Chapter 924: Southward

"His Highness once said, 'They fight their war, we fight ours,' and this saying is spot on."

"Why bother with their schemes and tricks? If we follow their lead, we are being led by the nose. I intend to lead them by the nose!"

Looking at the nautical chart hanging in the office, Zhou Yi slapped his palm onto the location of Luzon Island.

He did not believe the Western Fleet would just watch them take one Southern Region island nation after another.

Thinking of this, he ordered his battle plan to be transmitted to Yancheng.

Three days ago, he received news that the wired telegraph had been laid to Lincheng, and a wired power station had just been established, which could be put to use.

A steamship only needs two days to travel from Yizhou to Lincheng.

This meant that in just two days, Yan Wang could receive the situation on the Yizhou front, which was not much different from commanding on the battlefield.

At the same time, he prepared to commit thirty sailing warships, thirty steamships, and eight thousand marine soldiers to the Luzon battlefield.

The remaining regular naval warships would be commanded by Gong Ying, responsible for defending the island chain.

In two days, Zhou Yi's battle plan was transmitted to the Prince's Mansion via the wired telegraph.

Zhao Xu received Zhou Yi's battle plan and felt a bit moved.

It was not that he was surprised by Zhou Yi's battle plan.

After all, a general trained by him should be making this choice at this time.

What excited him was the fact that the wired telegraph had been laid to Lincheng.

With the wired telegraph spreading across Great Song, he could issue orders to generals on the battlefield from Yancheng.

After reading Zhou Yi's plan, Zhao Xu pondered for a while and approved Zhou Yi's request.

Another two days passed, and Zhao Xu's order arrived in Yizhou.

"His Highness has agreed. Gong Ying, the coastal defense from Yizhou to Yanzhou is handed to you. Pan Zhang, you are to select eight thousand soldiers to go south with me," Zhou Yi ordered.

After pacifying Dongying, Gong Ying and Pan Zhang had arrived in Yizhou leading the fleet and marines.

All four countries of Dongying had their garrisons, and since they were currently submissive to Great Song, there was no need for them to keep watching.

If the Westerners went to Dongying again, they would only face the artillery fire of the four countries.

"Yes, General," Gong Ying and Pan Zhang replied in unison, excitement flashing in their eyes.

When they were in Dongying, they had been looking forward to going to war with the Western Fleet.

Now, that day had finally arrived.

They were going to let this fleet that invaded Dongtu taste their might.

The following three days.

The Wanghai City pier became very busy.

Because grain, fodder, and ammunition were all stored in the port's warehouses.

They had to move these supplies onto the warships.

The morning of the fourth day.

Thirty sailing warships, towed by thirty steamships, headed toward the Luzon sea area.

They formed two parallel columns, protecting twenty troop transport ships in the middle.

This time, they did not carry supply ships.

Because Yizhou was only a little over seven hundred li from the southernmost tip of Luzon.

That is to say, only one day's journey by sea.

Even reaching Manila, the capital established by the Franks in Luzon, was only a two-day sea journey.

"General, Western Lands Allied Forces steamships discovered ahead to the left," the fleet had been floating on the vast blue ocean for half a day.

Flagship captain Song Xiang reported to Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi nodded.

Song Xiang was the second naval backbone he had cultivated after Gong Ying.

He currently held the position of Navy Commandant, and being a flagship captain was just his concurrent duty.

"No need to pay them any mind, continue advancing toward Ban Ji," Zhou Yi said.

The steamships towing the sailing warships could not catch up with the individual steamships responsible for reconnaissance.

"Yes, General," Song Xiang replied.

Zhou Yi nodded and continued to study the map of Luzon.

This map was provided to them by Yan Wang.

However, when this map was given to them, it did not have the markings of Luzon's cities.

It was only after they dispatched steamships to scout personally and compiled the intelligence provided by the Four Courts that they finally determined the locations of Luzon's important cities.

The Ban Ji they were going to now was located at the northernmost tip of Luzon.

According to the information they possessed, the total population of Luzon was around six million.

Distributed among thirty cities of various sizes in Luzon.

Among them, the most prosperous city, Manila, had a population of about six hundred thousand.

And Ban Ji was just a small northern city with a population of only about thirty thousand.

The reason he chose this place was, first, to establish a supply point at the closest distance to Yizhou.

Second, because Ban Ji was the place closest to Great Song.

For thousands of years, people from the Central Plains who went to sea to make a living first settled here.

Therefore, out of the thirty thousand people in Ban Ji, nearly three thousand belonged to the "Overseas Song People" named by Yan Wang.

Before the Franks arrived in Luzon, these Overseas Song People had accumulated quite a bit of wealth due to their diligence.

And because the previous Central Plains dynasties also had great influence in the Southern Region, they lived quite well locally in Luzon.

However, for the past hundred years, this situation has ceased to exist.

The Franks coveted their wealth, not only slaughtering and plundering the Overseas Song People in Luzon but also deliberately creating conflicts between the Overseas Song People and the indigenous people of Luzon.

They utilized the indigenous people of Luzon to suppress the intelligent and diligent Overseas Song People, preventing them from affecting their own rule.

Of course, the intelligence from Luzon is merely a microcosm of the East Land Southern Region.

It can be said that the fates of the hundreds of thousands of Overseas Song People drifting in the East Land Southern Region are all similar.

Just as they share a single insulting moniker, "swine."

This time heading south, they must not only drive away the Westerners but also restore their good name.

Unlike any dynasty in the past, the Great Song of today has risen under the leadership of Yan Wang.

From now on, whether they are Song People living in Great Song or Song People living overseas, all will be protected by the Great Song Navy.

Furthermore, there is another very important factor.

They lack understanding of the geography, local customs, and human sentiments of the Southern Region countries, including Luzon.

They need these Overseas Song People to provide guides and other assistance so as to more smoothly drive out the Westerners and restore the ruling order of the Southern Region countries.

After another half a day, the fleet entered the Ba Bu Yan sea area of Luzon.

In this sea area, there are five large islands.

Passing through the Ba Bu Yan sea area, the fleet appeared at their destination for this trip, Banbu.

Through a Telescope, Zhou Yi saw thirty Merchant Ships docked in the port of Banbu, with no Warships of the Franks.

To the Franks, Banbu is too small to be worth specifically deploying Warships there.

Such a Banbu is simply like an undefended maiden to the Great Song Navy.

Putting away the Telescope, Zhou Yi pointed toward Banbu, "Take this place."

As his order was issued, the fleet headed straight for the port of Banbu.

Ten small boats were lowered from the Troop Transport Ships.

Two hundred marine soldiers boarded the small boats separately and landed from the east and west sides of the port.

As the fleet and the Troop Transport Ships drew closer, the scene of the port of Banbu became increasingly clear.

Just when the small troop boats were less than three hundred meters from the port, a burst of urgent bell ringing came from the direction of Banbu.

Evidently, the Frankish garrison in Banbu had sounded the Alarm Bell.