Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 465 Bewilderment
On a late April morning, the sea breeze from Yongning Bay carried the chill of late spring, seeping through the cracks in the window and causing the rolled-up curtains to twitch.

Lou Wenhe sat on the creaking wooden stool, holding the rim of a rough porcelain bowl, lost in thought. The boiled water in the bowl had long since cooled down.

The small hut where he was temporarily placed was only a few feet square, with a single bed in the corner, covered with blue sheets and a white duvet cover, simple and bright.

A few of his spare clothes lay on the bedside table, wrinkled and seemingly never washed.

This was his twenty-fourth day in Yuzhou City. After reporting to the newly appointed Yongning Bay Colonization Commissioner, Lord Zheng, about the Spanish military action plan, he was "invited" here by two guards.

Although the shackles were not on his body and the door was not locked, a guard standing outside the door at all times was clearly telling him this.

Under house arrest and surveillance!

He sighed, got up, walked to the window, and pushed open the wooden window.

Outside the window was a narrow alleyway, the cement road still damp with last night's dew. Occasionally, clerks and officials from the colonization area would hurry by, their steps quick and swift, paying no attention to this inconspicuous little house.

Faint shouts could be heard from the distant dock, indicating that another merchant ship was docking.

But those sounds that used to bring him peace of mind now sound particularly jarring.

"Squeak..." The sound of the door being pushed open interrupted his thoughts. Lou Wenhe turned around abruptly and saw a young man in a dark gray uniform walk in, with a silver badge pinned to his collar.

The person who came carried a wicker food box in his hand, walked steadily, and his leather shoes made a thumping sound on the floor of the room.

"Manager Lou, I added a plate of fried fish this morning." The man placed the food box on the table, opened the lid, and a salty and savory aroma mixed with oil wafted out.

Lou Wenhe's Adam's apple bobbed, and he strode forward: "Thank you for your trouble, Military Advisor Liu!"

He remembered that this person was Zheng Yuexin's assistant, the newly appointed commissioner of the Yongning Bay Colonization Area, who was responsible for military coordination and militia deployment.

More than twenty days ago, when I was reporting to Lord Zheng about the Spanish military action plan, he was the one taking notes.

Liu Canjun nodded, took out a plate of golden-fried small fish and half a dish of pickled vegetables from the food box, and then placed two white steamed buns and a bowl of corn porridge on the table: "Host Lou, have you been getting used to your accommodation these days? The housing situation in the colony government is tight, so I'm sorry to have troubled you."

“I’m used to it, I’m used to it.” Lou Wenhe rubbed his hands together, his gaze fixed on Liu Canjun’s gentle smiling face. “May I ask, Liu Canjun, how does Commissioner Zheng intend to handle this matter? We can’t just keep dragging it out like this, can we?”

His voice trembled slightly, and the fine lines at the corners of his eyes were particularly clear in the morning light.

These days, he has been unable to sleep at night, always dreaming of Black Shark Island being shrouded in artillery fire, Sun Dabiao leading his guards in a sea of ​​fire, the fortress littered with severed limbs and countless cries of agony.

And he, like those officials in the Ming Dynasty who lost their land, was executed by the Ming Dynasty's legal code.

Every time he woke up in a fright, he was drenched in sweat.

At this moment, a colony official finally arrived, and he eagerly asked the question that had been weighing on his mind for a long time.

"Give me a straight answer, or I'll stick my neck out and get a knife; just give me a straight answer!"

Liu Canjun smiled, pushed the food on the table towards him, and said slowly, "Chief Lou, don't rush, eat first. Commissioner Zheng said that you need to eat your fill and take care of your health before you can explain things clearly."

Seeing that Lou Wenhe didn't move, he reached out, broke a steamed bun in half, and took a bite. "See, the food isn't poisoned, is it?"

"Military Advisor Liu..." Lou Wenhe's face immediately fell, his eyes filled with a pleading look, "Military Advisor Liu, please, just give me the truth, okay?"

“I don’t know how to handle your matter, and neither does Commissioner Zheng.” Liu Canjun swallowed the steamed bun in his mouth and shook his head, saying, “The day after you arrived in Yuzhou City, we dispatched a clipper ship to Qiming Island headquarters. We not only reported the Spanish military movements, but also included your situation in the report.”

Lou Wenhe's heart sank: "A petition? To which department? In my case... does it count as a violation of the law?"

He remembered that the Xinhua Laws included the crime of "desertion in the face of battle," but it seemed to apply to military personnel. If they committed this crime, they would be subjected to military law on the spot.

Even if one escapes execution on the battlefield, one will certainly be convicted afterward, and in the most severe cases, will be subjected to the death penalty to uphold military law.

But will he, as the "Senior Manager of the Americas Trading Company," invoke military law? He manages all affairs on Black Shark Island, yet he is ultimately a "civil servant"!

"It should be submitted to the Trade Affairs Department of the central government and filed with the Military Affairs Department." Liu Canjun put down the steamed bun, picked up the teapot from the table, poured himself a cup of water, and gulped it down. "As for legal matters, I reckon we should follow the regulations. You know the rules of Xinhua; we follow the rules and regulations and don't handle things based on the whims of those in charge."

He paused, looking at Lou Wenhe's nervous expression, and said slowly, "You are an employee of the Americas Trading Company, and the company's supervisory department is the Trade Affairs Department. In principle, you are also a government official and subject to government authority. However, you are not a military officer, so you should not be subject to military law."

"Although Black Shark Island has defense responsibilities, your primary identity is that of the head of the trading post and the person in charge of Mexican trade affairs. Moreover, the current law does not prohibit the person in charge from leaving the area to report, but rather has the provision of 'decisive handling in emergency situations'."

Lou Wenhe's eyes lit up: "So... my leaving Black Shark Island doesn't count as disobeying orders?"

“But…” Liu Canjun’s expression turned cold, and a hint of disgust appeared in his eyes, “But your behavior is truly despicable!”

As he spoke, he suddenly picked up the bowl of corn porridge on the table and splashed it directly onto Lou Wenhe's face.

"Ouch!" Lou Wenhe was caught off guard, his face immediately covered in cornmeal paste. He jumped up from the wooden stool and frantically smeared it with both hands. "Liu Canjun, what... what are you doing?!"

“If it weren’t for the law, I would have killed you!” Military Advisor Liu looked at him sternly. “Do you know that when you left the island, the morale of the entire island was in turmoil? As the highest-ranking person in charge, how much of a blow was it to the morale of the troops to flee in such a panic before the handover of affairs was completed and the security of the defenses was confirmed?”

"Hmph, although you have rendered meritorious service in reporting the news, you cannot escape the suspicion of 'abandoning your responsibility,' which is a shameful desertion in the face of battle!" He said, taking a deep breath to calm his agitated emotions. "If this were in the Ming Dynasty, you would probably be in the execution ground! But here in Xinhua, you have managed to find a loophole in the law and escape death. However, your actions will surely be ridiculed by the people of the country and despised by us government officials."

Lou Wenhe was so embarrassed by the reprimand that he didn't dare to say a word in rebuttal. He just unconsciously wiped the corn paste off his face and head.

“The central government’s reply hasn’t arrived yet, but according to the law, you cowardly fellow can’t really be punished.” Liu Canjun slowly stood up and looked at him coldly. “You’re getting off easy. At most, you’ll be dismissed and reprimanded, and you can’t be punished for desertion.”

"Dismissed from office?..." Lou Wenhe stopped what he was doing and stared blankly over.

He felt a mix of emotions. Losing his senior manager position meant losing his high monthly allowance of twenty-five dollars.

Then, his future prospects will likely be completely ruined, and it might even affect his future livelihood.

"The Commissioner has asked me a few questions. You must answer truthfully, without exaggeration or fabrication. Your answers must be based on evidence," Liu Canjun said in a deep voice. "If your words cause any miscalculation or delay in Xinhua's decisions and plans, you will be deserving of death!"

"Yes, yes... Please ask, Military Advisor Liu, I will answer to the best of my knowledge..." Lou Wenhe immediately bowed and stood at attention, waiting to be questioned.

"Based on your contact with and understanding of the Spanish, after the Western barbarians launch military operations against Xinhua, will they first attack Black Shark Island?"

"Yes." Lou Wenhe nodded immediately: "Even if it's not to eliminate the threat from the rear, just the fact that Black Shark Island is the largest transit base for smuggling and trading on outlying islands in Xinhua would make the Western barbarians eager to seize it, so as to obtain the goods and supplies accumulated on the island, as well as... a large amount of gold and silver currency."

"With the defensive capabilities of Black Shark Island, how long can it hold out against a siege by thousands of Western barbarian naval and land forces?"

"Reporting to Military Advisor Liu..." Lou Wenhe pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands in response: "Black Shark Island has 62 armed guards and 74 personnel under the jurisdiction of the trading company, including businessmen, accountants, pawnbrokers, shop assistants, craftsmen, and fishermen. All of them are young and strong men who can handle firearms and assist the guards in defending the fortress."

"In addition, the island's fortresses, after more than ten years of continuous construction, have become one of the few strongholds among Xinhua's overseas outlying islands, capable of withstanding a siege by the Western barbarians for several months. When I... left Black Shark Island, the island underwent another supply replenishment. Even if it is blockaded by the Western barbarians for more than half a year, it can still hold out with difficulty without worrying about a shortage of supplies."

Liu Canjun gave him a deep look, his lips curling slightly, his expression speaking volumes.

If that's the case, why leave the island?

"Well, you can wait for news." After asking the two questions, Liu Canjun turned around and was about to push open the door to leave.

“Military Advisor Liu…” Lou Wenhe looked at him expectantly, “Do I… do I still have a chance to redeem myself through meritorious service?”

"Make amends through meritorious service?" Military Advisor Liu revealed a mocking smile. "What crime have you committed? The central government's reply has not yet arrived; who dares to convict you?"

With that, he turned and left.

The door slammed shut, leaving Lou Wenhe standing alone in the room, lost in thought.
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(End of this chapter)