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Chapter 1217 The choice of fate
"William is still on the shore. I'll row to pick him up!" Francisco really wanted to know who hijacked his sailboat, so he climbed down over the side of the boat impatiently.

"Let's go back to the shore together. There is no point in being here. If they want to kill us, they don't need to leave any documents. Just sinking the boat is enough."

Compared to the hurried Francisco, Mather was much calmer, his mind remained calm, and he was able to maintain his judgment. When his companions were all at a loss, he had already reached a preliminary conclusion.

“The Ming Empire is located in the north of the East Indies. It is a very large country with a very powerful navy. It was so powerful that it took only one day to capture the port of Manila and annihilate the garrison fleet.

If their ships came, the Spanish would be in trouble. But I think they are lying. The Ming Empire didn't even occupy Japan, so why would they come all the way to the New World? "

William was a sturdy man, his orange hair and beard indicated his origin, the British Isles. Yes, he was a Scottish man, who arrived in the New England Governorate as a mercenary, and after selling his life for a few years, he bought a plantation to run a tobacco business.

Unfortunately, his plantation was in a very good location and was noticed by a nobleman. After several unsuccessful offers, he began to face difficulties. In the end, not only did he lose the plantation, but his wife also died of illness during his escape. He then became a bandit and started a business with no profit.

Although he could not read a few words, he had a lot of experience. He had served on a Manila galleon and smuggled raw silk to Japan. Although he had never set foot on the land of the Ming Dynasty, he had heard a little about the country. But he could not understand why the Ming Empire had to travel thousands of miles to the New World with only three ships.

"That makes sense! The Spanish have been mobilizing troops on a large scale in the past few months, and have even converted the silver-carrying ships into warships. I originally thought they were going to encircle and suppress us on a large scale, but now it seems they are going to deal with the Ming Empire.

As for why, only God knows. The English, French, and Dutch are also at war with the Spanish, and no one can tell why. There are silver and gold mines here, which is reason enough.

With just a few words of explanation, Mather certainly could not have an intuitive understanding of the Ming Empire. But through his own understanding, he determined that the three ships most likely belonged to the Ming Empire.

"But there is nothing here except turtles. Why would they attack us?" William was still struggling with the purpose of the Ming Empire. In his opinion, this archipelago was a barren land and anyone who could survive normally should not even look at it.

"Could they also be here to replenish fresh water and turtle meat? If so, it's easy. We can give them the entire island and go to the small island in the north, where there are also turtles."

Francisco came up with a reason. The Galapagos Islands were indeed very barren, but there was one thing that was quite useful for sailors: giant sea turtles.

This thing can survive for a long time without food or water. If it is placed on a ship during ocean voyages, it can provide fresh meat for the crew for a considerable period of time. It is a rare supply.

“It’s impossible for them to travel so far just to eat turtle meat. Those three ships should be the vanguard, coming to gather information, and there must be a large force behind them.

I will go talk to them tomorrow. Francisco, you and your men should drag the other boats ashore and hide them overnight, so that you will not be trapped here if I cannot come back."

But Mather did not think so. He was from the regular French Navy. He was falsely accused and arrested and imprisoned for reporting his superiors for violating military discipline and withholding soldiers' food. He was forced to sign a contract to become a white slave. He did not want to die of exhaustion in the tobacco fields, so he embarked on the road of piracy.

If the other party is really the navy of the Ming Empire, they will definitely not come all the way here just to eat turtle meat. As for why, I really can't think of it now. But no matter why, we have to talk face to face, otherwise these men who have experienced life and death will be in danger. "I will go with you. If they really come to deal with the Spaniards, I am willing to be a free guide!" William's idea is more radical, and he hates the Spanish authorities more, so he is willing to take the risk.

Sometimes fate is a multiple-choice question, which depends on a split second. If you choose the right one, you are lucky; if you choose the wrong one, you are unlucky. There is no room for maneuver.

The two pirate leaders made the right choice. If they had not appeared in small boats in the early morning of the next day, these pirates would have been greeted by bullets.

Settle had already made preparations. He only had to wait until noon. If no one came to negotiate, he would send armed sailors ashore. There was no communication, only killing. Everyone on the island had to be killed to prevent them from leaking the news.

"France and Scotland? Why are you here?"

But the identities of the two pirate leaders surprised Settle. He had prepared his lines and planned to imitate the emperor's tone to persuade the emperor with reason and emotion, but he found that the other party was not Spanish. France was easier to deal with, as it was said that it was fighting with the Spanish, but he had no idea where Scotland was.

"My father was once an enemy of the Ming Emperor, but he made the right choice at the critical moment. Now my brother is a marquis of the Ming Empire, and I am the captain of the Ming Navy.

An emperor who allows the descendants of his enemies to become officers is much better than a king who forces officers and farmers to become pirates in every way.

If you are willing to become an insurgent and follow me to fight the Spaniards, you will definitely receive corresponding rewards when His Majesty the Emperor arrives, such as a farm or a job.

Or you can continue to sail on the sea, but don't continue to be a pirate. This job has no future. You can apply for a license to transport goods between Ming Dynasty and America. "

After listening to the tragic experiences of the two pirate leaders, Settle tried hard to think about the emperor's tone and began to draw a pie. Although the pie was not too big, it looked good and round.

"Dear General, we are willing to accept your proposal, but the Spanish are very strong, and we may not be able to win alone." William was obviously persuaded, but Mather was not so easily fooled.

He had carefully examined the two large sailing ships when he boarded the ship. Although he could not understand the sails and rigging, he could clearly see the closed gun ports. After counting them, he had a general idea in his mind.

"Didn't I just say that the Emperor of the Ming Empire will also come, and the time and place are kept secret. Your mission is to provide me with the Spanish deployment in coastal ports, as well as the number of fleets and fixed routes. The rest is to follow orders and keep your eyes open."

Settle could only touch upon this issue briefly, telling them that it was an exception for the emperor to lead the army in person, and it was hard to say whether he would be investigated by the military police after the war.

(End of this chapter)