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Chapter 1349 Taking the blame

"...This is truly a case of one general's success built on the bones of ten thousand! Since the Governor has made his decision, I will not say any more. Rest assured about the safety of Panama City. If I cannot even defend a dead city, I deserve to take off my clothes and go home to herd sheep."

Besides, there's still the new army. I plan to move them out of the city and station them there, within range of naval guns, so I can keep an eye on their movements.”

Although Du Wenhuan didn't say it explicitly, he gave enough hints that, whether or not Setel understood, he didn't intend to intervene forcefully. Defending the city was even simpler; as long as they kept an eye on the Japanese new army and controlled their supplies, they would be safe.

"No, I will take most of the new army with me, leaving only one commander from the 27th Guard here. In addition, you have to do one more thing: pick out a few dozen Japanese soldiers from the remaining troops and kill them in front of the local people to appease public anger... You can decide on the charges. Can you do it?"

But Du Wenhuan was still not satisfied. He demanded more and presented Settle with a major problem. It was like the army defecating and expecting the navy to clean it up—and it was runny poop, so a poor cleaning could make a mess.

"...The governor is going to be stationed permanently in Port Belle?" Setter quickly guessed why Du Wenhuan would do this, but he didn't quite understand his intentions.

"There will definitely be someone stationed there. Warships can't cross land, so it's more suitable for me to go and coordinate ship resupply. Remember, don't be shy about taking any benefits you can get, and don't act on impulse."

"When you reach a certain position in officialdom, being soft-hearted is a major taboo. I will periodically submit memorials mentioning this matter. You should also do your job well and not disappoint His Majesty's expectations and my good intentions."

"Why is the Governor doing this?" Du Wenhuan asked, his words quite engaging, but Setter was genuinely confused. Even if he was sent by the Emperor to assess him, there was no need for such excessive flattery.

"Why... Do you think I'm here to be the governor? I would like to, but His Majesty won't agree. I'm too old, and the climate here is very different from that of the Ming Dynasty. If I'm not careful, I might die in a foreign land. Rather than replacing me at the last minute, it's better to choose a young and promising person."

Haven't you always wanted to lead an army on your own? You even argued with His Majesty about it. Now that the opportunity has come, whether you can seize it depends on your abilities.

Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Just do your current job step by step, and you should be able to at least become the commander of the garrison fleet. The rest is up to you to work hard for. I, Du, am the Army Governor, so I can't be too obvious about it.”

Only then did Du Wenhuan reveal the truth: besides fighting, his mission on this expedition did indeed include selecting a potential future governor for the emperor. Clearly, Setter had passed the test; although he still needed the emperor's approval and formal appointment from the General Staff, barring any major mishaps, his appointment was essentially finalized.

"...It is not appropriate to hold a grand ceremony here. I thank the Governor for his kindness for now, and I will certainly repay him handsomely in the future!"

Upon hearing that he might actually become governor, Settle was overjoyed and didn't forget to curry favor with Du Wenhuan. This is what you call a benefactor—though they may not make big decisions, they can ruin everything. Since they've done him a favor, he should take the opportunity to thank them properly.

"Please don't. If His Majesty finds out that you are so eager to repay this favor, he will surely investigate thoroughly. We are not subordinate to each other and will have little contact in the future. Just do what is right, and be able to face Heaven and Earth without shame. That is enough."

Alright, it's time for Du to lead his troops ashore. I've troubled you greatly these past few days on the ship. Farewell. The supply convoy must not be neglected, and the whaling ships need to be refitted as soon as possible… Take care!

Given Settle's family background, the generous reward wasn't entirely unfounded. He was, after all, a marquis, and his family had owned shares in the wool mill since his father's generation. For decades, they had always stood by the emperor, never letting him down, and had likely invested alongside him. But Du Wenhuan truly didn't want to get involved. Everyone loves money, but compared to the risks, it wasn't so appealing. With his own position and seniority, if he steadily worked his way up to retirement, his wealth certainly wouldn't match the Settle family's, but it would still be far greater than most ordinary people.

Moreover, the whole family can enjoy military benefits, so there's really no need to pursue anything more. The main point is that with the emperor above constantly setting an example, any subject who lacks even this basic understanding will inevitably face trouble sooner or later.

The greatest change Emperor Jingyang brought to the Ming Dynasty was not national strength and prosperity, but rather the establishment of rules and regulations. Over more than thirty years, he built a new system of understanding through leading by example and a new educational system.

In this system, wealth and power are clearly separated. There are no restrictions on officials making large sums of money, but they must do so through normal and transparent means, and cannot excessively use their power to seize or plunder.

As batches of young officials took up important positions, this system became increasingly sophisticated and accepted. Anyone who went against this system would be exposed by their colleagues without the need for the Advisory Office, the Eastern Depot, or the Embroidered Uniform Guard to intervene. This was because such behavior undermined the political environment upon which they depended, making them public enemies.

With the army headquarters landing, the battle for Panama City was nearing its end. Even though the remaining resistance forces in the city made full use of the terrain, they were still unable to stop the better-equipped and more numerous Japanese new army and were gradually pushed to the northeast corner of the city.

When they finally understood the situation on the battlefield and realized that the tide had turned, they tried to retreat from the city but found that their escape route was also cut off. Moreover, the soldiers outside the city wearing blue-gray uniforms had more firepower than the soldiers inside the city wearing khaki uniforms.

In a single encounter, a large number of them were mowed down by a hail of bullets and had to return to the city, where they occupied a church and several nearby buildings to continue their desperate resistance.

At this time, the Japanese new army inside the city received new orders: no longer to launch a strong attack on the remaining enemy forces, but to leave one commander to besiege the church, while the rest of the troops would gather and leave the city to rest and regroup. The task of clearing the city was handed over to the commander of the 27th Guard, and command was also transferred to the deputy commander-in-chief, Settle.

Setter did not set up his command post on the shore, nor did he even enter the city. He simply cleared the ships blocking the dock, then docked his flagship, hoisted the command flag, and began his work.

"The First Guard Commander of the New Army, Mukuhara Daikichi, has been ordered to come and meet the Commander-in-Chief!"

After the first group of army officers who came to report on the situation in the city had left, another loud report came from outside the captain's cabin. The Mandarin accent sounded clear and standard, but it was immediately obvious that it was not from the mainland.

“Come in… You should have seen the order to stay and guard Panama City. What is the situation regarding casualties among your men?” Looking at the short Japanese officer with a shaved head, Setter gestured for him to sit down and talk.

His only impression of the Japanese was that their sailors were very capable. If there were vacancies on merchant ships that sailed long distances, it would be better to hire skilled sailors from the local area. If not, ship owners would often choose Japanese sailors as their first option.

These short men were obedient and hardworking. They had almost no other demands besides being fed. Their wages were basically the same as those of sailors in Southeast Asia.

However, sailors from Southeast Asian countries are naturally lazy and not very trustworthy. They would agree to make a round trip in three months, but after only one month, they would disappear the very next day after receiving their wages, only showing up again when they had run out of money.

(End of this chapter)