unclear

Chapter 1324 Eastern Expedition 10
After personally experiencing the loneliness of the Wake Island base, the raging waves off the coast of Pearl Harbor, and the strict fresh water control on Island No. 4, I gradually came to recognize from the bottom of my heart the years of hard work of the naval officers and soldiers.

They are stationed in remote bases and patrol in remote seas all year round. Not only do they live in difficult conditions, but they also take great risks. A storm, a pirate ship, a stomach upset, a snake or even a bug can leave no trace of their bodies.

Compared with them, the daily training and life of the army were really very comfortable and safe. Therefore, it was very reasonable for the navy officers and soldiers to receive more silver. It was definitely not because the emperor was partial to him, nor was it because of the instigation of treacherous officials in the court.

Without this voyage, it would be basically impossible to make thousands of army officers and soldiers understand this truth. If these officers and soldiers understand it, it means that most of the army officers and soldiers understand it. Because they will rotate on a large scale every few years, they will slowly pass on what they see, hear and think to the new comrades around them.

"That's nothing. The brothers on the communication ship have seen cattle on land. Each of them weighs thousands of pounds. Hundreds and thousands of them were carried by the wind. Your Majesty said that no one is raising those cattle. They are all ownerless.

I wonder why the natives there don't domesticate some cattle to cultivate the land? With cattle, any kind of land can be cultivated. If there is no shortage of water, in a few years, there will be thousands of acres of fertile land. How can they be so poor that they can't even afford clothes and have to rely on gathering wild fruits and hunting for a living? "

Speaking of being well-informed, sailors have a natural advantage. Even if you haven't been there, you can hear new stories from other comrades.

The information that Settle remembered most came from the Naval Staff's exploration ship. They were ordered to explore hydrological data along the coast of the American continent. Sometimes they would go ashore and search inland, and then they saw hundreds of cattle gathered on the vast grassland.

Setel was born on the grassland and never left his hometown during his childhood and youth. He has a deep-seated love for the grassland and pastoral life.

Then I couldn't understand why the Native Americans were living in such a miserable state. They wore leaves and animal skins, carried bone weapons, and were hungry one day and full the next. The entire village could not even gather enough food for two days. They were even worse than the black people in South Africa.

"They need an emperor who knows everything about astronomy, geography, and history! But don't be too hasty. They will be able to live a good life in a few years. When the time comes, ask your brother to send some tribesmen to teach them how to herd. Even if they don't farm, they can still have enough food and clothing."

Du Wenhuan knew as much about the news about the American continent as Settle, and he also had a lot of questions that he couldn't figure out. Some of them could be answered from the emperor, but some of them were insignificant and he couldn't bother the emperor.

"What a pity! His Majesty said that the best grasslands and farmland in the Americas are in the central and eastern parts. The west coast we want to occupy is mostly mountainous, rich in mineral resources, but not much farmland... It's a long way off!"

The light in Settle's eyes brightened when he thought about being able to see the wind blowing the grass and the cattle and sheep thousands of miles away from home, but soon dimmed again.

From what he knew about the Eastern Expedition plan, it didn't seem to involve such an area, it was either mountainous or rainforest. The area with grassland natural environment was a bit far away, and it was a big question whether he would have the chance to fight there in this lifetime.

It's not that he can't wait, but the emperor may not be able to wait. After all, he is almost 60 years old. No matter how young he looks or how energetic he is, age is not forgiving. Every year is one less year, and the countdown has begun.

"... Hey, don't think too far ahead, it's meaningless, just do what's in front of you. Can you really trust these pirate comrades of yours? If they are recognized after landing, will they betray you again?" Du Wenhuan heard Settle's voice-over, but he didn't know how to respond. It's not good to say that the emperor can live to be a hundred years old, or that he will die in a few years, so he just skipped it.

Just then, a two-masted cargo ship left the dock, hoisted its sails and slowly headed east. It was carrying several special naval personnel from the Naval Statistics Department, and this voyage was to carry out a mission in Guayaquil Harbor.

They are special because of their identity as American pirates. Yes, they are all local pirates captured by Settle when he lured and killed the Spanish fleet last time, and most of them are Europeans.

After less than a year of screening and training, some people joined the navy, some went to the Maritime Transport Department, and some were spotted by the Statistics Department and planned to be trained to be intelligence agents sent to European countries.

However, the training had not yet ended as the Eastern Expedition plan had already begun. These people had naturally to be recruited, and the task was quite heavy. In addition to serving as guides and translators for the army, they had to instigate rebellion and assassinate local Spanish garrisons, officials, European immigrants, and indigenous groups when necessary.

In order to cooperate with the new combat plan formulated halfway, Settle used his authority to select several locals from these special operations personnel and sent them ashore first to contact the local ethnic leaders who were dissatisfied with the Spaniards. If they could incite rebellion, they would incite rebellion. If not, they would create riots to create convenient conditions for landing operations.

However, Du Wenhuan had some complaints about this arrangement, mainly because he did not believe that the Europeans could completely betray the Europeans. When there was a mix of personnel in the Statistics Department, they might not dare to make any changes. Once they were completely out of control, they might rebel again.

"The governor has never worked with them, so he naturally has doubts. In my opinion, they hate the Spanish far more than you and I do, for no other reason than that they have suffered greatly from them. Although these people have been bandits, they did not do so willingly. They were more or less forced by the Spanish, and almost everyone has a blood feud.

They may flee out of cowardice, but they will never take the initiative to inform the Spanish, which would be useless except for being hanged. On the other hand, even if they are not careful and are captured and reveal the truth, it will not hinder our landing, and if we gain anything, it will be helpful. "

Settle still insisted on his own opinion on this issue, because he had been with these people day and night for nearly two months, and had killed, set fires, and robbed people together. In the words of the Han people, this is a brother in need. The essence of knowing a person does not lie in how long you have known each other, but in what you have done together.

Moreover, the original landing plan did not focus on these special operations personnel, so there was no accident. If it succeeded, it would be icing on the cake, and if it failed, it would still be carried out according to plan, with no loss at all.

"Well, Your Majesty is right. You are indeed unique among generals of your age. Perform well, and the position of Admiral Huang may be yours in the future! It's quite interesting to think about it. A pirate and a shepherd. No wonder the court officials always refer to the navy as bandits!"

After listening to Settle's explanation, Du Wenhuan no longer insisted, but laughed to himself, and even brought up the private discussions of the court officials, with a bit of deliberate sarcasm.

(End of this chapter)