Rise of a Lonely City: From Exiled Prince to Ruler of the Nine Provinces

The southward march of the Xia Dynasty's fleet to conquer Luzon was not a secret operation.

The massive fleet sailed along the coastline, its dragon flags fluttering, creating a grand spectacle. Fishermen and merchant ships along the way turned their heads in surprise. The news spread rapidly along the coast like a sea breeze, and inevitably, it drifted across the Bashi Channel ahead of time, reaching Luzon Island.

Manila, the Spanish Governor General's Palace in the Philippines.

Governor Diego Fajardo paced restlessly in his opulent office, decorated with tropical plants and oriental porcelain, like an ant on a hot plate.

Outside the window was the azure Manila Bay, but at this moment, in his eyes, this bay no longer meant wealth and control, but an abyss about to swallow him up.

"It's over...it's all over..." Fahadal's face was deathly pale, and he kept muttering to himself.

When he initially ordered the "cleaning up" of the Chinese in Parian, he never expected it would provoke such a violent reaction.

He initially thought it was just a routine intimidation tactic against unruly "natives" (in his eyes, Chinese were no different from natives), as had been done many times before.

Kill some, rob some, and the remaining Chinese will naturally become more docile.

He even calculated how many gold coins he could supplement the struggling colonial finances from this operation.

However, he seriously misjudged the situation.

He underestimated the resilience of the Chinese community and their intricate connections with their homeland, and even more seriously underestimated the speed and determination of the emerging empire in the north.

When news of Zheng Zhilong's recapture of Taiwan and his crushing defeat of the Dutch arrived, he should have realized that times had changed.

But he was blinded by greed and racial arrogance.

"Your Excellency, have we...have we gone too far?" an advisor asked timidly, his face showing lingering fear.

The horrific state of Parian disturbed even many Spanish soldiers afterward.

"What's the point of saying all this now!"

Fajardo roared, his voice trembling, "Those yellow-skinned devils' fleet has sailed south! Zheng Zhilong! That devil! He just destroyed the Dutch fortress in Taiwan! He'll hang us all on the masts!"

"Governor, we must immediately request aid from Mexico! We must request reinforcements and a fleet from the Viceroyalty of New Spain!"

The garrison commander, a major named Carlos, maintained a semblance of composure. "Manila Bay's defenses are insufficient to withstand a powerful fleet. Most of our warships were deployed to the Americas during the previous trade season; only a few old patrol boats and armed merchant ships remain in the harbor!"

"Call for help? Yes, call for help!"

Fajardo, as if grasping at a straw, shouted, "Send men immediately! No, send the fastest ships! To Acapulco! Tell the Governor of New Spain that Manila is in imminent danger, the Chinese have sent a massive fleet to seek revenge! We need warships, we need soldiers, we need cannons! The more the better, the faster the better!"

"So... what do we do now?" the advisor asked. "The Chinese fleet may arrive within a few weeks."

"What should we do?"

Fajardo forced himself to calm down, a glint of ruthlessness and a hint of relief flashing in his eyes. "Strengthen defenses! Mobilize all men who can take up arms—Spaniards, mixed-race men, and the natives! Fortify the forts of San Felipe and Santiago! Arm all the ships in the harbor that can fire their cannons and block the bay entrance! And..."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "Immediately destroy all documents related to the Parian incident! Maintain a unified narrative: it was a Chinese rebellion, and we were merely suppressing it! It was self-defense! Also, detain several low-ranking officers and the most troublesome indigenous leaders; if necessary… hand them over to take the blame!"

"Then... what about the Chinese in the city?" Major Carlos asked.

After the massacre, the surviving Chinese either fled or were placed under centralized custody, and their numbers were much smaller than before.

"Keep a close eye on them! We must not allow them to have any contact with the Chinese outside the city! If necessary..." Fahad's eyes flashed with a fierce light, but he did not finish his sentence, though his meaning was self-evident.

The whole of Manila was plunged into panic and chaos.

The Spanish colonists hastily prepared for war, conscripting local laborers to strengthen the city's defenses, but morale was low and rumors were rampant.

The surviving Chinese who were being held in custody or hidden away, amidst their fear, ignited a faint hope—the fleet of their motherland had arrived.

In the summer of the eighth year of Xuanji, the Great Xia expeditionary fleet to Luzon, after nearly a month of sailing, finally appeared in the waters off Manila Bay.

A massive fleet of over thirty main warships, along with even more auxiliary vessels, with masts like a forest and sails obscuring the sky, slowly approached Luzon Island with an imposing presence.

Zheng Zhilong stood on the bridge of the "Qinglong" ship, observing the entrance to Manila Bay through binoculars.

The bay is wide and the water is calm, making it a natural harbor.

On both sides of the bay entrance, the forts built by the Spanish can be vaguely seen.

Further away, the outline of Manila can be faintly seen.

"My lord, Manila Bay is just ahead. The Spanish fortifications seem to have been reinforced. There aren't many ships in the harbor, but the coastal defenses look just as formidable as Fort Zeelandia," the lieutenant reported from the side.

Wang Dashan also came to the bridge, but he was more concerned about the land: "Judging from the city's size, the walls are sturdy and it would not be easy to attack by force. I have heard that the Western barbarians have been operating in Luzon for nearly a hundred years, and this city must be their base."

Zheng Zhilong lowered his binoculars and sneered, "Strong fortifications and powerful cannons? Can they compare to Fort Zeelandia? The Dutch managed Taiwan for thirty-eight years, and they were wiped out just like that. Besides, this time they are in the wrong, having committed such an outrageous act that has alienated both gods and men. They have lost both morale and popular support. Issue the order: the fleet will assume battle formation and approach the bay entrance, but will not enter the bay immediately. Let's try diplomacy first, then force!"

A massive fleet was deployed outside Manila Bay, blocking the main shipping lanes.

That silent and majestic array was more intimidating than any shout.

Panic reached its peak in Manila.

Zheng Zhilong dispatched an envoy in a small boat flying a white flag, carrying a strongly worded ultimatum he had personally drafted, to Manila to deliver it to the Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines, Fajardo.

In the ultimatum, Zheng Zhilong, in the name of "Imperial Envoy of the Emperor of Great Xia and Grand Commander of the Army and Navy for the Expedition to Luzon," solemnly denounced the Spanish colonial authorities for "unjustifiably massacring tens of thousands of our Great Xia residents, plundering their property, and burning their homes; their crimes are heinous and arouse the wrath of both gods and men." He also presented three stern demands on behalf of the Emperor and the court of Great Xia:

I. Punish the perpetrators: The masterminds, ringleaders, and main executors of this massacre must be handed over immediately and severely punished, including Governor Fahad al-Fahdo himself, the garrison commander, officers of all ranks involved in the massacre, and indigenous leaders. They shall be tried and dealt with by the Daxia authorities.

II. Compensation for Losses: A substantial sum of five million taels of silver must be paid in compensation to the Great Xia Dynasty and the families of the victims for this incident, to be used to provide relief to the bereaved families and rebuild the Chinese community. Furthermore, all property losses suffered by the looted Chinese merchants must be compensated.

Third, guarantee of safety: The Spanish colonial authorities must publicly guarantee that the lives and property of all Bactrian citizens in Luzon will be protected and that they will enjoy the same legal protection and business rights as Spaniards. Bactrian citizens will be permitted to establish a consulate in Manila to protect the interests of their citizens.

The ultimatum demands that the Spanish authorities provide a clear response within three days and meet all the aforementioned conditions.

Otherwise, "in the great summer, our army will surely flatten Manila, utterly destroy it, leaving not a single blade of grass behind! Do not say you were not warned!"

This ultimatum was delivered to Governor Fajardo, who was filled with anxiety.

After reading the ultimatum, Farhad nearly fainted.

Surrender himself? Pay five million taels of silver in compensation? This was an utter disgrace, and a condition he absolutely could not agree to.

"Insane! These yellow-skinned devils are insane!"

Fajardo, enraged, threw the ultimatum to the ground. "They're trying to destroy Manila! Destroy the Philippines!"

"Governor, what do we do now? They only gave us three days!" Major Carlos said anxiously.

"Delay! We must delay!"

Fajardo, panting heavily, his eyes bloodshot, cried, "Reinforcements! If reinforcements arrive from New Spain, we'll be saved! Tell them... that this matter is of great importance, requiring a council meeting, consultation with the church, and an investigation... in short, find a way to delay! Delay it for as long as possible!"

Then came the Spanish reply, full of diplomatic evasions and sophistry.

They denied carrying out a "massacre," claiming that they had merely "suppressed a rebellion instigated by a group of unscrupulous Chinese against His Majesty the King of Spain," and that it was a "legitimate exercise of their ruling power."

They avoided discussing demands for punishment of the perpetrators and compensation, repeatedly emphasizing the need for "time for investigation" and "peaceful negotiations," and requesting the Great Xia Fleet to "exercise restraint" and send representatives for "friendly negotiations."

Seeing the Spanish reply, which was utterly insincere and an attempt to stall for time, Zheng Zhilong was so angry that he laughed.

"Stubborn fool, still trying to play tricks even when death is imminent!" He tore the reply to shreds. "Waiting for reinforcements from the Americas? Dream on!"

"Order! Fleet, advance and blockade all exits to Manila Bay! No vessel may enter or leave without permission! Seize all merchant ships flying the Spanish flag! Confiscate their cargo and detain their crew!"

"Dispatch fast ships to patrol the waters around Luzon. If any Spanish vessels are encountered from the Americas, warn them not to enter Manila Bay, otherwise they will be considered hostile and sunk or captured!"

"Lord of England," Zheng Zhilong turned to Wang Dashan, "the army should prepare, select elite troops, and be ready to land at any time. If negotiations break down, or if Western reinforcements approach, we will launch a full-scale attack on Manila! A pincer attack by land and sea—I want to see how Manila's walls compare to Fort Zeelandia!"

With Zheng Zhilong's order, the Great Xia fleet began to tighten its blockade of Manila Bay.

Several small boats attempting to sneak out of the bay at night to deliver messages or transport grain were intercepted and detained.

Several Spanish merchant ships, unaware of the danger, sailed from other islands and approached Manila Bay in a daze. They were immediately blocked by the Great Xia warships and obediently lowered their flags under the dark muzzle of the cannons. They were then taken to the rear of the fleet for guard.

Manila, a colonial center in East Asia that Spain had operated for nearly a century, is now an isolated island tightly besieged.

Inside the bay, the Spanish cowered in their fortresses, living in constant fear; outside the bay, the Great Xia fleet, like a hunting tiger, patiently and ruthlessly patrolled, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

The sea breeze brought a salty, fishy smell, but also a suffocating shadow of war.

The standoff in Manila Bay is like a taut bowstring, ready to snap at any moment.

Meanwhile, the Spanish reinforcements in the Americas remained nowhere to be found.

Time, it seems, was not on the side of the colonizers.