"So, General Van Rude. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 info" Zeng Guangxian said with a smile, "You can try your best to use your skills, fight the drill, everyone show their real skills." ”

Zeng Guangxian put away his smile after speaking: "Generals, please prepare for it, the exercise will officially start in three days." ”

Three days later, all the warships sailed to the side of a small island in Taiwai. Zeng Guangxian stood on the deck of the Pearl with a telescope, and beside him stood Zheng Zhilong and Zheng Zhihu.

"General Zheng, the Westerners' warships are not small." Zeng Guangxian put down the binoculars and said.

"They also have more artillery than before." Zheng Zhilong's heart was secretly worried, only four of the ten battleships on the opposite side were sold to Westerners in Yulin Bay, and the remaining six were all Westerners themselves. Two of them were the latest warships that Van Rude had just sailed from the Netherlands, which appeared to have a displacement of more than 800 tons and were armed with 50 cannons.

"General Zheng, don't worry, please give the general an order." Zeng Guangxian gave a military salute to Zheng Zhilong, this bit of face still has to be given to him, who calls himself on someone else's territory.

"Herald." Zheng Zhilong raised the order flag, "The joint exercise begins." ”

The rumbling war drums sounded, and Zeng Guangxian turned around and shouted to Da Silva, the first mate who served as the battleship Pearl, "Order, the speed is 8 knots, the course is unchanged, and drive over." ”

With a long whistle, smoke billowed from the Pearl, and the massive hull was activated, followed closely by six 30-gunboats.

The two fleets were separated by about 5 nautical miles, and Van Rude also lowered his binoculars: "Order, each ship will speed 7 knots, and seize the upwind direction of the T-shaped head." ”

The two large ships were the leader, and the rest of the ships lined up in a column behind, and gradually drove over by the wind.

Zheng Zhihu couldn't hold his breath at first: "Brother Zeng, they are now in the upper wind, we will suffer if we rush over like this." ”

Zeng Guangxian turned his head to look at the 6 30 gunboats following behind, because it was going against the wind, the speed of the 30 gunboats was far from catching up with the speed of the Pearl, so the distance gradually widened.

Zeng Guangxian smiled and shook his head: "Brother Zheng, don't worry, let's fight against his ten warships with one warship." ”

"Order, keep moving, keep going." Zeng Guangxian turned around and shouted.

Unaffected by the speed of the wind, the Pearl had maintained a speed of 8 knots and was gradually approaching the opposing fleet. The distance between the two sides was already close to 2,000 meters, and the other side's ten warships had stopped sailing and diverted, and more than 200 cannons were aimed at the Pearl.

"Brother Zeng, they're going to open fire." Zheng Zhilong was also a little out of breath.

Before Zeng Guangxian could speak, the two largest battleships on the opposite side flashed with fire, rumbling cannons came, and dozens of shells fell in the sea a few hundred meters away from the Pearl.

"Big brother, great-brother." Zheng Zhihu's mouth opened again, "How can the Westerners' cannons hit so far?" ”

Zeng Guangxian was also surprised by the range of the guns of the Western warships, he didn't bother to answer Zheng Zhihu, turned his head and shouted: "Order, the speed is reduced to 4 knots, the course remains the same, and everyone enters the cabin." ”

The Zheng brothers didn't say anything more, and followed Zeng Guangxian to the command room, the speed of the Pearl slowly slowed down, but it was still slowly moving towards the other party's fleet.

"Brother Zeng, are we still going forward?" Zheng Zhilong asked while sitting in the command room.

"Big brother, get down, they are firing again." Zheng Zhihu, who was standing in the hanging window of the command room, suddenly screamed, jumped over and threw his brother under him.

The Pearl's hull shook twice, and with a rumbling cannon roar, the Pearl received several shells.

"Brother Zheng doesn't have to be nervous, I said that it must be okay." Zeng Guangxian walked to the hanging window and raised the binoculars, Zheng Zhilong pushed his younger brother away, dusted off his clothes and sat down again.

"Order, continue to slow down, stop sailing according to the enemy ship at 800 meters, and turn the rudder 90 degrees to the left." Zeng Guangxian didn't dare to hold it up, and set the distance at 800 meters.

"Yes, turn the rudder 90 degrees to the left." Da Silva replied loudly.

The Pearl slowly came to a halt about 800 meters away from the enemy ship, and the 16 24-pounder guns and two 32-pounder guns on the starboard side pointed at the enemy ship in front of it.

A burst of cannon sound came again, and the Pearl shook a few times: "Da Silva, go and see if the hull is damaged." ”

A few minutes later, da Silva returned to the command room: "Report to the sir, our ship is safe and sound, and there is no damage. ”

"Good." Zeng Guangxian's heart was half relaxed, and he raised the telescope again and continued to look ahead.

Van Rude on the opposite flagship was secretly surprised that what kind of ship the other party was, it could actually resist his own two volleys.

"Order, all warships turn the rudder 90 degrees to the right and lean over at full speed." Van Rude secretly thought in his heart, "This distance can't beat you, it's always okay to get closer." ”

"Sir, they're rushing again." Da Silva shouted.

"Command." Zeng Guangxian gave the order to open the artillery, "The right-chord cannon fired a salvo at a 10-degree elevation angle." ”

The Pearl finally let out a roar, and 18 shells whizzed past the opposing fleet, causing 18 waves 2,000 meters behind the fleet.

"Order, turn the rudder 90 degrees to the right, activate the second propulsion system, meet it at full speed, and prepare all cannons at an elevation angle of 0 degrees."

This time, the battleship Pearl was loaded with some diesel oil refined by the Industrial Bureau, and the diesel engine, which had been stopped for several years, was running again.

The speed of the headwind was 18 or 9 knots, and before the opposing warships could stop and turn around, the Pearl passed through the center of the fleet with a huge roar.

"Da Silva, signal Van Rude." Zeng Guangxian ordered, "Let them stop shooting." ”

Van Rude looked at the signal flag hoisted on the Pearl, and calmed down his emotions a little: "Order, stop the ship, stop shooting." ”

Zeng Guangxian turned around and saluted Zheng Zhilong: "General Zheng, please give the order, we can attack the target ship now." ”

"It's still General Zeng's order." Zheng Zhilong's face is decadent now, and it seems that it is not possible to go to Yulin Bay.

Zeng Guangxian did not shirk either: "Order, target target ship, three rounds of flat firing on the port side." ”

About 2,000 meters away from the Pearl, a dilapidated Damingfu ship was hit by more than a dozen iron balls one after another, and the hull was smashed full of loopholes, and it slowly sank after a while.

Zeng Guangxian finally showed a satisfied smile: "Da Silva, go and invite General Van Rude and General Flores here." ”

"Yes, sir." Da Silva turned around and walked out of the cabin, Zeng Guangxian smiled at Zheng Zhilong again, "General Zheng, do you think the Westerners will agree to our request?" ”

"Everything is decided by General Zeng." Zheng Zhilong arched his hand at Zeng Guangxian.