Di Ming

Chapter 145 The Conquest of Luzon!
Ding Huogen and the others shouted together: "Exterminate the foreign barbarians and launch a southern expedition!"

Qi Jiguang said to Zhu Yin, "Zhihu, you are the military governor of Daishan Army. Grant the general's request to issue an order for the southern expedition on behalf of the court."

"Yes! Your son obeys!" Zhu Yin said solemnly, turning to the generals:
"Every fish and shrimp, every island in this vast ocean belongs to China!"

"Issue my order: mobilize the entire army and march south to Luzon at dawn tomorrow! All units are to instruct their soldiers to inspect and repair their warships, prepare for departure, and there must be no delays!"

Zhu Yin's voice was clear and youthful, but his words were forceful and measured, giving him a certain air of authority.

The ten-year-old child already possessed the demeanor of a general, which greatly pleased Qi Jiguang.

This young man is truly a man of great talent. As long as he remains loyal to the Ming Dynasty, he will surely become a pillar of the nation.

If Wang Ruifang, who was vying with him for the title of child prodigy in Nanyong, had seen this scene, he would probably have been so shocked that he would have kept his achievements hidden.

"We will obey the General's orders!" Ding Huogen and the others responded in unison, like thunder.

Zhu Yin looked at Zhang Cha and said, "General Zhang, what is the current state of our military strength and resources in Daishan? Please tell me about it."

"Yes!" Zhang Jia stepped forward and said in an orderly manner:
"Currently, our army controls five islands of varying sizes, with a total population of over 9,500, including soldiers, civilians, men, women, and children. There are over 42,000 mu of arable land and 17 fishing ports."

"There are more than 1,500 fishing boats over two zhang in length. There are more than 220 warships over four zhang in length. Among them, there are 36 medium and large warships over ten zhang in length."

"There are more than 120 cannons of various sizes, but the main type is the Tiger Crouching Cannon. There are only 24 cannons weighing more than 1,000 catties. Including the muskets given by Tian Yi, there are only more than 900 muskets."

"We lack copper and iron. We don't even have the materials to make cannons and muskets, and we also lack skilled craftsmen."

"There are a total of more than 2,360 new and old soldiers. In addition, there are more than 300 female soldiers trained by the commander. However, although the female soldiers were selected from strong women with big feet, they are still women and may not be of much use in battle."

"Besides the combat battalion and the women's battalion, the militia battalion trained more than 500 people. The militia mainly fished and farmed, and military training was only done in their spare time. They were either too old or too young, and their combat strength was about the same as that of the officers and soldiers. They were good at staying behind, but not good at fighting on the front lines."

Upon hearing Zhang Jia's explanation, the Daishan Army consisted of three battalions: combat soldiers, female soldiers, and militia, totaling over three thousand men.

The female soldiers and militia were, of course, proposed by Zhu Yin before he left Daishan last time.

Zhang Qi looked down on female soldiers and militia. In his view, only two thousand or so soldiers were capable of going into battle.

Zhang Jia continued, "The soldiers of the three battalions have enough swords, spears, bows, and lances; we've captured quite a few. But we don't have enough armor."

"Even the combat troops are mostly armored. With Tian Yi's replenishment, they have enough gunpowder and arrows for a battle."

Zhu Yin thought for a moment and said, "Temporarily organize all men under the age of sixty and over the age of fourteen, as long as they are not sick or disabled, into the garrison camp. Boys aged eight to thirteen will be temporarily organized into the children's camp. Also, leave behind three hundred militiamen and two hundred female soldiers."

"Let the remaining militia and female soldiers be responsible for training the garrison and the children's camp respectively. If there are not enough weapons, carve wood into spears."

"There must be at least two thousand people, right? That should be enough to organize them and defend our hometown for now."

"All soldiers, plus two hundred militiamen and one hundred female soldiers, will be sent south."

Zhu Yin's decision to draw some militia and female soldiers to participate in the war was actually for other reasons.

He hoped that the militia and female soldiers could also experience a battlefield. That way, they could become the backbone of the militia and female soldiers' battalions after they returned.

At this point, Zhu Yin suddenly looked at Ding Hongying and said, "Hongying, you will lead these one hundred female soldiers who are going to war with the army. In the future, these one hundred female soldiers will be the seeds of the female army."

"Yes!" Ding Hongying was very happy, but being a clever woman, she quickly added with a quick glance:

"General, although I can command female soldiers, I aspire to lead combat troops in the future; that is what makes a true general."

Ding Huogen and the others could only manage wry smiles. Hongying was actually unwilling to continue commanding female soldiers; she still wanted to be a real military general, just like a man.

"Good!" Zhu Yin liked Ding Hongying, his "niece," very much. He waved his hand and said, "If there is an opportunity in the future, I will definitely let you command the troops."

Soon, all the major decisions were made.

After deciding to launch the expedition, Zhu Yin, in his capacity as the military governor of Daishan, formally presided over the military council for the expedition.

Zhu Yin had lived two lives, and this was the first time he had assigned and issued combat missions in the name of a military commander.

That was so much fun!

This is what a man should do.

The main force of the southern expedition consisted of more than 2,600 men, who traveled on 38 ships disguised as merchant ships and were divided into thirteen small detachments to head south.

The departure time is 3:45 AM on the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month.

All we have left is one day.

Preparations for the expedition had actually been completed long ago. The Daishan army had already begun mobilization when Tian Yi sent people to deliver money, provisions, and weapons.

The sea route had long been planned, taking advantage of the winter monsoon to advance along traditional safe routes.

Hurricanes are rare in winter, and the Huaxia Sea is mostly swept by northerly winds, which is very favorable for the Daishan Army to set out on expeditions, making it a perfect time.

Zhu Yin was familiar with the maritime maps of Southeast Asia and possessed the most accurate nautical charts in the world, which was a geographical advantage.

The Daishan Army had long wanted to teach the foreigners a lesson and rob them of their warships and supplies. Their morale was high and they were united in purpose. This was the power of the people!

……

After the order was given, the tactical details were left to his adoptive father and experienced elders like Ding Huogen. Zhu Yin didn't care about them anymore, as he knew very little about the battlefield and didn't get involved.

Zhu Yin took Ning Caiwei to stay in the temporary "Military Governor's Mansion".

The so-called Jiedushi Mansion was originally a small courtyard converted from a Ming Dynasty coastal defense patrol post. It was also once the residence of a Japanese pirate leader and was considered one of the best places to stay on the island.

Even so, there were no ground heating devices like earthen ceilings for winter warmth.

Zhu Yin had a hearth dug in the house and lit a fire for warmth, making the whole room cozy and warm.

The three people and the dog sat around the fire pit, their chill completely dissipating, their eyes gleaming with warmth.

Even the increasingly robust Little Black was lying by the fire pit, licking his satin-like fur.

Zhu Yin had already taken off his sable fur coat. While adding firewood, he spoke lazily, exuding a relaxed air before setting off on his campaign.

He has the demeanor of a great general.

"...You were only gone for a few months, and we were already major landowners, with three estates and eight medicinal herb gardens. That's worth tens of thousands of taels of silver! I bought them all for just a few thousand taels..."

"President Ning, are you convinced or not? This is the allure of confiscating property."

Ning Caiwei never expected that after she left, the little tiger would use others to kill the Wang and Chen families, and seize more than 3,000 acres of fertile land, eight medicinal herb gardens, dozens of boats, and hundreds of cattle and horses.

There are also 300 tenant farmers and more than 100 medicinal herb farmers.

With the addition of Tianyu Pavilion, the Zhu family's assets exceeded 100,000 taels!

They're really starting to prosper.

Ning Caiwei was overjoyed, her bright eyes crinkling with laughter, looking every bit the fangirl.
"Really? Then we're really rich! Little Tiger, you're amazing, you're a real money-grubber."

Hearing about so many fertile fields and medicinal gardens, she radiated happiness.

So soon, she's going to be the wife of a wealthy family. Is her goal of becoming the richest person in the Ming Dynasty still far off?

Ning Qingchen raised her little hand and said in a childish voice, "The herb garden is mine! It's under my control!"

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "Of course, you can manage the herb garden. Qingchen, your sister knows how to make money, but I know how to rob money. You just need to spend money."

“I only need to spend money.” Ning Qingchen giggled, stretching out her little paws, one hand holding Zhu Yin and the other holding Ning Caiwei.

"Then you guys go ahead and make your money, go ahead and rob, I'm just waiting to squander it all, I'm going to be a spendthrift."

Her delicate face, raised high, held an almost sacred air. "I'm going to burn a lot of silver on research, and through sheer spending, bring about a qualitative leap in ancient medical technology!"

"I want to increase the average lifespan of ancient people by ten years! I want to reduce the infant mortality rate by three times, and I want to reduce the mortality rate of women during childbirth by three times!"

Ning Caiwei said quietly, "Ning Qingchen, you really are a white-clad angel. But, money is still money even if it's burned."

Zhu Yin couldn't help but sigh. He patted Ning Qingchen's little head and said sincerely:
"Dr. Ning, you are truly an extraordinary doctor. Regardless of whether you can achieve your goal, you are a compassionate healer, a saint, and a great physician of the world."

"Really?" Ning Qingchen looked intently at Zhu Yin with her jewel-like eyes, grabbed his hand with her two little paws, and said in a somewhat diplomatic manner:

"I'm very happy. Little tiger, do you really think so?"

"Of course," Zhu Yin said solemnly. "Although you are young, you possess the heart of a sage. You and I are of the same ilk, our paths may differ, but our destination is the same—the common people. Doctor Ning, I will fully support your noble and righteous cause..."

"Okay, okay! That's so cheesy." Ning Caiwei covered her ears, looking disgusted.

"There are no outsiders here, only Xiao Hei. Who are you showing off to? You are all like-minded saints, and I am just an ordinary person. I am superfluous. It's really hard to keep up."

Ning Qingchen immediately got angry, and she yelled at her older sister in a cute but fierce way:

"You can't stand seeing others be noble! All you care about is worldly fame and fortune, and petty, self-centered egoism!"

"It's not wrong to be unnoble, but you comfortably mock nobility and take pride in your vulgarity. That is your tragedy and misfortune." "Vulgar woman! I see your barren spiritual world! You are actually insecure, aren't you?"

"Damn it!" Ning Caiwei laughed and cursed, "Are you trying to rebel!"

Without saying a word, she grabbed the baby and pretended to pat its bottom a few times. "I'm insecure! My spirit is a wasteland! You're noble!"

"It's true what they say, 'Old habits die hard,' and if you don't discipline someone for three days, they'll be climbing on the roof and tearing off the tiles!"

Ning Caiwei was really annoyed by her younger sister's rebelliousness, because her sister wasn't a real baby. Although she had the body of a baby, she didn't speak like a child.

"Domestic violence!" Ning Qingchen pouted, looking at Zhu Yin for help, "That big devil Ning is bullying a child! Little tiger..."

Zhu Yin met those soft, adorable eyes and immediately softened, quickly saying, "Never mind, she's still a child!"

Ning Caiwei laughed in anger, "Damn it, you're just going to protect her. Sooner or later she'll make a scene over your head! Even if you become emperor, she'll still dare to embarrass you, you believe it or not?"

Zhu Yin changed the subject, saying, "I will definitely go on the expedition tomorrow. I am the military governor, and I need this battle to establish my authority. This is also my godfather's wish."

"You just came back from Guangxi, you must have had a long and tiring journey, so don't go. Just stay on Daishan Island and keep Qingchen company while I wait for you to return."

Ning Caiwei stood up, poured the milk powder into two cups, took down the kettle and made two cups, then added a little white sugar.

Then she handed a glass of fragrant milk to Zhu Yin, took a sip herself, and shook her head, saying:
"No. I must go. I want to see this Spanish warship destroyed with my own eyes. But that's not the main point."

"The main problem is the danger of the battlefield. Shells can fly anywhere. We should live and die together. Little Tiger, I'm worried about you going to war."

"I want to go too!" Ning Qingchen said. "I want to see if the Spanish have already brought cinchona trees to Luzon!"

"You don't recognize this precious medicinal tree, I'm going to find it myself!"

"Cinchona tree?" Zhu Yin's eyes lit up. He took a sip of milk and said:

"That's a precious tree from which quinine can be extracted; it's one of the sacred trees of the Native Americans. The Spanish discovered the cinchona tree very early on because of its beautiful flowers, and used it as an ornamental plant."

"Oh, Caiwei, your milk is good."

Ning Qingchen adopted a scholarly expression, "The Spanish won't discover quinine for another thirty years; right now, they only treat quinine trees as ornamental plants!"

"If this plant exists in Luzon, we will bring it back to cultivate and plant it. We will then discover quinine and save many patients."

“Alright.” Zhu Yin nodded and took another sip of milk. “Dr. Ning, you’ve convinced me. I can let you go to Luzon.”

"Caiwei, it's really good. I mean the milk, the milk tastes very authentic, much better than I expected."

Ning Caiwei smiled sweetly, a hint of smugness in her expression. She gracefully took a sip of milk, instantly creating a milky mustache around her lips.

"Of course. I personally oversee every step of the process. Although those hybrid dairy cows didn't produce as much milk as those of later generations, they ate better grass, so their milk source was actually better than that of later generations."

Ning Qingchen stretched out her little hand, "I want a sip!"

Ning Caiwei carefully fed her, saying, "Be careful, it's hot, go slowly."

Ning Qingchen took a sip, her little mouth now sporting a tiny mustache, and sweetly smiled, "It smells so good!"

Zhu Yin said, "Milk powder is a good thing, a rare commodity. Didn't we bring back five thousand catties this time? Be generous, take out one hundred catties to share with our godfather and the others..."

Ning Caiwei said, "Little Tiger, I'm not that petty. Don't listen to Qingchen's nonsense. Why do I need you to remind me of these things?"

“Not only should our godfather have it, but everyone around us should have it, and in the future, the soldiers of Daishan Army should also be able to drink milk powder.”

"Little Tiger, you don't really think I'm a stingy businessman, do you?"

Ning Qingchen lowered her head guiltily upon hearing this. Zhu Yin then smiled apologetically:

"Misunderstanding! It's a misunderstanding, isn't it? That's not what I meant at all. I know you're generous..."

Ning Caiwei rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, the milk powder for my godfather and the others was specially packaged in Guangxi. It was high-quality packaging, made specifically for gifting. There are ten kilograms for my godfather."

"I'll deliver it to them tonight. If I need you to remind me of even these things, then I'm too slow-witted; how could I possibly be the president of Ning's Group?"

Zhu Yin felt a little ashamed and quickly changed the subject, saying, "If this southern expedition doesn't go well, we might have to spend the New Year in Luzon."

Ning Caiwei said, "It's fine to spend the New Year in Luzon, but I can't visit my aunt for the New Year."

Zhu Yin laughed, "Your aunt even asked me to send someone else. Oh, and I also met Xu Wei; he's our strategist now..."

Zhu Yin then recounted to Ning Caiwei how he met Xu Wei and how he founded the Xuan Society.

Ning Caiwei was surprised once again.

She hadn't expected that the little tiger would even seduce Xu Wei. As for the Xuan Society, that was only a matter of time.

"Why didn't you take Xu Wei with you on this voyage?" Ning Caiwei asked. "Do we still need to keep it a secret from him about the Daishan Army?"

Zhu Yin shook his head: "Xu Wei is trustworthy. He wants to rebel more than I do, and he hates this court more than anyone else. It's just that he gets seasick and can't go to sea."

Ning Caiwei laughed and said, "Am I still the Autumn Envoy of the Propaganda Society? It's just that I'm being made to spend money and be the Propaganda Society's sucker."

Zhu Yin said, "Alright, tell me about your time in Guangxi."

The two seemed to have endless things to talk about, chatting for more than an hour before going to deliver the milk powder together.

.........

Early the next day.

On the shore of Daishan Island, thousands of soldiers and civilians had arrived, forming a vast, dark mass. The atmosphere was both solemn and enthusiastic.

More than 2,600 soldiers, fully equipped and ready to go, stood in neat formation, among whom were a hundred female soldiers in red, each holding a red-tasseled spear.

The Daishan Army's sea dragon tooth flag fluttered in the cold wind.

Along the harbor shore, white sails dotted the waters like clouds. Cannons, one after another, had all been loaded onto the ships.

But the muzzle is not visible.

The warships were all disguised as merchant ships. In reality, the Daishan Army's warships were mainly armed merchant ships, not true warships.

In today's world, only Western colonists possessed truly firearms-equipped warships.

At this moment, generals such as Qi Jiguang and Zhu Yin were already standing solemnly on the makeshift altar.

This is the sacrificial ceremony before the expedition begins. The first step is to offer sacrifices to Heaven.

A fire was set up on the altar, a sheep was slaughtered, and roasted over the fire.

Once the mutton was roasted, Zhu Yin drew his sacrificial knife, personally cut the meat, severed the mutton's head, raised his hands, knelt on the ground, looked up at the heavens, and shouted:
"Heavens! Heavens! Bless me with a great victory! May I return in triumph! May you feast upon me!"

Then comes the earth worship ceremony, where people go to the Earth God Temple to worship the Earth God. After that, they go to the Sea God Temple to worship the Dragon King.

Zhu Yin offered incense and wine, praying to the Dragon King for calm seas and a successful expedition.

We pray to the Earth God to protect us when we enter and leave enemy territory and to bring peace to the new land.

Whether it was the sacrifice to Heaven or the sacrifice to Earth, Zhu Yin presided over it.

Qi Jiguang was intentionally highlighting Zhu Yin's status as the military governor of Daishan.

Finally, there was the sacrifice to the god of war and the military flag, also known as the Ma sacrifice, which was a sacrifice to the god of war, Chiyou.

The crowd slaughtered sheep under the military flag and smeared the flag, war drums, and masts with the animal's blood.

Zhu Yin dipped his finger in sheep's blood and ran it across his forehead and face, instantly turning his face bloody.

Standing under his command flag, he took out the "Oath of Allegiance" and unfurled it before his two thousand soldiers, reciting it in a clear, youthful voice with a solemn expression:
"...How can we allow others to snore beside our bed? The vast seas and borders are all part of China's territory!"

"...Luzon, the Laomin Kingdom in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, was originally a territory of China, but it was occupied by foreign barbarians who considered it a colony, which is extremely hateful!"

"Now, having received the mandate of the Three Sovereigns and the teachings of the Five Emperors, we wage war in the southern wilderness, traverse the vast ocean, and annihilate the wicked and rebellious… spreading the might of the Han dynasty across the boundless waves…"

"...This oath! Mighty!"

After reciting the simple oath, Zhu Yin turned and saluted the flag.

Then, facing his soldiers, he drew his short sword from his waist and shouted:

"Board the ships, let's set sail!"

……

It was the third quarter of the hour of Chen (7:45 AM) on the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month in the fifteenth year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty.

At the age of ten, Zhu Yin swore an oath on Daishan Island and led his fleet south to launch an expedition to Luzon!

P.S.: Finally, the battle has begun. How did it go? Stay tuned for the next installment. Goodnight!
(End of this chapter)