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Chapter 1395 Atonement for the Crime and Defend Against the Enemy
It came quickly and went quickly. As the sun shone through the clouds, the thick fog thinned at a visible speed and suddenly disappeared without a trace. Except for leaving a few damp marks on the plant leaves, it was as if it had never been there at all.

But this time the fog was rather polite, even bringing a little something with it. When it finally dissipated, it left behind a large number of moving black dots on the beach, and dozens of small boats floated on the sea.

"Your Excellency, shouldn't we open fire now? There are probably more hiding in the woods; we can use cannonballs to drive them all out!"

Dom, with his round head, thick lips, and big eyes, quickly ran back from outside. As the order was given, the shelling gradually subsided, but when he saw the small black dot on the east bank of the Enni River, he felt that the new order was wrong. Not only should the shelling not be stopped, but the shelling intensity should be increased.

“It’s no use. Let them stay in the woods. We just need to guard the Enbird River. They’ll leave sooner or later!” Zhang Yongling didn’t take a word of Dom’s advice.

Of these 2000-plus Xhosa people, only about 300 belonged to military units and had received full-time training with the Marines; the rest were factory workers, farm farmers, and sailors on whaling ships.

They are all in good physical condition and can understand and speak some Chinese, but they have only received regular military training. Their skill level is limited to using firearms and artillery and having a basic understanding of tactics; they are still some distance from being soldiers.

For example, the shelling just now was particularly chaotic. Some gun emplacements, upon hearing the explosion, would first try to determine the direction and distance by ear, and then fire aimlessly.

Some gun emplacements failed to fire not because they remembered the strict rules, but because they forgot the operating procedures in their panic and never fired a shell.

If the opposing force were the Ming army, Zhang Yongling would immediately hand the position back to the Land Guard. These half-baked Khosa militiamen were truly incapable of holding the position, and many lives had been lost in vain.

But Zhang Yongling felt he could still put up a fight against the European coalition. His Xhosa men lacked combat experience, but they received weekly military training and were the most intelligent, obedient, and quick-learning elites selected from tens of thousands of Xhosa.

If they could withstand one or two enemy attacks with their fortifications, they could quickly transform from clueless militia into soldiers. And they had to transform, because this was the land where their ancestors had lived for generations. If they didn't fight back against the invaders, what right would they have to stay and live here in the future?

However, the European allied forces that successfully landed did not immediately cross the river; instead, they all retreated into the woods on the shore and disappeared from sight. Only a few cargo ships floating on the sea were constantly using small boats to transport goods to the shore, seemingly unhurried, as if they knew that the Ming garrison would not fire artillery.

"I asked around to the north before I came, and I didn't find anyone crossing the river to Enbird City. It seems the enemy who landed are hiding in the woods waiting for nightfall. If it gets foggy tonight, the defense here will be under a lot of pressure!"

During lunch, Xiao Si appeared at the command post on Mopan Reef. He didn't stand on ceremony with Zhang Yongling and went straight to the point, pointing out the impending difficulties and hoping that the governor could reconsider the work arrangements.

"No matter how much pressure there is, I will lead them to persevere to the last man. You and Commander Zhu should have already discussed the contingency plan, so don't worry about me. Just do what needs to be done. If they still can't offer the enemy's head to their ancestors, then they can only wash away their shame with blood."

Zhang Yongling pointed to the feathers on his head and the color on his face, then gestured towards the outside of the command post. He didn't discuss what methods to use to defend against the enemy; he simply expressed his firm belief.

“…If I had done this two days earlier, I wouldn’t have given up on Enbird City.” Three wooden stakes stood outside the command post, with a stone slab in the middle, upon which was placed a lifelike bull’s head.

Upon seeing this scene, Xiao Si instantly understood the meaning behind the colors on Zhang Yongling's face and the feather decorations on his head. This was a traditional Xhosa military ceremony. Whenever they were about to fight a powerful enemy, the chosen warriors would offer a bull's head to their ancestors, then paint their bodies and faces with red and white patterns, and wear feathers in their hair, praying for the protection of their ancestors in heaven!
After participating in this ritual, the Xhosa warriors were bound to fight without hesitation. Dying in battle would earn them forgiveness from their ancestors' spirits, while fleeing or being captured would incur a curse, preventing them from ever returning to their tribe, and even in death, their souls would find no peace.

"People often don't fight back unless they're driven to the brink. If those who advocate leaving the city and returning to their villages don't leave, they won't be able to hold their departure ceremony smoothly. Now that I've become their new chieftain, there's no third option but to die in battle or to win."

Here is a memorial I wrote myself; I hope the General will keep it safe. If I unfortunately perish, please hand it over to His Majesty.”

Now that things have come to this, Zhang Yongling seems even more resolute, as if he has taken a detached view of life and death and is ready to fight to the death. But he is not entirely indifferent; he still has some concerns and worries.

"Then I will not linger here any longer... Lord Zhang, no matter what, you are a loyal and patriotic official, and His Majesty will certainly not blame you!"

At this moment, Xiao Si couldn't help but recall the governor's every detail. To be fair, he was a very hardworking official, working tirelessly from dawn till dusk among various ethnic groups, doing his best to balance their interests, and wholeheartedly wanting to protect this fertile land for the Ming Dynasty.

Unfortunately, bad luck struck when the European coalition attacked, hitting their weak point. But this couldn't really be blamed on the governor; he had no military power, no authority to determine the defense priorities, and no way he could have known in advance that the enemy would use the Xhosa people outside the city to sow discord.

"Zhang's death is not a pity, but the port area cannot be lost. I implore the two generals not to show any more mercy. When you see a signal flare rising from Mopan Reef, immediately release the water to prevent future troubles!"

The recognition he received before his death brought Zhang Yongling great comfort, and he almost shed tears. However, death alone was not enough to absolve him of his guilt; if the port was lost, he would ultimately be held accountable. Therefore, to ensure his guilt was absolved by death, he had to rely on Commanders Xiao Si and Zhu Neng to ultimately defend the port.

In reality, this was not particularly difficult to do. The navy had invested a lot of resources and effort in the defense system of Enbird Port. As long as the commander was clear-headed and followed the rules completely, it would take the Ming army a lot of manpower and time to achieve any success in attacking it.

"I have learned much from your teachings, and I bid you farewell!" Upon hearing this, Xiao Sizhen couldn't hold back any longer and quickly cupped his hands in farewell. If he continued, tears would surely fall.

When Zhang Yongling referred to "releasing water," he meant it literally. The port area's terrain slopes from south to north and from west to east. When constructing the defense system, the staff designers made full use of the terrain to divide the entire area into three major sections.

The terrain is highest a few kilometers away at the southwestern tip, backing onto the cape. It lowers slightly towards the naval port area. A small river serves as the boundary between the naval and civilian ports, and this is called the Boundary River. It is narrower and has a smaller flow than the En Niao River, but it is deeper and has a faster current.

Two canals were dug from the boundary river, connecting to the moat system of the civilian port via underground channels, and multiple sluice gates were erected in between. On the surface, nothing could be seen, but the defense map in the commander's possession clearly indicated which sluice gate was responsible for which area.

If a large area of ​​trenches and fortifications is lost, the commander can open the corresponding sluice gates to divert river water into the trenches in designated areas. This can both stop the enemy from expanding further and also serve to kill some of them.

As governor, Zhang Yongling had overseen the defense system project and was qualified and had the means to know about this matter. He was reminding Xiao Si not to hesitate; as soon as he saw the firework signal he had sent, it meant that the trench area east of Mopan Reef had fallen, and he should quickly open the floodgates to buy enough time for redeployment in the civilian port.

(End of this chapter)