flstandardbreds Chapter 284 War is Inevitable
Chapter 284 War is Inevitable
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Although Zheng Hongkui had heard of the Qiongzhou Camp's achievements before, he had never heard such a detailed account. His heart sank even further. If it came to arrogance, Liu Ye was even more domineering than his elder brother. If he was allowed to continue developing, with his fearless nature, once he had enough power, he would fight the Zheng family to the death for the dominance of the sea, and even the imperial court would be unable to restrain him.
His first reaction was to advise his elder brother not to care about the face of the imperial court or the identity of the opposing officers and soldiers, but to strangle the maritime power of the Qiongzhou Camp as soon as possible, otherwise the Qiongzhou Camp would become a more troublesome enemy than the Red Hairs sooner or later.
But thinking that he was still a criminal under investigation and had been indirectly squeezed out of the core circle of the Zheng family, he sighed. He was not in a position to interfere in politics. What did it matter to him if the sky fell?
He turned to the accountant and asked curiously, "You're just an accountant, but I didn't expect you to not only know how to use an abacus and keep accounts, but also to be so knowledgeable about the current situation. It's a waste of your talents to just be an accountant. What's your name?"
The accountant smiled and said, "My name is Wang Qinian."
Three months passed in the blink of an eye. Not long after Liu Ye returned from Japan, Zheng Zhiwan arrived in Lingao again to urge the delivery of one hundred Caron cannons.
Unlike previous visits where Liu Ye personally and warmly received them, this time only Yan Guang and others came forward. They chatted about all sorts of things, but avoided answering the question of when the cannons would be delivered. Zheng Zhiwan, who had been given a strict order by Zheng Zhilong to take the cannons back with him, became anxious and couldn't help but ask, "When exactly will the cannons be delivered? Why isn't Liu Ye showing up?"
Yan Guang chuckled and said, "General, you've been busy with official duties and haven't had time to spare lately. Please forgive me..."
Zheng Zhiwan couldn't help but swear: "He's just a mere military officer. This wretched island is surrounded by the sea, with no bandits or outlaws. He has no responsibility to suppress bandits, and he hasn't been transferred to other places to fight. What kind of damn official business is he busy with?"
Yan Guang's expression changed: "Brother Zheng, watch your words!"
Zheng Zhiwan said irritably, "I'm not going to waste my breath on you. You're just a pedantic scholar who can't make decisions. If Liu Ye is hiding and refusing to come forward, then find someone knowledgeable and capable to give me a straight answer!"
Shortly after, Liang Xiaoming sat down opposite Zheng Zhiwan and recited as if reciting a memorized text: "Due to rising iron prices, a shortage of coal resources, and a lack of coke, iron smelting and cannon casting have been affected, and the delivery date of this batch of cannons is expected to be delayed further..."
Zheng Zhiwan asked with a dark face, "So you're the second-in-command of the Qiongzhou Camp? Don't give me that nonsense. Just tell me if you can deliver on time?"
Liang Xiaoming spread his hands: "I'm speaking plainly, and it couldn't be clearer—the delivery date needs to be postponed."
"You collected the full payment even though you couldn't deliver the goods..." Zheng Zhiwan suddenly realized, "Are you trying to pocket this money and never intended to deliver the goods at all?"
Liang Xiaoming was honest after all, and he felt a little guilty lying to his face like that. After stammering a few words, he slipped away. Seeing his expression, Zheng Zhiwan felt a chill in her heart; she was probably right.
Being on someone else's turf, Zheng Zhiwan couldn't do much. He tossed out a remark, "You dare to swindle the Zheng family's money? Just you wait and see!" and hurriedly left. At this moment, he was more worried about his own fate. His eldest brother's expectations had been dashed; would he take his anger out on him, the one who had handled the transaction? With his fourth brother's example before him, wouldn't he be the next unlucky one among the Zheng brothers to fall?
Yan Guang recounted the details of his meeting with Zheng Zhiwan to Liu Ye. Liu Ye asked worriedly, "General, no matter how we try to stall or delay, the fact remains that we haven't delivered these cannons. This has created a grudge between us and the Zheng family, and Zheng Zhilong will certainly not let this go."
Liu Ye smiled nonchalantly, "There will be a battle between him and me eventually. If it's a blessing in disguise, it's a curse. If it's a curse, we can't avoid it. What's meant to happen will happen."
The next day, all the personnel of the Qiongzhou Camp's "Temporary Staff Office," along with the newly surrendered Van Bommel, came to the east wing of the South Garden Council Hall to begin the third staff office operational simulation meeting.
As the commander-in-chief of the army, Liu Ye gave a brief pep talk and put forward specific requirements.
"Gentlemen, war with the Zheng family is inevitable. Everyone wants to control the seas from Japan to Southeast Asia, but there can only be one hegemon. Today, you are all sitting here, and you must come up with a detailed battle plan to ensure victory in this battle!"
Li Fei asked, "General, shall we launch an offensive or defend against the enemy?"
“Zheng Zhilong cannot openly attack Lingao; that would be treason. We have no choice but to take the initiative.”
Li Fei asked doubtfully, "Does that mean the Qiongzhou Camp's attack on Zhongzuosuo wasn't a rebellion?"
“Who said we used the name of the Qiongzhou Camp?” Liu Ye smiled slyly and pointed at Van Bommel. “Last time we attacked Zhongzuo in the name of the Dutch. Now we have a genuine Dutch captain in the camp. Can’t we use the same trick again?”
Van Bommel then realized he had already been blamed once, and was both amused and exasperated.
The crowd was in an uproar. Yan Guang raised a question: "It's lucky if such a plan succeeds once, but to use it again and again, Zheng Zhilong isn't stupid. Doesn't he see through the trick?"
Liu Ye snorted coldly, "I didn't really intend to hide it from Zheng Zhilong. As long as there's a plausible reason that gives the officials in Guangdong and Fujian a way out, that's enough. The Qiongzhou garrison certainly doesn't want trouble, and I think the governors and viceroys of Guangdong and Fujian don't want to become the second Wang Zunde either."
Everyone understood his meaning: as long as the "Red Hairs" were used as a fig leaf, regardless of their authenticity, the government's report to the court could state that "the Red Hairs have invaded the border again," with the aim of retaliating against Zheng Zhilong. If the "Red Hairs" successfully retaliated against Zheng Zhilong and then retreated, the local officials could even pat themselves on the back and report a meritorious act of "repelling the invading enemy." Conversely, if the true nature of the "Red Hairs" were exposed, and such a serious matter as the attack on the military town by the imperial troops was something no one could suppress, then the matter would have to be reported to the court, and the rebel army suppressed. But if even the entire Guangdong province couldn't subdue the Qiongzhou camp, would it be any different in Fujian? Any official with a modicum of political intelligence would know which option to choose.
Yan Guang understood the intricacies of the idea and was full of admiration. The idea seemed absurd, but in fact it grasped the pulse of the officials in the two provinces and was very likely to succeed.
Now that we have a reason to send troops, the next step is to figure out how to attack Zhongzuo.
Li Fei hesitated and asked, "Should we only use the navy, or advance by both land and sea?"
Liu Ye said without hesitation, "We will advance by both land and sea, and all the forces of the Qiongzhou Camp must be committed! The land route will be divided into two routes: one to cooperate with the navy to attack Zhongzuosuo City, and the other to attack Anping Town."
The temporary staff officers were in an uproar again. Wasn't Anping Town Zheng Zhilong's hometown?
Li Fei asked, "But the Zheng family's fleet and manpower are concentrated in Zhongzuo, while Anping is just a place for women and children. Even if we take Anping Town, what use will it be?"