Ming East India Company

Acuña, still half-asleep after being shaken awake from his bed, was quickly given a cup of hot coffee by a guard to help him wake up.

Acunia gripped the ceramic handle of her coffee cup, a hint of annoyance on her face as if she'd been jolted awake from a beautiful dream, and muttered in dissatisfaction:

"What did you say was a fire? If it's a fire, go put it out. Why did you have to wake us up..."

"Holy Spirit, our large sailing ship is on fire!"

"Clang—"

The coffee cup in Acuña's hand instantly fell to the ground, the delicate porcelain shattering. Scalding coffee splashed onto his trouser legs, but he was completely oblivious. He was stunned, frozen in his chair as if struck by lightning.

The previous dissatisfaction and drowsiness had faded, replaced by extreme shock and disbelief, as if I had heard a fairy tale.

"What did you say? Say it again?"

"It's the Holy Spirit! Our large sailing ship is on fire, and the fire has spread to the deck."

"Hurry, hurry to the port."

Acuña rose and mounted his horse, then galloped toward the harbor where the large sailing ships were moored.

In the distance, the Holy Spirit was engulfed in flames on the sea. One of its masts was broken, and the ship was slightly tilted. Countless crew members were jumping into the sea to escape.

Acunia's vision went black, and she staggered back a step, barely managing to regain her balance by grabbing onto a nearby stone pillar.

He knew that sailboats were resistant to fire, and the fire on the Holy Spirit was beyond human control.

It's beyond saving.

Acuña ran to the naval headquarters by the port, where a group of officers, including naval commander Antonio de Morga, were bowing their heads, waiting for the governor's instructions.

Acunia slammed her hand on the table, sending documents and maps flying everywhere, her voice filled with angry roar:

"What happened? How could a galleon like the Holy Spirit catch fire for no reason? There are patrol boats all around, and there are gun emplacements on the shore. How could it have been so easily burned down by pirates?"

Those present were trembling with fear, and Morga replied in a trembling voice:

"We don't know either. All we know is that a few small boats sneaked in under cover of darkness and then pounced on our large sailboat. After the small boats caught fire, they set the large sailboat on fire as well."

This left Acunia completely bewildered. A small boat ambushed them, then set itself on fire, which then set the large sailing ship ablaze? What kind of nonsense is this?

Having never experienced the fire-based tactics of East Asia, the Spanish were clearly not used to this inexplicable style of warfare.

However, Acuña calmed down. He knew that the ship had already been burned, and no amount of blame would help. The most urgent thing was to take remedial action.

Although he didn't know the identity of this group of pirates, considering the recent battle between the Ming Dynasty envoy and the Eighth District, it was highly likely that they were related to the Ming Dynasty.

"Issue the battle order now! Immediately mobilize all forces to return to the port and fight the fire at all costs, minimizing losses as much as possible!"

At the same time, defenses were deployed along the port to prevent a possible pirate landing operation.

After the order was issued, a large group of officers ran out of the naval command post. Acuña seemed to have all his strength drained away in an instant, and slumped heavily into the carved oak chair.

He stared blankly at the ceiling, his hands hanging limply on the armrests, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

The large sailing ship is gone.

The Manila Galleon was central to Pacific trade and a major link between Manila and New Spain.

The transport of silver, the return of spices, royal taxes, and supplies to the colonies in the coming year were all inextricably linked to this ship.

Now that the ship has been destroyed and the people are dead, the colonists and merchants of the Manila Parliament will surely take the matter to His Majesty the King. They will then face judges in the Madrid court, and perhaps even the cold gallows.

……

As the first rays of autumn sunlight shone on the surface of Manila Bay, Pang Shipu, the commander of this operation and a member of the Ryukyu Navy, was counting the number of his returning men.

"Reporting to the general, the count is complete, and all the brothers who participated in the operation have returned."

"Great!" Pang Shipu shouted excitedly.

According to Shirano's plan, the arson ship should have been able to set fire to the Holy Spirit and escape just a few dozen steps away.

The subsequent inertia of the sails was enough to "nail" the boat to the galleon.

However, after discussing with his subordinates, Pang Shipu unanimously agreed that the fire ships would still be at risk of "missing the target" in this way. Therefore, they took the most risky approach and rushed to the enemy's doorstep to hook up and set the ship on fire.

He had prepared for the arsonists to have a slim chance of survival, but the Spanish had no experience dealing with fire ships and therefore did not bother to pursue the arsonists who had fallen into the water.

All the arsonists managed to escape unscathed thanks to their swimming skills.

Pang Shipu returned to the Sea Falcon No. 7 galloping ship that Baiye was traveling on, beaming with the good news.

"As expected, the master was right. The location of the large sailing ship was exactly as we had scouted beforehand."

Bai Ye laughed:

"The reason I kept asking Yu Yicheng whether the large sailing ship was unloading cargo was because unloading cargo on a large sailing ship usually takes several weeks. During this period, the large sailing ship will not move. We just need to act according to the previous plan and we will definitely achieve something."

After saying that, Bai Ye looked at Manila Bay in the distance and said with a sense of loss:

"Sigh, but this kind of thing can only be done once. This time we were able to take advantage of their unpreparedness and launch a surprise attack. We won't have this opportunity again. From now on, we can only take it one step at a time and confront the red-haired guy head-on."

Shirayuki turned around and addressed the group of officers in the cabin:

"Pass down the order: blockade the entire Manila Bay from this moment forward. Stop any ship attempting to transport goods into the harbor. We must starve these Spaniards out."

……

Deep in the dense forests on the outskirts of Manila, in a secluded and abandoned temple, Lynn and Zhang Chun, Bai Ye's special envoy, are holding a special meeting.

The temple was simple and dilapidated, with mottled statues. Only a flat area in the middle had been cleaned up and had two simple wooden stools. A charcoal fire was burning slightly, dispelling the damp chill of late autumn.

After listening to Zhang Chun's account, Lynn finally understood how he and the Eighth Company of the uprising had been saved.

"I never expected that after so many years, my Great Ming Dynasty would have such an extraordinary person who could establish his own country overseas and even command an army to fight for control of the world. Your master is truly a remarkable person of his generation."

Zhang Chun said:

"Master Lin, as the leader of the Eighth Company of Ming people, you were able to raise your troops and fight back when the red-haired butcher's knife fell. You are a hero of your generation. My master admires heroes and specially invites you to help him achieve great things."

"Great undertaking? What great undertaking?" Lynn asked, somewhat puzzled.

"My lord persuaded you to submit to Ryukyu and join forces to build a great nation in Luzon, so that we, the tens of thousands of Ming people, can secure a truly stable and dignified path to survival."

Lynn smiled wryly:

"I, Lynn, have no other wish in my life than to fight for a way to survive for the people of the Ming Dynasty who are struggling to survive in the Eighth Company. If the red-haired people hadn't refused to give me even the most basic means of survival, how could I have ended up like this? Establishing a state and creating a kingdom is not my original intention!"

"As long as the red-haired people allow the people of our Eighth Company to live and work in peace and contentment, and do not kill and bully us at will, we will be satisfied."

Zhang Chun stood up, leaned forward slightly, and spoke with increasing seriousness:

"Heh, you've all been slaughtered to this extent, and you still cling to illusions. Don't you think you can't see what kind of people the red-haired ones are after decades of wandering in Southeast Asia?"

Even if Acuña is driven to desperation and negotiates with you, it's merely a temporary measure. His current reluctance to send troops to encircle and annihilate you is simply because he's become easily frightened after the burning of the Manila galleon.

Once he weathers the storm and waits for reinforcements from the Pacific to arrive, and for the new galleons to sail into Manila Bay, the first thing he will do is send troops again to exterminate and wipe out all of you who have resisted him.

The massacre at the Eighth Company was only two months ago. Lin Biao witnessed his compatriots being slaughtered and his homes being destroyed. Could he not see clearly?

All the Ming people in Luzon were lambs to the slaughter. They would be kept while they were still useful to the Kuomintang, but once they were no longer useful, they would be slaughtered and eaten.

Didn't Lord Lin ever plan for the future? Was he just going to spend his days as an outlaw on Mount Dalun?

These words precisely struck at Lynn's deepest concerns.

These past few days, he had been thinking about his future plans. He knew that he only had this small group of Eighth Company soldiers by his side. They might be able to withstand the Spanish encirclement and suppression in the short term, but they would eventually be powerless against the endless stream of Spanish soldiers coming from across the ocean.

Lynn sighed and said:

"To be honest, I'm thinking that once things calm down, I'll rent a few boats and take the brothers back to the Ming Dynasty. We can't let those red-haired devils keep chasing us all the way to Yuegang!"

"What if the Ming Dynasty doesn't take you in?"

"Then I'll find a small island to settle and cultivate; I can't exactly attract those red-haired devils too!"

Zhang Chun retorted with a cold laugh:

"Does Lord Lin truly not know Lin Feng's fate?"

This sentence struck Lynn's Achilles' heel.

Lin Feng, unable to endure the bullying by the Spanish, led his followers to rebel at sea and settled on the islands along the coast of the Ming Dynasty.

When the Ming government learned of this, instead of offering assistance, they sent troops to suppress the rebellion.

Unable to endure the attacks from the Ming Dynasty, Lin Feng finally decided to take a desperate gamble, leading dozens of pirate warships and thousands of pirates to launch a surprise attack on Manila, attempting to seize Manila as his naval base.

As a result, they were defeated by the Spanish Navy, and Lin Feng led his remaining troops to Lingatin Bay in Luzon in an attempt to make a comeback.

Unexpectedly, Fujian Governor Liu Yaohui dispatched Captain Wang Wanggao and others to Luzon to join forces with Spain to attack Lin Feng from both sides. In the end, Lin Feng's last base was also captured by the Spanish.

Lin Feng escaped alone and disappeared into the sea.

Zhang Chun laughed:

"Which of the methods you've come up with hasn't Senior Lin Feng done? Besides, you yourselves escaped from the Ming Dynasty. Don't you know what the lower-level officials of the Ming Dynasty were like?" Zhang Chun then recounted the situation in Southeast Asia over the years.

"Over the years, the Red Hairs have destroyed countless small countries in the South China Sea. How many powerful native monarchs and chieftains have died at their hands? You think you can find a secluded paradise to eke out a living? But can you hide forever?"

Lynn sighed softly, his expression slightly grave, and slowly spoke:

"General Zhang's words are all reasonable, and I am not unaware of them. I know the Spanish's wolfish ambitions better than anyone else."

But most of my brothers and comrades are ordinary merchants and civilians, not warriors who risk their lives every year.

Having endured the massacre, they were exhausted and only wanted a safe place to live and live peacefully.

Even if we were to establish a nation on this tiny piece of land, how could we possibly withstand wave after wave of attacks from the red-haired barbarians!

Zhang Chun noticed Lynn's concerns:

"Rest assured, as long as you choose to submit to Ryukyu, it won't be long before waves of immigrants arrive here. Before long, Luzon will be under the rule of our Great Ming. Once we have a large and powerful population, how can these red-haired people do anything to us?"

Lynn sat there, listening quietly without saying a word, but his heart was already in turmoil.

Compromise for peace is only temporary; only by joining forces and fighting to the death can we achieve lasting peace.

He cannot back down, nor does he have any reason to back down.

Lynn slowly raised her head and looked at Zhang Chun.

At this moment, all hesitation in his eyes vanished, leaving only determination and resolve.

He slowly stood up, solemnly extended his right hand to Zhang Chun, grasped Zhang Chun's forearm tightly, and said in a firm and resounding voice.

"Chief Zhang's sincere words awakened Lin."

For the sake of our compatriots who perished tragically in the Eighth Company, for the sake of the survival of tens of thousands of Ming Dynasty refugees in Luzon, and for the sake of preventing our compatriots from being bullied and slaughtered again, I, Lynn, agree to your terms.

I, along with the entire Eighth Company of the Righteous Army, hereby formally submit to Ryukyu. From this day forward, all our actions will be entirely at the behest of our lord.

Zhang Chun suddenly stood up, his eyes flashing with ecstasy and emotion, and reached out to tightly grasp Lin En's hand.

Their hands were clasped tightly together.

After determining the general direction of the alliance, Lynn asked for instructions:

"I wonder if the Lord has given any instructions regarding the next steps for our righteous army?"

"The Lord has given orders for you to launch a full-scale attack. The main force of the Red Hairs has been deployed to defend the port, leaving a large number of manors and fields in the wild unguarded. You can plunder them freely."

Remember, only attack the red-haired people and their henchmen, not the natives. This will not only solve the supply problem, but also completely destroy the red-haired people's power base.

Lynn nodded.

In the following days, Lynn led his team on a night march, sweeping through dozens of Spanish estates with unstoppable momentum.

Along the way, countless Chinese people and merchants who had escaped the massacre of the Eighth Company and were hiding in the countryside and mountains heard that Lynn was leading a team to break through the siege and attack Spanish strongholds, and they came to join him with their families.

Along the way, Lynn strictly enforced military discipline, targeting only Spanish outposts, supply depots, and estates, and never harassing the local natives.

Many indigenous villages enslaved by the Spanish also secretly sent food, intelligence, and even young men to assist the rebels in their battles.

In just half a month, Lynn's rebel army rapidly expanded from more than 10,000 to more than 20,000, of which nearly 5,000 were able-bodied men capable of fighting with weapons. In addition, with the muskets, spears and plate armor captured from the Spanish strongholds, they had become a powerful force capable of shaking Manila.