1635 Han style rises again

Chapter 378 Manila Massacre
August 1640, 8 (Autumn of the 8th year of Chongzhen), Luzon, Manila.

Sebastián Coquera, the Spanish governor in the Philippines, has received good news and bad news this past August.

The good news is that after more than ten days of hard fighting, the Spanish army bombarded the city wall with several artillery pieces every day, and finally conquered San Pedro City, removing the most important obstacle leading to Calamba City.

The Spanish army that invaded the city of San Pedro immediately launched a brutal massacre, killing hundreds of Ming and natives who had not escaped in time, and hanged all the prisoners they captured in the process of chasing the rioting Ming. Die on the wall.

Colonel Polzionato, commander of the Spanish army, also ordered the execution of more than a dozen Ming servants who escaped during the siege, and punished dozens of Ming servants to hard labor.Subsequently, the Spanish army was temporarily in a state of repair in San Pedro City, waiting for the supplies needed by the colonial authorities in Manila to arrive, and then continued to march towards Santa Rosa.

The other bad news is that the Batangas port stronghold located southwest of Manila was captured by the rioting Ming people.Moreover, the two armed merchant ships stationed there were almost swam into the middle of the river by those Ming people one night, and after approaching the ships, they were almost set on fire.

Several vigilant sailors on the ship found that someone was approaching the ship in the dark, and promptly warned them, called their companions, fired muskets into the water, and then started the ship, avoiding the consequences of arson on the ship.

In the next few days, regardless of casualties, the rioting Ming people frequently swam to the Spanish armed merchant ships in the river at night and launched surprise attacks.They also made a large number of wooden rafts, piled all kinds of fire materials on them, and attacked Spanish ships from the upper reaches of the river along the water.

In desperation, in order to avoid being attacked, the two Spanish armed merchant ships had to sail out of the river mouth at night and park on the sea outside the port.

Unexpectedly, thousands of rioting Ming people outside the city launched a full-scale assault on the Batangas stronghold at night after the Spanish ships sailed out of the river mouth at night.After several hours of fierce fighting, they successfully entered the city.

After half of the Spaniards in the city were killed, the rest fled to the pier in a hurry, drove a boat, and fled from the stronghold.At dawn the next day, two Spanish armed merchant ships approached the pier immediately, unwillingly fired several rounds of shelling at the Batangas stronghold, but without any results, they lingered for a few days before turning back to Manila.

After learning that the rioting Ming people had captured the Batangas port stronghold, Governor Coquila immediately became vigilant.It stands to reason that many Ming people in the Philippines launched riots. In order to avoid the Spaniards' step-by-step killing, they should constantly strengthen the several Spanish strongholds they occupied, or rush to the southeast of Luzon Island to find There is room to move around.

But they just captured a stronghold near the sea. Don't they know that it can be easily attacked or blocked by the Spaniards who have the superiority of the sea?

"Could it be that those rioting Ming people still have foreign aid?" Colonel Rolscheid, the commander of the navy, also looked puzzled, "Could it be that the Ming government will send people to intervene?"

"No, I don't think the Ming government should come to intervene." Governor Coquera shook his head and said: "Our Philippine authorities have cleaned (massacred) the Ming people here twice in the past few decades. , none of their emperors blamed us. I suspect that it is the warlord of the Ming Dynasty, Admiral Zheng Zhilong, who may take action against us. I heard that his navy and army only obey his personal orders. We are in The two strongholds in Formosa were also captured by them."

"Zheng Zhilong?" Colonel Rolscheid said softly with a bitter expression on his face, "If he wants to interfere with the Ming riots in the Philippines, it will be a very troublesome matter. Our sea power is insufficient, and the army is on the way to peace." Rebellion, the American trade fleet is about to leave. We may not be able to prevent them from landing in the Philippines."

"If we can't stop them from landing in the Philippines, then we have to stick to Manila." Governor Coquera said, "Your navy sent ships to Ming and Annan. In addition to purchasing and supplementing our material reserves, you must also find ways to inquire about Zheng Zhilong's navy. movement so that we can prepare our defenses in advance.”

"Your Excellency, we have already spent a lot in response to the Ming riots. If we have to hoard and purchase war reserves in large quantities, our currency reserves are obviously not enough." Adrian Annus, the financial officer of Manila, frowned Said.

"Have the commercial taxes for the first half of the year been collected?"

"The collection has been completed in mid-July, but the amount collected this year has shrunk by more than half compared with last year." Finance Officer Adrian Annus said: "All the Ming residence fees and land taxes in the Kalamba area that were collected in the past have been lost. .And in order to appease many Ming people, various head taxes and apportionments were not levied. Wharf shipping fees and some goods import taxes were also abolished two years ago....However, our expenditures have not been reduced at all, but because The expedition to Formosa and the response to the Ming riots have expanded compared to the previous two years. Therefore, my lord, our finances can be said to have gone bankrupt!"

When Governor Coquera heard this, his complexion suddenly became ugly. It seems that Manila’s finances will never be able to achieve a surplus. Either it will tear down the east wall and make up for the west wall, or it will be a show of food, squeezing the wealth of many Ming people in the Philippines to barely support the fragile The finances of the Philippine colonial authorities.

Hmm, squeezing Mingren?

"How many Ming people are there outside Manila? What's going on with them?" Governor Coquila asked.

"There are probably more than [-] Ming people outside the city. There seems to be no major movement. Most of them are waiting for our daily porridge." Adrian Annus said: "We need to Do they charge for meals?"

"Do they...do they have any money?" Governor Coquera asked.

"I think they have more or less pesos on them." Adrian Annus smiled and said, "Those smart people have always worked hard and managed well. Most importantly, they are also very frugal." , There will always be a lot of silver coins in their hands. I have to say that the Ming people are really one of the most hardworking peoples in the world."

"Our Spain is the country of heaven, and we Spaniards, as the Lord's people, are the best nation in the world!" Governor Coquera took a deep look at his treasurer and said, "As for Other nations can only crawl at our feet and get some of our benevolent mercy. The Ming people are no exception!"

"Of course, we Spaniards will always be the masters of this world." Adrian Annus shrugged.

"Mr. Governor, Mr. Annus said that our cash reserves are insufficient, and we cannot go outside the Philippines to purchase war materials. Do we need to temporarily withhold the payment for a part of the American trade fleet?" Colonel Rolscheidt felt that the topic of the Governor It seemed that they had deviated from their topic just now, so they interjected.

"No, we cannot withhold any payment from the American trade fleet." Governor Coquera shook his head and said.

What a joke, behind the merchants who organized the American trade fleet, there are many big figures from New Spain (Mexico), Peru, New Granada, and the Governor of La Plata, and even some dignitaries in Spain. It's not something he, a Philippine governor, can provoke.

"You said, if Zheng Zhilong of the Ming Dynasty sent his navy and army to attack the Philippines, would the many Ming people here become their internal support and cooperate with them to attack us?" Governor Coquera walked back and forth in the room After a few laps, he suddenly asked.

"Perhaps..., yes?" Colonel Rohrscheidt said with some uncertainty.

"If the Ming people in the Philippines, especially the many Ming people living outside Manila, cooperate with Ming Zheng Zhilong's army to attack us, we will be in a very dangerous situation." Adrian Annus seemed to understand The subtext of Governor Coquila said with understanding: "Master Governor, we must take precautions, take corresponding precautions in advance, and implement decisive measures."

"A decisive measure?" Colonel Rohrscheit looked at Adrian Annus with some puzzlement, "Do we need to detain all the thousands of Ming people outside Manila?"

"Send someone to Colonel Ornato and ask him to bring the troops back to Manila immediately." Governor Coquera nodded and ordered loudly.

On August 8, in the early morning, outside Manila, in the area inhabited by Balian Ming people.

There used to be more than 2 people in the Ming Balian community. Now, because of the lack of food for more than half a year near Manila, many Ming people either fled to places controlled by the Ming people in the Kalamba Uprising, or spent high fees to pass Bribing the Spaniards at the pier and paying the boat fare, they left Luzon by boat. At this time, the population gathered here had been reduced to 9000.

A month ago, the Spaniards forced another 800 Ming people to conquer the rioting Ming people in the Kalamba area.I heard that a few days ago, the city of San Pedro occupied by the rioting Ming people had been conquered, and the Ming people who accompanied them also killed or injured [-] people. Coupled with the shortage of food supply, the entire Balian Ming people community was shrouded all day long. In an atmosphere of fear and sadness.

This morning, some Ming people who got up early suddenly found that there were many Spanish soldiers and native servants on the outskirts of the entire community.A interpreter from the Ming Dynasty came to tell everyone that the Spaniards had recently shipped two shipments of food from Daming, and specially distributed five-day rations to each Ming person this morning to celebrate the Spaniards' successful capture of San Pedro.Let all the Ming people gather in an empty market outside Manila, waiting for Shi Mi, the Spanish master.

As soon as the news spread, the entire Ming people's settlement immediately burst into cheers. Unexpectedly, the Spaniards would distribute food to the Ming people for free.Although these western lords are usually mean and vicious, they still occasionally think about the little people they ruled in their hearts.This is probably equivalent to our Daming government, which wants to open warehouses for the common people!

"Are all the troops outside the city in place?" Governor Coquera asked softly while standing on the city wall of Manila, looking at the noisy Balianming community not far away.

"Intercepting troops have been arranged on several sides of the community, and a hundred cuirassiers are also specially deployed to chase down the fleeing Ming people." Colonel Polzionato also looked at the Eight Company Ming people community outside the city , with bloodthirsty red eyes.

"Then, let's fire." Governor Coquila ordered coldly.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!..." Suddenly there was a huge roar of artillery from the city of Manila.

The Ming people gathered outside the city were happily discussing that if the Spaniards distributed five-day rations, saved a little every day, poured more water, and supplemented with wild vegetables and leaves picked in the forest, they could live longer .

"Is it thundering?" Ariake suddenly heard the rumbling sound, and looked at the sky suspiciously. There were no rain clouds, and the sky was very blue, but the sun was dazzling.

"what!"

"what!"

"..."

A few iron bullets hit the residential area of ​​the Ming people in an instant, smashing a few balls of blood among the turbulent crowd, and then the bullets fell on the ground, bounced, and slashed a bloody path backwards.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!..." The shelling at the top of Manila continued, and the Ming people's community of the eighth company outside the city was already in chaos, crowded, crying, screaming, and some subconsciously moved towards the city. Fleeing from their respective homes, some who saw the opportunity quickly turned around and ran towards the distant forest.

Damn Xiyi, they are planning to exterminate all Ming people!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!..." Outside the Ming people's settlement, there were bursts of musket fire, and many natives and Japanese shouted frantically and shouted to kill.

Countless unarmed Ming people fell down on the running road under the attack of many muskets, swords, wooden spears, and even hatchets.The entire Ming people's settlement has become a hell on earth. The natives hold wooden spears and hatchets, slashing and stabbing any Ming people they encounter frantically.Some greedy and impatient natives even stripped the body of the Ming man who had just died, and rolled up the clothes he took off casually, wrapping them around his waist.Then, staring at the blood-red eyes, he continued to stab and kill the Ming people he met.

Groups of Spanish cuirassiers brandished their sabers, took advantage of the momentum of the horses, and cut off the head of the fleeing Ming with a single knife. Then they laughed and rode their horses to gallop, and continued to rush to the next target.

In the 13th year of Chongzhen, in August, in the name of relief, Lu Song Xiyi deceived many Ming people outside the city to gather outside Manila without any passage. Suddenly, a salvo of guns and guns, knives and swords were stabbed, and the Ming people were slaughtered wantonly. Countless dead bodies were found by the seaside and in the forest. Thousands of women, children and women were raped to death.By the sea, on the banks of the river, there are tens of thousands of corpses, all stained with blood.

At night, more than a hundred surviving Ming people fled to the interior of Luzon, and when the Ming people rebelled, they mourned to tell the beasts of the Western Yi.Ming people in the whole island of Luzon were in an uproar, pointing to the sky and swearing, they would slaughter all the western barbarians, and the two were not at odds with each other.

(End of this chapter)