Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 467 Spain, are you going to fight or not?

Beside the long oak table in the council chamber of the Yuzhou Commissioner's Office, candlelight flickered in the brass candlesticks, casting an indistinct glow on the "Xinzhou Coastal Defense Map" hanging on the wall.

After listening to the report from Zhou Yuefeng, the commander of the special support fleet and a naval lieutenant commander, Zheng Yuexin unconsciously tapped the documents on the table with his fingers. His brows furrowed slightly, and a look of surprise quietly spread across his eyes: "In other words, the Spanish are very likely to postpone their military plans indefinitely, and may even abandon their attack on Xinhua?"

Zhou Yuefeng stood ramrod straight in front of the table, a silver anchor-shaped badge pinned to the collar of his military uniform. He ran his fingertips along the hem of his uniform, his tone cautious: "This is the preliminary conclusion reached by our fleet staff through repeated deductions, based on the seven secret reports from the Garza family."

"Hmm, not bad!" Zheng Yuexin's gaze swept over the young naval officers opposite him, and he nodded with satisfaction. "You didn't just focus on the gunfire in San Diego Bay, but broadened your vision to the predicament of the Spanish mainland and the supply lines of the American colonies. You discovered and analyzed problems from a holistic perspective, which already demonstrates the qualities of a qualified captain. Given time, you will surely become the backbone of our Xinhua Navy, allowing our fleet to truly gain a foothold in the Pacific."

"Thank you for your recognition, Instructor!" Upon hearing this, the officers straightened their backs even more, and their faces showed excitement.

"Don't call me instructor. Ten years ago at the Qiming Island Naval Academy, I only taught you a month-long course on 'Sea Power Strategy.' I'm not much of an instructor," Zheng Yuexin waved his hand, a gentle smile playing on his lips.

After years of education and training, we have finally produced a few promising talents!

"A teacher for a day is a father for life!" Zhou Yuefeng's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he raised his hand to give Zheng Yuexin a standard military salute, his military boots clicking crisply on the floor. "In the hearts of all the instructors in our graduating class, including Instructor Zheng, we will always remember you as our good instructors and good teachers!"

“You guys,” Zheng Yuexin said with a smile as he stood up, walked over to Zhou Yuefeng, and patted him on the shoulder. He could feel the taut muscles under the young man’s shoulder armor in his palm. “We teach you astronomy, navigation, artillery, and calculation, not so that you can remember who taught you, but so that you can put these skills into practice.”

He turned to the other officers, his gaze becoming profound. “It was not easy for Xinhua to expand its territory on the mainland of Xinzhou. From Qiming Island to Yuzhou Port, every inch of our sea territory was carved out by oars, and every camp was built with sweat.”

He walked to the window, pushed open the wooden window, and the salty sea breeze rushed into the hall, stirring the letters on the table.

In the distance, the lighthouse at Yuzhou Port twinkles in the night, like a star suspended on the coastline.

"We only hope that you can make good use of the skills you have learned, so that the warships can protect the fishermen of Xinhua and allow them to go out to sea safely, so that the craftsmen in the towns can work hard in blacksmithing and pottery making, so that our merchants can travel to all corners of the world, and so that the people of this land will no longer have to fear foreign enemies landing on the shore."

"We swear to serve Xinhua to the death!" Zhou Yuefeng took the lead in shouting the oath, his voice echoing in the empty council hall. "We will take the ship as our home and the sea as our territory. Even if we fight to the last shell and the last man, we will protect every inch of Xinhua's maritime territory!"

"We will take the sea as our border and not lose an inch of our land!" The other three officers echoed in unison, their young voices filled with fervent enthusiasm that made the candlelight flicker violently.

Looking at their young and determined faces, Zheng Yuexin's relief gradually turned into deep expectation.

He waved his hand, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable authority: "You've all lost weight after being at sea for over a month. Go and rest in the officers' quarters in the backyard. The kitchen has prepared hot porridge and salted fish for you. Come to the council hall at nine o'clock tomorrow morning, and we'll discuss the route for the southward patrol in detail."

"Yes, sir!" The officers saluted again, their boots clicking in unison as they turned and the sound faded into the quiet night.

Zheng Yuexin stood alone by the window, watching the silhouettes of the masts of the two "Haiyan-class" cruisers in the harbor under the moonlight, and gently drew a circle on the map at the location of Mexico.

Our Xinhua Navy has finally grown up.
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"Commissioner, should we lift the state of emergency in Yongning Bay?" Liu Yonggui asked softly when he saw Zheng Yuexin staring blankly out the window.

"Huh?" Zheng Yuexin turned around. "Why are we lifting the state of combat readiness?"

"Didn't the task force bring back news that the Spanish are now beset by internal and external troubles and are simply unable to support the American colonial authorities in launching a military operation against us?"

"But they attacked our exploration team that we sent to San Diego Bay."

"..." Liu Yonggui was taken aback. "Commissioner, as Sun Tzu said, 'A general should not wage war out of anger, nor should a ruler raise an army out of rage.' Haven't we at Xinhua been trying our best to avoid a large-scale military conflict with Spain, so as not to delay the current peaceful and stable development?"

“Times have changed.” Zheng Yuexin gave a bitter smile. “Two months ago, news came from Mexico that the Spanish coveted our Yongning Bay gold mine and intended to launch an attack. Later, the Garza family sent messages saying that the Spanish were preparing to join forces with the two viceroyalties to launch a large-scale military offensive against Xinhua.”

"Tell me, what kind of shock will this series of messages cause when they reach the headquarters on Qiming Island? Faced with a possible armed invasion by the Spanish, the central government will inevitably mobilize all its forces. It will draw troops, collect supplies, organize transportation, and even conscript a large number of laborers, cattle, and horses..."

"Many factories at headquarters will also switch to wartime production, stepping up the manufacturing of military supplies such as artillery, muskets, armor, and canned goods. At that time, the national economy will experience a dramatic fluctuation, and many development plans formulated at the beginning of the year may also be significantly adjusted and modified to make the operation of the entire country more adaptable to the economic model of war."

"You know, we went to great lengths, mobilized a lot of manpower and resources, and finally prepared a huge table of dishes, all of which looked and smelled delicious, but then our guests didn't come. What are we supposed to do? We can't just clear away the dishes, clean the tables and chairs, and pretend nothing happened, can we? ... How can we bear this!"

More than two months ago, Han Jian, the former colonization commissioner of Yongning Bay, sent an exploration team south to explore ocean currents and coastal geography. However, they "unexpectedly" stopped in San Diego Bay and then brazenly set up a temporary camp right under the noses of the Spanish.

Upon learning of this, the central government, in order to avoid conflict with the Spanish colonial authorities in the Americas, immediately ordered the navy to dispatch two patrol ships, the "Seagull" and the "Seagull," to quickly sail to San Diego Bay, bring the exploration team back, and explain the situation to the Spanish in order to avoid escalating the conflict between the two sides.

However, when the two cruisers arrived at San Diego Bay, they found themselves too late. The Spanish had already sent armed forces to land in San Diego Bay, used force to break through the exploration team's camp, and caused some casualties.

Since the Spanish made the first move, the Xinhua Navy naturally did not hold back. In a fit of rage, all officers and soldiers attacked the two Spanish armed merchant ships anchored in San Diego Bay.

After a relatively mild battle, the Xinhua Navy successfully forced the Spanish armed merchant ship to land and captured more than fifty sailors.

Immediately afterwards, the two Xinhua warships launched a fierce bombardment of the Spanish outposts on the shore before sailing away from San Diego Bay.

Following instructions from the Admiralty, the fleet continued south to investigate Black Shark Island and confirm whether the island had been besieged by the Spanish.

Fortunately, Black Shark Island remained unscathed, and the Spanish had not yet had a chance to launch an attack.

The fleet made a brief two-day stop here, replenishing its fresh water and fruits and vegetables, before heading north to return to port. Before leaving, Sun Dabiao, the temporary head of Black Shark Island, handed over several new intelligence reports from Acapulco Port to fleet commander Zhou Yuefeng, also mentioning that the Spanish were facing numerous troubles and might indefinitely postpone their military offensive plans.

During the journey, Zhou Yuefeng and several other naval officers reviewed the intelligence documents concerning Spain's mainland and its American colonies. They were surprised to find that the Spanish were in a lot of trouble, beset by internal and external problems, and surrounded by enemies. They simply did not have the extra energy to cause any trouble.

A massive armed uprising broke out in Catalonia, located in northeastern Spain. The uprising expelled all Spanish officials and troops, allied with France, and proclaimed King Louis XIII of France as the Lord of Catalonia. It also declared that it would no longer recognize Philip IV as monarch, thus formally breaking with the Spanish Habsburg dynasty.

The Spanish army's attempts to suppress the rebellion repeatedly failed, especially in the Battle of Montejuchil, where nearly all of its 5,000-strong Catalan-French forces were wiped out.

By March of this year, the rebellion had spread throughout Catalonia, posing a deadly threat to the security of mainland Spain.

However, before the gourd ladle on the east side could be pressed down, another gourd ladle on the west side rose up.

On December 1, 1640, a group of Portuguese nobles led by João, Duke of Braganza, launched a raid on Lisbon, arrested the Spanish-appointed governor, seized control of the royal palace and fortified city, and then declared independence from Spain.

This immediately plunged Spain into a two-front war on its home turf, severely tying down its military forces and leaving it exhausted.

The war between Spain and the Netherlands has lasted for nearly sixty years and shows no signs of ending.

After the Battle of the Downs, the Spanish Navy suffered a devastating blow and no longer had an overwhelming advantage in the North Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and even the Caribbean Sea. Instead, the Dutch blockaded their overseas trade routes, and a large number of Spanish merchant ships traveling to and from the Americas were plundered, resulting in a sharp decrease of more than 40% in the import of precious metals from the colonies.

On the European front, the Spanish situation was even more dire.

In the Flanders (present-day Belgium) battlefield, the Spanish army was attacked from both sides by the French and Dutch forces, suffering repeated defeats and forced to retreat to a few key strongholds in Bruges and Ghent, awaiting reinforcements from home.

In Italy, the Spanish-controlled Duchy of Milan was attacked by French forces, large swathes of land in the Lombardy region were lost, and supply lines to Southern Europe were cut off.

The prolonged war had driven Spain's finances to the brink of collapse. With the influx of gold and silver from the Americas halted due to the Dutch blockade and siege, the Spanish royal family unsurprisingly declared bankruptcy once again, marking the fifth time since 1557.

As for the Americas, the situation is also quite pessimistic.

Because Portugal declared its independence from Spain, Portuguese Brazil, Portuguese Angola, and Portuguese Mozambique all pledged allegiance to King João IV of Portugal and refused to implement the "trade monopoly order" issued by Spain.

Just two months ago, a small Dutch fleet attacked San Juan, Puerto Rico, in an attempt to seize the city.

However, a sudden hurricane saved the Spanish. After losing two armed ships, the Dutch fleet halted its offensive and sailed away from Puerto Rico.

Since Britain occupied Providence Island (part of the present-day San Andrés Islands in Colombia) eight years ago (1633), it has used it as a base to frequently attack Spanish merchant ships, causing merchants to complain and petition the Governor of New Spain to expel the British and reclaim the island, instead of wasting a lot of manpower and resources attacking the new Chinese in the north.

In addition, after more than 20 years of unremitting efforts, the French successively occupied the Caribbean islands of St. Kitts, Martinique, and Guadeloupe, and then used them to threaten Spanish merchant ships and colonial outposts.

Last September, French pirate Bucanny launched a brutal attack on a Spanish settlement on Hispaniola, killing and injuring more than ten people and stealing thousands of pesos worth of valuables, causing panic among the Spanish plantation owners on the island.

In the remote southern part of Chile, the Spanish were engaged in a difficult struggle with the Araucan people (mainly composed of Mapuche, Piquinche and Vicelli) in the mountainous jungles. Despite having an absolute advantage in weaponry, the Spanish army was unable to completely defeat the Araucan people in the face of their flexible guerrilla warfare, and instead suffered frequent losses.

Due to the high cost of the war and the disproportionate losses and gains, many colonial officials began to favor a policy of appeasement, ending the endless war and instead relying on fortresses to maintain security in the Chilean region, while acknowledging that the Araucanians held spheres of influence south of the Biobío River.

……

Look at the Spanish, they have a lot of troubles on their hands, where do they have the extra energy to start another battle in Xinhua, and they even have to mobilize the forces of the two viceroyalties to travel more than 2,000 miles north to Yongning Bay.

How many troops can you deploy?

Even if Xinhua does nothing and doesn't mobilize its army or navy, and just waits for you Spanish to come and attack, I'm afraid the dozen or so forts and villages belonging to the Yongning Bay colony area will still be difficult to take down.

"Although, based on current feedback, the Spanish may truly be unable to launch an attack," Zheng Yuexin sat down at his desk, took out a charcoal pencil, and signed "Agreed to Execute" on a "Beacon Tower Construction Plan," "none of us can guarantee that the Spanish won't have a mental breakdown and launch an attack without warning, ignoring their own numerous troubles. You know, those Spanish nobles are extremely envious of the Sandao Gou gold mine; it's possible they'll be blinded by gold and take a risky gamble."

"Therefore, apart from the settlements under the jurisdiction of Yuzhou which will remain at Level II combat readiness, the towns and villages within Yongning Bay can lower their combat readiness to Level III and devote most of their manpower and resources to agricultural production."

He looked up at Liu Yonggui and instructed, "First thing tomorrow morning, send a fast liaison ship back to headquarters on Qiming Island to present the latest news we have received, as well as our assessment and analysis of the Spanish, to the central command."

"In addition, information about the latest movements of the Spanish should not be disseminated to the fortified villages and settlements within the colony for the time being, so as not to shake the determination and courage of the villagers to prepare for war. They should be told that they can take turns going to the fortresses for spring planting and summer harvest, but the watchtowers and gun emplacements of the fortresses must be guarded."

"We can't put away the dishes and chopsticks until the guests arrive, and we certainly can't leave the door wide open!"

The following day, a convoy of more than ten transport ships from headquarters, escorted by three warships, sailed into Yuzhou Port in a grand procession.

The curtain of war has slowly risen.

The problem is that, nowadays, the Chinese community is also feeling conflicted when faced with the indecisive Spaniards.

war?
Or with?
This immediately put everyone in a dilemma, leaving them with no choice but to stay in Yongning Bay and await the final decision from the headquarters.
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(End of this chapter)