Chapter 4: Explanation (Part 2)

Look, more people are coming. The group led by Zheng Kezang is still quite large, especially since Zheng Kezang is riding a horse, which quickly attracts a crowd of children. "Oh, which young master is this again? Look, the instructors have all rushed over to greet him.

The righteous army rises amidst the thorns and peaks, its mighty spirit shakes the great whales of the deep

Since he had decided to start with a down-to-earth approach, Zheng Kezang confidently arrived at the signing office of Chen Yonghua, a key official responsible for military and civilian affairs in the Eastern Capital under the then Governor Zhu Jinxin. Although this was not the first meeting between the two, it could be said to be their closest interaction yet: "Mr. Chen, I wonder how the recruitment for the Youth Camp is progressing"

Rest assured, my lord, the king had given instructions before his departure

New army? They are all just teenagers fighting, practicing?" A slightly older child chuckled. "My father said it was the young master who found it boring and wanted some companions to play with. What kind of person is the young master? How could he possibly spend every day mingling with us? Therefore, as long as it is not the young master coming, no one cares about what we do...

The more Chen Yonghua listened, the more astonished he became. Is this something that a twelve-year-old child could conceive? It is truly incredible

Despite being overwhelmed with the recruitment of troops and the supply of provisions for the western expedition, Chen Yonghua was exceptionally busy every day. However, having figured out Zhu Jin's thoughts, he placed great importance on the performance of "Walk Away, Walk Away" in the Silver Luan Hall, thus extending his strong support to this seemingly playful youth camp.

The recruitment is nearly complete, with a total of one hundred and fifty individuals, all of whom are of a similar age to the eldest son. They will all arrive in the next few days. Those who have arrived early have already been accommodated in the barracks left in Liwu Town. I wonder if the eldest son has any further requirements

Chen Yonghua looked at Zheng Kezang in astonishment, his mind racing, and quickly articulated a series of steady and measured remarks: "Young Master, the King's actions are a means of punishing the guilty and aligning with the will of Heaven. No one would dare to stand in opposition. Even if some petty clowns are willing to act as traitors, they will be swiftly dealt with, and the scene you described will not come to pass."

On the island, there are no messages from the phoenix, and the sound of roosters is cut off from my hometown

Chen Yonghua cast a deep glance at Zheng Kezang. He had initially thought that the so-called "Youth Camp" was merely a fleeting whim of the young, but he did not expect that Zheng Kezang had much more in mind, resembling the establishment of a regular new army. This led him to question the true intentions behind the other party's actions. However, upon further reflection, he realized that despite Zheng Kezang's remarkable demeanor, he was still only twelve years old, and apart from a few thirteen or fourteen-year-olds, the rest in the Youth Camp were of the same age as Zheng Kezang. Chen Yonghua couldn't help but secretly laugh at himself for being overly suspicious.

Eldest son, the matter of currency is fundamental to Dongning. If the king were to learn of this, he would certainly punish you for your recklessness

"Mr. Chen, it is acceptable not to distribute the silver payment, but there are still a few designs for silver medals here, so I kindly ask you to have someone cast them," said Zheng Kezang as he took out a stack of paper samples from his pocket. These were the medal designs he had created. "The size specifications are all marked, and it is not necessary to use pure silver for all of them; a mixture of silver and lead, as well as copper and lead in equal parts, will suffice. However, it is necessary to cast several pieces of each type."

Zheng Kezang was naturally unaware of what those young men were discussing. Dismounting from his horse, he was addressing the lead instructor among the thirty teachers: "First, after everyone has gathered, disperse the formation; do not allow them to group together by their respective towns. Second, ensure they wake up and go to bed on time every day. Clearly inform them when to invite the master to teach them reading and writing, when to practice martial arts, and when to eat and bathe. For any violations, punish them accordingly; if there is favoritism, then the punishment will be applied to you instead."

Yu will write down the specific training details. Previously, you should arrange for them to run laps every day. Zheng Kezang pointed to the flat training ground and said, "Three times a day, thirty laps each time." Sun Youhe's face turned somewhat pale; it is no wonder he felt apprehensive. Each lap is at least a mile, and running ninety miles in a day would surely exhaust these young children. However, Zheng Kezang showed no concern whatsoever. "We can proceed gradually, starting with five laps, but the last ten runners each time will be punished by cleaning the dormitories of everyone that day..."

Upon seeing the color, one is stirred; filled with joy yet also startled.

Mr. Chen misunderstood," Zheng Kezang explained. "Kezang had read the 'Comprehensive Mirror' and knew that before the Tang Dynasty, there was a system of honorary titles. The current dynasty abolished it, so he intended to re-establish it in the youth camp as a form of encouragement. However, the twelve honorary titles involved court positions, which Kezang did not dare to take liberties with. Therefore, he made some modifications and created medals to be awarded. The Martial Valor Medal is for those with exceptional martial skills, the Loyalty and Diligence Medal is for those who persist in daily training, the Victory Medal is for the winners of various competitions, and the Champion Medal, as the name suggests... The upper section has a hole for attaching a ribbon, which hangs around the neck, making it a focal point for thousands, thus inspiring others to strive for victory.

Chen Yonghua busily assumed a posture of being duty-bound to alleviate the concerns of those in higher positions, saying: "If the eldest son speaks like this, it would surely overwhelm me."

"What’s the big deal about riding horses? I have horses at home too." A dark-skinned youth spat on the ground. "No matter how impressive his family is, once he’s here, it’s all the same. If he dares to act tough with us, we’ll teach this kid a lesson with our fists."

In the chaotic universe, one remains steadfast in their commitment to sincerity through countless trials

Regarding Chen Yonghua's response about the coach and armament issues, Zheng Kezang was relatively satisfied, although he was somewhat dissatisfied with the lack of military pay. However, the other party's statement was indeed factual; given that Taiwan occupies only two states of land and is making a high-stakes gamble for dominance over the mainland, it is indeed excessive. Therefore, it is necessary to economize in other areas as much as possible.

Fifty veteran soldiers have been allocated from various towns to serve as instructors for the youth battalion. Weapons can also be requisitioned from the Ministry of War as needed. As for the monthly provisions, they will be allocated in the same manner as for regular soldiers. However, the reserves in Dongning are limited, and there is also a need to supply the royal army, which puts considerable strain on our finances. Therefore, the youth battalion will not receive any salary. I hope the eldest son can understand this situation

"Fighting? That wouldn't be good." A stout, robust boy scratched his head. "My father said that this is where the young master trains the new army, and they follow military rules. If there's a private fight, one could end up getting whipped, and a whip on the backside really hurts"

The original scene of the slaughter has vanished, and the splendor of Yan and Hao has been restored

Of course, Chen Yonghua would not announce his decision to Zheng Kezang in person; he merely responded perfunctorily, saying: "I see, then I will have the officials forge a batch to send to the eldest son, but the eldest son will have to wait a few more days."

The banners of Jingxiang emerge, the weapons shine like the sun and the moon

Mr. Chen is a trusted minister of the king, bearing the heavy responsibility of leading the western expedition. Now, he is also busy attending to my whims, so it is only right to express my gratitude. Zheng Kezang understands that he will rely on Chen Yonghua's strong support in the coming years, thus he continues to speak kindly. Of course, he is aware that excessive flattery can be counterproductive, so he shifts the topic slightly. "By the way, Mr. Chen, the king's campaign in Fujian will surely involve battles, right?" Chen Yonghua nodded, somewhat perplexed. Thus, he continues to speak kindly, but aware of the limits, he shifts the topic again. "By the way, Mr. Chen, the king's campaign in Fujian will surely involve battles, right?" Chen Yonghua nodded, somewhat perplexed. "Will it be like what is described in books, with battles breaking out, rivers of blood flowing, and countless people displaced?"

Oh! Zheng Kezang responded with a smile that seemed to be more than just a smile, his gaze wandering as if lost in thought. Chen Yonghua instinctively glanced out at the sun, realizing that he was too busy to indulge this young man in his antics. Just as he was deciding whether to politely send him away, he heard Zheng Kezang let out a sigh. "I thought I could recruit some boys of similar age from the refugees to join the army, but it turns out there’s no need for fighting." Chen Yonghua couldn't help but smile; this was indeed a more youthful demeanor. "Mr. Chen, I would like to take a look at the barracks in Liwu Town. Would it be possible to send someone to guide me?"

Zheng Kezang did not expect Chen Yonghua to be so sarcastic, so he was quite pleased and clasped his hands, saying, "Then I thank Mr. Chen very much"

In the twenty-eighth year of the Yongli era of the Ming Dynasty, the thirteenth year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, and the year 1674 in the Gregorian calendar, in May, Zhu Jin, accompanied by the guard Feng Xifan, the military painter Chen Shengwu, and the official Hong Lei, set out from Taiwan and arrived in Xiamen. Amidst the chaos of the Three Feudatories, the Qing troops stationed in Xiamen had no will to fight; upon seeing the large-scale assault by Zheng's forces, they surrendered without a fight. With Zhu Jin's banner raised in victory, he was exceedingly pleased and sent someone to Fuzhou to demand the two prefectures of Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, as well as the promised "warships along the entire Fujian coast."

"As the eldest son said, Chen Yonghua was eager for this and immediately called out to the outside. 'Come in,' a subordinate military officer in his thirties stepped out. 'Take the eldest son to inspect the barracks left in Liwu Town.' Zheng Kezang bowed and followed the timid military officer out. Chen Yonghua picked up the documents resting beside him and had just read a few words when his brow furrowed. 'Something is not right, something is not right. Why do I feel that there is a hidden meaning in what was just said..."

The exuberant Zhu Jin was suddenly struck by a blow, instantly filled with anger and humiliation. Consequently, he summoned the general Zhao Desheng from Haicheng, the defending general Zhang Xueyao from Tong'an, and Hua Shanglan to demonstrate his power. Upon witnessing the transfer of control over the two counties, Geng Jingzhong retaliated by reinstating the boundary order within his jurisdiction in Fujian and Zhejiang, cutting off trade with Taiwan as a form of revenge. The honeymoon period between the two sides had not even begun before they reached the point of drawing swords against each other

Chen Yonghua's demeanor was humble, showing no signs of taking advantage of his seniority over Zheng Kezang due to age. Naturally, Zheng Kezang was quite pleased with this, and he inquired, "I wonder if the training of the troops has been properly arranged? Also, it is often said that a young boy can bring down his father; how have the provisions and supplies been arranged? And what about the weapons?"

At this time, Geng Jingzhong had already secured all of Fujian and extended his ambitions towards Zhejiang. Naturally, he was unwilling to relinquish what already belonged to him to others. However, he feared that the Zheng army might harbor discontent and create chaos in his rear in Fujian when he launched an expedition to Zhejiang. Therefore, he first sent trusted confidants under the pretext of negotiations to Xiamen to assess the strength of the Zheng army, so as to determine how to respond. The result revealed that the vanguard of the Zheng army consisted of fewer than 2,000 troops and fewer than 100 ships, indicating their strength was extremely limited. At that moment, he lost all reservations, not only refusing to transfer the Zhang and Quan prefectures to the Zheng army but also breaking his promise and becoming more greedy. He rejected the transfer of the promised warships and naval forces to Zhu Jin for coordination.

Zheng Kezang rode a small horse, restrained by a military officer, and, accompanied by a dozen or so eunuchs and guards, traveled four to five li outside the city to reach the original garrison of Liwu Town located at Sankun. Taiwan adopted a policy of integrating military and civilian populations, and each town actually possessed its own cultivation land. The so-called barracks were merely temporary accommodations for concentrated training, and now they were even more vacant due to the main force of Liwu Town heading west. However, with the arrival of a portion of the youth camp, the barracks, which had been quiet for a short time, became lively again. Many energetic young boys, although crying at night wanting to go home, were nonetheless joyfully playing during the day, completely forgetting their homes.

Zhu Jin's "Hearing the Joyful Song of the Western Rectification and the Word 'Sincerity'"

Although Zheng Kezang was very dissatisfied with Zhu Jin's actions of causing pain to friends and joy to enemies, he was still too young to have any possibility of intervening in the war, let alone affecting the grand strategy of the Ming-Zheng western expedition. Aware of this, Zheng Kezang could only honestly start from scratch, taking one step at a time.

The humble general understood. This officer named Sun Youlao eagerly agreed, as he saw this as a significant opportunity in his life. If he seized it, he would have the chance to rise swiftly in his career, and naturally, he would not hesitate to follow in the footsteps of Zheng Kezang

Chen Yonghua took a look at the design and found that the format was not complicated. It was merely that the lower half of the original square hole had been changed to solid, and it was inscribed with words such as "Martial Valor," "Loyalty and Diligence," "Victory and Speed," and "Champion." However, he did not understand the purpose of these items and instinctively thought that this was counterfeit money intended for rewards by Zheng Kezang. Therefore, he advised with some concern.

However, given the potential impact that these inconspicuous silver and copper coins may have on the military reward and punishment system, even the esteemed Zheng Kezang, the heir of this fief, cannot be easily accommodated in his request; it must be reported to Zhu Jin for a decision.

Open the tribute route further and rebuild the surrender city