lcionline Chapter 226 Guest Army
Chapter 226 Guest Army
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A few days later, the fleet arrived at Nan'ao Island again for a short stop and to replenish its fresh water supply. Tang Baicai, the deputy commander of Nan'ao, who came to greet them, saw that the fleet was much larger than the last one, so he bowed even lower and was more respectful.
According to the plan of the temporary staff, in order to avoid being exposed, 13 Wuxiang-class patrol ships, as the "main force" of the Qiongzhou Camp, went directly to Zhongzuo to join the main force of the Fujian government and participate in the battle as guest troops. The 8 Wuyi-class warships that participated in the raid on Zhongzuo port stayed on Nan'ao Island and waited. After the decisive battle broke out, they went to Zeelandia Port to cut off the rear of the Dutch-Liu allied forces, with the main objective of capturing prisoners.
Before departing, Liu Ye instructed Yan Guang: "Mr. Yan, whether we can achieve anything in this trip to the Red Hair's lair depends entirely on you." Liu Ye personally led the Wuxiang-class patrol ship to Fujian, with Li Fei accompanying him; while the forces in Taiwan were coordinated by Yan Guang, assisted by Liu Heizi and others, with Gao Jie in command of the actual operations, and Xu Yifan leading the Second Battalion and Qin Tian leading the Special Forces accompanying them as the land force.
This was Yan Guang’s first time taking charge on his own, and he felt a lot of pressure, but even more so, he was excited about making a name for himself. He said solemnly, “I will certainly live up to the general’s expectations.”
"Remember, our goal is to subdue the enemy without fighting and capture prisoners alive. If it's not necessary, it's best not to touch the red-haired castle—the cost is too high, and the potential gains are too small; it's not worth it," Liu Ye carefully explained to Yan Guang.
"I will keep this in mind and can distinguish between what is important and what is urgent."
After giving his instructions, Liu Ye led Li Fei and the others to Fujian, arriving at Zhongzuo Prison two days later.
This is Liu Ye's third visit to Zhongzuosuo, which is now Xiamen. The first time was to reach a so-called alliance with Zheng Zhilong and incidentally sell the Caron cannons at exorbitant prices. The second time was to sow discord between the Zheng family and the Dutch and launch a surprise attack on the port. This time, he is participating in the war he himself started.
By this point, because he had interfered so much, Liu Ye could no longer distinguish whether this war was happening according to historical inertia or whether he had ignited the fuse. However, the truth was no longer important; what mattered was that the two sides had actually started fighting, and in a battle between two tigers, one would inevitably be injured—that was enough.
Zheng Zhilong showed considerable respect for the Qiongzhou Camp, a force capable of serving as a surprise attack. He not only sent his third brother, Zheng Zhibao, to the dock to welcome him, but also personally took him to meet Zou Weilian, the governor of Fujian, after a welcoming feast. Liu Ye speculated that Zheng Zhilong's politeness towards him was probably partly due to the fact that only he could forge naval weapons like the Caron cannon.
At the Zhongzuo Guard Office, Liu Ye met Governor Zou Weilian, an official in his fifties who appeared shrewd and capable, and whose words and actions exuded decisiveness and resolve.
Zou Weilian did not suffer from the common problem of civil officials speaking and acting slowly and using classical allusions. He went straight to the point when they met: "I heard that Lieutenant General Liu's ships and cannons are all powerful, and even Lieutenant General Zheng highly recommends him as a vital force in the decisive battle against the Red Hairs."
Liu Ye politely replied, "I dare not accept such praise. Compared to General Zheng, the Qiongzhou naval force is merely able to hold its own against the pirates."