The largest silver mine in the world is 600 miles away!
But both Zhu Hehao and Zhu Cihuan knew that they couldn't immediately lead their men to kill and rob all the silver and gold there... even though they really wanted to do that!
However, these two people are still sensible, because they did not discover Don Juan Jose's army, which means that Don Juan Jose has withdrawn his army from the Pacific coast and retreated to the province of Zacatecas to set up defenses. ——As long as the military level of the regent of the Kingdom of New Spain is above the passing mark, he should know that it is impossible for him to keep the enemy out of the country.
He can only do the next best thing now, first surrender the silver and gold in Zacatecas Province (which is also rich in gold). As long as he has a lot of gold and silver, he can get arms and mercenaries from Europe, and he can maintain the Kingdom of New Spain no matter what. If the province of Zacatecas and the neighboring province of Guanajua, two treasures rich in gold and silver, were lost, then Don Juan Jose's New Spanish Kingdom would probably fall apart.
As soon as the New Spanish Legion of more than 20,000 people retreated to Zacatecas Province and deployed defenses in several important silver and gold mines, Zhu Cihuan and Zhu Hehao's uncles and nephews could not take Zacatecas with the little army they had. Zacatecas Province of Cas Province is a plateau and mountainous area with difficult terrain, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. The Spanish operated there for more than a hundred years and built fortresses in several important mining areas and passes on major transportation routes. Moreover, there are a large number of Spaniards and Mestizo people there, and the power of Catholicism is very strong. Even the indigenous Indians believe in God.
Therefore, if the armies of Zhu Cihuan and Zhu Hehao attack Zacatecas Province, they will definitely be regarded as invaders... It will not be easy to win!
Instead of venturing westward, it is better to swallow up all the easy-to-swallow territory first, spend a few years digesting it, and then figure out how to grow...
Therefore, in early April 1674 in the Western calendar, the expeditionary forces of the United States and the Kingdom of Qing (soon to be renamed Qing) captured the provinces of Nayarit, Colima and part of Harry in the Kingdom of New Spain. After occupying the territory of Scotia, they temporarily stopped attacking and began to sit down and discuss how to distribute the spoils.
There is still a lot of loot! We need to carefully discuss how to distribute it!
In terms of territory alone, five new states were acquired: Sozhou, Sizhou, Nazhou, Hazhou (part of Jalisco), and Cozhou (Colima).
Three of them, Suo, Xi and Na, had agreed long ago to be ruled by Zhu Cihuan. Naturally, there was nothing to discuss. The status of Kazakhstan and Kezhou is undecided.
Of course Zhu Cihuan wanted to get it, while Zhu Hehao only wanted a few ports to establish free cities to deceive investors in the United States - in fact, these ports were not of much value under the current situation.
But what Zhu Hehao values is their future "growth". Once Zacatecas Province is captured, the value of Baiyin Port and Cozhou Port will immediately increase.
However, Zhu Hehao would not let up easily on the territorial issue. The two states of Kazakhstan and Ke were occupied by his troops... This was a bargaining chip in his hand and could not be handed over casually.
In addition, the population in the five states of Suo, Xi, Na, Kazakhstan, and Ke is also an enviable wealth!
The warriors of the Qing Kingdom coveted the Indian serfs, while the investors of the United States valued the captured white people and mixed-race girls...
Since there is a lot of loot, all parties involved in the war must discuss how to distribute it?
On April 12, after hastily sorting out the territory of Suo and Xizhou, Zhu Cihuan left Guasavi Castle, which had become Xizhou City, and went south to Baiyin Port to negotiate friendly terms with Zhu Hehao.
By this time, the southern front of the Beishinzhou battlefield was temporarily calm. On the Xinzhou Plain on the northern front, the prelude to the conflict between the two sides has just begun.
At the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, a triangular fort built with wood and countless small Indian tents appeared harmoniously on a piece of land.
The small wooden castle belongs to the French and is called Fort Saint Louis. The name Saint Louis comes from the French King Louis IX. He was canonized as a Saint by the Pope because he participated in the Crusades many times and died of illness during the expedition. disciple, became St. Louis. The Marquis of Marina named this wooden castle after him in order to show the world France's determination to defend the Catholic faith in the New World.
The Indian tents scattered around Fort St. Louis belong to the Great Soviets and Apaches... They were all invited by the Marquis of Marina to "protect Chief Louis." The number of people exceeded "two hundred", and the two groups together came to about ten thousand.
Not 10,000 soldiers, but 10,000 men, women, old and children!
"Why are there only so few people?"
On top of the wooden castle, the Marquis of Marina, who had just come by water from New Rome, looked very dissatisfied with the small tent of the Indians. He was sternly questioning the newly-become aristocrat De Pierre, who was the liaison officer for the Marquis of Marina. Soviet and Apache fur traders.
"Didn't you say that the Apache family can dispatch 5,000 soldiers?" Marquis Marina pointed to the tent outside, "Look... I can't even count 5,000 soldiers!"
De Pierre smiled bitterly and thought: That's because your math skills are so good. You can actually count to more than 5,000... You are so knowledgeable!
"Marquis, the Plains Apaches really have 5,000 warriors, but it's just difficult to gather them all." De Pierre explained.
"Why?"
"Because the Apaches and the Great Soviets are nomadic peoples who live very scattered." De Pierre said, "If they are too concentrated, they will quickly eat up a large herd of bison, and then they will fall into famine......"
"Famine? That's because they are lazy!" Marquis Marina said, "They can herd... They can catch some bison and raise them, just like the Mongols!"
Are you kidding me, Marquis? De Pierre thought to himself: If they are to be like the Mongols, will there be a New France? There are a lot of Indians on the Great Plains, there must be two million. If they can nomadic, they will form a huge nomadic tribe. It is possible to dispatch one hundred thousand or two hundred thousand people at a time.
If there were so many Indians riding horses and shooting arrows, could New France, with more than 10,000 people, still exist?
"Marquis, the bison on the Great Plains are difficult to tame..." De Pierre said, "The bison have a very bad temper, just like the European bison, they are difficult to tame. Moreover, bison give birth to fewer calves, so grazing bison It’s not worth it.”
The Marquis of Marina shook his head repeatedly, and when he was thinking about whether to get some European cattle and sheep for the Indians in the Great Plains to raise, the sound of horse hooves came over.
De Pierre took a look and said, "Marquis, the Apache warriors who went west for reconnaissance are back!"
The Marquis of Marina said to De Pierre: "Go and ask, ask if the Chinese are coming? Then ask about the number!"
"As you command, Your Majesty the Marquis."
De Pierre answered well, but in his heart he had no idea... Indians on the Great Plains didn't even know how to count! How to ask clearly?
But if you don’t know something, you still have to ask! I hope I have better luck today and can meet an Apache mathematician.
"Pierre, they are coming, there are many of them!" A leader of the Plains Apache who was very young, had a high forehead, and looked quite smart said to De Pierre, "The number exceeds 300!"
More than 300... De Pierre thought: I really met a mathematician!
He identified the man and found that he was the son of Crazy Horse, the great chief of the Plains Apaches, named Eagle.
"Eagle," De Pierre was not sure, "how much more? Is it much more than 300?"
The eagle shook his head, "No more, no more, just 300."
De Pierre smiled: "That's good... 300 people are not many, we can kill them all!"
