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Chapter 559 Actively Prepare for War 3
"As the commander of the garrison fleet, I can responsibly conclude that if the Ming Emperor's navy really comes, it is unknown whether the city of Manila can be saved. Only ignorant and stupid wastes will take the initiative to leave the harbor to seek death."

But Colonel Juan was completely prepared and gave the answer directly without concealing his inner contempt. Ever since he learned that the Spanish mainland had rejected the Ming Emperor's suggestion and did not tell him in a very decent way, he basically broke the pot.

"...Very well, now in the name of the king, I appoint you, Colonel Juan Garcia, to lead the garrison fleet and be fully responsible for defending the city of Manila. For this purpose, any troops and anyone can be mobilized!"

Facing the ridicule from his subordinates, Governor Aguna's fat face turned into a purple eggplant. But officials are different. It is their basic skill to endure what ordinary people cannot endure. In order to reduce internal strife when the enemy is present, this tone must be tolerated. Not only must it be tolerated, but it must also be given the power to mobilize the army against its will.

"As ordered, your Excellency the Governor and Your Excellency the Bishop, please rest assured that my family is still in the mainland. As a Spanish officer, I must and can only fight to the end and live or die with the city of Manila!"

No matter how dissatisfied he was, Colonel Juan could not refuse the appointment. It doesn't matter if he offends the governor, he will be demoted at most, but he cannot offend the bishop. That would be tantamount to digging his own grave and burying himself and his family in it.

"The day after tomorrow I will hold a mass at St. Augustine's Cathedral to spread the holy message from God to the Christians in the diocese, calling on them to take up arms to resist the invasion of the pagans. Colonel Juan, how to turn devout Christians into It’s your responsibility to organize.”

Seeing the commander of the garrison fleet expressing his stance, Bishop Joseph smiled with relief. He is not pessimistic about this possible war. After decades of hard work, Luzon and even most of the Philippine Islands have been firmly controlled by missionaries, not with troops and guns, but with religion. .

Except for a small number of indigenous people living in the jungle and small islands, most of the indigenous people have converted to Christianity, including some Chinese businessmen who live here permanently. As long as the flag of the pagans is raised, tens of thousands of natives can be summoned to arms in a very short time.

Although their weapons and equipment are still very primitive, they are very fanatical in killing people. In the past, they were the main force in dealing with pirate sieges and massacres of Chinese businessmen. They could come and go as soon as they were called. They were very useful.

If the Ming Emperor really sent troops to attack Manila, it would not be enough to rely on more than 1000 Spanish garrison troops. He would have to rely on believers to take the lead. Let them use their lives to drag down the Ming army and then let the Spanish regular army launch a counterattack, which will basically solve the problem.

"That's great! I have a plan. First, gather the Spanish garrisons and ships from Cebu and other places, and gather 4 of the largest sailing ships, carrying at least 500 soldiers. They will be commanded by Captain Steer and wait for the enemy to come. When attacking, go out to sea and ambush in the southern sea area.

I took the remaining soldiers and commanded the servants and believers to defend the landing of the Ming army at Fort Santiago and the port fort. If the Ming Navy wanted to attack by force, the artillery on the forts and castles would cause them to suffer a big loss first.

If the Ming Navy retreats in the face of difficulties, it will be ambushed by the fleet led by Captain Steer near the estuary. There are dense shoals there, which is not suitable for large fleet operations. The probability of our victory is very high.

If they continued their attack on the port forts and castle, Captain Steer's fleet could enter the Pasig River at night to launch a sneak attack. Taking advantage of the chaos, I will attack from the castle and make the Ming Navy vulnerable from both sides. "

With the strong support of Bishop Joseph, Colonel Juan suddenly felt that he was not completely invincible. Back then, the pirate Lin Afeng led tens of thousands of pirates and hundreds of ships to attack the city of Manila with great momentum, but in the end he still hated the city. As long as it can withstand the first wave of attacks and drag out the war, the Ming Navy, which is tired of expeditions and is unfamiliar with the country, will lose most of its advantages. The Christians will definitely win through attrition.

"Very good, Colonel Juan. I will truthfully report to the king your bravery and wisdom in this battle, and personally donate 3000, no, 5000 silver coins to reward you and your subordinates!"

Governor Aguna, who was originally looking sad, finally felt a little confident after listening to the advice of the bishop and the colonel. Although he could not provide any tactical or strategic guidance, he was not a too confused miser. As long as the city of Manila can be preserved, the money spent now can be earned back exponentially in the future.

"The diocese also donated 5000 silver coins!" Bishop Joseph had the same idea. Compared with the governor, the church earned more, so this little money was really nothing.

"But there is a problem that needs to be solved immediately! Your Majesty the Governor, all these arrangements cannot be hidden from the Chinese businessmen across the river." Money is certainly a good thing, but Colonel Juan understands a truth better. If you can't win, no matter how much money you give, it is just a waste of time. Flowers in the moon mirror.

"..." Governor Aguna was speechless at this time, and his eyes turned to Bishop Joseph. Colonel Juan was right to remind him that there are thousands of Chinese businessmen living across the river, some are permanent residents, some are frequent visitors, some are religious and some are not.

But regardless of whether they are admitted or not, the group of Chinese businessmen is a destabilizing factor, and there is indeed the possibility of leaking information. But how to stop their mouths is a big problem. Chinese businessmen are not as easy to fool as the natives. There are also sea ships, which can come and go freely and are difficult to control.

"When I came here, I happened to pass by the dock and found that many Chinese merchant ships had left the port, but the waterline was very shallow and it didn't look like they were full of cargo. Could it be that they also knew about this?" Bishop Joseph shook his head. , indicating that there was nothing he could do, but he did provide a new piece of news.

"Alas... let them leave, the faster the better. Those who stay behind will not be allowed to approach the port or enter the city from the day after tomorrow."

Upon hearing the news, Governor Aguna showed several expressions on his face, and finally sighed, not intending to intervene. The big men are coming, it would be unwise to carry out another massacre, and it would be unrealistic to imprison them all. It would be beneficial for both parties to be able to leave on their own.

Judging from the reactions of the Chinese businessmen, they must have known the Ming Emperor's will, maybe even earlier than they knew. And they firmly believed that the Ming Navy would come, so they fled the battlefield one after another. This is a good thing and a bad thing at the same time.

From a combat perspective, without Chinese businessmen as internal agents, Manila City's defense system will be much more stable. But from an economic point of view, without the participation of Chinese businessmen, the business of Manila Port will be reduced by more than 70%, and it will take another half a year to recover. This time it is considered a big loss.

(End of this chapter)