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On Monday, January 1, 1629, the eighth day of the first lunar month of the first year of Chongzhen in the Ming Empire.

Now Zhao Fang, the director and acting mayor of the Pearl Temporary Hospital, has also roughly touched the threshold of how to manage the local people to carry out urban construction and daily labor, coupled with the temporary civil administration department of Yang Xiaohua and other domestic traders, relying on the military's tough military control methods, the social order of Pearl Island has gradually stabilized.

The return of Liu Xiang's fleet, coupled with the return of the Tao Tao and the Prisoner Niu from Malacca and Manila for the second time, suddenly eased the logistical pressure on Pearl Island, and the ration reserves of more than 5,000 soldiers and civilians on the island finally returned to more than three months' cordon.

More than 3,000 acres of rice have been planted at the beginning of the month, and now the verdant rice seedlings are obediently standing in the paddy fields, rippling in the paddy fields, and they will mature in three months, and they will be able to basically feed the current military and civilians on Pearl Island. After a few months, the second batch of transport fleets from Huamei will arrive here, and the official Pearl Island overseas consul will be set up. Perhaps the Ming side will also lift the ban on Macao, and the Dutch will have to rein in and retreat, the Portuguese fleet can be reorganized, and a large number of mainland refugees will be sent to North America through here.

The Chinese craftsmen brought from Batavia showed far superior construction skills to the pirates or homeless people at the time, and the basic outline of the naval base was sorted out, and although there was no cement, the construction of the naval dry dock was halfway through the combination of stone and logs knocked from the interior.

The main officers and men of the expeditionary fleet also completed their rest and recuperation at this time, and all the ships were basically restored to their best condition thanks to the efforts of the maintenance team of the Luban working ship, and the officers and men of the army gradually withdrew their hands from the local military control, just waiting for Yan Xiaosong to return to Pearl Island. Then the fleet sent troops to the Taiwan Strait.

Today is the official New Year's Day of the Gregorian calendar and the Laba Festival of the lunar calendar. Yan Xianping, who has been spending such festivals in Huamei for several years, also habitually temporarily replaces the residence of the Yan family's homecoming group on the island to celebrate the festival. However, at present, there are no stores where you can purchase any high-end holiday supplies, but Liu Xiang, a "filial goduncle", is very enthusiastic to bring many things to the Yan family from the mainland.

After obtaining some news from Liu Xiang from the mainland, he learned that Dayuan Island was still being defended, and the imperial court's mind had shifted to the civil unrest in the northwest, and Zheng Zhilong had also temporarily given up the attack, and the Yan family finally settled down a little. After experiencing various mood ups and downs, Yan Xianping's words and deeds at this time were much calmer than when he was about to fly back to Taiwan alive or dead.

Although it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is close to the Pearl Island in the equatorial windless zone. The temperature at noon rose to more than 25 degrees again, and Yan Xianping was still wearing a summer navy snow-white uniform, accompanied by Sun Yang, walking in the port town.

"Xiaoping, this time I'm going to the big guy. You're going to be my guide. Sun Yang was holding a parasol for the girl next to him like a gentleman, without any regard for his current identity as the commander of the expeditionary fleet, like a good man with a dead face and a girl in the future.

"You are a big man, you still need someone ......to accompany you" Yan Xianping has gradually become accustomed to the cheekiness of this senior naval officer, but when he heard this, he still blushed involuntarily, and secretly glanced left and right, and saw that there was no familiar person. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

"Of course, otherwise I don't know how to greet someone when I meet someone, who knows the identity of the other party. What if it's your relative? Sun Yang said with a grin, nodding back to a few passing naval soldiers.

"Ignore you, I'll go find Sister Hannah...... Don't come along! Seeing the busy figure of a blonde girl in front of the temporary warehouse area of the naval base in the distance, Yan Xianping hurriedly moved away from under Sun Yang's parasol. Then he ran away with a red face.

was "slipped" by the other party again, and Sun Yang threw the parasol to the side like a defeated rooster. I found a cigarette. The fluttering beautiful paper umbrella just landed, and a few children appeared out of nowhere, grabbing the umbrella and running away.

"Smack!" Sun Yang hit his left arm, raised his palm and saw that a small mosquito was slapped into blood, "Dead mosquito, want to make me cheap?" ”

Far away, on a wooden building on stilts, Uncle Yan Qi and his daughter Qigu were watching this scene with a strange smile.

"Dad, I think that Lord Sun of the Huamei Navy is interested in our family." Qigu held the old father's body, and pointed at the figure in the distance with her chin with a smile, "I just don't know what Ping'er thinks about herself?" ”

"Although this person is young and promising, as a commander in the army, his ordinary behavior is too frivolous...... "Uncle Yan pinched his beard, and didn't seem to have a high opinion of Sun Yang, "Listening to Ping'er, a few days ago, I went to crusade against the Dutch Fanyi nest, and between the two armies, this Lieutenant Colonel Sun was extremely cunning, like a trader passing through the market, and regarded the military situation as a business...... The first ** army is so profit-seeking, and its combat power is worrying. ”

"It doesn't cost a single soldier, then Holland Fanyi will raise his hand and surrender, isn't it exactly what your father often said about strategy? I think this Lord Sun is okay. Ping'er has been motherless since she was a child, and now she ...... Hey, the son of the fourth brother (Yan Sihai) Xianfeng is still young now, and he is still studying in Huamei, and now among the juniors of the Yan family, he looks at Ping'er as having atmospheric talents, but unfortunately it is his daughter...... If you can marry Huamei Gaomen, you will have more to rely on. My Yan family is also a big family, and Ping'er is regarded as his own by the Zhongge of Huamei Mansion, and the two of them can be regarded as a good match, or I will inquire about Lord Sun's birthday, if it is really compatible with Ping'er, it will become this family business. ”

"Well, now the family can call the shots for her, it's you, and then you have to go to lie down Huamei Jingshi again and talk to the old Zhong Ge." Uncle Yan Qi thought about it and nodded slowly.

"Old Seventh Master...... The seventh master, the seventh aunt, it's not good, it's not good! ”

As he was talking, he saw Yan Xianping's personal maid Xiaoyu running up from under the wooden building, sweating profusely and out of breath.

"Why are you so alarmed?" Uncle Yan Qi frowned, and with a slight force on his hands, a few white whiskers were torn off.

"Fifth Uncle Luo suddenly fell ill with a fever, and other people in the family also fell ill!" Xiaoyu wiped her sweat and looked very anxious, "I can't find Miss." I can only come to tell the seventh master! ”

"Fever...... Not good! Let's go, let's see! Uncle Yan's eyes widened, and he hurriedly grabbed the wooden ladder, and with the support of his daughter Qigu, he hurriedly walked towards the Yan family's residence.

……

A vicious epidemic broke out on the first day of 1629 on the island of Pearl without warning.

chills, high fever, hemorrhagic black urine, diarrhoea...... There are even people with high fever and insanity. Numerous symptoms point to falciparum malaria, a severe tropical epidemic. With the help of mosquito bites, after a certain incubation period, within a few days, 30% of the soldiers and civilians on the island showed symptoms. All the medical staff of the Pearl Island Temporary Hospital, plus the military medical staff, were unable to withstand this sudden storm of disease.

In fact, the expeditionary fleet also has a means of coping, after many years of fighting in the Caribbean, similar to mosquito nets, mosquito tablets and antimalarial drugs, the hospital ship Huaqingchi has also prepared a lot. It is to take into account the special situation of Southeast Asia. However, the number of soldiers and civilians on the island far exceeded expectations, and the first was a very violent falciparum malaria, and penicillin was completely useless in the face of this disease, and some of the so-called Chinese medicinal materials purchased from the mainland that could treat fever also lost their effectiveness in this situation, and the consumption of mosquito killers, antimalarial drugs, infusions, and antipyretic drugs of the expeditionary fleet increased greatly.

More than a quarter of the officers and men of the unit, including many officers and men of the army and navy, were also infected with falciparum malaria, so the medicines carried by the fleet must be given priority to the use of the officers and men of the troops. Ordinary people on the island fell into an unprecedented disaster. Zhang Chunrui's decision may seem ruthless, but it is currently the only way to ensure that the expeditionary fleet will not collapse due to an epidemic.

Every day, the bodies of people who died of high fever and dehydration were carried to remote places for burial, and the entire town of Pearl Island was plunged into terror, and most of the seriously ill patients could only rely on the few fever-reducing drugs that died in the military to survive. No one knows when they won't survive.

Take advantage of the time to transport the uninfected back to Nanshan Port now? The incubation period of falciparum malaria proposed by Zhao Fang made Zhang Chunrui give up his plan to abandon the car to protect the commander, not to mention that many of the crew members of the short-shirt-class flying shear merchant ships that were now recruited were also infected with falciparum malaria.

"Let the country have to transport 10,000 portions of antimalarials, antipyretics and infusions as quickly as possible, no matter what method they use! Otherwise, wait for us to collect the body in a few months! ”

Zhang Chunrui has been here for the past few days. Almost all the time in the General Command snarls at the Communications Officer. What troops will be sent to the Taiwan Strait, what will be reorganized in the Far East, and what will be the agent plan in the East. It's all a joke, and it's good to make the expeditionary fleet go back with all its body.

It is a pity that there are no large transport planes in this era, even if you start from Nanshan Port, with the most advanced Chaoyang-class ocean-going aircraft sailing merchant ships, it will take more than 20 days to reach Pearl Island at the fastest speed, not to mention that the current Indian Ocean is still the northeast monsoon period, and it is not easy to obtain urgently needed treatment drugs within a month.

When the telegram arrived at Nanshan Port and was quickly forwarded to China, the National Assembly and the Cabinet were immediately stunned.

……

Wednesday, January 10, 1629. North American Manchu, snow.

After the New Year's holiday, the 1628 Annual Report on the National Economy has not yet been released, but the information gathered from many sources has already caused a frown in Parliament.

The country was accustomed to years of rapid economic growth, but the third and fourth quarters of 1628 yielded a heart-wrenching report card.

Compared with the third and fourth quarters of 1627, the total import and export volume of the country's trade fell by 17% and 20% respectively, the domestic commodity logistics throughput fell by 25%, and the annual economic growth rate finally fell back to less than 15% for the first time. The number is so striking that people once again see the serious consequences of the Oriental Expedition on the occupation of domestic commercial maritime capacity.

In 1628, the country's GDP was rounded off, and it was estimated that it was only 50 million US dollars at most, which unfortunately failed to exceed the expected value of 55 million, and even fell short of the boss. In previous years, major companies were showing off their achievements and year-end benefits in the days close to the Spring Festival, but this year it is much more low-key.

The first batch of "national standard" steam merchant ships spawned by the "Shipping Incentive Act" promulgated last year has just been put into use, and it will take some time to fill the gap in maritime capacity, not to mention the capacity growth for the time being. At a time when the national budget is tight, the domestic economic stimulus brought about by the "national mega campaign" cannot be used repeatedly. The deterioration in the efficiency of maritime transport has had a profound economic impact on a new country that lives on the sea.

Before everyone had time to digest this unpleasant content, a few days ago, another piece of news came from distant Asia, which made the entire parliament and government cabinet speechless. The Eastern Expeditionary Fleet, led by Commodore Zhang Chunrui, was attacked by falciparum malaria on the newly occupied island of Natuna!

Originally, I was glad that Zhang Chunrui had just transported back a batch of Ming immigrants from Asia, but suddenly ushered in such unfortunate news, so that the president of the Senate, Liu Lao, was admitted to the hospital on the same day, and frightened a group of young parliamentarians and government ministers to quickly terminate their normal work and hold a problem-solving meeting overnight.

At the end of the annual overhaul and maintenance, the Navy transport ship Gray Whale, which happened to be stationed at Twin Harbors on Butterfly Island, began to be ordered to complete the preparations for sailing within one day, removing almost all the anti-malarial drugs and a large number of infusion supplies in the hospitals in Twin Ports City, and then taking the medical teams of the local Army Foreign Legion Medical Station and the Twin Ports Naval Base Medical Station to set off urgently. However, even if the Gray Whale could ignore the Indian Ocean monsoon with steam power and keep it as fast as possible, it would not be until late February to reach Natuna Island to save the day.

No matter how the commercial capacity at sea will deteriorate, the third "Guanyue" of the Chaoyang-class ocean-going large-scale sailing merchant ship that the state-owned import and export group had just acquired in mid-December last year was also urgently requisitioned by the Ministry of National Defense and sailed directly to Nanshan Port, preparing to form a second batch of oriental transport fleets ahead of schedule to send all kinds of urgently needed medical supplies, engineering equipment, and administrative personnel to Zhang Chunrui's expeditionary fleet.

The latest state budget for fiscal year 1629 has already controlled the scale of expenditure on a number of proposed large-scale financial projects, especially the Princess-class large light cruisers that the Navy was preparing to allocate funds for construction in 1629, so as to continue to fill in this Oriental pit that cannot be rewarded at present.

(To be continued)