From the yellow water of the adjacent coast to the blue water far from the land, the faint islands of all sizes were no longer visible, and the fleet experienced two sudden storms during the seven-day and seven-night voyage, dragging two cargo ships full of soldiers and civilians to get lost and disperse in the storm twice, and finally luckily restarted.

Sailing continuously on the endless and indiscernible sea, everyone had to silently endure the scorching heat of the day and the humid environment of the night, fear and confusion weighed heavily on the hearts of every soldier and civilian, and the tenacious Zhu Daolin also felt deep anxiety and worry, but the mercenaries did not feel the slightest sense of depression, and their faces full of dirty beards were either laughing, numb, or disdainful, but there was no panic and confusion.

Zhu Daolin had to admit that thanks to the 60 naval instructors who got along with the officers and men of the naval division day and night and the 140 mercenaries who joined later, it was their constant encouragement, abuse, and even rough corporal punishment that aroused the courage and stubbornness of the officers and men of the naval division on every ship, strictly obeyed the rich sailing experience and accurate instructions of the Spanish instructors, and made concerted efforts to steer the ships, so that the entire fleet was able to avoid two storms without danger and quickly get out of the dangerous area with strong winds and waves.

What is even more commendable is that after the two storms, after continuous efforts and united actions, the lost cargo ship was finally recovered, which increased the confidence of all the soldiers and civilians on board, and once again established the hope of overcoming difficulties and successfully reaching the destination.

Although Zhu Daolin did not say "thank you" to any of the Franc instructors and mercenaries, on the first battleship he was on, all the Franc Mechanics could see their value from his happy and satisfied smile.

In order to avoid revealing their whereabouts, the fleet met with the merchant ships of the Fujian Zheng clan and the Dutch, and after leaving Shengshan Island, the fleet sailed in the depths of the sea away from the coast, although it successfully avoided the coastal waterways where cargo ships frequented. However, due to this, it is not possible to accurately locate the large and small islands near the coast.

Together with two sudden storms, the fleet was delayed for about two days, and it was not until the afternoon of the eighth day that the outline of the island was seen as an illusory mirage on the southern sea.

At 4:50 p.m., the lookout post on the mast suddenly shouted loudly: "Land! I saw mountains, very high mountains. That must be the island of Taiwan—"

Zhu Daolin, who had stood on the bow deck for more than two hours, raised his telescope and continued to observe, and finally became convinced that the high mountain between the water and the sky more than ten kilometers away was Yangmingshan in the northeast corner of Taiwan Island, and he couldn't help but breathe a long sigh of relief: "Taiwan, I'm here!" Yangmingshan ......"

"Yangmingshan!? Dear general, did you name that high mountain? ”

Acting Captain Vargas came to Zhu Daolin's side and asked with a grin on his face.

Zhu Daolin only remembered at this time. Yangmingshan was the name that Lao Jiang took after he was driven to Taiwan, and it was called Grass Mountain before the name Yangmingshan, so he smiled and replied:

"Name that mountain? That's a good idea...... Well, once we're on land at the mouth of the Tamsui River, we can drink and come up with a nice name for the mountain. ”

Bagas laughed and pointed to the coastline that was getting clearer and clearer: "I've been to this sea area before, and the coastline under the mountains in front of us. It is the northwest corner of the island of Taiwan, sailing about 30 kilometers to the southeast. It is the port of Keelung, which is garrisoned by the Spanish army, sailing 25 kilometers to the southwest, and is the destination of our trip, the Tamsui estuary...... At the current speed, it would take another hour and a half to set foot on land at the mouth of the Tamsui River. ”

Zhu Daowang looked at the mountain in front of him again: "Have you ever walked this route we have taken in the past few days?" ”

Bagas shook his head: "No, all the fleets that go to the Ming trade are sailing along the mainland coastline to the west. From the Penghu Islands in the middle of the strait to the mouth of the Yangtze River, it can be accurately located by offshore islands, and the same is true for the Manila-Japan route. ”

"There are many large and small islands on the route from Keelung Port to Japan, and there may have been a Japanese cargo ship that crossed the East China Sea directly westward. We ended up at the port of Ningbo or Shanghai in the Ming Empire, but we never did. ”

"Based on the current sea conditions and direction, how many days do you think it will take to return to Baoshan Port, our place of departure?" Zhu Daolin did not forget the more difficult task because of the proximity of the Tamsui port.

Almost without calculation, Bagas blurted out: "The return trip is a very favorable downwind voyage, and the weather has been good lately, and the unloaded fleet sails on the already familiar route, even at night, at about 8-10 knots, that is, about 16 kilometers per hour." ”

"It will take a maximum of 3 days and 3 nights for the fleet to return to Baoshan Port, and it will take about 6 days to return again, of course, in these 6 days, there can be no two major storms that exceed the previous days, otherwise no one can say."

Zhu Daolin nodded: "Bagas, are you willing to officially serve as the captain of a certain warship in the Tamsui Fleet?" ”

Vargas was pleasantly surprised: "Of course I do, Your Excellency the General!" Is this the ship I command now? ”

"I want you to take command of the 500-ton three-masted battleship currently under the command of Captain Simeno in the rear, and when it reaches the mouth of the Tamsui River, General Simeno needs to stay there and lead a team of 20 experienced mercenary instructors to assist us in planning the exact location of the docks, barracks, two batteries and multiple bastions, and to advise on the design drawings and construction plans." Zhu Daolin replied with a smile.

Bagas waved his fist excitedly, and quickly turned his fist into a palm and stretched out to Zhu Daolin, grabbed Zhu Daolin's outstretched hand, and shook it tightly: "Thank you for your trust, dear general, I will let you see my loyalty and ability!" ”

Zhu Daolin smiled happily: "I believe in you, Lieutenant Bagas!" Over the past few months, you have displayed outstanding talents, which have won the unanimous admiration of my officers and men, and your sincere and frank character and excellent moral character have also earned you my respect and trust! ”

"I intend to officially announce the establishment of the Ming Imperial Navy's Freshwater Fleet after arriving at Tamsui Port, and you, the honest and brave Simeno, as well as the other two Spanish instructors who have performed well, will be officially appointed by me."

"Thank you, General! Thank you so much! ”

Vargas had a smile of joy on his face.

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