Chapter 234 The Battle of the Seven Continents Ocean

[Today's second update]

The southeast coast is pacified. From then on, the Liaodong Governorate controlled the entire Far East sea power and trade.

However, the 50,000 elites of the Chao Gang joined the White Lotus Sect, which made the originally clear pattern a little more subtle.

After receiving the report, Deng Haonan simply ordered the Admiralty to take over the Chao Gang's shipyard in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, and forced King Nguyen Phuc Nguyen to accept the Treaty of Minh Viet Thang Long. He did not bother with other matters, except to restrain the Pacific Fleet to be cautious in cruising in the South Seas and avoid a military confrontation with the Spanish and Dutch navies.

The Treaty of Minh Viet Thang Long was a blackmail by the Liaodong Governorate against the king of Vietnam. Because the Vietnamese king Hao Van Emperor Nguyen Phuc Yuan privately accepted the rebellion of the Ming Dynasty and the Chao Gang, he severely hurt the feelings of the monarchs and people of the Ming Kingdom, so the Liaodong Governorate punished Vietnam by force.

Ruan Phuc Yuan was greedy for money and received one million taels of silver from Su Li, but it annoyed the Ming Empire. In order to clean up the mess, Ruan Phuc Yuan had to admit that he was confused for a while. Because Nguyen Phuc Nguyen knew what the Liaodong Governorate was doing in the Wa Kingdom, the Ryukyu Kingdom, and the Joseon Kingdom, he knew that if he did not please the Liaodong Governorate, then the Kingdom of Vietnam would become the Protectorate of Vietnam from then on.

Therefore, in the face of the intimidation of the Liaodong Governorate, the Vietnamese king Nguyen Phuc Yuan immediately contributed the one million taels of silver that had swallowed Suli, and at the same time expressed his willingness to accept the conditions of the Liaodong Governorate, as long as he was not abolished as the king.

Deng Haonan knew that it was very easy to colonize Vietnam, but he was worried that it would irritate the Spaniards and Dutch next to him, so he had to tolerate it for the time being and continue to maintain the vassal status of the Kingdom of Vietnam.

But. The shipyard in Cam Ranh Bay is very large, and a series of nearby workshops, such as gunpowder factories and firearms factories, are not small. This is a good military factory, and with Cam Ranh Bay's advantageous geographical location, it is necessary to open Cam Ranh Bay into a new naval base for the Pacific Fleet to control the South Seas.

According to the provisions of the Treaty of Ming Viet Shenglong, Cam Ranh Bay of Vietnam was leased to the Liaodong Governorate of the Ming Dynasty for a period of 99 years, and the Liaodong Governorate had the right to renew the contract. Thang Long (Hanoi), the capital of the Northern Vietnamese Dynasty, and Thanh Hoa, the capital of the Vietnamese Dynasty, were opened to trade cities, and the taxation of Ming merchants in Vietnam was decided by the Liaodong Governorate and the Vietnamese Yamen through consultation. The Ming people enjoyed consular jurisdiction and the most favored suzerainty in Vietnam. Vietnam's trade with other countries needs to be notified to the Liaodong Governorate. Cam Ranh Bay allowed the Ming army to be stationed, and it was opened up as a leased area within a radius of ten miles, and the Ming law was implemented in the leased area. There must be no military forces near Cam Ranh Bay that can threaten the Ming army stationed in Cam Ranh Bay, etc.

If these conditions were to be placed in other sovereign and independent countries, they would definitely cause an earth-shattering uproar. However, in Vietnam, the civil and military officials only expressed their dissatisfaction, and did not express themselves excessively. At the same time, the Vietnamese king Nguyen Phuc Nguyen was anxious to take in the responsibility of the Chao Gang, and felt that this treaty of the Liaodong Governorate had taken advantage of it, so he immediately agreed to it on the same day.

However, although Tang Haonan did not turn Vietnam into a colony, it still irritated the Spaniards and the Dutch.

The Dutch are naturally not a problem, because since the last military conflict broke out between the two sides, the Dutch have been keeping an eye on the movements of the Liaodong Governor's Office, taking the opportunity of trade to check the military strength construction of Taiwan Province and Ryukyu Province, mainly staring at the Pacific Fleet.

When the first Dolphin-class cruisers of the Liaodong Governorate were launched, the Dutch became nervous. Because after getting this batch of thousand-ton cruisers. The number of main cruisers of the Pacific Fleet has risen to 30, which is the same as that of the Dutch East India Fleet.

Major General Arnhem, Governor of the Dutch East India Company, convened a meeting to discuss countermeasures. As a result, all board members agreed to actively respond to the threat from the Pacific Fleet.

Since the Liaodong Governorate built the first batch of twenty cruisers, according to Arnhem's calculations, a year later, the Pacific Fleet will add another twenty cruisers. In this way, the fleet of the Dutch East India Company could not contain the Pacific Fleet.

For a long time, the Liaodong Governorate and the Dutch East India Company were able to put aside disputes and do business together, thanks to the balance of power of the two navies. Now the Liaodong Governorate continues to build cruisers on a large scale, and once the second batch of twenty cruisers enters service next year, this balance will be upset, and the interests of the East India Company will be threatened.

Therefore, the board of directors of the Dutch East India Company decided to build five cruisers at the Batavia shipyard and to mobilize another twenty-five cruisers from the mainland, as well as a number of frigates to the Far East. In this way, the Dutch East India Company had 60 main cruisers and a large number of frigates to deal with the threat from the Pacific Fleet and maintain the position of the Dutch East India Company in Southeast Asia.

But. The Dutch East India Company was set out to balance the Pacific Fleet, but inadvertently affected two other countries, England and Spain.

At this time, the Netherlands was engaged in the Third Spanish-Dutch War with Spain, fighting for the final independence. In Europe, Spain and the Netherlands fought each other on land and sea, between two countries and with the help of the territory of a third country. Thus, the actions of the Dutch East India Company stimulated the Spanish colony of the Philippines.

Although Fernando, the governor of the Philippines, only cares about accumulating money, the Philippines is his foundation, and there is no room for error. Don't look at the fact that he can sell Deng Haonan warships, war horses and muskets, it is because Deng Haonan's strength is not enough to threaten his Philippine security.

Now it was different, Deng Haonan occupied Korea and the Ryukyus, and the Tokugawa shogunate accepted humiliating unequal treaties, and its power expanded to the entire Yadong Sea. The Taiwan government is at the head of the Philippines, and it can meet in one day's work, and in the face of the Pacific Fleet stationed in Longmen Port, the Penghu Inspection Department of the Taiwan Prefecture, Governor Fernando naturally has to ponder.

The Spanish Navy has always been on a mission to dominate the world. In particular, successive Philippine governors have been pondering the plan to invade China. Beginning in 1620, the Spanish fleet opened up colonies in Taiwan's chicken coop and Tamsui, which was to be used as a springboard to invade China. It's a pity that the Spanish Navy was held back by the damned Dutch Navy, and finally failed to invade China, but let the Dutch occupy the two fortresses of Chicken Coop and Tamsui.

Now, the Dutch have been driven away by Deng Haonan. However, Governor Fernando did not give up his plan to plot against China, but he never had the opportunity. originally thought that Deng Haonan and the Dutch would stumble to the death, but I didn't expect that in the end, the two sides would sit down calmly and start business!

Now Deng Haonan is building ships on a large scale, and the Dutch East India Company is also expanding the navy. Both sides are at peace on the surface, but secretly there is a large-scale naval arms race. The Philippines was sandwiched between the Dutch East India Company and the Liaodong Governorate, and if either side wins, eventually, a powerful military expansion would threaten the security of the Philippines. Therefore, Governor Fernando wrote a letter to the King of Spain, claiming that the Dutch East India Company was expanding its armaments in the Far East, intending to occupy the Philippines and dominate the Far East trade.

The Spanish king was already too busy in Europe to support the Holy Roman Empire against the Swedish invasion, the Netherlands in Europe, Brazil, and North America, and England and France for colonies in the Caribbean, and had no time to care about the Philippines. However, the Philippines is the main place of trade in the Spanish Far East, and the luxury goods from the Ming Dynasty have always been the favorite of the Spanish royal family and nobles, so under pressure, the Spanish king exempted the Philippines from paying taxes for one year and asked Governor Fernando to form a naval fleet for defense.

In this way, Governor Fernando naturally made a lot of money. The annual tax is as high as 4 million Spanish oceans, and the construction of a Philippine fleet that can compete with the Dutch fleet only consumes 2 million oceans. So, Governor Fernando immediately set about forming his Philippine fleet. For the Spaniards, it was very easy to build a fleet as long as they were well funded. On the basis of the existing Philippine fleet. The Manila shipyard is fully operational, and within a year it will be able to build a Philippine fleet of 30 large Galen warships.

Stimulated by the Dutch East India Company, the British East India Company, which had the right to go to war, was also forming a naval fleet. However, the British East India Company had just begun to make a profit, and the funds were not too abundant, so the British East India Fleet expected to add 30 thousand-ton cruisers within three years to balance the enormous pressure from the Dutch East India Fleet.

However, in the face of the strength of the Dutch East India Company, the British East India Company did not fight alone, the French East India Company, the Swedish East India Company, and the Danish East India Company also formed a combined fleet, and within three years, other East India Companies also built forty cruisers. Several countries formed a joint fleet, so that they could compete with the fleet of the Dutch East India Company.

It can be said that several East India companies in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, have started a large-scale naval arms race. This is not what Deng Haonan is happy to see, but he can't stop it, he can only act at the opportunity, and when the time comes, he will see the move.

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On the vast blue ocean, the main cruising fleet of the Pacific Fleet sailed side by side in three columns, the high sails blown by the sea breeze, and the warships galloped through the waves. Because in the offshore area, groups of flying fish accompanied the ship jumping, and the seabirds in the air circled around the sails, and the officers and men on the battleship were all pleasing to the eye.

However, behind the peace and tranquility, there is always a crisis. This time was no exception, after receiving the information, the Pacific Fleet immediately rushed to Lingdingyang to search for Wu Liuqi's naval fleet.

Mast sails tens of meters high appear on the surface of the sea, and can be seen from a distance.

Wang Xi was eating roast pheasants on the shore when he suddenly received a report that he had discovered the situation.

Wang Xi, who has always been timid, heard this, and immediately returned to the warship, and from the clairvoyant, Wang Xi saw the little sails that appeared on the horizon, and Wang Xi naturally saw a lot of sails in the shape of Western trapezoidal tofu.

"Mother, I found it so soon!"

Putting down the clairvoyant, Wang Xi's face was calm, but he began to drum in his heart. Undoubtedly, this sea area is now occupied by Deng Haonan, and it is impossible for the Dutch and Spanish warships to appear, so the Pacific Fleet can only come to the door.

"Hall Master, what should I do?" Deputy Li Jin stepped forward and asked.

"What else can I do?"

Wang Xi asked angrily, Li Jin and the others thought they were going to fight, but Wang Xi's next sentence suddenly made them excited, and they almost didn't stand firm.

"Run!"

“……”

When Li Jin and the others heard this, they were stunned for a while. immediately remembered Wang Xi's character, so he had to order all the warships to run away.

Wu Liuqi's subordinates are all members of the White Lotus Sect, and although their discipline cannot catch up with the officers and men of the Pacific Fleet, they are much stronger than those of the Chao Gang. As the hall master, Wang Xi is now the biggest leader, and it is not wrong to listen to him, and it is wrong not to listen to him!

Raising the sails and taking up, Wang Xi quickly led twenty warships to turn south and escape.

It doesn't matter if he doesn't run, he really can't see them for a while. As he ran, the communications corps on the tower, high in the mainmast, flagship of the Pacific Fleet, suddenly spotted their movements.

"Spot the enemy fleet!"

With the loud shouts of the signal soldiers, the sailors below quickly sounded the alarm bell.

Dangdang!

As soon as the alarm sounded, all ships of the Pacific Fleet suddenly raised their alarms, and the decks and decks, inside and outside the cabins, were immediately busy, and the officers and men took their places.

Shi Jianfei got out of the cabin, and next to him was a sailor's hat and command knife. Shi Jianfei walked as he tidied up his clothes and asked about the situation. When he came to the bridge, Chief of Staff Shen Yanghao also arrived at the same time.

"Found them!"

Shi Jianfei nodded, took the clairvoyant handed over by the bridge staff officer, and looked in the designated direction.

I saw that Wang Xi's fleet had left the desert island and fled quickly to the south. At this time, the two sides were nearly twenty miles apart, the northwest wind was strong, and the Pacific Fleet was in an upwind position.

"Grandma's! Run before you hit! ”

Putting down the clairvoyant, Shi Jianfei ordered: "Left helm fifteen, chase it at full speed!" ”

"Yes! Left rudder fifteen, full speed ahead! ”

"Fifteen degrees left, stuck in the direction, full sail forward!"

As the flagship turned to the left, the battleship broke through the waves, rolled up huge sprays, and pursued in the direction of the enemy fleet's escape.

Shen Yanghao shouted: "Report the speed!" ”

After a while, the bridge staff officer reported: "The speed of the enemy ship is about six knots, and the speed of our ship is eight and a half knots, and it is expected to meet the enemy in about two hours!" ”

When Shi Jianfei heard this, he said, "You have to wait for two hours?" Isn't it theoretically possible to accelerate without limits? It's not too much, just catch up with it at once for a dozen sections! ”

Shen Yanghao smiled: "That's right! The principal said that the sail battleship has always had an acceleration and stored zài, and theoretically it can accelerate to infinity without limit! But if the speed really had to reach that big, our warships would have fallen apart a long time ago! Besides, your ship will speed up indefinitely, and so will other people's! ”

Shi Jianfei smiled: "Aren't I in a hurry? Our new ship still needs to test its actual combat capability! I can't find the Dutch at the moment, so I have to use them to practice my skills! ”

"Yes! White to our sparring partners! Shen Yanghao smiled: "However, you can still take a nap right now!" ”

"Come on!" Shi Jianfei smiled bitterly: "I would like to, but the duck on the side of the mouth can only sleep after eating it!" ”

At 3:10 p.m., the Pacific Fleet finally caught up with the enemy fleet after less than two hours of pursuit.

At this time, the two sides were heading south, about three miles apart, and the atmosphere was extremely tense.

On Wang Xiza's ship, facing the Pacific Fleet that had caught up, Wang Xi himself was already frightened and his legs weakened. From the very beginning, he knew that the Pacific Fleet was extremely powerful, and he thought that he could not defeat the other party at all, so under the influence of this factor, Wang Xi was timid before fighting and lost his sharpness.

Deputy Li Jin stepped forward and said, "Hall Master, what should I do?" ”

"What else can I do?"

Wang Xi asked again, Li Jin thought he would continue to escape, but he guessed wrong.

I only heard Wang Xi say: "Open the cannon!" Fire! Be brave first! ”

“……”

Li Jin and the others rolled their eyes, the first sentence of firing the cannon really boosted their anger, but the latter sentence was bold and really discouraged their subordinates.

Is the cannon just to be brave? This is true, but the manager must not say that, it will be counterproductive.

"Let them taste the power of the masters!" Li Jin shouted and said, "Open the cannon!" Fuck it! ”

When the order was given, Wang Xi's ship quickly opened fire on the port side, and more than a dozen thousand-pound Longwei guns suddenly roared. Shells were fired at the Pacific Fleet on the left.

Cannonballs flew and the sea suddenly boiled. Columns of water rose into the sky, stirring up rain and fog in the sky. The distance was so far that the shells were fired into the sea. Occasionally, a few shells hit the vicinity of the Pacific Fleet, and the kinetic energy was depleted, making a slight splash.

After Wang Xi's ship was fired, the nine warships behind opened fire one after another, and suddenly the cannon roared and was deafening. A hot cannonball fired, sending out irregular waves of water on the surface of the sea. The momentum is really scary, but the threat is too weak or even non-existent. If you are facing pirates and fishermen, maybe after this cannon fight, the other party is stupid and ready to be caught. However, in front of the battle-hardened Pacific Fleet, it was like a child looking for an adult to fight alone.

However, although he didn't hit the other party, after Wang Xi's cannonball was fired, it suddenly boosted the morale of his subordinates, and their courage really increased, and their fear weakened a lot.

Wang Xi was also infected, and it was the first time he had experienced such a large-scale artillery scene. Because of the difficulty in obtaining gunpowder, although the Chao Gang equipped the warship with a lot of artillery and ammunition, they basically did not fire a few cannons, let alone have the opportunity to experience such a big scene.

Wang Xi was very happy, pinched his waist, and stood on the battlement, feeling happy. Looking at his posture, it seems that the other party is afraid of him.

Here, the officers and men of the ships of the Pacific Fleet were really taken aback by the sudden opening of the guns of the other side, and no one expected that the other side would open fire at such a distance. However, when the opponent's shot missed, all the officers and soldiers suddenly sent a blank of eyes and disdain to the opposite side.

On the flagship, Shi Jianfei asked, "What does this mean?" Give us a dismount? ”

Shen Yanghao smiled and said: "You're going to rob someone's lollipop, people are clenching their fists and telling you, don't be arrogant, I'll go back and sue my parents!" ”

When everyone heard this, they burst into laughter.

After laughing, Shi Jianfei ordered: "Order, the second team keeps a distance, the first team accelerates forward and seizes the 'T' prefix of the enemy fleet, and the third team goes around to the right side of the enemy fleet from behind, keeping a distance and speed." Each team waits for the first team to fire and then launches a total attack! ”

The order was given, the second team slowed down, maintaining the same speed of six knots as the enemy fleet, and the first team continued to move forward and rushed to the front of the enemy fleet. The third squadron turned to the right and circled diagonally to the right side of the enemy fleet.

Shen Yanghao asked, "Do you want to return the gift!" ”

Shi Jianfei shook his head and said, "Forget it!" Ignore them! Wait a while and beat them up in one go! ”