Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 353 The Empty Coastal Defense of the Ming Dynasty

"Actually, the cause of this incident lies with the Portuguese." Li Yanshan, head of the second detachment of the Xinhua Immigration Fleet, sighed when talking about the maritime conflict at Humen, Guangzhou.

Rewinding to two years earlier (1635), the British East India Company reached a preliminary agreement with the Portuguese Governor of Goa, allowing British merchant ships to trade in Macau.

So, in April of last year (1636), several merchants from the Curtin Society of England excitedly dispatched a fleet consisting of four armed merchant ships and two light sailing ships to the Ming Dynasty, preparing to establish direct trade relations with this legendary Eastern empire.

Unexpectedly, when the British fleet arrived in the waters near Macau in June of this year, it was turned away by the local Portuguese, who claimed that they had not received orders from the Governor of Goa.

The British and Portuguese argued back and forth over the matter for more than a month, but the Portuguese and Macau authorities kept refusing to allow them to enter the port.

The British, as a second-best option, after indicating that they would not enter Macau, asked the Portuguese to act as intermediaries and introduce them to the Ming government.

Fearing that the British would threaten their trade monopoly in the East, the Portuguese did not hesitate to refuse again and "kindly" advised the British to go to Malacca or Goa, where they could also purchase Eastern goods.

Want to trade directly with the Ming Dynasty? No way!
If you bypass me as the middleman, how can I make a profit?
Left with no other option, the British decided to bypass Macau and sail directly into the Pearl River Estuary in an attempt to negotiate face-to-face with the local government of the Ming Dynasty.

On July 2, they arrived near the Ya Niang Xie Fortress in Humen (now Weiyuan Island). (Due to the Portuguese's more resolute refusal, the British did not linger in the waters near Macau for as long as in the original historical timeline.) However, they were intercepted and warned by the Ming Dynasty's patrol and inspection vessels, who demanded that they turn around and head towards Lantau Island, then submit a formal request for trade, and only after obtaining permission could they proceed to Guangzhou.

What a joke! So many armed merchant ships are sailing into Guangzhou Port. Do they think our Great Ming Dynasty is nothing?
However, the British ignored the Ming Dynasty's "warning" and lingered on Ya Niang Xie Island for a long time, refusing to leave.

On July 4, a British armed merchant ship was being surveyed on the Pearl River when it was immediately warned by artillery fire from a Ming army fort.

The British fleet immediately launched a counterattack, bombarding the Ya Niang Shoe Fort.

Previously, Zhang Jingxin, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, had purchased twelve "New Barbarian Cannons" from Xinhua and deployed them at the fort to guard the Pearl River waterway and protect Guangzhou.

After the British fleet launched its bombardment, the Ming army immediately launched a fierce counterattack, using more than thirty small cannons to blockade the Pearl River waterway.

Although the Ming army's artillerymen were poorly trained, resulting in generally low accuracy and little damage to British ships, the dense barrage of bullets panicked the British, who feared being severely damaged by the forts in the narrow Pearl River waterway and hastily withdrew.

However, the British did not leave, but instead lingered on the Lingdingyang waters, subtly blocking the mouth of the Pearl River.

Under pressure from Zheng Maohua, the governor of Guangxi who was in charge of military affairs in Guangdong and Guangxi, and Zheng Jingguang, the deputy naval commissioner, Chen Qian, the general of Guangzhou under the Ming Dynasty, dispatched more than ten warships of various sizes to the Pearl River Estuary to drive away the British ships.

However, due to their small size and weak firepower, they were defeated by the British fleet and lost three warships, fleeing back to Guangzhou in disarray.

For a time, the local Guangdong garrison was powerless against the British fleet, resulting in an awkward stalemate and bringing trade in and out of Guangzhou Port to a standstill.

Seeing the "Red Barbarians" (local officials of the Ming Dynasty all mistakenly thought that the British were Dutch) being so rude and vulgar, Zheng Jingguang, the Deputy Commissioner of the Guangdong Maritime Circuit, decided to "use the Han to defend Macau, and use Macau to defend the Red Barbarians." That is, to put pressure on the Portuguese in Macau, so that they would put pressure on the British lingering at the mouth of the Pearl River, forcing them to leave.

Moreover, he and General Chen Qian jointly issued a warning to the "Red Barbarians": "If you dare to damage even a single blade of grass or a single tree, I will order my soldiers to annihilate you and leave not a single sail of yours alive."

On July 10, while the Guangdong local government was negotiating with the Portuguese authorities in Macau, four Xinhua armed immigrant ships carrying large quantities of furs, glass and silver arrived at the Pearl River Estuary and unexpectedly encountered six British armed merchant ships.

Without a word, the British went straight to intercept the Xinhua immigrant fleet, preparing to prevent it from entering the Pearl River Estuary.

Seeing the hostile intent of the foreign ships, fleet commander Li Yanshan made a decisive move. After failing to avoid them, he immediately ordered the cannons to fire, attempting to preemptively force his way into the Pearl River waterway.

This armed immigrant fleet included three original Spanish galleons, among the few Xinhua immigrant ships that still possessed armed capabilities.

Although many gun emplacements were removed from these three old ships to make room for more cargo space, they still have more than ten powerful naval guns, including some 24-pound heavy guns.

As the cannons roared, a sudden naval battle erupted at the mouth of the Pearl River. Four Xinhua ships and six British armed merchant ships clashed, smoke filled the sea, and cannonballs falling into the water constantly stirred up huge waves.

However, the battle did not last long, starting at 10:20 a.m. and ending at 11:40 a.m., when both sides disengaged and went their separate ways.

The British fleet was unwilling to linger in battle because they simply dared not suffer too many losses in this distant East.

Without any supplies or repairs, the British fleet could easily be lost if they were not careful.

Moreover, these four unidentified armed ships are quite powerful, with fast and fierce cannon fire, unlike the insignificant small boats of the Ming Dynasty navy.

The Xinhua immigrant fleet, on the other hand, was outnumbered and outgunned, and its combat experience was significantly inferior to that of its opponents. Many of its ships were damaged, and more than ten sailors were killed or wounded. If the fighting continued, it would likely suffer a great loss.

More importantly, the fleet also carried a large quantity of furs, glass, and silver, with a total value exceeding 500,000 taels.

If there is any mishap, it will inevitably have a serious impact on this year's immigration work.

However, when Ming officials learned that the Xinhua ships had fought a major battle with the "Red Barbarians," they immediately became interested and came to the Ming court.

Help my Great Ming Dynasty beat those disobedient "Red Barbarians"!
In order to encourage the new Chinese to help, under the instruction of Zhang Jingxin, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, Zheng Jinguang, the Deputy Maritime Envoy, promised to grant the new Chinese the same tariff preferences as Portuguese merchants in Macau, and also proposed that Tai O in the western part of Lantau Island be designated as their exclusive trading zone.

What is most captivating is a statement made by Zheng Jingguang: "Let us set up trading posts and recruit local militia, following the example of Hao Jing."

It should be noted that Xinhua had previously taken advantage of the pilgrimage to the capital to propose to the Guangzhou government that it would lease Xianggu Island (now Hong Kong Island), which belonged to Xin'an County, for a large sum of money, to be used as a warehouse for merchants to store goods.

However, this request was rejected outright by the Guangdong Governor's Office, which also gave the new Chinese a stern warning.

"If you are sincerely interested in trade, you may proceed to Huangpu in Guangzhou according to regulations. After the Maritime Trade Office takes its share, you will have a fair trade. If you wish to emulate the story of the Portuguese occupying Macau, that is nothing but wishful thinking!"

Don't be fooled by the fact that your Xinhua has been granted permission to enter the capital to pay homage to the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty. You are still nothing more than a small vassal state. How dare you ask for the territory of the Great Ming Dynasty?

Unexpectedly, the "Red Barbarians" have made them look foolish today. In order to drive them out of their troubles and save face for the court, the local government of Guangdong Province of the Ming Dynasty has changed its previous arrogant attitude and offered to give the new Chinese a "place to dry their goods" as a reward.

After discussing with He Yangui, the head of Xinhua's Guangzhou branch, Li Yanshan immediately agreed to Zheng Jingguang's request.

However, in order to ensure a successful defeat of the "Red Barbarians," Li Yanshan proposed that the Guangdong Navy should also join the battle, gathering all warships of all sizes to cooperate with the Xinhua Fleet's attack.

Although the Guangdong navy was poorly equipped and its warships were small and generally old and dilapidated, it still had twenty or thirty ships, giving it an absolute numerical advantage and allowing it to bolster its morale.

At the very least, some of the smaller boats could be converted into fire ships to scare the British fleet.

On July 16, four Xinhua armed immigrant ships, having unloaded their cargo, joined more than twenty warships of the Guangdong Daming Navy to form a joint fleet and sailed majestically toward the Pearl River Estuary.

At 3:40 p.m. that day, the Combined Fleet spotted a British convoy in the waters near Niutou Island, and a naval battle that was not particularly fierce broke out.

The first to launch the attack were three fire ships converted from Ming Dynasty naval vessels, which, riding the wind and current, rushed towards several British warships. However, the British ships evaded them one by one, causing no damage.

The scorching sun beat down on the sea, and the salty wind, carrying the smell of gunpowder, rushed towards us.

Six British armed warships lined up on the sea, their black hulls reflecting the blinding sunlight.

Their side gun ports were all open, revealing the dark muzzles of the guns.

Four Xinhua armed immigrant ships and more than twenty Ming Dynasty Guangdong naval warships were scattered in a wide fan shape, facing each other from a distance.

The Ming Dynasty navy mainly used ships of the Guang and Haicang styles, with their hulls painted in vermilion and indigo, and the flags of the commanding generals flying on their masts.

Although these ships were old and outdated, the morale of the naval officers and soldiers was still high. The helmsmen skillfully maneuvered the ships, weaving through the waves, preparing to launch a surprise attack when the Xinhua ships were engaged in battle with the "Hongyi" ships, and to make up for the lack of firepower by boarding the ships.

Before the joint fleet set sail, the local government of the Ming Dynasty and the gentry of Guangzhou raised three thousand taels of silver to reward the troops and boost their morale.

Xinhua Merchant Guild also contributed 2,000 taels of silver to reward all the participating sailors, and recruited an additional 120 sailors and able-bodied men to fill the vacancies on each ship.

"Fire!"

At the command of Li Yanshan, commander of the Xinhua fleet, the sea was filled with the deafening roar of cannons, and cannonballs rained down on the enemy like locusts.

In the midst of the fierce battle, the Ming warships took advantage of the chaos between the two sides to keep approaching the "Red Barbarian" warships. Archers on the ship's decks fired arrows with all their might, while the two remaining fire ships kept looking for gaps to try to get close to and stick to the enemy ships.

Throughout the battle, both sides fought very conservatively. Neither the Chinese nor the British took the initiative to approach the other side. They exchanged gunfire with each other from a distance of three or four hundred meters on the sea.

As a result, after more than two hours of fighting and hundreds of shells fired, neither side suffered significant losses, making it resemble a shooting exhibition.

However, at 5:20 p.m., the arrival of a Portuguese ship brought the battle to an abrupt end, and both sides withdrew.

The British mistakenly believed that the Portuguese had come to help the Ming Dynasty.

The combined fleets of the Xin and Ming dynasties worried that the Portuguese might turn against them and help their Western compatriots.

Fortunately, it turned out that the Portuguese were merely there to mediate (and watch the spectacle), expressing their willingness to persuade the British to abide by the laws and order of the Ming Dynasty and to conduct trade in Guangzhou in accordance with the requirements of the maritime trade system.

Portugal's original intention was not to engage in armed conflict or to make the British too embarrassed.

After all, they were being squeezed out by the Dutch in India, Ceylon, and Malacca, and needed the intervention of the new force of Britain to curb the Dutch's aggressive posture.

"Therefore, after we left Guangzhou, the British, under the mediation of the Portuguese, were prepared to comply with the Ming Dynasty's maritime trade regulations and fulfill their established trade requirements." Li Yanshan sighed slightly and said, "Judging from this maritime conflict, the Ming Dynasty can no longer rely on its own strength to stop the maritime invasion launched by foreign forces."

"What, judging from your tone, you also want to use force against the Ming Dynasty?" Meng Shengxin asked with a smile.

“Lord Meng, I dare not say that.” Li Yanshan bowed. “However, I was thinking that if the Ming Dynasty cannot even handle a few Western gunboats, then if our Xinhua can send out more than ten warships at once, we can break through all the defenses along the Ming coast and no longer be limited to the only trading port of Guangzhou.”

"Hmm?" Meng Shengxin said, turning his head to look at Wei Zhonglong, a strange expression on his face.

What, does Xinhua mean we're going to wage a war against the Ming Dynasty similar to the Opium War?

"Li Yanshan, have you overlooked Zheng Zhilong's existence?" Wei Zhonglong said irritably.

“Lord Wei, I have considered Zheng Zhilong’s influence.” Li Yanshan replied respectfully, “Although Zheng’s naval strength is unparalleled in the Ming Dynasty, he is ultimately only the Fujian General (promoted to Fujian General and awarded the title of Vice Commander-in-Chief after suppressing the pirate Liu Xiang in 1635). Due to the limitations of his authority, it is impossible for him to transfer his navy to the coast of Guangzhou.”

"Therefore, if we want to gain the benefits we deserve in Guangdong, whether it is to increase the number of immigrants or to expand the scope and channels of trade, we will only be dealing with that weak and feeble Guangdong navy."

“I think what you really want to express is to seize a stable territory in Guangdong,” Meng Shengxin said, looking at the young naval commander with great interest.

"Hehe, my little scheme can't escape the notice of you two." Li Yanshan's eyes gleamed with a strange light. "The Ming Dynasty is weaker than we imagined. I'm thinking, at some point in the future, could our Xinhua seize Qiongzhou and use it as our forward base in the south of the Ming Dynasty?"

"Given the weakness of the Ming Dynasty's navy, once we attack the island, they will be unable to cross the sea to rescue it, and in the end, they will have no choice but to abandon it and let us occupy it."

"In this way, with the Liaohai Islands in the north, Qiongzhou in the south, and Beiying Island echoing each other, we can fully enjoy the commercial benefits of the Ming Dynasty."

"Yes, given more time, we can also take over Ryukyu, Luzon, and Dongfan (present-day Taiwan), and then Xinhua will be able to form an outer blockade line against the Ming Dynasty at sea."

"..." Upon hearing these words, Wei Zhonglong was utterly stunned. "Li Yanshan, do you even know how many people Xinhua has? How many warships do we have?"

Being bold can sometimes be an advantage for young people, but arrogance and ignorance are simply foolishness!

We are currently trying to seize Dongnae Prefecture in North Korea, and we must do our best to get Donggang Town and Tsushima Domain involved.

If we want to raid Guangdong and seize Qiongzhou, how much power would we have to mobilize?
Without a dozen or so warships and three to five thousand troops, it would be impossible to capture Qiongzhou.

The problem is, once you start fighting with the Ming Dynasty, you can forget about doing business with them amicably.

As for immigration, the only way is through force.

It's so troublesome just thinking about it!

Unlike now, as long as Xinhua sets up a soup kitchen and hangs a few banners in Guangzhou, Shandong, or Liaohai, it can attract tens of thousands of refugees to gather there and board the immigration ship themselves.

Furthermore, the local government of the Ming Dynasty would also send out garrison soldiers or constables to help maintain order in order to prevent the refugees from getting out of control.

“Lord Wei, my idea is only possible if the Ming Dynasty is on the verge of collapse,” Li Yanshan explained.

"What, you think the Ming Dynasty is doomed to perish?"

"The current situation of the Ming Dynasty clearly shows signs of... its impending doom." Li Yanshan thought for a moment, then said with absolute certainty, "It can be said that unless a wise and virtuous ruler is born, or a powerful figure descends from heaven, it will inevitably perish sooner or later!"

Although he was born in the Ming Dynasty, he almost starved to death on the streets when he was just over ten years old. Fortunately, he was rescued by Xinhua and raised with kindness. Naturally, he did not have much affection for this doomed dynasty.

“Let’s discuss this later,” Meng Shengxin said with a smile, waving his hand. “Our focus now is on how to take advantage of the fact that the Ming Dynasty still has some ability to be saved, and give it as much breathing room as possible so that we have enough time to gather more immigrants from the mainland.”

"As for the others, they are all subordinate benefits."
-
(End of this chapter)