Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 458 Ripples (Part 4)

“Count Pacheco, can we take back California from the new Chinese?” Viscount Francisco de Quevedo, the Spanish Inspector General appointed by the Kingdom of Spain, took a sip of scarlet wine and looked at Governor Count Pacheco with a questioning gaze.

"Your Excellency the Chief Inspector, do you want to hear the most truthful words?" Count Pacheco did not answer directly, but asked a question in return.

“Of course, Count Pacheco.” Quevedo put down his wine glass and said seriously, “I have been commissioned by His Majesty the King to conduct a comprehensive and meticulous inspection of the entire American colony, in order to ensure that everything here remains under His Majesty the King’s control, that no property here is illegally seized, and that all the people and servants here are not devoured by evil forces.”

"As the chief inspector, it is my duty and obligation to report the most accurate information about the Americas to the King, so that His Majesty may have the most comprehensive understanding of everything here."

"Therefore, Your Excellency, you do not need to cover up certain bad things, nor do you need to use false words to describe to me that everything here is wonderful."

"Hehe, although I don't have as much political experience as Count Pacheco, I have spent four years by His Majesty's side and have some knowledge of the overall situation of the kingdom and affairs in the Americas. I'm not a young man who knows nothing."

Since the early stages of Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 16th century, the Spanish royal family had been sending temporary inspectors on an irregular basis to review various affairs of the colonies, but this had not yet been institutionalized.

However, in the 17th century, as corruption in the colonies worsened, the Spanish monarchy began to systematically dispatch chief inspectors to conduct special investigations on colonial officials and institutions such as governors, prosecutors, and military governors, in order to curb corruption among colonial officials and ensure the effective implementation of royal policies.

The Inspector General was not under the jurisdiction of the Colonial Governor-General, but reported directly to the West Indies Commission or the King, and had the power to suspend the Governor-General's powers when necessary.

Yes, this chief inspector was equivalent to an imperial envoy sent by an ancient Chinese dynasty. He had the power of life and death over local officials, and his status was quite prestigious. He was an extremely powerful figure.

Some inspectors-general were also given special missions, such as reorganizing the colonial administrative system, adjusting tax policies, or strengthening military defenses.

The purpose of this Chief Inspector, Quevedo, was to specifically audit the tax and trade accounts of the American colonies, as well as the production efficiency of the gold and silver mines.

To put it bluntly, they're here to make money!
The Kingdom of Spain's finances had reached a point of no return, and it was on the verge of bankruptcy once again.

"Your Excellency Inspector General, though it is difficult to say, I must tell you the truth about the situation in the Viceroyalty of New Spain," Count Pacheco said solemnly. "That is, with our current strength, we are afraid we cannot successfully reclaim the California region from the New Chinese, let alone force them back north of the Columbia River. Unless we mobilize the entire kingdom's strength."

“Oh, really?” Quevedor raised an eyebrow. “The military strength of the Governor of New Spain is so weak that it can’t even deal with an indigenous country with a population of just over 100,000? That’s shocking!”

“Xinhua…” Count Pacheco paused, recalling the meeting held that morning, a bitter smile appearing on his face. “Xinhua is not an ordinary indigenous nation. They defeated our expeditionary fleet eight years ago. Dealing with them will require a considerable price.”

“If that’s the case, then why did you issue an order this morning requiring the military authorities of the Governorate to mobilize troops to San Diego Bay to expel the new Chinese who have intruded there?” Queved looked at him with amusement.

“Because we can no longer retreat.” Count Pacheco sighed, his face showing a hint of solemnity. “I don’t know why, more than a decade ago, when faced with the establishment of new Chinese settlements on the northwest coast, the Governorate did not immediately take decisive measures to nip them in the bud.”

"I don't know why, when the new Chinese crossed the Columbia River to colonize the south, the Mexican authorities did not strictly stop them and demand that they return to the established border."

"I have no idea what happened during that time. When the new Chinese immigrants secretly entered California, our military did not issue a stern warning or order them to leave our legal territory."

"Now, the new Chinese are openly invading San Diego Bay under the pretext of exploring the geography. If we don't stop them, no one can guarantee where their next colonization target will be—the Baja California Peninsula or northern Mexico?"

"No, we cannot allow the new Chinese to continue encroaching southward step by step, thereby threatening our core interests in Mexico! Therefore, this troop deployment is a signal, a warning signal, to tell the new Chinese that you have crossed our bottom line, and it's time for everything to end!"

In the study of the governor's mansion, the candlelight flickered on the silver candlesticks, casting intermittent light and shadow on Count Pacheco's sharply defined face.

But his words carried a hint of martial spirit, inspiring those who heard them.

Kvedo leaned back in his soft leather chair, his long, slender fingers tapping lightly on the oak table, the rhythm strikingly in sync with his rapidly beating heart. "Count Pacheco, what's your opinion on the discovery of a massive gold mine in California by the new Chinese?" His voice broke the brief silence in the room.

Count Pacheco nodded heavily, then sighed. "I heard this rumor last July when I first arrived in Mexico to take up my post. It is said that in the inland valley east of San Francisco Bay, the Chinese have discovered a rich gold mine, with gold almost covering the entire riverbank."

"Xinhua is organizing manpower for secret mining, and the gold dust transported out each month is worth at least 50,000 pesos. If more manpower and resources are invested, this output is expected to increase further."

Quevedo stood up abruptly, the crimson wine swirling violently in the glass, just like his boiling blood.

“Oh God, fifty thousand pesos! Every month!” He paced back and forth in the room, trying to calm his excitement.

Before long, he stood before Count Pacheco, his eyes gleaming with greed: "His Majesty the King needs good news like this. Do you know that the kingdom's treasury is already empty and it is burdened with huge debts in order to cope with one war after another?"

“Every year, the gold and silver shipped back from the Americas, just unloaded in the port of Seville, would be hauled away by greedy creditors, leaving the kingdom’s finances never in good shape.”

"The financing and lending conditions of our kingdom are becoming increasingly harsh, with heavy interest rates tightening around our necks like a noose."

"If we can acquire the gold mine in San Francisco Bay, it will be extremely exciting news for our entire kingdom."

“To be honest, Your Excellency the Chief Inspector…” Count Pacheco gave a wry smile and said with difficulty, “Our current strength is insufficient to support us in seizing that gold mine.”

"Unless we can obtain strong support from homeland, and transfer thousands of elite legions, such as the Flanders Legion or the Walloon Guards, to Mexico, and at the same time, we need to mobilize no less than twenty warships from the Atlantic and the Caribbean."

“Count Pacheco, it’s simply impossible to transfer elite troops from the mainland to the Americas,” Kwydor said, shaking his head. “In Europe, we have too many enemies. Besides Sweden, France, the Netherlands, and many German states, we also face an extremely serious internal situation.”

"Did you know that, in addition to the rebellion in Catalonia, the Portuguese are also stirring up trouble and preparing to launch an uprising against our Kingdom of Spain (they already launched their independence revolt in December 1640). Therefore, you can only rely on your own strength for matters concerning the Americas."

"However, if I may ask, is the military strength of the Viceroyalty of New Spain really so weak that even the Chinese in New Spain cannot cope with it?"

“Your Excellency, the situation isn’t that serious, and the army isn’t that incapable of fighting.” Count Pacheco smiled slightly. “At least, our army still has a certain fighting capacity when facing those rebellious Indian tribes.”

"However, due to the financial problems of the governorate, the soldiers have long been in a state of arrears in pay, and military equipment and weapons cannot be guaranteed, so the soldiers generally lack the courage and determination to fight big battles and hard battles."

"In other words, once the colonial army receives sufficient supplies and pay, they are still capable of fighting?"

“I think so,” Count Pacheco thought for a moment, then nodded and said, “Just like the German mercenaries in Europe, as long as they are provided with adequate supplies and paid their full pay, they can also defeat the formidable Swedish army.”

"Then let's raise enough funds to arm our soldiers, drive out those greedy new Chinese, seize that gold mine, and restore our Spanish kingdom's rule over California," Quevedio said excitedly.
"His Majesty the King and Count Olivares (Prime Minister of Spain) urgently need new sources of revenue, and a large amount of gold and silver. This is related to whether the glory of the kingdom can be restored, and even more so to whether our kingdom's strategic plan can be successful."

“…” Count Pacheco was stunned. He opened his mouth but couldn’t utter a word.

No, what I've said here is simply to show that the Viceroyalty of New Spain cannot wage war. It's just a symbolic show of strength to the new Chinese community to stop their colonization activities in San Diego Bay.

But why would this Inspector General incite our Governorate to launch a military strike against Xinhua, not only to seize that coveted gold mine, but also to restore colonial rule in California?

The problem is, we can't do it!
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(End of this chapter)