In the twelfth year of Chongzhen, Zuo Hua drew a line on Mindanao.
This line starts from Labazon in the north and Ipil in the south.
Once this line is drawn, it immediately separates the Zamboanga Peninsula from the entire island of Mindanao.
Zhao Xianbing deployed two battalions here.
With the cooperation of the East China Sea Fleet, the various forces on Mindanao can no longer enter the Zamboanga Peninsula.
This method was taught to Zuo Hua by Zuo Mengeng.
At first, Cheslett made a cake and invited Zuo Mengeng and others to taste it.
Taking advantage of the opportunity to eat cake, Zuo Mengeng passed on a tactic to everyone.
When a piece of fruit is too huge, you can cut it into several parts and eat them piece by piece, and you can ultimately achieve your goal.
Zuo Hua was deeply impressed by this incident and also learned a truth.
Haste makes waste.
The Mindanao Island in front of him is the biggest problem facing Xia Jun.
Zuo Hua and others thought it was impossible to swallow the entire island in one go.
So Zuo Hua resorted to eating the cake.
Ignore most of Mindanao and just focus on the Zamboanga Peninsula in front of you.
At the narrowest point connecting the Zamboanga Peninsula and Mindanao, sufficient troops were used to create a partition, and the East China Sea Fleet patrolled the nearby sea.
As a result, other forces in Mindanao would not be able to come to the rescue if they wanted to.
The 2nd Marine Division's defensive line can beat them to death.
Not only that, the tribes on the Zamboanga Peninsula couldn't escape even if they wanted to.
Whether on land or sea, everything is completely blocked.
There is only one fate waiting for them.
With the strength of the Luzon Group Army, it only focuses on dealing with the Zamboanga Peninsula, which is completely easy and enjoyable.
This method made Xia Jun's progress very smooth.
It only took half a month to wipe out most of the places on the Zamboanga Peninsula, and finally stationed troops under the city of Siokong.
This city is the administrative center of the Sulu Kingdom on the Zamboanga Peninsula and has the largest population.
When the Xia army came, the chiefs here had already taken action. Not only did they summon warriors from tribes from all directions, they also asked the King of Sulu for help.
He fully expected the Sulu army to come across the sea and defeat the invaders. But he didn't know that the king was already in danger and it was impossible to come to support him.
After waiting for a long time, no reinforcements arrived. Instead, the ancient city of Sio was completely surrounded.
Everyone in the city was frightened, and the legend of Xia's army was filled with fear.
The local tribal troops have fought against the Xia army several times, but without exception they all ended in disastrous defeats.
Whether it's a head-on confrontation or a sneak attack and ambush, they just can't take advantage.
Although they have the advantage of geographical location, everything is in vain in the face of more scientific fighting methods.
What made them even more helpless was that every time the Xia army captured a place, they would clear out all the local tribal leaders and nobles, and then distribute the captured land and wealth evenly to the untouchables.
When have the untouchables and common people who have been oppressed in the past ever been treated so favorably?
How do they understand the truth?
Immediately many people chose to rebel and became followers of Xia Jun.
At the beginning, the effect of Xia Guo's approach was not too obvious.
After all, the people here are all Islamists, and they are fanatical believers. Even if they get a share of the wealth, they are still full of hatred for pagans like Xia Jun.
But it didn't take long before many powerful figures from the Islamic religion came over to spread the scriptures to the believers.
The meanings of the sutras narrated by these foreign powers were subtly different from those of the local people, which naturally caused great conflicts at the beginning.
However, as time went on, the local people gradually realized the essence of the new scriptures and changed their beliefs through personal experience and the influence of the improvement of their living environment.
Even in the competition for religious beliefs, the local tribes were completely defeated.
The Islamic scholars dispatched from China by the Xia State far surpassed these original colleagues in terms of knowledge and ideological level.
If they were asked to debate scriptures in the place where they originated, they might not be competent yet. But it would be very easy to educate primitive people.
The nobles on the Zamboanga Peninsula saw the rapid loss of believers, but they had no choice but to stay in the city, desperately waiting for the judgment of fate.
The soldiers of the Xia army outside the city used loudspeakers to persuade them to surrender.
Xia Jun's actions are only aimed at the nobles and officers, and are here to rescue the civilians. I hope that the ordinary soldiers and civilians in the city will put down their resistance, not become slaves of the nobles and officers, and accompany them to death.
This kind of persuasion to surrender made people in the city panic and have different thoughts. The noble officials and the common people couldn't help but be wary of each other.
There was no way, the class difference was put to good use by Xia Guo.
Especially just outside the city, those natives who have led a new life are even more envied by the common people in the city.
They saw with their own eyes that the natives walking outside the city were wearing gorgeous new clothes and had new tools for cultivating the land.
Who wouldn’t want such a new life?
The siege lasted for more than twenty days. After creating enough anxiety in the city, the Xia army officially launched a general attack.
Under the overwhelming and fierce artillery fire, the simple defense of Siokon City was unable to withstand it at all.
How can this small city compare with the Royal City of Spain?
Just under the Xia army's artillery fire, the city wall was blown down in pieces.
Seeing the city open and Xia army soldiers pouring in like a tide, the untouchables became even more courageous.
They no longer obeyed the orders of the nobles and superiors, but threw down their weapons and hid aside obediently.
Some who were bullied even turned against the domineering nobles and officials.
The internal chaos further facilitated the Xia army's attack.
By the evening of that day, the entire city was completely controlled.
Xia Jun did what he said and did nothing to the untouchable people in the city. He even helped them put out fires and rescue disasters, collect the bodies of their relatives, and repair damaged houses.
Any untouchable people who suffered losses in the battle would be provided with some food as compensation by the Xia army.
Although it was very painful to lose a loved one, Xia Jun's kindness still made many people let go of their hatred.
After all, in a fierce battle, life and death are not up to anyone, and one can only blame bad luck.
As for the nobles and officials in the city, Xia Jun was not polite.
Strings of prisoners were taken outside the city by the Xia army and executed in front of the entire city.
Carrots and sticks are used together to great effect.
Those Islamic scholars also followed into the city and acted everywhere to appease the people.
With both material and spiritual care, the untouchables in the city quickly settled down and accepted their new life calmly.