The Revolt of the Three Feudatories: All-in at the start in Beijing

Chapter 233 Manila's Native Slaves

"The army is back! The army has returned victorious!"

"Come and see! The army has captured so many slaves, as far as the eye can see, they're all natives from the deep mountains!"

Upon hearing this, everyone at the table stopped eating and looked towards the gate of the Tang residence. Tang Sanchui's face lit up with joy, and he stood up abruptly, loudly proclaiming to Jin Zhen'en and the others, "Gentlemen, it's my elder brother! My elder brother has led the army that conquered the southern tribes and returned victorious!"

"Come on, come on, I'll take you all outside the city to see the sights and broaden your horizons. If you see any pretty native women, you can buy them and take them to Bengal. Whether they serve as maids or are otherwise arranged for you, it's a very good deal!"

Jin Zhenen and the others are all second-generation scions of aristocratic families, and they usually enjoy new and exciting things.

Now that they could witness the buying and selling of foreign people, they were instantly excited. They put down their bowls and chopsticks and quickly followed Tang Sanchui toward the south gate of the city.

When the group arrived at the South Gate, the open space outside the city was already packed with people who had come to welcome them.

The middle-aged women and young women who had been working on the streets were all crowded at the front of the crowd, craning their necks and looking eager, because their husbands, sons and relatives were among the army heading south.

As everyone eagerly awaited, the procession gradually drew closer. Tang Tiechui, clad in a full suit of armor and wearing a phoenix-winged helmet, rode a robust Mongolian horse at the very front of the army.

After more than a year of fighting and honing his skills in managing local areas, Tang Tiechui now possesses the demeanor of a great general.

Behind Tang Tiechui were more than 5,000 garrison soldiers, all armed with flintlock muskets and wearing half-body iron armor, divided into five neat square formations.

Behind them were more than 5,000 indigenous puppet troops, dressed in blue uniforms and iron armor resembling bellybands. Their weapons were spears, swords, and shields. They were responsible for charging into battle and escorting supplies and cannons after the war.

The reason for choosing lamellar armor instead of the currently popular cloth armor was not because cloth armor was bad, nor because the Han Dynasty was short of money, but because the climate of Luzon was unbearably hot and humid all year round.

The cloth armor was thick and not breathable, making soldiers very susceptible to heatstroke when wearing it. In contrast, the lightweight and breathable lamellar armor was more suitable for the local climate.

As the column drew closer, people saw that in the middle of the army, there were countless indigenous prisoners, stretching as far as the eye could see.

These natives were tribesmen forced out of the deep mountains by the army. Their skin was dark brown and honey-colored, several shades darker than that of the people from the Central Plains.

His cheekbones weren't high, his eyebrows and eyes were wide-set, his eye sockets were slightly sunken, his pupils were dark and bright with a hint of brown, and his nose bridge wasn't high, but his nose tip was round and thick.

In particular, their hair is mostly slightly curly, with a faint brownish tinge in its blackness, which is quite different from the straight black hair of Han Chinese, making them easily distinguishable at a glance.

However, upon closer inspection, these native prisoners all looked dejected, their bodies covered in signs of distress, and many had their hair sparse and disheveled from the fire.

His body was covered in soot and burn marks, clearly indicating that he had fled from a forest fire and was eventually captured by the army.

"General Tang, as expected of someone who came from the Emperor's Imperial Guard, you have trained these local soldiers to be exceptionally fierce."

"What methods were used?"

Xu Chuang and Yin Huasheng had also arrived at the scene. They were not surprised and took the initiative to greet them. After all, they had also captured a lot of natives in Java and Malacca.

This wasn't Xu Chuang and his companion praising Tang Tiechui; rather, those indigenous puppet troops were indeed quite formidable.

Just now, a native struggled, seemingly trying to escape, and one of the puppet soldiers, a spearman, stabbed him to death on the first touch. They saw it.

Their training on Java Island, including that of the Dutch before them, was not this fierce.

When questioned by his colleagues, Tang Tiechui, whose title was also higher than theirs, did not hesitate to respond.

"Didn't Governor-General Qi Yanzhao of Shuofang issue a pamphlet saying that if we want to rule these foreign tribes and win their complete allegiance, we must use both soft and hard tactics!"

"Treat those who surrender and are willing to submit as well as possible, and do so openly and ostentatiously; but publicly execute those who rebel!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Chuang and his companion immediately understood. It turned out that they had been guided by a master. During this period, they had been either at sea or fighting, and had indeed not had time to study.

Yin Huasheng clapped his hands excitedly.

"Brilliant! With such polarization, these indigenous people, whose conditions are getting better and better, are still loyal to us. After all, everyone has selfish desires, and they are also afraid of losing us!"

"I really want to meet this Governor Qi!"

Just then, Tang Sanchui arrived with the young men from the Korean aristocratic family, jogging all the way over.

"Brother, the platform at the city gate hasn't been dismantled yet!"

"When will you sell slaves?"

"The people are waiting for laborers to do the work!"

Upon hearing this, Tang Tiechui frowned.

"How many times have I told you, in the military you must be addressed by your rank!"

Upon hearing this, Tang Tiechui frowned.

"How many times have I told you, in the military you must be addressed by your rank!"

"Stop calling me 'Big Brother' all the time. What will the soldiers think? What will the people think? Do you want me, the commander, to be talked about behind my back?"

This wasn't Tang Tiechui making a mountain out of a molehill; rather, he was arranging a good deal for his younger brother. In some places, he was given access, and the officials in the court turned a blind eye, since they also had families who might come knocking on his door one day.

However, the high-profile relationship between the two brothers would lead the people to speculate. As a former member of the Imperial Guard, he knew that there was a special force around the emperor.

So Luzon isn't exactly a place far from the emperor's reach!

After being scolded by his elder brother, Tang Sanchui scratched his head and then saluted respectfully.

"Reporting to the Commander!"

"It's peak rice-planting season now, and we'll be clearing land again soon. The local population doesn't have enough labor, so we hope to auction off these slaves as soon as possible!"

Xu Chuang and Yin Huasheng looked at the two brothers, both trying hard to suppress their laughter, while inwardly they were laughing and cursing, "What are you trying to prove with your big shots here?"

That mansion was not something that generals like them could afford to live in. It was built brick by brick by a large number of slaves using their positions.

However, the emperor and high-ranking officials were aware of this matter, but they all chose to turn a blind eye, which was a tacit understanding between them.

As long as we don't rebel, let's enjoy ourselves!

Tang Tiechui glanced at Xu Chuang and the other two, but didn't take it seriously. He then gave the order to Tang Sanchui.

"Then let's hold the auction in the south of the city!"

"Sanchui, you go and maintain order right now!"

"However, due to the fire that killed too many men, the auction will primarily focus on the women!"

……

With Tang Tiechui's approval, Tang Sanchui immediately led the security guards to separate the people surrounding the city, and a two-meter-high platform immediately appeared next to the south gate.

At the same time, the clanging of gongs rang out.

This is to inform the people that the slave auction has begun!