The Spanish infantry retreated far slower than the Ming cavalry in pursuit, and the battlefield was more than forty miles away from their destination.
With the Ming army constantly harassing and blocking, this retreat almost became the road to death for Count Benavidez's troops.
Without carrying all the baggage, it would take the Western Army ten hours to reach its destination just by traveling lightly.
Obviously, Count Benavidez was too optimistic about his retreat plan, just like he had planned to severely damage his opponent before.
After being blocked by the enemy in the stronghold and fighting for a long time, now they had a chance to take revenge. Wang Yong's troops were naturally like tigers descending the mountain.
Even if there were coconuts on the road to quench their thirst, the officers and soldiers would not pick them up and drink them, thereby wasting precious pursuit time.
This attack has only one purpose, and that is to kill the bunch of idiots on the opposite side!
Haven't you always wanted to fight against the Ming Dynasty King Master before?
Now, Master Wang is here, but you have the nerve to run away?
Wherever there is the Ming Dynasty King's Master, there is no room for Xiyi to run wild!
In order to reduce the weight of individual soldiers, the entire army did not wear chicken helmets. Instead, they put gauze to prevent mosquito bites on their heads. There was only a steel plate on the front of the torso.
This is almost enough, because the opponent should have no intention of fighting at this time. If he dares to stop and turn around, he will definitely die.
In a hot and humid battlefield like Panama, the weak-willed Xiyi would probably not dare to fight to the death with the Ming army without receiving huge benefits.
Count Benavidez looked at the height of the sun and estimated that it would be more than two hours before sunset. However, this process was undoubtedly long and difficult.
According to the ranger's report, the main force of the Yellow-skinned Monkeys was less than half a mile from the rear of the infantry, and they could be seen with binoculars on the high ground.
Count Benavidez wanted to order the troops to stop retreating and give those hateful yellow-skinned monkeys a head-on attack.
But if that decision is made, judging from the current retreat of the entire army, it is very likely that the entire army will be annihilated.
Not only will it not change the battlefield situation, it will also destroy this elite force fighting in Panama.
What's more, the cavalry, infantry, and artillery are all running like flying dandelions, and it will be difficult to collect them in a short time.
If they could run to the other shore in a loose formation without much loss, Count Benavidez would also admit it.
After receiving reinforcements from His Majesty the King, they will make a comeback and eliminate the stronghold of the yellow-skinned monkeys on the east coast of the Pacific Ocean.
Judging from the changes on the battlefield, Count Benavides is still too optimistic...
About an hour later, the Ming army's forward had caught up with the rear of the Western army.
Even if the Western Army did not dare to fight and retreated while fighting, no less than three to four hundred people were killed and wounded in the process of running away.
The scene was completely one-sided because the Western infantry used flintlock muskets.
Even a veteran who is skilled in reloading will find it difficult to reload ammunition quickly while running.
The worst weapon of the Ming army was also the revolver. Just replace the magazine after shooting the magazine-type rifle.
Even if it's a revolver or a short blunderbuss, you just need to be calm and methodical in inserting one round at a time.
The rate of fire of Ming army soldiers is more than six times that of their opponents. If you compare the reloading speed, it is probably more than ten times faster!
If it weren't for the fact that many places were blocked by woods, it would have been in a grassland or next door with a good view and wide shooting range.
With just the rifles in their hands, Ming army soldiers were able to beat each other until they called them grandpas!
With the expedition fleet to protect the castle, the entire army has no worries. They are determined that even if the opponent runs to the other side, they will still pursue and fight fiercely. It is best to force them to jump into the sea and feed the sharks!
Before setting off, everyone carried three days of rations and first-aid kits. Drinking water was not a worry. It rained almost every day and small rivers and ditches were everywhere. If you had water purification tablets, you didn’t have to worry about winning the lottery.
Count Benavidez is the supreme commander of this force, including the guards, all have mounts. As for the infantry, they all rely on two legs to run.
Seeing that the tail of his team had been bitten, Count Benavidez had no choice but to order the entire army to retreat quickly, stop fighting, and strive to reach the seaside as soon as possible.
He has sent messengers to contact the fleet. As long as the troops arrive at the seaside, they can be protected by the fleet's firepower and blast those yellow-skinned monkeys into pieces!
The next period until sunset is a game of luck and foot strength for both sides!
The Western soldiers who can run faster than a rabbit can naturally escape and ascend to heaven.
Those guys who are fat and lack exercise have become targets in front of the Ming army's guns!
Night battles after nightfall are an area that the Western Army is even less good at...
Count Benavidez gathered his troops in the early morning of the next day and conducted an inventory. In the end, less than 1,300 people safely retreated to the seaside.
There is no need to think too much about the results for the remaining people!
The war with the yellow-skinned monkeys was so cruel, otherwise the homeland would not have been lost.
What to do next?
Count Benavidez needed to think carefully, and especially how to phrase his request for reinforcements from His Majesty the King.
It is obvious that the remaining troops alone cannot defeat the yellow-skinned monkey.
This run was so debilitating that even the cavalry was lost.
Even if the yellow-skinned monkey does not receive the support of the fleet, it will be difficult for our own troops to lay siege to its stronghold.
"That bastard Xiyi still has a battleship! Don't play with him anymore, brothers, call it a day and go back!"
Wang Yong saw the Spanish warships on the beach on a high ground, but he did not act impulsively and attacked the remaining soldiers on the other side's beach.
This attack was considered a complete victory, and Xi Yi was so beaten that he lost his armor and lost his armor.
Now it's just that there is no battleship support. As long as conditions permit, they can be wiped out.
It doesn't hurt to let him live a little longer first. If Xiyi still dares to come here to seek death, then send him on his way!
According to the counting along the way, it is estimated that about 3,000 enemies were wiped out, and many war horses were also captured, which can enrich the cavalry team.
Zheng Guangying was naturally very happy after hearing the news. As long as the Xiyi could be dealt with, it was completely possible for either the navy or the army to take action.
Since Xiyi hid on the other side and did not dare to come over to die for the time being, Zheng Guangying decided to lead the fleet to pull anchor and set sail.
According to the scheduled plan, Lima is a must-go stop.
Otherwise, even with the help of the advisory group, Poirot's empire will not last long.
The emperor of the new Inca Empire is eagerly looking forward to the arrival of the expedition fleet. This is the foundation of the empire.
The arrival of the fleet means that the god-given army has also arrived.
The Spanish devil did not dare to act rashly, and Poirot could feel at ease for several months.
The problem is that the mining area in Limanan was taken away by the Spaniards again, which made Poirot feel embarrassed to see Zheng Guangying.
"No problem! When you come here this time, I will ask General Zheng Shao and General Zheng Jiaqi to be stationed in the mining area. There are 5,000 garrison troops and a fleet to cooperate. There are enough light and heavy weapons. I forgive the Spaniards who dare not come to die!"
"This is great! Thank you generals! The whole country will give its full assistance!"
Poirot was not dissatisfied at all with the troops of the Ming Empire stationed in his mining area, but was extremely happy.
Sending your own team there is purely to deliver prisoners to the Spaniards, so it's better not to go.
Wulin's advisory group is very capable, but they still have to shoulder the important task of defending Lima.
The Ming Empire was able to send troops to garrison the mining area, which was a timely help to Poirot.
"Considering the current situation in your country, I will not ask your Majesty to bear the military expenses and supplies for the garrison. I only need to use ore to pay for it!"
"...That's great, the general is wise! The general will always be a good friend of our country, and also a good friend of mine. As long as our country can go to war, any items, including beauties, can be given to the general for his enjoyment!"
"I still have a mission, not to mention it will affect the whole fleet, so there is no need for beauty!"
Zheng Guangying has no interest in those tanned indigenous women. With that kind of physical strength and time, he might as well play with a few ocean horses!
"The general is really strict with himself and manages the army well!"
Poirot immediately understood what the other party meant. Since he didn’t want women, he definitely wanted treasure, so he sent someone to deliver a box of gold and a box of gems!
"this……"
"If the general is my friend, then he will give you this small gift, otherwise he will be an outsider!"
"...Okay! It's disrespectful for me to refuse!"
As a senior person in the industry, Zheng Guangying took one look and calculated the approximate price. If it was shipped to the mainland and paid back, he could pocket at least 30,000 to 50,000 taels of silver.
I have made money, but the entire fleet has not made much money yet. They made a deal with Zhang Tianbao before. This is definitely not going to work. They have to go to the mining area to fill up the ore.
Some warships and merchant ships followed Zheng Shao and Zheng Jiaqi to the seaside of the mining area. Zheng Guangying took his younger brother Zheng Haiying and the rest of the fleet to Trinity City.
Poirot mobilized more than 100,000 people to follow the fleet to mine. With the protection of the fleet, the mining operation was naturally very safe, and the money was calculated based on the weight of the ore transported.
Because he claimed to be a wise king and the founding emperor of the new Inca Empire, Poirot had no choice but not to pay the coolies.
But copper coins or silver are not acceptable, because among the coolie class who are short of materials, everyone values physical objects more, especially the products of the Ming Empire which are hot commodities.
Even if you work hard for a week, as long as you take care of the food and are given an iron basin or a piece of cloth at the end, the coolie is acceptable.
Especially in mining areas, there is so much copper ore and saltpeter that they are worthless.
The smart locals waited for the Ming Empire's fleet to arrive here, and then swarmed in.
Instead of robbing him openly, he took out the refined copper he had secretly smelted and used it to exchange for anything the other party was willing to barter for.
The natives are also willing to exchange semi-refined copper weighing about ten kilograms for a pair of boots or a piece of clothing.
The powerful local chiefs were even willing to exchange for various high-end supplies produced by the Ming Empire, including canned fruits.
As a result, the fleet did not contain much ore, and the sailors and soldiers' belongings were much less, but the draft of the ship was significantly larger!
For Zheng Guangying, he still has to go to Trinity City, otherwise wouldn’t the cattle of those Western Yi farmers be raised in vain?
After learning from experience and lessons, starting from the fourth expedition, the fleet even brought hot pot!
Fatty beef hot pot!
In the local area, this is a delicacy that even wealthy gentry would not be able to use!
As for the braised beef tenderloin, grilled beef tendon, and black pepper steak, they are even more commonplace.
It doesn't matter if you can't eat. Zheng Guangying has already brought dozens of supply ships with a bunch of freezers.
The businessmen and farmers of Trinity City respectfully presented a thousand cows. Even if one cow only produced 300 kilograms of meat, the total was 300,000 kilograms of beef.
The protection fee at this level is definitely not high. Zheng Guangying's fleet only comes once every two years, and the average fee is only 500 cows a year.
If the other party feels that the price is too high, Zheng Guangying will personally send troops to "eat beef". By then, the number of live cattle lost by the local people will definitely exceed this standard!
Zheng Guangying is also easy to negotiate. If the number of cattle is not enough, sheep can be used to make up for it. One cow can be converted into five sheep.
After everyone in the fleet has eaten and drank enough, they will naturally leave this place as agreed. After all, they will come to visit this good place often in the future...
For Spain's overseas territories, this kind of treatment is considered very benevolent.
If it were the Mexican side, the fleet would only leave a piece of scorched earth!
This time we returned directly from the mouth of the Rio de la Plata and did not go to Brazil.
The land there was scraped a bit hard before, and the area needs to recover before we can go over and scrape it again.
As a nominal uncle, Zheng Guangying actually didn't care about Zhang Tianbao's life or death.
If Zhang Tianbao could be exchanged for ore that could fill the entire fleet, Zheng Guangying would agree to the deal without hesitation.
Without the strong support of the Ming Empire, the so-called "Dadong Empire" would be nothing more than a flash in the pan!
The Qin Dynasty and the Sui Dynasty both died in the second generation, and it seems that the Dadong Empire created by Zhang Xianzhong is about to die...
However, the Holy Emperor does not intend to let this empire that does not live up to its name come to an end in the near future. Judging from the situation on the North American battlefield where all parties are competing, this arrangement is not in the interests of the Ming Dynasty.
Because in the short term, it is relatively difficult to project tens of thousands of combat troops from the mainland to North America and maintain the consumption of this force of a certain scale.
Reclamation is a feasible way, but it requires a holy judgment before it can be implemented. Zheng Guangying decided to report what he saw during his trip back to the emperor...
At the moment, Zhang Tianbao has to be pulled out. Before the Ming Dynasty King's army lands in North America, he cannot be killed by his brother who defected to Xiyi!
The expedition is only in name, and the ore is the fundamental thing.
As long as the fleet is full of ores, even if they don't barter with Zhang Tianbao, they can still make a lot of money.
It would be great if there were a few gold mines along the coast of North America, but the attraction to the fleet is obviously not as good as South America.
When Zheng Guangying returned to Zhang Tianbao's territory, he found that after acquiring a batch of new equipment, he had indeed led his troops to advance southward for about four hundred miles.
But that's all. After the death of his father Zhang Xianzhong, the leaders of each tribe seemed to have plans to separate themselves, including the two nominal brothers Zhang Wenxiu and Zhang Qineng.
Judging from the current situation, the death of Zhang Xianzhong directly started the decline of his Dadong Empire, which was similar to the Qin Dynasty back then.
Emperor Sui Yang at least committed suicide by himself, and Zhang Tianbao may not have the talent of Emperor Sui Yang.
If the momentum of feudal separatism cannot be controlled, the collapse of the Dadong Empire will be just around the corner...
