Empire Rising: Spain - Chapter 297 - 179: Lanfang Military Guidance Team (Part 2)

Judging by the current situation, it is true that Kaman Esposito, who graduated from the artillery specialty, has a brighter future than Andrew from the infantry specialty. After all, infantry tactics are currently not too elaborate, making the training of infantry commanders relatively simple.

If Kaman Esposito successfully integrated into the Spanish Army by virtue of his abilities, then Andrew’s situation appears somewhat awkward.

It’s not that Andrew lacks competence, but Carlo indeed needs to employ more native Spanish officers at this moment.

As an Italian, Andrew finds his position somewhat awkward in the Spanish Army, making it unlikely for him to receive more significant roles.

Being a trusted aide from Italy, Carlo considered it and appointed Andrew as the leader of the Lanfang Military Guidance Team, responsible for helping the Lanfang Republic establish their new army and engaging in colonial affairs as much as possible.

If all goes well, Andrew is hopeful of becoming one of the Governors of the Spanish Colony. After all, he holds a title of nobility, albeit the lowest rank of Baron, but nonetheless a member of Spain’s numerous aristocracy.

Besides Andrew as the head of the Military Guidance Team, Medino, previously in charge of African expeditions, was appointed by Carlo as the deputy head of the team.

Like Andrew, Medino is also one of Carlo’s trusted aides. Both are capable, though not suitable for significant military roles, their abilities can be applied in other areas, such as colonial affairs.

To travel from Spain to Lanfang requires traversing the Mediterranean, passing through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, crossing the entire Indian Ocean, and finally reaching Borneo via the Malacca Strait.

It is an extremely long journey, taking the Military Guidance Team over two months, precisely two and a half months, to reach Borneo.

The Lanfang Republic places significant importance on the arrival of the Military Guidance Team. Naturally, they have no choice but to do so. After all, Spain currently is their only reliable power, and Spain’s might is something they can’t contend with.

“Esteemed emissaries of the Military Guidance Team, welcome to Kun Dian.” As the ship carrying the team just docked, Lanfang Republic’s current Grand Commander Liu Asheng, and Daiyan Kingdom’s King Wu Guanghuai, along with numerous officials from the Lanfang Republic, smartly stood at the port, specially arranged to welcome the delegation.

For the Lanfang Republic, they’ve kept a rather humble stance. Given the current circumstances, the Lanfang Republic is in need of others, while Spain is the most powerful nation between them.

As the head of the Military Guidance Team, Andrew stepped forward with a smile, nodding pleasantly without any trace of arrogance or domineering posture.

Before heading to the Lanfang Republic, Carlo had already instructed Andrew on the purpose and mission of the Military Guidance Team and how to interact with the officials of the Lanfang Republic.

Firstly, until completely defeating the Dutch colonial powers, Spain will not proactively turn hostile toward the Lanfang Republic, which also explains Andrew’s amicable demeanour.

However, should the officials of the Lanfang Republic fail to act appropriately, Andrew would follow Carlo’s orders and make them aware of Spain’s strength.

Andrew, an Italian, has learned Spanish after a few years in Spain. However, Lanfang Republic’s language of use is Chinese, and the Lanfang Republic’s Grand Commander Liu Asheng does not speak Spanish or Italian.

Thus, communication between the two sides relies on translations. Fortunately, due to long-term contact with the Dutch, the Lanfang Republic has a few interpreters who understand European languages.

Among European languages, French is the most mainstream, as France was once the most dominant nation. Although the use of French has slightly diminished in context, it remains one of the primary languages of Europe, with most European nobility speaking it.

Besides French, other mainstream languages include Spanish, English, and German.

Spanish is not an obscure language, which is why the interpreters here understand it.

Compared to Spanish, Italian is indeed a relatively obscure language. Except in Italy itself, Italian is rarely seen in use across other parts of Europe; even in Italian diplomatic settings, Italian is not used unless communicating with other weaker states.

“Esteemed emissaries, our country has prepared a lavish welcome banquet for you, please proceed,” said Liu Asheng, the Grand Commander of the Lanfang Republic, with a smile.

Upon hearing the interpreter’s words, Andrew smiled and nodded, expressing his stance, “With great pleasure.”

While the Military Guidance Team’s purpose is to help the Lanfang Republic establish a new army, it’s evidently not something that can be achieved in just one day.

Andrew is not in a hurry to complete it in one day. He aims to understand the current situation of the Lanfang Republic as much as possible to determine how to structure and train the new army.

Fortunately, Spain already has experience in military reforms and has shipped several batches of weapons and equipment to the Lanfang Republic.

The Lanfang Republic currently has more than twenty thousand old-style muskets stocked, and over one million rounds of ammunition, making it entirely possible to form a new army of approximately twenty thousand men.

For the Lanfang Republic, with a Chinese population just over five hundred thousand, forming a new army of twenty thousand soldiers is about the limit.

If there were more in numbers, not to mention whether there are enough weapons and ammunition, Lanfang Republic cannot afford to maintain that many soldiers.

The group proceeded grandly to the residence of Grand Commander Liu Asheng, where sumptuous dishes had been prepared specifically to entertain the Military Guidance Team’s members who traveled from afar.

During the feast, Liu Asheng introduced some of the main military officers of the Lanfang Republic to Andrew, including King Wu Guanghuai of the Daiyan Kingdom, also expressing that the new army of the Lanfang Republic would follow Andrew’s command and arrangements.

The cooperative attitude of the Lanfang Republic’s side pleased Andrew, but it was evident that Andrew couldn’t fully trust everything the Lanfang Republic’s officials said.

After the gathering ended, Andrew returned to the rooms prepared by the Lanfang Republic for his team to rest, while also understanding the current situation of the Lanfang Republic through documents.

The establishment history of the Lanfang Republic is relatively complex, and even its current political system remains quite complicated.

Claiming Lanfang as a country is correct, yet identifying it merely as a Chinese company is also accurate. Although there is a so-called Grand Commander as the nation’s ruler, the political system of Lanfang does not quite resemble a complete nation, more like a company with an army.

The establishment of the Lanfang Republic has been nearing a hundred years, with the Chinese population reaching its peak at over five hundred thousand.

However, the current status of the Lanfang Republic is somewhat grim, with some population loss. Many Chinese have opted to move to the northern Sarawak Kingdom, where new gold mines are awaiting exploitation.

Meanwhile, a significant portion of the Lanfang Republic’s own gold mines has been exhausted, and prospectors naturally favor untapped gold mining areas.

Moreover, the aggressive expansion of the Dutch has severely squeezed the living space of the Lanfang Republic and the Daiyan Kingdom.

The so-called Daiyan Kingdom is, in fact, an indigenous power to the east of the Lanfang Republic. The first King of the Daiyan Kingdom was Wu Yuansheng, the founder of Jusheng Company, Lanfang’s predecessor.

At that time, Jusheng Company was also a large Chinese company on Borneo, but as Wu Yuansheng’s subordinate, Luo Fangbo’s prestige gradually surpassed Wu Yuansheng’s, and eventually, the Lanfang Company replaced Jusheng Company.

After Wu Yuansheng’s position was ousted, he was dispatched to guard the Dayan Sultanate east of Lanfang Company. Due to the brutal rule of the Sultan King then, which caused dissatisfaction among the local natives and some Chinese, Wu Yuansheng eventually killed the Dayan Sultan and was then supported by the natives as the new King of Daiyan.