Chapter 204: Killing the King (I)

The best way to defeat a powerful force is to snuff it out while your opponent is still in its infancy.

The Transmigrators are exactly in such a period.

Even in the present 17th century, many forces are stronger than Zheng Zhilong and could annihilate the Zheng Clan. However, due to geography and connections, right now, like needlepoint against wheat awn, the only one with the capability to inflict massive damage on the Crossing Faction is Zheng Zhilong.

Zheng Zhilong is actually not strong at all.

Never mind those European Land Demons' colossal ships built in their home ports, like the "Sea Sovereign" with its hundred-plus cannons—even against second-rate warships with 50 to 80 side cannons, if only one quarter of the total engaged the Zheng Clan in deep ocean far from shallow coasts, the Zheng Clan would certainly be completely destroyed.

As for the army, it's even less worth mentioning—the two scenes of the National Lord besieging Nanjing and the Qing army raiding Xiamen have already thoroughly exposed the pirates' land battle skills.

Just give the Transmigrators a few more years, and whether it's the land combat demons, the Manchu White Armor Soldiers, or the European and American Ghosts of the English and Dutch Grand Fleet, all these opponents far more powerful than Zheng Zhilong's group will be trash before the Transmigrators, utter trash.

Yet at this point in time, on the eve of a certain faction's metamorphosis, a traditional cold weapon pirate group like Zheng Zhilong's has now become the greatest enemy facing the lofty Crossing Faction... there's no other reason, it's just a matter of timing.

While across the sea they were sharpening weapons and waiting with weapons ready, below Fuzhou City one could not feel a trace of killing intent.

Five Great Fortune Ships coming from the direction of Xiamen were now docked at the Official Dock outside Fuzhou City.

And the master of these five ships, currently the largest Pirate Leader in the South China Sea, named Yiguan, formally called Zheng Zhilong, was at this moment sitting in the study of the "Hengguangkang" Silk Shop, talking with his distant relative Zheng Sancai.

Born in 1604, Zheng Zhilong was now only 25 in nominal age, truly worthy of being called a young hero. And this great pirate who made the sea folk of Zhangquan tremble with fear and gave the officials endless headaches was actually a rather handsome and dashing man: sword-like brows and bright eyes, a prominent nose and broad forehead, a tall and slender build, brimming with heroic spirit from head to toe, without the slightest hint of a sea bandit's flavor.

A saying from later generations suits the young Zheng Zhilong well: It begins with looks, and deepens with talent. This young man who could command thousands of pirates at 24 was, without a doubt, talented and personally charismatic.

Of course, everything has two sides.

Comrade Yiguan's ability to reach his current level is equally inseparable from his being an exquisite egoist. Looking at Zhilong's entire life, this man believed in the Catholic Bishop, believed in Mazu, believed in Buddhism; he constantly job-hopped between various bosses, and the title "Six-Surname Slave" is one few in Chinese history have ever managed to achieve.

In his early days when Zhilong first started out, he received baptism from a Catholic Bishop in Macau. At that time, the foreigners named him Nicholas, and so he got Nicholas Cage... wrong, it was the new name Nicholas Yiguan.

After this, Zheng Zhilong traveled throughout Southeast Asia, and then in Japan, he attached himself to his second boss: the great Sea Merchant Li Dan.

Afterwards, through Li Dan's introduction, Zheng Zhilong went to work as a translator for the Dutch. Ostensibly a translator, he was actually a pirate leader commanding a fleet responsible for intercepting Spanish messengers in the straits.

After Li Dan passed away, Zheng Zhilong gradually took over his forces. After Mid-Autumn of 1624, Zheng Zhilong moved his career focus to Taiwan, and then pledged allegiance to his fourth boss: the "Japanese Armor Snail" Wokou Leader Yan Siqi.

After Yan Siqi's accidental death in 1625, Handsome Zheng once again took over his master's foundation. This time, he raised the pirate banner of the "Eighteen Zhi" and began fighting along the Fujian coast, clinging to the strategic thought of "fight to promote peace," constantly clashing with the Official Army, desperately demonstrating his "no candy, then chaos" capability before his fifth master.

Yes, historically he succeeded. Before defecting to his sixth master, the Manchu Qing, he reached the peak of his life here with his fifth master, the Great Ming.

Handsome Zheng, now sitting in Hengguangkang sipping tea, naturally had no way of knowing that history had already shifted here. On the contrary, his mood at this moment was quite good.

The government, under his various tactics of both striking and pulling, had, through the newly appointed Grand Coordinator, revealed an intent for Summon Pacification. And this time, both sides had done ample preparatory work beforehand, ensuring it would not end fruitlessly like the previous attempts.

On this point, Zheng Zhilong was still confident; his ability to come personally to Fuzhou City today was itself clear proof.

"Sancai, has there been any movement in the Grand Coordinator's Office recently?" As soon as he disembarked and settled into Hengguangkang, Zheng Zhilong, before even dusting himself off, opened his mouth to ask about the situation in Fuzhou City.

Hearing the Chairman's question, Fuzhou Branch Manager Zheng Sancai, who was sitting in attendance, naturally dared not be negligent and hurriedly replied: "News of the Summon Pacification has recently spread throughout the Fuzhou Governor's Office."

"Mm, I thought as much. When will Adviser Huang arrive?"

"He will arrive after noon."

"This man is Grand Coordinator Xiong's trusted aide; we must not slight him and must prepare a generous gift. I will wash up and change clothes shortly, and speak earnestly with Adviser Huang this afternoon."

"Sancai understands."

After giving a few brief instructions, Zheng Zhilong took a sip of tea and then brought up a certain faction that made him wary: "What have those Hairy People of Dayuan been up to lately?"

"We have not detected any dealings between them and the government." After replying, Zheng Sancai stood up and took a sheet of pale yellow Fine Bamboo Paper from a desk drawer: "The Kun People's business is booming, however. This month they have already purchased about 20 shiploads of Iron and Stone Coal from Fuzhou, plus several shiploads of beggars."

Zheng Zhilong took the bamboo paper and looked it over, then flicked the paper with his finger, looked up and laughed: "It is indeed good business—haul away iron and carbon, bring back Private Salt Cement, exchanging bulk goods for bulk goods. Well, the Summon Pacification matter is pressing right now; let them be for the time being."

Before the words faded, a young man below, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with features somewhat similar to Zheng Zhilong's, loudly declared: "If the pacification matter is settled, we can shut down the Kun People's business afterward."

The young man was called Zheng Zhihu, Zheng Zhilong's younger brother. Historically, Zheng Zhihu was valiant and resolute, with superior martial skill, and was renowned in the underworld for "Dragon Wisdom Tiger Valor."

In the Chongzhen Eighth Year, during Zheng Zhilong's campaign to exterminate Liu Xiang, Zheng Zhihu "held a Steel Knife in his mouth, gripped a Rattan Shield in his hand, and swung from the stern rope," leaping onto Liu Xiang's ship to fight. This man "killed nearly all the pirates" along his path, almost wiping out Liu Xiang's pirate crew, but in the end, he was careless and ambushed, caught in a Fishing Net and thrown into the sea, where he drowned.

Liu Xiang was subsequently defeated and committed suicide.

In short, Zheng Zhihu was a fierce general, a melee combat monster.

... Hearing his own brother speak, Zheng Zhilong first smiled wryly and shook his head: Zheng Zhihu was born with a thunderous voice, and a single sentence made the room buzz.

"This matter will be discussed later; we must not alert the enemy."

"Hmph, are we afraid of them or what!"

"Their Firearm Cannons are sharp, while we have only flesh and blood. Even if we were to act, we must contact the Dutch and Portuguese first and plan thoroughly."

Having said this, Zheng Zhilong rose to his full height, intending to go to the Back Residence to wash up and change. Before leaving, he turned around and again instructed Zheng Sancai: "These next few days, all connections and hidden lines inside and outside the city must be activated. Do not be stingy with silver; any word from within the Fuzhou Governor's Office, report it to me promptly."

"Great Boss, please rest assured; Sancai understands the gravity."

In the afternoon, a Sedan Chair stopped outside Hengguangkang.

Accompanying the currently favored Adviser of the Grand Coordinator's Office, Master Huang Huang Ping, were naturally a team of Patrol Office Soldiers, plus Xiong Qi, Xiong Wencan's trusted family servant.

And the outstanding man of his generation, Zheng Zhilong, was at this moment dressed only in a plain Blue robe, surrounded by numerous attendants, going out the door to welcome Master Huang.

The meeting between the two sides naturally proceeded in a friendly atmosphere.

Because Zheng Zhilong had previously made a huge fuss, one unmentionable reason being that the then Quanzhou Prefect Cai Shanji had slighted him, Huang Ping's attitude today was naturally cordial and amiable.

And a fierce, ambitious figure like Zheng Zhilong, capable of being a Six-Surname Slave, would naturally not have a brain spasm at such a critical moment and play some arrogant CEO trope; so the moment the two sides met, the atmosphere was extremely warm.

The conversation process was also very pleasant.

Huang Ping gave Zheng Zhilong full face this time. Representing Lao Xiong, he stayed at Hengguangkang for a full two hours.

During this time, the two sides chatted about everything under the sun. At the end, Huang the Recommended Man deliberately put on a show of being a slick official: when talking about the scenery of Fuzhou, he deliberately grumbled a bit about the local housing prices, saying that to buy a house, he owed local merchants quite a bit of silver, reminding his friend Zheng to be careful when buying property in Fuzhou in the future, as housing prices here were inflated...

Friend Zheng was naturally very obliging. When Master Huang later walked out of the Silk Village, he was already beaming, his sleeves heavy with gold. Inside his sleeve pouch now were two Gift Lists from a certain Zheng: one was for Lao Xiong, and the other was naturally the housing loan issued to him by Rich Man Zheng—interest-free, and never needing repayment.

Surrounded by a group of soldiers who had all received ample benefits, Master Huang bade a lingering farewell to Rich Man Zheng, who had now been upgraded to a close comrade-in-arms. After that, he boarded his sedan and returned to the office. Shortly after, when he arrived back before Xiong Da's study door, Huang Ping had long since put away that greedy, bribe-soliciting face and switched back to his true expression.

At the beginning of the second double-hour Si hour (exactly 9 AM), Zheng Zhilong and his party arrived at the Fujian Grand Inspector's Office as agreed to pay respects to Xiong Wencan.

Although the Grand Coordinator's Office did not go so far as to open its central gates at this moment, the grand scene of Adviser Huang personally leading people out to welcome them was still witnessed by the onlookers. Later that evening, the news that the government was about to offer Summon Pacification to the great Min Sea chieftain Zheng Zhilong spread like wildfire in all directions.

After entering the Grand Coordinator's Office, everything was normal. Apart from hearing a few faint "click" sounds outside the porch, Zheng Zhilong sensed nothing else out of the ordinary.

Very soon, he met Xiong Wencan, who was sitting alone in the Flower Hall.

Whether it was Lao Xiong wearing a casual Daoist Robe, or the Flower Hall itself carrying a private connotation, both made the young Zheng Zhilong feel satisfied. He had to know, when Cai Shanji met with him back then, he had been wearing an Official Robe and sitting in the Public Hall putting on airs.

The next moment, Zheng Zhilong no longer hesitated. He stepped forward and knelt down: "Commoner Zheng Zhilong kneels and kowtows to the Grand Coordinator."

"Zhilong, there is no need for such formality. Please rise, quickly." Xiong Wencan, wearing a pine-pattern robe, bent down and lifted Zheng Zhilong up before his knees could touch the ground.

"Commoner thanks the Grand Coordinator!"

"So young, yet your heart already turns toward the righteous path. Not easy, not easy." Xiong Wencan stroked his long beard and said gently: "Zhilong, your ability to assess the situation in coming here today is also not bad, heh heh."

"My previous actions were out of necessity. Zhilong dares not resist the King's Army, and from this day forth will serve the court with deadly loyalty. Please rest assured, Grand Coordinator. With me here, the Southeast Half Wall can rest easy!"

"Heh heh, heh heh. Good, good."