Ming East India Company

Since deciding on the strategic policy of heading south, Shirane has been searching everywhere and constantly infiltrating the Spanish Governorate of the Philippines.

In the Manila Massacre of 1603, the Spanish systematically purged the Chinese around the Eighth Company, leaving only a few hundred survivors out of more than 30,000 Chinese.

For Shirayuki, this was the opportunity he had longed for.

The people of the Ming Dynasty living overseas are still largely submissive, whether in the Philippines or Java, they rely on local powerful figures to gain commercial benefits and survive.

To put it nicely, they were the "Oriental Jews"; to put it bluntly, they were a bunch of fat pigs waiting to be slaughtered. They were kept alive most of the time, and whenever the ruling powers in various regions were short of money or disliked them, they would be dragged out for a feast.

Bai Ye didn't intend to waste his energy trying to enlighten them. After all, as the old saying goes, "You can't teach someone everything, but you can learn something in one go."

Once these Chinese had knives pressed against their necks, they realized the benefits of having a powerful motherland behind them.

Moreover, the timing of the intervention was very important. This Manila massacre was the only one in the history of Spanish massacres of Chinese people that was met with resistance. After realizing that something was wrong, the Chinese people spontaneously organized an uprising army.

Even after the Eighth Company was captured, the rebel army retreated into the mountains and fought the Spanish for several months before finally surrendering due to lack of supplies.

In this process, the Spanish suffered hundreds of casualties, which was quite a good result considering the poor record of Southeast Asia against Europeans at that time.

But that was the only time. In the century that followed, the Spanish massacred Chinese people many times, and each time the Chinese people bowed their heads and willingly became fish on the chopping block.

Perhaps it was this massacre that made them feel there was no chance of resistance, so they simply gave up and lay low.

Therefore, we must seize this opportunity; those who have chosen to bravely resist under Spanish rule must be saved.

Therefore, after Luo Sigong reported to Baiye that Wang Shihe and Yu Yicheng were looking for a ship to go to Manila, Baiye immediately ordered the start of war preparations.

The Ryukyu war machine was set in motion, and a massive fleet was rapidly assembled, preparing for an expedition to Luzon.

Meanwhile, Shirono specially arranged a Fukushima ship, and the people on board were all his confidants. This journey, which should have taken more than ten days, was delayed by the Fukushima ship for one or two months before it arrived.

When the two returned, the ship's owner deliberately circled around the waters off Manila before being captured by the main Ryukyu fleet led by Shirano.

……

After interrogating Wang Shihe and Yu Yicheng, Bai Ye returned to his seat and slowly settled down.

Looking at the respectful Luo Sigong standing to the side, Bai Ye asked:

"Sigong! You've been in Ryukyu for so long now. I wonder if your family is doing well in Ming China?"

Luo Sigong was taken aback. He had previously suggested to Bai Ye several times that he send his family to Ryukyu to show his loyalty.

However, each time Hakuno refused, citing the possibility that doing so might arouse suspicion from Daming.

After all, the Ming Dynasty's Embroidered Uniform Guard and Eastern Depot weren't fools; they still had to conduct basic political vetting.

In particular, eunuchs like Luo Sigong, who entered the palace after reaching adulthood and actually had families, were definitely the focus of the investigation.

Luo Sigong replied:

"Thanks to the owner, my whole family is safe and well."

Shirane said "Oh," and then said:

"You enjoy high office and generous salary in Ryukyu, yet your family suffers from hunger and hardship in Ming China. This is not the behavior of a gentleman!"

"How about this?" Shirano said after thinking for a moment.

"Send your family to Ryukyu!"

Luo Sigong was startled upon hearing this; he knew what it meant.

Previously, Shirono was used as a mascot to deal with the Ming Dynasty, essentially the same role as Kuroshimazu sent by the shogunate. Now, he has completely trusted him and wants to include him in the core staff.

Luo Sigong immediately knelt down, tears streaming down his face, and said:

"Thank you for your guidance, Master. I, Luo Sigong, will certainly live up to your expectations and serve you with utmost devotion until my dying breath."

Bai Ye quickly helped Luo Sigong up:

"In that case, I have an important task for you."

……

In the late autumn of the 31st year of the Wanli reign, the sea breeze, carrying salty sea fog, swept across the entire Manila Bay.

As night fell, the sky hung low, thick clouds obscured the moon, and the entire bay sank into pitch-black darkness. Only the main anchorage of the port was lit by a few scattered lights, like a few faint fireflies in the darkness.

For the Spanish stationed here, this bay has always been an absolutely safe backyard.

A Spanish patrolman looked up at the large sailing ship in the distance, which was shimmering with light.

This was the rule of the Spanish fleet, because the galleons were so large that if they were hit by ordinary small ships, the smaller ships would certainly not be able to withstand it, so they had to light up their lights as a warning.

Conversely, the small boats responsible for patrolling and guarding must be kept on blackout to prevent attackers from taking advantage of the situation.

But almost no one believed this would happen.

Because Spain possesses the most powerful warships and the most fortified gun emplacements in Southeast Asia, the last person who dared to venture into Manila Bay and launch a surprise attack was Lin Feng, a Chinese pirate thirty years ago, whose grave is now overgrown with weeds.

The sentries on the dock gathered in twos and threes to keep warm and chat, while the gunners at the coastal defense forts huddled in their barracks drinking and gambling.

The previous battle to annihilate the Eighth Company made many Spaniards very rich, and now they have the means to enjoy themselves.

Even the patrol boats outside the anchorage slowed down, and several soldiers inside the cabins openly lit oil lamps and started gambling.

The sentry leaned against the ship's railing, half asleep, with no interest in scanning the dark sea.

Bored, the sentry pulled out a cigar from his waist, lit it, and took a deep drag, feeling incredibly refreshed.

In the thick fog, the sentry noticed something unusual: an unusual dark shadow appeared on the sea.

"Who goes there?! Stop! We'll open fire if you get any closer!"

A sharp rebuke pierced the night sky, instantly shattering the bay's deathly silence.

But the shadowy figure made no response and kept moving forward.

In the silence, the sentries could even hear the whooshing of the sails.

Oh no, it's an enemy attack!

The sentry shouted and immediately rang the copper bell on the patrol boat.

Soldiers and patrol boat officers, awakened by the copper bell, rushed out of the cabin.

All around were rapidly advancing black shadows, impossible to stop.

All of these boats were pointing towards the Manila Galleon behind them.

The patrol boats also had eagle cannons and breech-loading cannons, but they were of no use in the current situation.

Left with no other option, the patrol boat lit the stern cannon as a warning.

The crisp sound of the horn echoed throughout the bay.

On the "Holy Spirit", the previously complacent Spanish soldiers were instantly awakened and rushed to their gun positions in a flurry, trying to load ammunition and stop the attacking fleet.

But it was all too late.

Six fire ships had broken through all obstacles and rushed to the side of the Holy Spirit sailing ship.

Just as it was about to approach, the fire ship suddenly broke into two pieces on its own. The rear half swung its oars and moved backward, while the front half, being lighter, moved faster until it crashed into the side of the Manila galleon on the opposite side.

Boom-!

A dull thud resounded as the thick iron bow slammed heavily against the sturdy oak hull, causing the entire giant ship to shake violently.

The iron barbs on both sides of the bow were lowered instantly, making several crisp snapping sounds, like steel teeth, and embedded themselves firmly into the thick wooden planks of the giant ship.

These fire ships had their hulls completely hollowed out, and their cabins were densely packed with dried pine firewood, linen soaked in fish oil and pine resin, barrels of kerosene and saltpeter, and each ship was also equipped with a barrel of gunpowder to aid combustion. The entire ship was a gunpowder magazine floating on the sea.

The bow was covered with thick wrought iron, making it extremely sturdy. Four barbs were firmly fixed to the sides of the bow, specifically for "nailing" the boat to a large sailing ship.

At the bow of each fire ship stood a fire arsonist wrapped in a waterproof tarpaulin. Their only task was to steer the ship to ram it, hook the hooks to ignite the fire, and then leap overboard to escape.

After confirming that the fire ship was "stuck" to the large sailing ship, the arsonist at the bow showed no fear and resolutely lit the tinder in his hand.

Sparks landed on the pine firewood soaked in fish oil, and the huge fire ship was instantly ignited, bursting into flames that shot into the sky.

The first fire ship instantly transformed into a giant fireball.

Orange flames instantly engulfed the entire ship, and scorching heat waves rushed towards us. Burning oil flowed continuously from the seams of the hull onto the sides of the galleon. The hard oak deck and hull were ignited in an instant by the high temperature and the burning oil, and the fire spread wildly at a visible speed.

Immediately afterwards, the second, third, fourth... six fire ships rammed into the starboard side of the Saint Bell in succession, dozens of iron hooks locked the hull, and six fireballs at sea stuck firmly to the giant ship, igniting towering flames at the same time.

Sulfur, pine resin, kerosene, firewood, and gunpowder—all flammable materials ignited wildly at that moment, crackling and exploding with deafening roars. The towering flames instantly illuminated the entire Manila Bay, turning the pitch-black night sky a blinding orange-red. Thick smoke, like a black behemoth, billowed and surged into the heavens, clearly visible for dozens of miles around.

The Holy Spirit's wooden deck, towering fore and aft superstructures, sturdy mainmast, and heavy canvas were completely consumed by fire in the short span of half an incense stick's time.

The Spanish officers, sailors, and gunners on board screamed in agony as they fled in all directions amidst the flames. Some were engulfed by the flames, while others, driven to desperation, jumped into the icy sea. The entire giant ship was thrown into chaos.

The attackers jumped into the water the instant the fire started.

After years of training, they had already mastered the skill of swimming two or three miles in the water, and under the cover of night, they swam towards the open sea.

The nearby Spaniards rushed over to try to save their large sailing ship.

They used various methods to try to separate the fire ship from the sailing ship, including towing it with grappling hooks, ramming it with the rams of patrol boats, and even washing the deck with cannons in an attempt to sink the fire ship.

But all of this was to no avail.

The fire ship was attached to the large sailing ship and could not be cut off at all.

The fire raged on and on, and the dozens of barrels of naval gunpowder stored in the lower decks were finally detonated under the intense heat.

Boom! ...

A deafening roar shook the heavens and the earth, causing the entire Manila Bay to tremble violently.

The middle deck of the galleon was directly blown away by the gunpowder explosion. Broken planks, bronze cannonballs, and human remains were sent flying into the sky by the shockwave and scattered on the sea like a torrential rain.

The massive ship began to tilt uncontrollably amidst the explosions and flames. The once invincible sea monster was now turning into a giant crematorium floating on the sea.

The three main masts broke one after another in the high temperature, crashing into the sea with several loud bangs and creating huge waves several meters high.

The flames on the ship grew fiercer and more intense, completely out of control. By this time, the Spaniards on board had long given up trying to save the ship and jumped into the sea to escape.

The Spanish forts on the shore and the garrison on the dock all stood frozen in place, watching their prized Galleon, burning fiercely in a sea of ​​fire and about to capsize. Everyone trembled and their faces were ashen.

Because the Manila sailboat was unloading cargo, it was in shallow water. Although the fire caused the boat to capsize, it only sank halfway before hitting the bottom.

After capsizing, the sailboat lay on its side on the sea, its lower half submerged in the water, while its upper half was engulfed in flames. The sturdy oak wood burned for seven hours before finally being completely burned away.

While the Holy Spirit was being attacked, several other small and medium-sized merchant ships in the port were also attacked, although they were not subjected to the same level of concentrated fire as the Holy Spirit.

However, the fire still mercilessly sent two medium-sized merchant ships and a galley to the bottom of the sea.

The fire burning the ship's timber sent sawdust and tobacco ash flying into the city of Manila on the sea breeze. The strong smell of tobacco ash made people cough, but it also drew them to look towards the sea.

When they saw the galleon on fire, panic swept through the entire city of Manila like a plague.

The alarm bells rang wildly, citizens scattered and fled, and the garrison was thrown into chaos.

The bedroom in the Governor's Palace in Manila was still filled with the aroma of coffee and cigars. Pedro de Acuña was lying on the bed, snoring loudly.

This was a rare good night's sleep for him these past few days. The previous operation to clear out the Chinese had finally yielded results in the past few days, with some Chinese who could no longer bear the hunger beginning to flee in small groups, which made him feel that victory was in his grasp.

Before long, news will arrive that a large number of Chinese will surrender from the direction of Mount Dalun. This purge targeting the Chinese will soon come to a successful conclusion, and he will be able to present a perfect political achievement to the Spanish royal family.

In her dream, Acunia was still dreaming of being promoted and ennobled, as if she would be able to wear another medal...

Suddenly, the council chamber doors were flung open. A messenger, disheveled and drenched in sweat, his face ashen, stumbled in, his legs giving way as he collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath:

"Governor! No, something terrible has happened! Manila Bay... Manila Bay... the Holy Spirit sailing ship has been attacked by pirates and is on fire!"