In fact, if you head west from Mexico, following the equatorial warm current and the trade wind belt, it only takes three months to reach Luzon.

But the return journey is much more troublesome because we have to avoid the terrible equatorial doldrums. So after departing from Cebu, we need to take advantage of the powerful Kuroshio Current, first go north to the waters of Ainu Island, then take the Pacific warm current all the way east, and after reaching the west coast of North America, we need to take advantage of the southward ocean current on the west coast to reach Mexico.

Therefore, the actual voyage was far longer than the straight-line distance between the two places, nearly 30,000 miles. The crew had to drift on the sea for half a year, which can be said to be the most terrifying route in the Age of Exploration.

Don't take it lightly. This ultra-long-distance route that takes a big detour was regarded as top secret by the Spanish and was kept secret for more than a hundred years.

There is no other way, this route is too profitable. Otherwise, the captain and the sailors would not be willing to endure such a long voyage.

Moreover, the Spanish had an advantage that as long as they crossed the Pacific Ocean and reached the west coast of North America, they could resupply and rest in their own colonies.

Since Columbus set foot on the New World in 1492, the fifth year of the Hongzhi reign of the Ming Dynasty, Spain has successively established strongholds in the Caribbean and along the coast of America and advanced inland.

In 1519, the 14th year of Zhengde, Spain annexed Cuba.

That same year, the Spanish landed in Mexico and conquered the Aztec Empire three years later.

In the same year, the Spanish invaded Panama and basically took over Central America. Then they began to expand their territory from north to south.

In 1533, Pizarro conquered the Inca Empire and his rule extended as far as Peru.

During the same period, Spain moved north to occupy California and gradually penetrated into the interior of North America.

As the territory continued to expand, the Spanish king, who had originally insisted that the colonies be directly governed by the royal family, finally felt that he could no longer rule. He had no choice but to divide the colonies in America into two kingdoms, also known as the Viceroyalty, with the closest relatives of the royal family serving as viceroys.

The Kingdom of Peru ruled Spanish South America with its capital in Lima.

The capital of the Kingdom of New Spain was Mexico City. It governed Mexico, Central and North America, the Caribbean, and later the Philippines.

As the terminal of the galleon trade, the port of Acapulco is 260 kilometers west of Mexico City. The precious oriental goods unloaded from the galleons were transported by land to Mexico City for sale, or directly transferred to Veracruz on the east coast of Mexico, where they were reloaded and then transported across the Atlantic to Europe.

~~

After Major General Bamonde landed, he contacted the garrison in Acapulco and asked for a cavalry squad to protect him as he arrived in Mexico City.

Mexico City was built after the Spanish conquered the Aztec Empire, razed the empire's capital, Tenochtitlan, and rebuilt it from the ruins, just as they did in Manila.

At present, no one knows better than them how to destroy a civilization and format a country's people.

Compared to them, the Portuguese are just scum...

Mexico City is surrounded by steep mountains. There are towering snow-capped mountains in the south, with the tops of the mountains covered with snow all year round. Lake Texcoco on the east side is like a piece of emerald inlaid on the edge of the city. It is truly a treasure land.

After nearly half a century of construction by the Spanish, the city has completely erased the traces of Aztec civilization. The stone walls with round towers and jagged perforations, the magnificent cathedral in the city, the strong Spanish-style buildings, the ingenious fountains, the conquest monument, and the bronze statues of the conquerors all show off the colonists' achievements.

However, Major General Bamonde did not like this place. He felt suffocated every time he came to Mexico City. In addition to the high altitude, it was also because of the old-fashioned and majestic Viceroy, who was always stern and intimidating.

So he first came to the Renaissance cathedral, which was also the throne of the cardinals of New Spain.

The reason why Bamond came here first was naturally to deliver Bishop Franco's letter to Cardinal Insigne here before meeting the governor, so as to obtain his protection before going to meet the viceroy.

For the Cardinal's sake, His Royal Highness the Viceroy should help him even if he is furious, right?

~~

So, one person's tragedy may be another person's comedy. Don't think that everyone will be sad with you just because you are sad.

Maybe someone will be delighted.

Bishop Insigne was very happy after reading the letter. He did not care about the casualties of the Spanish or the loss of Luzon. All his attention was attracted by the glorious deeds of his younger brother who never left him and carried 100,000 believers across the sea to escape.

Once this matter is reported back to the Vatican, His Holiness the Pope will certainly be very happy.

Since the Reformation initiated by Martin Luther, the orthodox Catholic Church has been disgraced by the emerging sects in various countries, and its morale has been low. The Calvinists in the Netherlands even launched a large-scale iconoclasm movement, completely breaking with the Vatican, which dealt a serious blow to the authority of the Vatican.

In these turbulent times, His Holiness the Pope would certainly be longing for such a glorious deed to prove that Catholicism is not as bad as the Protestants have slandered it.

This is also the reason why Bishop Franco insisted on bringing all 100,000 believers to Cebu after he figured it out.

The Cardinal, his superior and brother, will naturally benefit greatly, and even his hope of further advancement will be greatly increased.

So he immediately asked his beloved castrato to sing a hymn to bless his little brother and the poor 100,000 believers...

Amid the melodious sound of the organ, a choir composed of castrato singers sang hymns that sounded like the sounds of nature. The plateau sunlight shone into the lobby through the stained glass, and dotted spots on the huge cross, creating an effect that was somewhat like the glory of heaven.

Naturally, the Cardinal also looked very friendly towards Major General Bamond who brought this "good news".

"Don't be so depressed, my little Alva. I already know that the responsibility for the fall of Manila is not yours. It's all the fault of Governor Sander." The bishop had someone pour him a glass of wine and sprinkled some holy water on him to get rid of the bad luck. He said, "You know, those Andalusians always act on their whims and lack rigor."

"But the Philippine fleet also..." Major General Bamende knelt at the feet of the cardinal and said pitifully: "Anyway, I can't escape this time."

"That's the responsibility of the colonel who leads the fleet. What's his name? It doesn't matter." The cardinal said with a smile: "Have a taco and a glass of tequila, and you will be happy again."

Bamende was startled and subconsciously wanted to cover his butt. Because taco means "plug" or "latch" in Spanish, and most priests have that hobby.

When he thought that he still needed the other party's help, he sighed and let go of his hand.

But when he saw the servants brought him a golden plate of thin tortillas with fillings, he realized that he was wrong. It turns out that 'taco' refers to a kind of food.

Maybe it’s because this pancake can be stuffed with any meat, fish, sauce, etc…

The cardinal took one and motioned for him to take one as well, and the two of them happily started drinking tequila from silver cups.

After finishing his meal, the cardinal wiped the oil off his hands on his red priest robe, then smiled and said, "I will send Bishop Alexander back to the Vatican as soon as possible. I hope you can come with me to see His Holiness the Pope for further consultation. Is that okay?"

"Of course, it's my honor!" Bamond was overjoyed. He bent down excitedly and kissed the cardinal's boots with his sauce-covered mouth.

This is equivalent to the church having defined his nature in advance. His Royal Highness the Vice Prince certainly cannot punish him again, as that would be a slap in the face of the church.

Although the church has been badly beaten in recent years, Spain is the most staunch supporter of the Holy See. In a colony far away from the European mainland, the viceroy needs the power of the church to reduce the cost of ruling.

~~

When Bamond arrived at the royal palace adjacent to the cathedral to meet His Highness Luis Velasquez, the elderly Vice-King of New Spain, upon hearing the news that the Governor-General of the Philippines had been completely annihilated, angrily threw the gift he had presented... white sugar in a beautiful glass bottle!

Although it is said that someone in Ming Dynasty has been able to imitate white sugar, Jiangnan Group is still enjoying the huge profits of white sugar. A bottle like this sells for 100 pesos in Cebu. If it is shipped to New Spain, the price will increase tenfold!

Bamende looked at the fragments and sugar on the ground with some regret, and then before the vice king got angry, he lightly mentioned the church's opinion on the matter.

"Is that so..." As expected, the deputy king's expression softened. He asked the servant to pick up the carpet under his feet, and motioned for Bamende to follow him for a walk in the courtyard.

In the center of the palace courtyard, there are neatly-built lush green plants, hundreds of finely carved columns, exquisite windows, and mosaic-shaped glass on the walls and doors. When the light shines on them, it is refracted wonderfully, complementing the gurgling water of the bronze Pegasus fountain, and the light is colorful.

Bamond heard that just such a courtyard cost a full one million pesos. Perhaps his father in the Netherlands, or even His Majesty the King of Madrid, could not afford such an expense?

There is no other way. The vice prince has the Mexican silver mines and the big sailing ship trade that can make a lot of money. It is not an exaggeration to say that His Highness is rich enough to rival a country.

The vice king stood in front of the fountain reservoir and looked at the rippling water for a long time before he sighed and said, "Little Alva, your father and I have been friends for many years."

"Yes, my father has recalled many times the happy times when he and His Highness served in the presence of His Majesty." Bamende said shamelessly. In fact, he had only met the father once and had not even had the chance to speak to him. He was just using these hearsays to keep himself in good stead.

"So I'm willing to give you another chance." The vice king smiled faintly, seeing through it but not saying it, "I heard that a fleet from the Ming Dynasty caused a sensation in Havana."

ps. Keep going.