On December 6, the Spanish patrol fleet on Mindanao approached Jolo Island, and there seemed to be signs of reconnaissance.
The Lanfang cruise fleet stepped forward to stop them, declaring that this was Lanfang's territory and telling the Spanish fleet not to approach.
The Spanish fleet expressed shock and quickly reported the matter to the Governor-General in Manila with amazing efficiency.
One month later, on January 6, the second year of the Republic, the Governor-General of Manila finally learned the news that the Kingdom of Sulu had been conquered. The Governor of Manila, Jose, was extremely shocked by the incident and immediately sent a ship to Jolo Island, hoping to reunite with Lan. Contact Fang and inquire about the specific situation.
On January 11, the Spanish ship arrived at Jolo Island and was received by Chen Qing, the governor of Sulu State in the Lanfang Republic.
After a short conversation, the Spanish envoy was shocked to confirm that the Sulu Kingdom had been destroyed, the Lanfang Republic had occupied the Sulu Islands and implemented its rule, and the population of the Sulu Kingdom had begun agricultural production under the control of the Lanfang Republic.
When the Governor of Manila, Jose, learned of this fact, he found it unacceptable.
Since the 16th century, Spanish forces have been fighting each other in the southern Philippines and the Kingdom of Sulu. For two centuries, both sides have won and lost each other. Although the Spanish have the upper hand, their continuous advancement has also consumed a lot of their strength. There was always a lack of opportunity to deal the final blow to the Sulu Kingdom.
The battle lines between the two sides have been stalemate in the southern waters of the Philippines for a long time. Although Spain always has the upper hand in frontal battles, the Kingdom of Sulu can always harass the Spanish rear through the wolf pack tactics of small boats, making it difficult for Spain to organize a large-scale regular army. Launched a general attack on the Sulu Kingdom.
In addition, the Spanish troops stationed in the Philippines were really small, and some of them were wiped out by Lan Fang, so there was no remaining power to formally attack the Kingdom of Sulu.
As a result, the Sulu Kingdom collapsed.
The old rivals who had loved and killed each other for two centuries suddenly disappeared.
Jose couldn't accept this fact for a while, so he collected intelligence everywhere, and finally had to admit that the Sulu Kingdom was really gone.
Logically speaking, he should be happy that his personal enemy as the Governor of Manila has finally fallen. But the problem is that this personal enemy was not eliminated by him, but by another object more terrifying than the Kingdom of Sulu. .
The Sulu Kingdom, which they could not destroy, only lasted for half a month under the hands of Lanfang's army. This proved that the strength of Lanfang's army was by no means comparable to that of the Spanish army in the Philippines.
Jose still remembered that Zhao Xuening, who invaded the Philippines in the name of Lanfang Company three years ago, led his army on a rampage on Mindanao. Neither the regular army nor the auxiliary militia were his opponents. Spain suffered a shameful defeat and lost a lot. Copper ore, iron ore.
The robbers in Lanfang don't have martial ethics!
If it weren't for the Sulu pirates who threatened Lanfang's logistics route at all times, Jose estimated that Zhao Xuening would not let him go so easily.
If the Kingdom of Sulu served as a buffer between the Philippines and Lanfang in the past, now this buffer has disappeared. The Philippines has officially bordered Lanfang, and the Spanish colonists need to directly face this brutal enemy.
Does this enemy have any requirements for them?
Will it further intensify its invasion of Mindanao and even the main island of the Philippines?
Jose couldn't help but start to worry.
Worried, he had to send orders to the garrison and militia organizations in Mindanao, asking them to start armed operations and be ready to meet the challenge from Lanfang at any time.
But it is a pity that he did not expect that Zhao Xuening had no intention of starting an attack from Mindanao.
His target has been Manila from the beginning. He wants to capture Manila at the beginning of the battle, cut off the heads of the Spanish colonists, and make them lose their central command and can only fight on their own.
Although the Spaniards in the Philippines are very difficult to control, as the so-called lion fights the rabbit, he will try his best. Zhao Xuening will never underestimate any enemy.
Rabbits can bite people when they are anxious, let alone the Spaniards who are armed with firearms and have a considerable number of warships?
Although they are indeed very stretched.
Before the war, Zhao Xuening's intelligence system installed in the Philippines had basically figured out Spain's military deployment in the Philippines. It consisted of just over 3,000 regular troops, 6,700 militiamen, and a total armed strength of almost 10,000 people.
The population of the Philippine Islands is actually quite large, currently estimated to be over three million.
However, the Spanish did not actually rule too many people. Most of the population did not live in the coastal urban areas controlled by Spain. Instead, they lived in the mountains and forests, leading an isolated traditional tribal life. The relationship between them and the Spanish The relationship is very subtle.
But because the Philippines has not had a unified dynasty and empire before, and there is no sense of national unity, it does not have a deep understanding of the country. The most I can know is that the territory I occupy is mine, and you can't come and snatch it. Other territories are none of my business. thing.
It was impossible to expect them to work together to expel the European colonists. Therefore, during the occupation process, the resistance encountered by the European colonists was not fierce.
But it is more difficult to rule.
The Spanish also tried to tax them and control as many Filipino natives as possible to squeeze and exploit them, but their resistance was also very strong. The Spanish losses were not small and the results were not great.
If the Filipino natives had not been able to unite, and the gospel of God spread by the Spanish church had indeed attracted the faith of many local natives, it would have been difficult for the Spaniards to continue their rule in the Philippines.
Later, the Spaniards gradually became more moderate.
By building a commercial system in the city, using commerce as a way to connect with the indigenous Filipinos, sending people to buy their agricultural products with money, and then attracting them to the city to buy urban goods, gradually attract these tribal indigenous people into their economic cycle. In fact, he achieved the colonial cause and made a lot of money.
Then they rely on the church for cultural immersion, vigorously promote the superiority of Spanish culture, use isolation and other methods to shape the superior status of Spanish people, suppress the self-awareness of indigenous people, and engage in group PUA and the like.
Overall, Spanish rule in the Philippines lasted for three hundred years, which is not without merit.
But from a military perspective, Spain is indeed very powerful.
Zhao Xuening is not worried at all that he will not be able to win militarily. What he needs to consider is that with Lanfang's size, he needs to control a huge Philippines and complete the construction to make it his base for advancing north. He needs to learn from Spain. Something.
Generally speaking, Zhao Xuening feels that it is nothing more than a three-step process.
Treat them to guests, behead them, and accept them as dogs.
Mr. Huang's three-blade ax is quite useful here.
As for what to do after accepting the dog, that is the key point.
Zhao Xuening expects to carry out reforms based on Lanfang's existing model. It will take more than ten years for this entire process to be completed.
It is impossible for a colony as large as the Philippines to eat it all and transform it into its own shape without so much time.
This is still an administrative reform, and cultural reform may take more than twenty years.
At least two generations need to learn and speak Chinese before Chinese culture can take root in the local area.
But Zhao Xuening is not worried that he does not have time, he has time.
As long as the biggest variable, the Qing Empire, does not unexpectedly attack Nanyang, the British will be able to control them to death in Europe based on the current level of the Netherlands and Spain.
As for the British, Zhao Xuening is not worried that they will fall out with Lan Fang in the short term.
Their rule in India is not stable, and they still need to spend energy running India. Their rule in the North American continent is shaky. After the North American war is over, they need to lick their wounds for a long time and have no time to care about others.
Although the French have ideas and some actions to develop their power in Vietnam and other places, Louis XVI should be unable to protect himself.
By the time Louis XVI was left scratching his head, France would still have to jump back and forth between the Republic and the Empire, and would have to accept the baptism of six anti-French alliances.
At the same time, European countries also needed to organize six anti-French alliances, spending a lot of manpower and material resources to fight Napoleon to the death.
The existence of Napoleon will buy Zhao Xuening as much time as possible to strip Europe's vision and energy away from the Eastern Sea. There will be a substantial power vacuum in the Eastern Sea.
Therefore, during this period of power vacuum, it is a good time for Zhao Xuening to fill the entire Nanyang region with his power tentacles. It is also a good time for him to further develop himself and go north to compete with Old Man Shiquan.
Time is there.
The opportunity is there.
The foundation is there.
The talent is there.
Why can't I have a break with that proud and complacent old man?
Why can't I lead the whole of China to change their destiny against heaven and follow other people's paths, leaving others with no way to go?
Who says China’s fall is unavoidable?
Zhao Xuening didn’t believe it!
Therefore, he will do his best for this future.
