Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 382 An Rival Whose Wings Are Growing Stronger

"Give the order that all ships returning to headquarters be half-loaded and that alternative routes be activated."

"grown ups……"

"No need for further explanation!" Lin Afu waved his hand, stopping his subordinates from trying to persuade him. "At this moment, safety is the top priority; nothing else matters."

He knew all too well that if another ship were lost, the committee wouldn't be able to get away with it with just a report.

As for the loss of half a ship's worth of cargo due to this?

Compared to human lives, it's just a number on a ledger.

Every ship and every sailor is extremely valuable to Xinhua, and cannot be easily lost.

Although the vast ocean meant that the two Dutch pirate ships might not be able to intercept the Xinhua merchant ship again, this risk could not be taken lightly, and the lives of the sailors could not be gambled on good luck at sea.

"Sir, have the Spanish sent out armed ships to search for those two Dutch pirate ships?" Lou Wenhe, senior executive of the Americas Trading Company and head of Black Shark Island, asked in a low voice.

"Given the Spanish's efficiency, who knows when they'll actually send ships to hunt down the Dutch pirates!" Lin Afu complained. "When I left Acapulco, they hadn't even decided how many armed merchant ships they needed to requisition. I reckon by the time they actually send out the ships, the Dutch will have vanished without a trace."

"Did the Spanish agree to our proposal regarding the establishment of a joint fleet?"

“They look down on us!” Lin Afu said with a wry smile. “The Mexican colonial authorities rejected our proposal outright and warned Xinhua not to send armed ships to the coast of the Americas. Otherwise, they would consider it a hostile act and take strong measures to deal with it.”

"The Spanish can't deal with the roaming European pirates, nor will they allow us to come and maintain the security and stability of the Pacific Ocean?"

"Heh, this isn't the first time we've experienced the arrogance and conceit of the Spanish," Lin Afu sneered. "Just wait and see. Once our Xinhua has built a few powerful, specialized warships, we'll sail directly into Acapulco Port. I want to see how they'll handle that!"

"What, is Xinhua going to build professional warships?" Lou Wenhe asked in surprise.

"This time, our Xinhua merchant ship was hijacked by pirates, and the fate of more than 30 people is unknown. When this news reaches our homeland, it will surely attract the attention of the committee members." Lin Afu said, "For so many years, in order to expand our shipping capacity, accelerate immigration and expand maritime trade, we Xinhua have been making every effort to build commercial ships.

"Under these circumstances, although Xinhua's maritime transport capacity was able to expand rapidly and the speed of immigration was greatly accelerated, the construction of maritime armed forces was neglected to some extent, making Xinhua somewhat powerless when facing maritime threats."

"I think it's time to make some changes. Whether it's to deal with Zheng Zhilong of the Ming Dynasty, to deal with the European pirates who come from time to time, or even to suppress Spain and control the entire west coast of New Zealand in the future, we need to build more professional warships to demonstrate the formidable military strength of Xinhua."

"After all, those hastily armed merchant ships are far less powerful and domineering than warships!"
-
September 12, Mexico City.

As dawn broke, golden sunlight slanted through the towering church spire of Plaza de San Francisco, spilling onto the streets paved with bluish-gray flagstones.

Lázaro de la Garça leaned against the carved iron railings of the third-floor balcony, his fingertips caressing a cup of Venezuelan cocoa, half a spoonful of white sugar at the bottom, and wisps of steam rising, mingling with the aroma of caramel wafting from a distant bakery.

On the street, a black-lacquered, gold-painted four-wheeled carriage slowly drove by, its wheels rolling over the uneven cobblestones with a dull thud.

The brocade curtains of the carriage window were half-rolled up, and a gentleman wearing a wide-brimmed feather hat could be vaguely seen sitting inside, his gold chain medallion gleaming in the sunlight.

The driver, dressed in a dark blue woolen uniform, cracked his whip in the air with a crisp whistle, and the beggars on the roadside immediately retreated to the wall and bowed their heads to make way.

Several young nobles, dressed in woolen coats and with slender swords at their waists, were chatting and laughing by the fountain on the street corner. The silver-inlaid heels of their boots tapped the ground with an arrogant rhythm.

One of them suddenly began to recite the latest satirical poem aloud, which caused his companions to burst into laughter and startled the pigeons that were perched under the church eaves.

Across the street, a squad of Spanish musketeers in scarlet uniforms patrolled in formation, their gleaming barrels and buttons reflecting a blinding light.

Their captain—a middle-aged officer with a meticulously manicured beard—would occasionally tip his hat to the nobles on the balcony, the rhythmic thud of his iron boots striking the ground sending shivers down one's spine.

A commotion arose from the direction of the market as several Indian servants hurried across the street carrying baskets full of tropical fruit, their bare, bronze calves peeking out from under their dark red cloaks.

A mixed-race girl selling flowers was squatting on the side of the street, inserting roses covered in morning dew into a ceramic pot. Her headscarf slipped down, revealing a section of her honey-colored neck.

Garza took a sip of cocoa, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

On this chessboard built of power, money, and lineage, everyone is a pawn in his eyes.

The commotion downstairs is nothing more than a single golden thread on the magnificent robes of the Viceroyalty of New Spain.

"Father, I heard that the Governor has rescinded the administrative order to form a special fleet?" The second son, Alonso Pablo Garza, quietly walked up behind him.

“Hmm.” Old Garza nodded. “So, for safety’s sake, you shouldn’t travel to Black Shark Island by boat anytime soon.”

“Father…” Alonso hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement, “Alright, I’ll stay in Mexico for the next few months to handle some current affairs. Ugh, those damned Dutchmen…”

"What's wrong? Is there something you need to do to find the new Chinese?" Old Garza frowned when he saw his hesitant expression.

"Father, the white sugar produced by the new Chinese is in high demand and short supply!" Alonso said excitedly. "Mexico City alone sold a full 100 faneca (a Spanish unit of weight, 1 faneca equals 55.5 kilograms). Father, do you know that the nobles and officials who bought so much white sugar all shipped it back to Spain as gifts to the country's elite and royal family?"

"Oh, really?" Old Garza didn't seem too surprised and asked casually, "So, the white sugar sent by the new Chinese has already sold out?"

Several months ago, he was amazed when he first saw the white sugar delivered by Xinhua News Agency.

A thought flashed through his mind: this white sugar, with its stunning appearance alone, could fetch an astronomical price on the market. Compared to the refined sugar made in Venice, Xinhua white sugar was truly the finest in the world.

The snow-white crystalline particles are as delicate as winter snow. When you touch them with your fingertips, you can feel the subtle friction between the particles. They are cool and dry, just like snowflakes that have not yet melted in early spring.

When poured, they make a soft rustling sound, and the distinct crystals pile up in the container to form a steep slope, their sharp edges casting clear shadows in the sunlight.

It no longer has any trace of the dull, sticky, and crude appearance of cane sugar; it looks like a work of art among foods.

This is the true dessert that nobles should enjoy.

When old Garza presented the archbishop with a jar of white sugar, he was so impressed by the fine, crystalline white particles that he almost suspected it was a product of alchemical magic.

When you scoop up this white sugar with a silver spoon, you'll be amazed by its delicate texture, melting on your tongue as quickly as the first snowflakes, a stark contrast to the burnt, bitter taste of raw sugar.

Of course, its price was also set extremely high; just one pound of white sugar was equivalent to half a month's salary for an ordinary craftsman, comparable to white gold.

Once it hit the market, Xinhua's white sugar immediately became the most fervent symbol of status in Mexican high society—it was not only a luxury of taste but also a new totem of visual appeal and power.

Old Garza believed that as jars of white sugar traveled across the ocean to Europe, they would surely create a "white miracle," driving European nobles into a frenzy of pursuit.

Unfortunately, it seems that Xinhua's production capacity is insufficient, or the process is extremely complex, resulting in a limited supply of white sugar.

Three months ago, the first shipment of white sugar to Mexico totaled only 120 frenziedas (about 6.5 tons), and it was all sold out in just over a month.

Judging from Alonso's appearance, he probably wants to personally make a trip to Black Shark Island to persuade the new Chinese to increase the supply of white sugar, thereby earning more profits.

Ah, the new Chinese always manage to come up with something new every now and then!

“Father, do you think it’s possible for us to get the white sugar production technology from the Chinese in Xinhua and take control of this crazy business?” Alonso’s eyes gleamed with fervor.

"Are you confident you can figure out their process formula?" Old Garza was also intrigued.

“We can give it a try.” Seeing that his father did not object, Alonso immediately became eager to try. “We can lure a few sugar craftsmen from Xinhua by offering them high rewards.”

"If we could acquire the technology for producing white sugar, we could build a sugar mill in Veracruz, process all the sugarcane imported from Cuba and Brazil into white sugar, and then sell it to Europe. In this way, our Garza family would surely earn the greatest profits, continuously acquire gold and silver, and eventually become the wealthiest family in the entire Americas, and even the entire Kingdom of Spain."

"What if the new Chinese find out?" Old Garza poured cold water on the idea.

“That’s alright,” Alonso smiled. “We can simply pass the buck to our subordinates and tell them we know nothing about it. Besides, as their most important partner in New Spain, the Garza family, do you think they’d turn against us over this?”

“If they were rational enough, they would not pursue this matter, and might even secretly suppress it to maintain their trade relationship with us. Without us, their goods would not be able to gain a foothold in New Spain.”

“Don’t underestimate the Chinese,” Old Garza warned. “After so many years of dedicated development, their strength is not to be underestimated. Do you know that a little over a month ago, they proposed to the Governor that they establish a joint fleet to jointly maintain the security and stability of the entire Pacific region?”

"What does this mean? It means that Xinhua has already acquired the power to rival the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and that they can now influence the existing order in the entire Pacific Ocean. At the same time, it also indirectly means that they have the power to challenge us Spaniards."

“Father…” Alonso said, still unconvinced, “No matter how strong Xinhua is, do you really dare to challenge us in Spain? Their population is only tens of thousands, and their army is less than a thousand. How could they threaten our safety? Besides, their homeland is more than a hundred leagues away from Mexico, which is a huge barrier.”

"Is that so?" Old Garza sneered. "Don't forget how, five years ago, the armed merchant ships of the New Chinese broke through several towns on the northwest coast, and how they stormed into the port of Acapulco, arrogantly firing cannonballs ashore. And Panama City, which was destroyed, although the New Chinese have not publicly admitted it, was most likely their doing."

“But… that was just a surprise attack; they didn’t dare to confront our Kingdom of Spain head-on.” Alonso continued to argue, “You know, although our Kingdom of Spain has been declining in recent years, it is still the most powerful country in the world, and not a small country like Xinhua can challenge us.”

"If we take this seriously and rebuild our military, the Viceroyalty of New Spain alone will be able to overpower Xinhua and plunge it into an abyss."

"Then do you think that our Kingdom of Spain still has the opportunity, or rather, the ability, to rebuild its military and restore itself to the powerful empire it was decades ago?" Old Garza asked with a mocking expression.

"Should... be okay?" Alonso replied hesitantly.

“My child, do you know?” Old Garza shook his head and said, “Since the Netherlands invaded Brazil again ten years ago (1629) and gradually expanded its colonial power there, the Madrid court has been committed to sending a powerful joint fleet to Brazil to drive out the Netherlands and maintain the glory of the kingdom.”

"However, after all these years, the new invincible fleet has still not been assembled, which has made the Portuguese both angry and extremely disappointed. Can you imagine? Last year, due to a lack of a large number of naval personnel and ships, Count De Toledo, who was re-elected as commander of the combined fleet, directly refused to accept the appointment, believing that the Duke of Lucar (Olivarez), the chief minister of the kingdom, was deliberately sending him and thousands of naval officers and soldiers to their deaths."

“But wasn’t a joint Spanish-Portuguese fleet of 40 ships already formed this April?” Alonso’s eyes widened. “The newly appointed commanders are the experienced Admirals Datoré and De Mascarenia, who are ambitious to retake the areas of Brazil that were controlled by the Netherlands.”

"The ones who should be panicking now are the Dutch. I've heard they've started to choose their escape routes, some preparing to flee back to Europe, others burying gold and silver everywhere. The morale of the entire garrison is extremely low. Victory for us Spaniards is just around the corner!"

"Victory is just around the corner?" Old Garza looked at his second son with a sneer. "Son, you're thinking too simply! Do you know why the Governor suddenly canceled the formation of the special fleet and abandoned the pursuit of those two Dutch pirate ships?"

"Why?" Alonso was somewhat confused about the connection between the joint fleet that was about to invade Brazil and the special fleet that Mexico was forming.

"Because the combined fleet formed in Spain had not yet set sail when a sudden plague caused the deaths of thousands of naval officers and men, forcing an indefinite postponement of the military operation. As a result, the Madrid court sent proclamations to Mexico and Lima, requesting our two viceroyalties to provide the necessary personnel and ships to fill the gaps in the combined fleet."

"Just think about it. To deal with the thousands of Dutch invaders who invaded Brazil (in 1640, the European population of Dutch Brazil was around 7,000; if you include African slaves and Native Americans in the controlled areas, the total number exceeded 130,000), our Kingdom of Spain had to mobilize the entire nation just to barely launch a campaign. So how many ships and personnel would our Kingdom of Spain need to mobilize to deal with the tens of thousands of Chinese who have invaded Brazil?"

"Five years ago, the Viceroyalty failed to defeat the Chinese in one battle. So, we Spaniards may no longer be able to stop the growth and expansion of the Chinese."

"It is foreseeable that a century from now, the greatest threat to the entire Spanish America region will come from Xinhua."
-
(End of this chapter)