Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 453 Dawn (Part Two)

"Does Chang'an symbolize the long-term stability and prosperity of Xinhua, or does it demonstrate Xinhua's ambition to restore the Han and Tang dynasties?"

On January 28, before the morning mist had fully dissipated, a light, veil-like fog enveloped Chang'an Fort (now Sacramento), casting the newly felled redwoods and rammed earth walls into hazy silhouettes.

Several mounted officers galloped to the gate of the fortress, their feet crunching through the morning dew. Lei Mingchun, commander of the 5th Mixed Battalion of the Army, suddenly reined in his warhorse, the iron hooves of which scraped several shallow marks on the slippery yellow earth road.

Lei Mingchun looked at the two characters on the lintel of the fortress, nodded slightly, and then smiled as he asked his companions beside him.

His military boots, stained with mud and dried by the wind, had cracked into a web-like pattern on the leather surface. The dark blue woolen uniform on his left shoulder was frayed by the flintlock rifle strap, revealing the indigo cotton lining underneath.

A week of field training had left the 28-year-old commander looking tired, with faint dark circles under his eyes, but his hawk-like eyes remained as sharp as ever, scanning the scene inside and outside the fortress.

Several officers reined in their horses and followed his gaze toward the lintel.

Company Commander Qiu Chengsong spoke first, his voice booming: "In my opinion, the name Chang'an should encompass both meanings! Our Xinhua is expanding its territory on this new continent, isn't it precisely to ensure the long-term peace and stability of the Chinese people here? As for restoring the glory of the Han and Tang dynasties..."

He raised his hand and pointed south: "Once we crush the Spanish, then raise our banners eastward, occupy the entire New World, and extend our influence to the Atlantic Ocean, so that the flags of our new China will fly everywhere in the world, isn't that the spirit of the Han and Tang dynasties!"

Staff Officer Shen Conghui brandished his riding whip: "This Chang'an Fort was established last July, and Commissioner Han personally inscribed the name. At the time, he said that the Central Valley, with its fertile plains stretching for thousands of miles, resembles Guanzhong and deserves a famous city, so he named it Chang'an."

"Ah, so this Lord Han intends to make this place the capital of our new China. This action, needless to say, is an attempt to emulate the Han and Tang dynasties. Chang'an shall be the clarion call for the men of our new China to continuously expand our territory!"

"Well said!" Lei Mingchun turned his horse around, looking at the smoke rising from the chimneys inside the fortress. His horse's hooves kicked up fine dust as they pounded the still-uncompacted yellow earth road. "Our Fifth Mixed Battalion was formed last August, and last month we traveled all the way from Qiming Island to get here. Isn't it all to make the name 'Chang'an' truly live up to its name?"

At this time, Chang'an Fort was in the early stages of construction. The city walls, built of timber and rammed earth, were less than two meters high. Several protruding pedestals were equipped with cannons, their muzzles covered with rainproof tarpaulins. Several Xinhua Red Lan Five-Star Flags fluttered high on the watchtower.

The streets inside the fortress are beginning to take shape. The main street in the middle is about eight meters wide, with only half of it paved with cement, revealing the yellow soil underneath. On both sides are scattered log and brick houses, government offices, warehouses and supply and marketing cooperatives.

Several immigrants were driving oxcarts carrying stones and timber. The ruts made deep grooves in the slightly muddy road. The driver's cracking whip and shouts mingled with the clanging sounds of metallurgical plants in the distance.

"The training exercise that just ended exposed many problems in the troops!" Lei Mingchun led his warhorse slowly down the street, a worried look on his face.

Several immigrants who were building a wall on the street stopped their work and cast curious glances at them. A child with a pigtail stared at the white horse that Qiu Chengsong was leading, and secretly tugged at his mother's clothes. His mother smiled and pulled him behind her, stuffing a cornbread into his hand.

“Indeed, the new recruits are unfamiliar with their skills and have poor physical fitness. Moreover, there is a lack of necessary coordination between the companies. It’s just…” Shen Conghui shook his head with a wry smile. “Yesterday, during the five-kilometer forced march, seventeen new recruits in the first company fell behind. As for the live-fire shooting, some forgot to pour the gunpowder when loading, some had their flintlocks jammed and didn’t know how to fix them, and some even put the lead bullets and gunpowder into the barrel backwards. All sorts of problems kept popping up.”

"And then there's the night camping, which is even worse. The sentries were dozing off, and the campfire was too close to the tents and almost burned the ammunition. They're just a bunch of unpolished iron. If they went to the battlefield, they would probably be routed in one battle, ruining the reputation of my Xinhua Army!"

"Sir, it's not our fault!" Qiu Chengsong complained, sticking out his neck. "The unit was formed in August, the new recruits enlisted in September, and after less than three months of training, we were crammed onto a transport ship and tossed around for half a month before being transported here all at once. We haven't even had ten days of rest since we arrived, and you're already leading us on a long-distance march. How can we expect to perform well like this?"

"Do you think our enemy will wait until we have made all the preparations before launching an attack?" Lei Mingchun suddenly stopped and turned to glare at Qiu Chengsong.

“But…” Qiu Chengsong’s heart skipped a beat, and he said hesitantly, “But our Fifth Mixed Battalion is a reserve force…”

"Nonsense!" Lei Mingchun retorted coldly, "Even if we are a reserve force, we will still show our true strength on the battlefield! If the Western barbarians attack, you go and tell them that we are a reserve force and cannot fight. We have to wait until our Xinhua Field Army arrives before we can set up our formation and fight!"

"..." Qiu Chengsong was speechless.

The Fifth Mixed Battalion was only formed last August, and it is definitely a reserve force, a so-called "frame battalion".

Apart from the First Company, which has a full complement of 125 men, the other four companies and the attached artillery platoon only have officers and a small number of senior non-commissioned officers, with 20-30 men in each company. Including the battalion command, the total strength is only 240 men, less than half of the authorized strength. They were only deployed from the headquarters on Qiming Island to the Yongning Bay colony area half a month ago. The Army Ministry required them to undertake the garrison and defense responsibilities of the colony area while undergoing training.

From the perspective of the central government and high-ranking military officials, although the Yongning Colonization Zone was to implement the "Southward Expansion Plan" to expand its colonization scale, the fact that a yellow line had been drawn for the local area—the southward expansion area could not cross the 34th parallel north for the time being—suggested that the impact on the Spanish would be limited and would not cause them to react "too much".

Therefore, this new unit, which was still undergoing integration and training, was transferred here as Xinhua's military presence in the Yongning area, serving as a form of military deterrence.

Since there won't be any major battles, the troops can train slowly and gradually improve their combat effectiveness.

Occasionally, when there is free time, one can also practice against the surrounding indigenous tribes that "do not submit to the king's rule," and see some blood. Within a year, they should be able to be trained and have a certain combat capability.

“Yongning Bay is located in the southern border of our Xinhua, and our Fifth Mixed Battalion should serve as its shield, protecting the safety of nearly 10,000 people under our jurisdiction.” Lei Mingchun looked at the snow-capped peaks of the Qinglong Mountains (now the Sierra Nevada Mountains) in the distance and said in a deep voice, “Therefore, the improvement of the troops’ combat capabilities is of utmost urgency.”

"Pass down the order!" He turned to look at several officers. "Starting tomorrow, increase the intensity of training according to the Army Manual, especially subjects such as forced marches and combat formation changes. All units must achieve an excellent level within two months."

He patted the horse's mane, revealing a bloodthirsty smile: "Since Commissioner Han named this place Chang'an, we must live up to those two words!"
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"At ease!" Han Jian returned a standard military salute to the officers who were standing at attention and saluting. His dark blue woolen uniform was stained with a little gold dust, indicating that he had just come from a gold processing plant.

The crowd stole glances and saw two guards with swords behind him, and the gold mine supervisor carrying a black lacquered wooden box, from which the faint reflection of gold nuggets could be seen.

"I heard you just finished a field training exercise?" Han Jian glanced at the officers lined up. "How did the training go?"

"Reporting to the Commissioner..." Lei Mingchun gave a wry smile, "The results of the troops' field training can only be described as mediocre."

"Barely satisfactory?" Han Jian stared into his eyes. "Then are they fit for battle?"

"Unbearable war."

"..." Han Jian's face darkened. "If you were to face the Spaniards, would you have any chance of fighting them?"

Lei Mingchun stepped forward: "Reporting to the Commissioner, if the enemy in front of us is only two or three hundred strong, our unit should be able to fight and defeat them. If the enemy is strong, I'm afraid we will not be able to handle it. ... Uh, because the Fifth Mixed Battalion is not fully staffed. Only the First Company is at full strength, while the other companies and artillery platoons are empty shells, with less than 30% of their authorized strength."

"If we make up for your manpower shortage, how long will it take for the Fifth Mixed Battalion to reach its full combat potential?"

"Three to five months."

"If I were to assign you a militia force of over a thousand men, you might be able to capture one or two coastal towns in Spain?"

"Huh?" Lei Mingchun was stunned upon hearing this. "To cross the sea and attack the Spanish American colonies, we would need the support of the navy. I'm afraid my Fifth Mixed Battalion cannot capture the Spanish coastal towns on its own."

"Let's set aside the naval issue for now." Han Jian waved his hand. "I just want to ask you one question: if Xinhua and Spain were to go to war again, as the only garrison force in the Yongning Bay colony area, would you be able to fight?"

"...We are ready to fight!" Lei Mingchun straightened his back and solemnly declared, "Use me in the first battle, and victory is assured! We will fight for Xinhua, even unto death! Please rest assured, Commissioner, within two months, my unit guarantees to reach the standards of army operations. If the Spanish dare to come, we will make sure they never return!"

"Hmm, very good!" Han Jian nodded in satisfaction. "However, what I need is not defense, but the ability to attack. Remember, the best way to defend is to attack, attack, and attack again! Bring the flames of war to the enemy's territory, and cripple and weaken them to the greatest extent possible."

"Yes, Commissioner!" Lei Mingchun replied loudly, but a hint of doubt arose in his heart.

Should we launch an attack on the Spanish?

Han Jian gazed at the distant Azure Dragon Mountains and said leisurely, "Remember, the name Chang'an is composed of two parts: peace and security, and the opposite: unsheathing your swords. Your bayonets are our strongest defenses."
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(End of this chapter)