Dragon Sea Empire

The city of Manila has been built since it was built.There has never been any large-scale military threat.Governor Acuna and the new Colonial Commander-in-Chief Don Fernando thought that the Chinese company might launch an attack on the Philippines.But they don't see it as an imminent danger.

Almost half a month ago.A merchant ship from Fujian, China brought news that Yin Feng, the boss of the Zhonghua Company and the leader of the president, was assassinated by his enemies.was seriously injured.The Spanish colonial authorities in the Philippines believed this even more.At least in the short term, the threat from the Chinese is non-existent.Don Fernando's most pessimistic estimate.It is also likely to happen in the second half of next year.But by then the wind at sea had changed.and.Spanish reinforcements from Mexico would then also bolster the defenses of the area around Manila.

Fernando based on his observations of the guards on the Taiwan Port Wharf.I think this group of Chinese people is more organized and disciplined.But weapons and equipment and military training are far inferior to the Spanish colonial army.

therefore.The Spaniards on the entire Luzon Island now don't take the Chinese threat to heart at all.

The result of lax defenses is the emblem of the colony.The most important west gate in the area around Intramuros Manila.In just ten minutes, it was quickly captured by hundreds of people from the Chinese company.

The guards of the Chinese company that occupied Fort Santiago immediately went into intense preparations.Mai Xiaoliu is the general manager of the Nanyang region.The dominant ship owner's cronies.Undoubtedly became the interim commander.Everyone was busy removing the weapons and ammunition from the ship.Including a large number of flintlock muskets, granulated gunpowder, and two small bronze cannons.And the grenade newly developed by the Weapons Department.

Zhang Wei is almost in his 50s.At this time, like a curious child, he followed the guards and asked this and that.

"What is this dark clay pot? Why is there a fuse sticking out of the mouth of the pot?"

Yan Siqi respected this old pirate.He replied [-] from the side: "This is called a grenade. Our ship owner named it; light the fuse and throw it out. It will explode. It will blow up a large piece."

The student soldiers landed first in this battle.And the first to attack the castle.Stunning enough.Mai Xiaoliu scolded Yan Siqi.Because he didn't get the order to charge first.Ten of the student soldiers were wounded in this battle.Fortunately no one was killed.These precious students of Yin Feng are finally alive.then.Mai Xiaoliu asked all the student soldiers to clean up the battlefield in the castle.Guard captives and arsenals.If there is any more fighting below, they are not allowed to do anything.

Yan Siqi was bored and had to accompany Zhang Wei to wander around the castle.

"Why don't you muskets have any kindling clips. Are all your ammunition packed in these paper bags?"

Yan Siqi suppressed his impatience.I feel that this old man has too many problems: "These are all muskets made by our Chinese company. They don't need matchlocks..."

Huang Lue, the captain of the unit of the first regiment that participated in the surprise attack on the fortress, was from Jinjiang.He is a distant relative with Huang Cheng (Zheng Zhilong's uncle), the major shareholder of Zhonghua Company.He was one of the thousands of Chinese who Yin Feng brought out of Balian back then.He took more than ten soldiers to the direction of Manila King City for reconnaissance.He hurried back without going far.

"Mai Liuye. There is a relationship between the officer and the officer coming over here."

Mai Xiaoliu, An Xiaosi and the others were looking at a map.Find the map of Manila from the castle commander's room.

"What. How many people. What about the weapons and equipment."

"Only two or three people. A Ganla officer on horseback. No weapons."

An Xiaosi made a sudden realization: "I see. That's Lieutenant Gonzalo, the leader of the Ganla people guarding the castle. He went to the city of Manila to worship early in the morning."

"What. What's going on. All right. Go find Uncle Zhang Wei. Everyone is ready to fight. Remember. You are not allowed to show your figure on the tower."

Second Lieutenant Gonzalo vaguely heard gunshots from the direction of the castle on the way.He scolded those soldiers from the bottom of his heart; most likely he was drinking and making trouble while the officer was away.In recent years, the salaries of the colonial army have not been paid in full.The benefits that can be obtained from physiological persons in previous years are no longer available.As a result, the morale of the Spanish colonial army was very low.Military discipline loosened.Training is also not normal.

Second Lieutenant Gonzalo hurried back on horseback.It's a pity that this road has been in disrepair for a long time-it was the Chinese who built the road in the past.The road builders are also Chinese—it rained again a few days ago.It's really hard to go.

There are plains, swamps and reeds within several miles of this piece of land.He didn't realize that someone was watching secretly from the thatch around him.He drove for an hour.Only then did I see Fort Santiago standing majestically at the mouth of the river.On the top of the fortress, the royal flag of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty fluttered in the wind.

There was no one on the castle.Two sentries at the city gate were dozing off while standing curled up in front of the drawbridge.They seemed to be a little shorter.Wears a helmet and breastplate.Standing there with a matchlock gun in his arms.Lieutenant Gonzalo's horse rode up in front of them.There was still no response.

The second lieutenant was furious.He raised his hand and whipped the whip down: "You bunch of slackers. It's been a long time..."

The whip was not caught suddenly.An Xiaosi's scarred face suddenly appeared in front of the second lieutenant.There was a murderous look in the pitch-black eyes.Gonzalo immediately recognized the biological man.He was the physiological carpenter who was still working as a coolie in the castle in the morning.Even idiots.Gonzalo also felt the weirdness of the matter at this time.

He instinctively grabbed the commanding sword at his waist.But a few figures quickly appeared in the city gate.The crossbow arrows in his hand shot out like beads.Lieutenant Gonzalo and his two followers did not have time to resist.He was shot to death under the city gate by more than ten short arrows.

After solving Second Lieutenant Gonzalo.The troops of the Chinese company still did not pull the suspension bridge up.The castle gates are open.Still pretending to be nothing.Mai Xiaoliu dispatched all the spies and agents of the Military Intelligence Department.Be on alert for movement in the direction of Metro Manila.at the same time.All personnel are armed with live ammunition.Always ready to fight.

When night falls.A Spanish patrol boat came from the northern port.Passing by Fort Santiago, I didn't even say hello.Paddle straight along the river towards Manila.This made all the guards of the Chinese company, who had their hands on the trigger and were highly nervous, let out a long sigh of relief.

Everyone is praying to God to stop making trouble.Let the big troops behind come quickly.

A long night passed.Mai Xiaoliu, An Xiaosi, Zhang Wei and others were waiting on the top of the fort.Searching the sea surface of Manila Bay inch by inch with a telescope.When it was daylight.Almost completely disappointed in them.When going down to prepare for battle.The sharp-eyed Yan Siqi stood by the flagpole and shouted: "There is a light. I saw a large canvas shadow."

Everyone lay down on the gun emplacement together.After observing for half an hour.It was only then that the shadow of the brigade sailing boats was discovered.Countless sail shadows are illuminated by the sun that just jumped out of the horizon.Moving forward slowly.

Everyone immediately cheered.Yan Siqi tore down the flag of the Habsburg Dynasty.Raise the Chinese flag of the Chinese company on a blue background.

"Bang. Boom." There was a loud noise.

The sound of gunfire came from the direction of the port on the north shore.This is the warning from the North Shore Harbor Battery.Although Fort San Diego did not respond.But the Spaniards were finally alerted to the appearance of a large group of sailing ships.

The Spanish army at the fort checkpoint on the north bank sent three soldiers to contact Fort Santiago.They wondered why Fort Santiago, with better terrain and a wider view, would not respond to the appearance of a large group of sailing ships.

The small sampan of the three liaison soldiers had just rowed to the center of the river mouth.They were dismayed to find that the royal emblem flag of Fort Santiago was missing.In its place was an odd blue flag.All three soldiers were peasant soldiers from the mountains of Aragon, Spain.I don't know the words on it at all.They looked at each other for a while.Suddenly it dawned on me.Hastily turned around and ran back for his life.

"What. Fort Santiago has fallen." The commander of the Spanish fleet at the port, Andres Pizarro, almost fell out of his bed upon hearing this.

He fumbled on his boots.He kicked the black slave who came to help out of the door.He asked sharply the sergeant on duty at the checkpoint in front of him: "Who is the enemy? What kind of banner does it have?"

The sergeant shook his head with difficulty: "I only know it's a blue flag. No one knows what the pattern on it is. It's a bit like the coat of arms of the Oruja family..." (The coat of arms of the Oruja nobles in Spain is a cross on a blue background)

Fleet Commander Andres Pizarro came to his flagship.On the battleship "Maria" with thirty cannons.He picked up the binoculars and looked in the direction of Manila Bay: the unidentified brigade of sailboats almost covered his field of vision.

"It's a junk ship. The Chinese are coming. They are coming again." Commander Pizarro shook his head.Said to the captain of the Maria: "It's too late. If it can be half an hour earlier, our fleet can still block them at the mouth of the river." Pizarro sighed: "Order. All warships in the fleet urgently raise anchor and sail. Get ready naval battle."

The Spanish fleet in the Philippine colony totaled ten warships.Only the Maria and the San Antonio are considered the main sailing warships.Each is equipped with thirty and twenty cannons.The remaining eight are small battleships and clippers.There are only 8-6 cannons loaded at most.and.Today there are two fast warships in Cebu.Not in Manila Bay.

At this time, the fast two-masted blessing boat of the Chinese company navy had arrived at the estuary.On the simple pier on the south bank of the estuary.The first regiment of fighters who welcomed them landed was full.

The orderly fleet approached the shore one by one.A large number of infantry soldiers went up and down from the nets on both sides of the transport sailboat to the small boats and sampans on the sea.Login first.for a moment.Several three-masted blessing ships with a load of more than 600 tons approached the dock flexibly.A tripod was erected on the deck.The cannon is hoisted on the wharf or the small boat on the sea surface with a wheel-turning device.Several small sailboats simply ran aground on the beach.Then the sailors jumped into the water with the infantry.Stepping on the mud and pebbles on the soles of their feet, they washed up on the river beach.

Pizarro's fleet regrouped due to passing through the docks of the port.For the time being, it cannot pose any threat to the Chinese landing forces.The war fleet has already drawn 40 two-masted warships and eight three-masted warships and began to approach the port base of the Spanish fleet.The three main warships, Feilong, Feihu, and Feibao, are temporarily hidden behind the fleet.Waiting in the wings.

The cannon on Fort Santiago diverted.Cannons were fired in the direction of the city of Manila.

The 36-pound heavy artillery that was originally used to block the mouth of the Pasig River made a loud noise that shook the sky.The whole castle was shaking.Shells rumbled across the morning sky.Fly towards the blood-red city of Manila in the east towards the sun.