unclear

Chapter 1423 Taken advantage of

Those damned Easterners dug a very long, deep trench beneath the beach, and built dozens of fortresses along the way, almost parallel to the ground. People hid inside and fired; as long as they had enough ammunition and guns, a dozen men could hold off a charge of hundreds and inflict heavy casualties on the attacking force.

Bombardment is useless; even if shells hit the fortresses accurately, they will bounce off. The only way is to take advantage of the dense fog at dawn or night, or artificial smoke, to advance with continuous assaults, find the entrance, engage in close combat, and win by sheer numbers.

However, dense fog doesn't come at will, and even when it does, finding the entrance isn't guaranteed; one has to dig and blast amidst gunfire. That 300-meter stretch of beach was carved out bit by bit, with multiple lives lost for every meter of progress.

If he had the choice, without hesitation, there would be only one word: retreat! Cohen made it very clear that this war should not have happened. There was no hatred between the two sides. It was just that the emperor of the Ming Dynasty and the kings of various European countries fought each other because they could not agree on the price of a business deal.

For the sake of wealth, one can take risks, but war is the last resort. He and his soldiers had no obligation to give the king and nobles any more bargaining chips, so they risked their lives on this nameless, desolate beach.

But whether to advance or retreat is truly beyond their control; at this stage of the war, probably no one can make that decision. They marched out in a grand procession, bought equipment, weapons, and supplies, only to return empty-handed, burdened with a mountain of war debts. Who will repay them?

Now, we must fight whether we can win or not, because only by fighting can we get results, and only with results can we divide the spoils or share the responsibility.

"If... I mean if the Ming Empire wins this war, what will happen next? Will it continue to blockade the Asian seas and expand into Europe from West Asia or the north?"

Bernhard understood Cohen's general statement; overall, he was rather pessimistic and a typical defeatist.

But now, who belongs to which ideology is less important. As the commander-in-chief of the coalition forces, he must clearly state at the upcoming crucial meeting whether to continue the offensive to strive for victory or to withdraw in time to preserve strength. If he makes the wrong choice, he could be held responsible for the disastrous consequences.

"According to the Ming Emperor's previous statements, he preferred to establish a trade system under his leadership. In terms of benefits, it would certainly favor the Ming Empire, but he would not allow the various European countries to suffer too much loss."

I've done some rough calculations, and if an agreement can be reached, Europe may experience a period of economic prosperity. Especially in machinery manufacturing, metal smelting, textiles, and pharmaceuticals, trade can provide access to better technology.

Please don't be surprised. I only sincerely admire his boldness, courage, and execution. I don't admire him personally, especially in terms of morality.

He was a hypocritical serial killer who directly or indirectly murdered hundreds of thousands of indigenous people in the southern Philippines, Annam, Sumatra, and Myanmar. His methods were extremely covert and cruel; if there truly is a God, he should be in hell immediately!

He was also an atheist, believing in no gods and deeply hating all religions. He ordered large-scale immigration to all regions under his control, then used a semi-coercive education system and policies to promote Mandarin and intermarriage, slowly erasing the cultures of various ethnic groups in order to achieve his goal of having only one Ming Dynasty.

To be fair, he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about expansion. In the more than thirty years since his ascension to the throne, the states bordering the Ming Dynasty—Korea, Kazakhstan, the Khanate of Bukhara, Burma, Lancang, and Ayutthaya—had not been invaded. Japan, Ryukyu, and the Sultanate of Brunei, separated by the sea, also maintained their independence. In fact, this emperor was very selective. All the regions and countries he chose and forcibly annexed shared a significant characteristic: they were either rich in resources and minerals or geographically advantageous. Everything he did was for the benefit of his people; in this respect, he was a very dedicated emperor.

The proposal to European countries to establish a new world order was also for this purpose: only by allowing goods and money to circulate can people have more jobs and earn more money.

I support this view. His new order will benefit not only the people of the Ming Dynasty, but also the people of European countries. Only the royal families and nobles of those countries will suffer great losses, which is the main reason why they resolutely refuse to negotiate and actively launch wars.

Without the Viceroyalty of Peru, he might indeed have escalated the war in retaliation against European countries, for example, by completely defeating the Ottomans or the Russians, and then overwhelming them with his army, forcing European countries to join the new order.

In fact, I have been considering this issue ever since Enbird City was captured by the general. With the Ming Empire's ample population, national treasury reserves, and highly efficient weapons manufacturing industry, it should not be unable to conscript even a few hundred thousand troops. It could send more troops to key locations.

Now we finally have an answer to this question: the New World! The Ming emperor may have been preparing to attack the west coast of the Americas from the moment he learned that war was about to break out, which is why his military strength seemed insufficient.

He never intended to expand westward; the western front was almost entirely defensive, deliberately giving the impression of a weak military presence. Then he dispatched a large army eastward, quietly annexing the Viceroyalty of Peru.

The situation is now quite clear: regardless of whether a ceasefire is reached, the western front will most likely remain unchanged. The Viceroyalty of Peru, and even more of the New World, will become overseas territories of the Ming Empire, and will absolutely not be returned through negotiations. It's even possible that more troops will be deployed to continue fighting in the New World.

The reason is simple: it has what he needs there—silver mines, sugarcane, and tobacco plantations. Honestly, no one could have guessed exactly what he wanted beforehand; I can only be certain he wanted America, or some of it, or all of it.”

Cohen also has his own theory regarding the strategic intentions of the Ming Dynasty, which is not based on mere imagination but on more than twenty years of careful observation and reflection. This time, his opinion is relatively optimistic, and his viewpoint is more affirmative.

“If that’s the case, I think the governors and members of parliament would be more likely to accept it,” General Tropp, who hadn’t participated in the conversation, suddenly said, making a seemingly random remark while forcing a smile.

“The French and British probably won’t object too much…” But Bernhard seemed to understand, and he also named two countries, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"...You, you're going to betray Spain!" Cohen didn't really understand, but after seeing the expressions on the two men's faces, he seemed to understand, though he still didn't quite believe it.

(End of this chapter)