The largest silver mine in the world is 600 miles away!

But both Zhu Hehao and Zhu Cihuan knew that they couldn't immediately lead their men to kill and rob all the silver and gold there... even though they really wanted to do that!

However, these two people are still sensible, because they did not discover Don Juan Jose's army, which means that Don Juan Jose has withdrawn his army from the Pacific coast and retreated to the province of Zacatecas to set up defenses.

——As long as the military level of the regent of the Kingdom of New Spain is above the passing mark, he should know that it is impossible for him to keep the enemy out of the country.

He can only do the next best thing now, and first surrender the silver and gold in Zacatecas Province (which is also rich in gold). As long as he has a lot of gold and silver, he can get arms and mercenaries from Europe. Why?

They can maintain the Kingdom of New Spain. If the province of Zacatecas and the neighboring province of Guanajua, two treasures rich in gold and silver, are lost, then Don Juan Jose’s Kingdom of New Spain will probably fall apart.

.

As soon as the New Spanish Legion of more than 20,000 people retreated to the province of Zacatecas and deployed defenses at several important silver and gold mines, Zhu Cihuan, Zhu Hehao and his uncles and nephews could not take Zacatecas with this little army.

Zacatecas Province - Zacatecas Province is a plateau and mountainous area with difficult terrain, easy to defend and difficult to attack. The Spanish have been operating there for more than a hundred years and have built fortresses in several important mining areas and major transportation routes.

Pass. Moreover, there are a large number of Spaniards and Mestizos there, and the power of Catholicism is very strong. Even the indigenous Indians believe in God.

Therefore, if the armies of Zhu Cihuan and Zhu Hehao attack Zacatecas Province, they will definitely be regarded as invaders... It will not be easy to win!

Instead of venturing westward, it is better to swallow up all the easy-to-swallow territory first, spend a few years digesting it, and then figure out how to grow...

Therefore, in early April 1674 in the Western calendar, the expeditionary forces of the United States and the Kingdom of Qing (soon to be renamed Qing) captured the provinces of Nayarit, Colima and part of Harry in the Kingdom of New Spain.

After occupying the territory of Scotia, they temporarily stopped attacking and began to sit down and discuss how to distribute the spoils.

There is still a lot of loot! We need to carefully discuss how to distribute it!

In terms of territory alone, there are five new states including Sozhou, Sizhou, Nazhou, Hazhou (part of Jalisco), and Cozhou (Colima).

Among them, the three prefectures of Suo, Xi, and Na agreed long ago to be handed over to Zhu Cihuan's rule, so there was naturally nothing to discuss. However, the status of the two prefectures of Ha and Ke was undecided.

Of course Zhu Cihuan wanted to get it, while Zhu Hehao only wanted a few ports to establish free cities to deceive investors in the United States - in fact, these ports did not have much value under the current situation.

But what Zhu Hehao values ​​​​is their future "growth". Once Zacatecas Province is captured, the value of Silver Port and Cozhou Port will immediately increase.

However, Zhu Hehao would not let up easily on the territorial issue. Ha, the two prefectures of Ke were occupied by his troops... This was a bargaining chip in his hand and could not be handed over casually.

In addition, the population in the five states of Suo, Xi, Na, Ha, and Ke is also an enviable wealth!

The warriors of the Qing Kingdom coveted the Indian serfs, while the investors of the United States valued the captured white people and mixed-race girls...

Since there is a lot of loot, all parties involved in the war must discuss how to distribute it?

On April 12, after hastily sorting out the territory of Suo and Xizhou, Zhu Cihuan left Guasavi Castle, which had become Xizhou City, and went south to Baiyin Port to negotiate friendly terms with Zhu Hehao.

By this time, the southern front of the North Xinzhou battlefield had temporarily calmed down. On the northern front, on the Xinzhou Plain, the prelude to the conflict between the two sides had just begun.

At the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, a triangular fort built with wood and countless small Indian tents appeared harmoniously on a piece of land.

The small wooden castle belongs to the French and is called Fort Saint Louis. The name Saint Louis comes from the French King Louis IX. He was canonized as a Saint by the Pope because he participated in the Crusades many times and died of illness during the expedition.

The Marquis of Saint-Louis Marina named this wooden castle after him in order to show the world France's determination to defend the Catholic faith in the New World.

The Indian tents scattered around Fort St. Louis belong to the Soviets and Apaches... They were all invited by Marquis Marina to "protect Chief Louis". Their number exceeded "two

"One hundred", the two groups together came to about ten thousand.

Not 10,000 soldiers, but 10,000 men, women, old and children!

"Why are there only so few people?"

On top of the wooden castle, the Marquis of Marina, who had just come by water from New Rome, looked very dissatisfied with the Indians' small tent. He was sternly questioning the newly-become aristocrat De Pierre, who was the liaison officer for the Marquis of Marina.

Soviet and Apache fur traders.

"Didn't you say that the Apache family can dispatch 5,000 soldiers?" Marquis Marina pointed to the tent outside, "Look... I can't even count 5,000 soldiers!"

De Pierre smiled bitterly and thought: That's because your math skills are so good. You can actually count to more than 5,000... You are so knowledgeable!

"Marquis, the Plains Apaches really have 5,000 warriors, but it's just difficult to gather them all," De Pierre explained.

"Why?"

"Because the Apaches and the Great Soviets are nomadic peoples who live very scattered." De Pierre said, "If they are too concentrated, they will quickly eat up a large herd of bison, and then they will fall into

famine......"

"Famine? That's because they are lazy!" Marquis Marina said, "They can herd... They can catch some bison and raise them, just like the Mongols!"

Are you kidding, Marquis? De Pierre thought to himself: They will be like the Mongols, and they will have New France? There are a lot of Indians on the Great Plains, there must be two million. If they can be nomadic,

A huge nomadic tribe will be formed, and it is possible to mobilize 100,000 or 200,000 people at a time.

If there were so many Indians riding horses and shooting arrows, could New France, with more than 10,000 people, still exist?

"Marquis, the bison on the Great Plains are difficult to tame..." De Pierre said, "The bison have a very bad temper, just like the European bison, they are difficult to tame. Moreover, bison give birth to fewer calves, so grazing bison

It’s not worth it.”

The Marquis of Marina shook his head repeatedly, and when he was thinking about whether to get some European cattle and sheep for the Indians in the Great Plains to raise, the sound of horse hooves came over.

De Pierre took a look and said, "Marquis, the Apache warriors who went west for reconnaissance are back!"

The Marquis of Marina said to De Pierre: "Go and ask, ask if the Chinese are coming? Then ask about the number!"

"As you command, Your Majesty the Marquis."

De Pierre answered well on his lips, but in his heart he had no idea... Indians on the Great Plains didn't even know how to count! How could he ask questions clearly?

But you have to ask if you don’t know something! I hope I can have better luck today and meet an Apache mathematician.

"Pierre, they are here, and there are many of them!" A young Plains Apache leader with a high forehead and a very smart look said to De Pierre, "The number exceeds 300!"

More than 300...De Pierre thought: I really met a mathematician!

He identified the man and found that he was the son of Crazy Horse, the great chief of the Plains Apaches, named Eagle.

"Eagle," De Pierre was not sure, "how much more? Is it much more than 300?"

The eagle shook his head, "No more, no more, just 300."
Chapter completed!