gnovel Chapter 229 Manila City Piers
Chapter 229 Manila City Piers
The fleet set sail from Geoje Island. This voyage involved tens of thousands of people, and the consumption of food and fresh water was enormous. Even the daily tea needed to be stored in sufficient quantities to support the long voyage.
Therefore, as the fleet sailed south, it needed to frequently stop for supplies in major coastal cities of the Han Dynasty, such as Ningbo, Fuzhou, Chaozhou, and Guangzhou.
However, at each port, local officials would prepare dry food, water, and roasted tea in advance, which would be loaded onto the ships and put into the hold, saving time and effort.
After replenishing their supplies in the mainland, the fleet would head south, first to Manila on Luzon Island. After resting and resupplying there, they would travel west along the waterways of the South Pacific islands, cross the Strait of Malacca, enter the Bay of Bengal, and finally arrive in Bangladesh.
Of course, all of this was planned. The small countries along the way had all received the imperial decree from the Han Dynasty. Otherwise, who would dare to use tens of thousands of people as subjects for experiments?
It was mid-western in the west, and the sea weather was stable with gentle sea breezes and no large waves. According to the planned voyage, it would take about five months to reach the destination.
After sailing for a month, based on the pressure on the people in the cabin, the fleet stopped to rest when it arrived in Manila. After communication was completed, the huge fleet began to sail into Manila Bay in batches.
On the deck of one of the medium-to-large Fujian-style ships stood a young North Korean general, Kim Jin-eun, the eldest son of the prominent Kim family. He was going to represent the Kim family to establish a foothold in Bangladesh.
He had a round, flat face with a slightly dark complexion and a noticeable black mole near the corner of his mouth. He was chubby and walked with a steady gait.
As the fleet was about to dock, Jin Zhenen, holding a sturdy black leather whip, suddenly raised his hand and lashed it out. With a crisp "crack," the whip tip struck the hard deck, startling the cabin into an instant silence.
Jin Zhen'en puffed out his chest and shouted at the top of his lungs toward the hatch below deck: "Listen up, everyone! Our next destination is Manila, under the rule of the Great Han Kingdom! All ten-man commanders, immediately take control of your men. You will have a full day of exercise time after landing!"
He paused, then emphasized his words, sternly warning, "Remember, you must not wander off, and you are absolutely forbidden from leaving the group. If you get lost here and are mistaken for a local by the local garrison, you will be captured and forced into slavery and hard labor. Your life will be completely over, and you will never return home!"
The North Korean youths below deck had only been forced to learn Chinese for a short time, and although they could only vaguely understand it, they knew that "letting out for fresh air" meant they could go ashore for some fresh air and walk around. The boys, who had been suppressed for a long time, immediately burst into cheers, and a noisy commotion poured out from the cabin.
At this time, the port of Manila, after more than a year of meticulous construction by the Han craftsmen, has been completely transformed. The wharf is wide and flat, and the berths are well-planned. It can accommodate fifty large seagoing ships at the same time, and there is no trace of the cramped and dilapidated state it was when it was occupied by the Spanish.
Above the port, there are facilities meticulously designed by Han Dynasty craftsmen, the most eye-catching of which are dozens of winch-style boarding stairs.
Once the ship has come to a steady dock, the boatmen work together to turn the heavy winch, and the thick wooden ladder, which is three meters wide and twelve meters long, is slowly lowered. One end rests on the deck of the cargo ship, and the other end rests on the dock floor, making it both stable and convenient to go up and down.
In short, the entire port is very grand, as if it has a huge sign that says: Welcome to come and fight!
At this time, Jin Zhenen had already changed out of his civilian clothes from the journey and put on the military uniform issued by the Ministry of War of the Han Dynasty.
He wore a crisp blue military uniform, shiny leather boots, and a peaked cap adorned with Chinese characters on a brass clasp. Dressed like this, he stood there and somehow resembled a military officer from a later era.
Jin Zhenen gently wiped the dust off his boots and slowly stepped off the ship.
Standing on the cargo platform at the dock, gazing at the massive port and the large number of slaves loading and unloading goods—a scene of prosperity and order—Jin Zhen'en couldn't help but stop and sigh, his eyes filled with longing.
"The Great Han Kingdom truly lives up to its reputation as the legitimate successor of the Central Plains. Not only did it drive out the Spanish from the West, but it also managed to make this port so prosperous."
"Now I, Kim Jin-eun, am a centurion in the Great Han Korean Army. In the future, I will surely achieve further military merits, become a general, and even join the ranks of the Great Han's nobles, bringing glory to the Kim family!"
Unlike the spirited Kim Jong-un, the North Korean youths were confined to cramped and stuffy cabins all the way, unable to see the light of day and struggling to breathe.
Now that they had finally set foot on land, they began to run wildly, but due to prolonged seasickness and turbulence, their legs were weak and they collapsed on the ground after getting off the boat.
However, they still ignored everything and greedily breathed in the fresh air through their noses. Some even buried their heads in the warm sand, feeling the solid ground beneath their feet, and were unwilling to lift their heads for a long time.
Just then, a group of soldiers in black uniforms marched in. The centurion at the head was not tall, about 1.6 meters.
Behind him followed a hundred soldiers, also dressed in black uniforms and carrying matchlock guns, escorting thousands of slaves with shackles on their feet and bamboo baskets on their shoulders.
The young centurion approached Xu Chuang, his back ramrod straight, and raised his right fist to his brow in a perfect military salute: "Tang Sanchui, Centurion of the Manila City Security Forces in Luzon Province, salutes the Naval Commander!"
After the ceremony, he turned to the side and pointed to the fruits carried by the slaves behind him: "These fruits behind me are all fresh seasonal fruits prepared by the Commander of the Luzon Guard for the immigrants and soldiers of the fleet who have come from afar, as well as a large amount of sweet and thirst-quenching coconut juice. Please feel free to take them."
This man was none other than Tang Sanchui, the former foreman of the Datong Coal Mine. His elder brother, Tang Tiechui, was originally a commander of the Imperial Guard. Due to his outstanding military achievements, he has now been promoted to commander of the Luzon Guard, in charge of military affairs here.
Since the elder brother held a high position, he naturally wanted to keep his younger brother by his side. So he used his connections to transfer Tang Sanchui to Luzon and secure him a position as a garrison commander.
This security officer position was newly established by the Han Dynasty, combining the duties of a constable in arresting criminals with the tasks of dispatching miscellaneous servants.
Tang Sanchui used to be a foreman and was quite skilled at managing people. Now he serves as the chief of security, in charge of a thousand security officers. His main responsibilities are the security of Manila and the scheduling of slave labor. It is reasonable and justifiable to make the best use of his talents.
Xu Chuang had traveled to Manila many times for fleet resupply matters and was already acquainted with the Tang brothers, Tang Tiechui and Tang Sanchui. Seeing Tang Sanchui's restrained bowing, he immediately smiled and stepped forward, lightly punching the other's shoulder, and teased him in a familiar tone, "You kid, why are you being so formal with me? You're being too polite!"
As he spoke, Xu Chuang picked up a coconut, took large gulps of water, let out a burp, and then looked westward, asking, "Where's your older brother, Iron Hammer? Has he gone south to lead troops into battle again?"
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