Turnsheet 13

News

Lord-Director of the Honourable East India Company

A notice distributed to staff at East India House and sent to the Company's factors throughout the Middle East and Orient.

It is with Immeasurable Sadness that the Court of Proprietors has accepted the Resignation with immediate effect of Baron Hugh Inglis, Lord-Director of this Merchant Company. Baron Hugh does wish to Spend more Time in the Bosom of his Familie and better Fulfil his Duties and Obligations to His Wife who do Stand Beside Him. Reluctantly the Court of Proprietors have Acquiesced to the Desire and Bade him Farewell.

Proprietor the Baron Wilson Mandrake has been Appointed as the new Lord-Director in his Stead and all Officers and Staff are hereby commended to Obey his lawful commands and Directives.

Tsung Chang-Mai

Report to Chang Ping Upon the Political Situation in Europe

Chang Ping replies to you letter courteously, and sends what support she can (other than troops) to Albion via the East India Company. Muscovy is a concern, their troops have pushed up against the Northeastern frontiers and her father's forces fought some minor skirmishes with them. They have a bad reputation. The Empress has already begun efforts to construct a new gunpowder factory and believes that she has the required alchemical expertise and is in contact with a theurgist who may have the required skills. The letter hints but does not say that you may be required to act as the sorcerer to summon the Fucanglong; apparently preparations are not yet far enough along to make that definite.

Letter to Chang Ping Upon the Matter of an Heir

The Empress thanks you for your advice. Many of the courtiers have already lapsed into an excessive regard for the sensibilities of the Daughter of Heaven and plain words upon such matters are much to be valued. Your advice is excellent but possibly more difficult to enact than you realise. The Empress of Cathay must be on guard lest the question asked of the stars is “whose reign will benefit I, the astologer, most greatly”. Chang Ping is even more worried since the Jesuits have long had influence over the court astrologers and are given to playing long and dangerous games of deceit. Chang Ping requests that you seek independent advice for her, from one who is trustworthy and discrete and who will ask an honest question (and will not seek their own benefit or to subvert the question in Albion's favour).

Lang Mei-Qian

The Philippines & the Kingdom of Tungning

You gather your forces from Albion, from Taiwan and Hainan, and the supernatural assistance of Lang Xiao-Lang, Lang Long, Lang Yang and Lang Yin, as well as the aid your family is willing to give you and launch an attack upon the Spanish controlled Philippines. The last of these, your family, are the most reluctant recruits. They're not exactly keen on the idea of launching a military adventure overseas without the Empress Chang Ping's permission. On the other hand the forces you've gathered yourself are impressive and with a little extra help…

In the end they compromise, your second brother uses some of his influence to discover something of the defences of the Spanish Philippines and of Manila in particular, and gives you some good military advice, but he won't accompany you. Instead your family provides you with some loyal family retainers mixed in amongst deniable mercenaries. If you should succeed, well, then they'll be only to keen to make their support open.

Your troops further swelled you are ready to attack!

The Spanish have many garrisons along the coast of the Philippines and you launch a number of simultaneous and successful raids against these small forts. Your purposes is not so much to hold them, though it will be valuable to prevent their troops from supporting Manila or warning of your coming, but to give your soldiers practice of working together and attacking from the sea.

The city of Manila is the key to Spanish control of the islands. It is from here that the great Manila Galleons depart on a secret route across the Pacific to bring their goods to Mexico. The galleons carry spices, porcelain, ivory, lacquerware, silk cloth and return bearing enormous quantities of silver from the mines of the New World. This prosperity has allowed the city of Manila to grow quickly and it is many thousands strong and the Spanish city, the Intramuros, is defended by a great wall.

The island of Corregidor is however the true defender of Manila from attack. It blocks the entrance to Manila bay, some 10 leagues from the city itself. Any attackers need to either sneak by it, for otherwise it would raise the alarm and all hope of surprise would be lost. If it cannot be bypassed then it must be taken, for even the mightiest armada could not pass its great guns.

You do not have the ships and men required to take such a fortress quickly, but you do have surprise and you have prepared your way in previous months. (There are those 2 AP) In the night your fleet, lamps doused, sails past the island. You are guided by native pilots and a few of the officers of the watch have been paid to see nothing, though they believe it is only a few smuggling ships that they turn a blind eye to.

At dawn your ships unload drilled and prepared soldiers into a completely unsuspecting city. By noon the last pathetic musket shots from the governor's palace are replaced by a white-flag on a stick and the city, and by extension the Philippines are yours.

You don't delay your marriage to Princess Chaiama. Although you ensure her safety at all times, closely guarded by your best men, you also make sure that she is able to see your heroic fighting. Your noble accepting of the surrender of your honoured foes. The way that all the Spanish noblewomen cast covetous eyes upon dashing Láng. The effect is as desired, or at least when mixed in with your honeyed lies and the promise of a new marriage ceremony, and you are able to sweep Chaiama off her feet once more.

The wedding is held swiftly at the Princess' insistence, she perhaps isn't quite that heedlessly in love with you!

Your possession of the Philippines is still somewhat tenuous. Your forces mostly won through surprise and if the Spanish come with more guns and more soldiers, they still control Corregidor and it won't be hard for them to retake the city, You'll need some more assistance, preferably the sort with lots of warships to make the Philipines really yours.

bonus.cathay/13.txt · Last modified: 2009/03/15 11:57 by ivan