Southern Ming: A boy soldier at the beginning, supporting the world

Chapter 258: Great Victory in Naval Battle
The Longlong warships had already caught up, and joined the three battalions to charge into the enemy camp. However, the enemy's Guang ships had strong firepower, which was beyond the Longlong's ability to resist. Fortunately, the fourth battalion gradually followed up and brought four Guang ships.

The Red Flag pirates saw that the Red Army boats were fearless and aggressive, and they realized that they had encountered a tough opponent. Liu Longsheng and Xu Tulong each had a large bird boat as their flagship, and they also raised the sails to try to give full play to their firepower advantage.

However, the Sanban and Changlong were equipped with many oars and were too fast, so they had already engaged the enemy ships at close range. The two armies were in a melee, and although the enemy's firepower was fierce, it could only attack the Red Army at a distance, and had a blind spot in the near distance, so it could only use close-range weapons such as rockets and spray guns.

Although the Red Army's Changlong and Sanban have weak firepower, they are very fast and have small cannons, so they can get as close to the enemy ships as possible, enter the enemy's blind spot first, and then calmly attack the enemy's small boats.

Therefore, at the beginning of the naval battle, the Red Army used its numbers to defeat its fewer enemies and its speed to defeat its slowness, and was able to avoid being at a disadvantage.

The Red Flag pirates also saw the clues and moved their boats closer to the big ship, but the Red Army was relentless and followed closely.

Sentinel Luo Kunyu commanded the Sanban warship to burn three enemy ships in succession until the enemy's Guang ship was under the attack. The Sanban and Guang ships were not opponents of the same level at all.

At this point, Luo Kunyu could only fight back. Fortunately, there were many Sanban ships, and two more Sanban ships came over. Three Sanban ships besieged a Guang ship, which was a good way to defeat the few with the many.

With a "bang", the Guang ship approached and fired a cannon, which turned out to be a blade bullet. Half of the blade bullet is a solid bullet, and the other half is a folded blade. After it leaves the barrel, the blade unfolds and can damage the mast, sail, and even the sailor.

With a crack, the mast was broken by the blade bullet, and the sail fell down, half covering the starboard side. The pirates took the opportunity to release the spray gun, setting the sails of the three warships on fire.

Luo Kunyu felt a pang of pain in his heart. This was his own warship, which had accompanied him in battles thousands of miles away and helped him kill enemies on the battlefield.

At this moment, it was too late to save the boat. Luo Kunyu shouted, "Hook and cymbal, get on the boat!" Even if his own boat was burned, he would get on an enemy ship.

Two hooks and cymbals were firmly attached to the Guang ship, and Luo Kunyu once again took the lead in climbing onto the enemy ship and engaging the enemy in close combat. The other two Sanban ships were also encouraged and boarded the ship from other directions.

The ancient boarding battle was staged again on the Pearl River. The Red Army's three-ship boat was like a pack of ferocious wolves, pouncing on the beast. No matter how many cannons the enemy ships had, they could not withstand the Red Army's wolf pack tactics.

"Captain, the fire ship is coming!"

Luo Kunyu killed a pirate and turned around to see countless fireboats going down the river. The nearest fireboat was less than ten feet away from the Guang ship they were on.

The so-called fire ship is a small boat specially used for fire attack. The cabin is filled with hay and gunpowder is sprinkled in the middle. When the battle is about to begin, the enemy ship is first hooked with a grappling hook, and then the ship is set on fire to ignite the enemy's warships.

The fourth batch of warships also rushed over. Although there were only four Guang ships, they added a lot of momentum to the Red Army.

"Brothers, the fourth batch has arrived! Let's work together to capture this Guang ship and split the 300 silver reward equally!"

The bounty for a Guang ship was as high as 300 taels of silver, and there was another reward for killing the enemy. After Luo Kunyu's shouting, the morale of the Red Army was greatly boosted, and they brandished their weapons and fought the pirates to the end.

A fire ship arrived and was about to hook the harpoon. Luo Kunyu shouted to the soldiers on board: "We want this ship and will take it. Go and burn other ships!"

The fireboat was equipped with four death warriors, all of whom were familiar with water. Once the boat was set on fire, they had to jump into the river to escape. Upon hearing this, the captain had no choice but to sail away and look for other prey.

Looking around, I saw a long dragon ship, flying the flag of the Second Battalion of the First Regiment of the Navy, with five three-ships, besieging a large bird ship of the enemy.

At some point, the Second Battalion actually rushed to the vicinity of the enemy's large bird boat. Perhaps it was because the long dragon and three-pan boats were small and light, and they could move flexibly on the chaotic river surface.

According to the Red Army Navy system, the Changlong was the battalion commander's ship. The battalion headquarters had one Changlong warship and one Sanban warship, and the entire battalion had a total of ten warships, one Changlong and one Sanban.

Seeing this situation, the Second Battalion gathered all its strength to besiege the Big Bird Boat, and they would not stop until the boat was destroyed. To capture the enemy, one must first capture the leader. The Big Bird Boat must be the enemy's flagship. If they could capture this boat, the pirates would be in chaos without a fight.

In perfect harmony, the three fireboats approached the big bird boat one after another. The commander of the second battalion, Lin Feng, was originally a general under the Nanning warlord Xu Biao. Later, he surrendered to the Red Army and was promoted to the commander of the navy battalion.

When Lin Feng saw the fireboat coming, he immediately sent out a flag signal, asking the fireboat to head towards the stern of the big bird ship.

The displacement of the big bird ship is much higher than that of the Guang ship. It has a double deck and the guns are mostly deployed on the side. Each side can deploy 18 guns. Only the stern has fewer guns, which is the weak point of the big bird ship. If you want to attack with fire, it is best to start from the stern.

This big bird ship was the flagship of the Red Flag pirate Liu Longsheng. The Red Army naval forces rushed to attack and surrounded the big bird ship. Liu Longsheng hurriedly ordered small boats to escort, but they were blocked by the Red Army's long dragon and three boats.

He wanted to mobilize the Guang ships to come over, but the Guang ships were slow to move and were only driven by wind, so it was difficult for them to come over in a hurry. Even if the Guang ships nearby wanted to come over, they were surrounded and attacked by the Red Army warships, blocking them firmly.

The big bird ship was even more cumbersome and slower than the Guang ship. It had dozens of red cannons, but the guns were positioned very high, which also caused blind spots in the near distance. Especially the upper guns, which were much higher than the water surface, had a larger blind spot.

"Boom boom boom boom", the Big Bird ship was like an angry elephant, unable to fight back, and could only blindly vent its firepower. Several grapeshot bullets burst out, and most of the bullets flew over the heads of the Red Army. Only a few bullets went down and occasionally hit the canvas of the Red Army warship.

"Move closer! Block the Tartar boats! Fully cooperate with the fire attack!" Lin Feng commanded calmly and issued orders one after another.

Risking a collision with the big bird ship, the Changlong warship approached the big bird ship again.

"Prepare the fire bricks! Listen to my command and throw!" Seven or eight fire bricks were thrown at the big bird boat at the same time.

The enemy, in a commanding position, also used cannons and rockets to attack the Red Army's Longlong warship. Soon, the Longlong's sails caught fire. Lin Feng ordered the main mast to be cut off and the sails to be abandoned. After a flurry of maneuvers, the warship was finally saved.

The large bird ship was larger in size and had more sailors on board, so it had a clear advantage. Soon, another Red Army fire ship and two three-piece ships caught fire.

All the soldiers in the battalion had gathered here, so they could not retreat easily. Lin Feng became more and more courageous as he faced more setbacks. He continued to fight with his warship without masts and sails, and refused to give in.

The flag officer jumped into the water, rescued the camp flag, and used the secondary mast to raise the camp flag. The military flag is the soul of the Red Army. As long as the camp flag is there, the Second Marine Battalion will be there. If the camp flag is destroyed, the Second Marine Battalion will be disbanded.

The flag did not fall, and once again flew over the Changlong warship, and the morale of the entire battalion was revived. Some sailors hung a spray gun on the hook and lifted it up to the deck of the big bird to spray the enemy. Some gunmen held Dinglu carbines and specialized in sniping the enemy leaders. Under the cover of the second battalion, a fireboat successfully boarded the stern of the big bird. The dead soldiers ignited the fuel on the boat, and the sulfur, gunpowder, and thatch burned rapidly. The fire rose into the air and soon ignited the stern of the big bird.

In terms of actual harm, the fire ships did not pose much of a threat to the big bird ships, but they dealt a heavy blow to the enemy's morale. The Red Army kept throwing fire bricks, and many fire points appeared on the deck of the big bird ship. While the pirates were busy putting out the fire, they used firearms to fight back against the Red Army. As soon as they showed their heads, they were shot dead by the Red Army's muskets.

The fire ships were on fire, with blazing flames and a pungent smell of sulfur. Sulfur is poisonous, and the Ming army often used sulfur to make poisonous smoke, which could make the enemy faint in severe cases.

As soon as the Qing army approached, they were choked by the sulfur and burst into tears. The situation was critical, and Liu Longsheng offered a high reward and drove his soldiers to put out the fire. The pirates covered their faces with wet towels and risked their lives to put out the fire. Unexpectedly, the fire at the stern was small, and another fire broke out at the bow.

The Red Army's fireboat was so bold that it risked being hit and smashed by the big bird ship and came to the bow of the big bird ship to set fire to it, and it actually succeeded.

The big bird ship was huge. In addition to installing two layers of artillery on the side, it also built a tall building on the deck. Needless to say, there were bedrooms and watchtowers. If you were more particular, there would also be tea rooms, small temples, and study rooms. These auxiliary buildings were naturally made of wood and were easily flammable when exposed to fire.

The Fourth Battalion of the Red Army Navy also joined the battle, and the number of warships had exceeded that of the Red Flag pirates. Looking around, Chen Qice also had a navy with five Guang ships and fifty or sixty small warships, preparing to join the battlefield.

Liu Longsheng was in charge of the big bird ship, and he was extremely anxious. Although they had many Guang ships, they were either entangled by the Red Army Guang ships or surrounded by the Red Army's small boats, and they could never get close to the big bird ship. The other small warships, such as Kailang ships, were no match for the Red Army's navy.

The Red Flag pirates were doomed, and if they didn't flee, their lives would be in danger. Liu Longsheng had no choice but to abandon the big bird boat, disguise himself as an ordinary soldier, and jump onto a sampan to escape.

The pirates in the Xinzhou Island of Chenxiangsha originally consisted of Liu Longsheng and Xu Tulong, who were not in control of each other. After Liu Longsheng left, the Red Flag pirates became more chaotic and the Big Bird boats became more out of control.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the big bird ship was engulfed in flames, and was very conspicuous on the river. With the flagship destroyed, the Red Flag pirates no longer had the heart to fight, and they all fled in their boats.

The Red Army continued to make efforts and rushed to besiege the second big bird ship. This was the flagship of another pirate Xu Tulong. If they could capture this ship, it would be a great achievement. For ordinary soldiers, the big bird ship had a reward of 500 taels of silver. Who wouldn't be jealous?
Xu Tulong was no less capable. Knowing that he was isolated and helpless, he boarded a centipede boat and fled without waiting for the Red Army to attack him. Centipede boats were common paddle boats in the Pearl River Basin of eastern Guangdong. Like the Red Army warships, they were equipped with oars and could travel quickly on rivers and seas. They were often used to smuggle goods.

The Red Flag pirates were leaderless and gradually collapsed. Some of them fled desperately towards Shamian Island, while others, knowing that they could not escape in time, simply raised the white flag and surrendered.

Ruan Dinh Phong had been supervising the battle from behind the battlefield and arrived at the Chenxiangsha waters in time. The battle was already decided, the Red Flag pirates were defeated and had no power to fight back.

He made a prompt decision and ordered the first and fourth battalions of the navy to leave a battalion of soldiers to clean up the battlefield and serve as a reserve force. Nguyen Dinh Phong personally led the main force of the navy and Chen Qice's Ming navy to continue the pursuit southward.

The Qing navy also had the forces of Liang Biaoxiang and Wu Liuqi, who were stronger than those of Liu Longsheng and Xu Tulong, and were deployed in the waters of Shamian Island west of Guangzhou City.

Wu Liuqi is a man of extraordinary wisdom and bravery. Although he is a latecomer, he has clearly surpassed the others. Yesterday, he led his navy into Guangzhou and broke through the defense line of the Dongxun navy in one fell swoop, and anchored in the west of Guangzhou. Shang Kexi was overjoyed and promised him an official title and ordered him to station in the waters of Shamian Island to protect the Qing army's flank.

Liang Biaoxiang had originally agreed to surrender to the Red Army, but Wu Liuqi's uninvited arrival added some variables to the battlefield.

In the morning, while the Red Army navy was fighting the Red Flag pirates, "Embroidery Needle" Wang Xing led his navy through the Foshan waterway and the waters of Shamian Island in the Pearl River, where they engaged in a fierce battle with the enemy.

Wang Xing, the Tiger General of Guangning County, was styled Dianye and his real name was Xiao Jiayin. His ancestral home was Longxi County, Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, and he was registered as a resident of Enping County, Zhaoqing Prefecture, Guangdong Province. Like Wu Liuqi and Liang Biaoxiang, he was born in the countryside. He was meticulous, bold and careful, and was nicknamed "Embroidery Needle". His troops were well-organized and well-trained. They held Nagandong in Enping, Guangdong Province for several years, and the government troops were unable to suppress them.

In the first year of the Yongli reign, the Qing army invaded Guangdong, and Tong Yangjia sent an envoy to persuade them to surrender. Wang Xing beheaded the envoy and burned the books, then he raised an army to resist the Qing. He fought bravely and his territory expanded, and he occupied four counties: Yangjiang, Yangchun, Enping, and Kaiping.

Guangdong has always been Dongxun's territory, and Yangjiang and Enping are close to the sea, with the convenience of boiling salt and connecting to the sea. Wang Xing's ability to manage four counties in Dongxun's territory shows his ability and strength.

He was good at commanding troops, knew loyalty and righteousness, and followed orders carefully. In this battle, he was entrusted with an important task by Cen Danchu, and led his navy alone in a fierce battle with Wu Liuqi.

Liang Biaoxiang wanted to return to the right path, but he was afraid of Wu Liuqi's presence and did not dare to defect easily. He also did not dare to go to war with Wang Xing, lest he damage the relationship.

It happened that the Red Army's navy was fast and fought fiercely with the Red Flag pirates led by Liu Longsheng and Xu Tulong. Liang Biaoxiang used the excuse that he was a comrade-in-arms with Liu Longsheng and Xu Tulong and led his navy north to the Chenxiangsha waters to spy on the battle situation.

No matter what, Liang Biaoxiang will be invincible and will make great contributions. If the two armies are deadlocked, he will lead his troops to attack Liu Longsheng and Xu Tulong from behind. If the Red Flag pirates are defeated, he will be happy to beat them. If the Red Army Navy is defeated, he will have to think carefully.

However, in history, in the seventh and eighth years of the Yongli reign, Li Dingguo attacked Guangdong twice, and Dongxun's former subordinates such as Zhang Yue, Hao Shangjiu, and Fan Chengen rebelled again and rose up to fight against the Qing. Unlike them, Liang Biaoxiang rebelled again in the sixth year of the Yongli reign, but was defeated and died. This shows that Liang Biaoxiang was more determined to return to the right path.

Liang Biaoxiang led his troops away from the battlefield without waiting for Wu Liuqi's consent. Wu Liuqi had to fight Wang Xing and guard against Dongxun's navy, so his forces were greatly dispersed. Despite this, he made proper arrangements and his generals were brave and courageous, so he was able to hold his own on both battlefields.

At noon, the Centipede Ship, which served as a reconnaissance ship, returned to the fleet and told Liang Biaoxiang a shocking piece of news: the Red Flag pirates led by Liu Longsheng and Xu Tulong were defeated and most of their main warships were destroyed.

Liu and Xu had been at sea for many years, and sometimes even dared to fight head-on with the Zheng Navy of Fujian. How could they be so weak that they were defeated by the fledgling Red Army Navy?

Liang Biaoxiang no longer hesitated and decided to do it immediately.

Soon, Liu Longsheng and Xu Tulong escaped back on the centipede boat, and they were in tears when they saw Liang Biaoxiang. Liang Biaoxiang also pretended to win them over, sent a warship to express his condolences, and invited Liu Longsheng and Xu Tulong to board the ship to discuss military affairs.

Liu and Xu became suspicious and refused to board the ship under the pretext of gathering their subordinates. Liang Biaoxiang decided to go all out and ordered the cannons to attack the red flag pirates of Liu and Xu, sending them to the bottom of the river to feed the fish.

Afterwards, Liang Biaoxiang lowered the red flag and raised the black flag in accordance with the agreement, officially rebelling against the Ming Dynasty.

Since they had already turned the tables, they had to bring a decent gift. Liang Biao saw that Liu Longsheng and Xu Tulong were dead, so he immediately decided to change course and rush downstream to attack Wu Liuqi.

Wu Liuqi was fighting hard with Wang Xing, but unexpectedly, the battlefield suddenly changed. A black-flagged fleet came from the upper reaches of the Pearl River, and the flag color was the same as Wang Xing's navy. Judging from the shape of the ship, it was undoubtedly the red-flagged pirates. If it wasn't Liang Biaoxiang's navy, who else could it be?
The three naval forces of Wang Xing, Liang Biaoxiang and Wu Wenxian besieged Wu Liuqi. No matter how brave he was, he could not defeat four hands with one punch.

Wu Liuqi did not dare to fight and immediately ordered a retreat to save his life first.

(End of this chapter)