"I wonder what else Brother Zeng wants?" Zheng Zhilong also said secretly in his heart, "Sure enough, Yulin Bay is not a fuel-efficient lamp. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info"

"It's simple." Zeng Guangxian looked at Zheng Zhilong quietly, "After driving the Westerners out of Taiwan, we hope that General Zheng will cooperate with us in attacking Lushun next year." ”

"You're going to attack Lushun?" Zheng Zhilong hesitated, "Brother Zeng, although you have also attacked Shengjing several times, as far as Zheng knows, the Tartars are in Lushun, so it is not a bit risky to attack Lushun. ”

"General Zheng." Wang Zhaoxing said with a smile, "Before coming to Taiwan, I received news from Beijing that attacking Lushun was not our intention, but the intention of the imperial court. If we can defeat Lushun, then the imperial court will be able to rebuild a base in Liaodong, which will ensure the safety of the Jingshi. ”

"Besides, General Zheng." Zeng Guangxian said, "It's not just our two that attack Lushun, there are still troops from the imperial court on Phi Island. Moreover, it is beneficial for General Zheng to capture Dongying if we take Lushun. ”

Zheng Zhilong thought in his heart for a while, clenched his fists and said, "Both, since attacking Lushun is the intention of the imperial court, Zheng will consider it." Let's talk about those four ships. ”

"General Zheng, please take a look." Zeng Guangxian took out the design drawing of the battleship from his arms, "This is the specific data of the new battleship, we have improved it on the existing battleship in Yulin Bay this time, and it is guaranteed to be several times stronger than the current Western warship in terms of speed, performance and gun range." ”

"That's just the price." Zheng Zhihu said, "Brother Zeng, let's see if we can reduce it, we have spent all the money on the construction of Taichung City in the past few years." If you don't hide it, we don't have much money. ”

"Brother Zheng laughed." Zeng Guangxian did not budge, "3 million taels is just a drop in the bucket for General Zheng, as long as the Westerners are driven out of Taiwan, the silver is not as much as General Zheng wants." ”

After some bargaining, the two sides finally reached the deal for 2.8 million taels, Yulin Bay will deliver the warship before March next year at the latest, and Zheng Zhilong promised to cooperate with Yulin Bay to attack Lushun after getting the battleship.

"General Zheng." After the matter of the battleship was negotiated, Zeng Guangxian asked again, "The Taiwan matter cannot be delayed, and General Zheng does not know what to do?" ”

Zheng Zhilong smiled at Zeng Guangxian and Wang Zhaoxing: "Zheng has a reluctant request, since we all mean to drive Westerners out of Taiwan, then we don't have to be polite to them." Zheng now has 14 gunboats in Taiwan, and the rest has more than 30 large and small warships, and you now have a total of 5 warships, and there is also the Pearl. Let's drive the ship directly to the chicken coop, drive the Spaniards away first, and then turn back to deal with the Dutch. ”

"General." Zeng Guangxian said, "It's okay to drive out the Westerners by force, and we don't have to drag them down anymore, but I think we should attack the city of Gelanza first." ”

"Brother Zeng, why do you want to attack the city of Geranza first?" Zheng Zhihu asked loudly, "The city of Relansha is much stronger than the city defense of the chicken coop. ”

"That's why we have to hit it first." Zeng Guangxian replied, "As long as the city of Relanza is captured, the chicken coop will be self-defeating." ”

Zeng Guangxian did not tell the Zheng Zhilong brothers that the main purpose of Yulin Bay this time was to sink the two 800-ton Dutch warships, and if these two warships were kept, the pressure on Singapore would be great.

"May I ask General Zheng." Wang Zhaoxing interjected and asked, "If we attack Gelanza City with all our might, how many troops does the general want to leave to defend Taichung, and can the general over there in Jinxia tell me how it is arranged, I am worried that the Westerners will sneak attack from behind." ”

"Thank you, General Wang." Zheng Zhilong asked rhetorically, "I wonder how your five warships will be arranged?" ”

Zeng Guangxian said with a smile: "General Zheng has seen the outside, and all our warships are at the disposal of the general this time." ”

"Yes, Zheng thanked the two of you." Zheng Zhilong got up and gave a deep salute, and walked to the map again, "Zheng Mou has done it once." We will send ten gunboats, and I ask the general to send the Pearl and the remaining three ships, for a total of fourteen ships to attack the city of Geranza. Your Fuzhou and Zheng's other four gunboats stayed here to guard against a surprise attack by the Spaniards. ”

"Isn't there a ship sent by Jinxia?" Wang Zhaoxing asked.

"There are still 6 gunboats on the Jinxia side, and that side is Zheng's hometown, with the mainland at its back, there will be no problem."

"There's another question down there." Zeng Guangxian asked again, "Although we have 5 warships and the Pearl this time, we are all sailors and have no army. I'm afraid we'll have to fight a land battle when we attack the city of Geranza, I wonder if the general is prepared? ”

"Haha, don't worry about this great-brother." Zheng Zhilong laughed and said, "Didn't Zheng buy 5,000 flintlock pistols from you, Zheng now has more than 2,000 musketeers in Taiwan, and the land battle can be solved by Zheng." ”

The two sides reached an agreement in principle, and it took a few more days to deduce the details. Five days later, fourteen warships, along with more than twenty ships loaded with musketeers, set sail for the city of Geranza under the command of the flagship Pearl.

A few days later, a large fleet appeared outside the city of Geranza. Zheng Zhilong accepted Zeng Guangxian's suggestion, saluted first and then soldiers, and sent a small boat to deliver an ultimatum to the city of Geranza.

Early the next morning, Van Rude boarded the Pearl in a small boat.

"General." Van Rude politely asked, "Why is such a large number of soldiers pressuring?" ”

"General Van Rude." Zheng Zhilong's tone was very tough, "Our ultimatum must have been seen by the generals, will the general agree or not?" ”

"General Zheng, we haven't received an order from Batavia yet, how about we ask General Zheng to wait a few more days?"

"We'll have to wait." Zheng Zhihu shouted, "We originally agreed on a month, but now more than two months have passed, are you trying to be a scoundrel?" ”

"General, we are just waiting for our governor's orders."

"I think you're waiting for reinforcements from Batavia." Zeng Guangxian sneered, "Let's see how many more warships you have in Geranza City. But General Van Rude, you also saw that our battleship Pearl is also here this time, do you think your ships can withstand our Pearl? ”

Van Rude gritted his teeth: "Generals, we have reached an agreement with your Ming Imperial Court in Gelanza City. As early as 12 years ago, your imperial court agreed to our entry into Taiwan. ”

Zeng Guangxian understood that Van Rude was talking about 1624, when the Dutch East India Company occupied Penghu in 1622 and used it as an entrepot for East Asian trade. In 1623, the Dutch built a simple fortress in the "Yi Kun Fish", which was the predecessor of Anping Castle. In 1624, after eight months of fierce fighting with the Chinese Ming Dynasty, the Dutch and Chinese officials agreed to destroy the fortresses and forts at Penghu and transfer them to the island of Taiwan in 1624, with China not interfering in the Dutch occupation of Taiwan. After the Dutch occupied the throne, they built the city of Geranza.

Zeng Guangxian pointed at Zheng Zhilong: "General Fan Rude, you also know that General Zheng was a coastal defense guerrilla of the Ming Dynasty, and what he said also represents the meaning of our Ming court." ”

"Not bad." Zheng Zhilong understood what Zeng Guangxian meant, "This general is indeed following the will of the imperial court this time. Ben will give you another day, and if you don't evacuate tomorrow morning, then you won't blame Ben for not telling you in advance. ”

"General, please." After Zheng Zhilong finished speaking, he didn't give Fan Rude a chance to speak, and directly issued an eviction order.

"Pass the order." Seeing that Van Rude was gone, Zheng Zhilong ordered in a loud voice, "Everyone get ready to attack Geranza City early tomorrow morning." ”

Early the next morning, the sun rose and there were no clouds. Zheng Zhilong stood on the deck of the Pearl with a telescope and looked in the direction of Relanza City for a while: "Brother Zeng, they still don't seem to be moving. ”

"The general doesn't have to think about it." Zeng Guangxian clearly saw through the telescope that the two 800-ton warships were still moored in the harbor of Geranza City, "Please give the general an order." ”

"Order, all ships keep in formation, speed 8 knots, target the city of Geranza, advance."

The Pearl took the lead, and fourteen warships formed a ladder formation and hurried towards the city of Geranza.

Ten Dutch battleships also drove out in two columns, with two 800-ton battleships at the front.

The warships of the two sides were getting closer and closer, Zheng Zhilong's fleet was in the downwind direction, and the Pearl gradually left the rest of the warships behind.

"Reduce the speed and hold 5 knots." Zeng Guangxian saw that the distance between the two fleets was close to 4,000 meters, and turned his head to Zheng Zhilong and suggested, "General, we are now in the downwind direction, and the enemy's artillery can also hit more than 300 zhang." It is more certain that the general can use the Pearl against their two large ships, and the rest of the battleships will go around the flanks to attack the battleships behind them. ”

Zheng Zhilong held the binoculars and looked at it for a while: "Yes, just according to Brother Zeng's opinion." The order was given, and the ships broke away from the formation and attacked from both flanks. ”

Zheng Zhilong put down the binoculars after speaking: "Brother Zeng, the Pearl is your warship, Zheng is not very familiar with it, and it is better to ask Brother Zeng to command the Pearl." ”

Zeng Guangxian didn't refuse, and clasped his fists with both hands: "It's disrespectful under it." ”

Zeng Guangxian looked back at the distance of the battleship behind him and gave an order: "The Pearl will speed up to 8 knots, the course will not change, and rush over." ”

Wang Zhaoxing received an order from the flagship on the battleship Qiongzhou behind: "Order, turn the rudder 45 degrees to the right, break away from the formation, and go around to the flank of the enemy ship." ”

Thirteen battleships turned 45 degrees to the left and right, and sailed in a line to the sides of the enemy ships.

"Order, test firing of the 32-pounder gun in the bow." Zeng Guangxian saw that the distance between the Pearl and the enemy ship had been reduced to 3,000 meters, and gave the first firing order.