Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 588 Contact (Part 8)

December 7, 1643, Huanghetun (now Hailanpao).

Winter has arrived, and the world is covered in a vast expanse of white.

Snowflakes, as white as goose feathers, fell silently, covering the vast plains where the Heilongjiang and Jingqilijiang rivers meet, turning the newly built Huanghetun village into a pristine white.

The fortress is situated on a triangular alluvial plain embraced by two rivers. It is constructed with thick logs, forming walls nearly two zhang high. There are watchtowers and gun emplacements at the four corners, and the silhouettes of several dark cannons can be vaguely seen. The walls are covered with tarpaulins to protect against snow.

The militiamen on guard duty in the watchtower were wrapped in thick fur coats and occasionally raised their binoculars to look into the distance, but all they could see were snow-covered mountains and plains covered in silver.

Beyond the stockade walls lay nearly a thousand acres of farmland covered in deep snow, with the outlines of the field ridges and ditches still faintly discernible, indicating that this place was not purely a fishing and hunting area.

Further away, rows of newly built wooden barns and livestock pens were covered with thick snow, and wisps of smoke could be faintly seen rising from the chimneys of the houses.

This place was once the site of the Yierguliwei under the jurisdiction of the Nurgan Regional Military Commission of the Ming Dynasty. It was a frontier settlement jointly developed by Han, Daur, Jurchen and other ethnic groups. It was named "Yellow River Village" because of the muddy yellow color of the Jingqili River (Jeya River).

Three years ago, the Heishui Colonization District of the Republic of New Zhou extended its influence to this area. It immediately recognized its strategic location controlling the navigation of the middle and upper reaches of the Heilongjiang River and the fertile black soil in the surrounding area. It then mobilized immigrants, felled trees and rammed earth to build this fortress, which integrates military, trade and administrative functions, and retained its old name.

After several years of development, Huanghetun has attracted more than 500 immigrants from all over the country, becoming the most populous and commercially prosperous place within a radius of 100 miles.

Inside the fortress, in addition to barracks, government offices, and warehouses, there were more than ten shops selling a wide variety of goods, including ironware, cloth, salt, and tea.

On the market day of the tenth of each month, hunters from the surrounding Daur and Evenki tribes would come with reindeer and sleds, exchanging valuable furs, ginseng, deer antlers, and other products for Xinhua's iron pots, plowshares, cloth, and salt and tea.

The many high-quality goods and relatively fair trading rules brought by the new Chinese people led many tribes that originally had to pay tribute of sable furs to the Qing invaders in the south to gradually become dependent on Huanghetun.

Gradually, many surrounding tribes and ethnic groups have abandoned their tribute obligations to the Qing court and instead established closer economic ties and preliminary political affiliations with the new Chinese.

The colonization area established the "Heishui Colonization Sub-district Yellow River Village Affairs Office" to manage household registration, arbitrate disputes, organize reclamation, and regularly exchange salt, iron, cloth and silk for furs, thus becoming a representative of the new order on this land.

In the afternoon, the sky grew increasingly overcast, and dense snowflakes fell, reducing visibility to extremely low levels.

The sentries on the watchtower faintly heard the sound of horses' hooves and a mournful horn on the wind—a unique signal used by the Daur people when they needed help in an emergency.

A moment later, a small group of about ten people, covered in snowflakes, staggered to the gate of the fortress.

"Open the door! Open the door quickly! We want to see the officials of Xinhua! ... A man-eating demon has come!" A Daur man took off his felt hat and shouted loudly at the village wall. His voice sounded hoarse in the wind and snow, and it was faintly filled with a sense of desolation and fear.

The militia squad leader on duty recognized them as members of the Baldachi tribe, who frequently came to trade. They were all dressed in rags, with gaunt faces and obvious frostbite and sword wounds on their bodies.

After consulting with his captain, he immediately opened the castle gate a crack, let them into the castle, and quickly reported the news.

The leader, a Daur man named Balchi, didn't bother to brush the snow off his body. He staggered along with the militiamen who were leading the way, crossing the snow-covered streets and heading straight for the government office.

His eyes were filled with terror, grief, and a last glimmer of hope.

Soon, they were taken to the government office.

Inside the main hall of the government office, the charcoal brazier burned brightly, dispelling the chill from the visitors' bodies, but unable to dispel the gloom in their hearts.

Chen Shijian, the chief clerk of the Yellow River Village Affairs Office, sat upright in the main seat and put down the documents he was reviewing.

"Your Excellency Chen!" The Daur man, Balchi, knelt down with a thud, and tearfully pleaded in broken Chinese mixed with Daur and gestures, "Please save us! Your people... have been attacked by demons, our village has been burned down, our people have been killed, and our food has been stolen... We are now in extreme danger and fear..."

"Barchi, get up and speak properly." Chen Shijian frowned, a hint of impatience on his face.

Could it be that their tribes have started fighting again, and they've come here to ask the Xinhua News Agency to uphold justice?

"My lord, from the north... a group of Rakshasa people have come from the north!" Balchi did not get up, but continued to cry out with tears streaming down his face, "They are all demons... yes, a group of real man-eating demons! They attacked three villages of our Baldachi tribe, killed more than thirty of our people, and kidnapped the respected old man Doptiur."

"To fill their stomachs, they actually... they actually ate many of our people!"

"What?" Upon hearing this, Chen Shijian immediately stood up in shock, took a few steps forward, and grabbed Balchi's shoulder. "Chief Balchi, tell me in detail, what exactly happened? What Rakshasa? What man-eating demon?"

Barchi, panting heavily, recounted their nightmares in fits and starts, with his companions adding to the story.

About a month ago, a group of more than 130 people, dressed in strange clothes and speaking a completely incomprehensible language, crossed the northern mountains (Outer Khingan Mountains) and appeared near the mouth of the Mulekan River, the upper reaches of the Jingqili River.

They claimed to come from a place called "Yakutsk" in the far north, and that they had come in search of legendary treasures and gold.

They initially offered some inferior glass beads and rough cloth in exchange for the Daur people's grain and furs, and also inquired about where there were any "gold mines" and "silver mines".

“Lord Chen, you know…” Balchi said excitedly, “We can get better iron pots, sharp swords, warm cloths, and life-saving medicines from you Xinhua people. Who would want their rubbish? We refused them and warned them to leave our hunting grounds.”

"However, after being refused, these Rakshasa people immediately dropped their pretense. One morning, they launched a surprise attack on one of our villages, kidnapped our tribal chief, Lord Doptiur, and used him to blackmail the tribe into providing food."

"...We tried to rescue people and fought several battles with them," Balchi's voice was filled with pain and a hint of fear. "They had muskets, just like the weapons your Xinhua soldiers carry, which could take down our bravest warriors from a great distance. Although the swords and knives you sold us allowed us to fight in close combat, many of us fell before we even got close..."

“They…they killed our people, and then…then they ate their corpses!” Balchi’s eyes were bloodshot, and his body trembled with anger and fear. “They are demons! They are man-eating demons! Several of our villages have been attacked by them. Our food was stolen, our people were killed…our women were kidnapped, and even…the fate of Chief Doptiur is now unknown.”

To prove his words were true, Balchi and his group also captured a Russian and brought him along.

Soon, several attendants carried a stretcher wrapped in fur, on which lay a person who was barely breathing.

Chen Shijian looked down and saw that the man had a high nose, deep-set eyes, light yellow hair, and wore a tattered woolen coat. He had several obvious knife wounds and severe frostbite, and was already delirious. "This is a lone Rakshasa we captured in an ambush," Balchi explained. "We wanted to bring him alive to show you, sir, but he is too badly injured and has been freezing on the way. We don't know if we can still get any information out of him..."

Chen Shijian's expression was grave. He immediately summoned a local doctor who had some knowledge of treating external injuries to perform emergency treatment and attempted to interrogate him.

However, due to severe injuries and the long journey, the Cossack prisoner only managed to utter a few indistinct syllables such as "Yakutsk," "Poyakov," and "hunger" during interrogation before dying from high fever and pain.

That evening, the council hall of the Huanghetun government office was brightly lit, and the charcoal braziers crackled and popped.

Chen Shiwenjian convened a military meeting with all the colonization officials, militia captains, and squad leaders.

“Everyone is aware of the situation,” Chen Shijian said grimly. “An armed band of bandits from the far north, calling themselves ‘Rakshasa,’ has invaded the territory of our Blackwater Colonization Zone, slaughtered our vassal people, and committed acts of cannibalism. Their crimes are heinous and arouse the wrath of both gods and men!”

"Although Balchi's tribe is not directly registered in our Xinhua household register and is under our Xinhua jurisdiction, they have traded with us and accepted our flag and symbols. They should be under our protection. Now that they have sent envoys to plead for help with tears in their eyes, we cannot sit idly by, both morally and logically."

As soon as he finished speaking, the council chamber fell silent.

The crackling of the charcoal brazier became the only background noise, reflecting the ever-changing expressions on the faces of everyone present.

How can we rescue those Daur people in this freezing weather?

Militia Captain Zhou Wang coughed lightly, breaking the silence: "Sir, it's not that I'm afraid of fighting. It's just that the weather... everyone, look out the window!"

He pointed to the howling snow outside the window, “The heavy snow has blocked the roads. In some places, the snow is up to the belly of a horse, and in others, it is knee-deep. If a large army is to set out, not only will the march be slow and they will be very likely to lose their way, but the logistics and transportation of supplies will be a huge problem.”

"Furthermore, in such extreme cold, matchlocks are difficult to ignite, flint is prone to dampness, and the effectiveness of firearms is greatly reduced. If we encounter a blizzard in the wild, there is a risk of total annihilation."

Wang Changgui, the clerk in charge of land reclamation and logistics, immediately chimed in: "Captain Zhou is absolutely right. Although the fort has enough grain stored, a large number of laborers are still needed to transport it in order to support the army's long-range expeditions."

"Most of the able-bodied men in the village are currently hibernating during the winter. A sudden conscription might cause resentment and affect next year's spring planting. Furthermore, we know very little about the specifics of that group of Russians. Relying solely on the Daur people's word and rashly venturing into dangerous territory is probably not a foolproof plan."

Another young squad leader was somewhat indignant: "Are we just going to stand by and watch Baldach's people be slaughtered,... be eaten by those demons?"

“We usually exchange salt, iron, and cloth for their furs, promising to keep them safe. Now that they are suffering such a great calamity, if we shrink back and sit idly by, what will the surrounding Evenki and Hezhe tribes think?”

"Will they still believe in Xinhua's promises? If we lose their support, Huanghetun will be all alone. How can we further expand and reclaim our land?"

This hit the nail on the head, and someone immediately nodded in agreement.

How could Huanghetun, with only four or five hundred people, control a territory spanning a hundred miles?

That would require relying on the surrounding indigenous tribes that had submitted to the regime, using trade as a bond and military force as a backing, to continuously exert Xinhua's influence on them and unite them into a collective where interests and security coexist.

If, faced with such a calamity, one were to stand by and watch the Baldachi tribe perish without offering any assistance, it would chill the hearts of the indigenous tribes.

Chen Shijian pondered for a moment, then raised his head, his gaze sweeping over everyone, and said, "Captain Zhou and Sergeant Wang's concerns are wise and prudent. This awful weather is indeed unsuitable for a large-scale military expedition. But..."

His tone suddenly shifted, and his voice deepened, “What Sun Er said makes a lot of sense, and it touches on the very foundation of Xinhua’s foothold here. The reason we are expanding and reclaiming land, building fortresses and establishing regulations here is not only because of our strong ships and powerful cannons, but also because of the word ‘trust and righteousness’.”

"Internally, we must keep our word; externally, we must help each other. If we abandon the Baldachi tribe today, tomorrow no tribe will risk retaliation from the Qing invaders to trade with us, nor will any tribe be willing to come to our Xinhua tribe. At that time, we will lose not only furs and mountain goods, but also the hearts and minds of the people of this land."

He stood up, walked to the simple map hanging on the wall, and pointed to the upper reaches of the Jingqili River: "The Russian bandits must be punished! But how to punish them requires strategy. Since it is difficult to mobilize a large force, we will find another way."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked puzzled.

Chen Shijian continued, "What I mean is to select ten elite soldiers from the militia, all brave and skilled in firearms, to assist Baldach's forces in the battle, in order to stabilize morale and the hearts of the people."

Zhou Wang's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately volunteered: "My lord, I am willing to go!"

"Yes, very good!" Chen Shijian looked at him with great satisfaction. "Captain Zhou is brave and decisive, and is the pillar of our Huanghetun. With you leading the team, you will surely be able to stabilize the situation at the front."

"However, you must remember that this trip is not to engage in a direct battle with the Russians. Rather, it is to assist in the defense and reduce the losses of the Baldach tribe."

“You can carry thirty spare muskets, as well as sufficient gunpowder and bullets, to help them stabilize their position and defend several key villages. Next, you need to teach the Daur people how to use these firearms so that they can arm themselves and be able to resist the attacks of the Russians.”

"We need to help them grow fangs, instead of letting them forever remain lambs in need of protection!"

Wang Changgui seemed to be thinking: "Does Your Excellency mean... to use barbarians to control barbarians?"

“Not entirely,” Chen Shijian shook his head. “It is to help people become stronger, and also to spread the seeds of revolution. Only by letting the Daur people personally experience and master the power of our new weapons can they more deeply understand the value and necessity of relying on us. These thirty muskets are not only aid, but also a bond and a demonstration.”

"Sir, wouldn't giving firearms to the natives be like raising a tiger to cause trouble?" Zhou Wang cautiously reminded him.

"It's alright!" Chen Shijian smiled. "The power of firearms lies half in the equipment itself, half in training and maintenance, and the continuous supply. As long as we firmly control the gunpowder formula, the bullet manufacturing process, and the subsequent weapon supply channels, they will only become more dependent on us and will only be able to actively submit to Xinhua. They will not dare to or be able to harbor any disloyalty."

With the decision made, Huanghetun immediately sprang into action.

On the morning of the third day, the wind and snow subsided slightly.

Led by ten militiamen and a sled carrying thirty muskets, gunpowder barrels, and provisions, Zhou Wang, guided by Balchi and others, set off onto the vast snowfield.

Chen Shijian personally escorted Zhou Wang to the gate of the village and gave him his final instructions: "Remember, the priority on this trip is stability. Assist in defense and teach skills, and preserve your strength. Do not be greedy for merit or rush into battle with the enemy."

"You only need to hold out for a few months. When spring comes next year, the ice and snow will melt and the roads will be clear. My Huanghetun will mobilize the militia and join forces with the warriors of the surrounding tribes to form a great army to crush them. With overwhelming force, we will march north and wipe them out completely, vowing to eradicate those man-eating demons and eliminate them forever!"
-
(End of this chapter)