Inca Elegy (Novel) "The Fall of the Inca Empire" (Volume 2) by Zhang Baotong
The priest sent by the king, Baca de Castro, was determined to stand against the rioters who killed the Marquis of Pizarro. Because he did not know that the murderer who assassinated him on the "Mayflower" happened to be the assassin secretly sent by Marquis Pizarro. He arrived in Quito in the north in 1541, met with Benalcasal, the general of the Quito garrison under the Marquis of Pizarro, and told him that he would never compromise against the assassins of the Marquis of Pizarro. Determination won the surrender of Benalcazar.
However, the governor appointed by the king learned that Benalcassar had protected a conspirator in the assassination of the Marquis of Pizarro because the conspirator and Benalcasal had been a close friend. After this close friend was captured, Benalcazar managed to let him go. The governor was so indignant at this news that he refused to listen to any excuses and ordered Benalcazar to return immediately to his defense at Popayan. This was a bold and reckless act when the governor's fate was still very uncertain.
The governor began to travel around northern Peru to understand the situation, regain people's hearts, recruit troops, and expand his power. In early 1542 he arrived at the military camp of Alonso de Alvarado in Huaura. Holguin had encamped not far from his opponent; for jealousy arose as usual between the two generals. Both of them aspired to assume the supreme command of the army's chief general. The governorship given to Baca de Castro appears to have included serving as commander-in-chief of the army. But de Castro was a scholar, well versed in the law; and, whatever power he claimed in civilian matters, both generals fancied that he would be able to turn over the reins of the military department to themselves.
However, they knew too little about De Castro's character. Although he did not have more military knowledge than every knight in that martial age, he understood that if he publicly declared his ignorance and left military affairs to others, even if he would not be in the situation he was currently in, Being humiliated in a turbulent situation will also greatly damage his authority. And he is both visionary and courageous, and he believes that he can rely on the experience of others to make up for his own shortcomings. His position enabled him to call into his service the ablest men in the country, by whose advice his plans of action could be carried out, and he understood that the only way to allay the jealousies of both parties in the present crisis was by He himself assumed the office which caused dissension between them.
Governor Castro came to Alonso de Alvarado's military camp, which was located in a residential house in the small town of Huavula in northern Peru. There is an open field in front of the town, which serves as a training ground for the military camp. The general, who had been defeated by Almagro's troops at the Abanque Bridge, was leading his troops under review by the Governor.
Governor Castro delivered a speech to the soldiers. He said, "Soldiers, I came here from the country thousands of miles away on the orders of the King of Spain. The purpose is to put down the rebellion in Peru and severely punish the murderer of Marquis Pizarro. Thugs. There is a group of people who, for personal grudges and interests, blatantly disobey the king's orders and the interests of the Spanish state, and regard the land of Peru as their personal contested territory. On the king's order, I will lead the people who are loyal to the king. Soldiers, go and eliminate these criminals who assassinated the Marquis of Pizarro. I hope you will be loyal to the king, obey the king, and follow me to fight resolutely against those criminals who go against the king's wishes."
Listening to the Governor's speech, the soldiers shouted, "Long live the King!"
After receiving the troops, Alvarado took the governor to his headquarters and hosted a banquet in honor of the governor. Afterwards, the two discussed the current situation together, and the governor seriously criticized the conflicts and struggles between the general and Holguin, another general of the Marquis of Pizarro, over the competition for military power. Because after the death of Marquis Pizarro, the two generals had a dispute over the leadership of the army, and for this reason, the two also had a duel. Fortunately, neither man suffered any casualties from the duel.
Castro told Alvarado, "Currently, our enemy is the murderer of Marquis Pizarro. It is said that Almagro has established an authority government in Lima and was supported by the Chilean gang as the governor of Peru. We have expanded our army and equipment. We are about to fight a decisive battle with us. However, you and Holguin are both able men of Marquis Pizarro. However, before you can avenge Marquis Pizarro, you started fighting among yourself. If His Majesty the King knew about it, how worried would he be? Therefore, I ask you and Holguin to take the overall situation into consideration and work closely together to attack and eliminate the murderers of Marquis Pizarro."
Alvarado was speechless and ashamed by the pastor's words. He had no choice but to express his stance to Castro, saying, "I am willing to follow the governor's opinion and reconcile with General Holguin as before, unite closely, and unite." foreign."
So, in his capacity as governor, Castro sent someone to summon Holguin from another military camp not far from Camp Alvarado to have an individual conversation with him. Holguin is a tall, burly soldier in his forties, wearing a military uniform and carrying a long sword. But he likes to be straightforward and doesn't like to listen to others' reasoning. He first complained about how unjust and incompetent Alvarado was, and then asked the governor to give him the command of the army left by Marquis Pizarro.
After hearing this, the governor spoke earnestly and seductively to him, "General Holguin, I know your talent and prestige, but at present, for the sake of the king's trust and the tranquility of Peru, you must understand the righteousness. We must take the overall situation into consideration and unite with General Alvarado to completely eliminate the rebels who harm the Marquis of Pizarro. Otherwise, not only will we not be able to eliminate the rebels, but we will be eliminated by the rebels. Once the rebels are eliminated , I will reward you on behalf of the king. However, I must first understand your military talents and qualities."
Convinced by the Governor's words, Holguin expressed his willingness to reconcile with Alvarado and fight side by side. So Castro called the two of them together and asked them to express their stance and swear an oath.
Next, the evangelist came to Holguin's military camp, where he was given a grand welcome, with salutes fired, and loyal soldiers constantly shouting "Long live the King!" First read aloud by his secretary After receiving the king's letter of appointment, he climbed onto the velvet-draped podium and gave a long and inspiring speech to the troops. His speech won lasting applause from the soldiers. All this shows that this army of more than 200 people has willingly obeyed him as a representative of the royal family.
Soon, the governor, who came to the new world alone, had his own army. He sent Alvarado and Holguín with their troops to Hoja to prepare for a decisive battle with Almagro's troops stationed in Cusco. He himself led a small force of about 100 people to Lima. As soon as he entered Lima, he was warmly welcomed by the local residents. These people were the founder of this capital and the staunch followers of the Marquis Pizarro. These residents immediately expelled the municipal officials supported by Almagro, allowing the officials and clerks appointed by Pizarro to return to their former positions after declaring their loyalty to the Spanish crown.
As soon as the governor arrived in Lima, he began to expand his army and prepare for war. He soon received large sums of money from Pizarro's followers. Because the Almagro Group had exhausted all the horses and weapons, they had to use other methods to purchase horses and weapons. By the time they left Lima, their manpower and weapons had been greatly improved. When he got the news that Almagro had left Cusco and was about to march to the coast, he led his troops and immediately rushed to Haoha.
Haoha is Peru's main gateway to the north, south, and east and west. As long as you occupy Haoha, you can block the country's east-west, north-south passages, and also block the passage from Cusco to the coast. Castro arrived at Haoha and joined forces led by Alvarado and Holguin who had arrived earlier. In order to show his military power, the governor held a military parade in Haoha. The military parade was held on the playground in front of the original Inca barracks.
Castro, accompanied by Alvarado and Holguin, reviewed the entire unit. This force has grown to more than 700 people, half of which are cavalry, half of which are infantry, and some artillery. This force was numerically superior to its opponents, for Almagro's force numbered only about five hundred men, but was inferior in horses and weapons. Moreover, most of the people in this army are closely related to the country's major interests, because most of the country's industries are concentrated in their hands. Therefore, overall, neither army has a very obvious advantage. In a real battle, it is difficult to decide who will win.
Because judging from the large number of battle cases in European wars, some people may think that a force of about 500 people will actually be insignificant, and even laugh at the Spanish troops with only 300 to 500 people. However, in a series of battles in the New World, 70,000 to 80,000 Indians would seem insignificant when facing 500 Spaniards. Five hundred well-trained European soldiers seemed invincible and invincible. During this period, there was no army that could reach thousands of people. However, it is not the number of soldiers that matters in a battle, but the outcome of the battle. Just like two gamblers gambling together, it depends on the size of their bets and the skills and courage of the two card players.
At this time, a messenger was sent by Gonzalo Pizarro. The younger brother of the Marquis of Pizarro had just returned from an expedition to the "Land of Cinnamon". The expedition was even more difficult than Almagro's expedition to Chile. Almagro's expedition to Chile was experienced virtually in the uninhabited snowy mountain plateau, while Gonzalo's expedition to "Land of Cinnamon" was conducted in the uninhabited land of Amazonian rivers and swamps. He heard from the local Indians that there was a cinnamon country there, with cinnamon trees all over the mountains and fields. Cinnamon is a spice that is very expensive to buy in Europe. Therefore, Gonzalo led a team of two to three hundred people to explore. However, they went through many difficulties and dangers, and all they saw were rivers and deserted areas. After more than a year of life and death hardship, he returned to Quito with the remaining half of his troops. As soon as he returned to Quito, he heard that the king had sent a governor named Baca de Castro to investigate the assassination of Marquis Pizarro. Therefore, he immediately sent someone to send a letter to the governor, expressing his willingness to help the governor and contribute to the elimination of Almagro.
However, the governor replied in his letter, "After the general went through an expedition to the 'Land of Cinnamon' that lasted for more than a year, he needed to take a long time to recuperate. Therefore, I do not intend to disturb him." You. I hope you can recuperate in the Quito military camp. In addition, although I am preparing to attack Almagro, I have not given up on using peaceful means to reach a settlement with him. As long as it does not damage the authority of the royal family, we may Avoid resorting to war. If I took your advice and asked you to stay with me, it would make Almagro's Chilean gang think I was siding with their enemies, which would make us Any efforts to achieve reconciliation will be in vain. Therefore, I advise you to stay at his own station and have a good rest. If the situation requires, I will immediately ask for your help. Thank you again."
