Chapter 220: Worries

"Please rise, Earl Jinghai! I ask that the Earl arrange men to hang the plaque inscribed by His Majesty's own hand upon the gate of the mansion!"

Li Yushu, who had come to Fujian to deliver the imperial edict, forced himself to speak in a low voice.

Having sailed continuously for over ten days before reaching Quanzhou, though they had not encountered great winds or waves along the way, nearly everyone had fallen seasick—that feeling was truly unbearable. In the first few days, Li Yushu and his party vomited without cease, only gradually adapting afterward.

Zheng Zhilong kowtowed once more respectfully toward the north before rising, then bent over and carefully received with both hands the iron certificate and imperial edict that Li Yushu handed over.

"Please report back to His Majesty that your servant will quickly pack his belongings and move to the capital at the earliest opportunity to serve faithfully at His Majesty's side!"

Zheng Zhilong said, cupping his hands in salute.

These words were a test—the Emperor had granted him a noble title because the Zheng family controlled the seas, which surely meant he wanted the entire family brought to the capital as hostages. If that were truly the intent, Zheng Zhilong would need to make other plans.

"His Majesty has no intention of requiring Earl Jinghai to come to the capital. He only said that Earl Jinghai's might shakes the Southern Seas, and should any foreign barbarian violate our Great Ming's maritime borders, they must be taught that they shall never return!"

Li Yushu returned the salute.

While Zheng Zhilong breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, he also felt gratitude toward the Emperor's magnanimity; had their positions been swapped, he believed he could not have done the same.

"Fourth Brother, you personally enshrine the iron certificate in the Dunren Pavilion, and give orders that henceforth no one may approach that pavilion! Third Brother, you arrange men to hang the imperially bestowed plaque! No—you go up and hang it yourself!"

Zheng Zhilong instructed with a grave expression.

Zheng Zhifeng took the iron certificate and imperial edict, nodded to Li Yushu and Fujian Governor Zou Weilian, then carried the iron certificate toward the Dunren Pavilion at one side.

Zheng Zhibao turned and walked toward the door, with several Zheng household servants carrying the gleaming golden plaque following close behind.

"Be careful! Don't defile the sacred object!"

Zheng Zhilong called out, still worried.

He actually possessed the legendary iron certificate with its inscribed pledge, and had become a noble whose house would endure with the state itself—from this day forward, the Zheng family were people of standing!

Zheng Zhilong's heart itched with restless excitement; he kept gazing at Zheng Zhifeng's retreating back, wishing he could hold the iron certificate in his arms every night before he could feel at ease.

"Congratulations, Earl Jinghai! From this day forth, the Zheng clan has entered the ranks of the Great Ming's foremost nobles! Such favor and glory truly make this old man burn with envy! Hehehe!"

Zou Weilian cupped his hands in congratulations to Zheng Zhilong.

The Son of Heaven was truly generous—how many years had it been since the Great Ming last conferred a noble title? And this time it was granted to such a rough-and-ready man of the wilds. Comparing one man to another truly drives one to despair.

"I thank the Governor for his congratulations! Zheng feels deeply the grace of Heaven! Envoy and Governor, please do come inside for tea!"

Zheng Zhilong, his face glowing with delight, laughed loudly as he returned the salute to Zou Weilian, then gestured for Li Yushu and the others to enter the Xiaosi Hall to rest.

The eunuchs and Embroidered Uniform Guard officers who had accompanied Li Yushu to deliver the edict were naturally attended to by Zheng Qi.

The group entered the hall and took their seats as host and guests respectively. A Zheng household maidservant served hot tea and pastries. Zheng Zhilong laughed: "Envoy, did you find the voyage by ship agreeable this time? Just now I noticed the Envoy's complexion was somewhat poor, so I guessed it might be due to the sea route!"

Li Yushu raised his teacup and took a sip; only after the hot tea went down did the stuffiness in his chest ease somewhat. He set down the cup and cupped his hands with a smile: "I am grateful for the Earl's concern. We northerners have little tolerance for sea voyages—these past ten-odd days have worn me out terribly. In the first few days I could hardly force down any food or drink, and in the end I even vomited bile! Hehehe!"

"Then please, Envoy, stay for a while longer—restore your health before returning to the capital, how about it?"

Zheng Zhilong said with warm hospitality.

"I shall gladly comply! It's not just myself—most of those eunuchs and officers are in the same state. We truly must remain in Fujian to recover for a time before returning to the capital! I fear we shall be putting the Earl to considerable trouble!"

"Eh! The Envoy is being far too formal! I would be delighted if the Envoy stayed even longer! Though Jinghai Earl's mansion is cramped and small, it can still accommodate the Envoy's party for a temporary rest! I won't stand on ceremony—all of you from the capital may simply remain at the mansion! This just so happens to let me fulfill my duties as host!"

Zheng Zhilong had dealt with all manner of people since his youth and was extremely skilled at winning hearts; a few words left Li Yushu feeling warm inside.

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Yushu pleaded physical discomfort, whereupon Zheng Zhilong hastily ordered servants to escort Li Yushu to the guest quarters, repeatedly instructing his underlings to be sure to take good care of the Envoy, and personally saw Li Yushu to the entrance of the main hall.

After Zheng Zhilong returned to his seat, Zou Weilian cupped his hands and said: "Earl Zheng, what are your views on this matter of His Majesty's desire to relocate settlers? This affair is of great importance—I hope the Earl and I may work together in concert, not failing His Majesty's expectations, to see this matter done properly!"

"Rest assured, Governor Zou. Having received the Emperor's grace, I shall certainly devote my full efforts to completing His Majesty's commission! However, there are certain considerations in the matter of relocation that require the Governor and myself to deliberate carefully!"

Zheng Zhilong returned the salute.

He naturally understood the principle that one who takes gifts has short hands, and one who eats another's food has a soft mouth. Since the Emperor had bestowed such great glory, the responsibility behind it was no light burden either.

Zou Weilian nodded: "This old man understands the Earl's concerns. The gentlemen of the Grand Secretariat may have thought this matter too simple—how could they not realize that large-scale relocation to Taiwan requires a host of tedious affairs to be handled in between? It is no easy talk!"

Zou Weilian did not directly say the Emperor had thought it too simple, but rather shifted the blame onto the Grand Secretariat. Since you gentlemen are at the Emperor's side, why did you not raise opinions and suggestions against His Majesty's intentions?

"The Governor is truly a pillar of the state! Though your words just now were not spoken plainly, I already understand the Governor's meaning! But for me to submit a memorial on these difficulties immediately upon receiving my title—I fear it would breed dissatisfaction in His Majesty's heart!"

In the space of a few years, Zheng Zhilong had already relocated over two thousand people from Fujian to Taiwan, and he knew well the difficulties of this undertaking. He understood the Emperor's anxiety, but at the same time knew the Emperor was somewhat taking things for granted.

If things proceeded according to the Emperor's intentions, even if the Zheng family abandoned the profits of maritime trade and invested a large fleet of ships and manpower at once, each trip could transport tens of thousands of disaster refugees to Taiwan—but once those tens of thousands set foot on land, where would they live? How would food be resolved? If conflicts arose with the indigenous inhabitants, who would protect them? If large-scale epidemics broke out, how would they be treated? How would plowing oxen be provided? Moreover, the Dutch had already built forts and stationed troops on Taiwan. Though they had not yet clashed with settlers, if the number of Great Ming migrants surged dramatically, war between the two sides was only a matter of time.

There were simply too many such trivial matters, and every single one was vitally important. All of these things required time and appropriate personnel to accomplish, so large-scale relocation to Taiwan was simply unrealistic.

But he had difficulty voicing his grievances—he could hardly accept a noble title and then immediately submit a memorial complaining and crying injustice, could he? Even he felt that would be improper, though his reasons were perfectly legitimate.

Zou Weilian had held the post of Fujian Governor for five years and naturally knew of Zheng Zhilong's relocation efforts to Taiwan, and he strongly approved of the Zheng family's actions.

In Fujian, with its many mountains and little arable land, due to land annexation and ever-heavier taxes and rents, many farming households already faced the prospect of going hungry—these very people were precisely the main source of settlers.

If it could give the common people a mouthful to eat, then let them move; though they would leave the land their ancestors had worked for generations, at least they would have a place to set down roots and survive. Was that not a good thing?

"Very well then—for now the Earl and I must make preparations on two fronts: I will dispatch five hundred men from Fuzhou Garrison to cross the sea to Taiwan first, then hire various craftsmen to build villages and houses. Bureau Directors will also be recruited and employed by the government offices. The Earl need only resolve the difficulty of grain! I will submit a joint memorial with the Earl to His Majesty, setting forth these difficulties in detail, and recommending that the number of settlers be increased gradually. I believe His Majesty will naturally understand our difficulties!"

Fujian did possess a naval force, but the number of ships was small and they had long been unpracticed in battle, being thoroughly overshadowed by the Zheng family's vast fleet.

Zheng Zhilong praised: "The old Governor is truly a talent for governing the state! The matter of grain is easily managed, but I still have one concern to deliberate with the old Governor!"

Zou Weilian said: "Is the Earl worried about the Dutch on the island?"

Zheng Zhilong nodded: "Exactly! At present, on Taiwan Island, to the south stands Fort Zeelandia built by the Dutch, while to the north the Folangji people occupy territory. I hear the Dutch are using military force to compel the island's natives to submit—from the way they conduct themselves, it seems they intend to take full possession of Taiwan! If the government troops the Governor dispatches should encounter either side, I fear they would be no match. Should the government troops be defeated, you and I would bear an enormous crime!"

Zheng Zhilong knew the might of the Dutch and Folangji fleets, but the Zheng family possessed an overwhelming number of ships, and the Dutch and Folangji both held considerable fear of the Zhengs—for now, the two sides coexisted peacefully.

But on Taiwan Island, whether Dutch or Folangji, though few in number, their firearms were extremely formidable. With just those government troops from Fuzhou Garrison, should the two sides clash, the government troops would certainly suffer a crushing defeat.

Though the Zheng family's fighting strength was formidable, their men were all accustomed to boarding actions at sea; they lacked drill in land battle formations, coordination, divided advances and converging attacks, and such tactics—if it came to a fight, they might not be a match either.

Therefore, to guard against dangers that might arise, the relocation of settlers absolutely required powerful armed protection.