freeallnovels Chapter 13 Mastery
Chapter 13 Mastery
After Zhu Jiheng's consciousness exited the system, he waited for his subordinates to arrive inside the inn. Not long after, the sound of rapid hoofbeats approached from afar and stopped outside the inn.
Then, footsteps sounded outside again. The adjutant, with a smile on his face, pushed open the door and strode in, bowing to Zhu Jiheng and saying, "Your Highness! Linjiayan City has fallen under our control, and all those who dared to resist have been killed!"
"good!"
Zhu Jiheng nodded slightly, appearing completely calm. This only deepened the adjutant's admiration for Zhu Jiheng, and he quickly continued:
"Your Highness, the cavalry have taken over the administration office. Please move there and issue your orders!"
"lead the way."
As Zhu Jiheng spoke, he got up and walked out of the room under the guidance of his adjutant. He went down the stairs in a few steps. The owner surnamed Chen in the lobby had already been awakened and was waiting cautiously. When he saw the guest who came during the day appearing surrounded by many soldiers, the sleepiness and caution on his face were instantly replaced by unbelievable astonishment.
His mind raced, and combining the alias Zhu Jiheng had given him, a huge conjecture arose in his heart—Zhu Heng…Zhu…Could it be that the Ming army has attacked?
Seeing the fear on his face, Zhu Jiheng smiled slightly and said, "Manager Chen, please inform your neighbors that from today onwards, everyone no longer needs to worry about being bullied and exploited by the Portuguese. The Ming army is attacking!"
After saying that, he strode out of the inn, leaving only the innkeeper with a happy expression.
The horses were already prepared outside the gate. Zhu Jiheng mounted his horse, and the group galloped toward the government office in the west of the city. No battle broke out between the two sides on the street, so most of the people were still hiding in their homes and watching. Zhu Jiheng could also see through the cracks in the doors and windows that were pushed open, and meet the cautious eyes of the people peeking out.
Soon, the group arrived at the government office. The Burgundy cross flag that once symbolized Spanish colonial authority had been removed from the top of the building and replaced by a hastily made flag with the character "Ming" written on a red cloth.
Zhu Jiheng strode into the main hall, where the original Spanish officials and clerks had been detained, and soldiers from the local cavalry regiment were stationed everywhere, collecting all the important documents.
"Now that the city is newly pacified, the natives are very likely to take advantage of the chaos to cause trouble. Let's send out all the cavalry to patrol the streets and maintain order." Zhu Jiheng instructed his adjutant behind him, "Let the General's Guard take over the administrative office here."
"Yes, sir." The adjutant bowed and relayed his orders.
Afterwards, once Zhu Jiheng had taken the main seat, his adjutant stepped forward and began to report to him on the details of the battles in various locations:
"Your Highness, the second line infantry company has captured all four two-masted fast ships anchored in the harbor. The ships are mostly intact, with only one warship damaged by artillery fire. The shipyard, customs office, and warehouses at the docks have also been taken into custody. A certain amount of silver and goods have been seized, and the exact amount is being counted. A total of fifty-seven port guards and sailors have been captured and are being held in custody. Our army has suffered eight dead and more than ten wounded."
"During the attack on the West City Fortress by the Third and Fourth Line Infantry Companies, they did not encounter much resistance. They killed 38 stubborn resisters, captured 61 people, and seized 53 muskets, a number of spears, swords and shields, a batch of gunpowder and lead bullets, and two 3-pound city defense cannons. The food and armory inside the fortress are also being inventoried."
After speaking, he paused, then added, "When the cavalry attacked the government office, they also captured a Franco-German official who tried to escape after hearing the commotion. Would you like to see him?"
"Oh?" Zhu Jiheng thought for a moment after hearing this, then shook his head: "Keep him locked up for now. After dawn, recruit Chinese people in the city who know Spanish to act as interpreters and interrogate him to extract all the information he knows."
"Yes, ma'am."
Zhu Jiheng nodded, pondering to himself. The battle had gone more smoothly than he had imagined, mainly because the Spanish were too complacent. Zhu Jiheng had not yet seen their true strength, so he should not underestimate them.
News of their capture of Lingayen will spread quickly, and he cannot simply suppress it. The Spanish governor of Manila will not stand idly by, and he must reorganize all his forces before that happens.
Thinking of this, he pondered for a moment and then ordered: "The captured supplies should be registered and cataloged as soon as possible, and a company of soldiers should be stationed to guard them. In the name of the heir apparent of the Prince of Lu, the regent of the Great Ming Dynasty, a proclamation should be drafted to reassure the people of the city:"
The tyranny of the Franks has been eradicated, and Lingayen has returned to China. Our Great Ming army has marched here to protect our compatriots and expel the Western barbarians. The people of the city, do not be alarmed or disturbed; continue with your lives. Those with grievances may appeal to the government office; those who possess knowledge of the Western barbarians' affairs or are familiar with the geography may serve at the front lines and will be richly rewarded! Any petty scoundrels who dare to take advantage of the chaos to plunder or harass the people will be executed without mercy!
"Yes, sir!" The adjutant quickly noted it down, then turned and ordered someone to bring paper and pen, preparing to draft the notice himself.
Seeing his adjutant leave, Zhu Jiheng pondered for a moment and immediately decided to withdraw the rewards from the system:
"System, convert the Lingayan Shipyard into a port dock, and convert the barracks area within the West City Fortress into military barracks!"
[Converting your building...]
As soon as the notification sound rang, Zhu Jiheng saw the icons for the port, shipyard, and barracks on the system interface light up slightly. A few seconds later, the notification sound indicating that the transition was complete rang again.
It was at this moment that Zhu Jiheng realized that his Total War system was completely different from the one in the game. The city interface that existed in the game had no option to be opened on his system.
However, behind the newly converted port docks and military barracks, there is still a sign that reads "Lin Jiayan".
[Port Dock (Lingayan)]: Can build and repair twin-masted frigates, twin-masted coastal defense ships, and Tier VI ships. Upgrading the dock level unlocks more ship types and construction space.
[Barracks (Lingayan)]: Recruit and train basic army units. Currently available recruitable unit types include: Militia, Colonial Infantry, and Local Cavalry Regiment. Upgrading the barracks unlocks more unit types.
"Dude, why can the military barracks only recruit these three trash soldier classes?"
Upon closer inspection, Zhu Jiheng was almost at his breaking point. The militia and local cavalry regiments were both considered part of the militia, lacking combat effectiveness and only capable of maintaining order.
As for this colonial infantry... Zhu Jiheng couldn't help but click on the soldier's nameplate to take a look. It was a heavyweight, purely for cannon fodder. The recruits were mainly from the indigenous people. Although their weapons were flintlock muskets, their discipline was extremely poor. It was best not to expect them to play the game of firing squads against the enemy.
However, Zhu Jiheng thought again that it couldn't really be called rubbish. At least their equipment was not outdated, and they were still capable of fighting against the armies of these Far Eastern colonies.