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Chapter 1375 Battle of Enbird Port 4
With the navigator gone, there was no one left on the aft deck except the helmsman. Joseph Wang immediately became talkative, carefully analyzing the situation of the European coalition from many aspects such as timing, location, and human factors. He also clearly explained the advantages and disadvantages of the defenses of Enbird Port and Enbird City, and made his point about why it was necessary to delay the inevitable.

At the same time, concerns were raised. Originally, Enbird Port was meant to be the southern gateway to Enbird City, but unexpectedly, the European Allied Forces crossed the neighboring plateau and suddenly appeared in the north. Now, Enbird City has to serve as the northern gateway to Enbird Port.

The problem is that neither the defense strategy nor the infrastructure development has been geared towards this, which has now become the biggest vulnerability. Once it is breached, in addition to some military dependents falling into enemy hands and affecting morale, a considerable amount of weaponry will also fall into enemy hands. For example, artillery of the same type as the port's fortifications, as well as explosives capable of destroying concrete.

When that time comes, the port will no longer be impregnable; instead, it will be riddled with holes. If even one or two trenches are breached, both sides will be locked in close-quarters combat, which will be extremely disadvantageous for the outnumbered defenders.

If the port falls into chaos, even if reinforcements from the Seychelles base arrive, they will not be able to land successfully. Even if all the enemy ships on the sea are sunk, losing the port is still a failure.

The offensive and defensive posture of both sides would immediately reverse. The Ming navy in the southern part of Africa would become rootless and adrift, having to travel thousands of miles to launch an attack each time it wanted to, while the European army would be well-prepared and waiting for the enemy to come to them.

"...Send a signal to the port area, ordering the Yuheng Guard to send one commander to Enbird City for reinforcement. Tell Governor Zhang to keep a close eye on the Kosa warriors and try not to let them defend alone."

Yan Busi had lived in South Africa for seven years and married a local woman, so he had a deep understanding of the Xhosa people. That's why he was even more worried after hearing Joseph's analysis. After a moment's thought, he decisively issued a new order to draw some troops from the reserves to support the defense of Enbird City.

"Commander, I was just speaking off the cuff. A lot of the data hasn't been verified and it's not reliable." Hearing that his superior was about to redeploy troops, Joseph Wang reverted to his timid demeanor and even tried to swallow back the words he had just spoken.

"Whether I can do it or not is up to me to figure out, it has nothing to do with you. Hmm, is your dad too strict, or does he not like you very much? How come you've raised such a timid person?"

He looked a lot like you when he was young, but his personality was completely different. He dared to travel around alone and often hung out with a group of Portuguese sailors. To put it nicely, he was a businessman, but in reality, he was half a pirate, robbing and committing all sorts of evil deeds.

If you want to achieve something in the future, you can't be too timid; you must have courage. Making mistakes isn't scary; you can correct them. But if you're afraid to face any challenge, you're hopeless and will miss many opportunities.

Without much conversation, Yan Busi knew from those words that Wang Datou had found a successor, someone who was at least as clever as he seemed. But seeing his current appearance, Yan Busi felt that Wang Datou's upbringing was a failure and couldn't help but offer some advice.

"...Actually, the commander has misunderstood my father. When I was a child, I studied under the care of priests. Later, I was brought to the capital and cared for by several eunuchs in the inner palace. I didn't have many opportunities to see my father each year."

From Yan Busi's tone, King Joseph realized that he was quite familiar with his father and couldn't help but retort, hoping that Yan wouldn't associate his achievements with his father. Since they hadn't lived together much since childhood, there was naturally little to no family education.

"Sigh... Don't blame him. His job is indeed very busy and special. Work hard, seize opportunities, and make the most of your strengths. One day, when you become a commander, he will naturally look at you with new respect." Hearing this self-reflection, Yan Busi finally understood Wang Joseph's upbringing. Like many illegitimate children of this era, he wasn't highly regarded by his parents. If it weren't for the emperor's intervention, he probably would have spent his life associating with European missionaries.

However, being favored by the emperor is not necessarily a good thing, because the most capable people in the palace are eunuchs. It would be strange if a boy could develop a manly personality by living with several eunuchs for a long time!
So how can one gain recognition? In two words: merit! Once you reach a certain official position and gain some power, even your parents will look at you with new respect. Then, asking the emperor for a favor and being recognized as a member of your clan will be a natural progression.

This isn't just wild guessing; it's based on personal experience. He married a Black woman, and they now have three children, all of whom resemble their mother. Before becoming the commander of the garrison fleet, he wasn't well-regarded when returning to his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors, and many of his colleagues often made fun of him.

However, once he received the rank of General of Shaowu, a third-rank official, and assumed the position of Commander-in-Chief, the situation changed by at least 120 degrees, if not 180. His hometown erected a memorial arch for him, revised the family genealogy, and his colleagues rarely joked about his dark-skinned son and daughter anymore.

Although Joseph Wang was of mixed race, he resembled Wang Datou more, except that his eyes weren't very dark and his hair was slightly curly. Compared to his own children, he was more likely to integrate into mainstream Ming society.

“I don’t blame my father, but I don’t particularly like those who have distinguished themselves in battle… Joining the navy was mostly my father’s idea, to toughen me up and make me more resilient. Actually, I prefer stargazing and dream of becoming an astronomer like Professor Galileo one day.”

However, Yan Busi was wrong. Wang Joseph, instead of enduring hardship and striving for success despite being neglected by his father, seemed to have given up and taken a liking to stargazing.

This is too far-fetched. Even someone like Galileo became famous because of Emperor Jingyang's patronage. Otherwise, who would give such high honors just because they could recognize stars clearly?

"...The professor is good too. Go and relay the orders first, we can talk after the battle!"

Now Yan Busi roughly understood why Wang Datou disliked this son. It wasn't that he disliked him because he was a mixed-race illegitimate child; in fact, if the emperor had just said one word, all that illegitimate child mattered, and he would immediately be the eldest legitimate son.

What truly affects the father-son relationship is personality! Wang Datou comes from a military background. Besides being intelligent, his words, actions, and personality all have a strong military style. He likes to win, is decisive in killing, and has a strong sense of utilitarianism.

The result was that the son he had turned out to be a quiet, unambitious scholar. The contrast was too great. He didn't know how to guide him properly or where to lead him, so he simply pretended that he had never been born and let him fend for himself.

Does it matter if a wealthy family has one less illegitimate child? Let alone one, even ten wouldn't matter, and it's not illegal, it's perfectly reasonable.

(End of this chapter)