028 First Glimpse of the Southern Ming

On the surface of the river, over a hundred warships of varying sizes drifted silently into view. They blotted out the sky, a vast and mighty fleet cutting through the waves.

In the center of the armada, a towering flagship flew two massive banners: one, the dragon flag of the Great Ming; the other, the battle standard of the commanding general, emblazoned with the single character "Zheng."

Wang Lanping had always longed to see the Ming navy, but he had never witnessed it in person until today. The sight was truly eye-opening. The entire fleet was arranged with precise regularity, much like infantry formations on a battlefield. As the ships advanced in unison to the rhythm of booming drums, they maintained perfect order. Viewed from afar, it was a display of majestic, awe-inspiring power.

Yet, Wang Lanping did not realize that this was merely the tip of the iceberg for the Ming navy; the ocean-going fleet was even more spectacular, enough to leave anyone breathless. Wang Lanping had never imagined he would encounter the Ming naval fleet here, and its overwhelming strength was enough to make any commander possessing such a force look down upon all rivals.

Just as the others were lost in silent reverence, Wang Lanping suddenly asked, "Zheng Sen, why has the Ming navy appeared here?"

Could it be that the Hongguang Emperor had ordered the Ming navy from Nanjing to reinforce Anqing? Impossible. Did a monarch pampered in honey possess such foresight and resolve? Perhaps Liu Zeqing had developed a conscience and, fearing that Scholar Wang was fighting a lone battle in Anqing, had petitioned the court to send reinforcements? That was also unlikely; if the court truly intended to defend Anqing, they would not have had the generals of the three Fengyang garrisons retreat to Nanjing. There could be only one reason: this fleet was merely conducting an armed reconnaissance.

Boarding a transport ship, Wang Lanping and Zheng Sen wove through the ranks of warships. Looking left and right, he saw that these behemoths were covered in various artillery pieces, with every single vessel equipped with at least two breech-loading swivel guns. Upon reaching the flagship, it was clear that it far surpassed the surrounding vessels, standing over twenty feet tall and stretching over a hundred and twenty feet in length. Its sides were bristling with cannons. Wang Lanping’s heart surged with excitement, and he whispered to himself, "One day, I will have my own surname flying from the masts of such a fleet."

Climbing the rope ladder to the deck, he saw rows of longbowmen standing at the ready, and along the gunwales, dozens of naval soldiers stood with their chests puffed out, muskets in hand, as if a great battle were about to erupt at any moment. It was clear that General Zheng possessed genuine skill in troop management.

Passing through the deck to the rear cabin, Wang Lanping saw a middle-aged man standing on the stern platform. He was dressed in bright, polished armor, with a sword hanging at his waist, his hands clasped behind his back. As the river breeze blew, his beard fluttered; his eyes were sharp, and his cheekbones were high—he was clearly a shrewd man.

Zheng Sen hurried forward, knelt at the base of the platform, and said, "Nephew pays his respects to Fourth Uncle. What brings you here?"

Wang Lanping also stepped forward, cupping his hands in a salute: "Deputy General of Anqing, Wang Lanping, pays his respects to General Zheng. I have long heard of the General’s great name; it rings like thunder in my ears."

Zheng Hongkui looked Wang Lanping up and down and waved at Zheng Sen. "Rise, Sen’er." Then, with a nod and a tone of disbelief, he continued, "So you are the Martial Scholar, the young commander who broke the rebel forces under the walls of Huaining?" He could see nothing in the man before him that suggested such ability. Across Huguang, Shandong, and Hebei, the mere mention of the rebel army struck terror, and the Ming forces had crumbled everywhere. Since the rebels began their southern campaign, the Ming army had not fought a single decent defensive battle. Who could have guessed that a young, untested hero would emerge from the obscure city of Huaining? It was truly shocking.

In the presence of such a veteran, Wang Lanping knew better than to be boastful. "It was but a minor achievement, not worth the General's praise. Furthermore, Huaining has already fallen; I am ashamed."

Zheng Hongkui threw back his head and laughed, then walked down from the platform. He stood before Wang Lanping and gave him a light punch on the chest, praising him. "Haha, young man, it matters not. Most of the Ming Empire is already lost; what is a small city like Huaining? To have held off the rebels is already remarkable. For years, the court has poured mountains of silver into the army, yet they still let Li Zicheng send them fleeing in disarray. Take Zuo Liangyu in Hubei, for example—half of the Ming army was in his hands, and yet he was chased to Jiujiang by Yuan Zongdi like a rabbit. You, lad, are the new wave pushing the old. Good! You have vented some of our frustration."

Wang Lanping thought to himself: *I have never met this man before. Why is he heaping such praise upon me the moment we meet, as if he were my own father? Is this truly sincere?*

One should not view everyone with such suspicion, but Wang Lanping had no choice; the history of the early Southern Ming was fresh in his mind. It was hard to find a capable official or general in the records; they were all preoccupied with backstabbing and seizing power, prioritizing their own interests over the greater good even as the Qing army loomed at the gates. Wang Lanping had to keep his guard up.

Wang Lanping smiled. "The General is too kind. I was simply doing my duty. May I ask what brings the General here?"

Zheng Sen added, "Yes, Fourth Uncle, aren't you stationed in Zhenjiang?"

Zheng Hongkui replied, "It is like this: some days ago, Anqing General Liu Zeqing submitted a report to the throne, claiming that 100,000 rebels were marching south. He stated that the rebel vanguard Li Laiheng had reached Anqing, and that he himself was holding the city, while ordering you, his Deputy General, to defend the gateway of Huaining. He claimed you defeated thousands of enemies, which greatly pleased the Emperor. Liu has been promoted to Earl of Dongping and transferred to Huai’an, rewarded with 50,000 taels of silver. Upon hearing that you were the Martial Scholar personally appointed by the late Emperor, the Emperor was greatly moved. Fearing that a small city like Huaining could not hold against such a massive enemy force and that you might suffer harm, he ordered me to come and escort you back to Nanjing. It is not worth defending Huaining. I never expected that you would have already withdrawn safely. This is the Emperor's blessing and a gain for our Ming forces."

Wang Lanping felt a bitter taste in his mouth. *So, Liu Zeqing, I did all the hard work, and you took all the credit and the rewards? You are truly something. Sooner or later, I will make you cough it all back up with interest.*

But since the Hongguang Emperor had already granted Liu a title and promotion, Wang Lanping could hardly argue that the Emperor was wrong. He could only respond, "General Liu is indeed a man of extraordinary talent; his promotion is well-deserved."

"General, you?" Zheng Sen, who knew the truth, looked at him, puzzled.

Wang Lanping signaled to Zheng Sen to be silent; offending Liu Zeqing now would not be in his best interest. Zheng Sen looked away, disgruntled.

To Wang Lanping's surprise, Zheng Hongkui burst into laughter. "Well-deserved? Scholar Wang, there is no need to speak for Liu Zeqing. The Emperor has spent too long in his fiefdom to know the truth, but I know this man all too well. As far as I know, the moment the rebels arrived, he fled. He is just lucky to have had a deputy like you to clean up his mess. His report reached Nanjing, and he himself arrived the very next day, claiming he feared the rebels would strike at Nanjing and that he had come to protect the capital. As if a city as important as Anqing could be abandoned for Nanjing! Ridiculous. There are 150,000 elite Ming troops outside Nanjing; they don't need his rabble. He was simply acting on his cowardice, as he has done many times before."

Wang Lanping had not expected General Zheng to be so blunt. He clearly knew everything and had no qualms about insulting his colleagues. It showed just how little these Southern Ming generals could tolerate one another.

Not only that, but he spoke so flippantly about the Emperor's decree, showing he had no respect for Hongguang. It seemed the Ming navy was merely a private asset of the Zheng family, and he acted as if the Emperor dared not touch him.

Wang Lanping said, "The General jokes. Since there is an imperial decree, I shall accompany you. However, there are several thousand commoners who have followed me, refusing to leave my side. Seeing this vast river, they have no way to cross. Could the General dispatch ships to ferry them?"

Zheng Hongkui glanced at the northern bank, frowned, and shook his head. "The decree only instructs me to bring you back; it says nothing of commoners. I am afraid I cannot help with that."

Wang Lanping pressed, "The Emperor is far away in Nanjing and cannot know of these people. Given his virtues as a ruler who loves his people as his own children, he would surely agree to your ferrying them across."

General Zheng seemed unmoved. In his eyes, commoners were nothing; he would not turn his noble Ming warships into ferry boats.

Zheng Sen, seeing his uncle's reluctance, added, "Fourth Uncle, these people have abandoned their homes and followed us all the way here. We cannot just abandon them."

Wang Lanping added, "If the General will not ferry the people across, then I must return to the northern bank to be with them and cross by felling trees to build rafts."

If he abandoned these people here, all his efforts would have been in vain. His heroic deeds depended on these people to spread the word across the river.

Zheng Hongkui frowned, feeling uneasy—not because of the lack of a decree, but because he feared the commoners might hide rebel spies sent to probe the strength of his fleet. The Yangtze navy and the Fujian navy were the foundation of the Zheng family's power; they were his lifeblood, and he could not afford any mistakes.

Seeing Wang Lanping's resolve, Zheng Hongkui said, "Fine. Very well. Zhao Dazhuang!"

A young officer beside him replied, "Yes, General!"

"Assign four transport ships to ferry the people across."

"Yes, sir!"

Wang Lanping cupped his hands. "Thank you, General. There is one more thing. There are soldiers on the northern bank who retreated from Huaining. May they also board and accompany us to Nanjing?"

Zheng Hongkui hesitated, then nodded. "Very well. Someone, bring Scholar Wang's soldiers aboard and station them on the last row of ships."

"Many thanks, General."

General Zheng waved his hand, and the drums on the flagship roared to life. Following the changing rhythm, nearly a hundred warships moved in unison—weighing anchor, hoisting sails, and turning their bows to head downriver. Everything was handled with impeccable order.

Wang Lanping walked to the bow and bowed deeply to the commoners who were boarding the transport ships on the northern bank. He cupped his hands and shouted, "Fellow countrymen, I can only take you this far. Once you cross, you must look after yourselves. Take care!"

On the shore, a large group of people knelt in unison, paying their respects to the departing fleet. "General Wang, take care..." The voices merged into one, lingering for a long time, and many were moved to tears.

With a thousand sails unfurled and a hundred ships racing across the waves, the mighty Ming navy surged toward Nanjing.