Wanli Xinming

Chapter 389 Questioning
On June 15th, the [-]th year of Wanli, the second day after the artillery shells of the Ming army fell into the city of Manila.The court chased the imperial envoy's fast boat and turned back from Sulu to Manila Bay to join the fleet.

The Zhengshitang dispatched the latest fast boat developed by the Portuguese shipbuilder Shi Linwa in the 12th year of Wanli. It is thirty miles per hour, and it is really as fast as a galloping horse.I thought I could catch up with the sealed ship on the sea—but the high-ranking gentlemen overlooked one point. Even on the same route, most of the time the visibility is not enough for the fast boat to meet the sealed ship, let alone when sailing at night.

Therefore, when Xiao Chongye was looking for traces in the stern of the ship, the fast boat carrying the imperial decree of King Sulu had far surpassed them. After completing the supplies in Manila, they headed south to Sulu.

After waiting anxiously for several days, Wang Da, the captain of the fast boat, thought that the fleet might be left behind by him. With the idea of ​​giving it a try, he drove the boat back and finally saw the closed fleet outside Manila Port. .

What Wang Da did not expect was that, because of the misjudgment of both sides, the ship-blocking fleet that was planning to go to Manila to supply supplies had already fought with Spain, and Xiao Chongye, who was on top, disregarded Xie Jie's dissuasion, and bombarded the city of Manila.

When he saw Wang Da, Xiao Chongye calmed down from his excitement and remembered that his main task was to send an ambassador to Sulu.Fortunately, following the imperial decree, there was also a decree from the political affairs hall: the canonization of King Sulu was the beginning of Daming’s official intervention in the South China Sea, which may have caused a reaction from the colonial authorities in Luzon.The imperial envoy was ordered to deal with it in a reasonable and favorable manner, and in case of an uncontrollable situation, he was allowed to act cheaply.

fine!Fortunately, there are four words "acting cheaply", otherwise the imperial envoy would seal the ship and start the war lightly overseas, and the great credit may not be able to be earned.The key now is to bring forward the date when Wang Da meets Feng Shuan - otherwise, it will be impossible to write a report after returning. After all, this old guy Xiao Chongye attacked Manila first, and then received the order to act cheaply.

How come he is so old, Xiao Chongye said in distress.Seeing Xie Jie pulling Wang Da aside and muttering, his old face was a little red.After a while, he saw Wang Da nod heavily from the corner of his eye, and he breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

With Wang Da's approval to advance the meeting date, Xiao Chongye is no longer afraid.It's amazing to cut a hole in the bow of the closed ship, saying that it was hit by the "St. John".

Now that the anger is out, the Spaniards also know that the old man is powerful.Xiao Chongye did not want to expand the war, so he ordered to suspend the shelling for one day, and sent an envoy to negotiate with the city lord of Manila, asking why he sent a ship to attack Daming and blocked the ship.

It was only at this time that I remembered to negotiate with the Manila authorities, but it fully reflects the mentality of Lord Xiao's angel of going to the country - I hit you first and then talk to you.

Daming stopped the bombardment of the ship-blocking fleet, and sent people to Binnandu outside the city to find two Chinese interpreters who were proficient in Spanish, and brought the inquiry documents sent by Daming's imperial envoy to Manila City to submit the documents.

The Governor of Santiago quickly got the imperial envoy documents, and saw that the Qiqiao was smoking.The Daming Fleet came to Manila, and the reason it was looking for was the undocumented St. John—I really can’t argue with your shameless accusations.

Because the information reported by the Bell Mouth Observatory in Manila Bay was incomplete, it only said that the Grand Fleet was seen, and the St. John did not return after leaving the port.The Governor of Santiago didn't know what happened to the St. John's disappearance, and now he knew that it was probably a disaster for the Daming fleet.

A St. John attacked four warships several times their size first—how can a civilized nation's reason for war be so shameless, Santiago thought.Immediately, Rodriguez's arrogant appearance appeared in front of him, and he muttered in his heart that it was really possible.

But now that the black cannonballs have been thrown into the city, you just remembered to ask us, is it too much?Bullying is not something to be bullied like this.

If it weren't for the lack of Spanish soldiers and the unreliable indigenous soldiers, the Governor of Santiago would definitely ignore the peace statement and fight to the end with the ship-blocking fleet.Surrender must not be surrendered now, but the dawn of peace that appears must be seized.

He pinched his nose and replied to a letter, which said that the Manila authorities did not know about Rodriguez's attack on the Daming fleet, and that we cannot accept the slander that has been imposed on us.However, the Daming fleet indiscriminately attacked the city of Manila with naval guns, and also shot down the two forts on the edge of the port - you Daming must give the great Spain an explanation.

Oops, Xiao Chongye got a little more upbeat after receiving the reply.I go to the country dignifiedly, and I can still slander you with white teeth.You are rude to me first, and then I punish you a little bit and you still want to say something?There is a saying, the old man continues to tell you with cannons!
When he was about to give the order to continue firing, Xie Jie persuaded again: "Master Xiao, although we have soldiers on the ship, there are many sailors. Such a big city will definitely not be shot down with artillery bombardment, and the infantry will definitely be on the way - Manila and Ryukyu King City. Different, foreign devils are good at using firearms. We don’t have thousands of elites who can’t fight such a strong fortress. Besides, we are here to supply supplies, not to fight, and we still have business to do.”

Xiao Chongye smiled bitterly when he heard the words: "Brother Xie, I don't know what you said. But the old man has already ordered the cannons to be fired, and it is hard to explain if we return home in vain. If we get their apology documents, we can go down by the ladder. ."

While the two were talking, the servant reported that a small boat was approaching the fleet with a white flag.Xiao Chongye and Xie Jie thought that Santiago had changed his mind and hurriedly called someone to board the boat.

It was not a messenger from the Manila authorities who boarded the ship, but a group of people from the Ming Dynasty.One of them also knew Xie Jie:
"I've seen two imperial envoys! I've seen Xie! The youngest is from the Zhou Wang family, and I haven't seen each other for many years to meet here. This is really. You still remember me."

"Sun Laicai! Why are you here?"

"Ah—it's a long story, in order to order Abu, these five or six years old are mixed in this area. I introduced to the two imperial envoys, this is Mr. Zhong Yanwen, the Luzon steward of our Zhou Wangfu, who came here to Report something."

Zhong Yanwen, who looked like a literati, wearing a cool silk shirt, met two imperial envoys in the prostration.After the guests and the host were seated, Xiao Chongye felt that the surnamed Zhong was familiar.After looking over and over again, he didn't wait for Zhong Yanwen to speak, and asked, "Mr. Zhong used to work at Xinmin Daily?"

Zhong Yanwen blushed and said, "Yes. When I was young, I used to be in Xinmin Daily, under the pseudonym Xin Zhongping. Because he preached in the newspaper that betting on horses is good for the country, he was attacked by gangsters in the capital and could not live in peace. Now he goes to sea. Now, do things for the King of Zhou to eat and drink."

Xie Jie opened his mouth wide, wanting to laugh but being embarrassed.He also remembered this incident. At that time, he was working in the Military Intelligence Headquarters. The Military Intelligence Bureau must subscribe to the newspaper. Xie Jie also saw reporter Zhong's plausible article.

At that time, the censors and the officials in the middle couldn't do anything to get angry, but the people in the capital who were ruined by gambling on horses were not used to this guy.Every day, rotten eggs, rotten vegetable leaves and gravel greet his house, and the yard is full of piles - he was ridiculed by the "Jingshi Daily", saying that this surnamed Zhong used money to write stubborn articles, and he was punished. It is a clear reason, and it proves that public opinion should not be insulted!

(End of this chapter)