Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 112: Local Residents' Solutions
In Porto Alegre, senior officers of the two Chinese Independence Army, who had been separated for several months, gathered together to share their combat experiences and achievements with officers they were familiar with. The officers below discussed the matter lively, while Li Mingyuan sat with Luo Linshan to listen to his report on the occupation of Rio Grande do Sul.

"Sir, I will not mention the sea voyage and the occupation of the small town of South Palmares. I will tell you about the process of conquering Porto Alegre and the progress of the war over the next month or so."

Luo Linshan raised his eyebrows, fiddled with the captured map of Rio Grande do Sul, and said, "After occupying the town of Palmares do Sul, I divided the attacking force into two teams. One team will attack from the sea via the Patos Lagoon, and the other team will be led by me personally to advance from the land.

After a five-hour forced march in the evening, the land and water troops arrived at the city of Arequipa. It was just dawn at this time. I thought about how the prince used prisoners to trick the enemy into opening the city gate when he was in Peru. I also had more than 50 intact prisoners in my hands. I might be able to use them to trick the defenders of Porto Alegre. So I sent half of the soldiers to wear Brazilian army uniforms, mix in behind the Brazilian prisoners, and let them lie that South Palmares was attacked by an unknown small group of enemy forces, and they came to report the enemy situation.

The soldiers guarding the city did not doubt the words of the Brazilian captives outside the city. Apparently, it was not the first time that South Palmares had been attacked by pirates and other armed forces. The Brazilian soldiers guarding the gate opened the city gate, and the Chinese soldiers mixed in with the captives rushed in, killing more than 20 Brazilian soldiers behind the gate and controlling the gate. Then I led the troops outside the city to take the opportunity to rush into Porto Alegre and capture the entire city. "

When Luo Linshan talked about his successful capture of the city gate, a glimmer of joy appeared in his eyes. He used a strategy to seize the gate of Porto Alegre, avoided casualties of soldiers who were attacking the city gate, and conquered Porto Alegre at the lowest cost. This was a relatively perfect record he had achieved since joining the Chinese Independence Army.

"Rio Grande do Sul is the base of the Chinese Independence Army. The local cities and transportation facilities are all Chinese property and the foundation of development. Taking over Porto Alegre is a great achievement. I will reward you after I have settled the brothers."

"Thank you for the reward, Your Highness." Luo Linshan was not modest and accepted Li Mingyuan's encouragement generously. He continued, "All parts of Arequipa have been controlled by my subordinates. The captured gunboats have been delivered to the brothers in the navy. The captured Brazilian soldiers and Brazilian civilians in the city have been gathered in a small town in the western suburbs outside the city, waiting for Your Highness to deal with them."

"How many Brazilian soldiers and civilians were captured?"

"There are not many soldiers, just over a thousand in total, and 20,000 civilians." Luo Linshan said and looked at Li Mingyuande's reaction, as if he was worried about something.

"There shouldn't be that many civilians in Porto Alegre, right? How are the extra civilians going to get back?"

Li Mingyuan's tone was flat and his emotions could not be seen.

"Sir, to be honest, there are only 10,000 civilians in Porto Alegre, and the other 10,000 were relocated from other places to be settled together with the civilians in Porto Alegre."

Li Mingyuan took a sip of tea and showed no anger. Luo Linshan breathed a sigh of relief and explained, "After occupying Porto Alegre, I originally had no plan to move the Brazilian civilians in the city out of the city for centralized management. However, within a few days of occupying Porto Alegre, Brazilian civilians attacked Chinese soldiers in the city. I had no choice but to move them out of the city for unified management. After resolving the issues in Porto Alegre, I stayed in the city to command some soldiers to guard the city, and sent out seven or eight small forces to occupy other important areas in Rio Grande do Sul.
The main military forces of Rio Grande do Sul were concentrated in Porto Alegre. After Porto Alegre was captured, all the Brazilian soldiers defending the city were surrounded. The defense forces in other areas of Rio Grande do Sul were empty and scattered. At that time, I thought it would be easy to occupy the entire Rio Grande do Sul, but the intelligence reported back in the next few days gave me a headache.

According to the soldiers who came back to report, the Brazilian militia forces defending Rio Grande, Bagé, Santa Maria, Erechim and other places were not large, and the Chinese soldiers sent out easily occupied the four important areas. However, after the occupation, the Brazilian militia who escaped took advantage of the opportunity at night when it was difficult to defend and constantly harassed and attacked the Chinese detachments stationed outside. The commanders of the garrisoned detachments could not bear it and led their troops to attack the attacking Brazilian militia. However, because the Brazilian militia were familiar with the local terrain, they often escaped without a trace as soon as the garrisoned Chinese detachments were dispatched.

The Brazilian militia attacked the Chinese detachment several times. The officers in charge complained to me many times and asked me to send more soldiers to reinforce them. But I didn't have any extra soldiers to send to them. Caxias do Sul, which is close to Santa Catarina, needed to station troops to defend against the Brazilian attack. The main force in Porto Alegre had to prepare to join the main force to enter Rio Grande do Sul. So I could only detain some disobedient Brazilian civilians to prevent them from cooperating with the Brazilian militia to cause sabotage.

Luo Linshan had considered everything very comprehensively. The main force led by Li Mingyuan had encountered many difficulties in advancing into Rio Grande do Sul by land. With the coordinated support of Luo Linshan's troops, the difficulty of the large force's transfer would be greatly reduced. After barely suppressing the resistance forces in Rio Grande do Sul, Luo Linshan led most of the troops toward Paraguay, intending to meet up with the main force on the road. However, he did not expect that the main force had successively seized ships from Paraguayans, Brazilians, and Argentines in the Paraguayan War. The captured ships could not only supply more than 30,000 field troops, but also carry a lot of rear-line troops. With enough ships, Li Mingyuan temporarily changed the migration plan, from land marching to a more stable water migration. As a result, Luo Linshan, who went to the Paraguayan border to meet up, came back empty-handed. It was not until the first batch of field troops arriving from the sea conveyed the news that Luo Linshan led his troops back to Porto Alegre.

Due to the inconvenience in information transmission, Luo Linshan did not know that the main Chinese force had changed its migration route. There was nothing wrong with him doing so, but the frequent resistance of the Brazilian militia forces left a big problem for Li Mingyuan.

Immigrants from countries such as Germany and Italy have not yet poured into Rio Grande do Sul. The total population of Rio Grande do Sul is only about 50,000 to 60,000 people. Compared with the more than 100,000 Chinese Independence Army, 50,000 to 60,000 people cannot cause much trouble. However, the fact that they cannot cause much trouble does not mean that the Chinese Independence Army can peacefully develop farming in Rio Grande do Sul.

Most of the 50,000 to 60,000 Brazilian residents are descendants of the Portuguese. They have property and land in Rio Grande do Sul. The entry of the Chinese Independence Army into Rio Grande do Sul will inevitably infringe on their land and interests. They are facing the most realistic conflict of interests. There are irreconcilable contradictions between Brazilian civilians and the Chinese Independence Army. It is a difficult problem to expect them to bow their heads and accept the rule of the Chinese Independence Army.

Li Mingyuan lowered his head and thought about the problems brought about by the Brazilian militia's resistance. Occupying Rio Grande do Sul was only the first step for the Chinese Independence Army to gain a foothold in South America. Using the limited time to digest the 28.1 square kilometers of land in Rio Grande do Sul and build it into the most stable base for the Chinese Independence Army was the most important thing at the moment. However, the local Brazilian residents did not cooperate and refused to be the people under the rule of the Chinese Independence Army. The destruction caused by frequent resistance would involve most of the Chinese Independence Army's energy. They would be busy suppressing the resistance of local civilians every day. Brazil, which had suffered a great loss, was watching covetously. How could the Chinese troops gain a foothold in South America?

There were only 50,000 to 60,000 local Brazilian civilians, and the number of young and strong militiamen was far less than that of the Chinese troops. However, Li Mingyuan did not dare to underestimate them. The descendants of European colonists had cut off the possibility of returning to Europe. Hundreds of years of fighting with local indigenous people and the test of the primitive environment had created their tenacious fighting power. These people regarded themselves as the masters of the South American continent, drove away the colonial power in the name of revolution, and became the masters of the invaded land.

These people may not have professional combat skills, but in terms of being familiar with the local terrain and fighting guerrilla warfare with the Chinese Independence Army, the Chinese Independence Army, which is unfamiliar with the area, is at a disadvantage.

There is no shortage of useful talents among the local Brazilian civilians. Li Mingyuan originally planned to keep them for the Chinese Independence Army, but their resistance changed Li Mingyuan's mind. It would be a huge disaster for unstable Brazilian civilians to stay in the country to be established. Given the current small number of Chinese, the local Brazilian people are likely to connect with the counterattacking Brazilian army, attacking the Chinese troops from both inside and outside, and comprehensively raiding the Chinese troops. In this case, the base that the Chinese Independence Army had obtained with great difficulty might be seized by the Brazilians. Li Mingyuan could not tolerate this happening. Since the local residents would not cooperate, he had to use drastic measures to ask them to leave Rio Grande do Sul, leaving a brand new land for the Chinese Independence Army and later immigrants to build and settle down.

After deciding on the resettlement of 50,000 to 60,000 Brazilian residents, Li Mingyuan began to make arrangements for dealing with the Brazilian residents. His eyes were once again focused on the map that Luo Linshan had spread out, and he pointed to several important locations marked on the map and said, "The remaining residents of Rio Grande do Sul are mainly concentrated in Rio Grande, Bagé, Santa Maria, and Erechín. If we control the Brazilian people in these four locations, plus the civilians in Porto Alegre who are under centralized management, 80% of the residents will be under our control. So your task is to send 1,000 soldiers to each of the above locations, and then transport them to Caxias do Sul, and I will handle them all."

"Prince, do you mean to drive all the local residents out of Rio Grande do Sul and hand them over to the Brazilians?"

Luo Linshan asked in an uncertain tone.

"Let me guess what you're thinking. The prince is strict in his military discipline. When he started the rebellion in Peru, he didn't allow his soldiers to rob local people. Why did he suddenly change his mind when he arrived in southern Brazil?"

Li Mingyuan looked at Luo Linshan with a hint of teasing, and the expression on his face easily confirmed that his guess was correct.

"I dare not, but I don't understand why the prince changed the way he treats the people of other races."

"It doesn't matter if you don't understand. I can explain it to you slowly." Li Mingyuan took his attention away from the map and said, "When we were in Peru, the Chinese Independence Army had just revolted and we were still very weak. If we don't strictly require the soldiers, the entire army will gradually collapse as it expands. On the other hand, my goal is not to take root in southern Peru. Looting and depriving them of their land and property is of little significance to the Chinese Independence Army. Therefore, strictly requiring soldiers not to infringe on local people can reduce their hostility towards the Chinese Independence Army. But now it's different. We and the Brazilian residents have become opposing enemies. Leaving them behind will only add a group of potential enemies who are not on the same page with us. In this case, why not just be the bad guys to the end and drive them all out of Rio Grande do Sul to completely solve the problem."

After hearing this, Luo Linshan's expression suddenly changed. It turned out that the prince was not a benevolent monarch who treated everyone tolerantly. In the prince's mind, the people of foreign races were unreliable after all.

This was the first time that Li Mingyuan really explained his attitude towards South American whites to others, so he spoke very clearly and thoroughly. "Lao Luo, foreigners are still outsiders after all. We can express our sympathy when they suffer from war, but it is not a wise choice to agree to keep them on your land because of sympathy. If you keep them on your land, they will not be grateful for your kindness in taking them in, but will only hate you for robbing their land. So the best solution is to move them out and return them to where they should go. This is the correct solution."

"Sir, it is simple and efficient to drive them away, but they are white-skinned foreigners after all. Will our actions lead to retaliation from other foreign countries?"

"Things are not as complicated as you think. Now is the war period. We announced to the outside world that the local Brazilian residents are patriotic and all the people are participating in the resistance against the Chinese Independence Army. After the Chinese Independence Army caught them, they couldn't bear to punish them, so they drove them out of Rio Grande do Sul. At the same time, they were allowed to take some of their property and materials, and the land they left behind would be sold to the Chinese Independence Army at a suitable price.

We will not confiscate their property, and we will give them the money from the sale of the land. With this money, they can buy enough land in other parts of Brazil. We are so good to them, what else can others say?"

Li Mingyuan's idea is somewhat unreasonable, but his real purpose is to give Brazilians and Western countries a face-saving explanation. Otherwise, do you really think that Western countries are so united and loving?
The Haitian black uprising killed tens of thousands of white people and many British and French soldiers, but the country was not destroyed.

After the rise of Britain, France, Germany and other countries, the Ottomans massacred white Christians, and no country sent troops to seek justice for the dead Christians. So if there is no benefit, the great powers will not care even if many people die. (There are too many examples like this, so I won’t list them one by one.)
The Chinese Independence Army simply expelled them and allowed them to carry their belongings. This treatment was much better than that of the above countries. If the British and French powers still wanted to intervene, they would be seeking other interests.

After some explanation, Luo Linshan understood what Li Mingyuan meant. All local residents should be relocated and the remaining land should be distributed to Chinese soldiers. Li Mingyuan assigned the task. Luo Linshan wanted to complete it as soon as possible, so he stood up to say goodbye, but was stopped by Li Mingyuan again.

"Not all Brazilian residents need to be driven away. Women of marriageable age who are willing to stay are still welcomed by the Chinese Independence Army."

What did the Chinese Independence Army lack the most? It was not food. After consuming most of the food they had looted in Peru during the long-distance migration, they also seized a lot from the Brazilian army. Then they supplemented the food left in the Argentine camp and the food stockpiled by the Brazilian army in Rio Grande do Sul. The Chinese Independence Army also got the food. All the food added up was enough for the Chinese Independence Army to use for several months, so the food gap was not big.

There is no shortage of food, and a large-scale war will not break out within two or three months. What the Chinese Independence Army lacks most now is women. After a long transfer and losses in the war, there are less than 135,000 people left out of the 150,000 people after arriving in Rio Grande do Sul. More than 15,000 died on the way before reaching Rio Grande do Sul. The dead Chinese cannot be resurrected, and the more than 130,000 people who are still alive still have to live.

There are 12,000 Paraguayan women who followed the Chinese Independence Army to Rio Grande do Sul. In addition, the gender ratio of Chinese in South America is still quite different, so it would be a pity to drive away all the local women of marriageable age. Selecting a few thousand of them to stay would also be of great benefit to improving the population structure of Chinese in South America.
Li Mingyuan proposed to recruit women of marriageable age from Brazilian residents, and Luo Linshan nodded in agreement, "Prince, should all the women of marriageable age from Brazilian residents be retained?"

"Those with children and families can forget about it, but we should try to persuade the single women there to stay, telling them that if they stay, they will get a lot of land and can also choose the Chinese husband they like."

The conditions Li Mingyuan mentioned were similar to those offered for recruiting Paraguayan women in Paraguay. With enough land, the freedom to choose Chinese soldiers to marry, and some necessary means, Li Mingyuan believed that many Brazilian women would choose to stay.

Thanks to Meng Shixihua for the reward support

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(End of this chapter)