Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 257: Waves Rising (Part )

Tong Yongxiang lowered his head, rubbing the corners of his clothes unconsciously with his hands, and fine beads of sweat seeped out of his forehead.

He secretly raised his eyes to glance at the Xinhua general in front of him, but saw that the other party had a slightly frown on his face and was staring at him with sharp eyes, as if he wanted to see through him.

His heart suddenly tightened and he couldn't help feeling anxious.

Could it be that he knows me?

I'm just a nobody, why does he look at me like that when I tell him my name?

If this angered him, would he be thrown into this wild land for the rest of his life, and eventually suffer the same fate as his companions, being infected with miasma and dying miserably and helplessly?

"What is your relationship with Jiannu Tong Yangxing?" Han Jian suddenly spoke with a hint of inquiry in his tone.

"My lord, how could a nobody like me have any relationship with Prince Consort Tong...oh no, such a big shot of the Jiannu army!" Tong Yongxiang felt relieved when he heard it. It turned out to be because of this.

"Then your surname Tong..."

Tong Yongxiang quickly bowed and replied, "This surname has been passed down for generations, and my ancestors have lived in Hebei for generations. It's different from the Tong family of the Jiannu."

"...Your Excellency may not know that Tong Yangxing's surname is actually Tong Jia, which is derived from the place where he lives. It is different from the Tong surname of the Han people." He paused and explained carefully, "My surname is Tong, which is a Han surname. My ancestors have been farmers for generations and have nothing to do with the Tong Jia clan. If I were related to the Tong Jia clan, I would not have been sent to Leng'erli's army and used as cannon fodder to attack Dongjiang Town, so that..."

Having said that, Tong Yongxiang's voice lowered and a hint of sadness flashed in his eyes.

He thought of his dead brothers and familiar companions, and his own experience of escaping death on the battlefield, and his heart was filled with sadness.

"Well, it's okay." Han Jian nodded, his expression softening slightly. He smiled and waved his hand, saying in a relaxed tone, "Once you arrive in Xinhua, you'll be free from the clutches of the Jiannu and can start a new life. This time, I've arranged for you to be here so that you can make meritorious contributions and be rewarded."

"Sir, I don't want to stay here..." Tong Yongxiang heard this, but instead of feeling happy, he felt even more anxious. He hesitated for a moment, then mustered up the courage to say, "After two years, can I return to Xinhua?"

"Why, isn't it nice here?"

Han Jian frowned upon hearing this. He turned to look at a Marine officer who was talking with several Guaymiye leaders not far away. Then he looked at Tong Yongxiang with a hint of confusion in his tone, "Under your guidance, those natives fought this battle with flying colors, repelling the Spanish advances several times and turning the entire peninsula (Panama's Azuero Peninsula) into a stable base."

"I heard they gave you some of the most beautiful women in the tribe. I'm sure they also gave you a lot of gold, silver, jewelry, and other things. With such good treatment, why don't you want to stay?"

"Sir, this place... this place is truly too dangerous. The jungle is dense and full of poisonous insects. In the summer, the heat is unbearable, and then there's the miasma. The slightest carelessness can be fatal!" Tong Yongxiang said with a bitter face, "More than a year ago, General Wei left the seven of us here. But not long after, Liu Baoshan, He Wugui, Zhang Daping, and Sun Fengnian were all infected with the miasma. They lasted less than half a month before... they all died."

When he said this, his voice was choked.

He raised his head, his eyes filled with bitterness and helplessness. "To be honest, sir, if we were to die on the battlefield, we wouldn't have much to say. Fighting for life and death is fate, and no one can be blamed. But here, we've unknowingly been infected with miasma. Watching my former companions suffer from chills, fever, nausea and vomiting, even convulsing, falling into a coma, and finally dying in agony, it's truly terrifying!"

"That's malaria!" Han Jian's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. He subconsciously tugged at the cloth around his neck, covering his exposed skin more tightly. Then he said in a deep voice, "Didn't I tell you to pay attention to hygiene and cover your body to avoid mosquito bites? As long as you strengthen your protection, you shouldn't all get malaria... uh, that miasma you mentioned."

"Sir..." Tong Yongxiang laughed bitterly, "If a war breaks out and we're being chased by the Spaniards, who would care about all these things? I think we're still alive and kicking because we're just lucky and haven't been infected by the miasma yet. But if this goes on for a long time, we'll inevitably be infected. So, I want to ask you, sir..."

"Don't forget who you once were!" Han Jian's expression turned cold, and his voice was harsh. "If we hadn't taken you surrendered soldiers from Dongjiang Town, I'm afraid your corpses would have turned to dust!"

"I will never forget Xinhua's kindness in saving our lives." Tong Yongxiang bowed hurriedly upon hearing this, with a somewhat earnest tone in his tone: "Sir, I will always remember Xinhua's kindness in saving our lives and will never forget it. If Xinhua asked us to die immediately, we would have no complaints. I don't want to escape from here, but... I do have an unreasonable request, and I would like to ask you, sir." "Speak." Han Jian spat out a word coldly.

Tong Yongxiang took a deep breath and mustered his courage to speak: "I would like to ask you, sir, if you could bring our... women back to Xinhua and take good care of them. They... they are pregnant with my children. If you can take them back to Xinhua, at least they can leave me with an offspring."

"Hmm?..." Han Jian raised his eyebrows slightly and a complicated look flashed in his eyes.

He was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "I agree to this matter. In addition, I also make you a promise. After the war between Xinhua and Spain is over, you can return to Xinhua and reunite with your families."

"Thank you, sir!" Tong Yongxiang fell to his knees and kowtowed several times to Han Jian.

"Alright, alright, there's no need for that!" Han Jian pulled him up and said sternly, "You guys stay here and guide the natives in battle. I'll definitely credit you with a great achievement. Once the Spaniards submit to Xinhua, you can end your affairs here."

"Yes, sir, I will do my best to teach these natives a lesson." Tong Yongxiang saw several Marine Corps officers coming over and thought they wanted to discuss something with this sir, so he bowed and saluted and retreated.

"What? What did those leaders say?" Han Jian turned his head and asked.

"They agreed to give it a try." Second Lieutenant Mu Dahai of the third platoon of the second temporary company of the Marine Corps nodded.

"That's right!" Han Jian smiled when he heard this. "The brave will die of overeating, and the timid will die of starvation! If they didn't have courage, the Guaymiye people would only be able to stay in the jungle and fight petty battles."

"Sir..." Mu Dahai hesitated for a moment and said, "Isn't it a bit too risky for us to encourage them to attack Panama City? You know, Panama is the most important maritime hub for the Spanish and a key node connecting the two oceans. The Spanish must have strict defenses and a large number of troops stationed there. If we rashly attack, won't we get hurt?"

"What are you afraid of?" Han Jian said nonchalantly, "We'll launch an attack from the sea. If the Spanish defenses are tight and their artillery is powerful, and we can't break in, we can just retreat to the sea and not fight. What if, by some chance, the Spanish defenses are lax and we can attack them from both land and sea? That would be a huge win!"

"Sir, we can move freely at sea. If our attack fails, we can simply retreat to the depths of the ocean. But those Guaymiye people have traveled dozens of kilometers to attack Panama City. If they fail, I'm afraid they will be in big trouble, right?"

"That depends on their luck," Han Jian said with a sullen smile. "If they succeed, the Guaymiye people will surely use this opportunity to grow stronger, gathering and developing more resistance forces. If they're unlucky, they'll have no choice but to retreat into the woods and continue playing hide-and-seek with the Spanish. So, you Marines aren't optimistic about this attack on Panama City?"

"Sir, attacking Panama City..." Mu Dahai's expression was conflicted, as if he was about to speak but hesitated. "I believe that the chances of our success in capturing Panama are extremely low, less than 5%."

"Is it really that low?" Han Jian was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly, "A 5% probability is almost zero."

"What if we get lucky and accidentally capture this important town?"

"..." Mu Dahai's mouth twitched after hearing this, and then he shook his head slightly.

How can this be?

"In this world, what is impossible to happen?" Han Jian said slowly.

It seems that a British pirate leader (Henry Morgan) once led a group of pirates to successfully capture Panama City, then looted the city and escaped unscathed.

It is said that this guy was also knighted by King Charles II of England and served as the governor (deputy governor) of a colonial territory (Jamaica), which was extremely glorious.

Since British pirates can accomplish such a great feat, why don’t we in Xinhua give it a try?

What if it succeeds?
(End of this chapter)