Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 193 Zhu Yuanzhang: If I told you this, it would definitely scare you, girl!
"Chongba, have you had some incredible adventure?"

Inside the Kunning Palace, Empress Ma looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and asked him a question.

Empress Ma had been holding these words in for quite some time.

However, before that, there were many things to do, and Chongba was never free.

In order not to cause her family any worry, she refrained from asking any questions.

Now, all these matters have temporarily come to an end.

By this time, the Imperial Academy had already gotten on the right track.

The fourth brother has also led his men out to sea, and the Maritime Trade Office has officially begun operations.

Although I was quite worried about Lao Si leading his men out to sea, fearing they might encounter pirates, especially in rough seas.

But that matter isn't currently on our minds.

For Chongba, this is a relatively free time right now.

In this situation, it's still possible to ask Chongba about this matter yourself.

Zhu Yuanzhang was taken aback when he heard his sister's sudden words.

He clearly hadn't expected his sister to ask that question at this moment...

……

"Show your cannons! Prepare to fire!"

Almost simultaneously, in the waters near Baihua Island, facing the surging tide of pirates, and realizing that these pirates had no chance of escaping, Yu Tongyuan, who had been holding back, finally broke his silence and gave a loud order.

After so much preparation, it's finally time to show our true colors. It's time to teach these people a lesson!

At his command, a messenger immediately waved a flag to relay his order.

After the order was given, the soldiers immediately pulled back the tarpaulin covering the cannons on the deck, revealing the cannons one by one.

Of these numerous cannons, most were made of iron with copper plating, with only a small portion being bronze cannons.

Under the sunlight, it gleams with a metallic sheen.

The cannon muzzle was dark and menacing.

After the tarpaulin was torn off, the person in charge of firing the cannons quickly began to adjust the cannons and aim them at the pirate ships sailing towards them.

As for the ammunition, it had already been loaded beforehand.

These people are very skilled at doing these things.

After all, they had already been secretly training for quite some time before this.

The Chaohu Navy was known for its fearlessness and never backed down in battle against the enemy.

In the past, they would not hesitate to board ships, engage in close combat, or even drive boats loaded with explosives and reeds to bomb enemy ships as suicide soldiers.

Not to mention that at this time, when bombarding the enemy with artillery from such a distance, there was no need for any panic.

Those selected to operate the cannons were the best of the best chosen by Yu Tongyuan and his team.

In terms of temperament and many other things, there is nothing to criticize.

At this point, the enemy ships were enormous and conspicuous, much larger than the targets they used in their training.

The bombardment of the ships was much easier than when they had practiced before.

Moreover, His Highness the Prince of Yan personally oversaw this operation.

His Highness the Prince of Yan is watching from here. If you can fight well and catch His Highness's eye, then your rise to prominence will be just around the corner.

With all these factors combined, the Ming Dynasty's naval fleet was now riding high on momentum.

Faced with the swarming pirates, they were not afraid at all; on the contrary, they were filled with excitement.

These are all military achievements!

They just wanted to blast these reckless pirates to smithereens as quickly as possible!

In exchange for their wealth and official positions.

Upon seeing the Ming Dynasty navy, this sudden action...

Chen Zhili was taken aback for a moment. He squinted and saw clearly what was protruding from the Ming Dynasty's naval ships, and was surprised.

artillery?

There are so many cannons?!
It's not uncommon for large ships to be equipped with cannons, but it's astonishing to see so many cannons on a ship.

How much money has that damn emperor poured into this?!

However, the surprise was only momentary, and he quickly adjusted his mindset.

Now that things have come to this, there's no time for them to hesitate.

Moreover, although there were many cannons, he was well aware of their power.

It looks intimidating, but its power is ultimately limited and it can't shoot very far.

Moreover, the firing speed is slow, and it is easy to cause the barrel to explode.

At their current speed, they would only need to withstand two rounds of cannon fire before they reached the enemy fleet.

With their superior ships, they can completely ram and destroy the enemy's ships!
The reason it is said that it would be smashed to pieces after being hit by at most two cannon shots is because it could withstand that.

This was because after a round of shelling, the imperial ships also entered the firing range of the circling ship.

On their side, they could use trebuchets to bombard the ships of the Ming Dynasty navy.

Their ships were equipped with many trebuchets, and these trebuchets were very powerful.

The key advantage is its faster rate of fire compared to artillery.

The loading speed of artillery is inherently slow, and it is much more complex than that of trebuchets.

When they suppress the enemy with trebuchets, it becomes much more difficult for the enemy to reload their artillery.

So, in short, they still have the upper hand this time!
The Ming Dynasty's navy is nothing to worry about!
In another direction, the bald-headed old Fang, the leader of the Fang pirates, also saw the movements of the Ming navy.

He was also taken aback at first, then his face broke into a sinister grin.

This incident is rather unusual; the encirclement of the imperial navy went a little too smoothly.

Now it seems that Zhu Chongba is probably thinking the same thing as us.

While they themselves wanted to annihilate the Maritime Trade Bureau's ships in one fell swoop, he probably also wanted to wipe them all out in one fell swoop.

It can only be said that both sides have the same idea this time.

Zhu Chongba's confidence stemmed from these cannons.

All I can say is that Zhu Chongba's plan was clever, and also quite cunning and treacherous.

Before this, they hadn't heard a single whisper of news.

But that's all there is to it.

Zhu Chongba's unexpected move will certainly cause him to suffer more losses.

But it only means bearing a little more loss.

Zhu Yuanzhang's cannons are not a threat.

The dog emperor has invested so much and has such high expectations for this matter.

Then, they bombed it to pieces, throwing all those cannons that Zhu Yuanzhang had painstakingly and secretly cast, and which he had high hopes for, into the sea.

Zhu Yuanzhang would probably be so angry he'd vomit blood.
Just thinking about it filled him with joy and anticipation.

"Pass on my order: advance at an even faster pace!"

Charge over and crush them!
Order the gunners to get ready, and once the distance is right, fire the trebuchet!

Let that dog emperor have a good drink!
Let's show him with our actions that we're in charge at sea!

He raised his voice to greet them.

Someone will pass on his orders.

Suddenly, a chorus of wolf howls erupted.

The voices of the many pirates were filled with disdain for the cannons of the Ming Dynasty navy.

And the desire to acquire great wealth in the future.

Leaving aside other rewards, there were also spoils.

The cannons on the ship alone were enough to make them a fortune.

Many of the cannons are made of bronze.

Copper is money, and this is so much money!

"Ignition, launch!"

After a brief pause, they saw a large number of people, all ready, and the bandits were already within firing range.

Yu Tongyuan then shouted and gave the order.

The messenger waved the red flag in his hand downwards fiercely.

Those who were ready began to light the fuse.

Like a small, serpentine snake, trailing smoke, it swiftly darted into the cannon.

The next moment, a series of earth-shattering roars rang out.

Amidst the billowing smoke, numerous projectiles, carrying immense force and the sound of air being torn apart, shot out!

Chen Zhili squinted, keeping his eyes fixed on the Ming Dynasty navy.

Seeing that the other side was already firing at them from such a distance, they couldn't help but look on with a mocking expression.

These people have truly lost their minds; they've been terrified by their own people.

They actually set off firecrackers from such a distance.

This person is truly panicked and has no idea what to do.

These cannons can't hit our side at all!
I'm afraid they won't even be able to fly half the distance before crashing into the sea.

He already had strong confidence in this battle, and now that moment, that confidence was even stronger.

The advantage is definitely on their side!

Now, they probably won't even need to endure a single round of cannon fire before they reach the Ming Dynasty's fleet!

But the next moment, his smugness vanished without a trace. The smile on his face froze instantly.

All that remained was shock and utter disbelief!

Those eyes, which weren't very big to begin with, widened and swelled in a very short time.

Towards the end, it almost popped out of their eyes!
The reason for this was that, in his expectation, the shells would fall into the sea shortly after being fired, and the shells, which would not even touch them, were heading straight for them at an extremely high speed!

There's not a trace of it about to fall into the sea!

With a loud bang, a shell whizzed past him.

He made intimate contact with the head of one of his capable assistants standing beside him.

That fine head collided with the shell and exploded with a bang, like smashing a watermelon.

A variety of things, red and white, splattered all over his face and body!
After smashing a large skull, the shell continued its trajectory without slowing down.

It made close contact with the deck, creating a large crater, and then hopped and skipped away to the back.

Wherever they went, chaos ensued!

And this is the result of just one bullet.

His ship was very far ahead, and it was flying his flag.

It's clearly different from other ships; there must be important people on board.

Therefore, when choosing which ships to bombard, most of the Ming Dynasty naval vessels, which were lined up in a long snake formation on the sea, aimed their cannons at Chen Zhili's ship if they were within range.

Focus fire on them.

In that instant, as many as seventy or eighty bullets flew toward him!

Aside from some that crashed into the water, or some that flew too high and flew over the ship.

There were about forty or fifty more that hit his ship.

The ship's hull and bow were smashed, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

The bombs blasted holes in the ship, some of which landed on the deck, smashing the vessel beyond recognition and taking many lives.

One of them struck the mast directly.

The wooden mast trembled violently from the impact.

A moment later, with a teeth-grinding creak, it collapsed...

Chen Zhili was completely stunned.

The boisterous shouts and vulgarities directed at the Ming army that had filled the pirate ships were now gone.

All that remained was a chorus of wails.

Some people were so scared that they wet their pants.

Many more people completely forgot what they were supposed to do. A single round of shelling terrified them, and they lay prone on the deck, afraid of being hit by the wise ruler's cannons again.

Chen Zhili mechanically turned his head, staring at the mess before him, as if he were dumbfounded.

How could this be?
How could this be?
Why can the Ming army's cannons shoot so far? Why are they so powerful?

How did they do that?
Is this... is this still an artillery piece?
Its range is more than twice as far as any of the artillery he knew before!

The key point is that it still has such great power at such a long distance!

How did Zhu Yuanzhang manage to do that?
Cannons really be this powerful?!

"It's leaking!"

"The boat is leaking!"

A sound of fear rang out, and some pirates shouted as they quickly tried to block the way with whatever they could find.

Unfortunately, it simply couldn't be blocked.

Such shouts also startled Chen Zhili, dealing him a heavy blow.

His proud 2,000-ton ocean liner actually started leaking after this round of shelling.

This...this is just too unbelievable!
"Charge! Charge with me! The Ming army relies on these cannons!"

Once they get close enough, they won't be able to fire from there; they'll only face certain death!
Charge with me! Smash them!!!

His eyes were red as he shouted loudly, where was his usual elegance and composure?

It is said that Chen Zhili did not personally go to the battlefield very often.

Moreover, even if he were to actually go to the battlefield, his ship would generally not sail too far forward.

This time, however, it was a battle against Zhu Yuanzhang's navy, combining old and new grudges.

Furthermore, through various reliable intelligence sources, he made an extremely erroneous assessment of the strength of both sides.

They felt that dealing with Zhu Yuanzhang was a sure thing for them.

So this time he not only participated in the battle, but also charged to the very front.

As a result, they suffered the greatest loss since they arrived at sea that year!
On the other side, bald Lao Fang's life was not easy either.

This round of shelling also blew away the sinister smile on his face.

All that remained was a blank stare on his face.

The overwhelming momentum they had just displayed was completely wiped out by this round of artillery fire from the Ming Dynasty.

Previously, when they encountered the Ming Dynasty navy, they actually used the gunwales of their ships to engage in battle.

Even though the ship was equipped with cannons, he didn't care.

I just think it was an extremely stupid decision.

But looking back now, I realize that my thinking was foolish.

This ship's gun hull is surprisingly effective at engaging the enemy!

No, how on earth did they manage to build such a powerful cannon?

Is this still an artillery piece?

How can it shoot so far and with such power?!
"Forward! Forward! We must charge forward even if it kills us!"

Bald Old Fang shouted loudly.

Once a large ship like theirs starts charging at full speed, it's impossible to stop it completely in a short period of time.

Furthermore, they also intend to wipe out the Ming Dynasty's naval forces in one fell swoop.

So the best course of action now is neither to stop nor to change course.

These are simply impossible.

There are too many ships; doing so would inevitably cause chaos.

The best approach is to continue charging forward as previously agreed.

Their ships are almost upon them; victory will be theirs!
……

"Wow... that amazing?!"

On the deck, Wang Dayuan squinted, smelling the pervasive smell of gunpowder.

Seeing the thief's reaction, he was filled with amazement.

At this point, most of his worries disappeared.

It turns out that His Highness Prince Yan and his companions were not taking any risks.

Rather, it was a genuine confidence that stemmed from a lack of understanding of the cannon's power.

His eyes shone as he stared intently at the cannons.

These cannons were practically made for warships.

The usual fighting is too heavy.

If it can be installed on a ship, then the impact in this regard can be completely ignored.

With such powerful cannons, paired with this warship, they will be virtually invincible in future trade endeavors.

If we can deal with these pirates now, the Maritime Trade Office of the Ming Dynasty will surely flourish in the future.

Especially when trading with foreign lands, the people of those lands would certainly be very welcoming.

They were overjoyed to come and do business with the Ming Dynasty.

If any foreign land doesn't want to do business properly, then let the navy conduct friendly exchanges with them.

Give them a few shots, and they'll become obedient.

They joyfully welcomed the royal army and initiated free trade with the Ming Dynasty.

Your Majesty has truly made countless preparations for this!
I had worried too much beforehand!
On the Ming side, the soldiers on the numerous warships, after this round of bombardment, didn't even need Yu Tongyuan to give orders.
Those who were prepared quickly loaded gunpowder into the cannons.

They loaded the gunpowder very quickly.

This is partly because these people had already undergone extensive training beforehand.

On the other hand, at His Majesty the Emperor's suggestion, the gunpowder they are now loading is all pre-packaged in cardboard.

It is particularly convenient to use.

All it takes is to mount it in the cannon, and it can be fired very quickly.

The key is that the gunpowder is quantified, so there's no need to worry about loading too much and causing the barrel to explode, or loading too little and not having enough power.

His Majesty called it fixed-pack gunpowder.

The entire loading process was very rapid. After loading, the shells were placed in, and under the command of the commanders of each cannon, adjustments were made quickly before firing again...

In an instant, the sound of cannons boomed...

……

Inside the Kunning Palace, Zhu Yuanzhang, after a moment of stunned silence, smiled and nodded.

"Girl, you're right, we really did have a miraculous encounter."

Moreover, it was an extremely extraordinary encounter.

"If I told you, it would definitely surprise you, girl!"

(End of this chapter)