Ming Dynasty Zheng family

Ming Dynasty Zheng family (1628–1683) was the family that in 1662, after Zheng Chenggong captured the southwest of Taiwan Island, became known as Dongdu, Dongning, and Haishang. It was a military and political force led by the Zheng Chenggong family and governed by the Ming Dynasty. Its jurisdiction includes the southeastern coast of China and the southwestern region of Taiwan Island.

Founding
Zheng Zhilong was originally the most powerful pirate in the East China Sea and South China Sea. In September of the first year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty (September 27-October 26, 1628), he was recruited by the imperial court and appointed as a coastal defense guerrilla. After he was recognized by the imperial court, his maritime trade business flourished and he became the maritime overlord from the East China Sea to the South China Sea. At this point, the trade scope of the Ming and Zheng forces covers a wide area: Dadi, Fenni, Champa, Luzon, Jingang, Beigang, Dayuan, Hirado, Nagasaki, Mumbai, Banten, Old Port, Batavia, Malacca, Cambodia, Siam. Its power was so strong that it could even control the trade with China of the Dutch East India Company, a European power. However, local trade was not going well. Unwilling to be controlled, the Dutch teamed up with Chinese pirates to attack Zheng Zhilong, but they were defeated in one fell swoop at the Battle of Liaoluo Bay.

Opposing the Qing Dynasty
On April 25, 1644 (March 19, the seventeenth year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty), after the Jiashen Incident, Li Zicheng captured Beijing, the capital of the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty was destroyed. In 1645, Dodo, Prince Yu sent his troops south and captured Zhu Changxun. The Hongguang regime collapsed. Zheng Zhilong immediately supported Emperor Shaozong longwu in his base area of Fujian to continue resisting the Qing Dynasty. From 1644 to 1645, he was awarded many Peerages. He is also the Minister of the Ministry of Hubu,the Minister of the Ministry of War, and the Minister of the Ministry of Industry. However, in December 1646, Zheng Zhilong was finally lured to surrender by the Manchus with the promise of a high-ranking official and generous salary. His son Zheng Chenggong failed to dissuade his father, so he had to lead about 20 people to the Nan'an Confucius Temple to worship Confucius, burned Confucian clothes, and cried and swore to Confucius that he would no longer be Zheng Zhilong's son. He joined the army, and his oath was tantamount to publicly drawing a clear line with Zheng Zhilong, so he led his men to Kinmen. Zheng Zhilong originally thought that he would be able to protect his family property after surrendering to the Qing Dynasty. Unexpectedly, Boluo violated the agreement and took Zheng Zhilong and his disciples to Yanjing. He also sent troops to attack the Zheng family's hometown. Zheng Chenggong's mother, the Tagawa family, had just moved from Japan to Fujian and encountered this disaster shortly after her family was reunited. She committed suicide during the war. When Zheng Chenggong learned that his mother had died, he became more determined to fight against the Qing Dynasty.

In August of the same year, Emperor Longwu was captured by the Qing army. After the demise of the Longwu regime, Zheng Chenggong fled to Kinmen, and then began to recruit troops from various coastal areas, including Zheng Zhilong's former subordinates, and even raised thousands of troops in South Australia. In December of the second year of Longwu (1646) (January of the following year in the Gregorian calendar), Zheng Chenggong vowed to fight against the Qing Dynasty in Xiaokinmen (today's Lieyu Township, Kinmen County).

Battle of Chao Xia
In the second half of the fifth year of Yongli (1651, the eighth year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty), Zheng's army fought in Haicheng(Today's Longhai City) in southern Fujian and won victory, recovering Pinghe County, Zhangpu County, Zhao'an County,Nanjing County and other places. At the end of the year, Zhang Mingzhen and others came to seek refuge, which increased Zheng Chenggong's army's momentum.

In the first month of the second year (1652, the sixth year of Yongli, the ninth year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty), He Wenxing, the Qing guard in Haicheng, surrendered to Zheng Chenggong. In February, the Zheng army attacked Changtai District, and the Qing Dynasty sent Chen Jin to lead a large number of troops to rescue; the two armies started a battle at Jiangdong Bridge. Relying on his familiarity with the terrain of southern Fujian, Zheng Chenggong arranged many ambushes near Jiangdong Bridge, defeated Chen Jin, annihilated most of the Qing troops, and won the Battle of Jiangdong Bridge. Soon Changtai was captured.

After conquering Changtai, Zheng Chenggong gathered an army to attack Zhangzhou and surrounded it. In April, in order to break the siege of Zhangzhou, the Qing army summoned hundreds of ships to invade Xiamen. Zheng Chenggong sent Chen Hui, Zhou Rui and others to lead more than a hundred warships to attack, and defeated the Qing army in Chongwu, winning the Battle of Chongwu. Zheng Chenggong's army won the victory at sea, so the pressure on Zhangzhou City did not decrease.Wang Yingyuan, the governor of Fujian Province in the Qing Dynasty, recorded the tragic situation in Zhangzhou at that time.

In September of the sixth year of Yongli (1652, the ninth year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty), Qing general Gushan Ezhen and Jinli led an army of ten thousand people to Fujian and entered Quanzhou Prefecture. Zheng Chenggong ordered the lifting of the siege of Zhangzhou. Zheng Chenggong deployed his troops in Jiangdong, intending to ambush Jin Li's army in the same way as he defeated Chen Jin, but Jin Li saw through it, and the two armies started a melee. Guo Ting of Ding Town and Hong Chengchong of Guard You Town were both killed in the fierce battle. After the Zheng army lost the battle, they had no choice but to retreat to ensure the safety of Haicheng and Xiamen. The Qing army took advantage of the victory to regain Nanjing, Zhangpu, Pinghe and Zhao'an counties.

In April of the seventh year of Yongli (1653, the tenth year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty), Jin Li invaded Haicheng and launched a fierce battle with Zheng Chenggong. Both sides used guns and cannons as their main weapons. Under the fierce artillery fire of the Qing army, Zheng Chenggong's troops suffered heavy losses, and many of his generals were killed in battle. Seeing the low morale of the troops, Zheng Chenggong went to the front of the battle line to shout in person, and was almost shelled. On the fifth watch of the seventh day of May (June 2 in the Western calendar), Jin Li ordered the use of air artillery cover and sent the Green Battalion to take the lead, followed by flag soldiers. He attempted to board the city in one fell swoop, but was resisted by Zheng Chenggong's army. After daybreak, Zheng Chenggong conducted an investigation and learned that the Qing army was short of gunpowder, money and food, so he lured the Qing army into a decisive battle. While the Qing army was crossing the river, he defeated Jin Li with a fire attack and won the battle of Haicheng. Haicheng was safe. After the Battle of Haicheng, Jin Li was recalled to the capital by the Qing court, and the two sides were once again in a stalemate.

Negotiate peace with Qing
In May of the seventh year of Yongli (1653, the tenth year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty), after the Qing army was defeated twice, Emperor Shunzhi made Zheng Chenggong the title of "Haicheng Gong", but Zheng Chenggong did not accept it. In August, the two sides negotiated peace at Baoen Temple in Quan'an, and Zheng Chenggong's army was able to suspend his troops, raise food and pay, and make some arrangements. In November, Emperor Shunzhi once again issued a seal and promised to give Quanzhou Prefecture to house Zheng Chenggong's troops.

In the eighth year of Yongli (1654, the eleventh year of Shunzhi in the Ming and Qing Dynasties), Zhang Mingzhen saw that the Qing army had concentrated its power in Fujian, so the defenses of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and other places were empty. So he asked Zheng Chenggong for instructions and led a hundred warships northward to capture the south of the Yangtze River. area. Zhang Mingzhen's army attacked along the Yangtze River and reached Jinshan Temple, threatening Jiangning Prefecture; but because there was no backup, they had to return. In February, the Qing government sent envoys to Zheng Chenggong again, promising to grant the four counties of Xinghua Prefecture, Quanzhou City, Zhangzhou City, Chaozhou City as fiefdoms; Zheng Chenggong accepted the seal of "Haicheng Gong" but did not shave his hair. The county accepted the arrangement of Zheng Chenggong's army and supported Zheng Chenggong's army with food and salary, which achieved good results in Fujian, but was resisted by many officials in Guangdong.Liu Bolu, the commander-in-chief of Chaozhou, submitted a petition against accepting Zheng Chenggong's army.

In August, the Qing Dynasty sent envoys for the last time to negotiate peace, but Zheng Chenggong refused.In October, Zheng Chenggong sent Lin Cha and Zhou Rui to supervise the army to march westward, with ten months of military rations.In November, Liu Guoxuan, the assistant defender of Zhangzhou in the Qing Dynasty, surrendered to Zheng Chenggong and led Zheng's army into the capital of Zhangzhou; Zhang Shiyao, the main town of Zhangzhou, surrendered to Zheng's army.

Zheng Qing fights again
In December, the Qing army decided to abandon the policy of recruiting Zheng Jun and ordered Ji Du to become General Dingyuan.In April of the ninth year of Yongli (1655, the twelfth year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty), Emperor Yongli conferred the title of King of Yanping on Zheng Chenggong. From then on, some people also called Chenggong "Zheng Yanping".Because Emperor Yongli was far away from Zheng Chenggong in power, he was given the right to appoint officials.Every time Zheng Chenggong conferred an official title, he invited Prince Zhu Shugui and other members of the Ming clan to observe the ceremony to show respect for the system. Zheng Chenggong also changed the name of Xiamen (then known as Zhongzuo Prefecture) to Siming Prefecture.

After Li Dingguo conquered Zhaoqing, he was defeated outside Guangzhou and retreated into Guangxi because he did not wait for reinforcements. In May, Lin Cha and others returned to the army and reported that they could not get enough help. Zheng Chenggong was furious. Zheng Chenggong suggested encircling Guangdong again, but the plan ultimately failed.

In July, Zheng Chenggong appointed Hong Xu as the governor of the naval division and Gan Hui as the governor of the land division.In July, Zheng Chenggong sent Hong Xu as the governor of the naval division and Gan Hui as the governor of the land division. They were given 10,000 taels of silver to lead the Northern Expedition. This army has strict discipline. When marching to Meizhou North Town, a soldier picked up a chicken and was sentenced to death. Gan Hui pleaded guilty and asked for punishment, and was punished with ten sticks.

In the tenth year of Yongli (1656, the thirteenth year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty), the Zheng army used Xiamen and Jin as its bases and frequently fought with the Qing army in South China.

Because the Dutch and Spanish robbed Zheng's merchant ships and killed Chinese people, Zheng Chenggong ordered the blockade of the Taiwan Strait in June. The Dutch were unable to carry out entrepot trade and their income dropped sharply.

In October, Zheng Chenggong sent Huang Ting to attack Ou Ting (belonging to Chaozhou). According to "Chaozhou Chronicles": Xu Long's headquarters, Nanyang Village, suffered a devastating blow.

In winter, Zheng Chenggong launched a large-scale Northern Expedition and won the battle of Huguoling in December. During this period, the Zheng army looted Fu'an, and the missionary Victorio Riccio (1621–1685) recorded.

This time Zheng's army stayed in eastern Fujian for ten months, and did not withdraw until the summer of the eleventh year of Yongli (1657). The Dutch sent He Bin to Xianchen, Xiamen, for an audience in March, and Zheng Chenggong agreed to resume trade in June.

Northern Expedition
In July of the eleventh year of Yongli (1658, the fifteenth year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty), Zheng Chenggong led his army in the Northern Expedition and issued strict military orders before the march.

In the 13th year of Yongli (1659, the 16th year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty), Zheng Chenggong once again led the northern expedition, successfully entered the Yangtze River and joined forces with Zhang Huangyan's troops, and conquered Dinghai, Guazhou, Zhenjiang and other places. Zheng's army was so powerful that it only sent four Tiger Guard generals and four sentries to recapture Jiangpu. Two hundred Qing soldiers fled, which is known in history as Zheng Chenggong's Battle of the Yangtze River.

In June of the same year, Zheng Chenggong led his troops to encircle Nanjing and failed, causing Zheng's army to lose more than 20,000 people.The Battle of Nanjing can be said to be the most glorious and important battle in Zheng Chenggong's career, but it prospered first and then declined, ending in a major defeat, which caused a major setback for Zheng Chenggong's anti-Qing cause.

Succession and Consolidation in Taiwan
In July 1659, Zheng Chenggong was defeated at Jinling City and retreated to the southeastern coastal areas. At that time, due to the continuous encirclement and suppression by the Qing army, Zheng Chenggong's sphere of influence was gradually shrinking. In order to find a long-term base for resisting the Qing Dynasty and restoring the Ming Dynasty, Zheng Chenggong launched an eastern expedition in 1661, and finally in the following year On February 1, he captured Fort Zeelandia and successfully conquered the Dutch territory of Taiwan, establishing the first Chinese-owned regime in Taiwan's history. However, he died of illness shortly after.

After Zheng Chenggong died of illness in 1662, Zheng Jing inherited his official position and title. The Leiden University Library in the Netherlands preserves the letter "The Successor's Crown Prince to the King of the Netherlands". In the letter, Zheng Jing calls himself "the Successor's Crown Prince" and calls Zheng Chenggong the "former king". He expresses his willingness to make peace and trade with the Netherlands and "joint forces". Royal prisoner". The Shaanxi History Museum preserves a cannon cast by Zheng Zheng in the 33rd year of Yongli reign (1679). There are three lines of official script and seal script inscriptions cast on the back of the cannon, indicating that Zheng Jing is the crown prince of Zheng Chenggong.

Western Expedition
Zheng Jing used Taiwan as his base to resist the Qing Dynasty for 20 years. During this period, he once sent troops to southern Fujian to regain lost territory from 1673 to 1680. Beginning in the 1680s, Shang Zhixin of Guangdong and Geng Jingzhong of Fujian were successively eliminated by the Qing army, and Wu Sangui of Yunnan also died. The power of the Zheng family in the Ming Dynasty retreated and they could only hold on to Xiamen. In 1680, General Wan Zhengse of the Qing Dynasty sent people to lobby Zhu Tiangui (formerly General Geng Jingzhong), the deputy governor of the Navy of the Zheng Army, to lead 300 ships and more than 20,000 soldiers to surrender to the Qing Dynasty. Zheng Jing abandoned Xiamen and led the remaining troops back to Taiwan. At this point, the Ming Dynasty Zheng's power in southern Fujian disappeared again.

Demise
After Zheng Jing's death, Zheng Keshuang succeeded to the throne of Yanping and was still called "the crown prince of the great general". In 1683, Emperor Kangxi attacked Ming and Zheng with Shi Lang, the general who had surrendered from Ming and Zheng, as the commander. He defeated the main force of the Zheng army commanded by Liu Guoxuan in the Battle of Penghu. Zheng Keshuang immediately announced his surrender, the Ming Dynasty Zheng family perished.

Territorial Transformations
In addition to owning some territory in Taiwan during the Ming Dynasty, the Zheng family also used military force to occupy Zhangzhou, Quanzhou, and Xinghua in the southern Fujian region of mainland China from 1673 to 1680, as well as Chaozhou and Huizhou in Guangdong. Part of the territory was gradually lost.