In the next six months, Ren Chao did not continue to expand the scope of his territory, but continued to strengthen his control over the northern provinces. So far, the Hu Ben Army has completely controlled the three northeastern provinces, Shandong, and Zhili provinces, and then basically controlled the four provinces of Shanxi, Henan, Anhui, and Taiwan. In the northwest region, the Huben army successfully controlled Ningxia Province and parts of Inner Mongolia, and after the 1st Cavalry Division was stationed in Outer Mongolia, it gave great deterrence to the Outer Mongolian tribes, so Outer Mongolia was reluctantly included in the sphere of influence of the Huben army.

In the past six months, the Tiger Ben Army has mainly strengthened its control over these areas. In addition, although the situation in China has been relatively stable in the past six months, the large-scale expansion of the Tiger Ben Army has never stopped. By the end of 1898, the total strength of the Tiger Army had expanded to 300,000.

Among them, 100,000 are stationed in Northeast China, about 150,000 in North China, more than 20,000 in Ningxia and Inner Mongolia, about 10,000 in Taiwan, and more than 10,000 in Korea, Ryukyu and other places. In addition to the regular army, Ren Chao has trained more than 500,000 militia groups in North China, Northeast China and other places.

In addition, the navy has also been strengthened to a certain extent, with a total of more than 30 main warships with a total tonnage of more than 200,000 tons, second only to the navies of Britain, France and Russia at that time, and even faintly surpassed the US Navy to become the fourth largest navy in the world.

At this time, the overall strength of the Tiger Ben Army has once again reached a new height, and although the strength has expanded, Ren Chao, who has been stable for half a year, has also begun to be a little ready to move.

Ren Chao threw a copy of the document in his hand on the table, rubbed his head and said, "This Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, Bian Baoquan, is not dead yet?" ”

"Not yet? But it's just hanging on to the last breath, and there shouldn't be many days left. Sun Junping replied honestly.

"Then wait until he's dead! Anyway, Lao Tzu is waiting. Ren Chao said helplessly.

"Marshal, there is one more thing to report to you, the Philippine rebels have just signed an armistice with the Spanish colonial authorities, and the rebels have extorted 800,000 pesos from the Spanish colonial government authorities, and the rebels have promised to surrender to the colonial authorities. Automatic dissolution of the government. However, according to the reports of our people, neither the rebel army nor the Spanish authorities had the sincerity to implement the treaty, and the rebel armies in various places still waged wars with the Spaniards from time to time, and the rebel army, the general Macabros and others, who were unwilling to surrender, led the army to counterattack and liberate the vast area of the central Philippines. Sun Junping said with a copy of the text in his hand.

Ren Chao sat up straight suddenly, "It's New Year's Day soon!" After New Year's Day, it should be 1898 in the Western calendar! ”

"Yes, there are three days until New Year's Day!" Sun Junping replied honestly.

"Those Filipino monkeys have been fighting for more than a year, and it is really embarrassing to be beaten like this bear now." Ren Chao couldn't help but scolded in a low voice.

Actually, as early as August 26, 1896. Amid the slogans of "Defeat or Death" and "Long live Philippine independence", a large-scale uprising broke out among the Filipino monkeys.

The first phase was from August to December 1896. During this period, the whole Filipino people rose up, and the uprising reached a climax. Armed uprisings broke out in Tawak, Luzon, Medan and Sulu in Bahrain. The center of the uprising was in Luzon. Emilio, a Filipino landlord and representative of bourgeois conservatives? Aguinaldo responded to Bonifaxiu's call to revolt in Krabi on August 31, defeating the Spanish army and occupying all of Cavite.

In September, the army under the command of Aguirre of Spain was routed. In November, the rebels routed reinforcements under the command of Governor Blanco at Novileta and Binakayan. These victories. Greatly boosted the morale of the people, the rebels in various places intensified their attacks, occupied almost the entire territory of Luzon, and surrounded Manila.

The Spanish authorities intensified the suppression of the Philippine Revolution. In December, he removed the former Governor Blanco and appointed Polavisha as the new Governor General of the Philippines. At the same time, a large number of reinforcements were transferred from China, and a "loyal volunteer battalion" composed of locals was formed in the Philippines. At this time. There are 36,000 people in Polawesia. He planned to concentrate his elite forces on Cavite, the center of the uprising, cutting off Cavite from other provinces, and then crushing the uprisings in other regions.

February 1897. The Western Army divided its forces into three directions and launched an attack on Cavite. In the face of the enemy's attack, the Philippine rebel army fought back, stifled the enemy's rampant offensive momentum, killed and wounded 1,150 enemy soldiers, but finally due to the huge disparity in strength, was forced to retreat, and the Western army occupied several strongholds of the rebel army. On April 23, Rivera succeeded Poravischa as the new Governor of the Philippines.

However, as the war was raging, there was a split within the revolutionary ranks. The landlords and bourgeoisie led by Aquinato feared that the peasant revolution would endanger their own interests, and in order to prevent the revolution from developing further, they killed Bonifaxiu on May 10, 1897, usurped the leadership of the revolution, and abolished the "Katipnan", and the uprising camp was severely weakened. On May 18, the Western Army occupied the whole province of Cavite, and the Philippine Revolutionary Government moved to the Broken Rock Cave in Bulacan to continue to lead the war of resistance. The rebel general Natibida defeated the Western army's attack at the Battle of Aliaga and established revolutionary power in all seven provinces of Central Luzon.

On November 2, 1897, the rebels established the Republic of the Philippines and proclaimed a provisional constitution with Aquinas as president. At this time, Governor Rivera saw that there was no hope of suppression, and lured the rebels to surrender. Aguinaldo, under the threat and inducement of the colonizers and the comprador bourgeoisie, wanted to compromise with the enemy, and signed the Treaty of Broken Rock with the colonial authorities on December 14. This is the treaty that Sun Junping just mentioned.

"Yes!" Ren Chao thought about it and nodded lightly and said, "It seems that it won't work if you don't help them, and if you don't make a move, I'm afraid it'll be too late." Immediately ordered the South China Sea Fleet to sail for the Philippines. ”

"What?" Sun Junping's eyes widened and said, "The marshal plans to directly send troops to intervene, but this will inevitably anger the Spanish government, and we will also be nameless!" ”

"The Spanish Empire? I really didn't see the declining empire. What's more, even if we don't make a move, someone else should do it. Rather than cheapen others, it is better for us. As for excuses? It is easy to say that there are a large number of overseas Chinese in Nanyang, so it is in the name of protecting overseas Chinese. In addition, he secretly ordered the Jiaolong fleet to immediately carry the 1st Marine Division south to Taiwan, and informed Liu Yongfu in Taiwan to step up preparations for war. ”

"Yes!" Although Sun Junping was surprised in his heart, he still quickly recorded Ren Chao's order. (To be continued......)

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