The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Chapter 279

Shen Lian and the Imperial Guards beside her did not let their guard down, keeping a close eye on Liu Sisi at all times.

When Wang Zhi was entrusted with this important task, he was somewhat bewildered. He couldn't understand why he, a mere centurion, would be suddenly given such a heavy responsibility, commanding an army of 20,000 to go to Japan.

Wang Zhi had never dared to think of such a thing before. In his opinion, although his ability to lead troops and fight battles was no less than that of those veterans or even centurions, he was still far behind in terms of seniority.

Wang Zhi was especially shocked when he learned that the deputy commander who had been temporarily transferred was actually the son of Princess Deqing. He couldn't understand what he had done to deserve such a position.

In fact, it wasn't just Wang Zhi who couldn't understand it; Lin Zhi and the veteran soldiers of the Xuanwu Army who followed Wang Zhi also couldn't understand it.

Zhou Chu had already discussed this situation. In order to help Wang Zhi establish his authority, he even went to Southeast Asia before returning to the capital and personally appointed Wang Zhi as general in front of all the generals.

The new recruits were unaware of Zhou Chu's identity, but the veteran soldiers of the Xuanwu Army were all incredibly excited upon seeing him, as he was their guide and supreme commander.

During that year, Yun Jin would have people recount Zhou Chu's deeds and battles in Jiangnan to the army every few days, all in order to maintain Zhou Chu's absolute prestige and command within the Xuanwu Army.

With Zhou Chu's support, these veterans no longer dared to disobey Wang Zhi, and they all obeyed his orders. As for the new recruits, they were all greenhorns in front of Wang Zhi and dared not disobey him.

Others may not know, but Zhou Chu knows Wang Zhi's character very well. For Zhou Chu, someone who leads troops in the field may not be the most capable among all people, but he must be the most loyal.

In the original history, when Wang Zhi first started engaging in maritime trade and smuggling, it was all done with the tacit approval and hints of local officials in the Ming Dynasty. Wang Zhi worked very hard at the beginning, suppressing several groups of pirates, including Chen Sipan, who burned, killed, and looted, maintaining order along the coast, and gradually establishing his position as a maritime overlord.

However, after Wang Zhi's power grew, those officials turned their backs on him. The main reason was that the blame was too great, and no official dared to take it. As a result, Wang Zhi was identified as a pirate and Japanese pirate. It wasn't until later, when Xu Wei became Hu Zongxian's advisor, that he suggested that Hu Zongxian grant Wang Zhi a pardon.

From beginning to end, all Wang Zhi really wanted was to make contributions to the Ming Dynasty and return home in glory.

History may differ from what the Zhou and Chu dynasties experienced, but a person's character is generally similar and will not deviate too much.

Wang Zhi led an army of 20,000 men, following Zhou Chu's instructions, and headed straight for Hirado Island in Hizen Province.

Hizen Province was one of the provinces of Japan with a relatively small number of combat personnel. Under the command of Wang Zhi, the large army quickly conquered Hirado Island and began to establish a base there.

When Matsuura Okinobu, the daimyo of Hizen Province, learned that Hirado Island had been occupied by the Ming army, he was shocked and furious. He never expected that the Ming army would send troops to their area. With the strength of Hizen Province's army, it would be difficult to withstand the firepower of the Ming army.

Thinking of this, Matsuura Okinobu hurriedly wrote to the other daimyo, hoping they could send troops to support him.

After Wang Zhi led his troops to establish a foothold on Hirado Island, he naturally did not give Matsuura Okinobu a chance to react and directly led his troops to attack Hizen Province.

With the combined might of the mortars and flintlock muskets, and the terrifying fighting power of 20,000 soldiers, the attack on Hizen Province proceeded exceptionally smoothly, sweeping all before it could be described as a complete rout. They encountered almost no significant resistance, and Matsuura Okinobu was captured alive by Wang Zhi and immediately loaded onto a ship to be sent to the Ming Dynasty to claim credit.

At this point, Wang Zhi had finally established himself.

Meanwhile, at the Ming Dynasty's court assembly, the civil and military officials were in complete chaos.

The civil officials, led by Yang Yiqing and Xia Yan, impeached Chen Wanyan, fabricating countless charges against him. Meanwhile, the officials led by Chen Wanyan, as if they had planned it in advance, seized on a fourth-rank official on Yang Yiqing's side and launched a fierce attack.

For a time, the two sides went back and forth, engaging in a lively debate. Jiajing, sitting on his throne, was filled with excitement and wished Huang Jin would bring him a plate of melon seeds.