It was finally dawn.

The city of Manila is full of fire and smoke.

Avoid blood and corpses on the ground and step on the stone floor.

Look at the city in front of you.

Smelling the pungent smell of blood and burning.

It's late.

Xu Huoqing felt that he was late.

If you can come three or five hours earlier, the number of Han people in the city will not be reduced from more than 10,000 to only more than 3,000, a full seven or eight thousand lives, and it will be gone.

He's got to be responsible.

Even though he had already issued an order that the white Spanish adult males in the city should be killed after a short trial, which could be regarded as revenge for the dead Han Chinese, he still felt that he had lost money, the loss was too heavy, and the lives of the Xiyi were ten, which was not as good as one of the Han people.

"The general doesn't have to blame himself, those Han merchants in the west of the city have never been of the same mind as us, they have not been affected by several massacres before, they have always been trusted by the Spaniards, and now they are just paying off their debts for this trust, as for the Han people in the south of the city, most of them abandoned their ancestors and converted to Catholicism, they are more loyal to the Spaniards than the merchants, and the informers also emerged from them, and they are even more innocent, so the real loss of the Han people is only more than 2,000 people."

Xu Yucheng, who knew the local situation best, said in front of Xu Huoqing, which made him feel a little better.

"Even so, it is also because of our lack of strength, only a part of the Han people, helpless to make the wrong choice, the owner said, the weak choose to survive and sink, it is because we are strong, did not block the darkness for them in time, can not be too harsh on them, they are on their body, after all, it is the blood of the Chinese nation, their loss is still a loss, only when we are strong enough, but also for them to block the darkness, they make a wrong choice, that is not a pity to die."

Xu Huoqing said with emotion.

"Xu Yucheng, Xu Yucheng!"

At this time, a woman's voice sounded, and I saw a young white woman with a delicate face, holding the hem of her skirt, trotting over to this side, so that the soldiers guarding Xu Huoqing's side raised their guns one after another.

"I'm sorry, it's a friend of mine, I'm going to talk to her."

Xu Yucheng apologized, then walked up to Christine and said to her in fluent Latin: "Miss Christine, is there anything you are looking for me?" Xu Yucheng is a friend of the governor's daughter, and he has a lot of intersections in private, because Xu Yucheng's identity is also a businessman, specializing in selling lighters, soaps, shower gels, glass mirrors and other goods, not only has a small net worth, but also pays more taxes, so he often has the opportunity to participate in the drinking parties held by the governor's palace, plus he is young and handsome, funny and humorous, and he has become a friend of the governor's daughter.

"You have won this war, what will you do with me?"

With her hands on her chest, Christine looked at him and asked, "Can you arrange a boat to take me back to Spain?" Since you often say that you are the most civilized country, you should treat me civilly, right? ”

"I'm afraid it won't work."

Xu Yucheng shook his head and said: "Although our army does not kill women and children, it will not be kind enough to send you back, now, your identity is a prisoner, a trophy, how to arrange, it depends on the meaning of the above, but please rest assured, you will not be abused, as your friend, I will also give you care, and people will arrange an easier job for you." ”

"What? Job? I didn't do any work when I was a child, it was all done by servants, I don't know at all, I can't accept such treatment. ”

Christine shook her head again and again, as if she had heard something terrible, then gritted her teeth, as if she had made up her mind, threw herself into Xu Yucheng's arms, squeezed out a charming smile and said: "Xu Yucheng, last time you proposed to me, I thought about it, and decided to agree to your proposal and become your wife." ”

"But didn't you refuse that time, and said that you already have a fiancé and will get married next year?"

Xu Yucheng was very surprised, in fact, he was also joking about that proposal, because Western women like this set, and they can't wait for all the outstanding men in the world to put forward marriage proposals, in order to prove their charm, he also coaxed her to be happy through a romantic marriage proposal at that time, and he didn't expect to get consent at all.

"I don't love my fiancé anymore, I just want to be with you now." Christine hugged the man tighter.

"Wait a minute, you let go, I'll ask General Xu to see if he agrees."

After a lot of effort, Xu Yucheng broke free from the woman's entanglement, and then ran to Xu Huoqing and explained the situation.

In the end, he said with a bitter face: "General, although this woman is beautiful, she is a master who does not touch the spring water with her hands and needs to be served, I can't control it, it is better to arrange a job for her that is not tired at all, or find a way to send her back." ”

"Hahaha~"

"Hahahaha!"

Xu Huoqing and the others burst into laughter, leaning back and forth in laughter.

"This foreign woman, you better enjoy it."

Xu Huoqing patted him on the shoulder and said: "This Manila city is seriously damaged, the task of reconstruction is very large, women and children have to work, they have to support themselves through labor, it is really impossible to feed idlers, if you are kind, take this foreign woman away, as long as you are willing to do so, we can turn a blind eye." Xu Huoqing gave a look that all men understand.

"General, Xujiazhuang's "Marriage Law" stipulates that citizens who do not have a certain title can only be monogamous, I can accept her as a concubine, it is really not good to be a wife, I want to find a virtuous and gentle wife who can work, preferably a Han girl, she does not meet the standards of a good wife." Xu Huoqing said with a bitter face.

"You bastard, obviously you are an orphan, some of them are good to eat, and you will pick and choose for me, don't talk nonsense, will you accept her? Don't accept me to introduce her to other bachelors, just this figure, I'm afraid that some people want it, do you dare to choose? Xu Huoqing scolded him with a smile.

"I, I...... Can't you take her? ”

Helpless, Xu Yucheng had to put on a bitter gourd face, walked up to Christine, who was full of nervousness, and said the good news that he could take her away.

This scene.

Xu Huoqing and the others, who watched it again, laughed, and at the same time secretly decided: Although some foreign women are young and beautiful, and they are very attractive, whether they are marrying a wife or taking a concubine, try not to consider them, because they don't do almost any work, they are beautiful vases, and when they are old, they are ugly vases, and they have to spend money to hire people to serve, which is too cost-effective, and even too luxurious, don't try it if you don't have thousands of family wealth.

……

The other side.

Java Island, Batavia, the eastern headquarters of the Dutch East India Company, the city is also on high alert at this moment.

In the natural bay harbor to the north, there are eighteen Galen warships and fifty armed merchant ships.

Nearly 3,000 Dutch soldiers and more than 4,000 black mercenaries from Britain, Prussia, Switzerland, Japan, and Africa were stationed in the city of Batavia, with a total strength of nearly 8,000 men.

But not enough.

After learning of the failure of the naval battle of Quanzhou Bay and the rapid elimination of the colonial stronghold on the island of Taiwan, the senior management of the Dutch East India Company believed that the troops and warships in the East were seriously insufficient, and if the company's Eastern strategy would end in complete failure if it did not immediately increase investment.

So on the twelfth and twentyth day.

After a long voyage of ten months.

Reinforcements from within the Netherlands arrived, and the largest wave of sea reinforcements finally arrived.

This is a special fleet that has been formed on an improvised basis.

Led by the well-known naval commander, Count Van Gaelen.

Thirty of the latest Galen ships were brought with them, carrying a total of 900 guns and nearly 5,000 elite sailors and gunners.

In addition to the fact that there were already warships and armed merchant ships in the port, all the ships together were close to a hundred, the total number of artillery pieces was nearly 2,000, and the total number of personnel was close to 20,000.

The population of the Netherlands is only about 2 million, and the population of Batavia is equivalent to 1%.

As a coachman at sea, the Netherlands had more than 10,000 merchant ships and warships, and Batavia also gathered 1% of the number this time.

It's only 1%, though.

However, the Dutch East India Company was only a joint-stock commercial company founded by merchants and aristocrats and managed by a board of directors, not a state institution, which pursued purely commercial interests, and must be accountable to all shareholders and shareholders, with little room for error.

Inside the Doge's Palace.

"General Galen, for the naval fleet of Xujiazhuang in the Ming Kingdom, do you have any certainty of victory? We have invested too much this time, and if we don't win, the company will fall into a huge crisis, and maybe even go bankrupt, if we are not sure, I would suggest abandoning Batavia and shrinking its strength. In the office, the newly appointed Governor, Anthony van Dimen, a middle-aged man with a shrewd eye, said to Count Van Galen in front of him.

"I'm going to beat my opponent this time!"

Van Galen said confidently: "I have already thought of the tactics to deal with that kind of sailless clipper, and I have thought of the tactics of restraining that rapid-fire fast cannon, and as long as they enter the trap I have arranged, then no matter how good they are, they will become my men's defeat!" I'll also find a way to capture a sailless clipper and bring it back home to replicate, and maybe it won't be long before we have that clipper and a fast gun. ”

"What if your tactics don't work?"

Governor Anthony asked, so far, they have collected very little information about the Xujiazhuang sailless clipper, and they do not know how to deal with it effectively, and many places can only guess, can only roughly estimate: the combat effectiveness of a sailless clipper is equivalent to ten Galen ships.

"I've brought a mighty armada!"

Van Galen said loudly: "If even I lose, it is useless for the company's assets to withdraw anywhere, although Xujiazhuang is strong and some of the products manufactured are very powerful, but they are not gods, there will always be weaknesses, and nearly a hundred ships, and they can't beat a few of them or a dozen ships, then God must have abandoned us, and the company and the kingdom will be finished...... I will never allow such a thing to happen, even at the cost of my life. ”

"Well, I wish you a triumphant armada."

Governor Anthony nodded, and even though he was deeply uneasy, he could only express his blessings and support to Count Van Gaelen, and sincerely hoped that he would be victorious.