Huangming

Chapter 501 Dragon Gate Storm, Since Ancient Times

now.

On the sea surface outside Longmen Port, a dark mass of ships appeared out of nowhere.

Without orderly formations or uniform flags, the ships, like a pack of sharks drawn by the scent of blood, surged toward the harbor in dense numbers.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that some of them were large junks equipped with two small cannons, their hulls painted with black oil, and their prows adorned with ferocious demon faces.

More often, the fishing boats were modified, with the fishing nets that were originally used for fishing replaced with coarse hemp ropes, and simple crossbows mounted on both sides of the boat.

At a glance, there were over a hundred of these ships.

They undulated and swayed on the sea surface, like a moving black tide, chaotic yet exuding a chilling sense of oppression.

This is the territory of Li Dan, the notorious pirate leader of this sea area.

At this moment, Li Dan was standing on the deck of the largest junket ship.

He wore a black brocade robe embroidered with gold thread, a Japanese samurai sword hanging at his waist, and had three short tufts of beard on his face. His eyes were sharp as an eagle's as he coldly stared at the outline of Longmen Port in the distance.

No one could have imagined that this seemingly refined businessman was actually a pirate king who controlled the smuggling lifeline of the Taiwan Strait and commanded tens of thousands of desperate men.

During the Wanli era, when Li Dan took over the business network from the deceased maritime merchant Ou Huayu, he was just a small-time businessman struggling to make a living.

In just a few years, he integrated the smuggling routes between China and Japan through ruthless methods and precise calculations.

Raw silk and porcelain were transported from Fujian to Hirado, Japan, to be exchanged for silver and sulfur, which were then resold to Southeast Asia. Every voyage was a highly profitable one.

To protect trade routes, he recruited a large number of Chinese merchants, Japanese ronin, and even Southeast Asian sailors familiar with the South China Sea. His forces quickly swelled to tens of thousands, making him an untouchable force in the region.

His foundation was the trade route, and in order to protect this trade route, Taiwan was a place he had to occupy.

As early as the 42nd year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, his merchant ships frequently traveled to and from Taiwan, exchanging ironware and cotton cloth with the Siraya people for deerskin and sulfur, gradually establishing a foothold in the region.

In the first year of the Tianqi reign, he built ten camps in Beigang and sent three thousand immigrants to cultivate the land.

Among these immigrants were bankrupt farmers, fugitives, and many more sailors who worked part-time as pirates. By day they farmed and fished, and by night they would sail their small boats to plunder passing merchant ships, turning Beigang into their "independent kingdom."

But all of this was disrupted by the arrival of Mao Wenlong.

After Mao Wenlong led the Tianjin Navy to Taiwan and Penghu, his first task was to crack down on pirates.

Li Dan initially tried to settle the matter with money.

He sent someone to deliver 50,000 taels of silver to Mao Wenlong, hoping that the other party would spare his trade route.

Unexpectedly, Mao Wenlong took the money but did nothing.

Not only did they destroy ten of his camps in Beigang, but they also sent warships to patrol the Taiwan Strait day and night, intercepted three of his merchant ships loaded with raw silk, and even chased his fleet for half a month, forcing him to hide on a small island near Ryukyu Island and not daring to show his face.

"Mao Wenlong!"

Li Dan murmured the name, gripping the railing of the ship's deck tightly, his eyes blazing with fury.

He had spent half his life at sea and had never suffered such humiliation.

The Ming government couldn't do anything about him, and even the Dutch and Portuguese had to give him some leeway. But this Mao Wenlong was like a leech; once he stuck to him, he couldn't get rid of him, and he was forced to the brink of survival.

The reason they dared to send out their entire force this time was because a Portuguese merchant secretly gave them a tip.

Mao Wenlong led the main force to Fengguiwei, leaving only the old and weak to guard Longmen Port.

This news was like a lifeline, giving Li Dan hope of turning the tide.

He wanted to take advantage of the situation and burn Longmen Port to the ground, so that Mao Wenlong would know who the real master was at sea!
"Boss, we're only three miles from Longmen Port!"

A pirate captain wearing a straw hat, Yan Siqi, strode up to the ship's deck, bowed, and reported excitedly.

"The brothers are all ready. Just give the order, and we'll plunder Lungmen Port! Then we'll burn it down!"

Li Dan slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the fleet under his command.

The pirates on the ships were cheering, brandishing their swords and guns, their faces filled with the fervor of impending plunder.

"Burn! Not only burn the harbor, but also burn the warships Mao Wenlong left in the harbor!"

"I want Mao Wenlong to know that on land he is the General of the Ming Dynasty, but at sea, I, Li Dan, am the Emperor!"
If he knows what's good for him, he should obediently negotiate peace with me.

They cut off my trade route and forced me to withdraw from Taiwan.

If he doesn't know what's good for him, I'll make sure he never returns to Lungmen Port!

His voice was carried by the sea breeze and echoed across the sea.

The pirates were thrilled and raised their swords and spears, roaring so loudly that the sea seemed to tremble.

In the distance, at Longmen Port, the garrison was still repairing the warships damaged in the previous naval battle, and the docks were piled with freshly unloaded provisions. No one expected that a pack of hungry pirates was rushing toward them.

"Charge! Let's tear Longmen Port apart!"

Li Dan stood on the deck of a large junker equipped with six cannons, the scarlet "Li" flag fluttering in the sea breeze.

In an instant, the pirate fleet, which had been maintaining a loose formation, suddenly accelerated like a firecracker that had been lit.

Nearly a hundred boats were packed together, ranging from small fishing boats that could only accommodate five people to large junks carrying twenty or thirty people, all with their sails unfurled.

Some were decorated with faded Ming Dynasty flags, some with Japanese family crests, and some even had skull and crossbones banners.

From a distance, it looked like a dark, turbid mass, like the inky waves of a rising tide sweeping across the coast, rushing toward Longmen Port.

The sounds of oars slicing through the sea, the shouts of pirates, and the clanging of weapons mingled together, clearly audible from miles away.

On the first few ships, Japanese ronin, shirtless and revealing their tattooed arms, brandished long swords and howled.

Ming Dynasty pirates were mostly dressed in short clothes, with muskets at their waists, and their eyes were full of desire to plunder.

They had long heard that Longmen Port was a key supply point for the Tianjin Navy, with its warehouses storing grain, weapons, and even silk and porcelain transported from the mainland. They were just waiting to rush in and plunder it to their hearts' content.

"Quickly! Evacuate the civilians! All able-bodied men, come with me and move the weapons!"

Inside Longmen Port, Zhou Tong, the Ming army centurion who was left behind, was the first to react.

He had just spotted the black sails from the port watchtower when he shouted at the top of his lungs.

After the Tianjin Navy was revitalized, even the auxiliary soldiers who remained behind had undergone three months of rigorous training, and there was no panic at all.

The soldiers in charge of logistics immediately started banging gongs and shouting along the streets, "Pirates are coming! Retreat to the inner city!"

The elderly, women, and children, carrying their valuables and supported by the able-bodied men, ran towards the earthen fortress inside the harbor.

The armored soldiers quickly rushed to the armory, carrying out muskets, bows and arrows, and ammunition boxes with swift movements.

Zhou Tong personally led 500 Ming soldiers to ambush the shops on both sides of the port entrance.

Those shops were originally places where fishermen sold fish and merchants stored goods, but now that the doors had been removed, they became natural shelters.

As the pirate ship drew closer, and he could even make out the faces of the Japanese ronin on the lead ship, he lowered his voice and said to the soldier beside him:

"Wait until they come ashore and enter the alley before firing. Don't waste ammunition!"

In less than half an incense stick's time, the first wave of pirates surged ashore on the gangplank.

Leading the way were a dozen or so Ming Dynasty pirates, carrying machetes, cautiously peering into the alley while shouting:

"There's no one inside! Hurry and grab it!"

The Japanese ronin who followed were even more impatient, kicking open the door and robbing the food and valuables inside.

"Something's wrong!"

Just as a Ming Dynasty pirate was about to shout, a loud "bang" was heard, and flames suddenly erupted from the shops on the left side of the alley entrance. A lead bullet pierced his chest.

Immediately afterwards, flames flashed from the shops on both sides, the sounds of muskets rang out one after another, and arrows rained down on the pirates.

"There's an ambush!"

The pirates were thrown into chaos.

Those who had just landed were crowded at the alley entrance, unable to retreat or advance, becoming easy targets.

A Japanese ronin, brandishing a long sword, tried to rush in, but after taking only two steps, he was struck by three arrows and fell to the ground with a thud, his blood instantly staining the bluestone pavement red.

Seeing that things were going badly, the pirates behind them no longer cared about looting and turned to run back to their ships. Some of them panicked and fell into the sea, struggling to stay afloat as they were swept away by the waves.

Seeing the pirates trying to escape, Zhou Tong immediately shouted, "Chase them! Don't let them get too far!"

Ming soldiers rushed out of the shops, musketeers continued firing, and swordsmen and shieldmen chased after the pirates, hacking and slashing. In an instant, screams echoed at the entrance of the port, the pirates' corpses lay scattered on the ground, and broken oars and blood-stained clothes floated in the sea.

"Trash! A bunch of trash!"

Li Dan saw it clearly from the flagship and was so angry that he kicked the deck hard, his face turning ashen.

He originally thought that Longmen Port had sent out all its main forces, leaving only the old and weak, but he did not expect that such a tough force would still remain.

Seeing the pirates returning wounded, he gritted his teeth in heartache. These were no ordinary refugees; there were experienced sailors familiar with the waterways, artisans skilled in using cannons, and Japanese ronin capable of fighting tough battles. They were all the wealth he had accumulated over the years, and he couldn't let it be wasted like this.
"If you can't loot, then burn!"

Li Dan's eyes suddenly turned sinister. He drew his Japanese sword from his waist and pointed it at Longmen Port.

"Throw the torches in! Fire the cannons on the ship! I want Mao Wenlong to come back and see that his Longmen Port is nothing but scorched earth!"

At the order, the pirates immediately sprang into action.

In a dozen or so fishing boats that had been converted to fishing vessels and were near the shore, the pirates lit torches soaked in kerosene and threw them toward the wooden houses and shops in the harbor.

The junks equipped with cannons adjusted their angles, aiming their cannons at the buildings and fishing boats moored in the harbor, and the sound of cannons booming instantly rang out.

The torch landed on the dry wooden roof, instantly igniting a raging fire that billowed thick smoke, quickly obscuring the sky.

Cannonballs slammed into the fishing boat, sending splinters flying and setting the canvas ablaze. The boat quickly became a fireball, and the sailors, unable to escape, could only scream in agony amidst the flames.

Although the earthen fortresses inside the harbor were sturdy, they were also damaged by artillery fire, with the plaster peeling off the walls. The people who had taken refuge inside were so frightened that their cries were deafening.

In less than half an hour, the entire Longmen Port was engulfed in flames.

The once bustling port shops were burned down to their blackened frames, dozens of fishing boats docked there were completely destroyed, charred wood and corpses floated on the sea, the air was filled with gunpowder smoke and the smell of burning, and even the sea breeze was scorching hot.

Standing atop the flagship, Li Dan gazed at the sea of ​​fire before him, a ruthless smile playing on his lips:
"Mao Wenlong, this is what happens when you oppose me! Either negotiate peace with me, or I'll burn down all your strongholds in the South China Sea!"

at this time.

A sudden gust of sea wind whipped up a rapid roar, and a pirate sentry ship sped towards them from the southwest.

"Boss, they're here! Mao Wenlong's fleet is here! Retreat!"

Li Dan suddenly gripped the Japanese sword at his waist.

He looked up at the distant horizon and saw a black sail breaking through the morning mist; the silhouette of that sail was definitely not a Ming Dynasty ship.

The ship was tall and imposing, with triangular sails hanging from its masts that exuded an exotic and fierce aura. It was the Dutch galleon that had been captured by the Ming army earlier!
"Come so fast?"

He glared at the ship through gritted teeth, then turned to look at Longmen Port behind him.

The wreckage of the wooden house was still crackling and burning, the charred ship bones floated on the sea, and thick smoke dyed half the sky gray-black.

Although they failed to seize military equipment and supplies, and were unable to completely force Mao Wenlong to negotiate peace, they at least burned his supply port, which was a way of venting their anger.

"never mind!"

Li Dan fiercely wiped his face, suppressing his remaining resentment, and roared at the personal guards beside him:
"Withdraw! Return to Beigang, Taiwan!"

Hundreds of pirate ships immediately turned around and scattered like a flock of frightened crows, yet they were also faintly converging towards Taiwan.

The lead junks hoisted their sails, attempting to buy time for the smaller boats behind them to retreat.

Before they had sailed three miles, the galleon behind them suddenly accelerated, the sound of its hull cutting through the waves grew closer and closer, and they could even see the figures of Ming soldiers on the deck.

This ship was the Dutch flagship "Gunningen" that Deng Shizhong had previously captured.

The speed of the Ming Dynasty's Fujian ship was far inferior to that of the Western warship with its oak hull. As soon as Mao Wenlong boarded the ship, he was amazed by its performance.

The rudder is light and the steering is flexible. When sailing with the wind, its speed is 30% faster than the fastest Haicang ship.

He stood on the deck, holding a brass telescope, watching the fleeing pirate ship in the distance, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"Commander, they've started to scatter and flee!"

Beside him, Zheng Zhilong's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his hands were tightly gripping the ship's rudder control lever.

He was wearing the blue uniform of the Ming army, but he always felt a chill down his back.

The one being chased was none other than his adoptive father, Li Dan!
But he dared not reveal it at all. When Mao Wenlong took him under his command, he only knew that he was fluent in multiple languages ​​and familiar with navigation, but he did not know that he was a pirate.

At this moment, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and yell at the Dutch prisoners of war on the ship in Dutch, ordering them to increase the ship's speed to the maximum.

"Escape? Do they think they can escape from the Gunningen?"

Mao Wenlong put down his binoculars and gave a cold laugh.

"Full speed ahead! Aim at the lead ship flying the 'Lee' flag!"

Zheng Zhilong's heart tightened; that was Li Dan's flagship!

He frantically adjusted the rudder, but his gaze involuntarily drifted towards the pirate fleet in the distance.

He saw Li Dan standing on the flagship ship's upper deck, looking back at him. Their eyes briefly met across the waves, and Zheng Zhilong was so frightened that he quickly lowered his head, his palms sweating and soaking the control lever.

He could only pray in his heart: Godfather, run away quickly, please don't let them catch up!

The Gunningen sped across the sea like a black lightning bolt.

The gun ports on both sides of the ship were already open, and the Ming soldiers skillfully loaded and aimed the twenty-six Dutch heavy cannons.

With Mao Wenlong's command, the deafening roar of cannons filled the air as scorching shells whistled across the sea and precisely struck the last pirate fishing boat that had been converted into a fishing vessel.

"boom!"

The shell pierced the wooden hull, igniting the oil drums inside and instantly setting them ablaze.

The pirates screamed and jumped into the sea, only to be swallowed up by the waves stirred up by the subsequent cannon fire.

Mao Wenlong stood on the deck, watching the pirate ships turn into a sea of ​​fire one by one, his eyes showing not a trace of pity:

"These scum dared to burn down my Longmen Port, they'll pay a bloody price!"

Li Dan was terrified when he saw this from the flagship.

As the Gunningen drew closer, its oak armor proved incredibly tough. The shells fired from the dozen or so small boats he had sent to intercept it only sent up a few splinters, leaving not even a dent.

"Stop it! Stop it now!"

Li Dan roared and sent out another twenty ships, attempting to use numbers to entangle the Gunningen.

But these small boats were like paper in front of heavy artillery.

The shells exploded, sending wood chips and corpses flying, and the sea surface was soon covered with burning ship planks.

"Godfather! Retreat now!"

On the Gunningen, Zheng Zhilong looked at the small boats that had been sunk, his heart aching as if being cut by a knife, but he could only grit his teeth and continue to direct the pursuit.

He knew that if he hesitated even slightly, Mao Wenlong would discover his identity, and then he would not only be unable to save his godfather, but he would also die.

Just as the Gunningen was about to catch up with Li Dan's flagship, the pirate fleet suddenly scattered.

Some fled towards Ryukyu, some rushed towards Luzon, and some simply rushed into the nearby islands and reefs.

Mao Wenlong frowned as he looked at the chaotic scene:

How many shells are left?

"Back to headquarters, less than ten rounds left!"

The soldier in charge of ordnance ran over to report.

Mao Wenlong stared in the direction Li Dan's flagship had fled and slammed his fist hard on the ship's side.

He was unwilling to give up, but he also knew that if he continued to pursue them, he would run out of ammunition and be in danger.

"Return!"

He ordered in a deep voice.

"Let's go back to Longmen Port and clean up this mess!"

The Gunningen slowly turned its bow, with the wreckage of more than thirty sunken pirate ships still remaining on the sea surface, and the thick smoke gradually dissipating in the sea breeze.

Mao Wenlong stood on the deck, gazing in the direction of Taiwan, his eyes resolute:

"These pirates thought they could get away with burning down Lungmen Port?"
Next, this town will wipe out all pirate dens in Taiwan!
We also need to build a city in Taiwan. Please issue an order for immigration, Your Majesty.

As long as the people of the Ming Dynasty settle down on this island, Taiwan will no longer be a place that pirates and Western barbarians can covet!

Taiwan, the beautiful island, has been part of the land of our Great Ming Dynasty since ancient times.

That was true in the past, it is true now, and it will certainly be true in the future!

Pirates, Westerners, and Japanese pirates
Whoever dares to covet this place, he will make them know the might of the Ming Dynasty's navy!

but
Mao Wenlong's eyes flickered.

He touched the sturdy hull of the Gunningen and began to have longer-term plans in mind.

With this Western warship as a model, the Ming Dynasty will be able to build its own more powerful treasure ships sooner or later.

With Taiwan as a springboard, the Ming Dynasty could take the initiative in dealing with Japan or countering the Western barbarians.

The storms of the South China Sea should be brought under the control of the Ming Dynasty!
(End of this chapter)