Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 466 Beacon Fire

May 6, 1641, Westminster (now Monterey, California).

The sea breeze, carrying the warmth of early summer, swept over the crests of the waves in Xiling Bay, drifted over the vast spruce forests, and finally settled on the simple fortified walls of Xiling Fort.

Zheng Yuexin stood on a watchtower more than ten meters high, holding onto the rough wooden railing, squinting as he looked south.

The oak observation deck swayed slightly in the sea breeze, and the wooden planks underfoot creaked and groaned.

The distant horizon merged with the sky, and he seemed to be trying to pierce through that hazy expanse to discern the movements of the Spanish.

Nobody knows when the Spaniards will arrive.

However, according to news from Black Shark Island, the Spanish may indeed take military risks, mobilizing the forces of the two viceroyalties to test the true nature of the new Chinese population once again.

Ah, the Second New Zealand War that Han Jianxin had been longing for might just start so unexpectedly.

Under Xinhua's extreme "provocation" and the Spanish people's blind confidence and greed, a military conflict that was thought to be impossible to trigger was thus presented to everyone in a grand manner.

Ambitious figures on Xinhua's side wanted to take advantage of Spain's entanglement in the Thirty Years' War in Europe to deliver a heavy blow to the Spanish colonial authorities in the Americas, hoping to weaken Spain's military power to the greatest extent possible, and even destroy Spain's war potential in the Americas, thereby completely removing the threat to Xinhua.

Besides being indignant that Xinhua was encroaching on their colonial territories and directly damaging the sovereignty and dignity of the Kingdom of Spain, the arrogant and self-important Spanish also coveted the rich gold mine discovered in Yongning Bay, hoping to add an important source of precious metals to their weak national treasury.

Thus, the two sides reached an agreement and jointly propelled the outbreak of this war.

At this point, it seems unnecessary to dwell on the causes and responsibilities of the war.

Ten days ago, the radical and stubborn instigator boarded a 1,000-ton private immigration ship and went to Luzon to clean up the mess there.

Perhaps the unruly natives, the increasingly ambitious Chinese uprising forces, the remaining Spanish strongholds still putting up a stubborn resistance, and the ever-watchful Dutch East India Company will gradually wear down the will and energy of that "ambitious man," preventing him from harboring any thoughts of "causing trouble."

Meanwhile, the Yongning Bay colonization area began to enter a state of war mobilization, not only to do its utmost to protect agricultural production and promote increased summer and autumn grain production, but also to carry out military preparations to deal with possible attacks by the Spanish.

Given the efficiency of the Spanish, the official launch of the attack will be delayed for at least three to five months.

If the colonial officials and military commanders of the two viceroyalties continue to wrangle and shirk responsibility, the start of the war will likely be delayed, perhaps until next summer.

Of course, Xinhua's efficiency isn't much higher either.

The main problem is that the distance is too far. Even the fastest clipper liaison ship would take half a month to make a trip from Yongning Bay (against the wind and current).

Then came the mobilization of the army, the collection of supplies, the allocation of transportation capacity, and the coordination of various departments and affairs. The first batch of reinforcements from headquarters arrived at Yongning Bay at the earliest, two months later.

Zheng Yuexin turned his gaze from the distance to the Xiling Fort in front of him.

More than thirty wooden houses are scattered on the gentle slope. The thatched roofs are a bit messy from the sea breeze, and a few leaky places are simply covered with tarpaulins.

More than 200 acres of newly reclaimed land stretch out along the stream beside it. The corn seedlings are just above ankle height, and potato flowers bloom with tiny white blossoms along the edge of the field.

The semi-circular simple wall, like a snake that hasn't woken up yet, stretches from the oak forest at the east end to the reef at the west end. Sparse wooden stakes roughly enclose the camp, with the lowest point being less than a person's height.

With such defensive measures, they could probably only stop wild beasts from breaking in. If the Spanish attacked, they wouldn't even need artillery fire; a few strong soldiers could simply knock them down with their bodies and create a huge breach.

“Hehe…” Seeing the commissioner frown, Chen Anfu, the garrison commander of Xiling Fort, chuckled dryly, his dark face creased with wrinkles: “Sir, Xiling Fort is a newly established outpost after all. We are short of manpower and materials… This is the only way we can make do.”

"However, we have explored the mountains and forests within a seven or eight-kilometer radius over the past few months and have not found any natives, so it seems there is no danger."

"What if the Spanish come knocking on our door?" Zheng Yuexin gave a wry smile, tapping his fingertips lightly on the railing.

"The Western barbarians shouldn't be able to find this place, right?" Chen Anfu said cautiously, a hint of hope in his eyes. "Our Xiling Fort is hidden on the side of the peninsula, and there are many mountains and forests along the shore. Unless the Western barbarians are running right up to the coastline, how could they find our settlement so easily?"

Zheng Yuexin didn't reply, turned around and went down from the watchtower, the wooden stairs creaking under his feet.

He strode out of the village, his military boots leaving a trail of clear footprints on the soft soil.

“Sir, look, those fields were all cleared by us fifty-odd villagers, one hoe at a time.” Chen Anfu quickly caught up, pointing to the lush green fields with pride in his voice, his rough hands rubbing against the hem of his clothes. “However, this year’s crop is uncultivated, so the yield is limited, but it can at least supply half of next year’s grain.”

“Those are some vegetables we planted, and we fertilized them with manure. They’re growing quite well. In another two or three months, we’ll be able to pick fresh vegetables to eat. It’s not good to keep eating dried salted fish and pickled vegetables all the time.”

“Oh, that’s a natural grassy slope. It looks like it’s growing very well, and we could feed the cattle there, so we left it uncultivated. I’m thinking that next year, when we allocate some more immigrants here, we can borrow a dozen or so sheep from the settlement government to develop animal husbandry.”

“We plan to deepen and widen this depression during the off-season to create a large pond, so that we can have water whenever the stream next to it dries up during the dry season.”

“When we came last August, there was very little rain, and the fields were quite dry. But as winter approached in November, there was more rain, which continued until March of the following year. Therefore, the crops in these fields all need manual irrigation to promote production.” “…”

As Zheng Yuexin walked, he listened to Chen Anfu's incessant boasting, but did not respond much.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the spruce leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground, and the air was filled with the scent of earth and grass.

He walked to the edge of a field, squatted down, picked up a clump of soil and rubbed it.

The soil isn't particularly fertile, but with proper care, things can still grow.

He stood up, dusted off his hands, and asked, "Commander Chen, the colony is planning to withdraw Xiling Fort. What are your opinions?"

Chen Anfu was taken aback: "Withdraw from Xiling Fortress?...Sir, what does that mean?"

“The Spanish are preparing to attack us.” Zheng Yuexin looked directly at him, his gaze sharp. “Xiling Fort protrudes too far south from the Yongning Bay Colonization Area. Once the Spanish move north, you will be the first to be hit. Therefore, for your safety, the Colonization Area is preparing to dismantle this stronghold and all personnel will be evacuated to Chongqing for resettlement.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Anfu's face immediately turned bright red, and the veins on his forehead throbbed: "This... how can this be?!"

"What, you're reluctant?" Zheng Yuexin smiled slightly: "Aren't you afraid that if you stay here, the Spanish will sneak over and kill you all?"

"What's there to be afraid of! ... Uh, sir, please forgive my rudeness..." Chen Anfu quickly waved his hand to explain, a hint of embarrassment appearing on his dark face, "I just feel it's a real pity to give up this place so easily before the Western barbarians have even attacked. Those houses and fields, we built them bit by bit over the past few months..."

“Yes, you’ve spent nine months here, putting in a lot of effort to cultivate the land. It’s heartbreaking to see it abandoned like this.” Zheng Yuexin sighed, his tone tinged with understanding. “But human lives are far more important than these fields and houses. Even if it’s abandoned for a while, it’s just a waste of effort. But if people are gone, then everything is gone.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent.

Several immigrants working nearby stopped what they were doing, stood up, and looked over in astonishment, their faces filled with shock and unease.

Isn't the New Continent a peaceful and tranquil place?

What, are we going to fight the barbarians?!
Chen Anfu looked at the somewhat bewildered villagers, then at the newly reclaimed fields and the sprouting crops all around him. His face was filled with conflict, and his hands clenched into fists.

"My lord, I can't bear to part with you..." His voice was choked with emotion.

“But we are even more reluctant to see you all lose your lives.” Zheng Yuexin patted him on the shoulder. “As long as you are all safe and sound, we can cultivate new fields, build new houses, and create new homes.”

Chen Anfu was so anxious that he kept rubbing his hands together, and the veins on his dark face throbbed. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, as if he had thought of a good idea: "Sir, I... I can use Xiling Fort as an outpost for Yongning Bay!"

Speaking of the "outpost," he took a step forward excitedly, pointed to the sea, and said in a trembling voice, "Sir, as long as we stay here, we will know immediately when the Western Barbarian fleet shows its face and passes by Xiling Fort, and we can warn the rear. In this way, Yongning Bay can be detected in advance, and our combat preparations will be more complete."

"Xilingbao is more than 150 kilometers away from Yuzhou City. How will you send out warning signals?" Zheng Yuexin smiled.

“Build beacon towers!” Chen Anfu slapped his thigh and said excitedly, “We can build several beacon towers along the coastline of more than 100 kilometers from Xilingbao to Yuzhou City! We don’t need too many, six or seven will do, one every 20 kilometers or so, built on high slopes.”

"They built frames with pine wood, piled them with firewood and branches, and mixed them with sulfur and saltpeter. When the Westerners came, they would light smoke during the day and fire at night to relay the message. Just like the beacon towers on the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty, one after another, they could send messages to Yuzhou City in less than an hour, which was much faster than sending messages on horseback! Not to mention, the Westerners' ships, which were slowly rocking at sea, could not keep up with the speed of the beacon fires."

Zheng Yuexin looked up at the undulating coastal hills in the distance and fell into deep thought.

Those hills, high and low, are like sleeping giants, guarding this coastline.

The sea breeze lifted the hem of his clothes, and the distant waves crashed against the rocks, making a dull sound, as if accompanying this decision.

Indeed, although beacon towers are clumsy and simple, they are the most reliable way to warn people, especially on this coastline where communication is inconvenient.

“Then you…” He nodded slightly, then looked at Chen Fu’an and the group of villagers, his eyes grave, “If the Spanish discover the beacon fire and send troops ashore, you will still be in trouble…”

"Hehe..." Chen Anfu laughed, revealing two rows of yellow teeth, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness. "My lord, our beacon towers in Xiling Fort cannot be built here. Hmm, we can find a secluded hilltop a few kilometers to the south, or a high slope with a wide view. When the Western barbarians come, we can light the beacon fire and escape into the mountains and forests. Where will they come to chase us?"

"What if they discover Xiling Fortress?"

"Then let's hold our ground and wait for reinforcements." Chen Anfu looked over hopefully. "It should be some time before the Western Barbarians launch their attack. We can take advantage of the off-season to reinforce the walls and dig trenches. That should be enough to hold out for ten days to half a month. Surely, once the commander receives the message from the beacon tower, he will quickly lead his troops to rescue us?"

After hearing this, Zheng Yuexin did not respond and turned to walk towards the fortress.

"Sir, will this work out?" Chen Anfu called out from behind, his voice filled with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.

"Let's see..." Zheng Yuexin's voice came from ahead, with a hint of hesitation, but more so a softening after consideration.
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(End of this chapter)