As a blue flag symbolizing the "start of test firing" was erected on the hill of Wang-Ha, the thirty-two cupola cannons (mortar cannons) placed in the "gun pit" began to fire from west to east, one after another, the fire flickered, the cannon sound was like thunder, the smoke was filled, and in a blink of an eye, clusters of smoke pillars and earth and stones rose inside the Portuguese St. Paul's Castle!

These thirty-two cannons were placed less than a mile away from the St. Paul's battery, and the target was the size of a fortress! It's really hard to beat it.

However, the test launch is still a test shot, and the flowering bombardment on the city wall is not very useful, so it is good to fall in the city!

In addition, the length of the fuse of the flowering bullet has to be tested several times to find the right length of the flowering bullet, and it has to bloom at the right time and place, so that the Portuguese in the city can know what it means that "the truth is within the range of the cannon"!

Therefore, at the beginning of the shelling, these 32 guns were fired one after another, so that it was convenient to observe the landing point of the shells and the time of "flowering".

And when the gunners have found the most suitable firing angle and lead length after several rounds of test firing, it is an amazing salvo of 32 guns!

Round after round, countless shells filled with black powder were hit on the heads of the Portuguese, and the gunpowder filled in the shells was actually purchased through Portuguese merchants in Haoao.

However, the battle of Hao Ao did not last long, and the Portuguese held out for even shorter time than Wang Zhongxiao estimated. It was simply impossible for them to hold out for half a month under the heavy bombardment of 32 mortars that could fire 12 and 20 catty flowering shells.

In fact, the pampered Portuguese lasted only a day and a half and two nights, and on the third day after the bombardment began, they raised the white flag and sent messengers begging for mercy.

Although the walls of their St. Paul's bastion were strong, they could not resist the twelve- and twenty-pound flowering shells fired by the mortar cannons that could pass over the walls and fall directly into the crowded center of the city.

The area inside the Fort of St. Paul is very small - the number of Portuguese in Macao is very small, the number of adult white and mixed-race white men is only a thousand, and the total number of women, children, black slaves, and some people hired or trafficked from Guangdong is only a few thousand. Most of these thousands lived outside St. Paul's Castle in peacetime, and only took refuge in the fortress with gold and silver treasures when the enemy invaded. So the area inside the fortress does not need to be too large. After all, before the appearance of the "Principal Wang's Siege Method", a fortress as small and strong as a hard walnut was a headache for all the attackers.

But when the 12 or 20 pounds of flowering bombs flew in from outside the city day and night, landed in the center of the castle crowded with the wealthy citizens of Hao O, and then exploded violently, killing and injuring the wealthy citizens who had lived a comfortable and comfortable life in the land of Hao O for decades, blowing up in a blur of flesh and blood, and causing them to let out a burst of wails and screams. The Portuguese Governor of Macao, Governor Spellges, the mercenary captain Rotony, and the acting bishop Lo Wenzao knew that the city was difficult to hold on, and it should not be defended any longer!

After all, it was not the warriors of the Kingdom of Portugal who defended the city, but the mercenaries of the wealthy citizens, whose duty was to protect the property and comfortable life of the citizens, rather than let everyone die under the rain of enemy shells.

But the governor of Sulge, who led the city on behalf of the king, did his best to organize thousands of musketeers and pikemen. Backed by twelve-pounder guns placed on the St. Doro's battery, they ventured out of the castle in the hope of capturing the trench where the enemy's mortars were placed in a resolute counterattack.

But the efforts of these people were soon shattered by the defensive line that Principal Wang had built with trenches and sandbags!

Forming a dense Spanish phalanx, the Portuguese mercenaries, who could only move slowly, became the live targets of the three-pound copper cannons placed in the sandbag forts, so close to the distance, and so large, moving so slowly, they could really hit with their eyes closed!

In addition, "Principal Wang" also arranged a large number of shotgunmen and knife players in the trench!

The bullets of the shotgun and the three-pound cannon fired from the brass cannon knocked down the attacking Portuguese and their black slave soldiers like leeks in rows. The subsequent white-knuckle charge of the sword soldiers completely routed the Portuguese soldiers who had fallen into chaos and suffered heavy casualties, and pursued them all the way to the outside of the city of St. Paul, and almost followed the Portuguese rout into the castle.

Shortly after the end of this completely failed counterattack, a white flag was raised over the castle of St. Paul!

Soon after "Principal Wang" ordered the shelling to be stopped, the Haoao military envoy waving the white flag was taken to the Qing army command post on Wangxia Mountain.

"Your Excellency, we are willing to hand over the Château of St. Paul to the Qing army under your command in its entirety, and we only ask you to let all the citizens of Hao Ao leave by boat with their only possessions and return to their Portuguese motherland out of mercy and mercy. All the citizens of Ho O can swear to God that they will never dare to offend the majesty of the Emperor again."

Talking in a stammering Cantonese official dialect begging for mercy was a black-haired Portuguese, in his forties, white and fat, who looked like a capitalist.

According to the Acting Bishop Luo Wenzao, who came with him, this person's surname is Bu Jialao, and he is the owner of the Ho O Bu Garao Gun Factory and the Bu Garao Shipyard, and he is also the speaker of the Ho O City Council. His great-grandfather Peter. Bogarao was a first-generation Portuguese from Macao and a gunsmith. Since then, the Bugarao family has been operating in the arms industry in Ho O, and later opened a shipyard to undertake ship repair and shipbuilding business.

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Bugarao family also undertook orders from the Ming Dynasty and sold a lot of Hongyi cannons. Not long ago, Bu Jialao's artillery factory received orders from Wang Zhongxiao and Wu Sanwei, but before the silver he earned was hot, his home was robbed, and it was miserable to think about!

I don't know how a large family will live when they return to Europe?

When their family's artillery casting technology arrives in Europe, I'm afraid it's a third-rate level, can they still receive orders?

When Bu Jialao was still worried about his life after returning to China, Wang Zhongxiao had already solved the problem for him!

"No! The Emperor did not allow the Portuguese to leave! Wang Zhongxiao said with a smile, "The emperor's holy decree makes it clear that this time it is your Portuguese monarch and the French king of the Roman Church that are causing trouble, and you Macao Portuguese are involved, so I don't blame you, so I don't allow you to leave, and I want to accept you as a clothed servant, which is really a great emperor's grace!" ”

What kind of logic is this?

Bugarao, Luo Wenzao, and Herman, who followed to watch the excitement. Klenk, John. Chappell and Lawrence. Morality. Vantis was a little dazed.

There is nothing wrong with the Portuguese in Macao, but they were implicated by the King of Portugal and the Pope of Rome, so . All of them are slaves to the emperor!

Seeing that Bugarao and Luo Wenzao were both "friends surprised", Wang Zhongxiao said to them with a gentle face: "Although you are not at fault, are you subjects of the King of Portugal or believers in the Catholic Church?" ”

"yes!" Luo Wenzao nodded a little weakly, he was not Portuguese.

Bugarao generously confessed: "I am a Portuguese and a believer in the Lord. ”

"That's not it!" Wang Zhongxiao said, "This war started because the Catholic King granted the right to protect the religion of China, Annam, and Korea to the King of Portugal. This seriously violated the authority of the Qing Emperor! Therefore, the war will not end until the Portuguese and Roman churches make corrections and reparations.

And you, as subjects of the King of Portugal and followers of the Catholic Church at the same time, must detain the enemy before the end of the war, so how can you leave at will? Even if you leave, you will have to pay the ransom for you by the King of Portugal and the Church!

However, the emperor knew that the king of Portugal and the king of Rome were very stingy and would not spend money to ransom you, so he gave you a grace and made you a clothed slave. ”

This grace is really unbearable!

"However," Wang Zhongxiao said again, looking at the stunned Bu Jialao and Luo Wenzao, "but not all the coated minions have to go to Beijing to serve the emperor's coated minions, and they can also serve locally, for example, the Guangdong Customs Road, which is in charge of the official is subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is the yamen where the coated minions can serve." As long as you have an errand on the Canton Customs Road, you don't have to go north, but you can continue to live in Ho O. ”

Can you continue to live in Ho O?

Now that Bu Jialao and Luo Wenzao are interested, Europe will not let them go back, so it is better to continue to stay in Haoao than to go to Beijing, which is not familiar with life!

They just wanted to follow and inquire how to stay, but Wang Zhongxiao spoke again: "According to the emperor's will, our dynasty is going to set up customs and open the sea ban. Otherwise, there would not be this official of the Guangdong Customs Road!

However, the opening of the sea ban does not mean that free trade is carried out without reservation, but it is necessary to open a few openings and build a few concession free trade cities. In the concession free trade city, Chinese and foreign businessmen can trade freely, come and go freely, as long as they pay taxes according to the law, abide by the laws and regulations published by the customs road, and do whatever they want. And Haoao has always been a place of exchange between China and foreign countries, and it is a ready-made free trade city!

Mr. Klink, Mr. Chappell, Mr. Vantis. In the past, Hao Ao was managed by the Portuguese, and only Portuguese merchants were the most free, and merchants from other countries were not very free. From now on, all businessmen of any country within the scope of the concession free trade city demarcated by the Guangdong Customs Road will be one and can enjoy the same convenience of free trade. It is also possible to build a business in a free trade city, but it does not enjoy extraterritoriality and does not have the right to preach and preach.

Of course, if any of you want more freedom. It's not impossible, then you have to apply to the Guangdong Customs Road to lease land to open a commercial hall, and the commercial hall can have extraterritoriality! However, the principle of reciprocity and fairness must be followed when leasing land, that is, if you rent a piece of land here in Ho O, I also have to rent an island or a piece of land on your land, and enjoy the same privileges! ”

His words were translated into Latin by Dai Zi, and after Klink, Chappell, and Vantis heard it, their eyes lit up again!

Although this free trade city is not as fragrant as the "commercial hall" that is actually a concession, it is also a good place to carry out trade with China!

"So what kind of Portuguese can stay in Ho O?" Luo Wenzao whispered to Wang Zhongxiao and inquired.

He's Chinese! And he not only believed in God, but also followed the Catholic Church, and did not have braids.

If you want to be arrested by Kangxi, you can't be sentenced to a "raw film" for the crime of communicating with foreign countries?

Wang Zhongxiao said with a smile: "As long as they can get an errand or have a business in Hao Ao and can pay a certain amount of tax to the customs road, they can stay in a specific area of Hao Ao and cannot leave without permission until the Qing Dynasty reaches a peace agreement with Portugal and the Roman Church." Bishop Luo, this official has an errand for the Tongwen Pavilion here, would you like to give it a try? ”

"Tongbunkan?" Luo Wenzao understood a little when he heard it, "It's a translation?" ”

"Translating books, and teaching foreign languages." Wang Zhongxiao smiled and asked, "If Master Yao is not mistaken, your Hao Ao Church has been teaching Chinese and translating books, right?" ”

"Master Yao is not wrong," Luo Wenzao said, "In order to facilitate the mission, the church has been engaged in the work of translating and teaching Chinese, and if the Taoist platform needs talents to translate and teach Portuguese, Latin and French, I can help with it." ”

"Good! Then there is labor! Wang Zhongxiao then said to Bu Jialao, "Mr. Bu, I know that your family is a cannon factory and a shipyard, and this trade can continue, but who your guns and warships are sold to, must be approved by the customs!"

In addition, there are still a lot of orders to be sent to your factory and the factory in Foshan!

So, don't go to Beijing either. If you go back and make a list, how many craftsmen and the families of the craftsmen will stay, and write them all on it! ”

Bu Jialao also breathed a sigh of relief, his family has lived in Hao Ao for more than 100 years, and he has long been used to it, of course he doesn't want to go to Beijing to be a slave. When you are a slave, you will be miserable when you hear it, and it will be dark!

Seeing that Luo Wenzao and Bu Jialao had no objections, Wang Zhongxiao said to the two of them: "Go back and tell Chipges and Rotony that the official will allow them to surrender, but will not allow the Portuguese to leave freely unless they are allowed by the emperor." In addition, all the Portuguese who could not work for the customs road had to go to Beijing to join the Ministry of Internal Affairs and become the emperor's clothed servants!

This time, the slave door is wide open, and the emperor's grace is mighty! ”

"Your Majesty, good news, good news. Guangdong good news! What a victory! ”

Beijing, Forbidden City, Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Kangxi, who was deploying the defense of Shaanxi in the south study, suddenly heard the most beautiful voice of Xiao Guizi's father-in-law!

"Did Xiao Guizi catch Aobai?" Kangxi raised his head, looked at Xiao Guizi who trotted in all the way from outside, and hurriedly asked.

Xiao Guizi was stunned by his question, so he had to kneel down and shake his head: "Your Majesty. Ao Bai has not been caught for the time being, and it is the Governor of Liangguang and the Guangdong Customs Road who reported the victory. They led an army of 10,000 to fight hard under Fort St. Paul in Hao O for more than a month, and finally broke the castle and captured thousands of Portuguese, including the Portuguese governor and the Portuguese commander of Hao Macao. ”

Ao Bai was a little disappointed that he didn't catch it! But it's a big win to be able to win Haoao!

Thinking of this, Kangxi nodded and said to himself: "If you take Haoao, Wu Sangui and Wu Sanwei will have one less reinforcement, which can be regarded as a big victory!"

It can also be regarded as Kangxi's first victory in the eleventh year! ”

It is now the first month of the eleventh year of Kangxi...... The fifteenth day of the first lunar month has not passed, and the new year has not yet passed, and a great victory has come, which must be a good thing!

"The Emperor Shengming!"

Several scholars and scholars who knelt next to the map and studied the battle situation with Kangxi heard what Kangxi said, and hurriedly sent sycophants.

Kangxi nodded, then stretched out his hand to take the question book given by Xiao Guizi, unfolded it and looked at it carefully.

After looking at it for a while, he grinned: "Wang Fuchen and Wang Zhongxiao proposed to change Hao Macao to Macao, and set up the Guangdong Customs Road in the original St. Paul's Castle, and also suggested that some Portuguese merchants and officials from Hao Macao should be retained to facilitate dealing with foreign merchants. He also suggested that all the Portuguese who remained in Macao should also be subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior, so as to facilitate the administration, do you think their proposal is feasible? ”

"Your Majesty," Mingzhu, who was born in the Internal Affairs Office, immediately took over the question, "The slave thinks that Wang Fuchen and Wang Zhongxiao's suggestions are good. Recently, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has accepted a lot of new slaves, including Han Chinese, Mongolians, Koreans, and now thousands of foreign slaves, which shows that the emperor is the master of the four seas! The minions also suggested that the Pingnan Wangfu and the Liangguang Governor Yamen should escort these foreign minions to the north as soon as possible, and hold a ceremony to sacrifice prisoners at that time, just to boost the morale of the army. ”

"The Emperor Shengming!"

There was another compliment underneath.

At this time, Xiao Guizi took out a fold and quietly stuffed it to Kangxi, Kangxi took it and saw that it was Wang Zhongxiao's secret fold, and he didn't take it to a place where no one was looking at it quietly, but opened the fold in front of everyone and looked at it, and after looking at it for a while, he laughed: "Okay, this Wang Zhongxiao is quite good at doing things!" ”

It turned out that Wang Zhongxiao also told Kangxi in this secret compromise that among the Portuguese women captured in Haoao, several exotic beauties are now Kangxi's female wrappers, and they will be sent to Beijing together when they turn around.

(End of chapter)