Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 503 Difficult Times
"It looks like we won't be able to get through the New Year!"

The north wind in Xianxing City whipped up sharp snowflakes, like countless cold, fine knives, scraping against every brick and stone on the city wall, and also against the face of Kong Youde, the Grand Commander of the Jingdong Protectorate.

He stood alone beside the arrow crenellations of the North Gate Tower, his black cloak fluttering in the gale, sometimes billowing up to reveal the old iron armor underneath, which had been repaired many times and whose edges were worn with bright white marks.

He gazed at the vast, snow-covered plains outside the city, a deathly stillness where not even a bird could be found.

Last September, floods ravaged Hamgyong Province, destroying farmland and villages in half of the counties and districts under its jurisdiction.

Now that the harsh winter has arrived, heavy snow has blocked the mountains, and the frozen soil is harder than iron and stone. Not to mention the remaining grain and fodder, even grass roots are hard to dig out.

Of the more than 300,000 inhabitants, tens of thousands had already broken through the army's blockade with their families, risking their lives to flee south into the heart of Korea. Many more, disregarding the bitter cold, ventured into the snow-covered mountains and forests, attempting to hunt wild animals and gnaw on tree bark for sustenance.

In the streets and alleys of various counties, the starving corpses were frozen stiff, blending into the snow and becoming shocking "snow lumps".

Upon realizing this, Kong Youde couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

Damn you, God! Why don't you give people a way to live?

"General, you've been standing in the wind for too long, be careful not to catch a chill." General Li Jiyu of the Central Camp, wrapped in a worn-out fox fur coat, climbed up the city wall, panting heavily.

He was much thinner than two years ago, his cheekbones were prominent, and the dark circles under his eyes looked like ink. "I just went to the West Market. Some grain merchants have been selling unpolished rice for one and a half taels of silver per dou, and it's even mixed with sand. The people are crying around the grain shops, and the brothers guarding the city went up to suppress them. They almost came to blows..."

Kong Youde didn't turn around, but stretched out his gauntlet-covered fingers and pointed to a spot not far below the city: "See that old locust tree? A few days ago, there were seven or eight starving refugees hanging there, but today no one even carries the bodies. They've all gone to the mountains to dig up the bark."

His voice was hoarse and dry, filled with an inescapable weariness. The hideous scar on his wrist, left from the bloody battle of Dengzhou and Laizhou, turned bluish-white in the biting wind: "Have you thoroughly investigated the treasury? How much wealth do we actually have left?"

"We don't have much food left. At most, it'll be enough to feed our soldiers for two months, and that's after halving it and mixing it with bean bran." Li Jiyu pulled out a crumpled ledger from his pocket and traced lines on it with his finger. "However, the most critical issue right now isn't food, it's weaponry! After so many years of continuous fighting, we only have 323 suits of armor left. More than 30 of them have cracked plates and loose straps, rendering them unusable. Only 38 muskets can fire, and only three cannons are intact. We're also running low on gunpowder, and many swords and spears are damaged and haven't been repaired."

“We nominally have over ten thousand soldiers, but more than forty percent of them still use sharpened wooden spears. If another major battle breaks out, I'm afraid we won't be able to withstand it. Grand Commander, if we don't come up with a solution soon, and the Koreans come under the pretext of ‘pacification and relief’ in the spring, we… we're afraid we won't even have the strength to defend ourselves!”

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from the stairs of the city gate tower, and Jin Ruhui and Bayan came up one after the other.

Kim Yeo-hui was a former judge of Hamgyong Province in North Korea. After surrendering to Kong Youde, he became a military advisor. He was still wearing a faded blue Korean satin official robe with worn-out cuffs that looked particularly thin in this harsh and cold place.

Bayan was a minor leader of the Warka tribe recruited several years ago. He was burly, with Jurchen totem patterns on his face, a short knife with an animal bone handle hanging from his waist, and copper bells jingling as he walked.

"Grand Commander, Commander-in-Chief Li." Jin Ruhui bowed, his knuckles trembling slightly from the cold. "I just received a report from the south that the King of Joseon has dispatched three thousand royal guards from Seoul, led by Li Shiba, the Military Advisor, under the guise of 'pacifying the disaster and inspecting the border.' They have already arrived in Dancheon Prefecture! They are only about three hundred li away from my Hamheung City!"

Bayan snorted, slamming his bear-like hand on the arrow sack, causing the snow to fall in a flurry: "What appeasement? They're here to attack us! Last year, Qing soldiers patrolling the border robbed us of people in the mountains, killing five of my brothers. We humbly went to Shengjing to submit a memorial offering tribute, but Huang Taiji wouldn't even see us. He only sent word that we should 'behave ourselves,' refusing to give us weapons or food. Now the Koreans are joining in the fun. Do they really think we're easy to bully?"

Kong Youde turned around and glanced at the three men: "How is Li Shibai's military strength?"

"They say they are newly trained imperial troops. Although they haven't fought in any battles yet, their armor is gleaming and their weaponry is quite excellent." Jin Ruhui lowered his head, his voice soft, carrying a hint of barely perceptible fear.

Kong Youde nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and turned his gaze back to the vast snowfield outside the city.

He quickly sketched out the perilous situation surrounding Hamgyong Province in his mind: to the north, the Qing forces had set up scattered outposts along the Tumen River, watching with predatory eyes; to the south, the small Joseon Dynasty, though militarily weak, had the advantage of large numbers and the legitimacy of the cause; to the northeast, that mysterious force calling itself "New Chinese" had built cities and forts in key coastal locations such as Mogawai and Vladivostok, and its most forward fort, Suian Fort, was only 150 li away from Imdu (now Rajin Port), and could reach them in less than three days.

Hamgyong Province, like a rib surrounded by wolves, lies alone amidst towering mountains.

“Earlier, we sent people to Shenyang, hoping to get some weapons and provisions from the Qing, but Huang Taiji not only wanted us to take on the tough task of dealing with the new Chinese, but also wanted to send us to Liaodong as cannon fodder. This was forcing us to our death.” Kong Youde’s voice was low and his words were cold. “When we turned to ask Korea for provisions, King Injo said, ‘Hamgyeong Province is originally Korean territory. If General Kong is willing to lay down his weapons and return south, there will be plenty of provisions.’ This was an attempt to uproot us.”

"It seems we don't have many options left. Either we risk everything and head south into the heart of Korea to seize grain, or... we have no choice but to bite the bullet and try our luck with that group of new Chinese."

Upon hearing this, Jin Ruhui's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed urgently, "Grand Commander! You mustn't! Those new Chinese are of unknown origin. The strongholds they've established in Mogadishu and Vladivostok are all occupied territories seized from the Qing Dynasty. Last year, they launched a surprise attack on the coast of Gyeongsang Province, burning down ports and villages, and abducting able-bodied men, women, and children as slaves. Their actions are as ruthless as pirates! If we associate with them, the Hanyang court and Shengjing will immediately accuse us of 'treason'! At that time, we will be attacked from both the north and south, and we will have nowhere to be buried!" "Treason?" Bayan sneered, pulling out a small piece of frozen meat, gnawed down to the bone, from his pocket and chewing it. "We're like orphans now, anyone can bully us! The Qing Dynasty treats us as traitors, the Koreans treat us as mutinous soldiers, but no matter how fierce the new Chinese are, at least they are mortal enemies who fight the Qing Dynasty with real swords and spears!"

"Last year, some of our clansmen who went hunting near Suianbao said that the Xinhua people's fortress had wine and meat, and their bear hunting equipment was still a firearm that could be fired. By the way, they also had cannons in their village!"

"Did they see it with their own eyes?" Li Jiyu pressed.

“You must have seen them! Some of our tribesmen have traded their game and furs for a lot of good things with them, like long knives, iron arrowheads, and all sorts of seasonings and salt.” Bayan swallowed a piece of meat. “Most importantly, the new Chinese are law-abiding, fair in their trade, and they don’t deal with the Qing invaders. In recent years, the Qing border patrol soldiers have clashed with them quite a bit in the mountains, and I heard they’ve suffered a lot of losses and many people have died.”

Kong Youde glanced at Li Jiyu, then remained silent.

His thoughts drifted back to Dengzhou several years ago.

At that time, he was a military officer in the Ming Dynasty. His camp was filled with firearms and piled up with grain. He was very powerful. However, he was forced to rebel because of a small dispute between his subordinates and a local gentry over a chicken.

After a series of defeats and exiles, they finally arrived in this harsh and cold land of Korea. They exhausted all their efforts to build up their base in most of Hamgyong Province, and their core forces still consisted of the more than seven hundred old brothers from Dengzhou and Laizhou who had gone through bloodshed and fire.

Years of fighting had taken their toll; some of the old brothers had died, some had been wounded, and the rest had grown old. The Korean soldiers and Warka tribesmen who were later recruited were ultimately separated by a layer of distrust.

With an official like Jin Ruhui having been demoted, it's hard to guarantee he's not secretly colluding with his former master. If the situation worsens, Bayan and his people will likely be the first to flee back to the deep mountains and forests.

"Grand Commander, perhaps we should wait a little longer?" Li Jiyu leaned closer and lowered his voice. "If Cao Shaozhong can make contact with Dongjiang Town, maybe we still have a glimmer of hope..."

"Even if we make contact, will they still be able to provide us with grain on credit?" Kong Youde sighed. "How are we going to feed more than 300,000 people?"

"..." Upon hearing this, Li Jiyu immediately shut his mouth.

That's true. Even if Dongjiang Town, out of consideration for their past "colleagues," were to provide them with some weapons, they would most likely not be able to get the food they desperately needed.

Back when they were still following Mao Zedong in Dongjiang Town, they often went hungry, sometimes five meals in three days and eight meals in five days. Every year, many soldiers and civilians died from cold and hunger due to lack of food and clothing.

It's likely that life in Dongjiang Town wasn't easy at that time either.

So, where can we get food?

His gaze involuntarily drifted into the city. On street corners and under eaves, many emaciated starving people huddled together, wrapped in tattered straw mats for warmth. A boy, barely out of his teens, could no longer bear the cold and let out a soft whimper, which was immediately covered by his terrified mother, leaving only a pair of desperate eyes flickering amidst his disheveled, straw-like hair.

“Jin Canjun,” Kong Youde’s voice broke the heavy silence, “Since you say that Xinhua people are untrustworthy, do you have a good plan to solve this urgent problem?”

Jin Ruhui's lips trembled a few times, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. After a long while, he finally lowered his head in shame: "Your subordinate... Your subordinate is foolish and has no good plan. However, the Xinhua people have a notorious reputation for plundering islands and people, and are no different from pirates. To trade with them is tantamount to asking a tiger for its skin. I'm afraid we'll only end up burning ourselves and regretting it too late..."

"It's better to negotiate with a tiger than to starve and freeze to death right now!" Kong Youde said decisively, turning his gaze to Bayan. "Bayan, select your three most clever, fastest, and most discreet men, prepare enough rations, and set off immediately. Cross the mountains and valleys, and head straight for Suian Fort! Tell them that Kong Youde, the Grand Commander of the Jingdong Protectorate, is willing to exchange their grain for old ginseng, top-grade sable fur, and rare deer antlers from Xianjing Road—as much as they have! Be respectful, but don't bend your spine! Carefully probe their intentions and see if there are any other ways to negotiate besides business."

"Don't worry, Grand Commander!" Bayan patted his chest heavily, the copper bell jingling. "I'll have Naha lead the men. He's incredibly clever; he can even circle around bears when he hunts them! They can set off first thing tomorrow morning."

"Very good." Kong Youde nodded, then looked at Jin Ruhui and Li Jiyu. "This matter is confidential and should only be known to a few of us. Until Governor Geng (Geng Zhongming) returns from gathering grain in Jingcheng, everything in the city should remain the same, and no word of it should be leaked."

"Jiyu, double the manpower to patrol the city, especially closely monitoring all unfamiliar faces coming from the south. If anyone is suspicious, arrest them immediately! Jin Canjun, you personally go and appease those powerful families in the city. As for the grain shops... go and pressure them to open soup kitchens and distribute soup regularly every day! Tell them that if the city is filled with starving corpses and it incites a popular uprising, I will be the first to take action against them!"

In Hamgyong Province, amidst widespread famine, those who could still operate a grain business were either closely connected to the old guard of Dengzhou and Laizhou, or were powerful local clans whose influence was far-reaching.

At this moment, Kong Youde could only suppress his anger and hope that they could squeeze out a last bit of "kindness" in this desperate situation and prevent a few people from starving to death.

In this world, people are eaten everywhere.
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(End of this chapter)