Chapter 2999
At the end of 1656, after several months of fighting, Haihan and Spain signed an armistice agreement known as the "Treaty of Cebu" in Cebu City.
The Treaty of Cebu not only declared the end of the war, but also symbolized the end of Spain's century-old colonial history in the Philippine Islands.
The treaty clearly stipulated that Spain, as the defeated party, not only had to give up control of many colonies including Cebu, but also had to evacuate Mindanao within six months and completely abandon colonial activities in the Philippine Islands.
Such a result is undoubtedly an extremely heavy blow to Spain, and the economic losses caused are even more incalculable.
For hundreds of years, Spain has continuously exported immigrants to the Philippine Islands, built dozens of cities, ports and settlements, large and small, opened and operated a large number of spice plantations, and was once Spain's largest financial source in the Far East.
The Spanish royal family and many dignitaries made a lot of money in the past hundred years because of their investment in the colonial business of the Philippine Islands. The Philippine Islands have long been viewed by many as a cornucopia of steady returns.
But such good days came to an end the moment Governor Vidal of Cebu signed the treaty.
During the war, all properties confiscated by the Haihan Army, including various real estates, became the spoils of war for the victor. In particular, the plantations, mines, and ports that once provided Spain with a steady stream of wealth will all change hands in the future and become Haihan's official property.
The only good thing is that Haihan promised not to launch another war against the Spanish colonies south of the Sulawesi Sea. This at least left a retreat for the Spaniards who were forced to give up the Philippine Islands.
Of course, this approach is essentially a strategy to drive away the tiger and devour the wolf, forcing Spain to fight hand-to-hand with the Netherlands and Portugal. But for Vidal, there is really no other way out at the moment.
After the contents of the treaty were read out in public, almost all the onlookers sighed in disbelief. Many of them have lived here since they were born. Even though they have not won against Haihan in recent years, they have never thought that Spain's local rule will end.
Many people couldn't help but immediately think, since the ruler here has been changed to Haihan, will they automatically become Haihan people in the future?
That doesn't seem to be a bad thing. After all, compared to the Kingdom of Spain, which is far away and cannot be counted on, the powerful Haihan Kingdom is obviously more worthy of reliance. If Cebu was placed under Haihan rule, perhaps there would be lasting peace.
Vidal looked at his name signed at the end of the treaty, and his face became paler.
Although he believed that his choice was in the interests of the country, the resulting losses would most likely make the king and other dignitaries blame themselves for the loss of the Philippine Islands, and he would be charged with treason. I'm afraid it's all considered minor, and if possible, your home will be confiscated and your property will be confiscated, implicating your family members back home.
As if he had seen through Vidal's thoughts, Xiao Liang smiled and said: "At least you helped many people survive while saving your own life!"
Of course Vidal would not be grateful for Xiao Liang's comfort, and responded expressionlessly: "I just hope I can take my family and leave here as soon as possible!"
Xiao Liangdao: "No problem, a Spanish merchant ship has been prepared at the port. All the sailors on the ship are Spanish. You can leave here today."
Vidal said: "Don't pretend to be generous, everything here originally belongs to me!" Xiao Liang smiled: "Although you have lost everything, you have freedom!"
With Xiao Liang's ridicule and humiliation, Vidal left the signing site unwillingly. A group of Haihan soldiers with live ammunition were responsible for sending him to the port, boarding the ship and leaving directly.
Although Xiao Liang let Vidal live, he did not want him to continue to stay in Cebu. Although this guy is unable to fight back, he is still a destabilizing factor. If he is not sent away, some groups here will not give up.
As for whether Vidal would immediately organize armed forces to counterattack after arriving in Mindanao, Xiao Liang was not too worried.
The story of how Bidar was captured in Cebu and then signed an armistice treaty with Hayhan in exchange for his freedom would soon be known in Mindanao, which would cause great damage to Bidar's authority.
I'm afraid there won't be many people who are still willing to obey his orders by then, especially those officers who still have armed forces in their hands. They probably won't treat the governor who fled the battle as their commander-in-chief anymore.
Vidal still needs to face many difficulties if he wants to win over people's hearts again and deter those ambitious people who are ready to take advantage of the opportunity. Once he has dealt with these troublesome matters, Haihan will almost be able to get Cebu into normal operation.
Zheng Agui also took his brothers to watch the entire signing process. As direct participants in this war, they naturally have a deeper understanding of the importance of this treaty.
The cost of casualties paid by the Haihan Army in this operation exceeded expectations, but so did the rewards. Until the end of the war in Cebu, no one expected that the huge island of Mindanao could be captured without a single shot.
Of course Zheng Agui could not imagine that this result was obtained by Xiao Liang's deception during the negotiation. In his opinion, this may be related to Vidal's regaining freedom. If the war to conquer Mindanao can really be avoided, then letting Vidal go would certainly be a good deal.
"Platoon commander, do you think Spain will regret it? You can do a lot of things in half a year to prepare for war!"
Although the formal appointment has not yet come down, Qin Bo has changed his title to Zheng Agui and no longer calls him "squad leader".
Zheng Agui snorted and said: "Repent? What if you regret? I really hope that the Spaniards will regret it. It is best to raise troops to counterattack Cebu. Then let them see how to fight a defensive war!"
Qin Bo said: "Then are we going to be stationed here all the time, waiting to take over Mindanao?"
"I don't know how the superiors arranged it." Zheng Agui shook his head and said, "What? Isn't it good to be stationed here? Cebu is much more lively than Bangui. You can go to the city during your vacation. In Bangui, Ji can only go to the beach to fish!”
Qin Bo said: "I'm not thinking about this matter, I'm just thinking that if there is no war, then our stay here will not be of much use."
Zheng Agui said: "Our Bangui Battalion has made a lot of military exploits this time. It will definitely expand in the future, and maybe the location will be changed. In a place as big as Cebu, there must be troops stationed for a long time. Let's wait and see what happens from above. Arrange it! ”
(End of chapter)