Daming Yinghua

Chapter 178 Minghe Sea Battle ([-])

The Dutch battleship caught in the flames, how could it care to fall over the starboard side and continue firing.

Galen ship and Ahat ship, in the midst of the strong northwest wind and the fire ships of the Ming army that sting up like locusts, panicked to find a way to break out of the encirclement.

The commander of the Ming army, Yu Zigao, led the navy ships that were at a disadvantage in artillery fire not long ago, boldly rushed through the range of the cannons, and slammed the Dutch soldiers on the Ahart ship with turtledove blunderbusses.

For those who are close and nestled in one place, the Ming army does not even have to wait until the strings are connected. Throwing kerosene mines and firing arrows can cause lethality, forcing the Dutch soldiers who have no cover in the fire to jump directly into the sea , swim to the big ship.

The sulfur smell formed by the artillery bombardment in the first half of the night was blown away by the sea breeze.

The strong smell of blood permeated the Dutchman's deck.

Seeing that the small Yahat ship was about to collapse on the surface of Liuluo Bay, and several large Galen ships were surrounded, no matter how unwilling and fearful of being wiped out by the Ming army, Ruffin finally bit him. Gritting his teeth, he ordered to retreat.

However, the small boats of the Ming army riding the wind were faster.

Just as the Dutch were beating the flames and raising their sails, two hundred "water ghosts" of the Ming army who had just joined the battle jumped into the sea from small boats, flexibly found the gap between the fire boats, took out their chisels, and began to dig the boats. .

The Dutchman was dumbfounded again.These sea coachmen who boasted that their sailing skills were invincible in the world did not expect that the people of the Ming Dynasty still had this kind of operation.

In fact, as early as a hundred years ago in Tuen Mun, Guangdong, Ming Dynasty official and Haidao deputy envoy Wang Kai used fire boats to attack and "water ghosts" to chisel the boats, defeating the Portuguese fleet that was also strong and powerful.

"Sir, Ming people are everywhere, they are like woodpeckers!"

"Sir, they are at the bottom of the boat, and our arquebus can't hit them at all!"

"But they chiseled hard, sir..."

"Shut up, stop talking!"

The captain of the Victoria, Michelle, angrily yelled at the soldiers who came to report.

At this moment, Michelle finally remembered his uncle, Wei Malang, who once wanted to bring the Dutch to subdue the Ming people. Before he died, he warned himself not to underestimate those Orientals. They are not as tall as us Europas, and their ships are also bigger There is no new style of ours, but their tactics are as varied as the sea wind and the waves.

Michel decided not to use the semaphore to ask Ruffin, the commander-in-chief on the Groningen, he must ensure that the Victoria would not sink on the seabed of the Ming Dynasty.

"White flag! Raise the white flag!"

Michelle shouted to the bannermen.

……

On the hill of the Golden Gate Guard, Zheng Haizhu made a gesture, and the guards took Gullit a little farther away.

Also seeing that the winning ticket is in hand, the woman's expression is not as excited as the men around her.

Zheng Haizhu said to Xu Xinsu: "Mr. Xu, we used tricks to show Hongmao tricks one after another. It sounds good, and we are good at using military tactics. But in fact, it is not because of Mr. Yu's boat and Firearms are not as good as red hair."

Xu Xinsu sipped her hot tea and said with a smile, "Miss Zheng is a real person."

Zheng Haizhu said more bluntly: "Pretty words, flattering words, and words of merit and reward are reserved for civil servants and generals to report to the court. We business people don't have to play tricks. I'm not here to share the meat in the sir's bowl, I'm Bring another bowl of meat to Mr. Mr. Yu, the light matchlock gun he bought from Japan. The Japanese call it Iron Pao. It is Mr.’s own source, and I don’t touch it. But if you want to buy cannons and heavy matchlock guns, Pass me, sir, I will never treat you badly."

Xu Xinsu has always dealt with the Japanese side. In Hirado and Fujian, the matchlock guns he saw were indeed light weapons with a caliber of less than one inch, which could be operated and moved by individual soldiers.

So he asked curiously, "What is a heavy matchlock gun?"

Zheng Haizhu said: "It is a common firearm used by the Europeans today. I saw the Dutch defending on Baisha Island. It has a larger caliber and looks very heavy. It needs to be placed on a bracket to fire the ammunition. It is estimated that the weight of the lead bullets equipped is also the same." Three or four times that of Japanese iron cannons, the lethality is definitely greater. This kind of matchlock gun is useful in field battles. If the Fujian Guards encounter foreigners or pirates in offensive and defensive battles, it will definitely be more useful. Look, Mr. Yu this time If you hit a Dutch ship, you will probably get a lot of guns, he must be interested, you tell him that Ms. Zheng's firearms workshop in Songjiang can supply him."

"Oh? Ms. Zheng's firearms workshop can also make this?"

"Is there anything you can't learn to build in order to fight Jiannu Tartars," Zheng Haizhu said without hesitation, "Because Liaodong is also full of guards and fortresses. To the west of Sarhu, there must be many offensive and defensive battles, and Jiannu is good at fighting. The fine armor and thick armor, the range and armor-piercing power of small muskets are not enough, and our firearms workshop has the ability to make machine guns. This time, let me and an official take a few Dutch gadgets back, so that they can be kept and made even better. good."

Xu Xinsu lowered his head and pondered.

He knew that the system of military craftsmen throughout the Ming Dynasty collapsed during the time of Lord Jiajing. Except for the military bureaus of the capital, the other provinces basically paid money for service.When the military generals in various places eat spare money to support their families, most of the weapons they equip are custom-made from private weapon workshops.

Since the woman in front of me has already made contributions to the imperial court in Liaodong by dispatching firearms, and she has the help of her godfather and elder brother behind her, her owner, who claims to be a merchant, is probably safe in the firearms workshop in Songjiang.

After all, Yu Zigao is a military general. If he opened a weapon workshop in Fujian, the big families in Fujian who colluded with pirates would definitely go to the capital and spend money to ask the officials to sue him.

Besides, Yu Zigao opened a factory by himself, how could Xu Xinsu make money from it.

Xu Xinsu immediately smiled and said: "It's really comfortable to deal with Ms. Zheng. By the way, it's a pity that Xu's little daughter, although she grows like a flower, is raised by her aunt and is not worthy of her nephew. beautiful thing."

Zheng Haizhu hated this kind of rich man in ancient times, who plundered resources in the name of having more children and more blessings, and even looked down on the so-called daughter of a concubine.But with your wording, isn't it just pointing at me and saying that you want it?Do you think you can trap my Zheng family by giving me a daughter as my niece and daughter-in-law?
The relationship between each other is just a matter of sharing money. What kind of in-laws are they?

Zheng Shoukuan told his aunt with embarrassment last year that he liked Fan Polu, and every time he returned to Songjiang from Zhenjiang, Fan Polu would stuff him with newly made robes and shoes.When Zheng Haizhu heard this, she immediately responded to her nephew and said, "What a coincidence, my aunt also likes Fan Polu. When I return to Songjiang, my aunt will find Tailor Fan to propose marriage for you."

Moreover, regardless of whether the nephew already has a sweetheart, Zheng Haizhu will not trade him for commercial interests or political capital.

Zheng Haizhu added new tea to Xu Xinsu, and said softly: "Your son Yilong has already recognized me as an aunt, Mr. Xu, what are you worried about? You see, this time is just right, we will take away the seized Dutch muskets, Yilong went together, saying that he was showing Mr. Yu the situation of the Songjiang Firearms Workshop."

Xu Xinsu was really worried, how could Yu Zigao not be overly suspicious of his old Xu's son-in-law leaving Fujian, now that he heard it, it was indeed a smooth excuse.

The two talked about business for a while during the Minghe sea battle.

At dawn, on the surface of Liuluo Bay in the distance, the sound of guns and shouts of killing stopped one after another, and the battle has come to an end.

All ten of Ahat's boats were burned to the ground.

Among the large Galenic battleships, Groningen and Meadeburg, due to their large tonnage, finally broke out of the encirclement and sailed eastward.

The three damaged warships, including Victoria, which raised the white flag to surrender, sailed to Liuluo Bay after taking over with the navy of the Ming army.

"This time Hongmao is at a loss. Those who were tied ashore looked at at least two hundred, and those who drowned in the sea must have this number, right?"

Xu Xinsu looked at the scene on the beach for a while, and when she turned her head, she saw Zheng Haizhu in the morning light, still looking dignified.

"Is Miss Zheng worried about Yan Xuanfu?"

Zheng Haizhu said: "Go, go down the mountain, and ask Mr. Yu."

She got up, and as soon as she came to the mountain crossing, she saw a Ming soldier hurried up to the nearest beacon tower.

"The carrier pigeon, the carrier pigeon from Penghu Island, won over there too!"

(End of this chapter)