Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 253 Wind Break
"The Western Yi landing force was defeated by our Xinhua Army. Over 350 were killed or wounded, over 600 captured, and less than 100 men fled into the jungle."

"Xinhua has achieved an unprecedented victory!"

"Xinhua will win!"

"we won!"

"..."

The news that the Spanish landing force was almost wiped out spread like wildfire to every corner of Dongping County, immediately causing all the people to be ecstatic.

The shadow of war that had hung over their hearts was swept away in an instant. Countless people put down their work and spontaneously ran to the streets, cheering and celebrating this great victory.

Since the Spanish fleet appeared in the Qiming Strait (Juan de Fuca) on September 9, the entire Dongping County immediately entered a wartime state, and all fishing operations, transportation, and salt processing at sea were stopped.

Coastal defense batteries, marines, and armed militias in Shixing, Xinning, and Guangfeng also began to assemble and stand by, ready to respond to the Spanish invasion at any time.

A few days ago, when the Spaniards landed on a beach six kilometers southeast of Guangfeng Fort, local agricultural production immediately stopped, and a large number of residents scattered outside the city were moved into the city to avoid the Spanish attack.

You must know that this is the time when crops such as corn, potatoes, and sorghum are ripe, and they must be harvested as soon as possible in the autumn. Otherwise, when the temperature drops and the rainfall increases in November, it is likely that there will be a large reduction in crop yields and losses.

These damn Western barbarians didn’t come earlier or later, but came just when we were in the busy autumn harvest season, sincerely trying to make our lives difficult.

Of course, the small agricultural harvest in the fields is not enough to make everyone worry.

The people of Xinhua are even more worried that after the Spanish army lands, they will defeat the troops we have mobilized from various sources and threaten our lives and safety.

If our Xinhua Army is defeated in the battle with the Western barbarians, not only will all the wealth created by everyone be robbed or destroyed by the Western barbarians, but they may also kill each and every one of us.

Well, even if they don't kill us, they will turn us all into their slaves.

That's right, slaves.

Like the Jiannu in Liaodong, they were all captured and made into bondservants, working like slaves for their entire lives until they were tortured to death.

When the rumbling sound of cannons and the crackling sound of frying beans from gunfire continued to be heard several kilometers northeast of Guangfeng City, everyone's heart was in their throat and their eyes involuntarily turned to that side.

Although, before the war, officials at all levels in Xinhua repeatedly emphasized the strength of our military and that we would surely win the final victory in the battle with the Western barbarians.

But many people are still worried about this, with concerns written all over their faces.

Especially some immigrants from Liaodong, their expressions were even more worried.

In the past, whenever the Ming army faced the Jiannu, they were always full of confidence, saying that they would wipe out the Jiannu.

However, despite countless battles, both large and small, over the past few decades, there were few victories. Instead, there were continuous losses of troops and territory, with losses of hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

So, what is the combat effectiveness of our Xinhua Army?

Will they also follow the fate of the Ming army and be defeated by the Western barbarians?

This terrible result was a bolt from the blue for everyone.

It’s only been a few days since we had enough food to eat, why do we have to live a hard life again!
There is no doubt that if our Xinhua Army is defeated, we will fight those Western barbarians on the city wall. Anyway, the outcome is just a matter of death.

Thank goodness, our Xinhua Army defeated the Western Barbarians. Moreover, it was a resounding victory, almost completely annihilating the Western Barbarian landing troops.

As for the fact that the messenger said that there were less than a hundred Western barbarians who had escaped into the woods, that did not affect the overall situation.

Unless they can run to the coast in one breath and escape from the coast on their boats, they can completely escape the pursuit of our New China Army.

Otherwise, with all those people, they would not be able to stay in the forest for long.

In the end, they were either picked up by the natives who were accustomed to living in the mountains and forests, or eaten by grizzly bears and wild wolves in the forest.

Even if they could hold on for a few more days, they would definitely not be able to survive the cold weather that was coming.

If we completely destroy the Spanish landing army in this battle, will our Xinhua usher in a time of peace?
"Although we have defeated the Spanish army, their naval fleet is still lingering outside the port, and the threat to us remains."

A rare relaxed atmosphere also appeared in the administrative building of Shixing City. Many members in the conference room leaned back in their chairs, talking about the outstanding performance of the Xinhua Army during the battle, and expressed their desire to award honors and substantial rewards to the soldiers who had made meritorious contributions in this battle.

Luo Zhenhui, director of the committee, smiled and waved to everyone, and raised the issue that needed to be solved urgently, which was how to completely eliminate the Spanish maritime threat.

"I suspect our immigrant fleet has already returned to Qiming Island and is hiding somewhere, awaiting the right moment to rescue Shixing Port." Deputy Navy Minister Kuang Xu pondered for a moment before speaking. "The Spanish lost one warship after our artillery counterattack, leaving them with seven remaining. I wonder if we could launch a limited counterattack?"

"My immigrant fleet consists of six ships. With a little armament, they might be able to fight. Therefore, I believe we must spread this information so that the immigrant fleet can clearly understand the Spanish's current strength and launch an attack at the right time to retain more Spaniards."

"Is it too risky to use our immigrant fleet to attack the Spanish fleet?" Zhang Ruosong, a member of the Ministry of Science and Industry, asked softly. "The Polang, Kaiyuan, Kaituo, and other ships are in better condition. They've undergone some weapon upgrades and have a certain level of combat effectiveness."

"But the two immigrant ships built later were both clipper-style, and their design was primarily focused on carrying the immigrants' needs, with virtually no military equipment. With their strength, they likely wouldn't have much of an advantage against the Spanish fleet. If we're not careful and lose one or two, we'll suffer a huge loss!"

"Yes, we're counting on these ships to transport more immigrants." Dong Xinping, a member of the Culture, Education, and Health Committee, also tactfully objected. "If we lose one or two ships, we'll be transporting 500 or 600 fewer immigrants. That's quite contrary to our desperate desire for population growth!"

"The Spanish have lost their entire landing force and are no longer a military threat to Xinhua. Their fleet is still hovering outside the harbor, poised to blockade it. However, they lack any nearby supply ports or strongholds, so they won't be able to sustain their presence."

"I estimate that the Spanish fleet will not last until mid-to-early November at the latest, and then it will leave and return to Mexico, thus ending this war."

Could it be that after your navy saw that the army had wiped out the Spanish landing force and won a huge prize, you were thinking of using our small number of ships to clash with Spain and show off?

Not to mention, the ships under our Xinhua Navy are small in scale and cannot be easily lost. Even if you want to fight the Spanish fleet at sea, how are you going to convey this intention?

No one knows whether the immigrant fleet hid in Changping Fort (now Tofino, a small town in the northwest of Vancouver Island) or hid in Yongjia Fort deep in the narrow bay (now Albany, a port city in central Vancouver Island) after returning to Qiming Island.

Even if the message could be delivered, where could we find them?

"Therefore, our top priority right now should be to try to contact Spain and seek a possible ceasefire."

"What if the Spanish think they can still fight?"

"How can we continue the fight? We've almost completely annihilated their landing force this time. Can they possibly organize a large army and launch another expedition in such a short time?"

"Although Spain cannot organize a new army to attack us again in the short term, they can rely on their naval forces to harass us from time to time, making it impossible for us to resume normal production and life."

"Do they have the ability to do so?"

"Didn't they?" Kuang Xu looked at Dong Xinping calmly. "To put it another way, the Spanish mobilized so many troops to launch this expedition, which had a huge impact on the development of all our affairs in Xinhua. Are we going to let them get away with it like this?"

(End of this chapter)