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Chapter 1385 The Fall of the Fortress
The Spanish monarchy adheres to the divine right of kings. The king is the supreme legislator, judge, and head of administration, and also controls the Inquisition. Anyone who dares to oppose him is considered a heretic or a devil, and will be punished in the name of God.

In this respect, the King of Spain and the Emperor of Ming were no different, and Hong Tao did the same thing, even surpassing him in his means and desire to seize power.

The difference is that the Ming emperors eliminated dissidents through political means, seized control of the national military, and firmly held power in their hands through generations of officials and graduates of the Imperial Academy.

The King of Spain seemed to lack political acumen and vision. Coupled with various historical reasons in Europe, the power of nobles in various regions was still very strong. They not only enjoyed economic and legal autonomy, but also controlled local taxation and the military.

At this time, the Kingdom of Spain was somewhat like a traditional feudal monarchy. The king was just a figurehead elected by a group of feudal lords. He had to consult the majority of the lords before he could do anything, and his word was not absolute.

The national system is reflected in the viceroyalties, and the outcome is different. The Spanish viceroy is nominally the highest official of the viceroyalty, possessing military, executive, judicial, financial, and religious powers. However, in practice, he is subject to many constraints, and many of his powers remain merely nominal.

For example, regarding administrative and military power, within the viceroyalties, the King of Spain established N more viceroyalties, appointing governors who enjoyed local administrative and military power, bypassing the governors and directly obeying the Spanish royal family.

Another example is the Court of Appeals, a judicial and advisory body established by the Spanish royal family in the viceroyalty. It has the right to appeal the orders of the governor and the power to investigate misconduct by the governor during his term of office.

In addition to the Spanish royal family, there was a West Indies Affairs Committee controlled by nobles, which was specifically responsible for reviewing laws, policies and important appointments in overseas colonies.

Anyone who becomes governor will feel powerless after being bound by so many constraints. They will live in the midst of the tug-of-war between various forces every day and must use all their energy and intelligence to cope with it. Where would they find the time to focus on improving people's livelihoods?

The governors-general of the Ming Dynasty were different. Zhang Yongling, for example, was a court official appointed by the emperor and formally appointed by the Ministry of Personnel. His authority was similar to that of all provincial governors serving in the mainland or special regions. They followed the established rules and regulations, doing what they were supposed to do and not doing what they weren't supposed to do. Relatively speaking, their duties and responsibilities were much clearer.

Military power in the governorate was entirely in the hands of the local garrison commanders. The rotation schedule and the main responsibilities of the garrison were planned in detail by the General Staff. The plans were approved by the Imperial Council and stamped by the Emperor before they could be implemented. Military and civil powers were completely separated, each managing its own affairs, which was much more efficient.

Of course, every system has its advantages and disadvantages. The Spanish royal family imposed so many restrictions on the governor not because they were stupid, but because they had no other choice.

The governorate is thousands of miles away from the mainland. Whoever holds executive, financial, legislative, military, and religious power is practically a king. If left unchecked, it could become independent in no time.

Don't worry, no one can resist this level of temptation. Even sending your own son would be useless. So we have to add several departments to decentralize power and supervise to barely feel at ease.

The situation in the Ming Empire was quite different. After more than 20 years of operation, all levels of government and the military had become accustomed to strictly following the rules. In addition, with wave after wave of young officials and generals watching closely, no one dared to have any thoughts of independence. Therefore, the emperor and the court did not need to worry too much about this.

However, it's worth noting that this effect was only achieved under Emperor Jingyang, who single-handedly turned the tide and rose from humble beginnings. Had another emperor taken the throne, he would likely have been betrayed by powerful ministers in no time. This highlights the difference in personal charisma. Emperor Jingyang's actions had earned the approval of the majority of the nation, inspiring genuine fear and respect. People wouldn't easily rebel unless they were driven to desperation.

Therefore, when designing policies, Hong Tao intentionally omitted this part of the investment. Low cost and high efficiency are seen as a sign of competence by outsiders, thus attracting even more admiration. This creates a virtuous cycle: higher prestige leads to more efficient work, and more efficient work leads to even higher prestige, creating a perpetual cycle.

However, with a new emperor in power, the virtuous cycle could easily turn into a vicious one. Insufficient personal prestige and fewer supporters mean more factors to consider when making decisions, increasing costs and potentially lowering efficiency.

A comparison of the two easily leads to the conclusion that the former emperor was inferior, making it even harder to gain his trust. Without trust, the difficulty and cost of getting things done increase continuously… it's an endless cycle!
Therefore, the various systems in the world differ only in the time periods they were invented and adopted, and in the levels of productivity they responded to. There is no inherent superiority of one over the other, and they cannot be compared. Applying capitalism to a slave society 3000 years ago would likely have been less effective than slavery.

The same applies to Spain and the Ming Dynasty. Hong Tao was able to control the development of the country by accurately grasping the future historical process, gaining an advantage at every step and winning unparalleled prestige.

King Felipe IV, however, lacked this ability and could only impose more formal restrictions on his subordinates. The methods differed, but the result was the same: to secure power!
During his three-year tenure in South Africa, Zhang Yongling strictly adhered to the rule of non-interference in military affairs. He never easily interfered in the actions of the local garrison, and when matters requiring cooperation were discussed, he would primarily consult with the authorities. If he could not make a decision, he would submit a memorial to the court and the emperor requesting an imperial decree.

Of course, he did not forget the emperor's instructions. Non-interference did not mean non-monitoring. He would regularly submit secret reports to the palace on every detail of the local garrison, including its training and military discipline.

Enbird City was indeed caught off guard by the sudden enemy attack, but he still managed to stabilize the situation in a short time with his rich experience and connections, preventing major chaos in the city and giving the garrison enough time to adjust.

"Commander Xiao, quickly send someone to the east gate to check! The Khosa people are about to leave the city to return to their tribes. I am powerless to stop them!" But at this time, Zhang Yongling had no choice but to ask the military for help. His territory was in great trouble, and he was powerless to quell it.

"Why the sudden decision to go back? Who has wronged them?"

Xiao Si was preoccupied with the city's defenses at night and had no time to worry about the Xhosa people. However, after hearing Zhang Yongling's words, he had to pay attention. Besides being the governor, the Xhosa people's movements did indeed greatly affect the safety of Enbird City.

"What else could it be? The Europeans sent troops to the eastern tribes to arrest people. I heard they've ravaged several villages and arrested more than two hundred villagers. This morning, a few Xhosa villagers came from outside the city and told us about the disaster that had befallen their families. Old Whale and the others couldn't sit still, fearing that their villages might also suffer."

I tried everything, from pleading to reason, but it was no use. They still insisted on going back to check, planning to leave the city that night to avoid attracting the enemy's attention, and then return after evacuating the villagers to safety.

Zhang Yongling was also very frustrated. He had finally managed to persuade the Xhosa people to stay put, but the European coalition forces had broken through his defenses in one fell swoop.

(End of this chapter)