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Chapter 1422 The Belated Bad News

Around the same time, a two-masted sailing ship flying the Holy Cross rounded the Cape of Good Hope and joined the European Allied fleet cruising outside Enbird Harbor.

It arrived from the distant Port Royal, Jamaica, bringing very bad news: the ports of Panama, Portobello, Guayaquil, and Lima had all been captured by the Ming navy.

The entire Central America, along with the Caribbean colonies, is now in a state of panic. Spaniards, Englishmen, Dutch, and Frenchmen—wealthy people who are not required to stay—are all looking for ships to return to Europe. Ticket prices have increased nearly tenfold, yet demand still exceeds supply.

This two-masted sailing ship was hired by the British Somerset Islands Company to deliver the message to the English fleet. At the same time, two other sailing ships were hired to return to the British mainland as quickly as possible to report to the King.

If nothing unexpected happens, European countries should already be aware of this news. As for how to respond, the sailboat didn't care. After replenishing its food and fresh water supplies that afternoon, it set sail back to Europe to quickly transport its passengers back to Britain.

Because the two-masted sailing ship was a merchant vessel, the captain, sailors, and passengers all lacked the necessary knowledge of secrecy. They cried out to almost every Allied sailor they met about the devastation of the New World, so the news was out of control and quickly spread to every ship and every person.

"Mr. Cohen, it's a pity I didn't heed your advice back then. It has proven that your opinions on the Asian issue are very valuable. Tonight, the coalition leaders are going to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the next steps. I would like to hear your suggestions before the meeting, anything is fine."

During afternoon tea, Bernhard arrived at the waters outside the landing zone and boarded Tropp's flagship, the Amelia. However, he wasn't there to see the naval commander; he specifically requested to speak with Cohen, and his attitude was very sincere.

"I'm sorry, Commander, I offered the assistance I could provide many times before the war even started, and I almost got labeled a traitor. Now that the war has begun, my common sense is no longer sufficient to deduce the thoughts of the Emperor of the Ming Empire."

Facing the Allied Commander-in-Chief who had come specifically to consult him, Cohen was rather disheartened. After hearing that the Ming army had launched a surprise attack on the Viceroyalty of Peru and seized almost all of the coastal ports in one fell swoop, he knew that utter defeat was not far off.

Based on his understanding of Emperor Jingyang, that always-smiling man wouldn't place a bet easily, but once he did, he was likely to win. Now that everyone's cards were out in the open, the odds were clear, so what was the point of any planning? Even a fool knew what to do.

"...If we completely capture Enbird Port, can we effectively control the Asian seas? For example, take the initiative in a certain area, and then negotiate with the Ming Empire."

Bernhard was not displeased by Cohen's indifference. His position did not allow for emotional decisions; the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers hung in the balance, and he had to consider even the slightest hope.

"General, I very much hope to capture this damned port and use it as leverage to negotiate with the Ming Empire to get back the lost Viceroyalty of Peru. Compared to the Viceroyalty of Peru, this place is not important to us."

But I cannot go against my conscience and lie through my teeth. Even if the Allied forces occupy Enbird Port and cut off the sea route from Asia to Europe, the pricing power of most goods produced in Asia will still be firmly in the hands of the Ming Emperor.

That man was an extremely cunning and shrewd businessman; Jews would only be fit to be his apprentices. From the moment he conquered Luzon and established his new navy, he was already planning the trade landscape for the next few decades.

If Enbird Port were truly that important to the Ming Empire, a large naval base should have been built there long ago, like those in Manila, Salim, and Colombo. Even double the number of European allied forces wouldn't be enough. However, he didn't do that. For over twenty years, the port area has only expanded little by little. The city is populated mainly by soldiers and local Black people, with almost no immigrants in sight, which is highly abnormal.

I once discussed this issue with General Tropp. Even if we capture and successfully hold Enniu Port, we can only influence the western and southern sides of the Indian Ocean. We won't even be able to safely enter the Arabian Sea until we drive the Ming navy out of Colombo.

In reality, it's very difficult for us to capture this port. Today is the eighth day since the landing, and every day hundreds of wounded soldiers are brought back by small boats, while the number of dead is several times that.

But what did they get? Just a stretch of sandy beach about 300 meters long on the west bank of the Enbird River, at least 300 meters away from the civilian port.

Within this 300-meter occupied area, approximately 300 bodies of black soldiers were found. It appears that there were only 3 genuine Ming soldiers, at least those wearing Marine Corps uniforms.

In other words, we used more than 20000 people and tried every means to launch a strong attack for eight days, suffering more than 2000 elite Flanders soldiers dead and wounded, but we were fighting against the local Xhosa people. The real battle had not yet begun!

Furthermore, I believe there's no chance of capturing the port. At most, the Ming navy's reinforcements will arrive in three to five days, and they certainly won't be coming from Colombo. It's a pity that despite monitoring the situation for several years, I still haven't found any trace of their naval base in the southern Indian Ocean.

As the saying goes, "It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature." Cohen wasn't unwilling to talk; rather, he was disheartened by being ignored time and time again. But like all passionate young people, given enough attention, he would quickly forget his past hardships and continue to regard serving his country as the highest honor.

"General, what do you think?"

Bernhard couldn't say he completely believed Cohen, nor could he say he didn't. Especially when it came to naval matters, consulting professionals was always the more reliable approach.

"These days I've been trying to send fast ships eastward to expand the search area, but that persistent fleet will send ships to chase after any ship it spots heading east. We're far too slow; so far only three frigates have broken through the blockade, but only one has returned."

Therefore, no one can say for sure what the situation is in the eastern seas, but I tend to trust Mr. Cohen more. He served as governor of Batavia for twenty years, and his understanding of the Ming navy is second only to their own.

General Tropp has also undergone a significant shift in his thinking these past few days, from initial confidence to current confusion, all thanks to watching the fierce battles on the beach from his flagship every day.

Batch after batch of lively soldiers were brought ashore in small boats, but soon boatloads of wounded soldiers, missing limbs and broken legs, were brought back. Not only did the Flemish army suffer heavy casualties, but Bernhard's French army also suffered greatly.

(End of this chapter)