Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 189 Tsushima Strait
On July 1631, 7, the "Polang" and "Zhengtu", carrying nearly a thousand Liao people, slowly sailed away from Pi Island and headed south, leaving behind two faint sail shadows.

Shen Shikui watched the sail gradually disappear from his sight and couldn't help but sigh softly.

"Father, these people from the New Continent may not be reliable." Shen Zhixiang whispered beside him.

"Why?" Shen Shikui asked expressionlessly.

"They have already left their country and homes, abandoning the Ming Dynasty. I don't think they have any loyalty to speak of, and naturally they are not a force we can rely on." Shen Zhixiang bowed and said, "Furthermore, their words and actions show no respect for our Ming Dynasty. They only want to take Liao people and craftsmen. They must be determined to establish a new base overseas, harboring rebellious intentions. In time, who knows if they will not become a threat to our Ming Dynasty like the Jiannu and the Tatars."

"Oh, now that you say that, do you think they will become powerful overseas in the future?"

"That's hard to say, Father!" Shen Zhixiang said. "Think of Zheng Zhilong of Fujian. He navigated the waves overseas, and in just a few years, he amassed such a powerful force, crisscrossing the Fujian Sea and controlling the vast southeastern ocean. He was known as the Dragon King of the East China Sea. Even if he were to be appeased by the imperial court and landed as a coastal defense guerrilla, his tens of thousands of naval forces would still control the maritime trade in Fujian, Guangdong, Japan, Ryukyu, and other places, and his power would remain undiminished."

"Are you worried that the Xinzhou Continent will also come over to control the Liaohai Sea after it gains power, and then threaten our Dongjiang Town's colonial trade?"

"Father, we must be on guard!" Shen Zhixiang said in a deep voice, "With just those two large ships they possess, they can completely defeat our Dongjiang Navy. If they have a large population and great power, with a few more of these giant ships, controlling the Liao Sea would be a piece of cake."

"Haha..." Shen Shikui couldn't help but laugh after hearing this. He reached out and patted the shoulder of his nephew (actually his nephew), saying gently, "Your reasoning is very logical and forward-looking, and it also fits the future trend of Liaohai. However, we must know who will be our enemy and who will be our ally in the end."

"Father, what you mean is..." Shen Zhixiang asked in surprise, "They will be our support in the future?"

"What do you say?"

"Just because they joined Dongjiang Town in fighting the Tartars?"

"That's not all." Shen Shikui said, "Although they abandoned the Ming Dynasty and took refuge in the overseas New Continent, they did not want the Ming Dynasty to be defeated by the Jiannu, which would lead to a bloody war, the sinking of the Chinese land, and the suffering of the people."

"They need the Ming Dynasty to continue to exist. They hope that our Dongjiang Town can still guard the Liaohai Sea. They also hope that we can always contain the Jiannu from the side and rear. They also hope that we can continue to provide them with a large number of displaced refugees."

"In this volatile Liaodong region, none of us knows where we'll end up, nor what our ultimate fate will be. In less than three years, the situation on Pi Island has fluctuated several times. First, the commander was killed, then Chen Jisheng was executed, and a few months ago, Liu Xingzhi was also slaughtered by us. Now, given the complex situation on Pi Island, what will become of General Huang is hard to predict."

"And what about us? Will we all end up like the aforementioned people, each of us unjustly killed by a sword or slain by the Qing army, with no happy ending? Every time I wake up in the middle of the night, I'm always sweating profusely, filled with fear."

"Father, are you trying to pave a way out for my Shen family by befriending these people from the New Continent?"

"When my father was a businessman, he understood the principle that more friends open up more paths, while more enemies create more obstacles." Shen Shikui turned and walked towards the camp. "Whether these people from Xinzhou will become the future of our Shen family is still unknown. However, we must plan ahead and take action in advance, so that when the time comes, we will not be at a loss and have no one to rely on."

"A cunning rabbit has three burrows?..." Shen Zhixiang followed closely behind.

"..." Shen Shikui paused after hearing this, then shook his head in self-mockery and said, "Well, it can be considered as finding a place for us to escape."
-
On July 7, the "Polang" and "Zhengtu" crossed Jeju Island and entered the Tsushima Strait.

At 7:19 p.m. on July , when the fleet was sailing in the waters near the northwest of Tsushima Island, it unexpectedly encountered two Japanese ships.

Just when the fleet commander Wei Yingbin was considering whether to play the role of a pirate on the way and rob the two small boats, the other side fired a cannon at the fleet from a distance, which immediately scared everyone.

Then, they all looked at each other with strange expressions on their faces.

These two Japanese ships, each displacing less than 100 tons, resembled smaller versions of the Atakabune, with a distinct pointed bow adorned with traditional Japanese tassels. A closer look through the telescope revealed they lacked deckhouses, and their rudders were controlled directly from the open deck.

Although there are several sails on the boat, two rows of oars are exposed on the side. This should be because the boat relies on the oarsmen to propel it forward when it cannot use the wind.

Even if these two small boats were filled with soldiers, there would only be about a hundred people.

Although they are also equipped with artillery, there are definitely not too many of them, probably no more than two.

With such strength, how could they have the courage to fire at the two large ships in provocation?
No wonder some people say that the Japanese are as docile as sheep in their own country, but once they go abroad, they become capricious, extremely barbaric and brutal.

Strength has always been respected on the sea. When merchant ships sailing on the sea encounter lone and weak colleagues, they often immediately turn into pirates and rob them to supplement their pockets.

But the question is whether these two Japanese ships did not understand the power comparison between the two sides.

The opponents they encountered were not ordinary merchant ships, nor were they weak and helpless small boats, but large armed sailing ships whose size and force far exceeded their own strength!
Well, since the other party is deliberately provoking trouble, if we don’t take it seriously, we will be looked down upon by others.

The "Polang" immediately changed direction and rushed towards the two Japanese ships.

Perhaps they suddenly felt the strong threat from the other side, so the two ships turned around and fled towards Tsushima Island. Not only were their sails inflated, but the oars on both sides of the ship were also extended, accelerating their escape from this sea area.

After more than an hour of chasing, the "Breaking Waves" successfully caught up with a Guan ship and fired several consecutive shots at it, threatening it to stop immediately for "inspection."

However, this Japanese ship was very stubborn and ignored the warnings issued by the "Breaking Waves". It continued to sail south along the coast of Tsushima Island in the hope of taking shelter in Jinshi Port (now Iwahara Port).

Seeing this, the "Breaking Waves" immediately approached and used its huge hull to block the ship's escape while bombarding it fiercely with its broadside guns.

这艘关船上搭载着82名船员，除了十余名前往朝鲜的幕府官员和对马藩商人外，还有16名操帆手、40名桨手和15名武士，以及装备1门青铜火炮和20支火绳枪。

With such military force, let alone encountering sporadic pirates in the nearby waters, they would be able to fight back against Korean naval warships to protect themselves.

However, it is no match for the huge "Break the Wave".

At a distance of less than 20 meters, the enemy's four broadside guns fired a round of artillery fire, sweeping the deck and knocking down several warriors holding long swords on the spot. Everyone was so frightened that they immediately sought shelter.

Guns and cannons are so sharp that they cannot be blocked by the flesh!

Then, there were several more rounds of artillery fire, which not only pierced several side panels on the Guan ship, but also several shells hit the rowers' cabin, causing casualties among the people inside.

In less than twenty minutes, the Guan ship, unable to bear the pressure, threw up the white cloth, lowered the sails, and put away the oars, choosing to surrender to the other side and beg for life.

Seeing this, the "Breaking Waves" circled it several times. After the "Zhengtu" caught up and took over the front and rear, it immediately turned around and chased after another Guan ship that had run away.

They dare to come and provoke me. I want to see what kind of people these Japanese are!
(End of this chapter)