1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 912 The General of the Defeated Army
"Surrender unconditionally? The Haihan people really said that? What you saw was their general?"

Although he somewhat expected that the attitude of the Haihan people would be tougher, but when he really heard the answer from Gan Hui, Zheng Zhilong was still a little bit disappointed.He originally hoped that the resistance he organized would make the Haihan people look at him with admiration, and at the last moment he could use this to discuss the terms of surrender with the other party, but it seems that this group of Haihan people really don't accept soft and hard, and there is no such thing at all. There is no intention of making concessions or compromises.

Gan Hui responded: "The Haihan general who led the army to Miyako Island this time is the Admiral Wang Tom of his navy. This person said that if he surrendered at this time, he would be saved. The army will fight to the end and wipe out all my eighteen Zhi!"

Shibazhi and Haihan have been fighting openly and secretly for several years, and they are not ignorant of the situation of the Haihan militia. At least they know the name and basic personal information of the general of the Haihan army.When Haihan attacked Penghu last year, Wang Tom was in command of the army, so Shibazhi was no stranger to this general, and knew that Marshal Wang was the commander of the navy in the Haihan army.He commanded Haihan's surface armed forces in the two attacks against Shibazhi, which shows how much Haihan's military executives attach importance to Shibazhi.

Now that the other party's high-ranking officials have personally released the words, there is probably no room for reversal in this matter.As for whether the words of Haihan people can be counted, Zheng Zhilong is not worried about this. Haihan's reputation through business operations is very famous, and it has always been well-known in the southeast coast. This kind of detail deceives Shibazhi into choosing to surrender.If Haihan really wanted to kill them all, it would take two or three days at most, and there was no need to persuade Shibazhi to surrender.

Zheng Zhilong took a deep breath, looked at the audience and asked: "Brothers, when we became sworn brothers, we agreed to share the blessings and share the difficulties. We have already enjoyed the blessings together, and now this great disaster Right in front of you, brothers, how do you think you should get through it? Do you surrender Haihan to save his life, or fight to the death with him?"

Gan Hui was originally Zheng Zhilong's confidant. Hearing his question, he knew that he had been shaken.If Zheng Zhilong really planned to fight to the death and not surrender, he would not have asked for everyone's opinions at this time. Now that he asked, his attitude has been clearly revealed.

Gan Hui secretly sighed in his heart, but he answered the words: "Eighteen Zhi has always looked forward to the head of the family, and the brothers will do what the head of the family says. If the head of the family takes pity on the lives of the brothers, Haihan will be sent down. , we will naturally obey."

Zheng Zhilong sighed and said: "Gan Hui, you really know what I mean. Now that the Haihan army is unstoppable, we have no power to turn the tables. If we continue to fight again, everyone will die. I am a small matter of life and death, which drags down the brothers. It is a great sin to be buried with him! It's just that if Haihan is sent down, the brothers will inevitably suffer some humiliation. This is not my wish. I am in a dilemma, so I want all the brothers to decide together how to deal with it That’s the situation right now.”

Those who didn't understand what Zheng Zhilong said just now, even if they are dull, have now understood that Zheng Zhilong intends to surrender, but he can't get rid of his face, so everyone needs to express his attitude together, and he will push the boat forward to announce this Decide.

Although these people are all desperadoes who have long put life and death aside, it does not mean that they do not want to continue to live, otherwise they would not have given up Penghu and fled to Miyako Island with Zheng Zhilong last year.If there is an opportunity to survive, who is willing to give up easily?Since Zheng Zhilong had no intention of fighting any more, there was no point in insisting on fighting.At the moment, everyone expressed their opinions one after another. They should save their strength first and try to make a comeback in the future. As for whether there is a chance to make a comeback, no one can think about things that far away now.

"Since all the brothers believe that preserving strength is more important, then I, the head of the family, can only survive for the time being and finish the formalities with the Haihan people." Zheng Zhilong stood up, cupped his hands at everyone present, and said, "When the sun rises tomorrow, I will personally negotiate with the Haihan people to save the lives of the brothers on the island. If anything happens, my son Fusong hopes that you will take care of him."

Everyone also got up to answer quickly. Although surrendering at the last moment felt a bit cowardly, Zheng Zhilong was willing to risk his life to negotiate with the Haihan people in person. This courage is still admirable.As for the future life of his son Zheng Fusong, although everyone agreed verbally, they still had the same thought in their hearts. At this moment, no one can take care of others, and he will soon become a prisoner, so how can he have the ability to take care of others.Besides, the Haihan people are always shrewd, how could they easily let Zheng Zhilong's family go?
Perhaps Zheng Zhilong could also guess what his subordinates were thinking, so he called his son Zheng Fusong to the study that night and explained some things to him.Zheng Zhilong knew that going to see the Haihan people tomorrow would be bad luck, and even if he wouldn't be killed by the Haihan people, he might not have a chance to regain his freedom in the future.As for his son, Zheng Fusong, who is young, as long as the Haihan people don't kill them all, maybe there will be other ways out in the future.There were some things that should have been told to him in a few years, but now I can only tell him in advance.

"Fu Song, I'm going to see the Haihan people tomorrow for my father. Before I leave, I need to let you know something." Zheng Zhilong said: "Among my subordinates, only Gan Hui and Shi Daxuan can be trusted. If you ask for help in the future People, these two should help you."

Zheng Fusong said: "Father went to see the Haihan people, so why can't he come back?"

Zheng Zhilong sighed: "The general of the defeated army can only be slaughtered by others. If I want to save the lives of thousands of people on this island as my father, I can only exchange myself. The Haihan people regard me as a feud. If you fall into their hands, you may die. You should not be sad about this. Although your life as a father is short, it is also glorious for a while, and you have no regrets. But if you have a chance to regain your freedom in the future, don’t go as a father again. Father’s way. Don’t seek revenge from the Haihan people, go back to Dongying, and live a good life with your mother and brother.”

Zheng Fusong bit his lip and did not respond, but two lines of tears had flowed down his face.Although he didn't understand what was happening in the adult world, he also knew that his father's situation was far from good, and perhaps a farewell tomorrow would be a farewell between father and son.

Zheng Zhilong's mood was very calm, and he continued: "You should keep in mind what my father said next, don't forget, and don't tell a third person, do you remember?"

Zheng Fusong wiped away his tears and nodded vigorously.

Zheng Zhilong said: "My father left his hometown 13 years ago to roam the rivers and lakes. Later, he established Shibazhi to rule the coastal areas of Fujian. It is a place where secret treasures are hidden, and you will inherit it from now on. Although these properties are not much, they are enough to make you rich for a lifetime. If you have the opportunity in the future, you can use this to make a living."

Zheng Zhilong didn't forget to leave a way out for himself when he was at his best. He bought real estate under a pseudonym in many places in Fujian, and managed to hide a lot of gold and silver.Those in charge of managing these places are his confidant clansmen, and as long as Zheng Fusong can show up in the future, these properties will basically be collected under his name.Zheng Zhilong's preparations that were originally used for emergencies have become a wealth left to future generations under the current situation.Although Zheng Fusong may not have the opportunity to enjoy these wealth, under the current situation, Zheng Zhilong can only make arrangements to this extent.

Early the next morning, Zheng Zhilong took only four of his confidants out of the camp and headed north.After walking for about half an hour, they were stopped by a group of Haihan scouts.

"I am Zheng Zhilong, the leader of Shibazhi. I am here to ask to see the general leading the army of Haihan. Please inform me as soon as possible!" Zheng Zhilong reported his identity calmly.

On the contrary, the team of scouts was taken aback by the identities he reported, and quickly searched these people to make sure that they did not have weapons or other dangerous items on them, and then escorted them back to the rear camp.

Wang Tom was not too surprised when he heard that the reconnaissance team brought back Zheng Zhilong, the leader of the Eighteen Zhi who surrendered himself.Zheng Zhilong sent Gan Hui to negotiate yesterday, and he already sensed that the other party probably couldn't stand Hai Han's offensive and was about to surrender.But Wang Tom didn't expect Zheng Zhilong to be so courageous that he would show up the next day and come to the door.No one in the Haihan army recognized Zheng Zhilong's face, so Wang Tom immediately sent someone to inform the personnel sent by the Fujian side—they brought someone who knew Zheng Zhilong here, so that they could confirm the prisoners or corpses at the first time identity of.

"I'm Zheng Zhilong, I've met General Wang!" Zheng Zhilong was neither humble nor overbearing when he saw Tom Wang, and he took the initiative to greet him.

Wang Tom also cupped his hands and said: "After dealing with each other for several years, I finally met Mr. Zheng today. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Although the camps of the two sides have been in a state of hostility in the past few years, and the two men have each commanded troops to fight on the battlefield more than once, but when they actually face each other, there is not much atmosphere of tension.Of course, this may also be because Haihan has an absolute advantage in the current battle, and Shibazhi has already decided to surrender. Although the two sides have not officially ceased fighting, the result has been basically determined, and there is no verbal victory or defeat. up.

Wang Tom didn't put on any airs, let Zheng Zhilong take a seat, and ordered people to serve tea.For one of the most feared opponents of the Time Travel Group in this era, Wang Tom is actually quite interested in knowing some relevant details.

"Master Zheng came here in person today, so he must have made a decision?" The first thing Tom Wang needed to confirm was Shibazhi's final decision.Although Zheng Zhilong's appearance here has already explained the problem, it is still necessary to confirm it solemnly.

Zheng Zhilong nodded and said: "Your army is powerful, Shibazhi considers himself invincible, and I came here today to admit defeat to your army. But there are still thousands of people on this island, many of them are my eighteenth Zhi belongs to them, and I hope General Wang will treat them kindly, and at least spare their lives."

"It's easy to handle. I said it yesterday, and I'll say it again today. As long as you lay down your weapons, give up resistance, and surrender to us unconditionally, then we will guarantee that we will never kill anyone indiscriminately." Seeing Zheng Zhilong's straightforward behavior, Wang Tom said It also showed Haihan's attitude: "Including you and your family, we will guarantee your safety."

Zheng Zhilong asked in a low voice: "Then can you make an exception and let me leave here with my family?"

Tom Wang said nothing, but shook his head firmly.

Zheng Zhilong still didn't give up, and continued to persuade: "If General Wang has any conditions, but it doesn't matter, I will try my best to meet them. If you can help me leave this place, I will be very grateful in the future!"

Wang Tom laughed and said: "Master Zheng, you underestimate your own value. We Haihan have provided military assistance to Fujian officials since the first year of Chongzhen, and we have invested at least two or three million taels in recent years. It’s money. Why do we support Fujian officials? To put it bluntly, it is to curb the development of Shibazhi. We spent several years, in fact, for today’s result. If the matter between us can be resolved with money, then You and I won't be having face-to-face conversations here and now."

There is a non-obvious loophole in Wang Tom's words, that is, Haihan's official military assistance to Fujian, in fact, has been rewarded in various ways, just the weapons and equipment purchased from Haihan every year , its profit far exceeds the cost paid by Haihan in the early stage of cooperation between the two parties.However, Zheng Zhilong doesn't understand the tricks in the middle, so in his opinion, this is undoubtedly a very clear rejection, and it is impossible for him to spend so much money to bribe Wang Tom now.

Although disappointed with this result, Zheng Zhilong still has other things he wants to understand. He continued to ask: "General Wang, I have been unclear about something in my heart for the past few years. Please give me some advice. In the past few years, I You have never been to Qiongzhou Island, nor have you dealt with your side, why have you been acting against Shibazhi for several years? Where is the root cause of this?"

Wang Tom said: "The truth is actually very simple. To put it bluntly, it is just four words, and peers are light. You Shibazhi rely on the sea to eat, and we Haihan too. As the saying goes, there is no room for two tigers. It's a competition. You lose, not because of bad luck, but because of fate."

Zheng Zhilong seemed to understand a little bit, but only a little bit. He couldn't help asking: "Then why did you interfere in the Fujian war thousands of miles away when you first arrived in Qiongzhou?"

"This is what I meant by fate." Tom Wang replied, "You may not believe it, but before we even arrived at Qiongzhou Island, we already listed you Shibazhi as opponents."

(End of this chapter)