing troops in the north have repeatedly entered the country and plundered everywhere, while many cities in the south have been slaughtered. It is always better to have a strong military force than the enemy's.

However, officials, gentry and other traditional Confucian scholars did not agree with Zheng Chenggong's capture of Luzon, believing that it was just a barbaric land. Instead, they were somewhat worried about the emperor's ordering Wutai to publicize it. Many civil servants realized that the emperor was keen on expanding territory, which also meant that the court's national policy would continue to rely on military men.

However, the Liao issue has not been resolved yet, and the emperor is the founding monarch, so his thoughts cannot be easily changed. The civil officials group is not worried. They can influence the crown prince, and if the crown prince cannot influence them, they can wait for the crown prince.

Zheng Chenggong and his entourage did not expect such a grand scene.

Zheng Chenggong looked at Chen Yaoce beside him and said, "Are you welcoming me? Is this too high-profile?"

Chen Yaoce was stunned. He had never experienced such a thing before, so he replied hesitantly: "Such a large event should not be decided by the local government. In my opinion, it must be the order of the emperor!"

This was indeed arranged by Meng Jun. After hearing that Zheng Chenggong was about to head north in response to the imperial edict, Meng Jun was extremely happy. The Qing court was now defending the Ningjin defense line, and Zhao Yongping had been unable to break through. The two armies of Korea and Mongolia wanted to destroy the Qing court, but were obviously unable to do so.

Therefore, Meng Jun wanted to use the navy and dispersed transportation to launch surprise attacks on Lushun, Gaizhou and other coastal cities in Liaodong by sea. However, the navy of the Qian Dynasty was insufficient for such a large-scale action. After all, Shen Tingyang's navy still needed to transport logistical supplies to the three towns of Gao Jinku, Yang Min and Liang Sanwu in Korea.

North Korea is now extremely poor, and the local government organizations are in a mess. A large amount of supplies need to be transported from the Central Plains by the navy.

Although the Qian Dynasty's navy was still expanding, it was more than enough to maintain the Korean front and could barely transport the infantry to open up a second battlefield. However, in that case, the navy would be under great pressure to maintain the logistics of the troops on both sides. If they were not careful, the landing troops would be in danger of running out of food.

On the one hand, Meng Jun needed the Zheng family's ships to transport his troops. On the other hand, Zheng Chenggong had accepted the imperial edict of the Qian Dynasty and conquered Luzon. Therefore, Meng Jun instructed Qian Cheng to welcome Zheng Chenggong with a grand ceremony.

Zheng Chenggong and his entourage disembarked from the warship. Qian Cheng led a group of local officials to greet them immediately, and saluted, saying, "Qian Cheng, the prefect of Tianjin, is here to greet the Prince of Nan'an and the generals on the orders of His Majesty."

Zheng Chenggong forced a smile and said, "Prefect Qian, is this scene too grand?"

Qian Cheng immediately shook his head and said, "Not grand, not grand. The prince conquered Luzon, and His Majesty was very happy. He specifically ordered me to make preparations to welcome the prince."

After Qian Cheng finished speaking, he saluted Zheng Chenggong and said, "Prince, generals, please come in!"

The government had already prepared several fine horses and asked Zheng Chenggong and others to mount them.

Zheng Chenggong and his entourage went to the government office amid the welcome of the people.

Along the way, Zheng Chenggong felt a little embarrassed and a little complacent. He did not expect that he would be so supported by the people. Although this was arranged by the Qian Dynasty government, looking at the expressions of the people along the way, it was obviously not forced.

The generals behind him either blushed or felt proud. The welcome and support from the people was something they had never experienced before.

Qian Cheng warmly entertained Zheng Chenggong and his entourage in the government office, and then on the next day, he arranged a carriage and entourage to guide Zheng Chenggong to Beijing.

In contrast, when Wu Sangui and his entourage passed through the cities along the way, local officials mostly handled their affairs impartially and had the post stations prepare meals, horses, etc. for Wu Sangui according to court regulations. This treatment was incomparable to that of Zheng Chenggong.

The second year of Zhaowu, June, 25th.

When Zheng Chenggong arrived in the capital, all the cabinet ministers came out of the city to welcome him. Yang En, Li Weita, Wu Tai and others were all present. When Zheng Chenggong and his entourage arrived at the gate of the Forbidden City, Meng Jun was already standing at the gate to greet them.

When Zheng Chenggong saw the emperor's procession from afar, he was stunned at first, then looked surprised. He immediately dismounted and walked quickly forward.

After arriving in front of Meng Jun, he bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I am Zheng Sen. I am so humbled and terrified that I dare not let Your Majesty come to greet me in person!"

Meng Jun stepped forward, helped Zheng Chenggong up, then pulled Zheng Chenggong, patted him again and again, and said: "We fought side by side in the past, why should we be so polite now? Let's go to the palace and talk!"

In fact, the unification of the world is now a foregone conclusion. Although the Qing Dynasty is still lingering in Liaodong, even if Meng Jun no longer intervenes, it is only a matter of time before the Qing Dynasty is destroyed by following the steps and relying on traditional methods.

Therefore, Meng Jun's mentality has actually been in a state of losing challenge, feeling a little empty inside, and losing passion for many things. Otherwise, he would not have liked fishing, an activity that is so dull and somewhat boring.

Zheng Chenggong's capture of Luzon brought a new challenge to Meng Jun's heart. He wanted to fight the West and then the Russians.

After entering the palace, everyone sat down in the main hall. Meng Jun sat on the throne, while Zheng Chenggong and a group of cabinet ministers sat on both sides.

Meng Jun didn't exchange pleasantries or make polite remarks, but went straight to the point, saying, "Jirgalang is on the Ningjin defense line, and the defense is tight. It is difficult for General Zhao to break through for the time being. I suggest that we use the navy to transport infantry, take the sea route, and suddenly attack the cities in Liaodong. What do you think, Prince of Nan'an?"

Zheng Chenggong heaved a sigh of relief after hearing the sound of the strings. From his experience along the way, he realized that Meng Jun would not detain him, but wanted to use the Zheng family's navy to break through the Ningjin defense line.

In response to Meng Jun's words, Zheng Chenggong bowed solemnly and said, "Your Majesty is wise and insightful. The enemy has put all their efforts into the Ningjin defense line. It may be difficult to make a quick decision by attacking them by land. We can attack them by sea and take them by surprise. We may be able to achieve miraculous results."

Then, Zheng Chenggong said with a resolute look: "The captives have captured my father, and this hatred is irreconcilable. I am willing to lead the troops to destroy the captive court!"

(This book has reached the 500th chapter, applause!!!)