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Chapter 1351 Taking the Blame 3
As Setter spoke, he felt his face burning. Several times he thought of chasing Du Wenhuan back and keeping him in Panama City so that he could lead his troops to attack Port Belleau.

Fighting is never as difficult as cleaning up a mess. Forcing Japanese officers to personally pick out dozens of unfortunate men from their subordinates' lists, and then watching their compatriots being publicly killed on trumped-up charges—it's inhuman work. We're all soldiers; how would we feel if we were in their shoes?
However, it was just a thought. If they actually went after them, not only would a few Japanese soldiers die, but his own future would be ruined. Given the emperor's temperament, after learning that his subordinate generals couldn't even handle such a trivial matter, how could he possibly remain governor? His continued role as ship captain would be highly questionable!

So how do you persuade Mukuhara Taikai to obey and carry out orders? Setter doesn't have too much trouble with this method. In fact, getting someone to obey is the same principle as a warship battle: attack their weaknesses!

Even the sturdiest sailboat is doomed if its sails and rudder are damaged. Even the strongest person will be forced to submit if their family is dragged out and threatened. What Mukuhara Daikui lost wasn't just his family, but the fate of the entire Tsushima Domain.

In fact, the Ming Empire didn't even need to take any targeted retaliatory actions. Simply cutting off maritime trade between the Ming mainland and Korea with Tsushima Island would have made this power, which was based on an isolated island and had a population of less than 5, struggle to survive in less than six months.

Moreover, the Ming Empire would not suffer any losses as a result; present-day Japan was completely different from what it had been a decade or so ago. Although the shogunate nominally maintained a policy of national isolation, the actual implementation of this policy was now ineffective.

On Kyushu alone, apart from Nagasaki, which was designated as a territorial territory, at least five daimyo were openly or covertly engaging in maritime trade with the Ming Empire. If the Tsushima Domain were excluded, it wouldn't be a bad thing for the other daimyo; they would be celebrating, as one less competitor would emerge.

Before the cigar had even burned out, this descendant of the Tsushima clan elder had no choice but to grit his teeth and make the only option: betray his comrades in the army with whom he had spent several years and shared the same ideals, and use their lives to take the blame for the Ming army.

"I can say with absolute certainty that your choice is correct. At the same time, I must reiterate my warning: never attempt any incitement, as that will only cause the new army to suffer greater losses, and they may never be able to return home."

Looking at the paper in his hand filled with names and unit numbers, Setter felt a deep sorrow for the Japanese officer he didn't know. But regardless of his feelings, he had to remain firm in his stance.

"Please rest assured, I understand the current situation very well, and I will speak with them privately. No one will cause trouble. Thank you very much for your reminder!"

But to Setter's surprise once again, the Japanese officer not only showed no resistance, but also sincerely thanked him. At least, there was no trace of hatred in his eyes; it didn't seem like he was faking it.

"Well, I can give you another personal suggestion. I've heard that there are different factions within the new army, and they often clash. Since you have to let some people go, why not take this opportunity to include the person who's causing you the most trouble?"

"From now on, you and your new army will have a lot to do in governing Panama City. Fewer constraints will benefit you, me, and the completion of the mission."

Mukuhara Daigyou's attitude made Settle feel even more guilty. After thinking it over, he realized that this was the only way to make amends, though it was insignificant, it was better than nothing.

"...I'll think about it more carefully!" Mukuhara Daikyu seemed quite surprised by this suggestion, and hesitantly reached out to take back the paper full of names.

"Give this to the guards to make a copy. If there isn't a new list by breakfast tomorrow, I will proceed according to this list. Dismissed!"

Seychelles couldn't figure out what the Japanese officer was thinking, and was quite certain he didn't want to have a deep conversation with him, so he simply set a final execution time and waved him away. After lunch, after consulting with the army commander, Seychelles, protected by armed sailors, went ashore and entered Panama City.

As the new administrator of this area, it would be unreasonable not to conduct an on-site investigation. Furthermore, the resistance fighters besieged in the church also put forward surrender conditions, specifically requesting a guarantee from the supreme commander in person before they would lay down their weapons.

“This job is really not suitable for us, and we should definitely kill a few to appease public anger!” After walking just two streets, Settle’s pity for the Japanese New Army vanished.

According to intelligence provided by the Naval Staff, there were approximately 13000 people in Panama City, of whom at least 4% were enslaved Black people, mainly engaged in port loading and unloading and cargo transshipment. Another 4% were mixed-race people, distributed in the port area and commercial streets. Pure white people were relatively few, and apart from the Spanish garrison, they were mostly officials.

After this battle, according to incomplete statistics, only about 4000 people remain in the city. It is estimated that only about 2000 actually died defending the city, while the rest were killed by the new army.

Because the army was able to maneuver quickly after landing, and the Spanish had blocked all the city gates, the number of those who escaped was negligible. In other words, after entering the city, the new army pushed northward along the streets, killing as they went, and killed more than 6000 people, which was equivalent to massacring half of the city.

According to the report from the army commander and his own observations, many of the corpses had no guns or even metal weapons nearby; they were simply carrying sticks and were still shot without mercy. Some corpses also had bullet holes in their backs, clearly indicating that the Japanese New Army showed no mercy even to those who posed no threat.

"I asked the new army instructors carefully. They didn't intentionally kill innocent people. They were just too nervous and couldn't communicate with each other. When they encountered people who wouldn't put down their weapons when told to, or who wouldn't stop when told to, they suspected them of being the enemy."

In addition, the new army was extremely lacking in training in capturing prisoners. Junior officers and soldiers did not know how to handle such situations, and shooting was the most effective way to avoid affecting the speed of the attack.

To be frank, the responsibility for the massacre rests only partially with the New Army; the real culprits were their instructors. What kind of logic is it to send all those new recruits who have never actually fought a battle into the city while they themselves stand outside commanding? How can they command when they can't even see the soldiers or communicate using flags?!

The army commander assigned to stay in Panama City was a young man in his early twenties, who looked like he was from the south, and even younger than Mukuhara Daigoro. But he spoke very bluntly, completely disregarding Setel's naval status, and just started talking without thinking.

"If it's something you shouldn't say, then don't say it. I'll pretend I didn't hear it! Why haven't you taken the church after besieging it all morning?"

If it were anyone else, Settle would have immediately ordered the sailors to arrest him, throw him into the cabin, and lock him up for a few days to reflect on whether he should have spoken that way.

All offensive deployments, including those of the New Army, were arranged by Du Wenhuan and his staff. If there were any objections to orders from superiors, they could be raised with the General Staff through formal channels after the battle; under no circumstances should one speak out or interfere on the battlefield. This was military protocol, applicable not only to the army but also to the navy.

(End of this chapter)