Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 91: The End (4 consecutive days of -word updates, begging for monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and support.)
The natives tried twice more after that and finally managed to retrieve more than a dozen bodies, but they left behind fifty or sixty lives, which was a huge loss.

Having no choice, they could only withdraw with hatred.

When the morning light comes, a new day begins.

Taking into account that the army had hardly had a good rest for a day and a night, Zheng Guohui ordered the army to rest for a day and then march into the Hamda Valley tomorrow.

Anyway, the indigenous tribe is there, the monk can run away but the temple cannot.

By the way, send a team to dispose of the body harmlessly. We cannot keep it.

It was impossible to pollute the water source in the mountains, so an open riverbed was chosen. Dozens of large logs were dragged by mules and horses and stacked in two layers, forming a super-large incinerator.

The corpse was placed directly on it, poured with oil, and then set on fire.

The raging fire burned for almost a whole day and night, burning more than 1,800 bodies to ashes, and the air was filled with a strong strange smell.

Early on the third day

50 soldiers and 100 armed immigrants, as well as the accompanying baggage wagons, were left behind to guard this forward camp, now named "Iron Lock Camp".

Zheng Guohui led the entire army of more than 1740 people on a light journey, carrying only more than 50 mules and horses carrying heavy loads, and crossed several mountains along the rugged mountain road and entered the Hamda Valley.

the next few days

The Hamda Valley was hit by an unprecedented disaster. One indigenous village after another was burned to the ground. Those who resisted were killed without mercy. A large number of indigenous women were driven out along the mountain path like cattle and sheep.

They were first gathered in Tiesuo Village, then escorted to Tagum, and their final destination was Davao City.

Over a period of five or six days, the invading Chinese colonial army swept through everywhere as if they were in an empty land. Their methods were brutal and thorough, and all resisters were ruthlessly suppressed.

The population of the Hamda Valley has dropped by one-third, and another eight to nine thousand young indigenous women have been driven from their homes to face a future they have little control over.

There were more than 7000 indigenous people left, of which more than 1200 were men, all of whom were drafted into labor camps. More than laborers were employed in a newly discovered coal mine.

One was in a quarry, employing over 1,800 coolies, all of whom were closely guarded by Chinese.

A few days

A long wall was built to drive out the indigenous convicts. Inside the wall was a valley surrounded by mountains on three sides. The coal mine and quarry were located here, not far away.

Outside the wall is the key village for Chinese immigrants, which has housed more than 340 Chinese immigrants and 170 musketeers. It is the largest village in the valley, called "Mine Village".

Another larger village is located by the river.

This is a tributary of the Davao River, and thousand-ton Fuzhou ships can go upstream and reach the river bank.

On the edge of this village, more than 600 indigenous laborers are being mobilized to build a dock, and the scene is bustling with activity.

In recent days, the last thousand or so Chinese immigrants have been dispersed to various villages, forming six or seven villages, with the minimum population of more than 120 people.

Together with the indigenous women who were allocated land, they all became busy, starting to take root, manage the land allocated to them, and plan their future blueprint.

Transport ships from Davao arrived at the riverside village, bringing dozens of large mules and donkeys needed for reclamation, some food, vegetables, fruit and vegetable seeds, farm tools and iron tools, plowshares, needles and thread, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, sugar and other things, which are all necessities of life.

Due to the small number of Chinese immigrants, the land available for cultivation is limited. Most of them cultivate the more mature farmland that was originally used by the indigenous people, leaving large tracts of land fallow.

Zheng Guohui didn't feel it was a pity. He would rather leave the land idle than let the indigenous people cultivate it.

Any temporary shortage of food can be dispatched from Davao City.

The farming skills of these hardworking Chinese immigrants are beyond the reach of the natives. After the arrival of more than 2 Chinese immigrants, they immediately started farming, and some green vegetables have grown to more than the length of a palm.

In another half a month, it will be ready for harvest.

Crops such as rice, soybeans, and wheat seedlings are growing well and a satisfactory harvest will be obtained soon. There will definitely be no shortage of food.

Drawing on Zamboanga's valuable experience in saving food for convicts, one of the transport ships heading north this time was loaded with a full load of kelp and seaweed, pressing the sides of the ship against the water.

This ship weighs more than 200 tons.

After the coolies unloaded the goods, they dried and ground them, then mixed them with grain to make steamed cornbread, which was both nutritious and filling, but the taste was not worth mentioning.

It was good enough for the convicts to have something to eat, there was no need to be so particular.

Zheng Guohui was happy to see that this was a good idea.

The officials below are willing to use their brains and find ways to actively solve the food problem. This is a very good phenomenon and deserves encouragement!
People were organized to collect kelp and seaweed. A shipload could be filled in two or three days, and the kelp and seaweed were delivered every once in a while. Whether it was Tagum Town, Hamda Valley, or Davao City, there were a total of 70,000 to 80,000 convicts.

How much food can be saved every month just by selling kelp steamed buns?
This was definitely the best suggestion he had ever heard. It saved a lot of money for the colonization of Southeast Asia and must be rewarded handsomely.

When leaving

Zheng Guohui left on a cargo ship, taking only 400 soldiers with him, without taking a single horse or mule, and leaving sufficient guard forces in the Hamda Valley.

Two cargo ships sailed downstream, loaded with hundreds of tons of square bluestone. This was the output of the quarry in recent days. Davao City urgently needed such large quantities of building materials.

Stone powder, small gravel, large stones, regular bluestone slabs, etc. are all needed, and the demand is very large. Standing at the side of the boat, the speed of the boat going straight down the river is very fast.

Zheng Guohui watched as the indigenous convicts in the valley were divided into teams of 100 people, working under the supervision of two or three guards to build roads and bridges. They looked very hard-working.

His expression was full of comfort. This was the most correct way to use the local natives.

According to the standards set by Zheng Guohui
First-level urban and rural roads are 26 meters wide, second-level urban and rural roads are 18 meters wide, third-level urban and rural roads are 12 meters wide, and fourth-level urban and rural roads are 7 meters wide. Street trees must be planted on both sides of the roads, drainage ditches must be set up, and stone milestones must be established. These are the "four elements of graded roads."

The roads built in the Hamda Valley are third-level urban and rural roads, which are to be 12 meters wide and have trees planted on both sides of the road.

The difficulty lies in those mountain ridges, the highest of which is over 570 meters high and the lowest over 320 meters high. I am afraid that we can only build a winding mountain road according to the fourth-level road, and the third-level standard cannot be met.

But as long as a straight and wide road is built, the 120-kilometer road from Davao to Hamda Valley can be reached by horse carriage in one day.

Looking back on the nearly 20 days of this expedition, there were dozens of battles, big and small, and it was nothing but killing. Such battles were not challenging for Zheng Guohui.

Over time, I got a little bored.

Fortunately, the northern part of Davao was completely pacified and was under his complete control from then on. The sense of conquest that came naturally still made him feel ecstatic.

The boat drifted downstream, and the cool breeze on the river blew against my hair.

Zheng Guohui looked at both sides of the river with a deep and majestic gaze. The aura of kingship in his body was gradually accumulating, and his temperament changed unconsciously, undergoing a transformation that he was unaware of.

The cargo ship docked at the Davao City port near dusk.

Zheng Guohui led the remaining 400 soldiers to disembark one after another. Only the weapons and equipment they carried with them, as well as the remaining tents, supplies, etc., were left in Tagum Town, Tiesuo Village, and Hamda Valley as military reserve supplies.

Among these more than 400 soldiers, 200 were from the imperial guards, and there were more than from the Night Guards, some officers and core cavalry. It was really as lean as it could be.

This is not surprising

When the matter here is over and Zheng Guohui leads his men back, he will only be accompanied by his personal guards, and the number will not exceed 150 people.

The long journey to Southeast Asia is very time-consuming, and he will not take people on a boat ride back and forth. The 2000 soldiers who followed the army south will eventually settle here, which was originally planned.

Back to City Hall

The four pretty personal maids who came to greet them were Qiao Yue, Qiao Xing, Qian Xiao Yue and Su Mei Niang. It seemed that they had been well nourished these days, and they all looked radiant and fresh.

Seeing the general returning exhausted and looking darker and thinner, several pretty maids couldn't help but have red eyes.

"What are you standing there for? Come over quickly to help the master change his clothes and prepare for a bath. Have you become stupid after all these days?" Zheng Guohui said jokingly, but he felt warm in his heart.

In the South Pacific, far away from the Chinese mainland, it feels so good to be remembered and cared about by others all the time.

"I know I was wrong, please forgive me, sir!" Several people bowed deeply.

Qiao Yue and Qiao Xing hurriedly walked over and skillfully helped the master change his clothes, wash his face and hands, served him hot tea and fruit, and then massaged his waist and back.

Zheng Guohui lay comfortably on the chair. It felt great to be served, especially by a pretty maid with such a great appearance and figure. It was pleasing to look at and even more comfortable to sleep with.

Qian Xiaoyue and Su Mei Niang hurried away to prepare bathing for the master.

By the way, please inform the kitchen that we should prepare a sumptuous banquet for the master's return today so that he can eat comfortably and happily.

When Zheng Guohui soaked in the bathtub, he couldn't help but moan in pleasure. It was really enjoyable.

Even with his noble status, it was impossible for him to take a bath every day while marching or fighting. At most, he would ask his personal soldiers to bring some hot water and he would sit in a wooden tub and wipe his body.

Where else can I enjoy the service of these four beautiful maids like at home?

Use scented soap, rub the back and rub off the dust, washing from head to toe even the feet thoroughly.

Several pretty maids were so tired that they were sweating profusely, and they served him very comfortably.

Zheng Guohui was holding the peeled white fruit in his arms. The girl would put the fruit flesh cut into small pieces into his mouth from time to time, and he just had to chew it.

Later
Qiaoxing took a sip of tea herself and then passed it to the master's mouth. This is called "leather cup".

Zheng Guohui lay there without even raising his head, acting like an evil feudal lord, so absurd and licentious.

The ridges and peaks outlined by the wet maid's clothes finally irritated Zheng Guohui completely. He suddenly stood up from the bathtub, holding Qiao Xing and walked to the side, saying;

"You vixen, go wash up. When the master is free, you will be severely punished. No mercy will be shown."

"We, the servants, beg for mercy, sir, and forgiveness."

"Then it depends on how you guys perform. I'm not easy to talk to, hum..."

As a result, it was inevitable that a turmoil would arise out of nothing, and it would last for a long time...

(End of this chapter)