After seeing that Manila could be recaptured without bloodshed, both Marshal Mero and Admiral Oquendo believed that their previous speculations were correct.
The army of the Ming Dynasty was a ragtag bunch, not even capable of defeating them in one blow. When they saw the powerful Spanish fleet approaching, they were frightened and scattered.
In comparison, the enemy's combat effectiveness seems to be inferior to that of the local indigenous people.
Isn’t it just wishful thinking to just try to get involved in the Philippine territories of the empire?
I don’t know how the defenders of Coquilla and Manila were defeated by these useless guys.
The Dutch were able to lose to the Ming fleet in a naval battle. Could it be that the combat effectiveness of the East India Company's fleet was inferior to that of a group of pirates?
Maybe the guy named Zheng Yiguan is better at naval warfare, but he can only be regarded as an amateur at land warfare.
Judging from the current situation, perhaps dispatching 50,000 army troops to deal with the Ming Dynasty is more than enough.
If the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty intends to resist stubbornly, the only result he can get is defeat and surrender!
If the war goes exceptionally well, Marshal Mero even plans to occupy the Ming Kingdom!
The annual tax revenue of 50 million silver coins from the Ming Dynasty can greatly enrich the national treasury.
In this way, the debt problem that has plagued His Majesty the King for many years can be easily solved.
Admiral Oquendo's view on this was the same as that of Marshal Mero. If he had known that the Ming army was so decadent, he should have implemented a similar plan earlier.
Marshal Melo left two thousand soldiers and ten armed merchant ships to the new Philippine Governor Diego Chacon to control Manila and reorganize an indigenous armed force with no less than ten thousand people.
The main task of the fleet and army is still to attack the Ming Dynasty, and they cannot waste too much time in the Philippines.
After defeating the Ming Dynasty, they would turn around and help Chacon regain the southern islands.
For the Ming Dynasty, Marshal Mero and General Oquendo jointly formulated three action plans.
Plan A is to attack the lower Yangtze River basin, mainly Nandu, which is the richest area.
Plan B is to attack the southern coastal areas, mainly Guangzhou and Xiamen, which are easier to attack.
Plan C is to land in Tianjin and attack the northern capital of the Ming Empire, which is the heart of the Ming Dynasty.
In comparison, Plan C is the most difficult to implement, so both commanders preferred the first two plans.
For the time being, Plan A is the main one, Plan B is the supplement, and Plan C is for emergency filing. In short, this trip must not be returned empty-handed.
After the victory in the first battle, the Hegemonic Fleet headed north together with the British fleet.
They gave up attacking Guangzhou and Xiamen, which were relatively close, and aimed to take the southern capital directly to capture the emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
Just like the attack on the Indian Empire, as long as the emperor is captured, it will be much easier to obtain a ransom.
On July 19 of the Western calendar, the massive fleet finally arrived at the mouth of the Yangtze River.
Hundreds of miles upstream from Shangli is Nandu City, where the man worth tens of millions of silver coins is waiting to be caught!
"Hushan, are you sure you can defend Shogunate Mountain?"
Chongzhen, who had already learned important information, was now in a dilemma. If he abandoned the city first and fled, he would probably be known as a foolish king.
The traitor was not like this when he was besieged by the Donglu. Instead, he wanted to be a deserter. This was not justified by emotion or reason, and it was even more detrimental to the power of God.
If he did not abandon the city, Chongzhen was afraid that the soldiers and horses around Nandu would not be able to resist the menacing Xiyi.
It is said that there are as many as two to three thousand large warships similar in appearance to Feng Zhou. How can Master Wang resist this?
Originally, with Zhang Ni being captured and the fifth Gezuo battalion entrenched in the Dabie Mountains being annihilated by the army, Chongzhen could finally get rid of his heartache.
Without the internal worries of rogue bandits, the traitor can concentrate on resisting Donglu, and he can live a stable life.
I never expected that the Xiyi fleet could travel thousands of miles to the east to attack the Ming Dynasty!
Zheng Zhilong sent someone to deliver a letter before, asking him to make plans in advance...
This is obviously to conserve strength and not to resist Xiyi's attack head-on.
When Chongzhen thought of this meaning, he became furious, but he was unwilling to do anything.
The Marquis of Zhenhai obeyed the instructions of the treacherous son in the north, but he was disobedient to himself.
The Ming Dynasty Navy had no hope at all, so it could only let Zheng Zhilong assess the situation and adapt accordingly.
Without the rogue bandits, the Donglu did not knock on the gate, but the Xiyi came to cause trouble.
How can my life be so difficult? ? ?
It’s been nineteen years since Chongzhen, and heaven still doesn’t want to let me go?
No, I can't die!
If I were to die, the happiest person would be that extremely nasty mother and son!
This world still belongs to me, and I want to live well, at least for another fifty years!
The bandits can't do anything to me!
Donglu can't do anything to me!
Even if Xiyi comes, they still can't do anything to me!
"The general will definitely lead his troops in a bloody battle to the end!"
Although the Yongwei Battalion has already been expanded, its current strength is as high as 30,000, and it can be considered a well-trained elite.
However, Huang Degong was still not very sure about the battle, because the defense line was along the river and his own navy was weak.
If the opponent's fleet marches straight in and rushes directly into the river near Nandu, then thousands of cannons will be fired, what should our own troops do?
The man in the north said that his father didn't understand military affairs, and now it seems that this is really the case.
How can I be sure of myself?
In front of a group of colleagues, Huang Degong couldn't tell him directly, so he could only promise to delay as much time as possible, that's all.
"Your Majesty, I think you should be prepared with both hands!"
"Oh? How do you prepare for it?"
"I feel that it would be best if the Yongwei Battalion can hold on to Shogunate Mountain. Otherwise, the money and food in the city need to be transferred elsewhere as soon as possible to avoid falling into the enemy's hands!"
Gao Hongtu, the second assistant, believed that the emperor thought that Nandu City could be defended, but it could only be successfully defended under certain conditions.
Don’t be afraid of ten thousand, just be afraid of what happens.
If you can't hold on, then Xiyi will take the blame!
"What Ci Fu said is too alarmist, isn't it? The southern capital city is high and deep, and it is heavily protected by soldiers. How can the Western Yi succeed?"
Ni Yuanlu, the Minister of Rites and the Yushi of Youqiandu, held different opinions on this. Gao Hongtu's words were too shocking.
If he hadn't remembered that he had donated a lot of money before, and the heavenly book said that he sacrificed his life for the country, Ni Yuanlu would have scolded him on the spot for being afraid of the enemy and cowardly fighting.
"Your Majesty, I have previously estimated that Nandu City can withstand the bombardment of the Western Yi 32-pound heavy artillery at most. If the Western Yi warships carry a large number of heavy artillery and the shells exceed this level, I am afraid..."
Yuan Jixian, the Minister of War, did not argue with Ni Yuanlu, but directly advised Emperor Chongzhen.
"It's okay for Yuan Aiqing to speak out!"
Yuan Jixian was still an expert in military affairs, and Chongzhen had always valued his advice, so he should listen more to him at this time.
"I'm afraid I won't last five days!"
"ah???"
This is not Yuan Jixian's speculation, but the calculation of a certain new emperor. However, the Nandu Military Department tested it with a target similar to a city wall, and the result was this.
Yuan Jixian did not mention the name of a certain new emperor because he was worried that this matter would irritate the Ninth Five-Year Supreme Emperor in front of him. However, due to the heavy responsibility, what should be said must be said in advance.
"Your Majesty, I am not exaggerating the fighting power of the Western Yi. I had previously asked the Ministry of War to carry out similar experiments, and the results were the same. I did not report the results because I was worried about causing unnecessary panic."
If Xiyi doesn't come, of course this experiment will be meaningless.
The problem is that the Xiyi fleet is about to appear on the river, and the people in the city still feel that the city is extremely strong...
"Then from Yuan Aiqing's point of view, what should the court do?"
Chongzhen suppressed his anger and patiently asked about his future plans.
"Your Majesty, I support the opinion of the Second Assistant. Since the Western Yi are good at naval warfare and use ships as their strength. If the Wang Division sticks to the defense line along the river, it will hit the stone with an egg. On the contrary, it can use its strengths and avoid its weaknesses, avoid the real and attack the weak."
"Oh? How do you maximize your strengths and avoid weaknesses? How do you avoid the real and attack the weak?"
Chongzhen wanted to hear how to attack Xiyi, otherwise who wouldn't just run away?
"First, Your Majesty and your concubines can transfer to another place. As long as Your Majesty is in good health, I can concentrate on defending against the enemy. Second, the people and money and food in the city must be transferred as soon as possible to avoid falling into the hands of the enemy, so that the Western Yi can support the war with war. , has invaded our Ming territory for a long time. Third, the defenders in the south of the Yangtze River must avoid the Yangtze River and move inland, taking advantage of the weather, location, and people to ambush the invading Western Yi. Fourth, quickly send flying cavalry to the The Northern Court asks for help, and when the Northern Court's troops and horses move south in a large scale, the Southern Court's troops and horses may turn to counterattack, and then destroy the main invading Xiyi force!"
Yuan Jixian also wanted to leave, but if Emperor Chongzhen didn't leave, he and his family would definitely not be able to leave. If they stayed, they would be killed by Xiyi's heavy artillery.
"...Master Wang, can't he confront Xi Yi head-on?"
Chongzhen didn't want to learn the sneaky tactics of the rogue bandits, but the majestic Ming Dynasty king's master wanted to adopt an ambush strategy, which really disgraced himself.
"If your Majesty does not want to lose most of the king's army, you can first avoid its sharp edge, and then wait for opportunities to weaken its spirit. Over time, you can reverse the situation of the battle. Otherwise..."
Yuan Jixian did not want to ruin Huang Degong's troops, which were the only troops under Nanting's jurisdiction that were good at fighting.
The other teachers of the King of Qin are all just good-for-nothing, either good-looking but not useful, or neither good-looking nor useful.
"Your Majesty, I am already old. I would like to lead my troops to defend the southern capital. I also hope that your Majesty will quickly transfer to another place!"
The second assistant, Gao Hongtu, quickly spoke up to prevent the emperor, who did not understand military affairs, from thinking about holding on, and it would be all over.
"Your Majesty, I am the chief minister, and I should stick to the southern capital. I hope that the Holy Inquisition must be made quickly!"
Seeing Lao Gaotou wink at him, Chief Assistant Qu Shishu understood and took the initiative to ask for help.
"Your Majesty, I am the Minister of the Ministry of War. It is my duty to defend the city. I hope that Your Majesty, your concubines and the court officials will move quickly!"
In the end, it was Yuan Jixian who was responsible for holding on to the southern capital. Other civil servants were not familiar with military affairs, so staying behind was unnecessary.
"Okay! This matter is very important, please allow me to think twice!"
Chongzhen has not yet decided whether to leave or stay. He must think carefully to avoid missing a move and making a mistake.
"Your Majesty, a letter from the Northern Court!"
"Oh! Let me take a look!"
What Chongzhen wants to know most now is what the traitor thinks of the service. Being unfilial is another matter. In terms of military affairs, the traitor is still somewhat capable. At least he has fought against the Donglu many times without losing.
It's okay not to read it. After browsing it briefly, Chongzhen found that the idea of this traitor was very similar to what Yuan Jixian and others had just said.
One word - run!
Two words - run!
Three words - run fast!
This traitor clearly looks down on himself, he is really hateful!
But Chongzhen is not like he used to be impulsive in previous years. He will calm down and weigh the pros and cons in everything.
What if, as Yuan Jixian said, the Nandu city wall could not withstand the Western Yi's heavy artillery bombardment, wouldn't he be asking for trouble if he held on, and might even be captured by the Western Yi?
If he didn't want to be captured, he would sacrifice his life for the country. Tianshu mentioned that he had hanged himself in Meishan two years ago and his body was collected by his great companion.
Now that he hangs himself again in Nandu City, this is too tragic...
If you don’t want to hang yourself, you can still kill yourself!
If you don’t want to kill yourself, you can still commit suicide by taking poison!
Chongzhen was not afraid of death, but when he thought of the mother and son in Beidu, he felt unhappy.
If he died like this, wouldn't the mother and son be happy in their hearts?
no!
He couldn't die, and he had to lead the king's army to repel the invading Xiyi and break the outside world's claim that he didn't understand military matters!
Having said that, I really don't know how to lead troops to fight.
But Yuan Jixian knows the military and Huang Degong is good at fighting. Can't he just listen to this civil and military command?
How good!
A certain filial son sent a flying knight to deliver a large envelope, which contained not only insights but also a battle map.
The tactics to resist the Spanish invading army are very simple, that is, clear the field but do not strengthen the wall.
Because the Spanish fleet may carry tens of thousands of heavy artillery, Nandu, Yangzhou, Zhenjiang and other places along the river may be quickly lost.
The strong wall loses its meaning, and the people, money and food must be moved to the hinterland as soon as possible.
First let me put you in the urn, and finally catch the turtle in the urn!
The area south of the Yangtze River used Jiuhua Mountain, Tianmu Mountain and Huangshan Mountain as the base to carry out resistance.
To the north of the Yangtze River, take advantage of the canal and Huaihe River water network to cooperate with the Army Division to block the enemy.
Western-style galenic ships have a deep draft and are difficult to enter the canal. This allows people from all walks of life in the north of the Yangtze River to adapt to local conditions.
A certain filial son said that the army would arrive on the north bank of the Yangtze River within thirty days, and at that time, various people under the jurisdiction of the Southern Court would launch a counterattack.
Before that, it is best to retreat proactively, avoid confrontation with the enemy, and conserve your strength to usher in a turning point.
After seeing the tactics of the Beiting Emperor, the officials were relieved. The little emperor was still very pragmatic.
In comparison, the old emperor...
"What do you dear ladies think?"
"I second this tactic!"
"I second this tactic!"
"I second this tactic..."
After Chongzhen asked, the situation became one-sided. Even Ni Yuanlu, who had insisted on holding on before, secretly admitted that his previous idea was not very bright.
Since all the ministers had such an attitude, Chongzhen no longer needed to persist.
This is what you all mean, I am just following the good deeds!
Then another question arose, that is, how to persist for thirty days?
The situation of the enemy is still unclear. It is only known that there are thousands of Xiyi warships, but no one knows the strength of the land division.
If it's twenty or thirty thousand, that's fine. But if it's seventy, eighty, or even one hundred thousand, then...
Chen Zilong, who joined Beiting's headquarters, said that the Xiyi mercenaries were equal to the fighting strength of three soldiers of the king's division.
If this is the case, 20,000 Xiyi are equivalent to 60,000 King's troops. How can we resist this?
Yuan Jixian's opinion was that he should retreat to Tianmu Mountain first and worry about the rest later.
If we discuss here for several days without any results, we will waste valuable retreat time.
The next day, Emperor Chongzhen announced an extremely difficult decision in the newspaper, that is, to abandon Nandu!
