Di Ming

Chapter 184 The Strongest Pirate!
The well-trained Jinghai Army stormed into the city and, employing Qi Jiguang's platoon tactics, annihilated the colonial army, which had lost its command and whose morale had collapsed.

In Manila, the clanging of armor, the roar of muskets, the whistling of arrows, the chopping of knives and axes, the vicious curses, and the screams of the dying were all mixed together, creating a truly tragic scene.

It was less a battle and more a one-sided massacre.

Whether they were white, black, or Indian, they couldn't understand their surrender.

Apart from the white soldiers, the other enemy soldiers who knelt down and begged for mercy were also mercilessly killed.

Because there had been orders from above: no Black soldiers or Indian soldiers should be left. They were worthless, consumed a lot of food, and required guarding.

As for the white-skinned foreign soldiers, they were quite valuable. They could be used to exchange for many benefits with Western countries, or they could be used as hostages to force another foreign army to surrender.

Of course, Zhu Yin had a more sinister purpose in keeping these white people around, but he couldn't say it yet.

White soldiers were tied up, while Indian and Black soldiers were executed in groups.

The charges were "aggression and colonization, massacre of innocent people, and rape of women".

Indian and Black soldiers were filled with resentment: Why not kill the whites?

...

On the night of the eighth day of the tenth month of the sixteenth year of the Wanli reign, the Jinghai Army once again captured Manila.

Xun Erna and his group did not escape. They fled through the west gate, only to fall into the hands of Ye Kuan and his men, who were lying in ambush under Zhu Yin's command.

Zhu Yin had calculated every step meticulously, including the fact that the colonial leader would escape through the West Gate.

Of the remaining thousand or so defenders in the city, all but three hundred white foreigners and the rest of the black and Indians were killed.

Blood Night in Manila!

All the defenders' weapons were captured. Among the spoils of war were even more than five hundred Western horses.

Zhu Yin was overjoyed to see the large herd of Western warhorses.

Less than a year later, Zhu Yin and his entourage once again moved into the magnificent Governor's Mansion.

All the Han Chinese immigrants detained in concentration camps throughout and around Manila have been found.

Zhu Yin immediately ordered their rescue in his capacity as the military governor of Jinghai Army, and arranged for their proper resettlement overnight.

By 11:45 PM, the entire city of Manila had finally settled down.

All the captured supplies and personnel lists were also handed over to the Governor's Office.

Jinghai made another windfall.

Zhang Jia, who was in charge of rescuing and settling Han Chinese immigrants, came to the governor's residence where Zhu Yin was temporarily staying and reported news that displeased Zhu Yin:

"General, the Han Chinese immigrants were imprisoned in seven places, slated for a massacre in five days. Their release was met with thunderous cheers, and they were deeply grateful to our Jinghai Army and you, General. However…"

"The property of more than 24,000 people was all robbed and confiscated by the foreigners, leaving them destitute. In particular, some Chinese merchants, who were once very wealthy, now have nothing but the clothes on their backs."

"These Chinese merchants asked if, now that we have annihilated the foreign barbarians, we could return the property that was stolen by them. If we could, they would be a godsend to all families. Since they are so ungrateful, I simply refused them."

"Good riddance! Absolutely not!" Zhu Yin said coldly, waving his small hand. "We saved them, and they still want their belongings back? It was the foreign barbarians who robbed them; let them ask the foreigners for their money!"

"These Chinese businessmen are truly greedy and forgetful! They think we're easy to talk to just because we're Han Chinese too? Their intentions are despicable! Did they dare ask the foreigners to return their property before? They're taking advantage of us!"

Zhang Jia said, "The foreign barbarians confiscated their property, which is our spoils of war. We also saved them. They shouldn't have asked for this! These bastards deserve to be ruined."

"However, these Chinese merchants were a tiny minority. The vast majority of immigrants were poor people who had come to Luzon from overseas to make a living. They didn't have much wealth to begin with, and it was all taken away by the foreigners, leaving them with only their clothes. Even their houses outside the city were burned down by the foreigners."

“If we don’t take care of them, they will not only be homeless, but they will also starve to death.”

"We would appreciate it if the General could devise a plan for how to proceed."

Although Zhu Yin was only eleven years old, he had already established prestige in the Jinghai Army, and no one dared to disrespect him. In such important matters, only Zhu Yin could make the final decision without Qi Jiguang's approval; Ding Huogen and others could not make the decision.

Ning Caiwei sneered, "You were just saved and regained your freedom, and now you're thinking about your family fortune. You've just woken up from a nightmare, and you're already dreaming sweet dreams."

Zhu Yin stood up, walked to a harpsichord, pressed a button, and produced a "ding-dong" sound.

"This is a foreign piano, with so many keys, each one different, so you can't just play it randomly."

He turned around, looking at Zhang Jia with a thoughtful expression, "How about this? Since they are all destitute, let's just divide it equally!"

"Aren't there more than 24,000 people? Regardless of men, women, or children, provide them with rations, oil, salt, and cloth according to the number of people. Each person will receive two shi of rations, two sheng of oil, five jin of salt, one bolt of cotton cloth, and one tael of silver!"

"Consider this relief. These supplies are enough for them for a year. They are able-bodied, and the Han people are hardworking. After a year, they shouldn't need any more relief, right?"

Ning Caiwei calculated that nearly 50,000 shi of grain and more than 20,000 taels of silver would need to be spent from the captured supplies. Adding oil, salt, and cloth, the total expenditure would be more than 80,000 taels.

It sounds like a lot, but it only accounts for 20% of the seized goods. The majority of the seized goods were confiscated from Han Chinese immigrants by foreigners.

Foreigners targeted Han Chinese immigrants not only to expel them, but also to seize their resources.

Zhang Cha laughed and said, "General, you are brilliant. In this way, the hearts of the immigrants will all be with the Jinghai Army, and everyone will be equal, with even the few wealthy merchants becoming poor."

Zhu Yin continued, “North of Manila lies a vast expanse of fertile plains, stretching for three hundred miles, which originally belonged to various indigenous tribes. In the past six months, foreigners have carried out a large-scale massacre in retaliation against the indigenous people. Countless indigenous people have been killed, and the survivors have fled to the Zambales Mountains in the west, where it is almost deserted.”

"If this plain were cultivated and managed according to the farming and weaving methods of the Han people, it would be enough to support a million people."

Zhang Jia understood, his eyes lighting up. "The military governor wants to grant land?"

Zhu Yin nodded: "This time, our Jinghai Army will need these 20,000 Chinese to gain a foothold in Luzon. We need them to take over the most fertile land in Luzon."

“Giving land to each household is the best solution. This is being generous with other people’s money.”

Ning Caiwei knew that Zhu Yin was referring to the central plains of the Maid Kingdom. The Ning family conglomerate still had factories there in later generations.

The Central Plain of Luzon Island is the largest plain in the Maid Country, covering 20,000 square kilometers. It was the most densely populated area in the Maid Country in later generations, and Manila is located on this plain.

Given the area and quality of the Central Plains, it would be easy to support a million people using Han Chinese production methods.

Zhu Yin added, “Luzon is sparsely populated, not because the land is barren, but because the indigenous civilization is far less advanced than that of the Ming Dynasty. If our people could occupy this fertile land, it would be a paradise.”

The population of the Ming Dynasty today is at least 150 million. Coupled with severe land annexation, most farmers lost their land, and the contradictions became increasingly acute.

Immigrating overseas to explore and cultivate land—such a good method should not be abandoned.

Zhang Cha said, "General, this is the way of a sage, and I wholeheartedly agree. However, as you say, there are 300 li of fertile land, and more than 20,000 people simply cannot cultivate it all."

Zhu Yin smiled and said, "Don't rush. Tomorrow, we'll send troops to rescue Tado A'an. After dealing with the last group of foreigners in Luzon, we'll hold a military council and come up with a strategy to govern Luzon."

After Zhang Qi left, Ning Caiwei immediately sat down at the harpsichord and played "Ballade pour Adeline".

The beautiful melody drifted out of the luxurious Western-style bedroom, flew into the garden outside, and floated in the night sky above the Governor's Palace.

The harpsichord has a delicate tone, but its playing technique is not much different from that of a modern piano.

Like most wealthy women in later generations, Ning Caiwei was deeply influenced by Western culture in the arts.

This cannot be blamed on her. Because of the discontinuity of Chinese culture in later generations, the few that were still passed down have all declined. Without the influence of Chinese culture, Westernization was inevitable.

“I still think the little tiger’s zither sounds better,” Ning Qingchen said, frowning. “Please stop playing, okay? I don’t like the piano.”

Ning Caiwei stopped what she was doing, turned around and looked at her younger sister with a bit of surprise, "Don't you really like the piano? You've even taken graded exams."

“But I don’t like it anymore. Before, it was because there was no comparison.” Ning Qingchen tilted her head, looking serious. “After listening to the zither and pipa, I never want to listen to the piano again. Don’t you think the piano is vulgar?”

She pointed to the piano and said, "Now that I look at it, it looks like a coffin. Don't you think so?"

"If you can master calligraphy, I think you can also master the yaoqin and pipa. It wouldn't make sense for someone who wants to be the Empress of China not to know how to play the yaoqin, would it? Many years later, is Empress Ning going to be playing the piano in the palace?"

Ning Caiwei immediately lost interest, shook her head and said, "You've really turned into a tiger. Forget it, I'm not going to play the piano anymore, I'll learn the yaoqin instead."

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "Qingchen's words make sense. The harpsichord is also quite heavy, which is to say, it is lighter than the modern piano. Whether it is a piano or a harpsichord, it has too strong a mechanical feel and too little natural feel, so the tone lacks natural beauty. The traces of embellishment are too strong, and it is indeed very vulgar."

Ning Caiwei chuckled, "Alright, one of you has turned into a tiger, and the other into Qingchen, but I'm just an ordinary person."

She changed the subject, saying, "Are you planning to use Xu Wei to manage the Luzon territory?"

Zhu Yin was taken aback. "How did you know? This is just an idea of ​​mine; I haven't told anyone yet."

Ning Caiwei laughed and said, "If I couldn't guess what you were thinking, then I would be too out of sync. I know you, I will definitely use Xu Wei to guard Luzon, and it will take at least two or three years."

Zhu Yin couldn't help but step forward and pat her shoulder. "You really understand me. It would be my biggest loss if you didn't become my wife. Yes, I do intend to use him to guard Luzon for three years."

“Xu Wenchang is the most suitable person. My adoptive father is a military general, and he is not interested in politics. I also want to help him get back into the military, so my adoptive father cannot stay in Luzon.”

"Ding Huogen, Zhang Cha, and others are all military officers. They are capable of governing the small Daishan Island, but they are not capable of governing Luzon!"

“Xu Wei was different. First of all, he was knowledgeable in military affairs and also understood politics. Xue Hui called him a national hero, and Hu Zongxian thought he was an unparalleled national hero. Even the Jiajing Emperor thought he was a genius for his essay ‘Memorial on Presenting a White Deer’.”

"Although this Shaoxing clerk never held an official position in his life, he served as a secretary for a long time and had the ability to manage military and political affairs."

"Luzon is home to many ethnic groups that are constantly at odds with each other, making the situation quite complex. It is necessary to have a shrewd and experienced person in charge."

"He was also willing to govern as a herdsman to make up for the regret of not having served as an official. Give him three years, and then recall him to China to serve as a staff officer when Japan invades Korea."

Ning Caiwei said, "His abilities are definitely not a problem; Xu Wei is a seasoned politician. But can his body handle it? Historically, he died four years later."

Zhu Yin said, "Xu Wei lived to be seventy-three years old despite being poor and sick throughout his life. Now that he has such good security, I think it would be easy for him to live to be eighty. He can even ride a horse at full gallop. This old fellow is really tough."

"Besides, Manila isn't a place plagued by miasma. The climate here is relatively hot, which is actually more friendly to the elderly. He can stay here for three years to recuperate."

Ning Qingchen said in a childish voice, "Xu Wei is someone with longevity genes. As long as he is properly cared for, living to ninety is not impossible. We'll leave him some necessary medications, so there shouldn't be any major problems."

Ning Caiwei thought for a moment, "Would he really want to stay here?" Zhu Yin laughed, "Wouldn't he? Someone who has wanted to be an official his whole life but could never achieve it, suddenly he can become a prefect, governing an entire prefecture, would he really not want that?"

"Besides, it only takes a few days to travel from Manila back to the mainland by boat. It's not like it's a long, arduous journey."

Ning Caiwei immediately realized that the little tiger wanted to establish a prefecture in Luzon!

……

October 10th.

Located more than 100 miles from Manila, on Mount Zambales, the leader of the Pisayans, Tato Ayon, who was previously revered as the King of Manila, was in dire straits.

He was left with only 500 soldiers, out of ammunition and food, and surrounded by more than 1,000 colonial troops in the Kona Valley.

There is no way to heaven and no door to earth.

Although the five hundred warriors were the most elite Pisayan hunters, they had run out of arrows and musket ammunition, and even their swords and spears were broken and damaged.

After several days without food, everyone was dizzy with hunger.

More than 1,200 fully armed enemies blocked their escape routes.

In the valley, swarms of flies and horseflies, attracted by the blood, swarmed around Tado A'en and the others, constantly harassing them.

The once robust and imposing Tado Atong was now emaciated.

Five hundred strong warriors were all emaciated.

Tado A'an threw away the musket in his hand, drew the knife from his waist, and silently began to sharpen it.

This knife was a gift from the Tiger God who saved him last year.

He was about to be tortured with wooden stakes by the foreigners when the Tiger God appeared just in time, stormed into Manila, rescued him, and even treated him with precious medicine.

The Tiger God saved himself twice.

Many people here have also been saved by the Tiger God.

With the help, guidance, and assistance of the Tiger God, he was able to avenge himself, create such a large-scale battle, gather 100,000 warriors from various tribes, and fight against the foreigners.

Unfortunately, the foreigners' weapons and combat power were simply too strong.

After more than half a year of bloody fighting, tens of thousands of foreign soldiers died, but several thousand remained.

The tribal warriors suffered ten times the losses of the enemy. Of the peak of 100,000 warriors, only a few hundred remained in the end.

The crushing defeat and the massacre by the foreigners caused Tado A'an great pain. He couldn't understand why, with so many warriors in his tribe, they had suffered such a devastating defeat.

He didn't know the term "organizational capability" or what organization meant for the military.

Western armies are not only advanced in firearms, but their rigorous organization also has the rudiments of a modern army.

How could Tado A'ao understand?

His so-called 100,000 warriors were just a chaotic rabble, and no matter how many there were, defeat was inevitable.

Tadawor struggled to his feet and looked in the direction of Manila, but he couldn't see it at all.

He had no relatives left, and the person he most wanted to see at that moment was the Tiger God.

It was the Tiger God who gave him a new life, allowed him to take revenge, and gave him an extra year to live.

...

Outside the valley, large groups of colonial troops, armed with muskets and spears, spoke various languages, laughing and cursing at each other.

They appear to be loosely organized. However, they are actually a tightly knit group.

There is a strict hierarchy of management among soldiers, sergeants, officers, squads, companies, and battalions.

Even the Black and Indian soldiers had ranks, which were managed by white officers.

Hundreds of warhorses were leisurely grazing on delicious grass.

They were the mounts of white soldiers. That's right, only white soldiers rode horses; it was an old rule.

As for Black people and Indians, they can only rely on their two legs, of course.

Commander Major Walker was a Spanish nobleman. At this moment, he was drinking wine and slicing ham with a dagger, while looking towards the valley, his emerald eyes filled with cold killing intent.

Those damned native devils must be too hungry to even lift a weapon, right?
It's time to go in, capture them, and take them back to be tortured and executed.

They must be dealt with using the cruelest punishments, especially that native king, Tado A'en.

This monster slaughtered all the white people in Manila last year. He even killed the governor.

Eighteen years ago, Spain, with a mere thousand soldiers, decisively defeated the King of Luzon's army of 100,000, conquered the Kingdom of Luzon, which had existed for two hundred years, massacred its royal family, and turned Luzon into a colony.

From then on, Luzon was no longer able to resist them.

Until the appearance of Tado Aren.

The bloody battle of Luzon this year has resulted in the deaths of 10,000 people in the United Kingdom, including 2,000 precious white soldiers!
Luzon cannot afford to have another Tadawor.

"Major, is it time to attack?" a drunken white lieutenant asked, his Spanish broken and heavily accented with an Eastern European slur.

This is Ankilev, one of the white captains, who is Russian.

After Spain and Russia established diplomatic relations, the terrible Tsar Ivan the Terrible sent some of his guards to serve as mercenaries for Spain overseas.

Their real purpose was to use the Spanish fleet to explore the East.

However, Spain was also happy to accept Russian mercenaries to supplement its insufficient military strength in the East.

They want all sorts of people: Italian thugs, Swiss pirates, Russian drunkards.

Any white person who ventures to the East will surely prosper.

“Lieutenant Ankilev,” Major Walker said, “I know you’ve been itching to get things done. Alright, I agree to you leading the charge!”

Major Walker disliked Ankilev, that Russian alcoholic. But Russians had one advantage: they were more willing to take the lead than other white men, unlike the slippery Italians.

As for Black and Indian soldiers, they were actually no good at leading the charge; they were far less effective than the Japanese. Unfortunately, there were no Japanese soldiers left in the army.

Lieutenant Ankilev was very pleased. He took another big gulp of wine, then gathered his fifty Russian soldiers, preparing to launch the first attack.

Just as he was about to draw his sword, a Portuguese cavalryman with a feather in his cap suddenly appeared in front of the position, looking alarmed.

"Major Walker!" The Portuguese cavalryman dismounted and handed over a letter. "Manila has been captured by pirates, and Your Excellency the Commander and all officers have been taken prisoner."

"They order you to surrender to the enemy!"

What? Major Walker and the others were stunned.

Manila has fallen again? They've all been captured? How could that be?

Major Walker opened the letter and, sure enough, it was an order to surrender.

“No…” Walker shook his head. “This is the largest army the United Kingdom has in the East. We must not surrender.”

The Portuguese soldier who delivered the message looked dejected. "Major, the enemy is right behind me. They've arrived. Are you sure you want to fight them to the death? Sir, they're not natives of Luzon. They're stronger than us."

"Besides, Manila has already fallen, and all military supplies are in the enemy's hands. You have no supplies left, so how long can you continue fighting? Three days, five days?"

As he finished speaking, everyone could already hear the neighing of horses outside.

Immediately afterwards, a horn sound carrying an air of Eastern mystery rang out, desolate and tragic.

"Waaaaah—waaaaah—"

Hearing this horn sound, which was not found in the West, Walker and the others couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines.

Major Walker and his men quickly climbed the hillside and looked south, only to be stunned by what they saw.

A large number of enemy troops, lined up in neat rows, slowly advanced, their numbers more than twice that of their own.

Not only did their troop strength exceed twice that of our own, but more importantly, their powerful momentum was far superior to that of the native army.

This army flew flags of eight different colors, but regardless of the color of the flag, the sun and moon were embroidered in the center.

They all wore armor, but the armor was of eight different colors, though the styles were all the same. Each belonged to its own flag, making them remarkably uniform.

Among the enemy troops, musketeers were musketeers, archers were archers, pikemen were pikemen, and swordsmen and shieldmen were swordsmen and shieldmen.

Several hundred cavalrymen, armed with short-handled muskets, flanked the enemy lines.

Just by looking at the army's imposing presence, one can tell that it is a highly disciplined and well-organized military force.

We are no match for them at all!

Does the East actually have such an army? Are they pirates?
If this is a pirate, then it must be the strongest pirate!
Major Walker swallowed hard, held up the letter in his hand, and said dryly:
"Gentlemen, as a soldier, it is my duty to obey orders. I have decided to obey the Commander's order to surrender."

"Surrender."

P.S.: Ugh, I still have to write another chapter on Luzon, so annoying. There are no book reviews, so boring. And hardly anyone's following me; I'm relying on these few readers and monthly votes. Goodnight.

(End of this chapter)