Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 479 Weights
September 25th, Crying Mother Island (now Haiyang Island).

The salty sea breeze, carrying the chill of early autumn, brushed against Zhong Minghui's face, carrying a familiar fishy and bitter smell.

The wind carried a hint of smoke—the aroma of a newly lit stove in the resettlement area, mingled with the distinctive smoky scent of freshly harvested corn stalks, spreading a gentle warmth through the sea fog.

He climbed to a flat cliff halfway up the mountain, his boots crunching over the loose stones at the edge.

Looking back, Taiping Bay was shrouded in a thin mist, and several fishing boats swayed gently with the waves like babies sleeping in cradles.

Several fishing nets were hung on the mast to dry, with glistening water droplets still clinging to the mesh. When the sunlight shone through, it refracted into tiny rainbows, as if veiling the small boat in a hazy mist.

From this vantage point, you can see the entire island. To the west are rows of warehouses and temporary resettlement areas for immigrants, to the east are fishing villages and coastal fortifications, and to the south, on the hillsides and in the valleys, are patches of cultivated farmland. Several farmers wearing straw hats are turning the soil, raising fine dust as their hoes rise and fall.

Zhong Minghui took the water pouch handed to him by the guard, tilted his head back and took a sip.

The water was already warm, carrying the faint fragrance unique to wooden buckets.

When I first arrived ten years ago, there were only a few bitter springs on the island, but now there are three wells and a water diversion system that brings water from the mountain streams to various resettlement areas.

This project was completed three years ago and was designed by a plumber from Quanzhou.

The flat cliff beneath our feet is known locally as "Wangxiangtai" (Looking-Homeward Terrace), and it was one of the earliest resting places developed by the pioneers.

Several flat stones stood on the edge of the cliff, serving as tables and chairs.

Zhong Minghui sat down on a stone bench with the smoothest surface. The stone was polished to a shine and had borne the sighs of countless homesick people.

From here, you can clearly see the changes that have taken place on the island over the past decade.

The earliest thatched huts have long since disappeared, replaced by neat brick and wood structures with roofs covered with fired gray tiles and dried seaweed and dried fish hanging under the eaves.

The road has been transformed from a muddy path into a wide passage paved with gravel. Pine saplings transported from the mainland have even been planted on both sides. Although they are not yet tall, with the tallest only reaching eyebrow level, their branches and leaves have already spread out like small umbrellas, providing some shade for pedestrians.

Zhong Minghui's gaze fell on the open space on the south side of Taiping Bay.

The place is now piled with building materials: blue bricks, stones, and several rolls of thick hemp rope, in preparation for building a real lighthouse.

The plan was drawn up by a student from New South Wales, referencing the design of Siem Reap. It is said that a rotating bronze mirror will be installed at the top of the tower to guide navigation using sunlight reflection, and whale oil lamps will be lit at night.

With a lighthouse, ships can safely enter the port even in foggy weather or at night.

The project is expected to take six months and, if all goes well, will be completed in March next year.

"The master is indeed here." A voice came from below the cliff, slightly panting.

Zhong Minghui knew it was Wei Pingshan without even turning around.

This old subordinate could always find him, especially when he needed to be alone.

"Sit down." Zhong Minghui gestured to the stone bench beside him. "How's the immigration transfer going?"

Wei Pingshan wiped the sweat from his brow and pulled a booklet from his pocket: "This year, a total of 3,452 immigrants were transferred through my Ku Niang Island, most of whom came from Liaodong, Hebei, and other places."

"Among them, there are more than 1,860 young and middle-aged men, more than 1,130 women, and more than 450 children and teenagers. More than 240 immigrants are staying on the island because they are sick or unwell. Doctors have been arranged to treat them. It is estimated that they are malnourished or have other minor ailments. They will recover after a period of rest."

How much food is stored on the island?

"More than 160 tons of rice, stored in 16 large granaries, all new rice transported from Siam this year; 120 tons of wheat, half of which has been milled into flour, the rest stored; more than 350 tons of corn, including 80 tons of last year's grain, all dried and not moldy; potatoes..."

"Just give me a total number," Zhong Minghui interrupted him with a smile.

Wei Pingshan could never change this trait: he was too meticulous in his work, even noting the location of the granary in a register.

“Uh…” Wei Pingshan quickly flipped to the end of the booklet in his hand. “Currently, we have more than 830 tons of grain stored on Ku Niang Island.”

“Hmm.” Zhong Minghui nodded, then looked up at the distant sea, where a lone seagull was spreading its wings and circling with the air currents. “Now that our immigration work is finished and we have so much food in stock, it’s time to get moving.”

"Sir, you mean..." Wei Pingshan asked cautiously, his hand unconsciously clenching the booklet, his knuckles turning white.

"Liaodong," Zhong Minghui uttered softly.

"My lord, should we send troops directly to support Jinzhou?"

“Hehe…” Zhong Minghui turned his head and looked at him with a smile, “Two hundred thousand people from both sides are locked in a fierce battle. If we, a few thousand people, get involved, in the end, there probably won’t even be any scraps left. Which of Hong Chengchou’s generals is easy to deal with? If we go, we might just be used as pawns by them.” “Oh…” Wei Pingshan also smiled, his smile becoming more relaxed.

Fortunately, this person didn't overestimate himself and think he could take people directly to Jinzhou!
"So, sir, do you intend to attack the Yalu River, or do you intend to invade southern Liaoning?"

"What do you think?"

“Huh?…” Wei Pingshan was stunned. “How can a lowly person like me offer suggestions on such important military matters? I’m just someone in charge of land reclamation; I only know how to calculate the harvest and don’t understand warfare.”

"Why can't we mention it?" Zhong Minghui patted his shoulder and said with a smile, "You are, after all, the head of the village on Kuniang Island, in charge of more than two hundred militiamen, and you have been dealing with the thugs in Dongjiang Town and Liaonan Town for many years. Those people don't say much truth. You have been able to deal with them for so long, so you must have some thoughts in mind, right?"

“Hehe…” Wei Pingshan grinned, “My knowledge is nothing compared to yours, Commander! Over the years, under your leadership, our Liaonan Colonization Area has grown from a remote island to a place with dozens of islands of varying sizes, including Changshan (now South and North Changshan Islands), Bailing, Gengluo (now Jeju Island), and Zhendao, controlling a population of over 50,000, becoming a powerful force that cannot be ignored in the entire Liaohai region.”

"Even the military leaders of Dongjiang Town and Liaonan Town have to address you as Commander-in-Chief before you! Whether it's raiding the Yalu River or attacking Liaonan, it's all up to you, Commander-in-Chief. I, Old Wei, will be the vanguard, the first to charge, and chop off the heads of all those damned Tartars!"

On the stone table at Wangxiangtai, a plate of dried fish, two corn cobs, half a wheat cake, and half a pot of wine had been placed there by the guards at some point.

The sea breeze rustled through the pine branches on the cliff, making a soft, whispering sound, as if someone were whispering something.

A few pine needles were blown off and drifted onto the stone table, where they stuck to the dried fish.

Zhong Minghui grabbed a piece of wheat cake, broke it off, and put it in his mouth. The rough bran had a faint salty aroma. This was dry food made from newly harvested wheat mixed with corn flour on the island, which was many times better than the coarse cakes mixed with bran that were made seven or eight years ago.

"The battle report from Lushun shows that the Ming and Qing armies of twenty thousand men are still locked in a stalemate, and battles involving thousands of men break out from time to time." Zhong Minghui swallowed the food in his mouth and said softly, his voice slightly blurred by the wind. "Hong Chengchou has arranged more than 100,000 troops into a long snake formation, stretching from Tashan all the way to Jinzhou, but the supply route has to go around Bijia Mountain by sea."

"Judging from this situation, the Governor-General of Jiliao wants to force the Tartars to take the initiative to attack, relying on strong fortifications and superior firearms to wear down the Tartars' forces. But Huang Taiji is not stupid. He will not take the initiative to attack the fortresses and towns where the Ming army is stationed. Instead, he dug several trenches to surround Songshan City like an iron barrel, just waiting for the Ming army to run out of food and collapse on its own."

He picked up the corn cob; the kernels were plump and golden. "It's like a cat catching a mouse. The cat doesn't pounce immediately; it waits until the mouse is exhausted before striking."

"With over 100,000 people stuck there, how much food and fodder must they need every day?" Wei Pingshan's eyes widened. He was in charge of the island's agricultural settlements and knew best how precious food was. "If the Tartars cut off the Ming army's supply lines or prevent the Bijia Mountain camp from delivering grain, Hong Chengchou's situation will definitely be very difficult. Last winter, there were only 300 tons of grain left on the island. I couldn't sleep at night, fearing that there wouldn't be enough to eat by spring."

“Hehe…” Zhong Minghui chuckled. “A dozen days ago, the Tartars dispatched several thousand cavalry to launch a night raid on Bijia Mountain, but they were met with a strong counterattack from the defenders and failed to capture it. Instead, they suffered heavy losses. I heard that the commander-in-chief, Ajige, was seriously wounded and died from his injuries, killed by artillery fire.”

"Therefore, in the days that followed, the Qing army would most likely not attack Bijia Mountain again, lest they suffer another crushing defeat. Hong Chengchou must have been terrified by the Qing army's surprise attack on Bijia Mountain. In the following days, they transferred more than 8,000 troops to Xingshan and Tashan cities, and also dug a long trench several miles away from the Qing army's trenches to strengthen the protection of the grain supply route between Songshan and Bijia Mountain."

"Now both sides are on high alert, like two thieves wary of each other, neither daring to make the first move. A delicate balance has been formed on the entire Jinzhou battlefield, with more than 200,000 troops from the Ming and Qing sides facing each other across several trenches, neither able to gain the upper hand. Everyone is patiently waiting for the other to make a mistake or reveal a weakness, so as to seize the opportunity to strike a fatal blow."

"So, does the commander-in-chief intend to advance and harass southern Liaoning, forcing the Tartars to divert their troops from Jinzhou, thereby creating an opportunity for the Ming army?" Wei Pingshan asked.

“Yes, this stalemate can’t go on forever!” Zhong Minghui picked up an ear of corn and peeled the kernels one by one. The kernels fell into his palm, round and warm. “With the endless stream of questionable actions by the Ming court’s officials, sooner or later they will force Hong Chengchou to make a mistake. One wrong move, and they might lose these hundreds of thousands of troops… That’s one of the Ming Dynasty’s most precious assets!”

"Furthermore, the situation inside the pass is becoming increasingly critical. Although Zhang Xianzhong was defeated by Zuo Liangyu and almost lost all his troops, Li Zicheng's momentum has grown stronger after capturing Luoyang. Especially after joining forces with that 'Cao Cao' Luo Rucai, he has been attacking prefectures and capturing states all the way. His momentum is like wildfire and cannot be stopped. He has become the most powerful group of refugee armed forces in the Central Plains. The surrounding Ming army simply cannot contain him."

"Under these circumstances, more than 100,000 troops gathered on the Liaodong battlefield, which not only caused great losses but also left the interior with few elite troops available for fighting, making the uprisings of displaced people in various places increasingly uncontrollable. You must know that Emperor Chongzhen was not a very patient monarch and would not allow Hong Chengchou to hold the world's strongest army but do nothing."

He tapped the stone table with a bamboo stick. "When the time comes, one imperial edict after another will urge the troops to advance. Hong Chengchou will have no choice but to fight, and that will be the real danger."

“My idea is very simple. The Jinzhou battlefield is currently deadlocked, with both sides waiting for the other to make a mistake. If we can make some big moves in southern Liaoning, the Qing army will inevitably be caught off guard, either having to redeploy troops or their morale will waver. At that time, Hong Chengchou will be able to seize the opportunity in Jinzhou and inflict heavy losses on the Qing army.”

Zhong Minghui's gaze sharpened, like a hawk eyeing its prey. "Let's be the troublemaker and stir up this stagnant water."

"General, are we going to venture deep into the heart of southern Liaoning?" Wei Pingshan's voice was a mix of excitement and nervousness.

“That’s right, at the very least we should try to get to Haizhou.” Zhong Minghui put the peeled corn kernels in his mouth and chewed them carefully. “In the past two months, Liaonan Town has successively captured several fortresses such as Xiong Yue, Gaizhou, and Yaozhou, but the Qing army has not moved at all. It is obvious that they have abandoned these forward strongholds near the sea.”

"However, after Liaonan Garrison tried to attack Haizhou and was frightened away by several hundred Qing cavalry, it immediately retreated to Gaizhou and dared not go deeper into Liaonan. Therefore, we might as well send troops to try to attack them again and see if we can disrupt the overall deployment of the Qing army."

"What if the Qing army has deployed several thousand troops in Haizhou? Wouldn't we be running into a brick wall if we attacked?" Wei Pingshan said with some worry. "Moreover, we don't have any cavalry. If we encounter a large-scale cavalry raid by the Qing army, I'm afraid..."

“I guess the Qing army in Haizhou won’t number more than five hundred,” Zhong Minghui said confidently. “Even in Liaoyang, the number of troops won’t be much, probably no more than a thousand.”

"General, what if we're wrong?"

“Yesterday, I received a battle report from Pi Island that Shen Shikui had captured Phoenix City in one fell swoop,” Zhong Minghui said softly. “Although he sent a report to the court saying that he had beheaded more than 300 Qing soldiers and captured hundreds of livestock.”

"In reality, the Qing army garrison in Phoenix City numbered only about thirty men. The others who were beheaded were bondservants and Han slaves. Moreover, through interrogation, it was learned that the Qing army had few troops in Kuandian, Gushan, Tongyuan, Lianshan Pass, and even Hetu Ala and other strongholds. Some of these strongholds were even empty."

"Therefore, the Qing army must have sent all the troops they could muster within their territory to Jinzhou, betting everything on a single victory to wipe out Hong Chengchou's more than 100,000 elite Ming troops and thus solidify their military advantage in the entire Liaodong region."

"And we will use a small weight to gently place on the other side of the scale, thereby breaking the delicate balance between the two sides!"
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(End of this chapter)