Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 346 Explanation
On April 22, before the morning mist had dissipated, a modified Fujian-style ship with a deep draft slowly docked at Pidao Wharf.

"Catch it!" a shirtless sailor shouted, throwing the thick rope towards the shore with all his might.

Several Liaodong men caught it steadily, quickly wrapped it around the mooring post, and then couldn't help but stand on tiptoe to look.

With such a deep draft, this ship must have been carrying a lot of life-saving food.

"Lord Meng, we've arrived."

On the deck, a young officer in a navy blue stand-up collar uniform stepped aside to make way.

Meng Shengxin, head of Xinhua's Foreign Affairs Department and plenipotentiary representative to the Ming Dynasty, straightened his clothes, which were wrinkled by the sea breeze, and stepped onto the steps leading to the dock.

As soon as he stepped onto solid ground, he suddenly heard bursts of gongs and drums and cheers coming from the depths of Pi Island. The sound was so loud that it drowned out the noise of the waves.

"A wedding is being held on the island?" Meng Shengxin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A few days ago, our Dongjiang Town dealt a heavy blow to the Jurchens at Tieshan City, killing and wounding nearly a thousand Jurchen soldiers." A Dongjiang Town commander, who was waiting to greet them, clasped his hands and laughed, "In this battle, the Jurchens were so badly defeated that they retreated more than ten miles and dared not look back at our Tieshan City!"

"Oh?" Meng Shengxin's pupils contracted slightly, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the brass button on his cuff. "Is this battle report based on actual results, or is it slightly...embellished?"

In a single battle, they annihilated a thousand enemy soldiers?

How could your Dongjiang Town achieve such an incredible record!
If it were a real achievement, it would surely shame Huang Long, the general of Dongjiang Town, and the military leaders of Guanning and other towns to death.

"..." Upon hearing this, the captain's blood rushed to his head, his neck veins bulged, and his right hand was already on the hilt of his knife.

But considering that the other party was a high-ranking official of Xinhua and a nobleman of Dongjiang Town, he immediately suppressed his anger and squeezed out the words through gritted teeth: "Although not a thousand heads were beheaded, the battlefield was littered with corpses, which shows that the Jurchens were killed and wounded severely! Not to mention that my Dongjiang Navy also defeated the rebel navy of Korea and sank more than thirty warships!"

Meng Shengxin immediately grasped the key phrase, "not yet obtained the head."

In the Ming Dynasty, military merits were based on the number of enemy heads taken. For Dongjiang Town to "falsify" such a report was either an act of overconfidence bordering on arrogance, or…

He suddenly burst into laughter and patted the commander's shoulder heavily: "Excellent! Such a great victory deserves a toast! Tonight, I must hear how your soldiers kill the enemy!"
-
That night, inside the General's Mansion on Pi Island, candlelight flickered, wine cups clinked, and occasionally a singer played the zither and sang softly, creating a warm and ambiguous atmosphere.

Shen Shikui pushed a cup of hot tea in front of Meng Shengxin. The tea was clear and reflected the subtle expressions on their faces.

"What do you think of this woman?" Shen Shikui pointed at the courtesan. "She comes from a noble family in Korea, is sixteen years old, gentle and charming, and serving her is...ecstasy."

"Old Shen, are you planning to bribe me with this woman?" Meng Shengxin picked up his hot tea and took a small sip.

"Lord Meng, that is a misconception!" Shen Shikui shook his head and said, "Your Xinhua has only been operating in Liaohai for six or seven years, yet you have built up a great business, handling no less than 300,000 taels of silver every year. How could you possibly care about a mere courtesan?"

"Over the years, without the countless rice shipments from Xinhua, my Pi Island would probably not have been able to survive until now. Giving this woman to you is merely a small token of our gratitude, and it does not constitute a bribe."

“Alright.” Meng Shengxin nodded. “If you have more women to send you off, I’ll accept them all. But let me make it clear, these are gifts, I won’t give you any money.”

"..." Upon hearing this, Shen Shikui's expression froze. After a moment, he gave a wry smile and said, "Lord Meng, don't you Xinhua people know the meaning of politeness?"

"Haha..." Meng Shengxin laughed, pointing at Shen Shikui, "What, you're reluctant to give it to me again?"

"I've heard that the laws of your Xinhua state that a man can only marry one wife, and it is forbidden to take concubines or keep servants," Shen Shikui said irritably. "If that's the case, what use are you asking me for so many singing girls?"

"Just like you, giving favors!" Meng Shengxin said matter-of-factly.

"..." Shen Shikui was clearly taken aback by the other party's straightforward and insightful words, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

“Old Shen, we’ve been working together for so many years, we’re practically family. Just say what’s on your mind, no need to beat around the bush,” Meng Shengxin said, his smile fading and his expression turning serious.

“Then I, Shen, will speak frankly,” Shen Shikui said. “The defection of Korea to the Ming Dynasty and its surrender to the enemy has plunged my Dongjiang Town, uh, I should say my Pi Island tribes into an extremely dangerous situation. However, my Ming Dynasty is beset by internal and external troubles and its finances are insufficient. It has never been able to provide sufficient food and supplies to Pi Island, and has frequently defaulted on its payments.”

"Previously, Pi Island could still ask Korea for help to make up for the shortfall in food and supplies in the name of its suzerain, so as to barely maintain the situation in Liaodong and prevent the collapse of the situation. But now, the Jurchens have subjugated Korea and are driving them to attack our Great Ming. This has not only cut off the financial resources of the tribes on Pi Island, but also made them immediately besieged from multiple directions. The situation is extremely precarious!"

"Would Xinhua really abandon the tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians on Pi Island?"

"General Shen, I have a question for you." Meng Shengxin didn't answer, but instead asked solemnly, "Would you surrender to the enemy?"

"Haha..." Shen Shikui burst into laughter upon hearing this. "Lord Meng, although I, Shen, am of merchant origin, I know the loyalty to the court and the integrity of the nation. I am the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Dongjiang Town, appointed by the Ming Dynasty. How could I kneel and surrender to the Jurchens? I, Shen, would rather die than endure such a despicable act!"

"As long as you do not surrender, Xinhua will not stand idly by and watch your Pi Island fall into a desperate situation."

“In that case, I, Shen, am relieved.” Shen Shikui picked up the teapot and filled the teacups on the table. “I thought that after Xinhua got close to Huanglong, it would abandon my Pi Island.”

"Old Shen, are you jealous?" Meng Shengxin smiled.

“I remember that seven years ago, when Dongjiang Town was still under the control of the Liu brothers, I, Shen, was the first to take the initiative to cooperate with your Xinhua.” Shen Shikui recalled, “At that time, you only had two or three ships and a little over a thousand people, but I did not look down on you in the slightest because of this. I even privately decided to lend you Ku Niang Island to establish yourselves.”

“I think our relationship should be closer than Huanglong's, and our cooperation should be further strengthened. But unexpectedly, you are getting along very well with Huanglong, Shang Kexi and others in Lushun, Changshan and other places.” “Tell me, if I don’t feel jealous, it would seem unreasonable of me.”

“Old Shen, Xinhua’s strategy in Liaohai is nothing more than population and trade. We have no intention of getting involved in local political struggles and power struggles.” Meng Shengxin said earnestly, “Therefore, Xinhua’s position on the conflict between you and Huang Long is very clear: we will not be biased, and we will not intervene in either side to target the other.”

"Your Dongjiang Town is situated on the rear of the Jurchens, and is already isolated and vulnerable. Moreover, after the rebellion of Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming, your main logistical supply base, Dengzhou and Laizhou, was turned into a wasteland, which is no longer sufficient and has deprived you of your proper supply channels of food and provisions."

"Now that Korea has betrayed the Ming Dynasty and surrendered to the Jurchens, your situation has become even more difficult and dangerous. In that case, why don't you put aside your past grievances, join hands, cooperate, overcome these difficult times, and fight against the Jurchens together?"

"Sigh..." Shen Shikui remained silent for a long time before letting out a soft sigh. "As the saying goes, those who walk different paths cannot make plans together!"

“The Zuo Zhuan says: ‘The state of Lu is based on mutual forbearance. If one can be forbearing towards the outside but not towards the inside, what use is such a state?’” Meng Shengxin shook his head slightly.

"Hehe, what, is Lord Meng acting as an envoy for Huanglong?" Shen Shikui looked at him with amusement.

"I just think that when facing the Jurchens' rampage in Liaodong, some internal contradictions and conflicts can actually be reconciled. After all, brothers may quarrel within the walls, but they can unite against external aggression. We shouldn't let the Jurchens gain an advantage just because of our own personal squabbles."

The demise of the Ming Dynasty, besides various natural disasters and man-made calamities, also seems to have a direct causal relationship with the endless internal strife.

Even after the Jurchens had entered the pass and begun to sweep across China, the officials and gentry of the Southern Ming were still fighting amongst themselves, engaging in all sorts of bizarre actions that ultimately exhausted the empire's last remaining vitality.

"Old Shen, what do you think about Gwanghaegun's restoration of the Joseon Dynasty and his seizure of the throne?" After a long silence, Meng Shengxin changed the subject.

"Hmph!" Shen Shikui sneered. "Gwanghaegun, an old king who has been deposed for more than ten years, what can he possibly do against Yi Jong? Not to mention, he doesn't even have a single soldier under his command; he's just causing trouble for Joseon!"

"But what if he had the full support of your Great Ming Dynasty?"

"Huh?" Shen Shikui was taken aback for a moment, then immediately realized what he meant. "Guanghai was rescued by your Xinhua?"

"Actually, it was quite unexpected," Meng Shengxin said with a smile. "We originally thought that when the Jurchens launched a large-scale invasion of Korea, King Injo would hide on Ganghwa Island like he did ten years ago. But unexpectedly, he fled all the way to Namhansanseong, which prevented the armed ships we sent from picking up the Korean king and his officials."

"But coincidentally, after the Jurchens forced Joseon to surrender, when King Injo ordered the transfer of Prince Gwanghae from Ganghwa Island to Gyodong Island, our armed ships intercepted him and took him to Baengnyeong Island."

"You know, if we could use Gwanghaegun to stir up trouble in Korea, wouldn't that also help to weaken the Jurchens and prevent them from getting a stable supply of personnel and materials from Korea?"

"So, isn't this an extremely advantageous thing for your Dongjiang Town?"

"What did Huang Long say?" Shen Shikui asked expressionlessly.

"He planned to submit a memorial to the court, advocating for Gwanghaegun and requesting the Ming Dynasty to depose King Injo of Joseon and replace him with Gwanghaegun as the new ruler of Joseon."

"Then I will later submit a memorial to the court regarding this matter, requesting that Prince Gwanghae be enthroned as the King of Joseon." Shen Shikui nodded and said, "Besides that, what else do I need to do?"

“We plan to send Prince Gwanghae to Kangryeong County of the Haeseo Protectorate, so that he can gather ‘wise men’ in Joseon and carry out the work of resisting the invaders and restoring the country.”

“Lord Meng, the troops of the various tribes on Pi Island are also under strain.” Shen Shikui sighed. “In recent months, the Jurchens have been besieging Tieshan, which has forced us to transfer almost all of our elite and combat-ready troops there. We really cannot spare many troops to go to Kangling County to support the Prince of Guanghai.”

"On this trip to Pi Island, in addition to bringing two thousand shi of grain from Ku Niang Island, I have also brought you two hundred and fifty new flintlock muskets and four cannons."

"Two thousand soldiers," Shen Shikui said through gritted teeth. "We can't have any more, otherwise we won't have enough troops to defend key locations like Pi Island, Tieshan, and Shenmi Island."

“If it’s just about defending against the North Korean army’s attack on Kangling County, two thousand men should be enough.” Meng Shengxin nodded in satisfaction.

"Could we raise the price of furs by another 10% this year?"

"Could we also raise the price of our grain by 10%?"

"Our Pi Island is struggling to survive. After months of stalemate and siege against the Jurchens at Tieshan, we've almost exhausted our meager reserves." Shen Shikui blinked and began to complain. "In addition, we've suffered heavy casualties, and to keep the army's morale up, we're spending a lot of money on compensation. We have to find a way to make up for it, don't we?"

“Losses inside the dike can be compensated for outside,” Meng Shengxin reminded him meaningfully.

"..." Shen Shikui's eyes lit up, "Have you chosen your targets?"

“Dongnae Prefecture (present-day Busan)!” Meng Shengxin said in a low voice, “This place was the only official port for trade between Korea and Japan. Moreover, when the Jurchens invaded Korea, the surrounding areas were not affected by the war. It must have been a prosperous and bustling place.”

"However, before that, we need to join forces to destroy the Korean navy. This will not only prevent Korean ships from being used by the Jurchens, but also eliminate some unnecessary trouble when attacking Dongnae Prefecture."

"Hmm, in a moment, I will write a memorial requesting the court to impose military punishment on Korea for betraying its suzerain!" Shen Shikui approved the suggestion. "However, Tieshan is besieged by the Jurchens. What should we do?"

"When spring arrives and the weather warms, General Huanglong will mobilize both land and naval forces to retake Gaizhou and Yingzhou. Presumably, the Jurchens will lift the siege and return when they hear of this."

"Heh heh, what benefits did you promise Huanglong that you could persuade him to attack the Jurchens again?"

"Nothing more than that!" Meng Shengxin smiled. "It's simply a man's ambition to achieve great things!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Shikui rolled his eyes.
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(End of this chapter)