Chapter 1151: The Prince Came to Fight a War, Right?

The Americas Prefecture, Peninsula Harbor.

Gongs and drums thundered to the heavens, and bugles sounded their mournful notes.

Amid the lively, bustling atmosphere, the soldiers of the Prince's Army, who fell short in height, were swaggering off their ships.

Most of Zhu Cihuan's Prince's Army were Kyushu warriors — actually just islanders. These island folk were clearly far better at handling the tossing of the waves than Emperor Zhu's Nine Borders youths, and after drifting at sea for more than two months, they were still full of spirit. To display the valor of the Kyushu warriors to the people of the Americas, these little dwarf warriors had deliberately donned armor before disembarking and hoisted firelocks and pikes onto their shoulders, and the warrior at their head held high a yellow dragon banner symbolizing the Commandery Prince.

To laymen, Zhu Cihuan's Prince's Army truly did look like an elite force, so much so that the stock refugees who had suffered the pain of the Chongqing stock market crash in Shanghai could not help sighing in despair — with the Prince's Army here, it seemed they would never collect on their debts.

But Wei Zhongcheng, Qi Yuanbi, and Yu Daren, who stood smiling on the dock, were insiders, and with a single glance they saw through the true measure of these Japanese samurai under Zhu Cihuan.

These men had courage enough, and they could likely handle pikes, samurai swords, matchlocks, and other weapons with skill. But their organization and discipline were still somewhat lacking, and their tactics seemed outdated as well. Compared with Emperor Zhu's Nine Borders youths, they were far inferior. Still, if used properly, they would remain a rare and fine body of soldiers!

This Fifth Prince had dragged such a force of soldiers from Japan — it seemed he was determined to make a great name for himself on the New Continent!

Truly worthy of being a descendant of the Great Ancestor, the Exalted Emperor!

Zhu Cihuan had also solemnly dressed himself in a Ming Commandery Prince's red python robe, with an Embroidered Spring Saber hanging from his belt, and under the escort of Hoshina Masateru and several warriors who looked somewhat sturdier, he strode swiftly down from a Pacific sailing ship.

This prince was also blessed with a constitution not prone to seasickness, so crossing the Pacific had not cost him much flesh, only his skin was somewhat sun-darkened and his beard had grown rather long. Combined with his tall, large frame, he truly looked like a prince who could fight.

"Your subjects respectfully inquire after Your Highness the Commandery Prince's golden well-being!"

Wei Zhongcheng, Qi Yuanbi, and Yu Daren hurried forward and performed a grand salute to the prince as he stepped down the gangplank. At the same time, the group of little dwarf warriors raised a cheer together.

"Hei-hei-ho! Hei-hei-ho! Hei-hei-ho!"

How pleased Zhu Cihuan was in his heart! In all his years as a prince, he had never been so glorious as now. Though he still carried a debt of more than one million taels, though every month he still had to pay these "hei-hei-ho" little dwarfs 5,000 taels of silver in wages, and though those 5,000 taels had to be borrowed from Yao Daqiao, still — the feeling of holding elite troops in hand and looking down upon all directions was truly intoxicating!

Zhu Cihuan did his best to imitate Zhu Cilang's bearing, and with a grand sweep of his large hand: "You are excused. Rise!"

It really did look somewhat like him.

Wei Zhongcheng, Qi Yuanbi, and Yu Daren straightened up and carefully studied Zhu Cihuan again — the face was right, apart from the darker skin and longer beard, he was much the same as the Chongzhen Retired Emperor!

And judging by age, he could not be the Third Prince or the Fourth Prince either!

Besides, those two, like His Sacred Majesty the present Emperor, rarely put on stern faces before others — they were three smiling tigers, oh, three smiling dragons!

Having finally confirmed that the visitor was indeed Zhu Cihuan, Wei Zhongcheng asked with a smile: "Your Highness, have you come to the Americas Prefecture with troops to join the war by the Son of Heaven's edict?"

At this one question, Zhu Cihuan, who had just been swelling with pride, was instantly struck with alarm.

According to the present rules, when a prince went out to garrison, campaign, or tour, he was permitted to recruit his own guards, up to a maximum of 2,000 men. But the question was — was Zhu Cihuan going out to garrison, campaign, or tour? None of them!

He was fleeing. And while fleeing, he had recruited 2,000 guards — was this preparing to resist arrest?

Zhu Cihuan hurriedly raised his head and looked around, and already saw great columns upon columns of "black-clad men" — these were all Nine Borders Youth Army soldiers!

The road to the Americas was long, so elite troops were required! Therefore, the troops transferred to the New Continent by the Grand Marshal's Office, apart from the "settler soldiers" — officers and men who voluntarily brought their families to settle and make homes on the New Continent — were units such as the Young Guards, the Black Cavalry, and the Red Iron Cannon Army, along with some artillery, engineer, and other auxiliary units.

Already arrived were four Young Guards regiments, one Black Cavalry regiment, one Red Iron Cannon regiment, one artillery regiment, and one engineer regiment. In addition, there was a Black Cavalry regiment that had arrived long before, and more than a thousand sailors of the Americas Gulf Fleet.

All told, that came to just over twenty thousand combat-ready troops!

So with Zhu Cihuan's mere 2,000 guards, he could stir up no great waves at all.

Zhu Cihuan said nothing, frozen in place, and the atmosphere on the dock grew somewhat discordant.

The group of "hei-hei-ho" Japanese had also spotted the Young Guards officers and men carrying flintlocks — if nothing else, they lost on height alone!

And the weapons in the others' hands were flintlocks.

Just then, Qi Yuanbi suddenly laughed a few times: "This subject has heard that His Majesty once gave the Retired Emperor ten special shares of the United States, and that ten special shares can be exchanged for a marquisate in the Americas Prefecture. The Retired Emperor must have given all ten shares to Your Highness, and sent Your Highness to the New Continent to kill enemies and win merit, yes?"

This was the way out!

The special shares of the United States symbolized a stake in the nation of the United States. Whoever held special shares was one of the owners of the United States, and coming to guard and defend the United States was naturally permissible, with no need to specially request an imperial edict.

And to come defend the United States, one naturally could recruit some guards in Japan — otherwise, with what would one defend it?

Moreover, the princes of the Ming nowadays were not kept penned up; they could leave the capital to stroll about — Zhu Cilang had not given them much in the way of treatment, so naturally he could not pen them up.

Therefore, as long as Zhu Cihuan obtained those ten special shares, he would not be in violation.

Beads of sweat appeared on Zhu Cihuan's forehead. What special shares of the United States did he have? Let alone ten — he did not have a single one!

Qi Yuanbi laughed again: "Did you perhaps forget to bring them? Left them behind in your princely residence?"

"Right, right, right," Zhu Cihuan nodded repeatedly. "Forgot them. This prince has a poor memory. You must believe this prince!"

Qi Yuanbi said with a smile: "This humble official naturally believes Your Highness. Your Highness may write a letter back and have the people in your residence send those ten shares over.

And if they are lost, there is no need to fear — the special shares of the United States are all registered, and if lost they can be reissued."

So he would have to go beg Imperial Father again! Zhu Cihuan thought to himself: Imperial Father surely would not watch him die without saving him.

"Very well, very well. This prince will write a letter back and have those ten special shares sent over."

With this way out provided, the atmosphere on the dock came alive at once.

Yu Daren, the Americas Army chief of staff, who had not spoken before, said with a smile: "Your Highness, since you have come to the Americas Prefecture with troops to join the war, then Your Highness's soldiers must also submit to the command of the Americas Army Command."

Discipline in the Ming army nowadays was extremely strict; for many years, no incident of a battalion-level or higher unit disobeying a superior's command had occurred.

Although Zhu Cihuan was a prince, since he had brought troops to the New Continent to join the war, he had to submit to the command of the Command!

"That is only natural."

The moment the words left Zhu Cihuan's mouth, he felt something was wrong.

How had it come to joining the war, and moreover submitting to command? He had come to dodge his debts, not to fight a war!

He had fled to the Americas Prefecture precisely out of fear of being seized by the Prince of Lu (though in truth the Prince of Lu had never come to arrest him). But even if the Prince of Lu had seized him, his life would not have been forfeit. In all, a mere 5,000 mu of poor fields, with an annual income of just over 1,000 taels of silver — with treatment that meager, even Zhu Cilang would have been too embarrassed to be too harsh.

So even if Zhu Cihuan had been locked up in the Imperial Clan Court, it would have been no great matter. Why had he run off in the first place?

And the result of running off was that he would actually have to go to the battlefield and fight a war!

This is all wrong! Zhu Cihuan thought: If I were willing to go to the battlefield, how would I have fallen to this state? Ten years earlier I could have gone to the Military Academy, and by now I might well have become a famous general.

But it was too late for Zhu Cihuan to regret it — he had already crossed the Pacific. Could he swim back?

So he could only grit his teeth: "Fine! This prince knows the rules! Chief of Staff Yu, is the Americas Prefecture still fairly quiet here?"

"Not quiet anymore. The Spanish army has already assembled in a river valley seven or eight hundred li south of the Americas Prefecture, and will soon march north!"

(End of Chapter)