"The Roaring Dutchman is finished!" In his own boat, Sir Weddell put down his monoculars with a pale face and made such a judgment.

Two small gunboats and a few shells cost the life of the "Roaring Dutchman", which is amazing in terms of the accuracy of the guns and the weight of the shells.

"What a pity! There are a lot of good things we bought on that ship! That's it! ”

The captain of the "William the Conqueror", on which Weddell was aboard, lamented the doom of his friendly ship.

Sir Weddell snorted, kind of disdainful of him.

On the river, the naval division of the South China Army, led by the Nanhai, surrounded the remaining four merchant ships of the English East India Company in an arc-shaped encirclement.

On the river, the boats of the Guangdong sailors were dispatched one after another, coming and going, either to deliver news, or to salvage prisoners who had fallen into the water, in short, they were very busy.

There were also some sailor officers who had a bright brain, "What is it to catch a few prisoners and catch something?!" If you want to make a big profit, you have to lean on it and fight against Yingyi with Li Dashuai's descendants, this is the best step to advance! ”

Thus, in the eyes of Sir Weddell, a peculiar scene appeared on the Pearl River.

Like a lioness, the Nanami stands in the center of the encirclement. I really didn't know that its commander was a woman! Sir Weddell swore an oath. Upstream and downstream of the Nanami, four or five brigs were like a few sturdy leopards.

And on the innermost side of the encirclement. Dozens of Cantonese sailors' boats, like hyenas, stared at their glowing green eyes, waiting to come forward and tear the fat meat on the dead body of the East India Company.

"Taipan! What are we going to do?! The accountant of the company, who had accompanied the fleet to trade in the East, exclaimed to Sir Weddell with some panic, frightened by the large and small warships that were scattered on the river in front of him.

"These damn Portuguese! On the one hand, it was easy for us to trade in the East, and the army of the Ming Kingdom was very weak, although it was very large, but it was much worse than the Ottoman combat effectiveness! Now it seems that this group of guys led us to the deep well. Then the rope ladder was lit! ”

Sir Weddell cursed the Portuguese in Macau countless times in his heart.

It was in Macau. When Sir Weddell was trading the goods of his fleet with the merchants on the left side of the trench at Trench Mirror, the Portuguese told him that the Ming army here was so weak that a single merchant ship could defeat a Ming army. The ensuing looting and clashes also proved this. But. The sound of cannon cannon and mortar cannon is just over. Wake up Weddell's dreams once and for all.

On the river. More and more Ming ships flocked to the left side of the encirclement, firstly to curry favor with the Southern Central Army, and secondly, to show their abilities in front of this future new boss.

"Let them get out of here! Don't get in our way! Fight up. You have to watch out for shells to fall on their heads! ”

Li Huamei stood at the bow of the ship, looking at the ships of the Ming Army's Guangdong Naval Division on the dense river, a little disgusted.

The signal crew on the Nanami hurriedly boarded the mast and waved the flag towards the brigs on the left and right wings, and soon the ships on both wings had a signal to return.

"Military order received! Drive them away and clear the shooting boundary! ”

"Miss! You see! ”

From the direction of the Pearl River estuary, a two-masted schooner sails upstream.

"Chang Sheng, the twelve ships of the left flank fleet have blocked the mouth of the Pearl River!"

As the flagship of the Shouhan and the flagship of the naval division of the Nanzhong Army, the Changsheng has become a large warship with a double-deck gun deck and nearly 60 large and small guns, 28 24-pounder guns and 10 12-pounder guns as the main firepower, and nearly 20 large and small Franc machines, which are enough to sweep the entire East Asia and the Indian Ocean.

"Captain! What are we going to do?! The guys on the left and right flanks called flags, asking for instructions on whether to fire the cannon?! ”

The gunners on the Nanami nervously asked Li Huamei, hoping to get the answer she wanted from her mouth.

As a large ship with a crew of nearly 300 and nearly 40 large and small guns, the Seven Seas is also the backbone and flagship of the naval division of the Nanzhong Army on the water surface of the Pearl River at this moment. Each ship looks at the ship in the same way as the Nanami.

"Call the signal, order someone to come forward and sue the red-haired rebel, within ten minutes, surrender! Those who do not surrender, sink! ”

After a little thought, Li Huamei made a decision.

Someone immediately climbed the mast with both hands and feet, and loudly conveyed the captain's instructions to the signal man on the mast, and the signal soldier waved the small flag in his hand, and the flag faithfully sent Li Huamei's instructions to the brigs on the left and right wings of the division.

"Miss, what's next? Shall we wait for Yingyi to surrender? ”

"Nope! Shi Lang! You go to the port gun position, act as a gunner, complete loading, ranging, and firing preparations within ten minutes, and if Yingyi does not surrender during this time, or if there is any abnormal movement, sink it immediately! ”

The shouts on the river were sent by the river wind to Weddell's boat.

"They want us to surrender? If we surrender, can we ensure the safety of our lives and property? Is it possible for us to leave safely? ”

The accountant is still there calculating the pros and cons.

On both sides of the Pearl River, the Guangdong people who watched the battle between the officials and the army and the red-haired ghost guys also heard the words of the Nanzhong Army ordering the ghost guys to surrender clearly. The excitement of the feat of sinking a ghost ship with just a few shells was pushed to a climax again with the shouts ordering the ghost to surrender.

"that ghost! You also have today! ”

"Let you rob our pigs! Burn our boats! Today you are also going to meet the Dragon King! ”

Sipping tea and buying some food from the vendors who walked through the crowd, people watched the scene with high eyebrows.

"It's been eight minutes." Glancing back at the huge navigation clock installed in the bow command room, Li Huamei's voice was clear, but in the ears of the sailors, it was like good news flying from the sky. Not to surrender by this time. Then wait to meet the Dragon King!

"Boom, boom! Rumble! ”

From the port gun deck came a dense burst of cannon fire.

Seeing that the fleet of the East India Company Company did not have the intention and action of surrendering for a long time, on the contrary, there was a ship moving slowly, which was worth it? Are you going to take advantage of the time we give you to consider whether to surrender or not? Who is Shi Lang? Since he was a teenager, he has been mixed with his father in Zheng Zhilong's maritime merchant gang, and this maritime merchant is actually not much different from pirates, and all kinds of maritime conspiracy tricks have also been seen a lot!

Seeing that this Yingyi ship had the intention of moving to the lower reaches of the Pearl River, Shi Lang immediately made a decision.

"Prepare your guns! Fire! ”

The port side of the Nanami was quickly opened by a lanyard, and the gunners extended the muzzles of the guns out of the window.

"Attention guns! The twelve-pounder cannon is aimed at the British and the British salvo first! And then the ten-pounder gun! Artillery at all levels must not be chaotic, and those who violate the order will be dealt with by military law! ”

Five twelve-pounder guns and ten ten-pounder guns were arranged on the left and right sides of the Nanami. and four large Buddha machines equivalent to a ten-pound gun. In order to prevent excessive recoil in one salvo, our Shi Lang Shi gun officer gave the order to shoot in batches like this.

"My lord! In this way, the artillery fire seems to be a little weak, and it is better to fire a salvo of the twelve-pounder cannon and the big Buddha machine. to strengthen firepower. Prevent the hull from being unable to withstand the rear shock of the gun! ”

An old artillery commander gave his opinion on Shi Lang's order.

Although there is no concept of military democracy in this era. However, under the indoctrination and cultivation of Shouhan for many years, intentionally or unintentionally, the people in the army were after the commander gave the order. They can put forward their own opinions and opinions on technical and tactical issues, and such opinions and opinions will be recorded truthfully and become the basis for evaluating and rewarding merit afterwards.

"Good! You're right! Shi Lang also discovered a loophole in his command and immediately redistributed firepower.

A sharp brass whistle sounded in the gun emplacement, and the gunners on the gun deck touched the fire rope in their hands towards the tube, which caused a series of cannon fires, and nine shells flew out of the gun window, against the background of white smoke and red flames, towards the English merchant ship hundreds of paces away.

"Oh my God!"

Seeing the gun window of the large ship on the opposite side quickly open, the people of the British East India Company fleet instinctively realized that something was wrong. In an instant, a burst of firelight, a burst of white smoke, a loud noise, and one after another cannonballs whistled, heading straight for their own fleet, and around the "Nine-Tailed Cat" merchant ship that had just adjusted the sails and moved the hull, it stirred up a thick column of water, providing free ship washing services for the "Nine-Tailed Cat".

A few cannonballs that swept past the hull of the Nine-Tailed Cat and fell into the water whizzed past the bow of the ship, piercing the mast and sail so that the sailors on deck, their teeth pounding against each other, silently reciting prayers, and breaking out in a cold sweat.

A twelve-pounder cannonball flew over the Nine-Tailed Cat and fell far into the water, splashing high columns of water, causing the people watching the battle on the shore to cry out in amazement, saying that it was a pity that they had not been able to hit the red-haired ghost's boat.

However, this cannonball was not without achievements, its flight trajectory just swept the main mast of the Nine-Taileds, and the mast flew into a mess, not to mention several sail ropes, and the huge sail fell to the ground. I couldn't escape.

"Go to Sù Shilang, don't do a second round of fire yet, turn the bow of the ship, and attack with the guns on the starboard side. Also, the guns on the starboard side have raised the muzzle by five degrees, and the Zhuyuan has been modified! Don't hit the back of the Furred Boat! Seeing the second wave of ten shells through the binoculars setting off huge waves around the hull of the Nine-Tailed Cat, Li Huamei's beautiful eyebrows moved up twice. But he still held the telescope and carefully observed the trajectory of the shells.

"Miss, the two gunboats on the right flank are calling the flag and want to join the battle!"

"Yes!"

After thinking about it for a while, Li Huamei immediately agreed to this request.

"All the gunboats on the left and right flanks join the battle together! Those three boats were watched by the guys from the Guangdong sailors! ”

"Command the gunboats! This time it's the best target! Give me a good fight! Take out everything you need for your daily training exercises! ”

For a while, the flags were happily passed on the masts of the gunboats, and the gunboats that received the order erupted in bursts of cheers.

Soon, a battle resembling a cat teasing a mouse, or an artillery firing was staged on the surface of the Pearl River.

"This!? Such!? That's okay?! ”

The telescope in Sir Weddell's hand almost fell into the river. His trembling hands could barely hold the brass barrel of the telescope.

As the first round of firing ended, the Nanami shifted its direction and aimed its guns on the starboard side at the Hydra, and in the middle of the void, four gunboats on the left and right flanks surrounded the Nine-Tailed Cat, using the Nine-Tailed Cat as the best target. A mortar shell landed on the stern of the Nine-Tailed Cat, smashing nearly half of the stern in unison, shattering the wooden planks, broken limbs, and materials and cargo stored in the cabin all over the nearby water.

There was only a momentary pause. Two Cron gunboats rushed up with their own sixty-eight-pounder Kronguns. Aimed at the hydra's waterline for bombardment.

With the deafening sound of cannonballs, waves of large iron balls drew perfect ballistics in the air, and seemed to be overwhelmingly smashed towards the Nine-Tailed Cat merchant ship.

"Oh God! Forgive this poor man! ”

Accountants no longer calculate profits, losses. Losses and other matters. What he is thinking about now is how to keep his capital!

The poor Nine-Tailed adjusted the sail line because of the inopportune moment. Then he moved his position, and then he became a fat duck in a bucket, bombarded and beaten with huge cannonballs. I don't know if I can avoid the baptism of the next round of shells.

After each of the four gunboats had fought a round, the Nine-Tailed Cat was already dying, and there were three or four large and small holes on the ship, and the water of the Pearl River happily poured into the ship.

"That's it! It's our turn! ”

Shi Lang reoriented the Nanami, his eyes full of eagerness.

They raised the muzzle slightly, so that the twelve-pounder and ten-pounder guns were much more accurate, and they no longer swept past the merchant ships and fell into the water, as they had just done in the first round. More than 30 large and small guns were first bombarded by 12-pounder guns and Big Franc machines, followed by 10 10-pounder guns. Divided into two rounds of firing one by one, so that the gunners of each cannon have the opportunity to practice.

It's a pity that such an opportunity is fleeting.

"Alright, send a signal for the two mortar gunboats to withdraw from the battle and keep an eye on the three red-haired rebel ships. The rest of the ships, reload! Get ready to shoot! ”

Cannonballs whistled through the air with a sharp whistle, and white smoke mixed with flickering flames rose through the gun window, quickly enveloping the gunboat's hull.

Nearly 50 guns fired in a salvo, with Li Huamei's order, spewed blazing flames in front of them one after another, and dozens of shells of more than 10 pounds smashed like raindrops into the armed merchant ship of the Nine-Tailed Cat.

"Oh! O my God! ”

"Is this the end of the world?!"

On the William the Conqueror, the people of the English East India Company under Sir Weddell were in a state of war, praying in their hearts that God in heaven would have mercy on his people and believers.

"Good! Well played! ”

"One more shot! The red-haired ghost's ship is about to sink! ”

The people who watched the excitement were like the spectators who watched football in later generations, and they kept shouting and cheering.

"Look! I'm right, right? With such sharp artillery fire, look at the men and horses of the land camp, let's not take refuge in such a lord, which one to turn to?! ”

On the bank of the Pearl River, an adjutant general boasted of his foresight to several officers under him, such as generals, garrisons, and guerrillas.

Shi Lang proudly acted as the temporary gun commander of this small fleet, and at the same time commanded and coordinated the firing of dozens of guns. But this artillery battle is more appropriate than a one-sided target shot.

The trajectory of the cannonball crossed in the air, and the fleeting trajectory traces remained on people's retinas under a vaguely visible net, and the sharp whistling sound of the cannonball continued to impact people's eardrums, and the heavy cannonballs continued to fall on the ship of the Nine-Tailed Cat and the water nearby, and the huge water column stirred up after the cannonball fell into the water, constantly washing the blood stains on the boat, and flowing the blood into the Pearl River.

These heavy iron balls combine the kinetic energy imparted by gunpowder, and the impact is enormous. They bring great destructive power, whether it is a solid plank, a three-pounder gun, a small franc machine, or even a human body, as long as it is hit or swept by a cannonball, it is the result of instant disintegration and flying everywhere.

After being bombarded by dozens of heavy guns of outrageous caliber and weight, the poor Nine-Taileds, like the roaring Dutchman, turned into a pile of tattered wood that floated across the Pearl River.

"Images! We image! ”

As if the Black Death had spread across the East India Company's fleet, the sailors on the remaining three ships were shouting in broken Chinese.

The sailor, wielding a great axe, cut the sail cord of the sail, and the huge sail fell on the deck covering the people on the deck.

"Damn it! Pigs! Maggots in the marinated meat bucket! Come on! Hurry up and raise the white flag! ”

Someone hurriedly put the flag representing Great Britain on the top of the mast, which had just been formulated for 30 years, and was formed by the cross and merger of the St. George Cross flag of England and the St. Andrew's flag of Scotland, and the United Jack flag composed of red, white and blue was removed, and the St. George Cross flag representing the English Navy was thrown into the river with a red cross on a white background.

"Quick! Go find the sheets! White! ”

The accountant shouted loudly, ignoring the flags of the English East India Company, which consisted of a red cross and red and white bars, under his feet.

White flags made of bed sheets and torn sailors' white shirts were raised on three English merchant ships, and the sailors on board learned the etiquette of the great Oriental country without a lesson: they all fell to their knees on the deck, begging for forgiveness from the victors. (To be continued......)

PS: Continue to ask for a monthly pass.

In addition, friends in the book review area, please calculate how much capacity is needed for a troop of 10,000 people. And not only people, but also horses, vehicles, provisions, ammunition, so calculated, pig's feet must be concentrated in a short period of at least 100,000 tons of capacity. Do you think you can do it in a short period of time?

Even if there are so many ships, so many ships, can they be built in ten years? Will sailors be able to train out?