In history, the Great Unification Dynasty recovered Taiwan twice.
The first was when Zheng Chenggong regained control of Taiwan from the Dutch colonists in the name of the Ming Dynasty, which is also an event recognized by most people as the real recovery of Taiwan.
The second time was that the Kangxi Emperor, on the basis of the Qing Dynasty's pacification of the world, destroyed the Zheng clique in the name of the great unification of the Qing Dynasty, thus recovering Taiwan. There are mixed reviews and criticisms for the current recovery of Taiwan, because this involves the Zhengshuo issue of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
From the perspective of the Han chinese, they must have supported the Ming Dynasty from the heart. Unfortunately, during the reign of Kangxi, the tomb of the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty was already covered with grass.
Therefore, from the perspective of the great unification dynasty, Kangxi's recovery of Taiwan can also be regarded as the desire of the people. After all, the strength of the Zheng Group is too weak, and the principle of eating the weak is the truth since ancient times. So, what difficulties did Kangxi encounter in recovering Taiwan?
First, the water division is not as good as the Zheng Group.
The person who really started the Zheng Group was actually Zheng Chenggong's father, Zheng Zhilong. This old man is a famous pirate leader who once inhabited Southeast Asia. He had more than three thousand warships in his hands, and more than 200,000 men followed him to beg for food.
Just ask you, was there a second person in the world who surpassed him at sea? I don't think so, right? Therefore, after Zheng Zhilong surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, he could get a high-ranking official of the Fujian General Army.
Therefore, the Zheng Group started by relying on the strength of the water master, and in the generation of Zheng Chenggong, although the Zheng Group split into some people, the strength still existed. Since then, Zheng Chenggong himself has also developed a lot of strength.
In Zheng Jing's generation, there was another civil unrest in the Zheng clique, and some people were separated again, but Zheng Jing still inherited the family foundation left by Zheng Chenggong.
In contrast, in the Qing Dynasty, it was the Lord who fought the world on horseback. Let them charge with cavalry, almost invincible in the world at that time. But let them fight on the water, sorry, this won't be!
Second, the Cheng Group has abundant financial resources.
This was unexpected by Kangxi, because the Zheng group traded at sea all year round, so they did not lack money at all. They can get a steady stream of trade resources from Japan, Southeast Asia, and even the Netherlands.
So even if Kangxi intended to contain the Zheng clique economically, it still couldn't stop their booming economy. Moreover, the Zheng group had many warships, and if they wanted to pass through their maritime territory, they had to pay a certain toll, and even the Dutch trading ships had to obediently comply, which was also a considerable trade income.
Third, the interference of national complexes.
In the final analysis, the Zheng clique is also Han Chinese, and the vast majority of people in the Central Plains ruled by the Qing Dynasty are Han Chinese. These Han Chinese people are nostalgic for the Ming Dynasty in the past, at least since they shaved their hair and changed their clothes.
In this way, the Zheng Group became the last Han group, which is what the Han people in the world are looking forward to. Therefore, when dealing with the Zheng clique, Kangxi had to be careful.
If, if any national uprising is caused by carelessness, then Kangxi's little life will be considered over. What he is most worried about is that the Zheng clique uses the national complex to pull hatred, and once public opinion falls to them, the overall situation will not be easy to control.
It was the interference of the above three problems that made it difficult for the Qing Dynasty to recover Taiwan in a short period of time. The Qing court also did many acts of surrender, but the result ended in failure, which showed that it was necessary to do it. So how did Kangxi rise to the challenge?
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="59" >, Kangxi recruited a group of old departments of the Zheng Group. </h1>
Zheng's Group is so big, it is absolutely impossible to be a monolith. When Zheng Zhilong was there, everyone was still polite. However, with Zheng Zhilong surrendering to the Qing court and being killed as a result, the Zheng clique was full of contradictions.
The first one who broke up with Zheng Chenggong was Zheng Zhilong's subordinate Zheng Cai. At that time, Zheng Chenggong was reluctant to accept Lu Jianguo, but Zheng Cai and Zheng Lian supported Lu Jianguo. So the two sides fought each other. As a result, Zheng Cai's forces were annexed by Zheng Chenggong.
This is not the most fatal, the most fatal thing is that Zheng Chenggong killed Shi Lang's entire family, causing Shi Lang to defect to the Qing Dynasty in anger, and since then he has parted ways with the Zheng clique.
Shi Lang is a fierce general under Zheng Zhilong and is very good at water warfare. Kangxi's side was worried that there were no people who understood naval warfare, and this time it was good, And Shi Lang immediately solved this trouble.
Since then, Shi Lang has made very great contributions to the pacification of Taiwan. It can be said that the campaign to pacify Taiwan was directly commanded by Shi Lang.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="58" > Second, Kangxi adopted a policy of encirclement and suppression on all sides of Taiwan's economy. </h1>
First of all, of course, starting from the mainland, Kangxi ordered the relocation of the border to ban the sea. This policy is relatively harmful to the people along the coast of Fujian, because they must move inland, and they are not allowed to live on the seashore.
However, most of the coastal residents of Fujian live by fishing, so that they are not allowed to go near the seashore, which is not to kill them! Therefore, this policy has mixed reviews, but it has indeed played a role in isolating trade links between the mainland and Taiwan.
Second, Kangxi ordered that the Qing Dynasty begin trading with Japan. After losing the mainland as a cash cow, Taiwan's most important trading place is Japan. However, Kangxi was now also trading with Japan in Nagasaki on more favorable terms, thereby cutting a lot of trade revenue from the Cheng clique.
Without money, if you want to let everyone sell your life, I am afraid it will not work, right? Therefore, after a long time, Kangxi knew that the opportunity to recover Taiwan had come.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="57" > third, those who ruled Han with Han and recovered Taiwan were basically Han Chinese. </h1>
The first minister who proposed to Kangxi was Li Guangdi, a famous talent in Fujian. It was also Li Guangdi who recommended Shi Lang, which allowed this famous water master to be reactivated after many years of dormancy in the Qing Dynasty.
In addition, Yao Qisheng, the governor of Fujian at the time, was also a Han Chinese of the Eight Classics. He made great contributions to the pacification of San Francisco, and thus received such an important position. Yao Qisheng became the most powerful support force for the Shi Lang Navy, and all supplies needed Yao Qisheng to purchase.
Shi Lang naturally need not mention, he is also a Han Chinese. Although he has been mixing with Zheng Zhilong at sea for many years, his hometown is Jinjiang in Quanzhou, Fujian.
In addition, most of the soldiers under Shi Lang and Yao Qisheng were also local Han soldiers, so this battle was purely a battle in which the Han conquered the Han, so the interference of the national complex was gone.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="53" > Fourth, Shi Lang's plan to recover Taiwan is very thorough. </h1>
Don't think that If Shi Lang is good at water warfare, he will definitely be able to win the battle. After all, the opposite side is also good at water warfare, so this big war is actually extremely dangerous.
For example, Liu Guoxuan, who guards the Penghu Archipelago, is actually a fierce general. When Shi Lang led an army of 30,000 and more than 300 large ships to attack, he fought with Liu Guoxuan's troops for 7 days and 7 nights, which defeated the other side.
Therefore, when conquering Taiwan, the Qing court made strict arrangements. Shi Lang's soldiers at that time were divided into four ways:
The first route was that Shi Lang himself personally led the main force and stormed the Niangma Palace, where the main force of the Zheng clique was located.
The second route, led by the chief soldier Chen Python, attacked the Port of Penghu on the eastern front into Jilong Island, and after achieving its goal, cooperated with Shi Lang to attack Niangma Palace.
The third route, Dong Yi, led the way from the western front into Niuxin Bay, pinning down the Zheng clique forces in the west.
The fourth road is the reserve, a total of 80 warships, following the main force, at any time to replenish the main force.
Due to the full preparation, Shi Lang's army first cleared the outer forces, and then captured the Penghu Archipelago. Until Liu Guoxuan's defeat, the Zheng clique lost 17,000 people, including 5,000 prisoners.
After winning victories on the battlefield, Shi Lang adhered to the principle of Kangxi suppressing and using them together, and once again recruited Zheng Ketuan. At this time, Liu Guoxuan also realized the strength of the Qing army's marine division and persuaded Zheng Ketuan to surrender.
Therefore, in the end, Zheng Ketuan had no choice but to surrender, and after Shi Lang went ashore, in order to stabilize the hearts of the army, he gave up the idea of revenge, but took the initiative to go to the temple of Zheng Chenggong. You know, Zheng Chenggong was the one who killed his whole family, so it can be seen that this trick immediately made the Taiwan gang lose their temper.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="48" > Summary: If you arrange it well, you can strike decisively. </h1>
Force may not be the best solution, but reunification is an urgent matter. If Kangxi had hesitated for decades without such a plan, the Taiwan issue would have been left to future generations.
At that time, the water division of the Zheng Group may be more powerful, and they have also come up with new ways to develop the economy, and at the same time use the national complex to interfere with the hearts and minds of the people on the mainland.
Therefore, procrastination must not be tolerated, and the trouble must not be left to future generations. As long as there is careful deployment, coupled with proper aftercare arrangements, the great cause of reunification can be put on the agenda.
References: Draft History of the Qing Dynasty, Record of the Qing Dynasty