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The emergence of Zheng Zhilong's boat gang group in the Fujian Sea is worth pondering. He was born in Shijing Village, Nan'an County, Quanzhou Province, and when he was a teenager, he went to Macau with Li Dan, believing in Christianity and knowing Portuguese, which was conducive to his future business activities. His early activities were between Macau and Manila and Japan.
1. Why can Zheng Zhilong rise?
In 1612, it seems that he first sailed to Nagasaki, according to the research of the Japanese Kimomiya Yasuhiko:
"On the twenty-fifth day of the seventeenth year (1612), twenty-six ships returned from Luzon and twenty-six ships from Luzon, and the ships entered Nagasaki, all of whom were Ming people, and Zheng Zhilong's coming to Japan was at that time."
At that time, Zheng Zhilong should have followed Li Dan to be responsible for shipping from Manila to Japan, which was originally the route of the maritime merchant Li Dan. Li Dan was originally a Chinese business leader in Manila, who had moved to Hirado, Japan before 1613 and was elected as the leader of the Japanese Chinese businessmen. Li Dan seemed to be aware of Japan's anti-Christian actions, believing that Japan's trade with Manila and Macau would eventually decline, so he began to travel to Taiwan and Penghu in 1614 to engage in trade activities.
In other words, before the Dutch took taiwan, Li Dan had been active in Taiwan and Penghu for a period of time, and his future role as a mediator between China and the Netherlands was related to his geography.
Because Japan banned Spanish flights in 1624, Manila's trade with Japan was no longer effective. Zheng Zhilong may have moved to Taiwan before 1624, and later became a Dutch interpreter, which should have been Li Dan's ingenious arrangement.
In this way, there is Xu Xinsu as an agent in Xiamen and Zheng Zhilong as an agent in Taiwan, and he can return to Japan to sit down. Unfortunately, Li Dan died in August 1625, and Zheng Zhilong "lost his gold and went to sea." After Li Dan's death, Zheng Zhilong in Taiwan became the head of the group.
However, the Dutch do not seem to value him, because it is Xu Xinsu who can contribute to the Dutch.
The Dutch, Xu Xinsu, Yang Liu, and Yu Zhigao have been united by trade relations into a structural smuggling syndicate.
But Zheng Zhilong was ostracized, and Cao Lutai of Tong'an Zhi County mentioned:
"The thief Yang Lu (VI) and others were originally zheng zhilong gangs, and Lu and others led the dragon silver and prepared the instruments as thieves, and when they were appeased, they left the zhilong."
Although Zheng Zhilong fell to the sea for Kou, he came for Yang Liu and Xu Xinsu, but he had more considerations, and Zheng Zhilong could start to develop his career with keen observation and flexible techniques.
He clearly saw that the Trade between Macao and Portugal and Japan or the Trade in Manila in the West and Japan had become weak, and he saw that the trade between the Netherlands and Japan tended to be active with the Dutch rule in Taiwan, which also meant that the trade between China and the Netherlands and Taiwan would inevitably become a new route. His entry into the Kou Zhongzuo Institute (Xiamen) in 1627 shows that the original trade framework had been destroyed, and his active operation in Fujian was to rebuild the new trade structure.
It just so happened that this was the beginning of the decline of the Ming Dynasty, and military resources and forces were mainly concentrated to deal with Manchuria in Eastern Liaoning and Liukou in the northwest. The defense of fujian's coastal areas was no longer mentioned, and the general Yu Zhigao had no intention of fighting, which provided An opportunity for Zheng Zhilong.
2. How strong is Zheng Zhilong?
In March of the seventh year of the Apocalypse (1627), Zheng Zhilong gathered tens of thousands of people and attacked the Tongshan Institute in hundreds of boats. Then in the Center Left Office, the general Yu Zhigao and the deputy general Chen Xifan could not leave the house behind closed doors, and Zheng Zhilong accused Yu Zhigao of bearing the crime of the covenant in front of the residents, and threatened to "get Yang Lu, Yang Ce, and Xu Xinsu and then go." ”
It can be seen that Zheng Zhilong's trouble is closely related to trade interests. Subsequently, The Zheng clan took advantage of the victory and went straight to the interior, "searching all the militia ships in all ports and burning them all at the same time." Large ships were sent out to rob foreign ships, and then entered the port of Hengni to report the water. In the case of "thieves are rampant, reinforcements do not arrive", the Center Left is zheng's "delay, its intention is all in Yu Zongzhen". Yang Liu, on the other hand, was at Xu Xinsu's house, "Recruiting soldiers in self-defense, the thieves failed to attack." ”
In the mind of Cao Lutai of Tong'an Zhi County, Xu Xinsu, Yang Liu, and Zheng Zhilong were all one-hill raccoons, and when he reported to Zhu Yifeng, the governor of Fujian, he mentioned Xu Xinsu's threat: "If you are in a hurry to pursue, you will turn from Hongyi." ”
In fact, at that time, there were Dutch ships moored at Huanyu Island, and Yu Zhigao said:
"The attack on the thief is indeed credible. At that time, the situation was very complicated, and Qian Zhigao not only used thieves to control thieves, but also hooked Up Hongyi and attacked Zheng Zhilong, with the result that the Dutch fled. “
It can be seen that Zheng Zhilong's strength is too strong, and the situation is beyond Yu Zhigao's control.
At that time, Zheng Zhilong's:
"The disciples are all evil in the interior, and there are more than 30,000 people in the mix, and their ship's weapons are all made from the outer fan (referring to the Red Yi), and the ship is tall and strong... One shot of unified artillery, tens of miles deservedly shattered. ”
In December of this year, Zheng Zhilong attacked the Center Left Office again:
"Officers, men, ships, and apparatus are destroyed, and the whole of Fujian is shaken." The chief soldier, Yu Zhigao, actually "fled across the city and sneaked to Tong'an." “
3. The impact of the sea ban
This time, "the Haikou gangs flowed through the interior, such as the coastal Areas of Huozhou, Lieyu, Dadeng, Aotou, Liu Wudian, Zhongzuo and other places to burn and kill, ten rooms and nine channels, displaced from the road." At that time, it was really "forcing the sea, the people had no sails to come and go, and the merchants were cut off." The news reached Beijing in the first month of the first year of Chongzhen (1628), and Yan Jizu was impeached by Yu Zhigao: "The god of money has a spirit, the iceberg is leaning on, and listening to the strong Kou ravaging the interior, Tong'an, and Haicheng, so Min Shuai must not go." “
Seeing the seriousness of the situation, Emperor Mingsizong immediately ordered the arrest of Yu Zhigao for examination, and in March of this year, Inspector Zhu Yifeng was dismissed. Succeeded by Xiong Wencan, Yu Zhigao was originally intended to be sentenced to death, and then spared death, and died and attacked the military post. Most unfortunately, Emperor Mingsizong did not understand the problem of overseas trade, and the imperial court ministers did not grasp the changes in the overseas situation, thinking that the sea ban would restore peace to everything.
In March of the first year of Chongzhen, when Zhao Yinchang, the inspector of Fujian Province, proposed to "please ban foreign ships from going to the sea", the imperial court immediately made a decision to "ban Zhangzhang and Quanren from selling the sea". Fujian Haichengyue Port opened up foreign trade in the first year of Longqing (1567), which not only resolved the crisis caused by the Wokou. It has always been the only port of direct import of overseas silver, which has also driven the development of the local and mainland areas. In recent years, due to the harassment of the Dutch and private merchants at sea and the ravages of war, the prosperity of the Wanli years has been lost here, and the status of foreign trade has gradually declined. The re-imposition of the sea ban by Emperor Mingsizong meant that the smuggling of merchant ships became more intense, and the development of Fujian's coastal areas would not be controlled by the imperial court.
Yu's arrest was not good news for the Dutch. Yu agreed when the Dutch withdrew from Penghu to trade in Taiwan. Due to the competition and harassment of coastal smuggling merchants, the trade was not fulfilled. In April 1626, the Dutch sent a ship to Xiamen to negotiate with Xu Xinsu, but due to Zheng Zhilong's unrest, trade was still unable to start, and the Dutch were not accomplices with Zheng Zhilong at that time.
4. Why did the Dutch choose Zheng Zhilong?
This can be seen in the Batavia Diary, which states in june 1628:
Hearing that Chinese pirates are hegemonic at sea, our people have no choice but to retreat, and the thief official (Zheng Zhilong) has a thousand Rongke ships... Occupy Xiamen and Haicheng, destroy and burn, so everyone is afraid. He also mentioned that a Dutch ship, the West Cappel, was on its way from Hirado to Taiwan, "and was arrested by pirates." “
There were 76 captives on the ship, including the Dutch, and Zheng Zhilong ordered them to carry armed guards to guard his residence. In order to open up trade with China, the Governor of Batavia decided to add a number of warships to bring back goods to China, and tried to negotiate with the military gate (inspector), the governor (chief soldier) or other high officials to conclude a trade agreement. Opening up a route between Quanzhou (Zhangzhou) and Taiwan, if successful, the Dutch were willing to "do their best to break the pirates, as a reward." ”
But if it failed, it devoted itself to attacking the Junker ships that were going to the chicken coop and freshwater trade, or even going north to the coast of Nanjing or into North Korea, "doing everything in their power to try to start trade anywhere." ”
Yu's ouster meant that the only communication channel between the Dutch and the Ming officials was interrupted, and the trade with Xu Xinsu would be inactive, and the Dutch had to find new collaborators.
Of course, Batavia did not know much about the changes in the situation in Fujian. Zheng Zhilong's attack at the end of the seventh year of the Apocalypse (1627) forced the gentry of Quanzhou To "discuss" and the Zheng clan escorted grain ships to relieve Tong'an with soldiers, becoming the local order maintainers. However, Cao Lutai, the prefect of Tong'an, did not have a good feeling for the Zheng clan, complaining that after the Zheng clan was caressed, he still "dressed in red clothes and killed people with a knife." ”
Therefore, when the new inspector Xiong Wencan took office, he received a letter from Cao Lutai, who accused Zheng Zhilong of "first holding the favor, then asking for the throne, and then choosing an official." Therefore, he believes that if he wants to appease, "there must be scattered or dispatched from all over the South Road, the Middle Road, and the North Road, and the Party and the two sides, and the evil heart will rest on its own." “
It can be seen that Cao Lutai did not trust Zheng Zhilong at all, and the problem is that since Yu Zhigao was arrested, the Center Left Institute has become anarchy. So-called: "In the heavy land of Quannan, there is not a single general or soldier who thinks that it is a self-reliance plan." ”
5. The end of the Great War between Zheng and Li
After two months of understanding, inspector Xiong Wencan seemed to have no better way, and he finally accepted the suggestion of the gentry of Quanzhou Prefecture to recruit Zheng Zhilong to appease the Zheng clan and slow down the Qunkou. At that time, the northeast was tight, and it was impossible for the imperial court to take troops south, and Fujian could only rely on its own relief.
Xiong Wencan played Zheng Zhilong in June of the first year of Chongzhen (1628):
"Don't kill, don't burn, have a sense of repentance... On the eighteenth day of the first month, the center and the left were cared, and the rest of the crowd gradually dissolved. ”
Of course, this was a pretext for Zheng Zhilong's exoneration, and the imperial court officially accepted Zheng Zhilong's surrender in July.
Zheng Zhilong accepted Zhao'an's purpose to manipulate foreign trade through legal status, and now his purpose has been achieved. His accomplice, Li Kuiqi, defected "because of the uneven distribution of the spoils," which may involve the interests of foreign trade.
Li Kuiqi in September of the first year of Chongzhen:
"Take the ship on its back, recruit the rebels, and be embarrassed with Zhilong... On the ninth day of the first month of December, Kuiqi joined chen Shengyu, Zhong Liu (that is, Zhong Bin), and Wednesday's gang to enter the old Hunyu Island for more than 400 people."
Li Kuiqi's rebellion actually took Zheng Zhilong's ships and guns away, and Zheng Shi only had dozens of ships and 600 soldiers. Judging from Li Kuiqi's appeal, its strength is no less than that of Zheng Zhilong. Zheng and Li fought for more than a year, and on the surface, Zheng Zhilong had the legal status of a Ming official, while Li Kuiqi was still a Haikou. However, the battle between Zheng and Li was purely a struggle for trade interests, and there was no need to suspect that Zheng Zhilong was trying to monopolize foreign trade along the Fujian coast.
On October 1, 1628 (September 4 of the first year of Chongzhen), he entered into a three-year trade contract with the Dutch governor of Taiwan, Natz. Li Kuiqi's defection at this time appeared to be a cause, and at that time, the Zheng clan had controlled the fujian coast and trade rights with Manila. This can be seen from Li Kuiqi's condition of submission, he said: "After Zhao'an, Luzon was sold, such as the zhilong story. Of course, this is an agreement between Zheng Zhilong and the Fujian authorities, which is obviously an illegal agreement, because the imperial court has issued a ban on the sea.
Li Kuiqi's recruitment did not come to fruition, and Zheng Zhilong, for his own interests, was bound to go all out to deal with Li Kuiqi. The war shifted from the Minhai Sea to eastern Guangdong, and the Li clan returned to the Center Left Office, which shows that the Li clan is strong and cannot be easily eliminated by the Zheng clan.
In November of the second year of Chongzhen (1629), Li Kuiqi's accomplice Zhong Bin defected in eighteen large black ships, intending to defect to Zheng Zhilong, which greatly increased the strength of the Zheng clan, and on December 28 of the same year (February 9, 1630), Zheng and Zhong joined forces to attack Zhongzuo, and Li Kuiqi was captured by Zhong Bin.
Due to the growing prestige of Zheng Zhilong and the strict control of the crowd, the people of the center and left were gradually at ease. Zhong Bin may not have received the feedback he deserved, and he actually led the ships south to pursue the rebels, in essence, distributing the outer oceans to spy on the merchant ships and carry out the business of abducting foreigners. Zhong Bin probably circled with Zheng Zhilong for more than a year, and on the twenty-first day of the first month of the fourth year of Chongzhen (1631), when Zheng Zhilong personally led the water division to besiege Nan'ao, Zhong Bin broke through and sneaked out of the ocean, and the officers and soldiers pursued him and did not know what to do. At that time, it was rumored that Xu Xinsu was killed by Zheng Zhilong's attendants, in fact, in 1628, when Zheng Zhilong attacked Xiamen, Xu Xinsu had been killed by Zheng Zhilong, and it is believed that Yang Liu was also killed at the same time.
Since then, Xu Xinsu and Yang Liu have not appeared again. In other words, Zheng Zhilong finally got what he wanted, established military power along the Fujian coast, and controlled the right to foreign trade.
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