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Chapter 1321 Eastern Expedition 7
"...Since that is the case, I also have a request, and I hope the governor will agree!"

Should the army lend the navy a man? This was within Settle's authority and did not violate the law. But he did not agree immediately. He rolled his eyes, a strange smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he proposed an exchange.

"Uh... Please go ahead, Commander Sai. As long as it does not violate the law, I will take the responsibility!" Du Wenhuan was a little surprised and disappointed by this behavior.

This naval officer is capable and knows how to be an official. It was thought that he could be trained to become a talented general. However, when it comes to serious matters, he seems to be a little shallow.

If you want to exchange, you shouldn't bring it up so bluntly. It's better to let yourself take the initiative. No, I have to go back and talk to the emperor. It's better to test him a few more times and hone him before entrusting him with important tasks.

"Most of the sailors who followed me to land in the American villages and towns are here this time. Lending them to the governor as a staff officer is not only a good idea, but also a good thing. The sincere cooperation between the army and the navy will surely please His Majesty.

I just want to ask the governor to make it easier for me to lead the team. Governor, rest assured, I promise to be cautious in my words and deeds when I arrive at the army, and respect you in everything!"

"… Then who will command the fleet?!"

Even though Du Wenhuan was mentally prepared and had predicted that the lion would ask for a huge price, he still didn't react for several seconds after hearing Settle's exchange conditions.

It is too abnormal for a deputy commander to report to another deputy commander. Even if their qualifications and reputations are very different, they are equal. Being humble is just politeness and respect. Judging from the authority, anyone can ignore anyone else. There is no need to be so humble.

Besides, he was a general of two branches of the military. If he didn't think about himself, he had to show some respect for the whole army. If this got out, what would the navy think? Could it be that they guessed that he was entrusted by the emperor to conduct the inspection?
"Of course it's Captain Wu! According to the rank, he is the second commander of the fleet, and he is fully qualified. In addition, once the landing battle begins, the fleet will have nothing to do except small-scale support missions. Instead of staying on the ship and basking in the sun all day, it is better to contribute a little and share more of His Majesty's worries."

Seeing that Du Wenhuan did not refuse outright, Settle lowered his attitude. Not only did he take out a cigar and hand it to him, he also lit a lighter. Then he carefully explained the arrangement and rationality of the fleet, and finally did not forget to ask the emperor to endorse it.

"Commander-in-Chief Sai, although His Majesty and the General Staff hope that the Army and Navy can cooperate seamlessly, they are after all under different affiliations. Even if I report to the Army General Staff, I am afraid I will not get much credit."

Du Wenhuan really couldn't understand why Settle was so active, and the only answer was to get more credit. However, the merit statistics of the navy and the army were not combined, and there was no way to add or subtract for each other. Unless he could really save the building from collapse, he would not get much.

The problem is that if the navy is allowed to turn the tide, the army will be almost destroyed. The battle hasn't even started yet, but you're already hoping that your friendly army will suffer a disaster. How cruel!
"No, no, no, the governor has misunderstood. I am not trying to steal the credit... Hey, you are my elder and senior, so I won't hide it. It's not something too embarrassing, so I'll just tell you and see if it makes sense.

No matter how many surprises there were in this battle, victory was necessary and deserved. The two cities of Panama and Lima were both vulnerable to naval and field artillery.

However, attacking the city is not the goal. Occupation and long-term stationing are what Your Majesty requires. According to my personal experience, it is more difficult to gain a foothold here than in the South Pacific, the Indian Ocean and southern Africa, and it is similar to the situation in West Asian countries. The main obstacle is that the religious and cultural differences are too great, and the functional transformation cannot be done overnight. In that case, not only will the navy and the army have to have new organizations, but the court will definitely have to send officials here to manage. How to arrange it is up to Your Majesty to decide, but I think it is likely to be similar to the Governor-General of South Africa, with military control as the main approach first, and then slowly taking things one step at a time. "

Seeing that Du Wenhuan had misunderstood, Settle was a little embarrassed. After thinking about it, he decided to tell the truth. Beating around the bush would easily lead to misunderstandings, which would give the Army Commander a bad idea and would not be good for his plan at all.

"...You want to be the governor here?!" Du Wenhuan was more and more shocked the more he listened. He thought that this Mongolian general was a little impatient, but he didn't expect that his calculations were more far-reaching than his own, and they were cross-industry calculations.

"If your majesty has the order, I am certainly willing to give it a try, but given my qualifications and experience, I don't think I have much chance. I just want to reduce some trouble for future management while fighting."

The governor was a standard frontier official, and no one would be unwilling to do so. But Setel was somewhat self-aware. He had enough military skills, but he was almost blank in civil administration.

Emperor Jingyang promoted and used many young and inexperienced officials and generals, but he always selected them based on their abilities. He would never send someone who had no knowledge of civil administration to be a governor. Even if they had great development prospects, they had to train and become familiar with the grassroots step by step, and only after they had achieved results would they be entrusted with important tasks.

This time, I wanted to join the army in the landing battle, not to grab merit, nor to use this opportunity to compete for the position of governor in the emperor's heart, but to plan for the future. No matter who becomes the governor here, he will serve the Ming Empire and the emperor. It will be worthy of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to avoid trouble.

"Reduce the trouble...explain it in detail."

Apart from the unfavorable weather, location and people, Du Wenhuan couldn't think of any trouble that needed the navy's help to reduce. But seeing that Settle didn't seem to be talking nonsense, he couldn't help but become curious. This time, he couldn't help but say it, he had to explain it clearly!
"It's mainly about the relationship with the locals. I once followed the pirates to harass more than a dozen villages and towns, and discovered a rather interesting phenomenon. Some of the local natives were willing to work for the Spaniards and were deeply hostile to outsiders.

In future battles, the army will certainly encounter troops composed of local indigenous people. If we can be more lenient towards them and not kill them all, perhaps the image of the Ming army will be better in the eyes of the locals.

If we can adopt a strategy of differentiation among the indigenous people, just like Your Majesty did in Port Enniao and Port Thanlian, deliberately supporting some ethnic groups and letting them fight against other ethnic groups, it should be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort.

In this way, after driving away the Spaniards, the Ming garrison would not become enemies with the local people. They might even be welcomed by some of the natives, making it easier to stabilize the situation.

I am a humble general, but I have inquired about this matter during my last time with the local pirates, and I have also selected a few suitable tribes, so I want to give it a try to see if it works."

As Settle elaborated on his plan, he took out the logbook from the waterproof drawer under the helm and handed it to Du Wenhuan. Then he breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had finally gotten over a worry. Regardless of whether it would work out, he had done his best and had no regrets.

(End of this chapter)