Di Ming

Chapter 185 The Prefect of Jingzhou
Down the mountain.

The Eight Banners army stood ready, unmoved as a mountain.

A chilling atmosphere silently permeated the space between heaven and earth.

This was a formidable force painstakingly trained by Qi Jiguang, and it had been improved and strengthened by the time traveler in terms of organization. Its treatment was impeccable, and its equipment was excellent.

They are already among the most elite forces in the world.

The mountain winds of Luzon blow, causing eight different flags to flutter in the wind, their sun, moon, and star patterns extremely eye-catching.

The emblem and flag of the Jinghai Army were designed by Zhu Yin, featuring the sun, moon, and stars.

The flag with the sun, moon, and stars is golden yellow. It features a round sun on the left, a crescent moon on the right, and the Big Dipper below.

The sun and moon represent the Ming Dynasty, the Chinese nation, and the Way of Heaven.

The stars represent the Chinese people, descendants of Yan and Huang.

The patterns on the Eight Banners military flags are all the same, only the background colors are different.

Zhu Yin was wearing a small black cotton armor with red trim, a black face shield, and a pair of pheasant feathers on his helmet. He sat upright on the white horse that Dong Guo had given him.

He had binoculars hanging from his chest, a foot-long ornate pistol on his right, and a brocade dagger on his left, making him look both noble and mysterious.

This is a set of armor with black flags. The pheasant feathers on the helmet can only be used by flag commanders and above, and only a single feather can be used; only the Grand Marshal and the Commander-in-Chief can use a double feather.

Ning Caiwei wore a small-sized female armor from the Plain Red Banner. She did not wear a face shield, revealing her exquisite features. Her helmet was made of a single feather, but to highlight her special status, it was not made of pheasant feathers, but rather the feathers of a golden pheasant with a red belly.

She also carried binoculars and a pistol, but instead of a brocade dagger, she carried a short sword inlaid with red jade.

Besides their personal guards, such as Lancha and Hongxiu, the two were surrounded by a large group of elite guards, like stars around the moon.

Only nine hundred men remained in Manila to guard the warships, with Qi Jiguang and others in charge.

Zhu Yin himself led the main force of 2,800 men to force Walker to surrender.

Walker had only 1,200 people, most of whom were Black and Indian.

In this situation, if he still has a brain, he has no choice but to surrender.

If Walker resists, then even the white men who are of use will be killed!

Ye Kuan, the captain of the guards, was deeply moved at this moment.

At this time last year, he was still in the barbarian's dungeon. It was the general who saved him.

The commander not only saved him, but also gave him an important position, appointing him to command the guards and protect the shogunate.

This is truly a great kindness from heaven and earth.

At this moment, as a general in the Jinghai Army, following the Eight Banners army to conquer Luzon to rescue his former comrade-in-arms Tado A'an, how could he not feel emotional?
"General," said Ye Kuan, who was also wearing armor with black banners, "our Eight Banners army is so powerful that even if the foreign barbarians put up a stubborn resistance, they will surely be no match for us."

Zhu Yin nodded. "It seems we weren't too late. Tado A'an should still be holding on."

Ye Kuan laughed and said, "Ah Yi is a lucky man. This time, when he was in dire straits, it was the General who came to his rescue. Even if he lived another life, he could never repay the General's kindness."

Zhu Yin said, "Right now, what I care about most is A'an's life. Hmph, if A'an dies, all the foreign barbarians will be buried with him, not one of them will survive."

Ye Kuan felt a surge of warmth in his heart, and his eyes welled up with tears. "Don't worry, General. If A'an dies, wouldn't that be letting down your kindness? Even if he only has one breath left, he will wait for you to come."

……

Major Walker observed the pirate army below the mountain, and the more he looked, the more alarmed he became.

Even if his forces were equal, let alone the fact that he was at a significant disadvantage, he probably wouldn't be a match for the pirates.

He dared not delay any longer, fearing that the other side might suddenly launch an attack, so he could only send someone to deliver a message agreeing to surrender.

The premise is to ensure the personal safety of oneself and others.

Zhu Yin readily agreed to the other party's request.

Walker then convened a brief military meeting and ordered the troops pursuing Tado Aman to surrender.

The colonial troops marched out of the mountains in squads, laid their weapons aside, and then obediently surrendered.

In less than half an hour, four hundred white people, three hundred black people, and five hundred Indians all laid down their weapons.

Immediately, the more than 1,200 prisoners of war were placed under guard and their hands were tied behind their backs.

Only after surrendering did Major Walker and the others realize that the commander of this powerful pirate army was actually a young boy.

Then there must be a powerful figure behind this young man.

Only then did Zhu Yin breathe a sigh of relief and say to Ye Kuan, "Take some men into the valley to find A-Yan and the others, and bring them out."

"Yes, sir!" Ye Kuan had been waiting for this answer and immediately led his men into the mountains.

The commotion outside the valley had already alerted the remaining five hundred warriors, including Tado A'en.

"Why did those foreigners retreat? What happened?"

"It's not a retreat! It's a surrender! A large army has arrived from outside the mountains, and it seems the foreign barbarians have surrendered to them!"

"Your Majesty! We are saved! The foreign barbarians have surrendered!"

What?! Tado A'an and the others were greatly encouraged, feeling a surge of energy coursing through their bodies, and everyone was extremely excited.

"It's the Tiger God!" Tado A'an opened her arms, looked at the majestic mountains, and her eyes filled with tears. "It must be the Tiger God who has arrived!"

"Only the Tiger God would selflessly save us! The Tiger God once said that we are descendants of the Song people and also descendants of the Central Plains people!"

"The Tiger God once told me that we came to Luzon to escape the Mongols! That's why the Tiger God saved us!"

Just as Tado A'an was getting excited, everyone suddenly became alert again, only to see a group of armored soldiers marching proudly into the valley.

The first person shouted loudly, "Ah Yi! Are you still alive! It's me, Ye Kuan! The Tiger God has arrived! He's here to save you!"

"It's Brother A-Kuan! It really is the Tiger God!" Tado A-Kuan was overjoyed and waved and shouted in broken Mandarin, "Brother A-Kuan! I'm so glad to see you alive!"

Ye Kuan walked over, and the two suddenly hugged each other, pounding each other's backs.

"Ah-man, you're still alive! That's wonderful! The Tiger God was afraid you'd die, so he crossed the ocean to save you!"

"Ah Kuan, I'm so happy to see you! I never imagined you were already an envoy of the Tiger God. I'm so envious! Where is the Tiger God?"

“He told me to rescue you, right outside the mountain.”

Tado A'en laughed loudly, "The foreign barbarians wanted my life, but with Lord Tiger God by my side, not only could they not kill me, they even surrendered."

"Brothers, the Tiger God saved us! We're not going to die! This is our blessing!"

One of his subordinates said, "Your Majesty, let's hurry down the mountain to thank the Tiger God!"

Tadawor said, "Don't call me King anymore. What kind of King am I? From now on, there is no King of Manila, only the servant of the Tiger God, Tadawor!"

"Let's go see the Tiger God! Let's eat our fill first!"

When the large group of men with distorted features emerged from the valley, they found that a banquet had already been set up in the Eight Banners army formation.

Mats were laid out on the ground, and the army's food and drink, such as dried meat, wine, and flatbread, were brought out. All the generals, big and small, sat on the ground.

Upon seeing Tado A'an appear, Zhu Yin immediately stepped forward to greet him, exclaiming with a smile, "Our warrior has returned!"

He took off his underarm cap while talking.

Upon seeing this youthful yet familiar face, Tado A'man knelt down, tears welling in her eyes, and said:

"Tiger God, your humble servant Tado A'an is finally able to see you again!"

"My lord, you are the god of Mount Sambhota, not only my savior, but also everyone's savior."

"Tiger God, we, these five hundred or so lucky warriors, are now your loyal servants!"

More than 500 soldiers bowed down together, their tears falling to the ground.

After nearly a year of bloody fighting with the foreign barbarians, only these people are left.

Today, they were certain to die. But the Tiger God descended from the heavens like a deity, leading a ferocious army to save them.

"Warriors! You are all warriors!" Zhu Yin exclaimed, deeply moved. "Rise! Rise and take your seats! Eat meat and drink wine!"

He pointed at Taduo A'an and said to the generals, "In the Central Plains, we have Tian Heng and his five hundred warriors. A'an and his men are just like Tian Heng!"

Zhu Yin personally helped Taduo A'an up and said, "A'an, how come you've become so thin, just skin and bones? You must have suffered a lot this year."

"Come, sit down and eat your fill first. This food and drink are all prepared for you."

Ah-Yan and the others didn't stand on ceremony; they immediately sat down on the ground and began to wolf down their food.

They were so hungry that they devoured everything in sight. Some even took off their tattered armor and ate and drank to their hearts' content.

Seeing this, Zhu Yin said with some concern, "Eat slowly, it's all yours. Eating too fast can be harmful."

"Once you've eaten your fill, you can start killing people."

"Murder?" Ah-Yang stopped eating. "Who does Master want to kill?"

His title had changed to "master," indicating his firm loyalty to Zhu Yin.

"Kill who?" Zhu Yin sneered. "Although the foreign barbarians have surrendered, they have made you suffer so much and killed so many of you. Of course, they cannot be let off easily."

Tado A'an immediately understood that his master intended to kill those who had surrendered.

But killing those who surrender is considered unlucky. Our master is truly thinking of us by killing those who surrender for our sake.

“Master,” Tado Ayi said, “Although we have a deep-seated hatred for them, now that they have surrendered, it is not appropriate to kill them. Master is too kind to us, and I feel very uneasy.”

“Ah, Ah, Zhu Yin patted his shoulder, “I have to avenge some of the blood debts you owed. They massacred countless people in Luzon, and we can’t just let it go like this.”

“We can spare the white people; we can use them to trade for goods. Kill all these black and Indian people, and you'll have avenged yourselves.” “Thank you, Master!” Tado A'an was even more moved, gritting his teeth as he said, “Master, these black and Indian people are the most vicious. Not only are they more ruthless in killing than the foreign barbarians, but they are also the most cruel in raping women…”

Zhu Yin understood, of course, that the traitors were even more ruthless than the foreign devils. In the armies of later Western powers, the most undisciplined and brutal soldiers were the Black soldiers.

Zhu Yin nodded and said, "Settle grudges and avenge wrongs. Ah-Yan, after you've eaten your fill, these black and Indian prisoners of war will be yours. Uh, you eat first."

After Tado A'an and the others finished eating, the Eight Banners soldiers tacitly gave up the open space, exposing the prisoner group.

More than 500 people exchanged murderous glances, then looked at Zhu Yin together.

Zhu Yin nodded.

The group immediately picked up their weapons and walked toward the prisoners of war whose hands were bound.

"What are you doing!" Major Walker shouted in terror. "Merciful Lord! They're going to kill those who surrender!"

Major Walker stood up. "You are barbaric! I protest your killing of prisoners!"

Although Zhu Yin knew several foreign languages, he did not understand Spanish, so he couldn't help but look at Ning Caiwei.

Ning Caiwei smiled and said, "Sir, they are going to kill black people and Indians. Are you going to stop these people who have committed terrible crimes from being executed? It is already merciful not to kill you ringleaders."

"Furthermore, we did say we wouldn't kill prisoners of war. Now it's not us who are killing, but Tado A'an. We haven't broken our promise."

Major Walker was speechless upon hearing this. He was also very curious as to why an Asian woman could speak Spanish.

Seeing that the natives were about to attack the blacks and Indians, he struggled with his thoughts for only three seconds before shrugging and saying:

"Alright, lovely and beautiful lady, you're right. So, as you wish, we'll leave it at that. We hope that the lives and dignity of us white people will be respected by your side."

Is it just killing Black and Indian people? Then that's fine.

The noble white man should not anger the pirates by pleading for these inferiors.

After saying this, Major Walker gave Ning Caiwei a disdainful look.

This is a very ungentle and annoying Eastern woman.

As a girl, she ridiculously wore a full suit of armor, thinking herself a heroine. Did she think she was the one-eyed princess Anna or Joan of Arc?
"Ah—" A scream interrupted Major Walker's internal monologue about Ning Caiwei. He turned his head and saw that the black and Indian prisoners of war were screaming in agony.

Merciful Lord, a terrible massacre has begun.

Those barbaric Eastern pirates deserve to be hanged. These black and Indian people are so pitiful.

The white prisoners of war were all terrified, fearing they might get caught in the crossfire. They all lowered their heads, refusing to look again. Even the reckless Russian drunkards were now trembling with fear, not daring to utter a sound.

At this moment, even if the pirates asked them to insult their lord, they would not hesitate.

The screams and curses of the victims before their deaths were deafening, like the wailing of ghosts and wolves.

Ning Caiwei turned her head away. Zhu Yin watched silently.

Soon, both the Black and Indian soldiers were killed, and their bodies were buried on the spot.

After they came to the East, their hands were stained with blood, and today they are being slaughtered like pigs and sheep.

Covered in blood, Tado A'an knelt before Zhu Yin and said:

"Tiger God, esteemed master, you saved me and allowed us to avenge ourselves. We wish to serve you like an ox or a horse for the rest of our lives to repay your kindness."

He kowtowed deeply, "Please, master, bestow upon me a new name."

Requesting a new name signifies absolute loyalty.

Zhu Yin helped Taduo A'tong up and said, "A'tong, you are a born warrior. From now on, your name will be Zhu Cunxiao."

Tado A'an knelt down again: "Zhu Cunxiao greets his master!"

……

Zhu Yin recruited over five hundred new subordinates and led four hundred white prisoners south to Manila.

Two days later, Zhu Yin led his troops back to Manila.

The first major event after returning to the city was to convene a military council for officers of all ranks.

The tone for this major event had actually been discussed and agreed upon with Qi Jiguang, Xu Wei, and others beforehand. This so-called military meeting was really just an announcement and arrangement.

Zhu Yin cut to the chase, saying, "After much deliberation, for the sake of our Jinghai Army's great cause, I have decided to establish a prefecture on Luzon Island. Without regulations, our Jinghai Army cannot govern Luzon Island properly, and this land will never truly belong to us."

"As everyone knows, Luzon used to be a stronghold of the Westerners. If we abandon Luzon, we will eventually become their stronghold again."

"From now on, there will be no more Luzon, only Jingzhou, which means pacifying the sea. This Jingzhou belongs to the Jinghai Army and is the first prefecture of the Jinghai Army in the South Seas."

When Zhu Yin mentioned the words "Prefecture," Qi Jiguang frowned slightly.

Although he had been consulted about this matter long ago, and Xu Wei had strongly urged it, and he had agreed, he still felt a little uncomfortable when he heard the words "Prefectural Governor".

Setting up prefectures and counties and appointing governors were things that even farmers in the countryside knew the imperial court should do.

Is the Jinghai Army's action a form of rebellion?

If the Emperor and his court officials find out about this, I won't be able to explain myself even if I have a thousand mouths.

The Qi family has been enjoying the Ming Dynasty's bounty for generations and is loyal to the Ming. I, Qi, cannot rebel against the Ming.

But then he remembered Xu Wei's words of advice: "The Jinghai Army guards the sea frontier for the court, recovers the abandoned lands of the Ming Dynasty, and expands the territory for the Han people. How can this be called rebellion?"

"The Jinghai Army did not take an inch of Ming territory, did not steal a grain of Ming food, and did not plunder a single Ming person. How can this be called a rebellion?"

Qi Jiguang sighed inwardly as he thought about it.

That's enough. Although this matter is highly taboo for the imperial court, as long as it benefits the Ming Dynasty, let's do it.

Zhihu is right; China's interests come first. Everything else can come second.

Zhu Yin continued, "Manila has more than 24,000 Han Chinese immigrants, and there are also some scattered Han Chinese immigrants in the north. There are now about 50,000 Han Chinese immigrants on the entire island of Luzon."

"The first thing to do is to attract them and settle all 50,000 Han Chinese immigrants in the fertile plains north of Manila."

"Then, they were all incorporated into the Eight Banners, which became the Jingzhou Eight Banners. The population was also evenly distributed among the Eight Banners. Zhu Cunxiao (Taduo A'tong) and his men, who were raised to the Han banners, were also incorporated into the Eight Banners and formed a separate guard..."

"The Han people are naturally first-class. These natives are also people, but since they are not of our race, their hearts are bound to be different, and their numbers are many. What should we do? The natives are second-class. Only those who have made meritorious contributions and pledge allegiance to our Jinghai Navy will have the opportunity to be raised to the Han flag. We must give them something to look forward to, but the threshold for being raised to the Han flag is not low, and the number of people must be strictly controlled..."

"Mr. Xu was the first Prefect of Jingzhou. All the banner chiefs of the Eight Banners in Jingzhou had to obey the Prefect's orders, and their military and political affairs were under his control. For all major matters, such as pacifying the people, establishing military farms, collecting taxes, training troops, and suppressing the indigenous people, the banner chiefs were under the command of the Prefect's office..."

Upon hearing this, Xu Wei couldn't help but smile.

Having never held an official position in his entire life, he finally has the opportunity to put his talents to use.

My lord, rest assured, with my utmost care, I, Xu, will ensure that Jingzhou is not only well-governed within three years, but will also gain several thousand more fierce and powerful troops.

Zhu Yin continued, "The governor's office will naturally be located in Manila. But Manila will also be renamed. From now on, Manila will be called Yueyang. The governor's office will be located in Yueyang City, and Mr. Xu will concurrently serve as the garrison commander of Yueyang City."

"This 300-li fertile plain is the best piece of land in the entire Jingzhou, and it is named Yueyang Plain."

"Of the soldiers who led the southern expedition, one thousand veterans were left to garrison Yueyang, responsible for training the new Eight Banners recruits..."

After saying all this, Zhu Yin took a sip of tea and then got to the main point: the granting of land.

"The land of Yueyang Plain is allocated to every member of the Eight Banners' military and civilian population. Those registered in the Eight Banners will be allocated land according to population, twenty mu per person. The remaining eighty percent is all public land, temporarily unallocated, but it cannot be seized by the natives; that land belongs to the descendants of the Eight Banners' military and civilian population..."

"In the event of war, the old rules will still apply: one out of every five men or one out of every three men from each banner will be selected. Mr. Xu, there are established procedures for these matters. Are there any difficulties?"

Xu Wei smiled and said, "My lord has arranged everything in a very orderly manner. I just need to follow the rules."

He is very confident.

Zhu Yin said, "Mr. Xu can decide on the candidates for the Prefectural Governor's Office himself. I will only appoint the Eight Banners Chiefs; the others will have to be selected by Mr. Xu at his own pace."

Zhu Yin has handed over all personnel power in the governor's office to Xu Wei.

After the military meeting, one important matter after another was settled.

Simple and crude.

Ultimately, it boils down to how to unite the few tens of thousands of Han Chinese to rule over Luzon, where the indigenous population is overwhelmingly dominant.

Fortunately, although the indigenous population was dozens of times larger than the Han Chinese, the colonists had killed off all the tough ones.

Moreover, the indigenous people were not a single tribe, but rather a diverse group of tribes, not a monolithic entity.

But there are only tens of thousands of Han Chinese immigrants. Can an average person absorb such a large area as Luzon?

If not Xu Wei, then who else could we use?

In order to enable Xu Wei to manage Jingzhou well, Zhu Yin gave him power, soldiers, money and provisions as he requested!
……

The first day of November.

Zhu Yin, who had stayed in Yueyang City for more than half a month, led more than 2,000 soldiers back north.

Many people and military supplies remained in the newly established Jingzhou.

Xu Wei, the prefect of Jingzhou and the garrison commander of Yueyang City, led the newly appointed banner chiefs of the Eight Banners of Jingzhou to escort Zhu Yin and others onto the ship.

Zhu Cunxiao really wanted to leave with Zhu Yin. However, Zhu Yin ordered him to lead five hundred men who had joined the Han banners to assist Xu Wei in defending Yueyang, and of course he had no choice but to obey.

With a booming sound of cannons, the fleet finally set sail and headed north.

On the deck of the Kuaiji, Zhu Yin looked at Yueyang City, which was getting further and further away, and felt a sense of peace he had never felt before.

This new land of Jingzhou is not only his overseas base, but also his backup plan.

Even if he fails to seize power domestically, he can still escape to Jingzhou and establish himself as king.

Farewell, Jingzhou!
P.S.: The little tiger has finally left Luzon, this part of the story is over, now it's time to talk about China, thank you! Goodnight! Jingzhou, Yueyang, what do you think of these names? Also, the Eight Banners is actually just a weird hobby, not because I like the Qing Dynasty, don't misunderstand.

(End of this chapter)