Fighting in southern California, there is no need to consider winter-related issues.
Especially with Zhou Yuji's efforts, Jiexuan actually sent a small fleet upstream from the mouth of the Colorado River.
The scope of activities is limited to the plains and desert areas of the lower reaches of the Colorado River, and will not enter the Grand Canyon area in the middle reaches.
Most of the ships entering the inland river were relatively small ships, but they also helped Zhou Yuji a lot.
The artillery fire output by a first-class ironclad ship is equivalent to the firepower of an artillery battery, not to mention the hull to provide protection.
The fleet can not only cover the army's actions to a certain extent, but also provide the army with a large amount of supplies, avoiding the trouble of being attacked by the enemy due to extended supply lines.
The Spaniards did not dare to sneak attack the Ming warships entering the inland river, but before doing so, they must think clearly about the pros and cons, otherwise they would be destroying themselves in a short time...
Jiexuan may not give others face, but Zhou Yuji has been Emperor Haojing's favorite general since he took command of the East Palace Guards, and his status in the emperor's heart is no lower than that of Jiexuan.
Doing this requires the cooperation of some ship owners. Just using warships to transport supplies is too inefficient.
When they heard that there was a large amount of loot inland, including prisoners waiting for transportation, the shipowners were certainly very enthusiastic about it.
Now that everyone has come to the East, everyone will not miss any opportunity to make money.
Since except for local specialties, only a small number of beautiful Western women will be sent to the mainland, and most of the captives will be transported by fleet to the mines of the New Inca Empire, the pressure on shipping is much less than before.
In the same amount of time, you can make two trips to the New Inca Empire, but you can only make one trip back to the homeland. Emperor Poirot's price is not low, which means that the ship owners can make nearly twice as much money.
In addition to following the fleet, the fleet also has to wait at the landing site as planned. The army will send back the prisoners and loot, so that the ship owners can make a profit.
By the forty-sixth year of Haojing, the number of merchant ships traveling between the Ming Dynasty and the Americas had exceeded 7,000, of which about 2,000 were steam merchant ships.
Zhu Cixiang strived to increase this number to 10,000 ships in the last decade of the seventeenth century, including 4,000 steam merchant ships more suitable for ocean transportation.
Various shipbuilding bases in the Ming Dynasty are frantically building ironclads and steam merchant ships, because orders have been signed with buyers for more than 15,000 ships, and the delivery time is not until the beginning of the 18th century...
The Ottoman Empire and the New Inca Empire, two partners who are not short of money, have both placed orders for 5,000 steam merchant ships, with three specifications of 4,000, 7,000, and 10,000 tons, respectively. ship.
As long as the Ming Empire accepted barter, the other party could neither consider the specific selling price nor the delivery date.
Zhu Cixi inadvertently gave birth to two big dog owners on the earth who are not picky eaters!
If you include the parts ordered by other countries and those used by Daming and Zheng for their own use, the total number of orders received by the shipyard is as high as 50,000 ships!
In order to meet the growing needs of overseas trade, the Ming Dynasty's own models were seven thousand tons and ten thousand tons, completely ignoring small-tonnage merchant ships.
Unlike the merchant ships of later generations, the merchant ships built by the Ming Dynasty were all armed merchant ships with reserved gun positions, which could effectively deal with so-called pirate ships.
Generally speaking, ocean-going merchant ships travel in groups and are protected by warships, so the probability of being attacked is very low.
Now that the routes from the mainland to the Red Sea and South Africa have been opened, this problem basically does not exist.
The routes to Australia and America are safer, especially the latter, where you may not even see a single person after a month of sailing.
Hearing that there was a "backlog of supplies" inland, boat owners eagerly signed up for fear of falling behind.
Those who were selected were very happy, but the total number was only fifty.
The reason why there are not many is that the battleships first have to go to the lower reaches of the Colorado River to check the hydrological conditions.
Whether the fleet can enter, how far it can go upstream, and how much supplies and loot the army needs to transport.
Generally speaking, a 500-ton merchant ship can provide supplies for a thousand soldiers, and heavy equipment needs to be calculated separately.
Zhou Yuji has three armies under his command, equipped with a lot of tanks, heavy artillery, aircraft, and missiles.
Only after the first batch of supplies has passed will we know the specific situation there.
After entering February, the Spanish defenders in the lower Colorado River basin thought they were dazzled.
However, the fact is indeed so bizarre, the Ming fleet actually sailed into the desert!
Before, the Spanish cavalry couldn't defeat the Ming army's tanks, but now a group of things more terrifying than tanks have arrived!
There were Spanish ships hiding here in the lower reaches of the Colorado River, but they couldn't defeat this group of uninvited guests.
Ariola, the governor of California, had previously tried to use these ships to cooperate with the cavalry's guerrilla tactics to contain the enemy's attack.
All the current reliance has been exhausted in just three days, and the cavalry can only become lonely ghosts in the Gobi and mountains...
The Spanish ships that reacted quickly did not wait for Ariola's reply, but directly chose to flee to the middle reaches of the Colorado River.
You can run as far as you can. After the open sea and the Gulf of Mexico have become hunting grounds for yellow-skinned monkey ironclads, the further inland the safer the place is.
Ariola also gradually understood that the Yellow-skinned Monkey Army had not crossed the Colorado River and continued its attack eastward. It turned out that it was waiting for their fleet!
Not only did he no longer have the advantage of a ship, he became even more passive.
As the enemy fleet advanced, the defense line he operated in the lower reaches of the Colorado River collapsed in an instant.
Ariola was very angry about this, but couldn't think of any way to deal with it.
The 40,000 people in his hand are his final capital. Once he loses, even if he only loses half, he may lose the possibility of a comeback.
It was no longer possible to maintain the defense line on the lower Colorado River, and Ariola had to reluctantly order his troops to retreat inland and to the middle and upper reaches.
He wanted to see whether the yellow-skinned monkey would cross the Colorado River and continue attacking eastward, or go up the river and go deeper north.
If possible, Ariola hoped that the yellow-skinned monkey would be ambitious enough to attack in both directions at the same time, so that the troops could be divided.
Now he no longer has the heart to manage the Grand Canyon area in the hinterland, and the focus of defense is on the southern area adjacent to the Governor-General of Texas and the Governor-General of Mexico.
Judging from the intelligence obtained previously, these two governor-general areas have been invaded by yellow-skinned monkeys on a large scale, and the situation is extremely serious.
All in all, the situation in the Governor's District of California is relatively good.
Therefore, Carlos III also placed his hope of turning defeat into victory on Ariola, which invisibly put a lot of pressure on him.
Initially, when the yellow-skinned monkeys only occupied two strongholds in the Bay Area and Long Beach, Ariola thought he had a chance to win.
The opponent did not continue to expand the scope of the attack because of insufficient troops. As long as it takes time, we can win another complete victory.
However, this time he made a strategic misjudgment. The yellow-skinned monkey was not the previous predatory attack, but launched a full-scale invasion.
Only their vanguard troops occupy the two fortresses, and tens of thousands of troops are being continuously transported by sea from the distant eastern world.
First the Viceroyalty of Mexico, then the Viceroyalty of Texas, and finally the Viceroyalty of California.
This was tantamount to the opponent using a roundabout tactic, also known as the "Death Scythe", which made Ariola happy.
For Zhou Yuji, the top priority was to advance the troops eastward as soon as possible and eventually join up with the brother troops fighting in the Texas area.
At the same time, it can also cut off the Spanish troops in the inland areas from the south, divide and surround the enemy, and then eat them all.
The three armies did not spread out and attack in a fan-shaped search mode. Instead, they formed a long snake formation, with the target being the Gila River in southeastern California.
This river runs east-west, which is very conducive to fresh water supply as the expeditionary force advances eastward.
On the upper reaches of the Gila River, and a hundred or so miles further east, is the Rio Grande River in west Texas.
Others might think that chasing the Spaniards is the top priority.
But in the opinion of Zhou Yuji, who has been fighting in the Western Regions for many years, his troops are located in the southwest region where there is drought and little rain. Only by first grasping a stable source of fresh water can they be invincible.
It is no exaggeration to say that a river may determine the life or death of an army!
This is only the first step. Our troops must not only enter the battlefield, but also come out alive, especially not to die of thirst!
Zhou Yuji had many things to take care of, but the boat owners traveling upstream from the mouth of the Colorado River only had one thing in mind.
The result did not disappoint everyone. Zhou Yuji handed over thousands of prisoners to them, including those local natives who served the Spanish.
Even if the Indians dared to go against the expeditionary force after surrendering to the Spaniards, it would be an act of rebellion without distinction between right and wrong, and they deserved to be sent to mines.
If the various tribes in North America want to continue living on this land, Emperor Haojing has only one requirement for them, and that is that they must personally understand!
This is the first and only condition. Daming has no control over how they kill each other.
But if you try to harass Master Wang, you will be sent somewhere to reflect.
Previously, Zhou Yuji had asked pilots to drop leaflets when they saw Indian tribes in the interior.
This is written in three languages: plain language, French, and Spanish. If you still can't understand it, then just ask yourself.
When Zhang Xianzhong was still alive, his sphere of influence once reached the area south of the Grand Canyon.
This means that the local tribal chiefs have more or less come into contact with this guy, and the influence of the Ming Dynasty should still remain in their minds.
Although Zhou Yuji was a military commander, he believed that war was not the best way to make these tribal armed forces surrender to the Ming Dynasty. He still preferred to use gifts!
Throughout the ages, gift giving is the only universal good method in the world!
The chiefs may not pursue a high-quality life, but sending dozens of revolvers will not make them hate themselves, right?
Jiexuan, who once went on an expedition to the Americas, reported that the four things Indian chiefs liked were weapons, tea, candies, and military boots.
On the contrary, porcelain is dispensable because it is easy to break and cannot be moved away. On the contrary, stainless steel utensils are shiny and not afraid of being dropped, and are extremely popular among various tribes.
Emperor Haojing once said that the most valuable place in North America is the east and west coasts plus the Great Lakes area.
The interior of the central and western regions can be completely left to the tribes as their territory for grazing.
The model is the same as that of the grassland. After the railway was built, the Ming Dynasty just built cities on the grassland.
The zoning of pastures is still the same as before, and not many people in the pass go to the grasslands to graze.
Except for places with mines, in other areas, the Indian chiefs can do whatever they want.
I believe the chiefs have no objection to this. This is the best solution to protect their rights and interests.
When the troops finally reached the Rio Grande in June, Zhou Yuji ordered them to stop advancing and station the entire army along the river.
On the one hand, we have to wait for the military situation in Texas, and on the other hand, we find that it seems that the small rivers near this river have stopped flowing.
This shows that the area is in a state of drought and little rainfall. Although it is not a desert, the soil conditions are not optimistic, and the troops cannot take risks easily.
It takes five to six hundred miles to reach the Pecos River further east. You can also head up the Rio Grande River, but if you don't continue, it will be further enlarged.
After waiting for a month, Zhou Yuji learned that Zeng Yingbu had already arrived in the area north of San Juan Mountain, which is the upper reaches of the Colorado River.
Currently, the ministry is operating further north in the Great Plains region.
The local Spaniards used the Rocky Mountains in the west to fight guerrillas, and Zeng Yingbu was also fighting guerrillas.
In the absence of war horses, it is of course unwise to go into the mountains to encircle and suppress the enemy. It is easier to just wait and see.
Zeng Ying led his troops to a place known as the "Yellowstone Forest" by his respected master, but after seeing the local terrain, he ordered a retreat.
The more complex the terrain, the more advantageous it is for the Spaniards. It is best for them to control the plains and wait for the other party to attack them.
This is also the limit of Zeng Ying's troops going north, and supplies have become extremely difficult.
Normally, each department operates in a decentralized manner, using battalions and companies as units.
If there are enemies, kill them; if there are no enemies, hunt and fish.
It can be said that Zeng Ying used all the experiences and lessons learned from the Western Expedition against Rakshasa in this Northern Expedition.
Zhou Yuji looked at the map and estimated that it would take more than half a year for his troops to get there.
It's good to encounter enemies, but I'm afraid that if they don't see a few of them, they will consume all the supplies they carry.
Especially in winter, the climate there is completely different from that in the south, and the troops have to consider the issue of winter clothing.
The good news is that the lower reaches of the Rio Grande lead directly to the Gulf of Mexico, allowing Jiexuan to transport these supplies to them by sea.
In September, after all the necessary things were gathered, Zhou Yuji ordered the entire army to march north.
One corps was deployed in each of New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming, with the Wyoming troops under his personal command.
The acclimatized and injured soldiers stayed in the south, the better ones went to Colorado, and the best went to as far away as Wyoming.
According to actual calculations, at least two or three more troops should have landed from Long Beach or the Bay Area, so Zhou Yuji was not worried about things on the west coast.
