Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 392 The Giant Whale Subdued? This is a Sign of the Ming Dynasty's Revival
"Boom boom boom!"

The war drums beat continuously, and the eight well-aligned main ships converged forward like arrows released from a bow.

A salty, fishy smell wafted from the sea. The giant whale swam rapidly in the water, spouting a white mist of water. This water column, four or five zhang high, was even more powerful than any whale before, demonstrating the whale's immense strength.

Qi Jiguang naturally dared not be negligent in the slightest, and he shouted loudly.

"Order all ships to form an eight-trigram encirclement formation! The sentry ships will move first, followed by the main force ships!"

At a command, the four patrol boats suddenly accelerated and surrounded the giant whale from four different directions.

The whale was somewhat startled, but upon seeing the inconspicuous small boat, its massive body suddenly turned, its tail fin sweeping out and creating a huge wave.

After numerous training sessions, these sentry boats had become as slippery as eels, and the helmsmen were able to turn nimbly in response to the captain's calls, making them many times more composed than before.

"Change to faster drums! Main ships, withdraw!"

Hu Shouren shouted from the deck, and four more heavy capital ships set sail immediately.

With a telescope in his hand, Qi Jiguang could see the naval formation clearly.

This time, even at high speeds, all ships maintained their formation.

On each ship, the sailors were extremely patient and did not fire a single shot without the flagship's command.

The giant whale seemed to sense the danger, the surrounding ships drawing closer, and it began to swim wildly in the sea, occasionally stirring up violent waves.

Qi Jiguang's eyes deepened, clearly not giving the other side any chance to escape.

"Ballista and crossbows, prepare! Fire from three points simultaneously!"

As the command flag was raised on the main ship, the creaking sound of winches turning echoed from all the main warships.

These ballistae and crossbows were already aimed at the whale's back, pectoral fins, and other vital areas.

This is based on experience gained from numerous studies. Rather than using firearms or cannons to scare away the whale, using crossbows and arrows to restrict its movement and render it unable to fight is the best option.

"put!"

With a unified command, a dozen crossbow bolts, each as thick as a thigh, whistled out, carrying iron chains and hooks.

With a few muffled "plop plop plop" sounds, a roar suddenly came from the sea surface. The giant whale, in pain, rolled violently, trying to break free of its restraints.

However, these crossbow bolts were all barbed, and the whale would feel excruciating pain if it tried to dive into the water.

Qi Jiguang knew that this was the most crucial moment, and immediately gave the order.

"Stabilize all boats! Throwers, take your positions!"

Dozens of strongmen, who had been waiting in formation, worked in groups of three, carrying heavy three-edged iron forks weighing dozens of kilograms, and aimed at the weakest point on the side of the whale's body.

"cast!"

Six or seven iron forks flew out simultaneously, piercing the whale's body with precision, the barbs firmly gripping the thick whale skin once again.

The giant whale was practically riddled with thorns from the iron chains on the ballista and the hemp ropes on the pitchforks.

This area of ​​the sea has been dyed blood red.

Yin Zhengmao looked out the captain's cabin window and was so shocked by what he saw that his jaw dropped. His fingers trembled as he spoke.

"They actually caught it! This is a giant whale as big as a mountain! This is an unprecedented feat!"

He suddenly felt a pang of regret. If he had mustered the courage to stand on the deck and face the giant whale, would he have been credited with this achievement?
But he quickly dismissed the idea. Such a sea monster was something that even ocean-going navies had to go through countless hardships to capture. How could he possibly be able to calmly deal with it after just one encounter?
Staying inside the cabin is already the greatest help one can give to the fleet.

"It's done! It's done!"

Zhang Jianxiu's eyes widened, filled with surprise and joy. No one could understand how much hardship and humiliation they had endured for today's victory!
With success seemingly within reach, almost all the naval personnel were overjoyed.

But Qi Jiguang did not slacken his efforts; he shouted again.

"All ships must remain vigilant, be alert to all movements around you, stabilize your hulls, and speedboats, charge!"

In an instant, two fast ships emerged from behind, weaving through the gaps between the capital ships. Each ship was equipped with about five crew members.

Normally, these small boats wouldn't dare get too close, but now the giant whale has almost lost its ability to resist and has become a sitting duck in the center.

"Shoot the hook sickle!"

At a command, the hook-and-sickle operator on the fast boat stood at the edge of the gunwale, and his long-handled hook-and-sickle precisely severed the tendons on the outside of the whale's pectoral fin.

This is the result of summarizing numerous failures and practicing hundreds and thousands of times.

After its tendons are severed, the giant whale's fighting ability will continue to be greatly weakened.

With Qi Jiguang's reminder, everyone became extremely patient. Even as the giant whale struggled and shrank, the fleet patiently fought it for nearly an hour.

The mission is complete only when the giant whale is truly exhausted from its movements!

"Flagship! The whale is exhausted!"

As the lookout reported, shouts from sailors rose and fell from the various ships.

The voices were loud and clear, and everyone's joy was palpable, yet everything remained orderly. No one let themselves go or broke the rules set by the fleet because of this victory.

Qi Jiguang stood at the highest point of the deck, looking down at the scene. His fingers, as rough as tree bark, gripped the deck railing tightly, veins bulging on his hands, but his face remained calm and composed.

"Withdraw the formation! Bind them!"

With this final order given, the sailors threw out a series of ropes wrapped in oil-soaked leather, as if it had been rehearsed countless times.

The cable was wrapped around the whale's body three times, with a main cable tied to its back and belly, and auxiliary cables on both sides to ensure even stress distribution.

The tugboat is towed by two main vessels, with the main tugboat pulling from the front and the auxiliary tugboat adjusting the direction from the rear.

All ships are moving at full speed back to port!
Qi Jiguang returned to the cabin and sat down. Only then did he realize that his back and body were soaked with sweat and seawater, and he was almost dehydrated.

He poured a large pot of water down his throat.

After Qi Jiguang finished drinking the water, Yin Zhengmao came down from the deck. He had just finished looking at the giant whale and hurriedly came back to offer his congratulations.

"Yuan Jing! Yuan Jing! How can I not admire you? That was a giant fish the size of a Fujian ship, a sea monster. If it were in ancient times, only the Kunpeng could rival it. You have done something earth-shattering and a feat unparalleled in history!"
That's truly enviable.

Zhang Jianxiu remarked from the side, "This giant whale is robust, weighing around 300,000 to 400,000 jin (150,000 to 200,000 kg), which is almost equivalent to two or three times our catch."

The amount of fish meat alone could feed countless people.
Every part of a whale, such as its skin, oil, bones, and baleen, is a treasure.

If they can find ambergris, the navy will make a fortune this time.

Whales are extremely valuable economically.

By the late 16th century, Basque whalers in the West had begun their whale-hunting life, even chasing whale pods as far as the coasts of Newfoundland and Iceland in search of a catch.

Decades later, in order to obtain precious whale oil and various expensive parts, the Dutch and English will also form a huge whaling fleet.

Whales may appear ferocious, but once you master the techniques, they become like gold in the sea, readily exploitable.

Compared to the high-risk, dangerous business of plundering merchants at sea, whaling was clearly a much more profitable endeavor.

Qi Jiguang appeared somewhat weak, but he smiled slightly as he spoke.

"A large yellow croaker can relieve the food shortage in a prefecture, and this whale will probably allow my ocean-going fleet to no longer worry about money and food in the future."

In reality, the navy's pay and provisions were given priority and there was no shortage. However, Qi Jiguang was afraid of poverty and wanted to save up more wealth.

The navy barely stopped for a moment and arrived at the outskirts of the Zhoushan Islands in less than a day.

Qi Jiguang saw the dying whale on the deck, pondered for a moment, and then spoke to Zhang Jianxiu beside him.

"Si Zhe, I have something to discuss with you."

After catching the whale, Zhang Jianxiu was riding high, his mind filled with thoughts of bragging to his father and brothers when he returned to the capital.

He smiled and said, "Uncle, please speak frankly."

Qi Jiguang pointed to the giant whale behind him and said.

"The giant whale was on its last legs, clinging to life, and cried out day and night."

The Book of Documents says, "According to the seasons, we should revere the way of Heaven."

Our capture of the giant whale for the people of Jiangnan is an economic solution to the food shortage, and is therefore justified.

But I observed that this giant whale was quite intelligent, and it did not appear ferocious while swimming in the sea.

Since it's only half a day's voyage from the harbor, let's give it a quick death and spare it suffering. What do you think?

Qi Jiguang's mother was a devout Buddhist, and he himself was influenced by her.

However, he was not pedantic. If people can't even get enough to eat, how can we talk about "saving all living beings"?
Whales also eat fish and shrimp in the sea; the natural order of things is a balance of elements.

However, there is a difference between killing and abusing life.

Zhang Jianxiu thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "Uncle is right. We are not exactly compassionate, but we are not cruel devils either. Let's give him a quick death."

After discussing it, the two sent several sailors to operate the giant crossbow winch and stab it at close range into the whale's pectoral fin.

The whale was already weak, and after its respiratory system was completely destroyed, it struggled for a few moments before its life ended.

Yin Zhengmao nodded slightly as he watched this scene.

“Brother Yuanjing, you have mastered the art of commanding troops. It has been said since ancient times that a kind heart cannot command troops. Military discipline must be strict, but humanity must never be lost in the military.”

If the soldiers under your command are all cruel and bloodthirsty, even if you are invincible, you will surely suffer in the future if you treat people as less than human and life as worthless.

Qi Jiguang simply stood on the deck and did not respond.

Zhang Jianxiu watched the conversation between the two, looking thoughtful.

The reasoning that Yin Zhengmao described seems to have something in common with his younger brother.

The navy arrived at the harbor at dusk.

Now that the imperial court has lifted the sea ban, there are more and more merchant ships, cargo ships and fishing boats in the harbors.

As the imperial decrees were gradually implemented, ordinary people could go to sea and fish freely in the coastal areas after registering with the government.

However, compared to catching fish themselves, purchasing the catch from deep-sea naval vessels and then reselling it is naturally a better option.

Having calculated the auspicious date, the people stayed at the port almost every day, afraid of missing it.

Upon receiving the news, Hai Rui had already been waiting in the harbor, staring blankly at the slowly approaching fleet.

When people saw the fleet towing a giant fish that looked like a small mountain, a violent commotion broke out in the harbor.

Many people even fled in panic after seeing the giant whale.

"The Dragon King of the Sea! The Dragon King of the Sea has arrived!"

But someone immediately offered an explanation.

"Don't panic. That giant fish is an inanimate object. Even if it is the Dragon King of the Sea, it cannot harm anyone."

After the fleet docked, the people finally saw the true face of the giant whale. Its body, as big as a small mountain, was nearly 20 meters long and almost two stories high. To climb onto the back of the giant whale, one would need a long ladder.

The most obvious feature is the long whiskers on both sides of the whale's upper and lower jaws, each one as long as a person and as wide as a bowl.

The whale's back was riddled with holes, and it was clear to anyone with eyes that it had gone through a fierce struggle before surrendering.

The appearance of the giant whale on the beach was like a thunderbolt exploding.

The sailors had no reason to worry about anyone taking advantage of the chaos, because no civilian dared to approach, and a strong smell of fish and blood began to fill the air.

The people turned their gazes toward the sailors disembarking from the warship, their eyes filled with awe.

How strong must these people be to be able to fight this behemoth?
Hai Rui could hardly believe his eyes and subconsciously searched his memory for descriptions of this giant whale in ancient books.

There have indeed been rumors about giant whales stranding in the past, but while those whales were indeed large, they were still far inferior to this one.

Qi Jiguang spotted Hai Rui from afar and burst into hearty laughter.

"Hahaha! Brother Ruxian, what are you still standing there for? We have brought back the prey and are just waiting for you, the 'housekeeper,' to come and divide the spoils on the spot. Such a big fish cannot be kept for too long. I suggest that we break it down on the spot and sell it to the people of Ningbo Prefecture."

Zhang Jianxiu then spoke eloquently from the side, saying, "The giant whale is a treasure from head to toe. Whale oil can be used to make everlasting lamps and soap. The machinery made by Xishan Workshop must also have some use."

This whalebone is soft and elastic; if used to make a stand or a shelf, wealthy merchants would surely be willing to pay for it.

And this whale meat, although the taste is a bit lacking, there's plenty to go around. This giant whale has at least tens of thousands of kilograms of meat, and it's all being sold.

Today, all the people of Ningbo Prefecture can enjoy whale meat!

His tone was bold; the word "whale" in ancient Chinese meant something enormous, and the phrase "eating whales" carried a sense of conquest.

Hearing their conversation, Hai Rui was momentarily stunned. He didn't understand much about trade, so he called over Zhao Rui, who was accompanying him, and explained.

"Manager Zhao, is this giant whale really that valuable? Wouldn't one giant whale bring in a huge profit?"

Zhao Rui's face was flushed, and he was very excited when he saw the whale. He cupped his hands and said to Hai Rui.

“Your Excellency, when I arrived in Jiangnan from the capital, Commander Zhang gave me instructions that if there were any traces of a giant whale in Jiangnan, I must report it immediately.”

In his few words, he mentioned the benefits of the giant whale.

Now, Marshal Qi and Vice Commander Zhang have both received His Majesty's decree, and presumably they have also received guidance from Commander Zhang.

Commander Zhang is a renowned scholar of vast learning; how could his words be false?

Zhao Rui is also a well-known "Zhang fanboy," and he can't stop talking about Zhang Yunxiu in his conversations.

Hai Rui was somewhat bewildered; whales stranding themselves was nothing new and not surprising.

He was always composed and steady, but he lost his composure in front of the giant whale today.

"Hahahaha!"

Yin Zhengmao disembarked from the boat, his steps still unsteady, but seeing Hai Rui's surprised expression, he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

He patted his chest and said.

"Following Yuan Jing's advice, the whale was sold to the people on the spot. I will return to the yamen to draft a memorial and send it to the capital so that His Majesty and the Grand Secretary may know this good news."

Hunting down a giant whale! This is a military achievement! It is a sign of the revival of our Great Ming Dynasty!

(End of this chapter)