Total War: Restoration of the Ming Dynasty in Luzon

Because the back alley was narrow and crowded, it could not accommodate all the summoned soldiers. They could only walk out in an orderly manner and regroup in front of Zhu Jiheng.

Zhu Jiheng wasted no time. He immediately ordered the company commander of the first line infantry unit to march out: "You shall immediately lead your troops to raid the port, seize the customs office and shipyard, blockade the port, and prevent any ships from leaving!"

"Ready!" Zhang Kui, the company commander of the second line infantry company, saluted and responded.

Then, the third and fourth lines of infantry marched out in turn, and Zhu Jiheng directly ordered them to attack the Spanish garrison fortress in the west of the city, to seize the fortress and disarm the garrison before they could react.

The last local cavalry regiment to emerge was ordered by Zhu Jiheng to take over the government offices and warehouses that had the functions of a municipal government.

Each unit was led by guard cavalrymen who were familiar with the general situation in the city. If they encountered resistance, they were to be killed without exception!

The soldiers' footsteps were jarring in the quiet night, waking many residents in the houses on both sides of the street. They grumbled and scrambled to their feet, peering out through the cracks in their doors and windows.

The next second, their expressions changed drastically. They quickly shut their mouths, scrambled back onto the bed, covered their wives' mouths to stop their questioning, and whispered, "It's the army! An army from somewhere!"

Upon hearing that it was the military operating outside, everyone's expression changed drastically, and they dared not utter a sound.

Despite the recent tense situation, the Spanish garrison in Lingayan was quite lax. Most of them were drunk and fast asleep in their barracks in the western fortress.

This gave Zhu Jiheng the perfect opportunity for a surprise attack.

The second line infantry company, led by the guard cavalry, made no attempt to conceal their movements and rushed straight to the port at top speed.

The Spanish customs officers at the dock were either dozing off against the railings or simply deserting, never imagining they would be attacked. Some of them heard the commotion and looked over in a daze, only to be startled to see a menacing army emerging from the darkness. They jumped up in fright, all sleepiness gone.

Before he could even sound the alarm, the people on the other side had already raised their muskets and fired a volley at the checkpoint.

Gunfire erupted, instantly felling several unsuspecting soldiers. The remaining men, terrified, shouted, "The Chinese have rebelled! The Chinese have rebelled!"

Then they fled in panic, or knelt down and begged for mercy. Line infantry rushed into the outpost, gathered those who knelt down and begged for mercy into custody, and then divided their forces to take over the customs office.

Another force rushed straight to the still-lit shipyard. The craftsmen and the few soldiers guarding the shipyard were startled by the gunfire outside. Just as they were about to organize a resistance, they saw a large number of soldiers rushing in. In fear, they could only lay down their weapons and surrender.

The gunshots from the shore also alerted the four two-masted fast ships belonging to the Spanish colonial navy. The ships were not completely unmanned; although most of the sailors might go ashore to have fun, each ship would have necessary watch personnel.

"A fight has broken out on the shore!"

"Good heavens! Enemy attack on the port! Weigh anchor immediately!"

"Gunner! Where's the gunner? Prepare to fire!"

Panic shouts rang out from the decks of the ships. Startled sailors scurried about like frightened ants, helmsmen rushed to the rudder, and anchormen rushed to the winch, trying to pull up the heavy anchor.

Some quick-thinking sailors stumbled and rushed to the light guns on the deck, frantically cleaning the barrels and trying to load ammunition to return fire.

However, after the Second Company took over the customs office and shipyard, its company commander, alerted by the guard cavalry who were leading the way, immediately led his troops to try to seize the two-masted fast ship.

Before the sailors on board could even weigh anchor, the line infantry had already appeared at the edge of the dock and, under Zhang Kui's orders, opened fire on the personnel on deck.

"Bring the ladders! Set them up! Capture the enemy ship!"

Zhang Kui shouted loudly, and soon soldiers brought a long ladder, which was placed between the dock and the ship's side. Zhang Kui tried to board the ship first, but was pulled back by the deputy company commander next to him. The latter took the opportunity to climb up the ladder first, shouting:

"Follow me!"

By the light of the moon and torches, the Spanish sailors finally made out the faces of their attackers. Their eyes widened in disbelief, and they cried out in alarm:

"The Chinese have rebelled! The Chinese have rebelled!"

"Quickly! Drive them back to the sea!"

The sailors shouted and rushed toward the ship's side with all sorts of weapons, trying to push the ladder down, but the line infantry on the shore were already prepared. As soon as they appeared, they fired a volley of fire, killing several enemies instantly.

The deputy company commander was agile and quickly climbed onto the deck. As soon as he stood firm, a ferocious-looking Spanish sailor brandished a scimitar and charged at him with a howl.

The deputy company commander's eyes sharpened. He dodged the slash by the side and simultaneously slammed his rifle butt into the sailor's ribs. The sailor groaned, the intense pain instantly draining his strength.

"Take the deck!"

He gave a stern order, and the soldiers who followed him jumped onto the deck, brandishing their bayonets and fighting the sailors. Although flintlock muskets were difficult to load in close combat, they could be used as short spears and thus have the advantage of being longer.

Boom—Boom—

At the other end of the deck, a Spanish gunner who had finished loading finally lit the fuse. A 3-pound cannon spewed out flames and shrapnel. Iron shot and shrapnel swept across, instantly knocking down several Ming soldiers who were trying to climb the ladder, causing them to fall into the sea with screams.

Another gunner finished loading and tried to light the fuse, but the previous cannon fire had already caught the attention of the deputy company commander. He raised his bayonet and charged into the chest of the enemy in front of him, snatched the short axe from the enemy's hand, and threw it at the gunner with all his might.

In the short distance of just a few meters, the short axe arrived in an instant, striking the gunner in the back. He let out a painful howl, staggered a few steps, and fell off the side of the gun.

"We surrender! We surrender!"

The Spanish resistance was not strong. Seeing that the Chinese, who were better equipped than them and appeared out of nowhere, were difficult to deal with, and that their own side had suffered heavy casualties, one of the two-masted speedboats soon chose to surrender.

Upon seeing them surrender, the Ming soldiers who had already boarded the ship immediately gathered them together and drove them aside. They then ordered the gunners to load the cannons and open fire on the enemy ships that were still resisting not far away.

boom!

Within this not-so-distant distance, a solid cannonball struck the enemy ship hard, sending wood chips flying. Another cannonball grazed the side and crashed into the deck, smashing a sailor who was desperately trying to push the ladder into a bloody pulp.

The shelling from friendly warships terrified the Spaniards on board. They were already struggling to defend themselves without cannons, and now that friendly ships had captured their cannons, they were even less of a match for the enemy.

In an instant, morale among the Spanish sailors plummeted, with some crying out in despair, "God! They're using our cannons against us!"

"Surrender! We surrender too! Stop firing!"

Desperate cries rang out from the bombarded ship; the sailors threw down their weapons, raised their hands, and dared not resist any longer.