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……

Zhu Youxiao was very satisfied with today's auction, and after an auction, the grain obtained was enough to solve the problem of famine in the entire northwest, and it also gave Zhu Youxiao enough time to solve the problem in the northwest.

Although the ministers of the imperial court had a lot of criticism of Zhu Youxiao's sword-fringing approach, Zhu Youxiao really solved the problem in the northwest, and even if such a serious famine occurred in Shaanxi again, there was no need to worry about the problem of food.

For the charity gala, the "Ming Imperial Daily" carried a very detailed report. For the three businessmen who won the charity award, the "Daming Imperial Daily" also focused on the report, and the deeds of the three award-winning people also spread throughout the empire for a time, becoming well-known benevolent people in the empire.

Of course, the most important report of the "Ming Imperial Daily" is the charity auction, in this report, the emphasis is on Zhu Youxiao's good deeds, it is precisely because of Zhu Youxiao's selflessness that the confiscated property of the four anti-kings was taken out for auction, and Zhu Youxiao used all the auction proceeds to help the victims, and Zhu Youxiao's reputation was once again enhanced.

……

In early May, Liu Youfu and Wang Mengxiong's fleet had entered the waters of Luzon.

Liu Youfu's fleet consisted of more than 300 ships, numbering more than 35,000 people. This is still the case that the exiled people in Leng Zhou were divided into two groups, the first batch of exiled people included King Su, King Han, and half of the exiled officials and their families, and the second group of exiled personnel will set off with Li Zicheng's 10,000 expeditionary force at the beginning of next year.

At this time and place, it is impossible for Liu Youfu's fleet to greet the Spaniards before they set off, saying that they are going to pass through Manila. Moreover, the two countries have not yet established diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level, and the plans for this trip are known only to the Dutch. This made Liu Youfu's fleet appear in the Philippine waters, the Spaniards didn't know what was going on, and Liu Youfu's fleet was very large, which really scared the Spaniards in Manila.

Liu Youfu still politely begged the Spaniards to allow the fleet to dock in Manila to resupply, but Sebastian? Although Hurtado heard that Liu Youfu's fleet was only passing through Manila, he was still not at ease with the Chinese and did not allow Liu Youfu's fleet to dock in Manila.

Sebastian? Ultado's reply really annoyed Wang Mengxiong, "Governor Liu, what should I do now?" The Spaniards did not allow us to dock at Manila for supplies. ”

"How far is the next port from Manila?" Liu Youfu asked.

"The next port is Zamboanga, but Zamboanga is only a small port and can't resupply our entire fleet, so we'll have to make a detour through Batavia, which will extend our trip by at least two months. If we go to Zamboanga, we can reach Leng Chau in five months, but it is difficult to say if we go to Batavia. Wang Mengxiong explained.

"What does Admiral Liu mean?" Liu Youfu asked.

"Forced landing. Moreover, His Majesty asked us to quietly send fifty soldiers to the Eighth Company, and if we did not force the landing, we would not be able to complete the task assigned by Your Majesty. Wang Mengxiong said.

"A forced landing would most likely cause a backlash from the Spaniards and even war." Liu Youfu said worriedly.

"Xiaguan thinks that if there is a conflict, we can take advantage of the situation to take Manila, as long as Manila is taken, Xiaguan believes that His Majesty will not blame us and others, for Manila, His Majesty has ideas. Moreover, the Spanish defenders of Manila were no more than a thousand, and the rest were a rabble formed by the locals, and there were only eleven large war ships in Manila, while our army had fifty-six, and if there was a real conflict, our army would win. Wang Mengxiong said.

"But Your Majesty doesn't want to tear up your face with Westerners for the time being, this matter must be handled carefully, and I don't want to make trouble." Liu Youfu thought for a while and said.

"If the Spaniards had started this battle first, there would have been no problem. And taking Manila is a big achievement. Wang Mengxiong said with a smile.

"You mean to let the Spaniards take the initiative to do it first?" Liu Youfu asked.

"Yes. The matter will be handed over to the lower officials to deal with. Wang Mengxiong assured.

"You go and do it, Your Majesty once said that the war is up to you." Liu Youfu thought for a while and said. Liu Youfu also knew that Zhu Youxiao had ambitions for Manila.

……

Wang Mengxiong sent a warship and a dozen small boats as the vanguard, preparing to force their way close to the port of Manila. At this time, the Spanish warships cruising in the waters near Manila forcibly intercepted this warship and a dozen small boats. A standoff between the two sides formed in the waters off Manila, but neither side fired the first shot. The confrontation between the two sides made the atmosphere in Manila solemn, and the clouds of war hung over the entire Manila.

The atmosphere of the Eighth Company was also affected, and the atmosphere became a little weird. Rong Guan was in the eighth company at this time, and he was responsible for receiving fifty people sent by Wang Mengxiong, and he didn't expect things to turn out like this.

"Rongguan, I heard that Wang Shi and the Spanish army are facing off in the sea near Manila Bay, but is there such a thing?" Lin Lao hurriedly came and asked.

"That's true." Rong Guan was more anxious than Lin Lao at this time.

"Is Master Wang here to attack Manila?" Lin Lao asked excitedly.

"No, they just wanted to dock in Manila to resupply, but I don't know how it came to be?" Rong Guan replied.

"I heard that there are hundreds of warships sent by the king, and there are more than three hundred and fifty ships in the entire fleet, sailing all the way to cover the sky and the sun, since the empire has ambitions for Manila, then taking Manila is just a matter of hand, why not take the opportunity to take Manila?" Lin Lao asked.

"The will of the Divine is unpredictable. I don't understand either. Rong Guan said helplessly.

"Rong Guan, if Your Majesty does not take this opportunity to take Manila, after the Wang Division leaves, Spain in Manila will definitely not let go of the Chinese of the Eighth Company, and then the entire Eighth Company will definitely stage the tragedy of the 31st year of Wanli, and all our plans will definitely fail." Lin Lao said sadly.

"Lin Lao, in fact, I am Dongchang's secret agent in Nanyang, if the situation changes, I will definitely find a way to ensure that you are well-prepared." Rong Guan said frankly.

"Although I'm old, my eyes don't dazzle, I guessed that you should be a person from the imperial court, but I didn't expect you to be a secret agent of Dongchang, Lord Rong, this time is really a matter of life and death for tens of thousands of people in the entire Eight Lian, and I hope Lord Rong has mercy and thinks of a way to live for everyone." After Lin Lao finished speaking, he bowed to the ground.

(End of chapter)