1642, the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, was the most difficult year for the Ming Empire. All the pressures that had accumulated over the past few decades exploded like powder kegs of martyrdom as we entered the New Year.

The first powder keg to bear the brunt was the Battle of Matsuyama, which ended at the end of February. Most of the military forces painstakingly managed by the Ming Empire in the north were wiped out in the Battle of Songshan, which lasted for more than half a year, and the elite of the Ming army that Emperor Chongzhen sent out of the country was almost completely wiped out.

The 130,000 Ming army, which had the advantage of powerful firearms, almost crushed Huang Taiji in the early stage of the campaign, and a large number of Chinese and American military weapons defeated the main force of the Manchu Qing Dynasty completely out of proportion. It's a pity that Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao, originally set the strategic policy of taking every step of the camp and oppressing at all points, but it was shattered by the confused intervention of Emperor Chongzhen.

Emperor Chongzhen, who was so happy, seemed to have caught the awesome cards of the two kings and the four twos, and issued four edicts in a row, ordering the Liaodong Theater to launch a full-scale attack. Hong Chengchou, who knew the advantages and disadvantages of the Ming army, was forced to attack after crying bitterly, and then the Ming army was unsurprisingly cut off by the Qing army that seized the opportunity.

In the first battle of Songshan, the Ming army was killed, surrendered, drowned in the sea, and dispersed more than 100,000, and a group of generals such as Cao Bianjiao and Wang Tingchen were trapped in Songshan City for several months, and almost all the troops were martyred, only Wu Sangui's troops basically remained intact and returned to Shanhaiguan.

"130,000 soldiers died on the same day, and the muddy river increased and the blood rushed turbulently." A song "Songshan Lamentation", it is really difficult to look back.

The Ming army was defeated in Songshan, Jinzhou, Xingshan, Tashan and other fortresses outside the Guanguan fell one after another, and Shanhaiguan became the front line. A large number of Liao officials, including Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao, surrendered, and the Qing army fully grasped the strategic initiative to attack the Ming Empire.

There are many historical controversies about whether Emperor Chongzhen really issued four edicts in a row urging Hong Chengchou to go to war, and how much the dispute between governors and governors had an impact. However, considering the many historical shortcomings of the late Ming Dynasty, the Battle of Songshan is undoubtedly the largest coffin board that led to the final collapse of the Ming Empire. After this battle. The elite main force of the Ming army in the north is almost one in ten, whether it is to resist the invasion of the Manchu Qing Dynasty or to face the surging peasant army in the Guannai, Chongzhen has no cards to play.

In this new historical time and space, although the result of the Battle of Songshan has not changed, the local battles are more brilliant and more tragic than the same period in history.

When he learned that the back road had been cut off, that habitual sense of fear once again permeated the whole army. Wang Pu, the general soldier of Datong, first led the army to flee, and the troops were in chaos. Immediately followed by Tang Tong, the general soldier of Miyun, the general soldier of Shanhai Ma Ke, the general soldier of Ningyuan, Wu Sangui, the general soldier of Shanxi, Li Fuming, and the general soldier of the reinforcement and suppression, Bai Guangen, also broke and fled one after another, and then were ambushed by the Qing soldiers all the way, with tens of thousands of dead and wounded. A large number of weapons and equipment were abandoned.

Only Cao Bianjiao, the chief soldier of the Eastern Association, and Wang Tingchen, the general soldier of Liaodong, held on in the chaos of the whole army, and then rushed alone to aid Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao in Songshan, and then was besieged by the main force of the Qing army.

With a total of more than 5,000 Huamei 21B flintlock rifles and more than 20 Huamei 12-pounder cannons, the two Ming armies of Cao Bianjiao and Wang Tingchen fought fiercely for several months with the elite of the Eight Banners of the Qing Army surrounded by them, and repeatedly defeated their opponents. Overwhelmed the Hongyi cannons that Huang Taiji had captured or imitated for many years. It's a pity that the other fronts were defeated, and the deputy general Xia Chengde should surrender to the enemy. In addition, Huang Taiji also pulled the gorgeous flintlock guns, 12-pounder cannons and gunners captured in the previous stage to the siege front. In the end, Cao Bianjiao and Wang Tingchen ran out of ammunition and food, and died in a bloody battle.

What is even more tragic is that the Ming Empire spent a lot of money to purchase nearly 30,000 gorgeous flintlock pistols and hundreds of gorgeous cannons, the vast majority of which fell into the hands of the Qing army in the Battle of Songshan, once again refreshing the latest record of "transport captain".

In this bloody battle, the Manchus also paid a heavy price of tens of thousands of casualties. But compared to their losses, the gains are also far greater than the history.

……

Monday, March 3, 1642. Southeast Asia, southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. Temasek.

On the edge of the dense tropical rainforest, in the wildly long wetland meadows, under the cover of 8-pounder field guns, hundreds of infantry wearing black summer short-sleeved combat uniforms, short-brimmed cloth hats, holding Type 34A rear-loading flintlock pistols, and carrying military bags on their backs, were marching in twisted rows to the north, slowly and cautiously advancing northward, and many large dogs could be vaguely seen in the queue.

The armbands of these black-uniformed infantrymen are embroidered with two roses, one black and one white, which at first glance are the marks of the armed mercenaries of the Huamei Blackwater Security Company. Not far behind them, they were closely followed by thousands of pirates wrapped in sailors' turbans and dressed in Ming costumes, one by one, holding knives and guns, or holding firearms, looking around nervously.

The shelling had not stopped, and small flowering shells fired from the 8-pounder field guns were constantly kicking up patches of smoke and dust in the forest ahead. The closer they got to the woods, the slower the pace of the Blackwater mercenaries became, and several European men dressed as commanders raised their hands, signaling the troops to be more vigilant.

The sound of artillery was incessant, the military dogs barked wildly, and the battle line continued to advance towards the rainforest in the distance.

Suddenly, a cloud of yellow smoke emerged from the forest, followed by a barrage of exclamations and gunshots. As soon as the 8-pounder field guns controlled by pirates in the rear saw the yellow smoke, they adjusted their muzzles and angles, and then a series of shells were discharged.

Explosions in the depths of the woods came one after another, accompanied by faint cries, and soon there was movement at the edge of the woods, and several soldiers wearing special operations camouflage uniforms of the Chinese Army ran out with their waists, and one by one they ran to a place only a few dozen meters away from the Blackwater mercenary brigade and lay down.

The sound of wah-wah sounded, and dozens of ragged native soldiers of the Sultanate of Johor rushed out of the woods brandishing tattered weapons, all with red eyes and hideous expressions.

"Shoot!"

The Blackwater mercenaries stopped one after another, squatting in the front row, stepping forward in the back row, and then two rows of firelight and smoke erupted. The Johor aborigines who rushed out of the woods were shot one after another, and their running bodies fell to the ground in various movements in the rain of bullets.

In less than ten seconds, the Blackwater mercenaries were reloaded after the shot, and the ammunition reloading efficiency of the improved Type 34A flintlock pistol was significantly improved. As long as it is not too strong battlefield interference, completing the reloading action in ten seconds is an indicator that most people can achieve.

"Get on the bayonet! Keep moving! ”

The native skirmishers who rushed out of the woods were all killed, and the European bearded commander drew his saber and pointed at the forest, and all the Blackwater mercenaries removed their bayonets from their waists and stuck them in the muzzle bayonet mount. Then stride.

"The big boss, these gorgeous black sailors really have a way, but in just a month, this Temasek Johor soldier fell apart. Our brothers are getting more and more familiar, and it seems that the occupation of the whole island is just around the corner! Haha, congratulations, congratulations! ”

In the South China Sea Volunteer Team following behind the Blackwater Mercenary Brigade, the rat-whiskered dog-headed military division began to slap Liu Xiang's ears again, and the pirates surrounding him even raised their swords and guns in their hands and shouted exaggeratedly.

"Damn, don't embarrass Lao Tzu just yet. Keep up! ”

Liu Xiang scolded and grinned in his mouth, but when he saw that the territory he had worked hard for several years was finally close at hand, his heart was also happy.

"This gorgeous Blackwater Security Company is really not bad, it can train the crooked melons and cracked dates under Li Guo's assistant into such elite soldiers......

Looking at the black figure that had entered the woods hundreds of meters ahead, Liu Xiang secretly sighed why he had lost the good fortune of the gorgeous old man's eyes. Let your pirates be trained by Blackwater Security.

……

Beginning in 1637, Chinese merchants in Luzon sent Chinese sons to serve in the Chinese Foreign Legion. Become the future military backbone of the Luzon independence forces that Huamei secretly supported and prepared.

But this preparation is clearly slow. And the scale can't go up, so when Liu Yun's Blackwater Security Company was established, Fan Li decisively proposed another plan to Li Guozhu and other Chinese businessmen in Luzon, that is, to select Chinese children to enter the Blackwater Security Company to "work for training".

I have to say that Fan Li's idea is in place, not only the cultivation of Chinese power in Luzon is faster, but also the problem that Liu Xiang has been attacking Temasek has also been solved. On the recommendation of Fan Li. Liu Xiang gritted her teeth and paid a lot of money to hire the armed mercenary team of the Blackwater Security Company to work for herself.

With the help of infiltration and reconnaissance by the special forces of the Chinese and American regular army, it was only a few small and medium-sized operations, and Temasek's Johor Bumiputera turned on their backs. The only thing that made Liu Xiang's flesh hurt was. Whether it's asking the U.S. Army Special Forces team to go out or paying the commission of the Blackwater Security Company, the money is as painful as running water.

Not only can he get excellent mercenary cannon fodder, but also earn a lot of commissions for Liu Xiang to fight, Liu Yun is also smiling from ear to ear. Although China is doing everything possible to guard against and suppress the Blackwater Security Company, under the banner of training troops for friends in the Far East, there are no taboos on the use of Blackwater mercenaries in Southeast Asia.

In just a few years, Liu Yun's Blackwater Security Company has already owned two armed mercenary brigades, with a total number of more than 700. One of the main brigades of national nationals is working for the OUCC group on the island of Madagascar, and the current armed mercenary brigade of nearly 400 people is composed entirely of Chinese descendants in Luzon and is helping Liu Xiang to "reunify Temasek by force".

In the face of Liu Xiangkong's ambitions, both the Portuguese governor of Malacca and the representative of the Dutch East India Company in Batavia repeatedly expressed strong dissatisfaction, but Liu Xiangcai ignored the three-seven-twenty-one and claimed that this was a terra nullius.

Do you have the ability to bite me? Not only does Liu Xiang feel that he is strong, but he also relies on the secret support of the beautiful old man behind him, and he has no good face towards the Portuguese or the Dutch.

Although it is extremely expensive to hire armed mercenaries from Blackwater Security Company, they are countless times better than their own timid pirates. Compared with the benefits she can get in this natural location in the future, Liu Xiang feels that everything is worth it.

What's more, Huamei's Master Fan said that this Temasek will be the home of the Nanhai Volunteers in the future, and Huamei will recognize Liu Xiang's local rule at the right time! Even the name of the beautiful old man has been thought of, and it is called "Lanfang Free Territory".

It doesn't really matter what it's called, anyway, I don't know a few big words. The current South China Sea Volunteers have thousands of minions and pirate families, and there are many Chinese in the Malay Peninsula in the past hundred years. His grandmother's, this is a great blessing for the establishment of overseas frontiers!

The ancestor said well, there is nothing to do with that! Thinking that there would be a day in his life that he would be able to "add a yellow robe", Liu Xiang couldn't sleep all night long, and would hold his favorite concubine and giggle until dawn every day.

Of course, the closer you get to Huamei, the thicker your skin will be, and the more sincerity you have to pay. The children of Liu Xiang and other pirate leaders will be recommended by the Oriental Union Group to study in Huamei, and the previous period of wandering is uncertain. For the safety of their families and their loyalty, Liu Xiang and others entrust their children to study on Pearl Island.

For this kind of "benefit", Liu Xiang and others, who don't know a few words, are, of course, and must greet each other with a smile.

People who have to vote for their loyalty when they join the gang are now just sending some children to be "hostages", and it is not too much to say according to the rules of the road. However, what makes Liu Xiang entangled is not the question of who to choose among her children, but the fact that she was sent to be a "hostage" this time, and the Oriental Union Group still has to calculate the money, which is called tuition and miscellaneous expenses, which is really embarrassing.

……

A week later. As Temasek's guns faded out, Liu Xiang's South China Sea Volunteers, with the help of Blackwater Security's armed mercenary brigade, conquered the last Johor indigenous village on Temasek Island, which was used by a large number of captured Johor natives to build a local port stronghold.

And in the overseas consulate of Pearl Island, in the office of the Far Eastern Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and the United States. Several gorgeously dressed European businessmen were blowing their beards and glaring, even Li Guozhu, who was hiding next door and eavesdropping. The expressions on his face are also very rich.

"This ...... This is not in keeping with the spirit of cooperation between the Kingdom of Portugal and you. Dear Mr. Fan! Temasek there...... There should have been ours from the beginning! The Portuguese delegate from Malacca looked very nervous, clutching a diplomatic document that had not yet been unfolded.

"We also have reservations about the Temasek occupation led by Liew to undermine the common interest." Representatives of the Dutch East India Company also fanned the flames on the side.

"I regret that Liu Xiang is not a national of our country, he is just an ordinary trading partner of our government in the Far East. From the standpoint of jointly maintaining regional stability, the Malaysian government is also very concerned about Liu Xiang's military operations in Temasek. But there isn't any accurate feedback yet, so we'll need some patience. ”

Fan Li drank his coffee unhurriedly, and on the one hand, he put his gorgeous position high, and on the other hand, he replied with a mild mockery of the obvious jealousy of the Portuguese: "As for Temasek's original position. I guess it has always been the territory of the Sultan of Johor, right? The Portuguese Friends have had no real leadership or influence there for the past 100 years. ”

"But we've been trying...... "The Portuguese also knew that he was too self-righteous, but the thought of such an important place being easily occupied by a group of Ming pirates made him extremely unhappy. You must know that for more than 100 years, Portugal has paid a very high price for invading the Sultan of Johor.

"In that case, I can see it as a fair game." Fan Li immediately picked up, which was a fluke that blocked the Portuguese.

"How can your country protect our legitimate interests? If Commander Lau adopts an overly selfish policy of domination over Temasek, it will be unfair to all his friends in the Far East. Although the Dutch East India Company was trying to sow discord, in its rhetoric, it was clearly a disguised recognition of Liu Xiang's occupation of Temasek.

As soon as the words of the representative of the Dutch East India Company came out, the Portuguese felt that something was wrong, didn't they say that they would come together to exert pressure, why did you first admit that Temasek belonged to Liu Xiang?

"Two gentlemen, in fact, there is a more important problem that needs to be solved together." The Dutch East India Company smiled at Fan Li and his Portuguese counterpart, took out a document from his arms and unfolded it, only to see that there were crooked words written on it, and a few Chinese characters were mixed in the middle.

"Japan?"

Fan Li frowned, probably understanding the true intentions of the Dutch. The Portuguese, on the other hand, seemed to have touched some old wounds, and even more looked uncomfortable.

By 1641, the Japanese shogunate had issued the fifth consecutive lockdown decree, from the initial ban on the landing of Portuguese missionaries, to the current ban on Dutch merchant ships from calling at ports. In addition to the harsh terms of trade that are limited to a limited number of times per year, Japan's trade is essentially only monopolized by Zheng Zhilong's family.

In order to reopen the trade joint, Portugal sent several groups of envoys from Macao and Malacca, but the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate did not let up at all, and brutally executed as many as 61 Portuguese merchants and diplomatic envoys, and a large number of Japanese-born mixed-race and ordinary religious families were expelled.

Then, during the Dutch trade in the previous years, the Tokugawa shogunate acquired a lot of cannons, so it added the classic historical "Wujinian Withdrawal Order" (foreign ship withdrawal order). It was announced that only a very small number of Dutch merchant ships would be allowed to enter Nagasaki from July to October each year, and there were a large number of rules restricting the contents of the trade, and any unauthorized foreign merchant ships that dared to approach the Japanese coastal towns would be shelled, a history that was extremely exaggerated by a hundred years.

Despite its small size and lack of natural resources, Japan was one of the world's leading producers of silver and gold during this era. At the beginning of the 17th century, more than two million taels of silver worth of precious metals flowed to the outside world through the Nagasaki trading port of Guò. It was so closed that it naturally made Portuguese and Dutch merchants extremely anxious.

Japan's ordinary civilian market is not large, and most of the Japanese people at the bottom cannot even eat a mouthful of rice in their lives, but it is also the fifth largest export market in the Far East for gorgeous goods such as sugar, leather, refined salt, raw silk, matches, edible oil, and cotton cloth, and there are relatively cheap refined copper resources. Therefore, Japan's lockdown order has also had some impact on Huamei's commodity exports in the Far East.

"Hmm...... What do you mean? Fan Li looked at the wind direction at the scene, and involuntarily lowered his voice.

"We should unite and get the Japanese shogunate to reconsider open free trade, which is the most important issue we need to address right now. The East India Company was willing to cede a share of its trade in the future when it reopened trade. ”

The representative of the Dutch East India Company, with a sly smile, frequently made seductions. In the Treaty of Manila more than ten years ago, in addition to Zheng Zhilong's unshakable position, the Dutch East India Company's Japanese trade activities were also very active, and Portugal had long lost its traditional advantage in Japanese trade because of missionary issues.

The Netherlands is more concerned about the profits of Japanese trade than Temasek, and during the same period of history, almost half of the annual trade profits of the Dutch East India Company from Japan were almost half of the profits from the spice trade. As for the Temasek Strait, which would conflict with the Portuguese routes, the Netherlands did not care, after all, most of the routes between Dutch East India merchant ships and the Indian Ocean took the Sunda Strait west of the island of Java.

The implication is that as long as Huamei, who is Liu Xiang's backstage, is willing to participate in the "Japanese trade switch negotiations", then the Dutch East India Company fully supports Liu Xiang, who Huamei secretly supports!

"As long as Liu Xiang does not change the status quo of trade in the Far East, I am sure that His Excellency the two governors of Malacca and Macao will also understand...... But how can we get that Japanese general to give up his hostility? ”

The Portuguese representative finally couldn't help but change his position, and his eyes flashed with greed. The Portuguese were more aware of the high profits of Japan's trade than the Dutch East India Company, which came later.

"I'll send out a consultation to the country, it will take the right time, but it won't be two years...... But gentlemen, I personally believe that the truth is only within the range of the cannon, and if they are too stubborn, then we should choose a better 'sincerity' to impress them......"

The three people in the office all understood, and they all laughed out loud at this time, leaving Li Guozhu and the others hiding next door stunned.

"This ...... This Mr. Huamei Fan and Xiyi are really domineering, so aggressive and strong......" Li Guozhu said with a wry smile to a Chinese businessman in Luzon who was also sweating next to him. (To be continued......)