Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"We win! We win!"

"There's an ambush among the Annamese!"

Ahead, the soldiers who had been fleeing said.

Zhang Shan, who led them in feigning defeat, shouted loudly:
"We've got this in the bag, the Annamese can't possibly turn the tide!"

"Turn around immediately and take those war elephants down."

He led his men to turn their horses around and meet the pursuing Annamese.

This time, instead of shooting the war elephants with a bow and arrow, he took out a musket and aimed it at the Annamese soldiers on the elephants.

Soon, some people were shot and fell to the ground. Zhang Shan shouted loudly, demanding that they surrender.

With their escape route cut off, these Annamese had little will to fight and quickly surrendered after all those who resisted were shot.

Upon witnessing this scene, the fleeing Mo soldiers also began to turn back.

These people may not have much courage in a fight, but they are quite willing to kick a dog when it's down.

However, they were ultimately a motley crew, and as they feigned defeat along the way, many of them had already scattered.

Zhang Shan ordered them to watch over the war elephants, and expressed great regret over the war elephants that had been killed:
"Such a large war elephant, it would be a waste to kill it directly."

"Collect them carefully and keep them to present to the emperor."

Elephants have always been kept in the capital for use in ceremonies.

Zhang Shan believed that the emperor would be very pleased if he presented these war elephants as spoils of war.

As for dead elephants, they are not without use. Besides being able to eat meat, their ivory is the most valuable part.

Besides being used for ivory carvings and chopsticks, large-diameter ivory is in short supply due to the popularity of billiards. Slender ivory pieces also have their uses, such as for making piano keys.

Therefore, the price of ivory in Beijing skyrocketed, as it was something that could fetch a high price.

Zhang Shan, having come from the capital, was very aware of these matters. He ordered the ivory to be dug up and handed over as spoils of war.

Later, Zhu Xieyuan, who led his troops to force the Annamese army to surrender, was even more satisfied with Zhang Shan when he learned that Zhang Shan had turned around and blocked the Annamese from advancing.

With such courage and the ability to seize opportunities, he is already a qualified general.

After Zhang Shan blocked the mountain road ahead, the Annamese were surrounded on all sides. Surrender was their only chance if they didn't want to die.

“Go and shout again, demanding that they surrender within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.”

"Otherwise, launch a general offensive and shoot those who resist."

Calmly issuing the orders, Zhu Xieyuan then asked:
Where is Zheng Zhen?

Is it inside?

Ai Nan Yingdao:

"Zheng Jian led his men behind, but they couldn't completely block them."

"However, General Yang has already gone after him and will surely defeat him."

As they were talking, a soldier came to report that Zheng Zhi's Annamese rear army had been defeated by Yang Yufan, and Zheng Zhi had barely escaped with his life, fleeing with a dozen or so horsemen.

Yang Yufan led his cavalry in hot pursuit, intending to chase them all the way to Thang Long.

Zhu Xieyuan was overjoyed, knowing that the battle was a complete victory.

He was extremely surprised by this, and even felt it was unreal—

Why did Yuan Chonghuan win so easily when he fought so hard in Xuanguang Town?
Could it be that we've misunderstood Annam? Was the Wu clan even more powerful than the Zheng clan?

Now that the Zheng family's 100,000 troops have been defeated, Annam no longer has the strength to resist the Ming army.

If they move quickly enough, they can capture Thang Long and end the war before the rainy season arrives.

Thinking of this, Zhu Xieyuan immediately gave the order:

“Fire at the Annamese in the mountain pass and urge them to surrender.”

"Those that are organized into military formations should be targeted and fired upon first."

Immediately, cannon fire erupted. The Annamese soldiers who had been huddled together were all doomed.

They realized that the Ming army was getting impatient, and they had no way to resist firearms, so they had no choice but to kneel down and surrender in order to save their lives.

Zhu Xieyuan did not want to waste time, so he ordered Zhang Shize to guard the surrendered soldiers and clean up the battlefield, and led the elite troops of the capital garrison to Thang Long.
-
Meanwhile, outside Thang Long City, Ming Dynasty naval warships arrived.

These are ships of the Third Fleet of the Ming Dynasty, responsible for the South Seas region.

Led by General Zheng Zhilong, they ventured into the Red River, directly threatening Thang Long.

Zheng Zhilong looked at the nearby Thang Long City and said with satisfaction:

"This is what the navy should be doing, why should it be subordinate to the army!"

"If Commander Zhu doesn't need us to cross the sea to land, then let him see that the navy can fight its own battles."

Zheng Zhilong was furious that Zhu Xieyuan had ignored him and only fought on land.

As arranged by the imperial court, he was to lead his warships to transport the Han restoration army to land near Thang Long, serving as a commander-in-chief alongside Yang Yufan.

However, Zhu Xieyuan left the Restoration Army behind to fight on land because many of his troops heading south were suffering from disease.

Zheng Zhilong was furious, feeling that Zhu Xieyuan looked down on him.

He especially placed high hopes on this attack on Annam, hoping to achieve the feat of destroying the country.

After being eliminated by Zhu Xieyuan, he risked leading his warships into the Red River, directly threatening the Thang Long area.

His younger brother, Zheng Zhibao, was also somewhat indignant, but he lacked confidence in attacking Thang Long and said nervously:
"Brother, what should we do now?"

"We're not very good at land warfare."

Zheng Zhilong laughed heartily:
"It doesn't matter!"

“Your second brother invented a new tactic in Liaodong, so we don’t need to go ashore.”

"On my command, fire towards Thang Long to lure the Annamite soldiers over."

Immediately, cannon fire erupted. Thang Long City, only three or four miles from the riverbank, was bombarded with artillery shells.

The people in the city were terrified:

"what is this?"

Where did the cannon fire come from?

Then it dawned on me that the Ming warships had already arrived outside.

This was unprecedented; they never imagined that the Ming army from the north would not arrive, but the Ming navy would come from the sea.

Panic gripped the city. Some people thought the front lines had been defeated and, seeing no Ming troops outside the city, began to flee.

Some even considered retaliating, organizing artillery fire at the Ming warships.

However, how could their old-fashioned cannons compare to the breech-loading cannons of the Ming Dynasty?

Soon, these cannons were destroyed by concentrated fire from the Ming Dynasty artillery.

Then someone set fire to a ship upstream, which was also destroyed by cannon fire.

The soldiers who were ordered to rush to the riverbank to shoot arrows were instead riddled with corpses by the arrow-shaped shrapnel shells fired from the ship's cannons.

Until Zheng Zhilong ran out of ammunition, the Annamese had no idea how to respond. The morale of the soldiers inside the city completely collapsed.

"The Ming army is truly invincible!"

Many people tremble at the thought of the Ming Dynasty's cannons, and they understand that Zheng Jie's expedition with 100,000 troops and elephants would most likely end in defeat.

Even more people fled Thang Long, and even the nominal emperor, Le Duy Ki, wanted to leave Thang Long.

He never considered surrendering, because the Ming Dynasty recognized the Mo family and their position as Governor-General of Annam.

In Mo's manifesto, he was also one of the main culprits for usurping the Ming territory and declaring himself emperor.

Clearly, the Ming Dynasty would not spare him, since the so-called Le Dynasty was established by rebelling against the Ming Dynasty.

Now that the Zheng family could no longer stop the Ming Dynasty, Li Weiqi wanted to flee.

This was the scene that Zheng Zhi saw when he returned to Thang Long. Terrified by the Ming army, he led the troops of Thang Long and fled with Le Duy Ki as hostage.

Yang Yufan pursued closely and easily entered Thang Long City, seizing the center of Annam's rule.

The Ming Dynasty's new army captured Annam within just a few days of entering the country.

This also made many people realize the combat power of the new army, and they vaguely understood that after being equipped with new firearms, it was no longer comparable to before.
-
Zheng Zhilong, who withdrew his troops, shared the same awareness.

Although his bombardment failed to breach Thang Long Fortress, it completely shattered the enemy's morale.

In particular, none of his warships were damaged, and the number of casualties was minimal.

This convinced him that:
As Zheng Zhihu said, the navy has indeed gained the ability to operate independently.

"happy!"

"What a pleasure!"

"From now on, the seaside and riverbanks will belong to our navy."

"We can defeat the enemy on the shore too!"

Zheng Zhilong shouted loudly, realizing that after this battle, the navy's status would be elevated, truly becoming comparable to the army.

From then on, the navy could bombard the shore relentlessly, while the enemy would be powerless to do anything about it.

Thang Long City on the banks of the Red River is already trapped.

"If the second brother can be granted a title by recovering Liaodong, I, the eldest brother, cannot fall behind."

"This time, we're going to show the world that we can fight even without an army."

As he spoke with smug satisfaction, Zheng Zhilong was completely unaware that his trip back to replenish ammunition had already handed over the credit to Yang Jingchen.

Thang Long City is now in the hands of the Ming army, and the land forces are the ones who can occupy the ground.

Although his bombardment was very effective, it was impossible for him to be promoted as a result.

Patting the cannons on the ship, Zheng Zhilong exclaimed in admiration:

"This Lu Gong cannon is great!"

"Especially those arrows and shotguns."

"We need to buy more large ships and equip them with more of these cannonballs."

The soldiers around him who had participated in the battle all nodded in agreement.

They found the battle exhilarating, a mere artillery drill.

"It's just that the money is too much," Zheng Zhibao said, wincing.
"A single cannonball costs tens of taels of silver, and a cruiser costs tens of thousands of taels."

"This money is being spent far too quickly; we can't afford it."

The Annam War was a war led by the imperial court, which provided warships and ammunition, and the expenses were included in the military budget.

But if they start a war themselves, they'll have to pay for it themselves.

A single shelling attack costs tens of thousands of taels of silver, which many people simply cannot afford.

Zheng Zhilong felt a pang of pain upon hearing this, but he knew even better that this was his fighting strength. He said:

"Although the shells are expensive, they are worth every penny."

"With this, we can seize the Dutch stronghold."

"Think about it, how much money could we get if we took Coconut City?"

Coconut City was the core of the Dutch operations in Southeast Asia. If they captured it, ships from the Spice Islands would be intercepted.

If they manage to seize a ship full of spices, they can make a fortune.

These officers and soldiers, who were originally pirates, couldn't help but be tempted by these thoughts and wished they could seize Coconut City immediately.

They can dominate the Southeast Asia region just as they once dominated the Fujian coast.

They couldn't help but reminisce about their past experiences of freely robbing ships at sea.

They preferred robbing to farming in Borneo.

Of course, the fiefdom in Borneo cannot be relinquished, as it can be passed down to future generations.

Especially with their status as feudal nobles, they could legally rob people by collecting insurance premiums, without being targeted by the Ming Dynasty.

Zheng Zhibao said:

“Now that we are nobles, it’s not appropriate for Dongning to collect high insurance premiums.”

"However, His Majesty has permitted the establishment of the Nanyang Insurance Company, which can collect insurance premiums just like Dongning."

"Before the Dutch left, they could have forced the merchants to pay insurance premiums and used the money to buy ships to fight the Dutch."

Zheng Zhilong laughed heartily:
"Exactly!"

"The Dutch are robbing people all over the sea. If we help them fight the Dutch, we can collect more insurance premiums."

"The imperial court keeps a close watch on Fujian and Dongning, but we can do whatever we want in Southeast Asia."

Everyone burst into laughter, finding renewed motivation to strive.

Especially this time, they have the support of the imperial court, unlike before when they relied entirely on themselves.

If the imperial court provides a few more cruisers, they will have the courage to rob the Dutch.

Having witnessed the power of the Lü Gong cannon and the arrows and shrapnel, these men were now fully confident in capturing the coastal city.

As long as they are within artillery range, victory is assured.

Otherwise, arrows and volleys would kill all the soldiers guarding the city, leaving them undefended.

Some even suggested using arrows and shotgun shells in naval battles to kill enemy troops.

Shih Ta-hsuan, one of the Eighteen, said:
"With this powerful weapon, we can win naval battles too."

"Why are all the good places in Southeast Asia occupied by the Dutch, while we can only watch from the sidelines?"

After establishing their territory in Borneo, they quickly discovered that although Borneo was vast, there was not much land available for development.

It is far inferior to the fertile island of Java.

However, Zheng Zhilong also faced difficulties, because according to his agreement with Li Guozhu, Java Island would be developed by Li Guozhu, while Borneo would belong to the Zheng family.

As the leader of the Eighteen Tribes and now a nobleman, he still needs to maintain his credibility.

However, Shih Ta-hsuan was unwilling to let Java Island return to Li Kuo-chu and advised him:
"Borneo is said to have belonged to the Zheng family, but in reality, it's just a small part."

"Besides, the Dutch are currently occupying Coconut City. If we take it back from them, it won't be considered a violation of the agreement."

It is suggested that Li Guozhu be given the excuse of incompetence and that he be helped to develop Java Island.

Zheng Zhilong was somewhat tempted, because he also knew that Java Island was far superior to Borneo.

Even his younger brother, Zheng Zhibao, said:

"The land of Java is much more fertile than that of Borneo, and there are many native people there. The Emperor plans to bestow titles upon more nobles."

“Such a good place can’t all be given to Li Guozhu, he simply can’t eat it all.”

They believed that Lee Kuk-chu's inability to conquer Java Island meant he lacked the ability and there was no need for him to abide by the agreement.

Especially since their agreement was negotiated privately, and the imperial court did not recognize it at all.

We can definitely renegotiate with Li Guozhu and divide the spoils among ourselves after conquering Java.

If Li Guozhu disagrees, then we should first conquer Java Island and then hand it over to the imperial court, leaving only one-tenth of the land, including Coconut City—

As long as they control Coconut City, they can control the South Pacific shipping routes and reap huge profits.

Zheng Zhilong chuckled as he listened, brimming with confidence about the future. Moreover, his ambitions were far greater, extending beyond land:

He believed that with the support of the imperial court, defeating the Dutch and becoming the dominant power in Southeast Asia would be a piece of cake.

At that time, the fertile land of Coconut City and the spices of the Spice Islands will all belong to him.

The Zheng family will become the overlords of Southeast Asia and one of the most powerful warlords of the Ming Dynasty. (End of Chapter)