open sea

Chapter 756
The port office in Acapulco, which used to belong to Western tax collectors, has now become a temporary office of the Oriental military government, because it is the only wooden and stone building that can resist naval bombardment.

But whether it can actually block the two stone-shooting cannons usually placed on the bow of Spanish warships, Chen Mu really can't guarantee... Chen Mu feels that nothing in this era can stop the stone-shooting cannons.

Of course, the premise is that the stone shooting cannon can be aimed accurately.

The old Governor Almansa didn't sleep all night, not because the mud house was too simple or the mosquito bites at night, but because yesterday afternoon, he sent five cronies to Mexico City with secret letters on horseback. .

It was also because of this incident that the governor, who had been awake all night with big dark circles under his eyes, opened the door and found the silent army of the commander-in-chief standing outside. He was almost frightened and collapsed to the ground.

The person outside the door was none other than the Ronin Liandou who had defected and naturalized in Luzon. Since he followed Chen Mu as a family servant, the Ronin’s life of poverty was over. Not only did he have enough rice, but he was dressed in the clothes of a samurai who had served the daimyo in the past The brocade clothes that are hard to own, and the armor are also made of iron, so there is no need to wear a linen robe to fight.

Lian Dou, who prefers Tang Feng's armor, was lucky to become the team leader with his martial arts and experience.

He doesn't like the new breastplate and the iron arm bindings influenced by the Mongol Empire. This guy has been saving money for the whole three years of Wanli, and finally bought himself a mountain suit before following his master's expedition to Asia. Armor, wearing a mixed iron lion Tang helmet, with red dyed yak hair falling down the back of his head, looks majestic and majestic.

It was he who frightened Almansa who opened the door so much that he wanted to turn around and run away, but his legs gave way and he almost sat on the ground. Thanks to Lian Dou's quick eyes and quick hands, he quickly helped the old governor up, and said in the Spanish he learned in Luzon: "Governor , Your Majesty welcomes you."

This man has a ghost in his heart, and everyone looks like a ghost.

But sometimes ghosts do happen.

The two-story port building with white walls and orange tiles still looked the same. Chen Mu, who was extremely insecure, was heavily guarded no matter where he went, so he bravely followed the soldiers with swords and belts in the Liandou headquarters to step in.

In the hall, Chen Mu was sitting in the middle holding a tea bowl, a big horse and a golden sword, and Juniper was standing beside him holding a pumpkin. The three people in front of the hall knelt down, and they looked dressed in linen shirts.

"The governor is here, sit down."

Chen Mu, who put down the tea bowl, was laughing, laughing so hard that Almansa's heart beat as if it was going to burst out of his throat. He couldn't sit still when he saw the rider he sent out who should have arrived in Mexico City kneeling here. .

"How did the governor sleep this night? Mr. Chen didn't sleep well, and was woken up by his subordinates in the middle of the night, saying that someone was going to send a letter to Mexico City, and the letter clearly stated all our information."

The smile on Chen Mu's face disappeared, and he raised his fingers seriously and said: "It means that the main fleet of the army is going south to face the Peruvian Legion, and some soldiers are attacking the Governor General of Peru."

"The port of Acapulco is currently garrisoned empty, with only Chen Mu's more than 1000 personal soldiers and thousands of craftsmen. On the two main roads in the east, [-] and [-] infantry are deployed respectively, and [-] cavalry are used as reserves. "

"And a map, even from my printing house, Almansa—"

Chen Mu blinked, put the teacup on the table, supported his knees with both hands, frowned in great confusion, and then continued after a pause: "You don't want to live anymore!"

Unexpectedly, Almansa breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had already planned how he would end up sending such a letter to Mexico City.

It seems that only at this time, Almansa, who had thought everything through clearly, looked like a feudal official of a huge empire when facing Chen Mu. The obvious feature of this kind of confidence returned to the heart of the old governor was that he moved his buttocks and changed A more comfortable sitting position.

For some reason, he first raised his left hand for Chen Mu to look at. The entire palm was covered with gauze that was changed yesterday. In hot weather, the pus, ointment and gauze were stuck together, making that hand look like a rotten eggplant with water.

"I was assassinated by young people in my country and lost my fingers, but I don't think there is any pity, because I lost two fingers so that more young people like them can save their lives, and they don't have to fight with the Ming Dynasty. Divide life and death."

"At that time, I knew that you came here for your monarch, and it was inevitable to gain benefits for the Ming Dynasty in the New World. Appropriate concessions can temporarily fill your stomach, and the artillery trade can also benefit my king and consolidate the interests in Europe. rule."

Almansa gestured with the remaining three fingers of his left hand in front of him, with a calm expression as if it was yesterday, but in fact, he already knew in his heart that they were already enemies since he sent someone to send the letter yesterday.

But he is not afraid of this: "What happened later is not what I want to see. I still hope to reduce Spain's losses. Even if I lose the south of the New World, as long as Potosí is kept, as long as Mexico is kept, those worthless lands are right. The king is no loss."

"But the general hasn't planned to leave anything for Spain in the New World since the beginning of the war, right? Maybe I'm old, and my fear of the Ming Dynasty makes me more inclined to compromise, but I'm not a traitor to the king."

"If those children can always stand with me, this agreement should be a good result; if I can resist as strongly as those children, I can also use the wisdom of the elderly to help them."

Almansa does not think his choice was wrong, nor does he think Bernal's choice was wrong: "But now I am ashamed of my role in this war, let them go , everything is useless.”

The "they" in Almansa's mouth were those three riders. He opened his still intact right hand, and with his left hand struggled to take out an obsidian pipe from his body and held it in his mouth, confirming that Chen Mu saw his open hand, which Only then did he take out the lighter Shao Tingda gave him to light the tinder on the pipe, and took a deep breath.

"Five, I sent five riders last night, and two lucky ones successfully crossed the general's line of defense. After all, few people carefully check their side, don't they?"

The smoke fainted in the hall, and the old Almansa looked calm.

"In this huge war, an old man can do very little. Maybe New Spain will still lose the war, but at least at the last moment, I did what I had to do, and the gods will forgive my sins. .”

Almansa rarely said a sentence in Chinese: "Use your reasoning to kill me. At this moment, my heart is as still as water."

"Finished?"

Chen Mu waited for a long time, and saw that Almansa stopped talking before he opened his mouth. Maybe it was because his throat was dry. When he spoke, his own voice reminded him of the two big geese raised in Qingyuan, so he slowly picked up the table He took a sip from the teacup on the case.

"Ahem, the tea is cold."

"Are all old men so extreme, or only Spanish old men are so extreme?"

Chen Mu frowned, before he finished his movements, he quickly raised his hand and rubbed it between his brows. People who fought in war worry a lot, and if he continues to wrinkle like this, there will be Sichuan-shaped lines on his face. Adding viciousness is contrary to his gentleness like jade image of.

After finishing the facial treatment, he opened his hands and said to Almansa: "I'm not worried about the two riders leaving. I'm worried about you and me. You actually sent a letter to Bernal behind my back."

"Aren't we friends? You don't think of me as a friend in your heart. If you tell me your thoughts, I will find a more suitable solution. Although one of us is the Asian manager of the Ming Dynasty and the other is the governor of the New World in Spain, but I'll figure out a way to get the best of both worlds."

"Even if you can't, I will agree with you to send this letter to Bernal, and the contents of the letter will not be changed."

"I found this in my banner army. I invite you to come and ask for clarification, but you think I'm going to kill you. You misunderstood me too much."

Chen Mu bowed his head regretfully, ignoring the strange gazes of Juniper and others, and sighed long, just like a few days ago in the port conference hall, he looked directly at Almansa and said with certainty that he would fight the war until the end of time. He said, "Have you ever seen me kill someone? No, because Mr. Chen has always been kind to others, be kind to others!"

　Good morning!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)