Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

As the saying goes, how can others be allowed to snore on the side of the bed? This kind of resource plundering is also very beneficial and harmless to Ming Dynasty. In this case, why not do it?

Similarly, a unified and powerful Luzon State is not in line with Ming Dynasty's maritime strategic interests.

What the Ming Dynasty needed was a Luzon state that was internally divided, had mutual checks and balances, and had no time to care about the ocean.

This is also the reason why Zheng He's fleet did not take any tough measures after capturing the city of Manila.

What surprised the people of Luzon was that the officials of the Ming Dynasty seemed to be dismissive of them.

After learning that Luzon's envoy asked for an audience, Zheng He did not reply immediately. He just said: "I'll let him go for a while and let him suffer."

Waiting and waiting, after learning that the officials of the Ming Empire were not prepared to summon him, the envoys of Luzon State also fell into deep thought.

What's going on? Under normal circumstances, shouldn't these tyrannical big countries stage a drama to humiliate the guilty ministers of small countries? The envoys who had been prepared were suddenly thrown into confusion.

Daming's reaction was obviously beyond his expectation. He did not encounter the situation he expected, nor did he receive him politely and with the attitude of a country of etiquette. Instead, he just let it go.

Moreover, they were not allowed to pry into any military secrets, and were almost controlled in the post house in a semi-house arrest manner.

But even so, the construction of the city wall of Manila and the Ming army's huge fleet that could even be called "blocking the sky and the sun" could not be hidden from the eyes of the envoys.

After being left in the cold for a few more days, the Luzon envoy, who had been relatively calm before, finally couldn't help but ask the staff around him: "What do you think Ming Dynasty's intention is?"

"Perhaps you can't lose face and rely on the strong to bully the weak?"

"Oh? But officials from the Ming Dynasty said before that they came here not to destroy our country."

"So, are you waiting for us to make some etiquette mistakes and find an excuse?"

The envoy frowned slightly: "If the Ming Dynasty really wants to destroy us, why do we have to find excuses? We can just send troops openly!"

"If not." The staff thought for a moment and said, "I think the Ming army may just be waiting for follow-up reinforcements. Although I don't know how many Ming troops are ashore now, they will certainly not exceed ten thousand people. If the army reaches ten thousand, I am afraid it will be invincible."

"The Ming army is less than ten thousand, and it is invincible if it is full of ten thousand."

The envoy sighed sadly: "Then what should we do? Is it possible that God will really destroy me, Luzon?"

The staff racked their brains, thought for a while, and said: "Sir, there is another possibility. Ming Dynasty may really just want Manila. Other than that, as they said, it is not to destroy our country."

The envoy heard the words and smiled bitterly: "Although our king is drunk and dreaming every day, he is by no means a real mediocre king. Manila is an important port of our Luzon country. Although it has not been under the control of the royal family for a long time, But it is something that can be given in reality, but cannot be given a name. If it is ceded in name, it will really become the so-called Ming Manila Propaganda Department, which is absolutely unacceptable, and even for this reason, we will not hesitate to fight. "

"Moreover, Manila is the maritime gateway of our country of Luzon. Without Manila, the country of Luzon will no longer have the ability to expand outward."

The staff sighed: "Sir, now we can only wait and see what happens. If the Ming Dynasty really goes to war with Luzon, we will only try our best to fight the Ming Dynasty to the death."

The envoy nodded. He was now behind bars and had no other choice but to trust the judgment of the Royal City.

On the other side, after putting aside the visit of the Luzon envoy, Zheng He was also summoning his civil and military subordinates to discuss the expedition.

"The city walls of Manila are still being repaired. Although the construction period is still long, at least it is not without danger. Even in the worst case scenario, with the help of these previously forcibly abandoned city walls and the fleet's main gun firepower ( Ordinary naval guns have insufficient range) and are enough to defend the city of Manila." Zhu Youyi said.

Manila is a small city with the port area as its core, with a total population of only 100,000. There used to be a large section of the complete city wall. Later, after several wars, most of it collapsed, but there are still some ruins. The city wall was restored. On this basis, it was not repaired before, not because of lack of manpower, material resources or willingness, but because the King of Luzon prohibited Manila from having a complete city wall defense system. This was obviously a measure to prevent the Han people.

The reason why this matter was put in the first place was naturally due to the consideration of defeat before victory. Even though the Ming Dynasty's landing troops were powerful and more than capable of defeating these natives, they did not leave any escape route for themselves. Nor should it have been done by a military commander who commanded so many troops.

In addition, it is the time necessary to organize the internal affairs and detect intelligence.

Wang Jinghong also said: "The changes in Manila have also caused the current tense situation in Luzon. The major tribes on one side are ready to move. In fact, if we take the initiative to send troops at this time, we can remove the obstacles in one fell swoop and let They will never be able to threaten the safety of our Ming Dynasty Manila Propaganda Department in the future."

Zheng He mused: "At the beginning of this trip to Luzon, as you all know, the purpose was to first obtain an overseas base similar to Qinghua Port for supply and to improve the overseas trade network. We will try our best to talk to Luzon if we can, but now the situation has changed."

In fact, everyone present is well aware of the changes in the situation.

First, it is that it is not difficult to get the Manila Port, and you can look at Sichuan from a long distance, so there is no need to complain.

Secondly, after now understanding the internal details of the Luzon Kingdom, I really feel that this small kingdom is a bit unbearable. I guess it won't be difficult to fight, so I'm not polite.

Thirdly, there was something that Zheng He did not tell anyone clearly, that is, he received a letter from Jiang Xinghuo.

The main thing mentioned in the letter was the third prince Zhu Gaosui's joining the vassal overseas.

Zhu Gaosui intended to take the initiative to exit and stay away from the intensifying storm of competition for reserves. However, Tianzhu is also in a state of fragmentation and has various conditions such as terrain and climate suitable for colonizing Tianzhu. It is currently in an unexplored state. The Ming Dynasty's ocean-going fleet has not even sailed out of the Strait of Malacca. It is obviously far away from colonizing this country. The conditions are still a bit far off.

Therefore, Luzon became the best choice.

But in Zheng He's view, Luzon Island, or the Luzon Islands, is not perfect, because the topography is so special. It would be okay if it only occupied a port, and this area could be used as a base for the ocean-going fleet. This is conducive to the rapid deployment and maneuvering of the fleet, and even supply, training, and maintenance can be solved together.

But the problem is that the fleet cannot solve all problems.

The Luzon Islands also have islands of different sizes scattered around, and the terrain within the main island is complex, with both flat and open plains and criss-crossing mountains.

This poses a huge hidden danger to the entire occupation of Ming Dynasty, because unlike Annan, the terrain of Annan has a complete geographical structure and is not so fragmented. Just like a piece of sesame sesame cake, it was not only torn into several pieces, but also connected. The sesame seeds on top also fell to the ground.

Once the natives are generally dissatisfied, the cost of going deep into the mountainous areas to fight a security war will be endless.

After all, the Han people are a minority here, and they have to occupy, build, and suppress, and there simply aren’t that many manpower.

But this was the third prince's request after all, and it was Jiang Xinghuo's request. Zheng He naturally couldn't refuse, otherwise it would be unjustifiable.

So his original intention was to build the fortifications of Manila City first, then send a navy to station here for a year and a half to suppress the situation, and finally consider the next plan.

The reason why Zheng He felt this way was actually because he believed that Manila's defense system was probably not the slightest bit different from the Ming Dynasty's regular fortress and wall defense system.

As for the city wall of Manila, it cost a lot of money and energy to build, and it also required a lot of labor. It also had to defend against enemy sneak attacks and breaches of the city.

The warships of the Ming Dynasty's Ocean Navy, some of which are worth two thousand materials, are equipped with powerful bow main guns, which can bear a large amount of defensive and counterattack firepower and reduce the burden of city defense.

In other words, after Zheng He received the letter, his initial plan was relatively conservative. The main factor was that the Ming army's field strength was barely sufficient, but it was simply impossible to occupy Luzon.

All the civil and military subordinates present knew this truth, so when they heard this, they did not have any objections, but quietly waited for the follow-up of Zheng He's so-called "changes".

"But now it seems that the stubborn plan is still too conservative, and we need to be prepared with both hands."

Zheng He showed off his cards and said: "On the one hand, if we can't reach an agreement and the Luzon Kingdom refuses to give up Manila, then we will fight. On the other hand, we have the original plan to continue repairing the city wall. If the Luzon Kingdom signs a trade contract with us, then we will keep it." The next fleet will be stationed and Manila will be built as the Ming Dynasty’s overseas base.”

However, someone asked: "If this is the case, then if Luzon takes the initiative and is defeated by our army, why not take advantage of the situation to seize the Royal City of Luzon?"

Wang Jinghong explained: "The Luzon Kingdom is now stable on the surface, but in fact it is torn apart internally. Even if we defeat the Luzon King's army and completely destroy the effective rule of the Luzon Kingdom, it is not a good situation for us, because the Ming Dynasty cannot bear it." .”

Zhu Youyi, who was more warlike, agreed at this time: "Although Luzon's army is not elite, the terrain in the middle of the island is very dangerous. We only have a few thousand soldiers. If we want to invade and clean up, we must go through several battles." We have to fight hard for months and even have to pay a certain amount of casualties, but we can't stay in Luzon forever, can we? Once we withdraw, there will definitely be people to fill these vacant spheres of influence, and that is to make wedding dresses for others."

"Moreover, if we want to completely control this place, it is not enough to have a powerful fleet. We also need to establish a foothold along the way, conduct colonization to develop manpower, recruit new soldiers, organize troops, and then gradually encroach on Luzon until we are finally wiped out. All forces can completely rule this place."

"However, these things cannot be rushed, they must be done step by step."

After hearing this, everyone nodded frequently and expressed deep agreement.

Zheng He added: "So what I mean is that no matter which of the two hands we used before, we will have to capture the towns around Manila in the future to establish our colonial stronghold. At the same time, this is also a supply port, so there is no need to worry about transportation. Yes, we will move to the next stage only after we slowly accumulate enough strength. Of course, if possible, it is best to control the other two nearby cities so that we can better control this place. , after all, Manila is prosperous and rich, but it desperately lacks defensive depth."

Zheng He's idea was to expand his power in the future through control of Manila and maritime shipping advantages.

Zheng He's idea was good, but the premise of all this was that the Ming army could gain a foothold here.

Time passed day by day, but the two sides were about to collide together like two opposing chariots that had thrown away their reins and waved their whips desperately.

The reaction of the people of Luzon was much greater and faster than expected.

The envoy has not returned, and the Ming army has never made any advance to the north. Both of these things are not in line with the expectations of the monarchs and ministers of Luzon.

There was one thing that was beyond the expectations of the monarchs and ministers of Luzon. That was the abnormal increase in the enthusiasm of local tribes for this matter.

In fact, this is due to the information gap.

Many of the monarchs and ministers of the Luzon Kingdom personally went to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty. They had seen how powerful the Ming Dynasty was, so they had many more concerns when making decisions.

But the local tribes rarely even venture outside their own sphere of influence. What kind of knowledge can they gain by staying in the mountains?

The only thing they know about the Ming Dynasty is that it is a far away country, and the people there are very hard-working, take away their business, and are very rich. They are out-and-out fat sheep.

In the past, if the King of Luzon had not stopped them, they would have looted the wealthy Han merchants in Manila ten thousand times.

In their eyes, this rebellion in Manila is a great opportunity to slaughter the fat sheep.

As for the risks? What are the risks? I don’t know.

Don't laugh either, let alone this era, even in the future, this kind of information gap due to cognitive asymmetry, and eventually making a joke, is a very common thing.

Local tribes actively requested war, and the Ming army hunkered down in Manila Port. This gave the monarchs and ministers of Luzon who were originally somewhat fearful some very reasonable courage.

It seems that the Ming army is not as powerful as imagined?

Otherwise, why would the envoy be held hostage without daring to reply or send troops?

"The troops that landed in Ming Dynasty this time may not be as many as we imagined."

"They are only occupying a port. Behind them, the war from Annan has not yet completely ended, and there are still many threats to the Ming Empire that have not been completely eliminated, so they dare not attack rashly and can only choose to hide here. In the small port, they hope that we can choose to give in, but this time, we cannot give in, otherwise it will make Ming think that we are weak and can be bullied!"

"But since Ming Dynasty has eaten it, it will definitely not be willing to give up control of the Manila Port, so we must also put pressure on them."

While the princes in charge of military power in the Luzon Kingdom were talking a lot, the envoys who had been under house arrest came back with Ming Dynasty's conditions. Unfortunately, Ming Dynasty not only had no intention of returning Manila, but also put forward some other conditions.

The envoy did not complete the expected task and was detained for a period of time. When he came back, he was worried that the king would kill him in a rage because he drank too much.

But the envoy discovered that the king was sober as never before.

"This condition is absolutely unacceptable. It is all a hidden secret."

Looking at the contract clauses in front of him, such as the establishment of an embassy and equal trade, the Prime Minister of Luzon felt familiar at a glance, because he usually interacted with senior officials from Annan, Champa, and Chenla. From what I've seen, isn't this thing just carved out of the same mold?

But the Korean state was forced by the military might of the Ming Dynasty; the Champa state was about to be destroyed and had to agree to the Ming Dynasty's conditions; the Annan state was directly destroyed, and the remaining territory was restored to the Chen Dynasty, and the king Chen Tianping was supported by the Ming Dynasty Japan is a puppet of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who has strength but lacks money, and believes that this is a condition of basic mutual benefit.

Luzon is different. There is actually no trade in Luzon itself, and there is no so-called technology and industry to speak of. Even the Han immigrants who immigrated can transfer technology to them. It is conceivable that Luzon’s own technology What level is it.

Moreover, the trade in the port of Manila is prosperous because it is a natural trade node for the entire Luzon Islands. In fact, all the goods of a country are concentrated here. One port cannot reflect the overall situation of the entire country. Manila is based on trade. Health, does not mean that Luzon is really vigorously developing foreign trade. On the contrary, Luzon's economic structure is still based on self-sufficient traditional agriculture, supplemented by mining.

In this way, the military might of the Ming Dynasty did not oppress them, and Luzon had nothing to ask of the Ming Dynasty, so naturally they would not agree.

"Maybe the Ming Dynasty thought that we were vulnerable and it was impossible to recapture the city of Manila by force, so it put forward such harsh conditions." A prince guessed.

"Hmph, if you want to threaten my country, Luzon, with force, let's see who wins!"

The King of Luzon said coldly, but the sickly rosy look on his face revealed his true health condition.

In fact, he was already suffering from injuries and illnesses on the eve of his ascension to the throne. In the past few years, the illness could not be cured, and he was often in pain and dying. He relied on alcohol to support himself. Now, his illness has become more and more serious, and his body has become a semi-waste. In fact, the reason why my body has survived so far is entirely due to perseverance.

The King of Luzon did not want to die on the bed like this, and the Ming army's invasion, in his view, was also an excellent opportunity to unite people's hearts, and even completely unify the entire Luzon Kingdom, fulfilling the last wishes of generations of ancestors.

The King of Luzon asked the envoy sent out: "How many people are there in the Ming army in Manila? You should have a preliminary estimate."

The envoy thought for a moment and replied: "According to my estimate, the number of the Ming army is tens of thousands, but I'm afraid there won't be many of them, only a few thousand, who can actually be engaged in land warfare."

"But the Ming army has many ships. I heard that the artillery on the ships can shoot very far, even outside the city. It is far beyond the cannons we imported from the Mongols. Moreover, the Ming army's firearms , are also very advanced.”

In fact, under the current circumstances, the Ming Dynasty's firearms are already at the forefront of the times. Even if these elite Ming troops encounter the Mongolian cavalry of Genghis Khan's generation, with little difference in combat effectiveness and organizational capabilities, They can also defeat the Mongolian cavalry with the power of firearms. Of course, if the Mongolian cavalry retreats wholeheartedly, it will definitely be impossible to catch up.

The King of Luzon looked at his sons. Unlike the Ming Dynasty, these princes all held military power. This time, the King also planned to select the most suitable person to inherit his throne.

"This time, I hope you all cheer up and don't live up to my expectations."

When the king said this, he looked around at the generals: "In addition, in this expedition, your mission is to completely defeat Manila. The Ming army has a superior fleet, so it only needs to drive them to the sea, not to defeat them completely. , I promise that I will keep four-fifths of the loot for you to distribute freely."

After hearing the king's words, the generals below the main hall were very excited, because generally speaking, they usually have little extra money to make. After all, Luzon's domestic wealth basically depends on agricultural output, and they are all landlords. Taxation You collect your own gifts and rely on the sky to make a living, and the soldiers under your command do not need them to provide equipment. They all bring their own. This lord model is somewhat similar to Japan at the same time.

The wealth in Manila is coveted by everyone.

Not only gold and silver jewelry, but also silk, tea, and porcelain from the Ming Dynasty, cane sugar from Sulu, cloves, cardamom and other spices from the islands of Bo Ni, gold and pepper from the Majapahit Empire, camphor from Borneo, Sandalwood from Timor, and tin from western Sumatra.

The people present were all from the ruling class and had no shortage of food and clothing, but these things were also what they needed. Therefore, after hearing the king's promise, they immediately became excited.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured."

"The general will definitely fulfill his mission!"

"My son will definitely lead his army to kill them all!"

These princes, nobles, and generals expressed their determination by beating their chests.

Amidst the discussions among the princes, generals and ministers, the King of Luzon continued: "Do you have any objections, sir? If not, then I will order the troops to be sent out."

After hearing the king's words, everyone nodded in agreement. After all, at this time, since they are not planning to talk, sending troops while the Ming army is not yet firmly established is the safest choice.

The King of Luzon nodded and immediately issued an order: "The four princes divided their troops into four groups and attacked together under the city of Manila. At the same time, he ordered all tribes to coordinate their troops. This expedition must drive the Ming army into the sea within three months!" "