Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 1297 Burning
The vanguard consisted of forty-three ships, thirty-eight of which were fire ships, loaded with flammable materials. Once a fire was lit, if the ship collided with an enemy vessel, the spilled oil would ignite into a raging inferno with just a spark, and even the main Dutch warships would not escape the flames.

Each fireboat carried seven people: one to navigate and direct, and the other six to row. Due to the strait and the port's layout, these fireboats couldn't use sails. Raising the sails would be too conspicuous, making them easily spotted even if the boats were small.

Although using manpower is slower, it is the safest method. Besides, they are not far from the port after entering the strait. Moreover, although these Madura people look thin and inconspicuous, they are very strong. In addition, Madura is an island nation, and the people on the island are used to going to sea. They are not only familiar with the water, but also skilled in navigation, making them the best natural sailors.

One boat led the way, with the rest following behind, rowing their oars towards the harbor under the intermittent moonlight.

The last five ships were for resupply. After all, fire attack was a tactic, not a suicidal act. Once the fire was started, even if the people who jumped ship to escape were good swimmers, they could not swim very far in the ocean. These five ships were there to support the comrades who were responsible for setting the fire.

The weather is nice today, perfect for this kind of thing. Not only is the wind blowing towards the harbor, but the moon isn't as bright as usual either.

The clouds occasionally obscured the moonlight, providing the Madura people with natural cover for their sneak attack. The port in the distance was already faintly visible, revealing not only the massive, dark fleet anchored there, but also the lights on the shore to the west.

Zheng Hongkui's fleet also arrived near the strait entrance under the cover of night. Instead of entering the strait immediately, his fleet waited quietly.

Zheng Hongkui had to wait for the right time. It was only just past the first watch of the night. According to the plan, it would take at least until the fourth or fifth watch of the night for the fire ships to arrive at the port and be set on fire. In modern terms, that would be around 3 a.m.

Since the fire ships couldn't use sails and had to rely entirely on manpower, their speed was naturally slower. Moreover, the timing was perfect—around 3 a.m., when people are usually in their deepest sleep and easily become complacent. Furthermore, this operation was a surprise attack, leaving the enemy completely unprepared. As long as the fire ships weren't discovered beforehand, everything would be fine.

Picking up his binoculars, Zheng Hongkui peered into the strait, but he saw nothing in the darkness; all he could see was pitch black.

Putting down his telescope, Zheng Hongkui asked what time it was. His subordinates told him that it was almost midnight. Zheng Hongkui nodded slightly. At this moment, even a veteran of countless battles couldn't help but feel a little nervous. It wasn't that he was worried about the upcoming battle, but rather whether the fire ship plan could be implemented smoothly. If the fire ships were discovered by the enemy in advance, the fire attack plan would be completely ruined, and Zheng Hongkui would have no choice but to lead his fleet to attack the enemy fleet.

"General, rest assured, my men are definitely safe!" Prince Durano said from the side, seemingly sensing Zheng Hongkui's anxiety. His gaze shifted slightly to the left, Prince Durano's face resolute, his eyes shining brightly as he stared ahead, as if he could see through the darkness and witness his men heading towards the port.

"If we win this battle, I will not only help you reclaim all the lost territories, but I will also petition His Majesty to formally confer titles upon you!" Zheng Hongkui nodded, placed his hand on Prince Durno's shoulder, and spoke to Prince Durno in a low but formal tone.

"Really?" Prince Durno's body trembled slightly for a moment. He turned his head to look at Zheng Hongkui, his expression filled with eagerness and immense joy. This promise from the other party was something he and the Kingdom of Madura had longed for.

Reclaiming their lost territory had always been the dream of the Madura people, including Prince Durano. Unfortunately, for many years they had been unable to defeat the despicable Dutch, not to mention the accomplices of the Mataran people. Although the young Prince Durano persisted in resisting to the end in front of his father and people, and led his troops in many battles, winning some of them.

Prince Durno knew in his heart that the Kingdom of Madura was far too weak. Even if he won once, twice, or even three or four times, it would not be a serious blow to the powerful enemy. The enemy still possessed far greater strength than himself. And once he lost, the weak Kingdom of Madura simply could not afford it. What awaited them was the destruction of their kingdom and their own annihilation.

Even so, Prince Durno never gave up the fight, dreaming of finally defeating the enemy, restoring his homeland, and protecting his people. Unfortunately, the reality was that achieving this was virtually impossible for him.

But now things are different. With the Ming Dynasty officially declaring war on the Netherlands, Prince Durnou, who was struggling in despair, saw his only chance. If the Ming Dynasty could defeat the Dutch and the Matarans, then his country would be saved.

Once the dark clouds dissipate, the Kingdom of Madura will be able to reclaim its lost territory and no longer be bullied. Isn't this exactly what Prince Durno has been dreaming of? Moreover, Zheng Hongkui has promised him that after the war, not only will he assist Madura in reclaiming its lands, but he will also petition the Ming Emperor to officially recognize Madura as a kingdom. What does official recognition from the Ming Dynasty mean? As a prince of Madura, Durno knows all too well. After all, the entire South China Sea had previously been within the Ming Dynasty's sphere of influence. Even though Western Europeans, after arriving in the Far East, had seized the territories of many countries and established colonies, using force to suppress and massacre the people of various nations, the Ming Dynasty's influence in many countries remained strong. Many royal families still remembered the legend of the unimaginably massive Ming fleet that swept across the South China Sea two hundred years ago, displaying its power and might.

Once Madura received investiture from the Ming Emperor, its political status underwent a dramatic transformation. If Madura was previously merely a small, regional state, after the investiture it became a formal vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. With the Ming Dynasty as its backing, Madura would not only be able to face no threats from any country in the future, but could even firmly maintain its dominance over other nations.

"Of course it's true, how could I lie to you?" Zheng Hongkui knew at a glance what Prince Durano was thinking, and immediately smiled to reassure him.

Upon hearing this, Prince Durano was overjoyed and quickly bowed to Zheng Hongkui in gratitude. Zheng Hongkui waved his hand and smiled, saying it was a bit early to talk about this now; it wouldn't be too late to discuss it after the battle was over. Prince Durano repeatedly agreed, excitedly clenching his fist, his heart filled with anticipation.

Time passed slowly, and soon it was the third watch of the night. At this moment, Zheng Hongkui issued the battle order for the fleet to raise its sails and set sail towards the strait.

The warships, which had been prepared long ago, raised their sails one after another and headed toward the other side of the strait under the cover of night and the wind. Before long, the huge fleet entered the strait and continued to move forward. Since the lead warship had sailors sent by Prince Durno, and Surumay was located near the southern exit of the strait, not far from the strait, they were not afraid of losing their way in the dark, nor did they have to worry about the safety of the waterway.

As the fleet entered the strait and sailed north for some distance, although the distance ahead was not clear, judging from the distance traveled, Sulumayi was not far ahead.

"What's going on? Why is there still no movement?" Zheng Hongkui asked about the time; it was already past midnight. Logically, the advance fire ships should have arrived at the port and started their operation, but the port of Sulumayi in the distance was still pitch black, and nothing had happened. This made Zheng Hongkui anxious.

To ensure the rhythm of the attack, Zheng Hongkui deliberately chose this time. According to the plan, when the fleet arrived near the port, the advance fire ships would start moving at the same time. Once the fire was lit, the fleet could rush to the port immediately and then launch a surprise attack on the enemy, thereby defeating the enemy in one fell swoop.

But now the time has come, and the fleet is not far from the port. If they continue forward, they will reach the port and begin the battle in less than half an hour. Logically, the fire ships should have moved out, but it is still pitch black, and there is no sign of fire in the port.

“General, wait a little longer. My men will be fine! If the enemy had discovered them, the port wouldn’t be so peaceful,” Prince Durno whispered from the side.

Zheng Hongkui understood this principle, but he was still uneasy until the fire was lit. He waited patiently while his warship continued to advance towards the port. Soon, the entire fleet was only about ten miles from the port. This distance was already very short. If the fire was not set soon, Zheng Hongkui would have no choice but to bite the bullet and command the fleet to attack the enemy, disregarding everything else.

Just then, Prince Durno suddenly pointed ahead: "Look! Look! Fire! Fire!"

Zheng Hongkui stared intently and, sure enough, several small but bright fireballs suddenly appeared in the darkness. Soon, these fireballs merged into a dense mass of dozens, rushing directly towards the warships docked in the harbor at an extremely fast speed. The distance between the two sides was getting shorter and shorter. At this moment, the soldiers on the Dutch warships realized that something was wrong and ran around on the deck shouting. But before they could react, the leading fire ship crashed into them. In an instant, the originally small fireballs suddenly turned into fireballs, igniting the warships they collided with. As the warships burned, even more intense flames soared into the air. At the same time, the other fire ships also rushed forward one after another. In just a few breaths, several large Dutch warships were set ablaze.

"Great! Great!" Zheng Hongkui exclaimed involuntarily, his eyes filled with excitement.

The fire attack was finally successful! At this point, he had no more hesitation whatsoever. He immediately ordered the fleet to attack. How could he possibly miss such a golden opportunity? Today was the day to strike a defeated foe!

(End of this chapter)