Outnumbered? I'll conquer America with an unlimited number of suicide soldiers.

Chapter 73 Planning and Smallpox

Half an hour later.

It was completely dark. In the darkness, only a few lights remained in the Honolulu harbor, the brightest being the lighthouse at the end of the pier.

Yung Wing and his men carried boxes of food, fruit, and fresh water onto the Wind Chaser and Wave Chaser.

The coconuts, bananas, sweet potatoes, and fresh meat and flour bought from the island were carefully stacked into the cargo hold.

Rong Hong wiped the sweat from his forehead, found Hong Wu, and recounted the events of the evening in detail.

"Mr. Hong, this is my fault."

He shook his head and gave a wry smile: "My lord told me to observe more and speak less, and to think things through carefully, but on the very first day..."

"Just some white guy, we can beat him up if we want."

Hongwu, who already knew the whole story through the group chat, interrupted him and said, "You couldn't stand by and watch that old man being bullied. If I were there, I would have done the same."

Just then, a Chinese assassin strode over and said, "Brother, the investigation is complete."

"Those sailors belonged to the American merchant ship Seahawk, a three-masted sailing ship weighing one thousand tons, with six nine-masted guns on each side."

"Pound cannons. The sailors didn't know the exact number, but it was estimated to be over sixty —"

Yung Wing paused for a moment, then asked, "Mr. Hung, what is this?"

"Since we've already offended someone, we should plan ahead and make preparations."

Hongwu replied matter-of-factly, "What if the other side is a vindictive fellow? What if they come looking for revenge tonight? We need to know who our opponent is and what their capabilities are."

As he spoke, he noted down the information, then looked at the messenger and said, "Go and ask the people who manage the dock what the original departure date of the Sea Eagle was."

"Yes," the young assassin replied, turning and disappearing into the night.

Yung Wing said with some concern, "Twelve nine-pound cannons, that doesn't sound like something easy to deal with."

Hongwu chuckled and said, "Mr. Rong, you're overthinking it. Those old-fashioned bronze muzzle-loading cannons might even be using solid shot. How much power could they possibly have?"

"Don't worry. Eat when you're hungry, sleep when you're tired. The sky won't fall."

The two chatted for a while longer, and after finishing their dinner, they went their separate ways to rest in their cabins.

Nothing happened that night.

The next morning, several Chinese sailors who had been wandering around all night boarded the ship and went straight to the cabin where Hongwu was.

"Brother, all the information I could find about Honolulu is here."

"9

The men pulled out their notebooks filled with intelligence and began reporting off one item at a time. Hongwu leaned against the porthole, listening and nodding, occasionally asking a question or two.

"The current king of Hawaii is Kamehameha IV, who took office last year. He received a Western education from a young age and is fluent in various languages."

The first assassin flipped through the notebook and said, "But what's interesting is that since his visit to the United States a few years ago, he has developed anti-American tendencies. The policies he issued after ascending to the throne were all related to eliminating American influence in the Hawaiian Islands. He even introduced the Church of England in an attempt to counter those Protestant missionaries."

Hongwu raised an eyebrow: "Oh? This is an interesting person."

"Currently, the largest political force in Hawaii is a group of American missionaries and plantation owners. Through sugar exports and port trade, they have controlled Hawaii's economic lifeline."

The second assassin chimed in, "These white people are preaching, acquiring land, lending money, and collecting debts all at the same time."

The natives owed them money, and when they couldn't pay it back, they took land as payment. Over the decades, most of the area outside the city became white people's plantations.

"

"In terms of population, Hawaii's total population is around 70,000, a decrease of more than 10,000 compared to five years ago. This is mainly due to the smallpox epidemic."

The third suicide bomber closed his notebook. "The white people brought not only the Bible and sugar, but also plague. The natives have no resistance to smallpox and are dying in droves. If we want to establish ourselves in Hawaii, we can start from there."

"Of course, there are more direct methods. The Hawaiian army numbers around a thousand, with only a few hundred stationed in Honolulu. Their equipment is also poor, mostly consisting of matchlock muskets and old-fashioned smoothbore guns. If we use decapitation tactics, we can quickly take control of this area."

Hongwu nodded, noted down the information, and then began to contact Zeng Tai.

San Francisco, Chinatown.

Zeng Tai was sitting in the courtyard drinking tea, reading a copy of Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".

Suddenly, Hongwu's voice echoed in his mind.

"My lord."

Zeng Tai put down his book and thought to himself, "Hongwu? We've arrived in Honolulu?"

"We've arrived. We docked yesterday evening," Hongwu said. "My lord, there's a situation in Honolulu."

He recounted in detail the information he had heard from the assassins: Kamehameha IV's experiences, the power of the American missionary group, the rampant smallpox epidemic, and his own thoughts.

"So, you want to control Hawaii?" Zeng Tai's voice echoed in Hongwu's mind.

"Yes, my lord."

Hongwu said slowly, "Hawaii is in a very important location. It is the central hub of the Pacific Ocean and a necessary passage for passing ships. If we can control this place, it is equivalent to holding the throat of Pacific trade."

Zeng Tai asked, "What do you want to do?"

Hong Wu said, "Originally, we wanted to quickly take control of this place through a decapitation strike. But that would easily provoke intervention from Britain, France, and the United States. Our warships are not ready yet. If the port is blockaded, even if we seize this place, it will be useless."

"So I plan to first win Kamehameha IV's trust by treating smallpox, and then eliminate the white people on the island one by one to prepare for the seizure of power later."

Zeng Tai asked doubtfully, "Smallpox? Didn't they have a vaccine for that decades? Even if the whites deliberately didn't bring the vaccine, didn't King Kamalhaeva IV visit the United States? Didn't he know about it?"

Hongwu shrugged: "My lord, I don't know. Perhaps Bai Pi deliberately concealed it, or perhaps he went but didn't make contact."

After all, Americans take him to visit the White House, the Capitol, and balls; who would take him to a hospital to see how to get vaccinated?

The reality is that smallpox is still raging in Hawaii, and indigenous people are still dying in droves.

Zeng Tai was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Let's do it that way."

There are plenty of smallpox vaccines in San Francisco; I'll send a few people over to bring them to you later.

Send a few men ashore to see King Kamehameha IV, present him with smallpox vaccine, and state that it can prevent smallpox. See how he reacts.

"If he's willing to cooperate, then proceed according to your plan; if he's not, then let him die suddenly, and we'll send over more white assassins."

"Yes."

An hour later, at the Honolulu Royal Palace.

The palace sits atop a small hill north of the harbor, overlooking the entire bay. The building is small, a two-story structure constructed of coral stone and wood, with a touch of Greek style.

Eight native guards stood at the entrance, dressed in red military uniforms and carrying old-fashioned muskets, forming the first line of defense.

Yongle stood at the palace gate. He was tall and strong, and his muscles made his suit look a little bulging.

Behind him followed several assassins carrying a wooden box containing several bottles of smallpox vaccine and a rudimentary vaccination kit.

"Brother Yongle, it's been over ten minutes, is that local king going to see us or not?"

One of the assassins behind him frowned, somewhat annoyed. "Damn it, he's just a local tyrant, putting on such a show. He really doesn't know the meaning of death."

A hint of annoyance flashed in Yongle's eyes: "Who knows what that bastard is thinking? Let's wait and see."

Just then, a guard ran out of the palace. He was wearing the same red military uniform, but with a golden tassel on his shoulder, suggesting he was a minor officer.

He said in broken English, "Chinese, the King has agreed to see you."

Yongle nodded and was about to walk inside.

The guard reached out to stop him and pointed to the revolvers on their waists.

"The weapons must be removed. We also need to inspect the crates."

Yongle frowned, but quickly relaxed. He took out the revolver from his waist, handed it to the assassin behind him, and then nodded to the guards.

"Can."

The guard opened the wooden crate, rummaged through the glass bottles and tools, but couldn't figure out what was inside, so he closed the crate again.

"Go in."

In the palace reception room, Kamehameha IV sat in an oak chair, sizing up the guests before him.

He was only twenty-one years old, young and handsome, wearing a well-tailored suit and sporting a neatly trimmed beard.

Smallpox—

Over the past few years, smallpox has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Hawaiians. His people are dying in droves, and he is powerless to stop it.

Those white missionaries would just say, "It is God's will," and then have their people pray.

Those white doctors only knew how to bleed, use tincture of opium, and all sorts of inexplicable herbs. If they couldn't cure them, they would say, "God is going to take them away."

Now, a Chinese person claims they can cure smallpox?

"You say you can prevent smallpox?" he asked in English.

Yongle bowed slightly, neither humble nor arrogant: "Yes, Your Majesty."

I brought a vaccine called "cowpox," which has been proven effective in preventing smallpox in Europe, the United States, and China.

The usage is also very simple: just make a small incision on a healthy person's arm, apply the vaccine, and they will no longer get smallpox.

Kamehameha IV frowned.

"Cowpox?" He repeated the word, as if trying to recall something. "I think I saw it in an American newspaper, but does it really work?"

Yongle smiled slightly, opened the wooden box he had brought, and took out a small bottle containing white powder.

"If Your Majesty does not believe it, you can first find a few prisoners or volunteers to try it. After inoculation, a few days later, touch them with the pus from smallpox patients and see if they become infected."

Kamehameha IV stared at the small bottle, remaining silent for a long time.

"You Chinese are separated from Hawaii by half the Pacific Ocean. What do you want to gain from this trip?"

Yongle frankly said, "Your Majesty speaks frankly, so I won't hold back either. Honolulu's location is too important; we need a place to stay here."

"We want to acquire a piece of land in Hawaii to establish a trading post and supply depot. A place for our ships and our people to dock, resupply, and rest."

Kamehameha IV narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Land? How much do you want?"

"Not much," Yongle said. "A small plot of land is enough to build a few warehouses, a few houses, and grow some crops. We can pay for it, or we can help Your Majesty solve other problems."

"Any other questions?"

Yongle smiled meaningfully.

"Mr. King, I know your current situation. You are well aware that those American missionaries and plantation owners have ambitions that go far beyond simply missionary work and land ownership."

If we can help you solve your ceiling problem, why can't we help you solve other problems?

Kamehameha IV's eyes lit up for a moment, then returned to their usual calm.

"You need to prove that the vaccine works first," he said. "If it really can prevent smallpox, I'll agree to the land deal."

Yongle nodded: "Then please prepare a few volunteers."

Soon, five prisoners were brought over.

Each of them had a small cut on their arm, and Yongle applied smallpox vaccine to them.

A white doctor stood to the side, his face grim.

"Your Majesty, this is a deceptive trick!" he said. "Smallpox is God's punishment; how could it be prevented by using something from cattle?"

Yongle glanced sideways at the white doctor, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"Are you genuinely unaware of the technology invented by the Englishman Jenner decades ago, or are you pretending not to know?"

"If you really don't know, then your medical skills are inadequate. You don't even know about technology from decades ago, and you still have the nerve to call yourself a doctor?"

"Pretending not to know means you have no morals or conscience. You clearly had a way to save people, but you insisted on calling it God's punishment," watching people die without lifting a finger.

Which one are you?

The white missionary was so provoked by these words that his face turned purple, his lips trembled as he tried to retort, but he couldn't utter a word.

As Kamalhamed IV watched this scene, a barely perceptible smile flickered in his eyes. But he quickly composed himself and waved his hand.

"Alright, Mr. David, you can go now."

1

The white doctor glared at Yongle resentfully, then turned and left.

"Once the scabs fall off in a few days, they will have immunity. Then we can take pus from smallpox patients and apply it to them to verify the effect."

Yongle put away all the utensils and said, "Your Majesty, I will be staying at the hotel in the port for the next few days. If you need anything, you can send someone to find me."

After saying that, he led his men away from the palace.

That evening, in the largest church in Honolulu, several white missionaries sat together, their faces grim.

"How could a Chinese person have brought cowpox vaccine over here?"

An elderly missionary, his face grim, said, "Our plan was almost complete. If we just waited another ten years or so, until only a few thousand of the natives remained, this land would be ours!"

Another young missionary said, "In a few days, the king will know that smallpox is effective and will trust them. Once they have established themselves in Honolulu, they will definitely influence us."

The older missionary nodded.

"Therefore, we cannot allow them to gain a foothold."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked towards the harbor.

As dusk fell, the Wind Chaser and Wavebreaker sat quietly in the harbor, their outlines barely visible.

"Are those two ships Chinese?"

"Yes."

A middle-aged missionary nodded as he spoke, “Two ships of four hundred tons each, with only one 12-pound cannon on board.”

"Contact Mr. Wells and his men and have them send out two groups of men tonight, one to burn the Chinese ships and the other to deal with the Chinese in the hotel."

A glint of malice flashed in the older missionary's eyes. "Tomorrow, I want to hear the news that all those Chinese have tragically perished!"