Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 160 A hasty encounter

A week later
September 5th, 2025

A Chinese task force consisting of three sailing warships and five sailing transport ships left Davao Port in the early morning and sailed into the Davao Gulf one after another, forming a clear long snake formation on the sea.

The commander of this task force is Lord Nie Tongsheng, who holds the rank of garrison commander. His ship is the 450-ton brigantine sailing frigate "Struggle", which is a member of the vanguard fleet.

The other two ships were the "Fenqian" and the "Fenjin", one with a displacement of 380 tons and the other with a displacement of 415 tons. Both had only one fire deck and were equipped with 18-pound naval guns, which were light bombardments.

Obviously, this is a light sailing fleet of the Great Chu Navy.

The operation to conquer Port Angel had only a tiny chance of encountering the Franky fleet, and was just a routine combat escort.

The task force on this trip was escorting the "Xin" Regiment of the Second Division led by Guerrilla General Zheng Shun, totaling more than 1400 officers and soldiers (note, reinforced by a detachment with 6 9-pound field guns), 1200 sword and shield soldiers (note; militia), and the 71st People's Political Team led by Mr. Cao Yuxiu, as well as a large amount of necessary supplies.

"Master Nie, I'll leave this trip to you."

The speaker was the triumphant Cao Yuxiu, the new Tianshi County Magistrate, who had been appointed with a golden seal issued by the Marshal's Mansion and would be in charge of Palawan Island in the future.

As one of the first Chinese officials to open their eyes to the world and go to Southeast Asia, Cao Yuxiu, like his companions, felt deeply that they were shouldering a sacred national mission and was extremely excited about the prospect of devoting themselves to the great cause of colonial development.

Nie Tongsheng felt the same way. The two exchanged a smile. Nie Tongsheng clasped his fists and saluted, saying, "Your Excellency, the County Master has invited me. I, your humble servant, have come to you at this opportune moment, following the orders of the Commander-in-Chief. How dare I not serve you with all my might?"

"Master Nie, you are too polite. I believe that many years from now, you and I will look back on what we did today and be proud of it."

"What the county lord said is true. I am so lucky to be born in such a time."

"Hahaha...Mr. Cao feels the same way." Cao Yuxiu laughed knowingly.

Neither of them mentioned the Marshal's name, and their words were mostly polite, with greetings limited to the point.

There is no fool who can stand out from the crowd. What he says and what he does are just right and there is nothing to criticize.

Military officials are wary of getting too close to government officials, and normally they are just casual acquaintances.

Having followed the Marshal for quite some time, these promoted officials of the Great Chu State all knew what was going on.

The Marshal is a hero with great ambitions and a rare talent that is rarely seen in hundreds of years.

at the same time
The Marshal is not only broad-minded, but also decisive and resolute. He will not show any mercy to officials who have formed a clique, even out of old ties. This is the character of a man who can accomplish great things.

Cao Yuxiu knew clearly
The Marshal placed his second brother Cao Yushu in Yipil as the county magistrate, and sent himself far away to Palawan Island to take up the post. This may have been a precautionary measure.

Mindanao has a total of two prefectures and six counties. If the Cao brothers were really placed in important positions on the island, their power would inevitably grow in a few years and form a powerful internal force.

To prevent trouble before it happens, it is better to separate the two Cao brothers.

It not only brings out the talents of the Cao brothers, showing that the general knows how to appoint the right people, but also prevents the Cao brothers from forming a joint force, allowing them to support each other, fully demonstrating his clever way of employing people.

With Cao Yuxiu's intelligence, she could definitely guess;

If Angel Port is developed in three to five years and upgraded from a county seat to a prefectural seat, that will probably be the day I leave.

The commander-in-chief was so smart that he rotated the senior officers in the army to avoid the old practice of "soldiers belong to the general" and losing his absolute control.

Then in the government
Naturally, no official will be allowed to serve for too long, thus forming a stable local power.

As for your future destination

Cao Yuxiu also speculated that if the Northern Expedition went smoothly, he might be appointed to Manila, or one of the two provinces of Zamboanga and Davao.

If Cao Yuxiu is transferred to Mindanao, his second brother Cao Yushu will inevitably be transferred to Manila. One of the two possibilities is inevitable.

In front of such a lord with ambitions, it is best to be honest and never show off your cleverness, as it will only backfire.

The task force sailed on the blue sea with calm winds all the way, white clouds in the sky and fine weather.

After exchanging a few words with Nie Tongsheng, Cao Yuxiu walked down the stern deck, nodded and exchanged a few words with the sailors and clerks strolling on the deck, and came to the bow of the ship.

This command ship carried Cao Yushu and his 71st People's Political Team, so the deck was full of people, appearing crowded and lively.

No one wants to be cramped in the small space of a cabin, where the air is bad and there is an unpleasant smell of sweat mixed with foot odor and other strange smells.

It smells a bit like a dead mouse, or rotten food, and is simply disgusting.

Whenever possible

Everyone wanted to go to the deck to get some fresh air, or run to the lower gun deck to find a place to sit down and chat to kill time.

If nothing goes wrong, the voyage from Davao Port to Angeles Port is expected to take 2 days and 2 nights, or a maximum of three days.

Just squeeze in on the boat and it will be over.

The bow was carved with a long-haired woman, her wavy hair and prominent chest extremely conspicuous. It was said that she was some kind of white goddess? No one could figure it out.

At the top of the bow of the ship, there is a small incense burner and a tablet. Three incense sticks are burning in the incense burner, which were left by the fleet during the worship before setting sail.

There were still traces of blood on the bow, which were the blood of roosters and black dogs slaughtered on the spot, used to worship the gods of heaven, earth and the sea, meaning that there were no taboos.

The tablet is inscribed with "The Divine Throne of the Most Holy South China Sea Dragon King Zhaoming", which is actually a tribute to the South China Sea Dragon King Ao Qin, blessing with good weather and smooth sailing.

With the protection of two gods from China and abroad, this journey will surely be safe.

The sea breeze blew the full sails, creating a powerful dragging force. The large sailboat cut through the waves on the sea, sailing very fast, leaving a long white trail at the stern.

When the sail is adjusted, the taut cable makes a "crackling, crackling, crackling" sound like a steel cable, as if a giant lyre is being played.

Cao Yuxiu leaned over and saw three or four fat dolphins swimming quickly on the sea in front of the bow of the ship, like sea elves, accompanying the sailboat as it galloped forward.

Such a wonderful sight made him feel proud.

If you hadn't gone to Southeast Asia, how could you have seen such wonderful sights and wonders?
Cao Yuxiu couldn't help but think that she would have to explain this in detail in her private letter to her elder brother Cao Yucheng.

How can one not be intoxicated by the year-round mild climate, the schools of fish and shrimp in the sea, the abundant products on the island, and the fragrance of countless fruits and vegetables?

Two days later

At about three o'clock in the afternoon, the task force moved forward along the winding bay, and all the troops strengthened their lookout, searching for Port Angeles in the central part of Palawan Island, a very primitive small fishing port.

According to the captain who has been here,
There are only some indigenous canoes in Port Angeles, and there is no trace of any pier or port. If you are not careful, you may miss it.

The coast of Palawan Island is winding with many bays, and the blue sea, silver sand and coconut groves are breathtakingly beautiful. There are also many islands and reefs near the bay, which seem to be emerald gems inlaid in the blue bay.

But most of the officers and soldiers in the fleet had no time to appreciate it because the weather was not very good at that time.

Dark clouds gathered in the sky, the sea breeze grew stronger, and the strong waves pushed the sailboat to sway from side to side. A storm was brewing.

"Sir, we've spotted the enemy ahead. A cargo ship of unknown origin is anchored in the bay. It's hard to tell friend or foe. Please give us your instructions."

The lookout climbing on the top of the mast desperately knocked on the iron plate on his body and shouted loudly to warn.

"Where is it? Where is it... Show it to me quickly." Nie Tongsheng was so shocked that his face changed. He hurriedly took the copper monocular telescope and rushed to the side of the ship, shouting loudly.

The lookout pointed to the bay in front of the left. At this time, the "Struggle" was only about 2,000 meters away from the coastline. As the commanding ship, it was leading the way.

Behind him was the task force's seven sailing ships arranged in a long line.

The task force was sailing at a low speed along the coast. All the sailboats had furled their mainsails and were using only jibs and side sails. They were moving at a speed of about seven to eight knots and were advancing in a search formation.

Nie Tongsheng hurriedly raised his telescope to search, and soon found a sailing ship of unknown origin quietly docked deep in the "U"-shaped bay.

At this time, the "Struggle" had already rounded the cape, and it wouldn't be long before the other side would discover its presence.

"All personnel combat alert, all personnel combat alert!"

"Raise the battle flag and sound the alarm."

"Lower the mainsail, open the gun ports, and prepare for battle."

"I repeat, this is not a drill. Everyone, go to level one combat readiness. Quick, move faster."

"Send a signal to the rear transport fleet, ordering them to slow down and keep a distance from our battle fleet to avoid accidental casualties."

"Your Excellency, the fleet may be facing a battle. Please return to your cabins with your staff immediately to avoid being injured by stray arrows."

"Order the musketeers to reload their guns and the swordsmen to be fully armed and on guard, ready for boarding."

"Doctor, where is the doctor?"

Nie Tongsheng issued a series of orders, and the entire deck instantly became chaotic. Alarm bells rang, and the blood-red battle flag sail was raised to the masthead.

Immediately, the alarm bell sounded on the sailing warship at the rear, and a blood-red battle flag was also raised on the masthead.

We can see the two sailing warships, the "Fenqian" and the "Fenjin", following closely behind the "Fendou". Each ship carries an additional 200 infantrymen, who are now fully armed and rushing towards the side of the ship.

The sword and shield soldiers were in front, and the musketeers were in the back, ready for battle.

The gun ports on the side of the ship opened one after another, the black muzzles pointed at the sea, the dark gun bodies emitted a cold steel light and a murderous intent.

The Chu task force had been searching for Angel Port, and the lookout on the masthead was standing high and could see far, so they were lucky enough to discover this unknown sailing ship before it rounded the cape.

After receiving the warning, the task force took the lead in preparing for combat response.

A large sailing ship of unknown origin was discovered here, which was definitely an enemy, not a friend. Nie Tongsheng decisively issued a combat alert and raised the battle flag.

The tall hull of the "Fendou" was exposed on the cape, and the two sailing warships "Fenqian" and "Fenjin" behind it also showed their tall figures one after another, rushing towards the large sailing ship anchored in the harbor with great momentum.

Even though this unknown large sailing ship was slow to react, it realized it was in danger.

From the telescope

The white sailors could be seen shouting at the top of their lungs. More than a dozen white sailors rushed to the side of the ship, pointing in the direction of the task force and shouting warnings.

At this time, the two sides were about five kilometers apart. If the task force lowered its mainsail and began to accelerate, it would only take about ten minutes to close.

This large sailing ship of unknown origin was obviously unprepared. Caught off guard, some white sailors on the coast ran to the small dinghy and paddled hard to return to the ship.

Some white sailors began to push the capstan hard, trying to retrieve the anchor thrown into the sea.

Some other white rigging hands climbed up the mainmast, jib and sidemasts as nimble as monkeys, untied the ropes, and lowered the huge sails with a "clatter".

As the distance got closer, the unknown large sailing ship was on full alert, and the black gun ports on the side of the ship opened, revealing seven gun muzzles.

It was hard to see clearly at first because it was far away, but now everything is clear.

The lookout standing on the masthead desperately knocked on the iron plate and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Emergency battle alert, enemy ship, enemy ship, it's the Frankie ghost's enemy ship."

In fact, he didn't need to say anything, Nie Tongsheng had already seen it clearly through the telescope. His expression was very solemn and he ordered loudly;
"Gun deck, listen up! Load ammunition immediately and stand by to fire."

"A good shot."

"Good job, Second Artillery."

"Four shots are good."

"Three shots, good."

……

A series of reports came from the gun position, which meant that the gun had been loaded with gunpowder, fuse pools and shells, and was ready to fire at any time.

The schooner "Struggle" led its two companions and rushed forward fiercely. The distance between the two sides quickly shortened from 5 kilometers to 4 kilometers, and then to 3 kilometers...

And at this time

The French sailing ship still had not yet raised the anchor, and the French sailors on the deck were in a mess, rushing onto the deck with their muskets out.

The lowered sails caught the sea breeze, pulling the large French sailboat slightly away from its anchoring point and pulling the anchor cable straight, making it impossible to twist it.

These Franks also made mistakes in a hurry and made the simplest mistakes.

You should first raise the anchor and then lower the sail. This order cannot be wrong.

Once the sail takes effect, it pulls on both sides of the anchor that is stuck on the seabed, and the anchor cable is quickly pulled straight, with a force of more than thousands of pounds.

How could they strangle it with only seven or eight French sailors?
In normal times
It would take at least ten to twenty minutes for seven or eight sailors to raise the anchor. In a critical moment, every minute of delay is fatal.

Seeing the enemy ship make a mistake in a hurry, Nie Tongsheng had a confident smile on his face.

If nothing unexpected happens, this is a sure thing, and we can give the fallen dog a good beating.

"Adjust the mainsail 20 degrees to starboard, adjust the jib 20 degrees to starboard, slow down, and prepare for battle."

After the order is issued

The Chinese sailors frantically shook the mooring capstan and began to adjust the angle of the sail to let the sail follow the wind direction, so that they could catch only a little sea breeze instead of filling the sail completely.

Most of the dragging force disappeared, and the speed of the sailing ship naturally slowed down.

Nie Tongsheng saw through the telescope that a big white man was waving a big axe and chopping the anchor cable again and again. On the fourth chop, he finally cut the stretched anchor cable.

At this moment, the Franky warship started to move, slowly accelerating and turning...

But it's too late now

The three sailing warships led by the "Struggle" swooped down, and the distance between the two sides was shortened to less than 2 kilometers. The Chinese soldiers on the ship waved their weapons and screamed loudly, venting their tense and excited mood before the war.

Alarm bells echoed across the sea, and a fierce battle was about to break out...

(End of this chapter)