From Noble Scion to Anti-Qing Leader

The year 1647 marked a pivotal moment in Zheng Chenggong’s transformation from a young nobleman to a formidable military leader. Following the failed Quanzhou campaign, where he served as deputy to his uncle Zheng Hongkui, the 23-year-old retreated to Anping to rebuild his forces. Unlike typical warlords, Zheng adopted a scholar-general approach, attracting former Ming officials like ex-Zhejiang governor Lu Ruoteng and intellectuals Ye Yiyun and Chen Ding to form a political advisory council. This blend of martial prowess and Confucian governance became a hallmark of his resistance movement.

Zheng’s officer corps represented a microcosm of southern China’s turbulent loyalties: original followers like Hong Xu, Fujianese volunteers including Gan Hui, former Qing collaborators such as Shi Lang (later the conqueror of Taiwan), and defecting Qing officers. His revolutionary military reforms – breaking up personal armies and enforcing strict discipline – addressed fatal weaknesses that had doomed earlier Ming resistance efforts.

Forging a Hybrid Military Machine

Zheng’s strategic genius lay in recognizing his forces’ limitations and advantages. While his maritime dominance was unquestioned (his naval reviews at Gulangyu’s Sunlight Rock became legendary), he astutely developed land forces knowing ultimate victory required continental warfare. The cavalry shortage – due to Fujian’s lack of warhorses – would plague his campaigns, forcing innovative solutions like converting infantry to dragoons.

The logistical challenges were staggering: supporting 100,000+ troops across coastal enclaves required ingenious solutions. Zheng’s three-pronged supply system:
1) Monopolizing the lucrative maritime trade networks established by his father, pirate-king Zheng Zhilong
2) Heavy taxation of controlled territories (often causing resentment)
3) Grain raids on Chaozhou – demonstrated ruthless pragmatism. Contemporary Qing archives hint at vast smuggling operations, with junks secretly exporting porcelain and silk to fund the resistance.

The Tong’an Campaign of 1648

The April 1648 assault on Tong’an showcased Zheng’s maturing tactics. After routing Qing forces under Lian Biao and Zhe Guangqiu outside the city walls, his troops besieged the county seat for eight days. The fleeing Qing officials left behind a strategic foothold – Zheng installed scholar-officials Ye Yiyun and Chen Ding as administrators, blending military occupation with Ming legitimacy.

The campaign’s true significance emerged when defectors brought news of the Yongli Emperor’s court in Guangxi. Zheng’s dramatic pivot – burning incense and bowing southward to acknowledge Yongli’s authority – marked his formal entry into coordinated anti-Qing resistance. Yet political realities soon intruded: the Yongli court’s factionalism, particularly Li Chengdong’s hostility toward Fujianese generals like Shi Lang, undermined potential alliances.

The Bloody Aftermath

The Qing counterattack in July 1648 proved Zheng’s Achilles’ heel – without reliable cavalry, his forces couldn’t respond swiftly to mainland threats. When Tong’an fell after a month-long siege, the brutality shocked contemporaries: county magistrate Ye Yiyun was executed, and Qing troops massacred civilians until “blood filled the ditches.” Zheng’s delayed naval relief effort, hampered by seasonal northerly winds, arrived only to conduct mourning rites at Jinmen.

The subsequent 1649 Yunxiao campaign revealed both progress and persistent weaknesses. Defecting Qing officer Wang Qifeng enabled Zheng’s three-pronged land assault, showcasing improved coordination. The capture of cavalry specialists Wang and Yao Guotai allowed creation of Zheng’s first proper cavalry unit, the Iron Cavalry Brigade. However, the disastrous Panling Ridge defeat – where fog-covered Qing troops slaughtered Zheng’s infantry – demonstrated ongoing vulnerabilities in land warfare.

Legacy of the Early Campaigns

These 1647-1649 campaigns established key patterns in Zheng’s career:
– Naval supremacy but continental limitations
– Meritocratic leadership amid Ming factionalism
– Ruthless resource acquisition straining civilian relations
– Ability to adapt through incorporating enemy innovations (cavalry tactics)

The Tong’an-Yunxiao phase transformed Zheng from a regional player into the Qing dynasty’s most persistent southern threat. His hybrid maritime-continental strategy, though ultimately failing to retake mainland China, would later enable the legendary Taiwan expedition – creating the first Chinese regime to defeat European colonial forces. The bloodstained lessons of these early campaigns forged the military machine that would change East Asian history.