Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 278 Radical

On June 1634, 6, after nearly a year, the Xinhua raiding fleet finally returned to Shixing Port.

The port dock was crowded with people who came to greet them after hearing the news, and cheers rang out one after another.

The fleet not only brought back a large amount of looted property, but also escorted hundreds of Spanish craftsmen, artists and civilians.

The captives looked exhausted, with fear and confusion in their eyes, and had obviously suffered severe psychological trauma.

In the meeting hall of the executive building in Shixing City, Han Jian, commander of the raiding fleet, reported in detail the results of the operation to Luo Zhenhui, director of the decision-making committee, and other members.

He mentioned a piece of news that surprised everyone: "In mid-March, several armed merchant ships of the Dutch West India Company attacked and occupied Guayaquil. After looting the entire city, they burned it down and then sailed away as the Spanish watched."

He spoke with a hint of gloating, "It's said that the Dutch had intended to storm Callao Harbor, but were blocked by the strong defenses of the coastal artillery and were unable to break through. Several Spanish treasure ships were hiding in the harbor at the time, but they were too frightened to come out to fight."

"Oh, if we had known Spain was so weak, we should have tried to attack Guayaquil. This port is much richer than Panama City, and it has more artisans and craftsmen living there. ... Now that I think about it, it's such a pity!"

"Alright, alright," Luo Zhenhui, the director of the decision-making committee, said with a smile. "Your capture of Panama City has already shocked us all. And you're actually still thinking of attacking Guayaquil?"

"...No wonder the Spanish took so long to come to Xinhua and implement the armistice agreement between us. It took so long because the Dutch made such a big scene that they felt a lot of pressure."

"The Spaniards are coming?" Han Jian asked in surprise.

"They've been here for a week," Li Xianqing said with a smile. "They are currently checking and confirming the conditions of the Spanish prisoners of war at several prisoner camps. They are preparing to take a group of them back to Mexico in a few days."

"How many ships have they brought? Are they planning to take away all the Spanish prisoners?"

"Only one ship came. I guess they took the officers and nobles away first, stayed for a few months, and then sent a ship to pick up the rest."

"Then we also need to return the Spanish craftsmen and civilians we brought back this time?"

"That's not necessary." Li Xianqing shook his head and said, "In the end, it's up to us to decide how many people should be handed over to them."

"Hehe..." Han Jian chuckled after hearing this, "That's good! These craftsmen and civilians have been kept on Black Shark Island for several months, which has consumed a lot of food. Moreover, they have been transported thousands of miles back to the mainland. We can't just turn around and send them back, otherwise all our efforts will be wasted."

"You attacked Panama City, and the Dutch captured Guayaquil right after. This shows that the Spanish defenses along the Pacific coast are even weaker than we thought."

"So, we don't need to take their restrictive policy of not crossing the Columbia River and colonizing the south seriously. In order to provide the immigrant fleet with a necessary rest port on their way back and forth, I suggest establishing a secret base somewhere along the California coast to meet the needs of ships stopping for rest."

"Then let's occupy San Francisco." Han Jian raised his eyebrows. "It's an excellent port. There's also a 'Gold Mountain' there. Moreover, the bay is also home to the most famous California Valley in later generations. If we take it, it will be no less than the Guanzhong area occupied by the Han and Tang dynasties. It will definitely be the foundation of a king!"

"Would occupying San Francisco so early overwhelm the Spanish?" Zhang Ruosong, a member of the Ministry of Science and Industry, frowned and whispered, "If the Spanish accidentally get wind of the gold, they'll surely come and fight us for it, dragging Xinhua into a new war."

The Spanish gave up the territory north of the Columbia River because they felt that it was a barren wasteland with no human habitation and it was not worth fighting for it with the New Chinese.

But if they knew that the new Chinese had occupied the San Francisco area and dug up gold, they would definitely come and grab it.

Even if they have to tighten their belts, they will mobilize and assemble another expeditionary fleet to attack.

During this period, due to participation in the Thirty Years' War in Europe and the extravagant spending of the royal family and the nobility, Spain's finances had long been in deficit and had gone bankrupt and defaulted on its debts several times.

In order to fill the huge financial black hole, they ordered the Spanish American colonial authorities to frantically search for and mine gold and silver mines, and then continuously import huge amounts of precious metals to the mainland through the treasure fleet.

The Spanish colonized America for more than a hundred years, but the reason they did not expand northward was not only because they had no money to support further colonization, but also because they had not found any valuable minerals north of California, which made them lack the necessary motivation for expansion.

But if Spain learned that there was a real "gold mountain" in San Francisco, they would surely rush over with bloodshot eyes. With our home turf on Qiming Island, we at Xinhua could easily defeat the Spanish army that has come all this way.

But if we fight another battle with Spain in San Francisco, which is more than 1,400 kilometers away from Qiming Island, it is still unknown who will win.

Even if, in the end, they could inflict heavy damage on the Spaniards thanks to the superior performance of their artillery and muskets, they themselves would inevitably be exhausted.

Is it really necessary to be so reckless for the sake of the "gold mountain" there?

"If you don't take what God gives you, you will suffer the consequences!" Han Jian glanced at Zhang Ruosong and said solemnly, "Currently, the Spanish are mired in the Thirty Years' War in Europe and have no time to care about American affairs. As long as Xinhua doesn't invade core territories like Mexico and Peru, the Spanish will inevitably adopt a laissez-faire or acquiescent attitude towards our occupation of the San Francisco area."

"You committee members, you may not know this yet. Last year, the British occupied Providence Island (present-day San Andrés Island, Colombia). When the Spanish colonial authorities learned of this, they not only failed to send troops to expel them, but instead feigned ignorance. This small island is less than 200 kilometers from Nicaragua Province, Mexico, right under the noses of the Spanish!"

"It's different," Zhang Ruosong shook his head and said, "It's just a small island the size of a grain of rice. It doesn't have any coveted minerals, and it lacks the necessary defensive depth. The Spanish simply don't want to expend too much effort to deal with it, nor do they want to engage in serious armed conflict with the British over this matter. It's not that they dare not take action against the British."

"But San Francisco is different. Although it's over a thousand kilometers from the heart of Mexico, it's on land. With a little development, we'll have a vast hinterland and ample room for maneuver, making it difficult to remove in a short period of time. Not to mention, there's a 'mountain of gold' lying there. If the Spanish learn of this, how can they tolerate our presence there?"

"If we don't want the Spanish to know about our presence in San Francisco, then we should build our stronghold in a more concealed place."

"What if the Spanish find out?"

"How could we have such bad luck? We had been on Qiming Island for six years before the Spanish came looking for us. And it was only because we frequently attacked Spanish coastal towns and ships that they started searching for us."

"You can't rely on luck for our safety, can you?"

"But this opportunity is now or never! If we don't seize more territory while the Spanish are caught up in the European war and unable to withdraw, we will lose the upper hand once they have recovered."

"Well, even in the 19th century, the Spanish never actually controlled California. Why should we be so anxious?"

“…Time waits for no one!”

"Alright, alright, stop arguing!" Luo Zhenhui waved his hand, stopping the two from arguing, and said slowly, "Ruosong's concerns are not unreasonable, and we all understand Han Jian's anxiety."

"How about this, we come up with a compromise plan. We can first establish a hidden supply station near San Francisco for the immigrant fleet to rest and resupply, but we shouldn't colonize too far inland, let alone dig for gold."

"At the same time, in order to avoid overly provoking the Spanish, if this outpost can no longer maintain secrecy and conceal its activities in the future, we should temporarily refrain from using the Xinhua banner. We can instead colonize and reclaim land in the name of free Eastern immigration. Well, just like how American immigrants later entered Texas."

"In this way, we may be able to avoid some disputes and conflicts with the Spanish."

"Director, this action is just an attempt to cover up the truth..." Zhang Ruosong said with a wry smile after hearing this.

"I agree with the director's plan." Han Jian immediately agreed: "This plan is safe. It can avoid over-stimulating the Spanish and lay the foundation for future expansion."

After the meeting, Zhang Ruosong followed Li Xianqing out of the conference room and shook his head helplessly: "I found that many people have become a little impatient."

"It's been almost ten years..."

"Almost ten years?" Zhang Ruosong was stunned for a moment, then he understood what he meant and couldn't help but sigh.

"Ten thousand years is too long, we must seize the day!" Han Jian looked at the backs of the two people in front of him, and suddenly these words popped up in his mind.

The rise of our Xinhua is unstoppable, and San Francisco may be an important step towards our glory.
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(End of this chapter)