Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 16: The Choice of a Location for the Founding of a Nation
Zhao Yongzeng's operation was a success. The Peruvian defenders did not expect that the 5,000 troops that had just gone out in the morning would be completely wiped out.

When Zhao Yongzeng ordered the captured Peruvian officers to knock on the gate, they thought the army had returned victoriously and happily went down to the city to open the gate.
But when the troops ahead entered the city, the officer guarding the gate realized something was wrong. Just as he was about to speak out to alert the other Peruvian soldiers, he was shot dead by Zhao Yongzeng.
Afterwards, the Chinese soldiers disarmed the remaining Peruvian troops without much effort. The 3,000 people who entered the city earlier quickly took over various important places in the city and waited for Mingyuan's arrangements.

At midnight, a 30,000-man army led by Li Mingyuan arrived at the gate of Balanca.

Looking at the densely packed Chinese laborers and soldiers on the city gate,

Li Mingyuan said to Chen Guozhu, "Uncle Chen, the Taiping Army has already failed once in China. Too many Taiping soldiers shed their blood. Now there are not many Taiping soldiers left. We can't let them bleed and sacrifice in a foreign country again."

"It is an honor for the brothers below that the Crown Prince cares about them. I believe that under the Crown Prince's wise leadership, the remaining brothers will definitely take root in South America. When we defeat those who are hostile to us and establish a new kingdom, we also hope that the Crown Prince will find wives for the brothers."

"I have thought about this issue. My brothers have followed me to conquer the world, so it is impossible for them not to be able to find a wife. Uncle Chen, don't worry, when we settle down, I will find a way to find a wife for my brothers."

"Then I would like to thank the prince in advance on behalf of my brothers." Chen Guozhu bowed.

"My Lord, do you plan to make Baranka the new national capital?" Liu Pu interrupted.

"Little Liu, Baranka is prosperous and wealthy, and it is a good place to be the capital. Do you have a different opinion?" Chen Guozhu relied on his seniority and said with a hint of blame.

"Uncle Chen, do the other brothers think so too?" Li Mingyuan frowned.

"Prince, didn't you see how happy the brothers were when they heard that Baranka was taken? When we were working in the mines, we heard about the prosperity of Baranka. Now that Baranka has been taken, they naturally want to stay and not leave."

Li Mingyuan turned around and looked at the Chinese Independence Army soldiers on all sides, and found that when they looked at Balanka, they all had eager eyes. It seemed that Chen Guozhu was not the only one who wanted to stay in Balanka, most of the Chinese soldiers had the same idea.

After being poor for a long time and suddenly becoming rich, this is the mentality of the Chinese soldiers now. After spending several years living a life worse than death in the mines, they can't help but be unable to resist the temptation of a prosperous city.

It is easy to go from frugality to luxury. When the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty first entered the Pass, they were able to maintain a strong fighting force. However, just 20 years later, the Eight Banners troops were vulnerable when facing Wu Sangui's rebels. In the end, it was only with the help of the Green Camp that Wu Sangui's army was suppressed.

If Wu Sangui had been smarter at the time and had not stopped his troops along the Yangtze River, but had marched straight down to annihilate the main force of the Qing army, perhaps the Manchu rule would have collapsed.

The difficulties faced by the Chinese in South America are much greater than those faced by the Manchus in the past. Although the Manchus are small in number, they still have a population of one million. However, the total number of Chinese in Peru is only a few hundred thousand. If they want to gain a foothold in South America by relying on a few hundred thousand Chinese, they can only maintain strong combat effectiveness and deter surrounding enemies.

However, Li Mingyuan overestimated the endurance of the Chinese soldiers. After just two victories, the soldiers began to think about settling down and living a good life. If this tendency was not stopped, there would be no way for Li Mingyuan to move to southern Brazil to establish a country.

"Uncle Chen, let's discuss where to build the capital tomorrow morning. Now let's go into the city first."

Li Mingyuan had experienced many ups and downs in his past and present life. Although he was worried about the soldiers' thoughts, he did not show it when the soldiers were happy.

Then he walked into the city of Baranka with a smile on his face.

"Prince, all the important places in Baranka City have been controlled, and all 24,000 Chinese brothers have been released." Zhao Yongzeng said.

"Yongzeng did a good job. I will have someone record your contribution." Li Mingyuan said. "Sir, the seized materials from Barangka are all in the warehouse. Do you want to take a look?"

"Forget it, let's check it out tomorrow. I'm a little tired, so I'll go back and rest first." Li Mingyuan was thinking about how to solve the problem of soldiers who were eager to settle down, and he was not in the mood to check the captured spoils.

"Liu Pu, I have something to discuss with you." Li Mingyuan called Liu Pu beside him, and the two went to the meeting room arranged for Li Mingyuan in Baranka City.

"Uncle Chen, the prince doesn't seem to be in a good mood today." Zhao Yongzeng asked after Li Mingyuan left.

"The prince may have other things to consider." Chen Guozhu was not sure.

"Liu Pu, today I see that you don't seem to agree to make Baranka our base. Tell me what you think."

In the conference room, Li Mingyuan dismissed the guards in front of the door, took two cups of tea, and handed one to Liu Pu.

"Prince, forgive me for being blunt, but establishing a base in Balanka is just repeating the story of Tianjing." Liu Pu put down his teacup and said solemnly.

Liu Pu's words were very obscure, but Li Mingyuan also understood his meaning. The Taiping Army established its capital in Nanjing, which inherently placed Nanjing under the siege of the Qing army. Later, most of the Taiping Army's energy was tied up in Nanjing. Without the manpower to expand its territory, it was eventually eroded step by step by the Qing army and ultimately perished.

The geographical location of Baranca is very similar to that of Nanjing, directly facing the encirclement of the Peruvians. And unlike Nanjing, except for a part of the land by the sea that is suitable for human survival, the southern region of Baranca is all desert. Once the Peruvian military spends a lot of effort to besiege Baranca, the Chinese soldiers will have no choice but to be trapped to death.

Peru had a population of nearly 200 million and had just gained independence from Spain. Even if the Taiping Army led by Li Mingyuan could defeat the -strong Peruvian army, it would be impossible for them to replicate the path taken by the Qing army after entering the pass.

So no matter how you look at it, staying in Baranka is not a wise choice.

"I understand what you mean. I have no intention of establishing a base in Peru, but I am worried about the soldiers' emotions. If we cannot convince the soldiers, the newly-assembled Chinese troops will face the possibility of splitting up, and I will not allow this result to happen."

Li Mingyuan said in a deep voice.

"Prince, this problem is not unsolvable, but first we must give the soldiers a clear goal and let them know where we will build our country in the future. This way the soldiers will have a clear idea in their minds and will not be confused." Liu Pu touched the teacup and thought for a while, then spoke.

"I have already thought of the location for the founding of the country, but I am worried that if I tell the soldiers now, the news will be leaked and arouse their vigilance."

"What the Crown Prince said makes sense, but we can first tell the senior officers in the army the location of the founding of the country. This way, we don't have to worry about the news leaking out, and we can also let the commanders of each unit know the Crown Prince's ideas. As long as the commanders of each unit understand the Crown Prince's ideas, even if the soldiers below are dissatisfied in the future, it will not cause major changes."

"This is the only way. I will announce it at the meeting tomorrow when all the senior military officers gather." Li Mingyuan said.

After finalizing the plan, Li Mingyuan told Liu Pu about his ideal location for founding the country. The two discussed for more than an hour and did not rest until after three in the morning.

(End of this chapter)