Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 74 Leaving Peru
After the 10,000 Peruvian troops led by Dadini were annihilated and captured, the 20,000 Chinese troops who were ambushed left some soldiers to guard the seized supplies, and the other soldiers, led by Li Mingyuan, escorted the Peruvian prisoners towards the city of Arequipa.

The ambush lasted for three hours. About two thousand of the ten thousand Peruvian troops in the front took advantage of the cover of darkness to escape from the battlefield. One thousand of the remaining soldiers were killed in the battle, and six thousand soldiers, including Dadini, were taken prisoner.

There was no use keeping the 6,000 soldiers captured by Datini and the Chinese Independence Army, and killing them would not only bring no benefit but also make enemies with the Peruvian side.
Therefore, Li Mingyuan took advantage of the Peruvian army's defeat and marched into Arequipa again, using the prisoners in his hands to force the Peruvians to give supplies to ransom the prisoners.

Datini led 30,000 Peruvian troops to southern Peru to recover lost territory, and brought with him a large number of horses to transport troops and supplies.

The Chinese Independence Army no longer lacked food and supplies, but the more livestock such as pack horses, the better.

As we all know, pack horses can be used as a tool to transport supplies during long-distance marches to reduce the logistical pressure of the troops. On the other hand, pack horses themselves are good food. When the troops encounter a food crisis, they can serve as emergency food to help the troops overcome difficulties.

According to Li Mingyuan's idea, one packhorse was exchanged for one prisoner, so six thousand people would be six thousand packhorses.

As a Peruvian general, Dadini could be exchanged for one thousand pack horses, which added up to seven thousand pack horses. However, through interrogating captured Peruvian officers, Li Mingyuan learned that there were ten thousand pack horses in Arequipa, so he raised the price to ten thousand pack horses.

It was dawn, and after a midnight march, nearly 20,000 Chinese troops escorted the Peruvian prisoners to the city of Arequipa.

The Peruvian soldiers who escaped early passed the news of the defeat to the Peruvian generals guarding the city. So when the Chinese troops arrived, the gates of Arequipa were closed and the walls were full of tense and alert Peruvian soldiers.

"Tell them that we are returning their great general this time and will not attack the city."

Upon receiving the order, a cavalryman rushed out from the Chinese army, rode to the city gate, and shouted to the Peruvian army guarding the city.

"General, the rebels asked us to exchange horses for General Dadini and the captured soldiers."

On the city wall, a Peruvian officer reported the news he heard to Rustuart.

Datini failed in his attack on the Chinese Independence Army, losing half of his 20,000 troops and becoming a prisoner of the Chinese Independence Army. Fearing that the Chinese Independence Army would retaliate out of anger, Datini's lieutenant invited Rustuart into the city to help defend it.

Apart from Datini, Rustuart had the highest military rank, so the remaining Peruvian troops were led by Rustuart, commanding all the Peruvian troops in the city to defend the city.

Rustuart looked carefully at the city for a while and found that the Chinese Independence Army did not carry siege artillery, and he felt much more at ease.

Although he had informed the Chinese Independence Army yesterday, Lustuart did not dare to fully believe that they would keep their promise.

Now that the Chinese Independence Army does not carry heavy artillery, it proves that they really have no intention of attacking the city again, but just want to use the Peruvian soldiers in their hands to exchange for more benefits.

After eliminating the risk of the Chinese independence army attacking the city, Lustuart said, "I can give them the pack horses, but I must ensure the safety of General Dadini."

The 10,000 pack horses in the city belonged to Datini's troops. If they were exchanged for the Chinese Independence Army, Rustuart would not suffer any loss, so he agreed decisively.

The transaction between the two parties was completed smoothly. Li Mingyuan looked back at the city of Arequipa with mixed feelings.

Abandoning the occupied territory and moving back to a region surrounded by powerful enemies to establish a base is bound to be a dangerous process.

Brazil and Argentina are the first and second largest countries in South America, and their weapons and equipment are much stronger than Peru's current ones. Once the Chinese Independence Army occupies Rio Grande do Sul, it will inevitably face long-term hostility from Brazil. Therefore, in the early days of the Chinese Independence Army's establishment of a base, it may be attacked by Brazil at any time.
As a small country facing a big country, Li Mingyuan was mentally prepared for the Chinese Independence Army to suffer heavy casualties.

Although there were many difficulties in the early stages of moving to southern Brazil, Li Mingyuan still chose this path.

Brazil and Argentina have been embroiled in the Paraguayan War for three years. The prolonged war has dealt a heavy blow to the economies of both countries.

Moreover, Brazil, which has just gained independence for several decades, has been plagued by domestic separatist forces. Some provinces under the country have experienced independence incidents one after another.
Taking advantage of the weakest moment of the Brazilians to occupy Rio Grande do Sul at this point in time is undoubtedly the most advantageous for the Chinese Independence Army. After occupying Rio Grande do Sul, the Chinese independence army will not have to face the troubles in southern Peru.

The population of southern Peru is huge. The population of Arequipa alone exceeds the number of the entire Chinese Independence Army.

By ruling the majority with a minority, the Chinese independence army may be able to gain the upper hand temporarily, but after a few decades, when the older generation of Chinese grows old and their military power is insufficient to rule and intimidate the Peruvians under their rule, the Chinese will end up in a tragic situation.

However, there is no such disadvantage in establishing a country in southern Brazil. The three southern states of Brazil are sparsely populated. The Chinese independence army that first occupies one state can gain a foothold in the local area, and then gradually expand its sphere of influence, and eventually form a country that cannot be ignored. …

Five days later, Li Mingyuan led the vanguard of the field army across the border between Peru and Bolivia and entered Bolivia.

Bolivia is located on the Andes Plateau. The central part is a valley area with developed agriculture and many large cities. The northern part of the plateau is fertile and densely populated; the southern part is a dry desert area with few people and only a few small towns formed by mining.

The Chinese Independence Army is currently located in central Bolivia, on a grassland near La Paz.

After five consecutive days of forced march, most of the Chinese soldiers felt tired, so Li Mingyuan ordered the troops to stop and rest.

Unfolding a map of Bolivia, Li Mingyuan introduced it to a group of senior officers of the Chinese Independence Army sitting on the grass:
"To our west is the city of La Paz in Bolivia, where the Bolivian army is stationed to guard the border between Peru and Bolivia.

According to the brothers in the reconnaissance battalion, there are 7,000 troops stationed in La Paz, which poses no threat to our operations. "

Li Mingyuan briefly explained the situation in La Paz, and then said: "The situation of the troops is different from that in Peru. Our first task now is to rush to Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, within the planned time and work together with the Paraguayans to kill the Brazilian army. Therefore, in Bolivia, the troops must not take the initiative to provoke the local army."

After Li Mingyuan finished speaking, he glanced at everyone and said, "Do you understand?"

"clear."

"What should we do if the Bolivians take the initiative to attack us?" asked a Chinese officer after the response.

Li Mingyuan knew it was Li Dawei, the commander of the cavalry brigade, so he turned around and said with a smile, "The enemy took the initiative to attack, so of course we fought back. How could we not fight back or respond to insults? The Chinese Independence Army does not have this tradition."

Li Dawei asked the question even though he knew the answer, which caused the Chinese officers to laugh.

"Okay, we still have to travel in the afternoon, so everyone should take some time to rest." Li Mingyuan waved his hand, and the Chinese officers who had gathered together dispersed.

(End of this chapter)