Outside the city of Nanjing, south of Yanziji Fortress, 1,000 officers and soldiers of the "Proton Army" known as the Nanjing Guards Regiment of the Zhangqian Army were digging soil with their shirts off!
The hard days of these generations of honorary and official officials did not end because of Zhu Youjian's victory, but they were just a little relieved. Instead of "997", it became "995", every month Given eight days off, you can go home and become a dandy and enjoy a corrupt and happy life.
And for the remaining twenty-two days, he had to endure hardships at the Yanziji camp outside Nanjing. Zhu Youjian was not like a traitor, he valued the Northern Army and ignored the Southern Army (Zhu Youjian's regime was not the Nandu regime!), he Regardless of whether they are old or new, North or South, they all value it equally and must strictly supervise it.
So Chang Yanling and Xu Yunjue, who had already fought a "big victory" without seeing the enemy, were each leading a battalion of officers and soldiers. Under the command of the instructors excluded from Zhu Youjian's guard group in front of the tent, they were sweating like rain while digging four Zigzag approach to trench.
These four approach trenches were excavated from a parallel trench about 500 steps away from the city wall of Yanziji Fortress. While digging the trench, they also used sandbags, planks, bundles of firewood and baskets to reinforce the dug trench and build parapets.
The 2,000 officers and soldiers of the two battalions who were engaged in digging the trenches were not digging at the same time. Instead, they took turns digging and entering the dug parallel trenches and zigzag trenches. They relied on the low and solid parapets to protect their trench digging colleagues. .
The progress of the project was quite rapid. The trench advanced at a speed visible to the naked eye. It had advanced seventy or eighty steps in less than an hour. At this rate, it would take less than a day to advance the approach trench to a position one or two hundred steps outside the walls of Yanziji Fortress, and then start digging a second parallel trench.
Once the second parallel trench is excavated, 12-pound or 24-pound mortars will be deployed very close to the outside of Yanziji Fortress, and explosive shells will rain down on the head and interior of the fortress. ....Of course, real bombardment will not happen, because what is going on now is just a military exercise. The purpose was just to unite with the East India Company's Governor of Batavia, Anthony Van Diemen, to demonstrate the Ming army's ability to attack difficulties.
Seeing that the approach trench was approaching the wall of Yanziji Fortress at a satisfactory speed, Anthony Van Diemen, who was standing side by side with Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty, turned a little blue.
Because he knew that this "parallel siege method" of using artillery to fire blind spots to dig trenches and then use mortars to fire explosive shells to bombard the castle would definitely be able to break through a bastion like Fort Santiago!
The seemingly indestructible Fortress of Santiago may not be able to withstand even two weeks under attack from this siege method!
No matter how severe the hot and humid weather and terrible tropical infectious diseases in the Philippines are, it is impossible to destroy an army of 5,000 people in two weeks.
This parallel siege method alone can prove that the Ming Emperor is really, as the Germanic man said, a great military strategist!
But... the Santiago Fort can't stop it, but the United East India Company's bastion in Batavia can resist this parallel siege method?
It doesn’t seem to work either!
If 5,000 Ming expeditionary troops went to Java Island, the Batavia Fortress might not be able to survive for two weeks!
Of course, the powerful East India Company fleet can block the Ming army's expeditionary fleet from approaching Java Island. But what about the Netherlands itself?
Once this simple, easy-to-learn, but very effective siege method spread to Europe, the Spanish army would not be blocked by the Dutch's bastion... And without the solid bastion, the Dutch could still Can it withstand the Spanish Empire's attack?
It’s scary to think about it!
"Anthony," Zhu Youjian spoke fluent Latin, "Should we continue reading? If you don't want to read, we will go to Yanziji Fortress to discuss the alliance between the Ming Dynasty, the Great Mongolia and the Netherlands. The specific provisions of the alliance treaty between the provincial republics!”
"A treaty with... alliance?" Anthony van Diemen was stunned. Did the friendship between the Netherlands and Ming Dynasty develop too fast?
Zhu Youjian nodded and said with a smile: "Isn't this the purpose of your coming to Ming Dynasty? Isn't the Spanish Empire the common enemy of our two countries? No, should it be the common enemy of the three countries?"
"Why the Three Kingdoms?" Anthony Van Diemen didn't react at once, "Your Majesty, who else will join the treaty?"
"Great Mongolia!" Zhu Youjian said with a smile, "Don't the United Provinces of the Netherlands not want to be an ally with Great Mongolia? The Ming Dynasty plus Great Mongolia is enough to compete with the Spanish-Portuguese world empire in terms of territory. huge country.
With the support of the Ming Dynasty and Mongolia, the independence of the United Provinces of the Netherlands will definitely be widely recognized. "
The Eighty Years War is still more than ten years away from being completed. And now Spain is in its heyday. Not only has it merged with Portugal, but it has also become synonymous with the Holy Roman Empire. Even the Roman Catholic Church is obedient to Spain.
Under this international situation, it was very easy for the Spanish Empire to block the Netherlands diplomatically.
"Governor," Zhu Youjian paused, "if the Ming Dynasty and Mongolia set up embassies in Amsterdam to be responsible for diplomacy throughout Europe...how many European countries do you think would recognize the independent status of the United Provinces of the Netherlands? "
This is a very attractive proposal, and it is also a big card in Zhu Youjian's hands!
Zhu Youjian looked at Van Diemen's uncertain face and said: "In addition, this great Mongolia is also a bridge connecting the Ming Dynasty and India... If the Netherlands wants to obtain a sufficient share of the market in India, it will have to cooperate with the Great Mongolia. Alliances are very necessary.”
"Greater Mongolia and India..." Anthony Van Diemen was a little confused. "Is there a close relationship between these two countries?"
"Yes," Zhu Youjian said with a smile, "Isn't the Mughal Dynasty in India a dynasty founded by the Mongols? Isn't their ancestral land Samarkand, which is currently ruled by the Uzbek Mongols? And Central Asia and Afghanistan It has always been the source of blood tax for the Mughal dynasty in India. Without warriors from Central Asia and Afghanistan, the hegemony of the Mughal dynasty in India cannot be maintained."
Central Asia is the origin of India’s “Xiao Ge Lao”!
Without the little elders from Central Asia, the Mughal dynasty in India would not be able to thrive for long.
"Your Majesty, do the Uzbek Mongols also submit to the rule of the Mongol Khan? Also, can controlling the Uzbeks have a significant impact on the Moguls in India?"
Anthony Van Diemen didn't know much about the rules on the grasslands of Mongolia and Central Asia, so he asked this question.
"Not yet," Zhu Youjian laughed, "but in less than ten years, the Uzbek Mongols will obey the rule of the Great Khan."
"Is it easy to conquer the Uzbeks?" Van Diemen asked again.
"Of course it's easy," Zhu Youjian said, "because the Uzbeks who have settled in the cities of Central Asia and have begun to enjoy the comfortable oasis life cannot withstand the attack of the Mongolian cavalry armed with Spanish muskets and 3-pound cannons!
And I don’t need to establish direct rule in Mughalistan in Central Asia. I just need them to surrender to me, so that our two countries and the Indian Mughals can become friends. "
This solution seems to work!
Anthony Van Diemen thought to himself: If the Mongols' mobility and advanced firearms are combined, the Central Asian bumpkins will indeed be unable to resist them.
Once the Great Mongolia controls Central Asia, the Indian Mughals will have to follow the advice of the Mongol Khan.
"Okay!" Van Diemen nodded, "Let's sign a Three-Nation Alliance Treaty!
From now on, the land of Nanyang will be dominated by the Ming Dynasty, and the sea of Nanyang will be dominated by the Netherlands... Is this okay? "
"Of course this won't work!" Zhu Youjian smiled, "Anthony, didn't Earl Pu tell you what I meant? The gold and silver treasures of Nanyang belong to the Netherlands, and the people of Nanyang belong to the Ming Dynasty.
But I can assure you that the Netherlands and the East India Company will make enough profits. "
He paused and said with a smile: "Governor, I have prepared a "Three Kingdoms Alliance Treaty". Let's study it together. If we can reach a consensus, then sign it as soon as possible!"
