Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 98: Dispatching to Cagayan

"How's it going? Are you feeling better?"

"My Lord, I drank a bowl of sour soup and ate some fruit. I feel much better now and I don't feel sick anymore."

"Just stay at home and take care of the baby these days. Find a sensible nanny to take good care of you. I will be relieved too." Zheng Guohui said with a pleasant face. After thinking for a while, he instructed his attendants.
"Aunt Qiaoyue is pregnant, please take good care of her.

Pick two smart people and have them serve exclusively at Auntie's side. They will eat and use everything together. Needless to say, just pick the best ones."

"We will follow the master's orders." The butler led a group of servants and replied respectfully.

The servants all saw how much the master valued Qiao Yue. Besides being envious, they were eager to please him.

In sharp contrast is Qian Xiaoyue, who is now standing at the back wearing coarse clothes and can be stepped on and bullied by anyone.

It is human nature to flatter the powerful and look down on the weak, and you can't blame others.

Ever since Qiao Yue became pregnant, the backyard of the general's mansion has become bustling with wives of military and political officials coming to pay their respects with generous gifts.

The news spread
When the common people heard the news, they were all overjoyed and rushed to the nearby temples to burn incense and pray for the general's wife. It was a spectacular scene for a while.

In the Chinese people's concept, inheritance of offspring is of special importance.

Manila

Malacañang Palace, the seat of the Frankish Governor-General.

This typical Spanish building is located on the north bank of the Pasig River in Manila. After the Governor's Palace in Intramuros was destroyed by an earthquake in 1863, Malacañang Palace became the new Governor's Palace.

In the magnificent living room of the Malacañang Palace, there were more than a dozen elegantly dressed Spanish dignitaries, each of them chatting in an arrogant and reserved manner.

"The honorable Governor has arrived!" the muezzin said loudly.

Governor Major General Pedro Manuel Carvajal walked in with a gloomy face, and everyone bowed to him.

Major General Pedro nodded in response, then said bluntly;
"Gentlemen,

My special envoy, Sergio Sanchez, brought back disturbing news about the recent southward advance to occupy Mindanao, reportedly by rebels from the mainland.

They claimed to be believers of the Church of God, and in the giant country in the north, they launched an unprecedentedly brutal civil war that lasted for more than ten years, with tens of millions of casualties.

No one knows why they suddenly came south, but the problem now is
This rebel force called "King of the Sea" has already sent tens of thousands of people to Mindanao. They are equipped with advanced British rifles and artillery, which is an unprecedented challenge for us.

Gentlemen, how do we deal with this difficult situation?"

As soon as the governor brought up the topic, the people below immediately started whispering to each other, with completely different opinions.

Hardliners said that this would be an unprecedentedly severe challenge for the Kingdom of France, and that they should quickly send letters for help to European kingdoms and Cuba and dispatch a large army to conquer this Chinese force.

Specifically, some believe that 3000 soldiers are needed, while others believe that or even more are needed.

The liberal faction said that the French colonial rule never extended to Mindanao, and there would be no time to colonize the area now or in the next hundred years.

Envoys should be sent to exchange friendly messages and specific strategies should be adopted depending on the circumstances.

Neither faction could convince the other, so they started arguing in this magnificent hall, and the argument was very fierce.

"Please put away your arrogant attitude, Sir Fabian. The Governor-General's special envoy, Mr. Sergio Sanchez, has made it clear. Those Chinese rebels are equipped with advanced British rifles. They are not the backward and ignorant natives you think they are. Such a war will cause great casualties."

"I disagree with you. History has proven that numbers are useless. I only need 3000 brave Spanish soldiers to capture this island."

"Are you crazy? You are using the lives of those Spaniards to pay for your ambitions."

"On the contrary, I think this is the right way to deal with those Chinese pigs. Use the strongest counterattack to shatter their unrealistic fantasies." "God knows what those Chinese rebels have experienced? God! Ignorance and stupidity have blocked your eyes. That is not what you can scare off the soldiers. Yes, they are real soldiers, not cowardly characters on the island."

"What's the difference?"

"Okay, okay, stop arguing." Major General Pedro interrupted the quarrel between the two sides, which quieted the noisy voices in the luxurious hall and everyone looked at him.

Major General Pedro liked the power to control the overall situation, and he said in a cautious tone;

"This Chinese force called Jinghai Wang doesn't seem to be a pushover, and they won't be satisfied with just Mindanao.

This is a serious challenge that we must face. No one can avoid it, and we will face this crisis head-on.

To this end, we must be prepared for both scenarios.

I shall personally, in the name of the Governor-General of Luzon, request to His Majesty the King a strong force of European reinforcements, numbering between 3,000 and 5,000 men.

With our existing strength, we are very confident that we can defeat and expel these Chinese rebel forces in a face-to-face confrontation.

All we need to do now is wait.

According to the observations of Special Envoy Sergio Sanchez, King Jinghai's forces have firmly occupied Zamboanga and Davao in the south. They are numerous and well-equipped, and are not an easy opponent to deal with.

On the return trip
Sergio Sanchez observed that these Chinese forces have not yet occupied Cagayan de Oro.

Maybe it was negligence, maybe it was lack of strength, who knows?

Therefore

So I hope that there will be a brave gentleman who can lead our Spanish warriors to occupy there first, which will give us more bargaining chips.

I hate the feeling of being led by the nose. Occupying the enclave of Cagayan is a move to turn passivity into initiative and to firmly hold the right to speak in our hands.

So, who’s willing to do this?”

The upper-class people of France present included nobles, merchants, and captains, all of whom were no strangers to leading troops on expeditions.

Since the Age of Discovery
Adventurers, priests and captains are the pioneers in exploring unknown lands. They are not only responsible for the use of force, but also spies who collect intelligence, understand the local humanities and geography, the distribution of tribal forces, and serve as guides for invading armies.

Major General Pedro's gaze moved around and finally stopped at the face of Colonel Sir Fabian.

Sir Fabian is an enthusiastic colonist who is not afraid of fighting or sacrifice, but he looks down on this mission.

"If there is no other candidate, I am willing to take two companies to occupy Cagayan." Seeing that no one else stepped forward, Sir Fabian had no choice but to say it.

Major General Pedro said in a more cordial tone;
“Dear Sir Fabian, you are the best candidate. I will prepare a medal of bravery for you.

Taking into account the large number of offshore kings on Mindanao Island, I will try my best to dispatch troops to you.

Well... withdraw 4 companies, land in Cagayan along with Sir Fabian, and firmly control the place.

I think……

When King Jinghai discovered that we had already occupied Cagayan, the look on his face must have been quite remarkable."

"I am willing to serve you, Your Excellency the Governor." Having said this, Sir Fabian gracefully performed a chest-touching salute.

The other people present saw this and thought that this was a very appropriate response, and they all began to flatter the Governor.

Thus, the plan to send troops to Cagayan was decided.

(End of this chapter)