Nagasaki, almost directly east of Shanghai, was a stopover for the fleet on its way across the Pacific to the United States. This time, Nagasaki had to be replenished with some fresh water, coal, and food, so the fleet was expected to dock in Nagasaki for two nights.

Basically, Nagasaki is Japan's main port for foreign countries, and its status is similar to that of Shanghai and Guangzhou in China. Before Japan's lockdown policy was broken, Nagasaki was the shogunate's only port for foreign trade, and trade was limited to China and the Netherlands.

Guan Zhuofan knows that it is deeply influenced by Chinese culture, and there are many Chinese who have settled here. Even in later generations, some of the customs, food culture, and festivals of the Nagasaki people originated in China. In the vicinity of Nagasaki, there are at least three "Chinatown towns", which can be regarded as the origin of the "Chinatowns" in Shijie later.

If you have the time, you should really take a good look, he thought to himself.

However, he may not be able to do this, because this time, he has a very important jihua - to spend these two days looking for someone in Nagasaki.

This person, who is Japanese, is called Ryoma Sakamoto.

Sakamoto Ryoma is a genius among the Japanese in this era, and it can also be said that he is a genius. He was the spiritual leader and main promoter of the Shogunate Rebellion, which overthrew the shogunate in the future, and not only contributed to the reconciliation between the Choshu Domain and the Satsuma Domain, which were once in full swing, but also his "Eight Strategies in the Boat, Great Politics and Return" was the most important theoretical basis for the Shogunate Movement and the Meiji Restoration.

Of course, such a person should be seen in Nagasaki.

With the march of the fleet. The outline of the port of Nagasaki. It is also already faintly visible. However, at this moment, the escort gunboat "Brave", which had been driving in front of the left side of the fleet, suddenly sounded two short and one long whistles.

"Yixuan, there is a situation!" Wall, who was standing side by side with Guan Zhuofan on the deck, tensed up, raised the clairvoyant mirror in his hand, and looked at the flag on the "Brave".

The whistle is two short and one long, this is a siren! Wall is a veteran seafaring veteran who has served as first mate on three ships. The reaction was unusually fast, he looked at the flag and looked north again.

"Four battleships, unidentified!" Wall handed the clairtelescope to Guan Zhuofan, "Singleton's flag is an order to prepare for war, postpone entering the port, and stand by in the sea outside the port. ”

There is a pre-set plan for such a situation at sea. Sure enough, the entire fleet saw the flag on the Brave. The speed slowed down, and slowly approached the port of Nagasaki to the east. A small number of merchant ships equipped with tail guns took off their cannons at this moment and prepared for engagement. The commander-in-chief of the ships also gave a loud order for the troops with breech guns to be distributed on the broadside of the deck and to prepare to open fire.

In fact, at this time, you can already see without a clairvoyant mirror that there are four black smokes on the sea surface in the north, one thick and three thin. If this is a fleet, it means one large and three small, a total of four warships, which are heading towards the fleet at full speed.

"Wan'er, go back to the cabin." Guan Zhuofan looked at it with a clairvoyant mirror and ordered, "Daniel Zhang, just transfer the two sentinels to the port side, and you can't put it away if you have more." ”

Just when the fleet was busy preparing for battle, the four warships from the north gradually approached, and the shadows of the ships could be seen clearly with the naked eye. The front one is a small ship, the middle one is a large one, and there are two other small ships behind the side.

It's strange that there was a cannon sound - isn't it a joke to fire a cannon at such a distance?

Wall took the clairvoyant mirror and looked at it for a moment, a smile on his face.

"It's not coming from us," he said to Guan Zhuofan, "it's between them." ”

When he got closer, Guan Zhuofan also understood that the small ship in front seemed to be fleeing in the direction of Nagasaki Port, the big ship in the back was in hot pursuit, and the other two small ships in the back seemed to be entangled and chasing the big ship.

The rumbling sound of the cannons was heard more clearly, and even the columns of water stirred up by the shells around the hull began to be clearly visible. Guan Zhuofan noticed that the expression on Wall's face began to become weird.

"Unbelievable......" Wall's clairvoyant mirror in his hand refused to put it down, muttering to himself, "Unbelievable." ”

After looking at it for a while, it was finally confirmed-

"Yixuan, it's an American gunboat! USS Wyoming! He exclaimed excitedly, "The three little ones are Japanese battleships!" ”

Túrin had already sent two more pairs of clairvoyant mirrors, and Guan Zhuofan and Daniel Zhang also focused their eyes firmly on the four battleships in the battle.

Sure enough, on the mast of the big ship, there were two Star-Spangled flags. And when he saw the flags hanging on the three small ships, the corners of Guan Zhuofan's mouth twitched as if reflexively.

Among the white flags, a round of red sun, is the plaster-like "Sun Chapter Flag".

The numbers of the four steam warships are clearly visible, and the situation of this battle is already very clear. The one that fled in front was the Japanese "Mibu Maru," and the US Navy's "Wyoming" pursued it behind, while the other two Japanese warships, the "Kakai Maru" and the "Gengshen Maru," pursued and shelled the "Wyoming" in the rear.

The "Wyoming" is a large ship with more firepower, but with one enemy and three enemies, it is obviously in trouble. It's just that he doesn't know Weishenme, and he insists on the "Renwu Maru" running ahead, and seems to be determined not to let it escape into the port, so he has to sink it.

"the Japanese!" Guan Zhuofan yelled out of frustration.

This sudden roar made Wall and Daniel Zhang startled, and they didn't know why Mr. Guan had such a deep hatred for the Japanese.

"Yixuan, don't worry." Wall reassured, "You see, Singleton's Brave has moved. ”

The gunboat "Brave", which was located to the north of the flotilla and had been protecting the flotilla, had apparently also figured out the situation, and with a roar of its engines, it left the flotilla at full speed and headed for the course of the "Migo Maru".

Most of the soldiers of the Xuan Army on dozens of merchant ships saw such a scene of naval battle for the first time, and they were both nervous and excited, but they did not know that among the two warring sides, they should cheer for that side. It wasn't until he saw the guns on the "Brave" spewing smoke and spitting fire and began to shell the "Renpo Maru" that there was a bang, and the battleship with the plaster flag was regarded as the enemy.

The "Rengo Maru" could no longer be imagined, and suddenly another American gunboat appeared from here, and it was too late to evade it. The first salvo fired on the "Brave" and two shells hit, one of which smashed the steering gear at the stern of the "Mibu Maru" to pieces.

This time, the fate of the "Rengo Maru," which had lost its power, was already doomed, and it was flanked by two American gunboats, and within a few minutes, it was hit by more than 20 bullets, and the hull of the ship capsized, and it was hopeless.

The US officers and men aboard the Wyoming were also surprised and delighted, wondering why the "Brave," which was originally stationed in Shanghai, China, could suddenly appear on the sea off Nagasaki. However, at such a time, regardless of the lot, under the unforgiving situation, he immediately joined the "Brave" and turned back to attack the "Guihai Maru" and "Gengshen Maru" who had been chasing him.

The tide of battle was reversed. The two American gunboats were judged by their strength and weakness, and there was no suspense in this battle. However, the two Japanese warships were really tenacious, and they did not flee, but entangled with the two US warships on the sea for nearly an hour, until the "Guihai Maru" ignited a fire, and the "Gengshen Maru" was sunk, and the battle ended.

"Mr. Xu," Guan Zhuofan was in a very comfortable mood, called Xu Silin behind him, and asked with a smile, "Look at the Japanese ships, they are all pills, pills, what does that mean?" ”

Xu Silin was originally a fellow donor, and he has been doing raw silk trade with Japan in a trading house in Shanghai, and he is most familiar with Japan when he travels to and from Nagasaki. In order to come to Nagasaki this time, Guan Zhuofan specially gave him a four-rank Taoist title and invited him into the scene.

Xu Silin watched this naval battle, and was thrilling, hearing Guan Hou Ye call himself, he hurriedly stepped forward, and said with a smile: "Back to Hou Ye's words, this pill word is the meaning of the circle, the Japanese regard the circle as a symbol of auspiciousness, so the ship that goes to sea adds a pill character as the name of the ship god." ”

"Oh, it turns out that if you draw a few circles, it's auspicious." Guan Zhuofan smiled, "Then why did they all sink into the sea again?" ”

How can this be answered? Xu Silin was stunned and couldn't answer for a while.

didn't know that Guan Zhuofan was just talking nonsense with him, thinking about another thing.

Japan's battle to "conquer the country" has indeed begun.

*

(On the first day of the business trip, there is only this one today, sorry.) ）

*(To be continued......)