Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 172 Cebu Island

Return to the inner house of the Marshal's Mansion

Qiao Yue came forward holding Xier in her arms, followed by Qiao Xing, Su Meiniang, the housekeeper and the others, all bowing respectfully.

Zheng Guohui had been working non-stop in recent days and felt exhausted both physically and mentally. He subconsciously reached out and teased Xier's chubby face.
Seeing the child's big, flawless, dark eyes staring at him, he suddenly felt much less tired.

"What are you thinking about, you clever little devil?"

"You've gained weight again these past two days. Xier has gained weight, right? You're waiting for daddy to come home...right?"

After teasing for a few words, Zheng Guohui went straight to the inner house, giving instructions as he walked;
"I feel a little tired today. I'll prepare some hot water for bathing in the wing room. Xing'er and Mei Niang will serve me."

"As you command, sir."

"Tell the kitchen to prepare some delicious dishes and serve them up as soon as possible. Oh, and grill a tender lamb chop."

"As you command, sir."

A moment later
Zheng Guohui lay in the steaming hot bathtub, closing his eyes and enjoying the comfortable feeling of the hot water.

Several white and tender hands were massaging his shoulder blades and arms with just the right amount of strength, which greatly relaxed his body and mind.

Qiao Yue handed Xier to the wet nurse and went to the side room to serve her.

Sitting by the bathtub, she stared at the handsome man's chiseled face with a loving look, and the tenderness in her eyes could melt water.

This made Qiao Xing and Su Mei Niang lower their heads involuntarily. They were also madly infatuated with the master.

She was obsessed with the master's domineering demeanor and his strong body. Even though she was tortured to death, she was still obsessed with everything about the master.

But Qiao Xing and Su Meiniang could only hide it deep in their hearts and dared not show it, so as not to arouse Qiao Yue's dissatisfaction.

The scramble for favor and flattery in the inner palace never ceased for a single day.

Relax a little.

Zheng Guohui opened his eyes and saw Qiao Yue's pair of tender eyes, which clearly contained reluctance and worry. He smiled slightly and asked;
"Yue'er, are you worried about the master?"

"I have no way of hiding my feelings from you, Master. Although I am not very knowledgeable, I know you are a man of great things. I just hope you are safe and sound."

"Yes, as long as you're safe and sound." Zheng Guohui took his hand out of the tub, pinched her fair little face with his watery eyes, and said, "Take off your clothes and come in and soak for a while. The hot water will soothe you."

Qiao Yue blushed and replied in a trembling voice, "Master has given an order, and I dare not disobey." Then she lowered her head and began to undress.

After giving birth, Qiao Yue's body became plump and she has not yet recovered her former slender and delicate figure. Her snow-white cleavage looks even deeper. No wonder the master likes to sleep with her in his arms.

after a long time
After a hearty dinner, Zheng Guohui went to bed early as he had no intention of handling government affairs that night.

The next day
"Woooooooo..."

36 trumpets sounded the order to march. Marshal Zheng Guohui set up an altar to announce to heaven and earth, worshipped his ancestors, killed 36 indigenous people as sacrifices, and then led the army to march.

Davao Gulf

The sails were like a forest, the flags were fluttering, the soldiers going to the battle sang majestic military songs, and the exciting heroic spirit filled the sky above the bay.

The vanguard fleet and the "Count Fabiano Perez" were in the front, the main sailing fleet was in the middle, and followed by the slower ironclad strike formation, all sailing towards the sea in a mighty manner.

The troop transport fleet and cargo fleet following behind were spread out on the sea, and their sails were like a forest, which was really spectacular.

At the end was the sailing cruiser fleet, which followed the cargo fleet out of the bay and headed for the ocean four or five hours after the vanguard fleet left.

This large-scale Northern Expedition
Marshal Zheng Guohui emptied out his family fortune and tried to overthrow the French colonial rule with an overwhelming force and replace it.

The army brought together the First Expeditionary Division, the Second Expeditionary Division, the "Yin" Regiment of the Third Division, and the "Chen" Regiment of the Third Division, totaling 10800 people, which can be said to be a full-scale expedition.

The entourage brought two field artillery battalions, equipped with 12 American 36-pound field guns and 18 American 54-pound howitzers, a total of guns.

Especially the American 24-pound howitzer. This type of field heavy artillery once accompanied the American Civil War, destroying countless towns and fortresses with fierce artillery fire. It is a sharp heavy artillery that has been tested by war.

The gun is 1.62 meters long and weighs about 598 kilograms. It uses 5 pounds of propellant to launch an 2-pound grenade at a firing angle of 18.4 degrees. The effective range can reach 1322 yards. It has a real destructive capability for solid buildings such as urban houses, stone walls, and churches.

It also has a certain striking effect on strong fortresses.

More than 13,000 militiamen were recruited for this battle, half of whom were equipped with muskets and half with swords and shields, and could be used as second-line combat troops.

Together with the Huangshan Task Force that went on an expedition to Cebu, the total force is more than 2.8 people, accounting for one-tenth of the total number of immigrants so far. It can be said that they have moved out of their entire family.

The mighty fleet was sailing on the blue sea. It could be clearly seen that it was divided into three leading combat fleets, eight troop transport fleets and cargo fleets, heading all the way to the Northern Islands.

Calculated based on the speed of the vanguard fleet

We will arrive at the Visayas around 8-9 am tomorrow. The core island of the Visayas is Cebu Island, which is also the area with the highest concentration of French colonists in the central Luzon Islands.
The vanguard fleet will arrive in Manila Bay the next morning, followed by the main sailing fleet and the ironclad strike fleet, which will arrive about 1 to 2 hours apart and will not be too far away.

A few hours ago
More than 210 kilometers to the north, a task force of 25 sailboats has spread across the waters off the Visayas Islands, rushing towards the island of Cebu with murderous intent.

This is the Huangshan Expeditionary Task Force, which came from Cagayan and set out a day in advance.

The unobstructed view of the vast sea allowed the Spanish to quickly discover the aggressive task force.

In the midst of panic, the alarm bells were sounded. The frequent and rapid bells echoed over the city, causing this city with a strong Spanish flavor to suddenly fall into chaos, and the thick clouds of war gathered.

Many brave white Spanish men flocked to the outskirts of the city and looked out to sea. They soon saw the sailing fleet cutting through the waves, which was so eye-catching against the backdrop of the blue sky and white clouds.

"Oh, my God, are they the British calling?"

"These damned Englishmen, the whole world can't satisfy their greedy demands, they are servants of Satan, I curse them all to go to hell."

"Don't jump to conclusions, man. I did a voyage from Calcutta to Singapore last month and didn't see anything. This is ridiculous."

"Could it be French or Dutch? Sounds more like an April Fool's joke."

"Who cares who he is? We have to take up arms and fight now. Don't expect that fool Oyarzabal to protect us. He will only run away with his gold coins or die in a woman's belly."

"I agree. This is our city. No one can take it away."

These strong white men talked a lot, quickly reached a consensus, and then hurried home.

along the way
When he met an acquaintance, he would greet them loudly. But when he saw a knight galloping past him on horseback, he would snort in dissatisfaction, frown, and spit on the ground.

Just over ten minutes after the urgent alarm sounded, some people of white descent, carrying old flintlock rifles and machetes, gathered in the small square in front of the city council and the church.

A Spanish palace-style mansion in the city

"Who is sounding the alarm? Who... is so bold, damn it, he ruined such a beautiful morning." Mayor Oyarzabal, wearing satin pajamas, walked out angrily, his hands on the carved marble railing and shouted loudly.

Oyarzabal was a big fat man. His soft silk pajamas outlined his bloatedness, and the thick, curly black hair on his chest made him look like a chubby bear.

The butler stood in the hall downstairs and looked up and replied, "Master, the almighty, this is a wake-up call for the Visayas Fortress. It doesn't look like a prank. No one in Cebu dares to tease us..."

Before he could finish his words, he heard the sound of hurried horse hooves. The galloping knight jumped off his horse without waiting for it to stop, and rushed into the magnificent hall, shouting;

"Mayor, the enemy is attacking, the enemy is attacking, a huge fleet is coming."

"Oh, God!"

When Oyarzabal heard this, his legs went weak and his head was confused. He was completely unprepared.

In the Bay

There were more than two dozen Spanish galleons anchored in the harbor, most of them at anchor, and a few moored by the pier with cables and bollards.

Many sailors and captains of sailboats, after experiencing arduous sea voyages, would indulge in drinking and looking for women after arriving at the port, spending money without hesitation.

At this time, most sailors were drunk in the streets or in women's beds.

There were only a few sailors on duty on the sailboats anchored in the anchorage.

But there are also surprises

Soon after the alarm bell rang, several carriages rushed out of the city one after another. On them were some big men with fierce faces, who drove the carriages out while shouting wildly.

When they stopped at the dock, dozens of Spanish sailors jumped out of the carriage and ran towards the sailboat docked at the dock.

The leader, a bald, middle-aged white man, ran and shouted, "Cast off the ropes, lower the sails, and start this damn sailboat! Damn it!"

This bald, middle-aged white man is the famous Spanish pirate Captain Curellar, nicknamed "The Bloodthirsty One". He is a ruthless character who is feared by people within a thousand miles.

His ship was the 360-ton ketch "Ocean Goliath", a skinny fast sailing ship known for its speed and its ferocious pursuit.

The pirate captain Kurelial boarded the ship breathlessly and loudly ordered, "Adjust the sails and leave the dock."

The sails on the "Ocean Goliath" were lowered one by one, and then the sea breeze caught up and pulled the brigantine slowly away from the dock.

On the side of the ship
The pirate captain Kureliar looked at the approaching sailing fleet with fear. As the distance got closer and closer, a hint of timidity flashed in his eyes.

God bless! The Ocean Goliath is just a small ship, and I hope it won't attract the attention of the oncoming fleet.

When the Ocean Goliath lowered its sails and set sail, many large sailing ships at the dock and anchorage also started to move. Many sailors frantically twisted the anchors, trying to leave this dangerous place where a battle was about to break out.

Unfortunately, it's too late.

(End of this chapter)