Di Ming

Chapter 146 Should we accept the surrender?
The fleet disguised itself as merchant ships, and the thirty-eight warships were divided into thirteen squadrons, which then dispersed and headed south.

The ships of the Daishan Army were a diverse mix. They included large Fujian ships (main battleships), centipede ships, Haicang ships, Cangshan ships, and Japanese-made ships.

Zhu Yin's flagship was a large two-masted Fujian-style ship, which he temporarily named "Daishan".

Although the Daishan was privately built, it represents the high level of shipbuilding technology of the Ming Dynasty.

Within East Asia, the shipbuilding level of the Ming Dynasty (private shipyards) was the highest. Next was the Ming Dynasty's official shipyards. Then came Korea, and the worst were those built by Japan.

As for the more advanced Zheng He treasure ships, they have long been lost.

The Daishan ship was over ten zhang long, over two zhang wide, four stories high, and had a carrying capacity of 1,500 shi (200 tons).

This was already the best warship the Daishan Army had ever built.

The other four main warships were also large and medium-sized Fujian-style ships. They were named Qushan, Shengsi, Xiushan, and Yangshan respectively.

All of them are the five large islands currently occupied by the Daishan Army.

Above the flagship was Qi Jiguang. The nominal commander-in-chief of this battle was Zhu Yin, but in reality, it was Qi Jiguang.

The Ning sisters, Lancha and other Jurchen guards, Zhang Naizhu and other Han guards, and their beloved dog Black Tiger were all on the "Daishan".

Unfortunately, the Daishan army's firepower was too poor; they had less than two hundred light and heavy artillery pieces and firing pins combined.

The flagship Daishan was equipped with only five 1000-jin cannons, and a dozen or so other cannons including the breech-loading cannon, the tiger-squatting cannon, the Weiyuan cannon, and the 100-shot cannon.

The ship had more than 200 soldiers, including 100 musketeers.

Compared to the great warships of the Westerners, they were really not worth mentioning.

At that time, there was a northerly wind, and the winter monsoon was perfect for a southward-bound fleet. Not only was the wind favorable, but the wind direction was also relatively stable, and the waves were not large.

It was truly the right time.

With its two masts billowing high, the Daishan, fueled by the wind, cut through the waves as fast as a galloping horse.

According to Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei, the boat's speed must have exceeded ten knots (18 kilometers per hour).

Shortly after setting off, the Daishan passed by Zhoushan Island.

Above the fourth-floor chamber of the nobles.

Zhu Yin wore a small-sized arrow-sleeved robe, a fur hat, deerskin boots, and a black fox fur vest, dressed in a golden and precious manner.

Wearing a cloak and a Zhaojun hat, Ning Caiwei held a red copper hand warmer and stood side by side with Zhu Yin, looking westward towards Zhoushan Island.

The gazes of this golden couple towards Zhoushan Island burned with fire.

Zhoushan Island is the largest island in the Zhoushan Archipelago, and it is very close to the mainland, only twenty miles away.

It was a huge island, but after being slaughtered and plundered by Japanese pirates, foreign pirates, and other foreigners, only a few thousand people remained, and it was extremely desolate.

Today, apart from the main island and its affiliated islands, which are closest to the mainland, the rest of the Zhoushan Archipelago is in the hands of the Daishan Army.

In fact, Zhoushan Island was not entirely in the hands of the Ming army.

Back then, Hu Zongxian was imprisoned and committed suicide, Yu Dayou was demoted, and Qi Jiguang was transferred to Jizhou. The southeastern coastal defenses fell into disrepair once again, and years of efforts were destroyed in an instant.

The Ming Dynasty almost abandoned Zhoushan Island, leaving only a few hundred Ming soldiers as a symbolic garrison.

Ironically, several groups of pirates, totaling over a thousand, openly resided on Zhoushan Island, coexisting peacefully with the Ming army stationed there.

These so-called pirates have intricate connections with powerful families in the southeast, and some may even be the ones who orchestrated them.

As a result, Zhoushan Island became a transit point for smuggling by wealthy gentry from the southeast. The presence of several hundred Ming soldiers only nominally granted the imperial court governing power.

Zhu Yin pointed to Zhoushan Island, which resembled a giant ship on the sea, and declared resolutely, "We will take over Zhoushan Island sooner or later and unify the entire Zhoushan!"

Ning Caiwei said, "My godfather will not agree. After all, there are Ming troops stationed on Zhoushan Island, and it is nominally still in the hands of the imperial court."

“My godfather can wage war against Japanese pirates, foreign barbarians, and pirates, but he will never wage war against the Ming army.”

Zhu Yin looked back and, finding Qi Jiguang absent, whispered:

"Xu Wei gave me an idea: to have the imperial court completely abandon the island."

Ning Caiwei's eyes lit up. "Ji An is going out?"

She desperately wants to get her hands on Zhoushan Island. Without this largest island, the Zhoushan Archipelago cannot be unified.

Zhu Yin chuckled softly, “Xu Wei said that he should have Old Man Hai contact several ministers who are selfless and dedicated to the country, and submit a memorial to Emperor Wanli, requesting the restoration of Zhoushan County as it was during the Tang and Song dynasties, the relocation of coastal residents to the island, and the strengthening of coastal defense.”

"At the same time, I suggested to my uncle that the profits from the maritime trade in Zhoushan were enormous, and that the emperor should restore the Zhoushan County system and set up a tax agency, so that a considerable amount of tax revenue could be collected every year."

"In that case, Wanli would most likely agree. Then, the people would be relocated to the island, and the county system of the Tang and Song dynasties would be restored."

Ning Caiwei didn't realize it at first, but she was a very smart woman and quickly understood.

"That's incredibly poisonous." Ning Caiwei couldn't help but show her admiration.

"Xu Wenchang is really too vicious. He included everyone in the scheme. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. But behind the oriole are children with slingshots."

"Little Tiger, you're the little kid with the slingshot behind the oriole."

Zhu Yin laughed, "Caiwei is really smart, she figured out the danger so quickly. Xu Wei is just like Jia Xu, a cunning strategist."

"He was arrogant and talented, but wasted his life, and his hatred for the court was no less than that of Huang Chao. In this plan, Xu Wei's greatest strength was his insight into the relationship between maritime smuggling and powerful and influential people."

"We know this because we are time travelers. But in the Ming Dynasty, those in power were often blinded by their own biases, and few people possessed this kind of insight."

Ning Caiwei nodded in agreement.

What was so insidious about Xu Wei's plan?

He accurately predicted Hai Rui's public-spiritedness, the emperor's greed, and the shamelessness of the powerful figures in the southeast.

Throughout the history of the Ming Dynasty, there were several proposals to establish Zhoushan as a county. However, these proposals were all shelved due to obstruction by "mysterious forces."

This time, if Hai Rui and Tian Yi and others bring it up, the greedy and materialistic Wanli Emperor will most likely issue an edict to restore the county in Zhoushan, send eunuchs to collect taxes, and relocate the coastal people who have little land to the island.

It certainly seems like a good thing.

Hai Rui thought it was a good thing, and the emperor also thought it was a good thing.

However, the smuggling activities of the powerful families in the southeast were greatly restricted, and they lost their most important smuggling locations.

Are they capable?

In this way, they will surely retaliate. They will mobilize the forces in the court, using ancestral rules as an excuse, and find various pretexts to demand the abolition of the county and relocation to the sea, thus abandoning Zhoushan once again.

If the emperor disagrees, they might collude with pirates to constantly harass Zhoushan Island, or even directly occupy Zhoushan, forcing the emperor to give up again.

In order to shatter the emperor's illusions, this abandonment would be a complete one, allowing Zhoushan Island to be entirely occupied by "pirates" and forcing the Ming army to withdraw completely.

Once Zhoushan Island is completely occupied by pirates, Qi Jiguang will only become more disappointed with the imperial court and will no longer have any hope that the court can defend Zhoushan.

At that time, the even more powerful Daishan Army will be able to wipe out the "pirates" in one fell swoop, occupy Zhoushan Island, and unify the Zhoushan Islands.

Moreover, the people who have been relocated to the island by the imperial court will become part of the population resources within the Daishan system.

It's equivalent to asking the imperial court to send manpower and resources to the Daishan army.

This scheme was truly ruthless. The Emperor, Hai Rui, Tian Yi, the powerful families of Southeast China, and the maritime merchant group were all pawns.

In the end, only the Daishan Army benefited.

Ning Caiwei thought for a moment and said, "This plan will take about two years. One year to push the emperor to establish counties, and one year to provoke the powerful clans in the southeast to launch a counterattack."

Zhu Yin nodded: "Two years should be enough. Wanli is greedy. As long as he believes there is profit to be made, it is highly likely that he will issue an edict to establish the county."

"Once Zhoushan is established as a county, a counterattack from the powerful families of the southeast will be inevitable. With the help of 'pirates,' Wanli will surely be the one to fail."

"As long as we push for the establishment of the county, the final result will definitely develop as we expect."

"So in two or three years at most, we will be able to unify the entire Zhoushan and obtain tens of thousands of people relocated by the imperial court."

Ning Caiwei smiled and said, "More importantly, we can monopolize the Southeast maritime trade, do business with the Southeast's powerful families, and have influence in both the legal and illegal worlds."

Zhu Yin glanced at Zhoushan Island again, stretched out her small hand, and then closed her fingers, saying, "You can't escape my grasp!"

.........

On the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month of the fifteenth year of the Wanli reign (1580), at the hour of You (5-7 PM).

Southeast of Dayuan lies Lanyu Island.

Orchid Island is a deserted island, but it has a natural harbor.

Tonight, merchant ships have been anchoring at Lanyu Island from time to time. By 7 PM, dozens of "merchant ships" had gathered on Lanyu Island.

On the Daishan, Zhu Yin finally breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the reassembled fleet.

It's truly thanks to Mazu's blessing.

After nearly sixty hours of sailing, the fleet covered two thousand miles, traversing the Zhejiang and Fujian seas, a truly remarkable speed.

The fleet only stayed in the natural harbor of Lanyu Island for an hour, rested briefly, ate its fill, and checked the gunpowder and equipment before heading straight for Itte Island under the cover of night!
It is located south of Orchid Island, only about 300 li (approximately 150 kilometers) away. At today's ship speeds, it would only take a day and a night to reach it!
If we set out at 7 PM tonight, the fleet will be able to appear suddenly on Itte Island under the cover of darkness before dawn tomorrow.

Zhu Yin, Ning Caiwei, and the others hadn't slept well for two days, but they were in great spirits.

In contrast, Qi Jiguang remained soundly asleep on the boat, as if nothing had happened.

In the dark blue sky, the cool moon shines on the mysterious and vast sea, where the sky and sea merge into one, and the stars drift by.

Under the moonlight, sails drifted like dreams, and waves surged like intoxicating waves. Everyone felt a profound sense of insignificance amidst the vast emptiness of the world.

Zhu Yin stood atop the highest chamber, holding Ning Qingchen high in his arms, letting her gaze at the starry sky and the vast ocean.

Ning Qingchen was dressed very thickly, wrapped up like a ball of fur.

"Little Tiger, I feel like I'm dreaming." Ning Qingchen looked at the starry sky and the sea, her eyes sparkling.

"Sigh, when will I grow up, duck?"

Zhu Yin said, "Have you seen it all? If you have, let's get some sleep. We're about to go to war."

Ning Qingchen yawned. "Go to sleep."

Zhu Yin carried her down from the noble chamber and into a warm cabin with a burning charcoal stove. Ning Caiwei was sleeping soundly with her bare feet.

Black Tiger lay listlessly on the oak deck. Dogs don't like going on boats.

Zhu Yin put Ning Qingchen down, and she immediately crawled to her sister's side and snuggled inside.

Zhu Yin lay down beside him, but he couldn't fall asleep no matter what.

The sounds of waves and wind filled my ears, and I could almost hear the calls of whales in the sea.

It wasn't until late at night, just as he had fallen asleep, that he heard Lancha's voice outside.

"Oh dear. It's almost dawn."

Zhu Yin suddenly woke up and sat up abruptly. He heard Ning Caiwei's breathing pause for a moment, then resumed with soft breathing.

This means she was awake just now, but pretended not to be.

Zhu Yin jumped up, opened the cabin door and went out, with Black Tiger immediately following behind him.

“Erzhen,” Lancha said, “the old general has already donned his armor.”

Zhu Yin went up to the fourth deck, where the deck was already covered with armored vehicles.

It was almost dawn.

The tall and imposing Qi Jiguang once again donned his magnificent armor, covered by a cloth garment.

His visor was lowered, obscuring his features. "Father," Zhu Yin stepped forward, "Are you going to fight personally?"

Qi Jiguang nodded, "It's nothing, they're just chickens and dogs. Right now, when the enemy is sleeping the best, we can strike them down in one fell swoop."

According to the plan, the best course of action for this battle would be close combat, directly attacking the enemy's ship and killing the foreign sailors.

Qi Jiguang took out a conch shell and handed it to Zhu Yin, saying, "Blow the conch shell, it's time."

Zhu Yin took the conch shell and looked ahead. He saw a patch of blackness appear on the sea not far away. Within the blackness, there were faint lights.

That must be It Island.

Zhu Yin's nautical charts were very accurate, and with the guidance of a compass and astrolabe, it was easy to find Itte Island, which was not far away.

Zhu Yin picked up the conch shell and blew on it.

The soldiers, who had been prepared long ago, immediately sprang into action. Firearms and artillery were all in place, and those with armor were already donning their armor.

All nine hundred-plus musketeers in the fleet had finished loading their ammunition.

Two hundred of the most elite suicide squad members, each clad in iron armor and wielding knives and guns.

The bridges and ladders used for climbing enemy ships were then moved onto the deck.

The fleet sailed toward the light, for that was the only port of the foreign barbarians.

There are not many foreigners on Itte Island; they only concentrate in one port.

At this time, visibility at sea was still very low, and it was the time when people were sleeping the most soundly. Even though it was only a few miles away, no one on the island noticed the enemy attack.

With the help of favorable winds, the Daishan Army's fleet, like a group of sea monsters, pounced on the sleeping Yite Island under the cover of night!

.........

Dozens of ships were moored in the harbor of Itte Island.

Most of the ships are new ships under construction. The new ships have already been launched and are just waiting for the final painting.

These boats are small Spanish galleons, utilizing the latest Spanish shipbuilding technology.

However, the galleons were too large. Even the smaller galleons had a displacement of over 300 tons, larger than the largest warship of the Daishan Army.

These “small” galleons, with four masts, two sails, and five decks, resembled giant sea beasts.

The entire harbor was filled with the oak scent of new ships.

The remaining small number of ships were not new, but rather Spanish naval warships and transport ships from Itte.

It was an island built by order of the Spanish Governor-General of Luzon as a frontline base for the campaign against the Ming Dynasty, where new ships and warehouses were constructed.

For months, It has been stockpiling war supplies, including food, dried meat, gunpowder, shells, timber for shipbuilding, copper and iron.

There was even a musket repair shop.

This place not only has a large reserve of food and supplies, but also more than 3,000 laborers and craftsmen.

These laborers and artisans were almost all Han Chinese slaves who had been captured.

The governor's office's goal was to have enough islands to support an army of more than 20,000 men to fight against the Ming Dynasty for six months.

Currently, only one-third of this goal has been achieved.

Of course, this was a military secret. None of the pirates in the surrounding area knew that Itte Island was secretly stockpiling supplies.

The Spanish garrison on Itte originally consisted of only two or three hundred men, four small warships, and a fifty-man marine corps, who acted as overseers to maintain order.

However, a few days ago, the warship Santiago, which was returning from Japan, stopped at Itt Island to rest and did not immediately head south.

This suddenly increased the number of Spanish soldiers on Itt Island to over five hundred.

The Santiago's temporary stay on Itt Island was actually Captain Garcia's way of unloading the looted cargo and selling it to the military.

The Santiago has unloaded a lot of sugar, pig iron, tea, and cotton cloth, and is currently negotiating with the logistics officer on Itt Island.

After some arguing, a price was finally agreed upon. The logistics officer, representing the governor's office, purchased the cargo looted from the Santiago for 30,000 Spanish silver dollars.

Captain Garcia was overjoyed to have finalized the deal. He had drunk a lot the night before, then spent half the night embracing a camp girl from the island before falling into a deep sleep.

The Spanish sailors on the Santiago, overjoyed at receiving their silver dollars, got completely drunk and fell into a deep sleep after ravishing the camp girl.

As for the two hundred women in the camp on the island, they were all Han Chinese women bought from human traffickers. Because the Spanish disliked women with bound feet, these Ming Dynasty women all had natural feet.

They not only had to endure the inhuman torture inflicted by the foreign soldiers, but they also served as cooks, maids, tailors, and laundresses on the island, undertaking heavy labor.

The arrival of the sailors from the USS Santiago made their situation even worse. Every day for the past few days, women have been found dead, their bodies thrown into the furnace and burned.

The sailors on the USS Santiago were, after all, just passing through, so their carelessness was understandable.

However, the two hundred or so Spanish soldiers already stationed on Itt Island were also very careless.

It was less carelessness and more arrogance.

Whether they were previously stationed in Manila or now sent to Itaewon Island, they have always been nobles who are high above the natives.

Not only did the royal families of various countries treat them with utmost respect, but even pirates dared not easily offend the noble white people.

The Ming Empire, which called itself the Celestial Empire, was outwardly strong but inwardly weak, and it was powerless to deal with them.

They have the right to be arrogant.

Therefore, apart from deploying sentries, they did not maintain constant vigilance.

The five hundred Spanish soldiers were all fast asleep.

On the decks of the warships, large and small, no one was guarding the gun positions. The unfinished port fortifications were also deserted.

Only a few sentries sat there drinking, muttering complaints like ghosts.

Under the harbor lights, all the ships seemed to be asleep, their sails lowered, bobbing on the waves.

Of particular note is the largest galleon, the Santiago, with a displacement of 700 tons.

In the captain's cabin, Captain Garcia, who was in a daze, suddenly had a nightmare.

He dreamt of a terrifying scream, as if it came from hell, and it seemed that countless monsters were climbing up his Santiago from the seabed and devouring his sailors.

too frightening.

The woman beside him scrambled to her feet in terror, pushed aside the dead-pig-like Garcia, and stared blankly at the thick hair on his chest.

What's that sound outside?
She listened carefully, and her expression gradually changed.

She heard sharp whistles, the terrified cries of the foreigners, screams of agony, and shouts of killing.

somebody is coming!

Someone is killing foreigners?!
Just as a huge surprise was forming in her mind, Garcia suddenly woke up with a start.

"What happened?" Garcia was still a little confused, then his expression changed drastically, and his emerald green eyes widened.

"Enemy attack! Oh my God!"

The Spanish nobleman jumped up, threw on his clothes, and rushed out.

The moment he rushed out of the captain's cabin, he was dumbfounded, all traces of his hangover gone.

A vast number of warships, of unknown number, suddenly appeared in the harbor and docked with his large ship.

From within the enemy ship came the sound of conch shells, like the weeping of ghosts.

Pirates, shouting strange slogans, climbed up the ship's ladder and charged forward, brandishing their weapons.

Those damned pirates actually boarded our ship under cover of darkness! But many of our soldiers rushed out of the cabin like headless flies, their clothes disheveled.

That sentry deserves to be hanged! Why didn't he notice the enemy approaching?!
They deserve to go to hell!

Garcia felt a chill run through him after just one glance. As an officer of the Spanish Empire, he knew very well the weaknesses of his own warships.

The worst thing is being caught in close-quarters combat by the enemy. Once the enemy gets close, the powerful firepower becomes useless, and that's a disaster.

No sooner said than done, just as Garcia rushed out of the captain's cabin, a group of pirates clad in iron armor charged at him.

"Pfft—Pfft!"

Several Spanish soldiers who had just picked up their weapons were killed before they could even fire.

At the same time, the sound of muskets popping like popping beans rang out in succession.

More and more pirates rushed onto our warships; we don't know how many there were, but they were definitely several times more numerous than our own.

Finished!

.........

At this moment, the entire port was filled with shouts of battle, screams of agony, and the roar of muskets.

On the Daishan, Zhu Yin put down the conch shell.

A relieved smile appeared on her usually indifferent face.

They finally made it close and boarded the Spanish warship.

The plan went more smoothly than he had imagined, demonstrating how careless the Spanish colonists had been.

The Spanish Navy's greatest fear was close combat. Historically, European pirates frequently used this tactic when raiding Spanish treasure ships.

The Daishan Army had more than two thousand men. Once they got close, the hundreds of Spanish sailors would have no chance of survival.

As expected, the Spanish soldiers, hastily prepared for battle, were no match for the ferocious Daishan army, and their previous arrogance vanished.

The Daishan army, with its armored warriors leading the way, boarded the ships to attack, followed by musketeers firing their guns and archers shooting arrows. This multi-pronged attack inflicted heavy casualties on the Spanish soldiers, who had lost their command and order.

Many Spanish soldiers did not have time to pick up their weapons and had to fight bare-handed.

Some Spanish soldiers even jumped off their warships in an attempt to escape the battlefield.

“I recognize that ship!” Ning Caiwei pointed at the Garcia, gritting her teeth. “It was that ship that almost sent me to my death at sea!”

"Oh! So it didn't go back to Manila, but stopped here instead!"

"Hahaha!" Zhu Yin couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this. "What a fitting end! They've fallen into our hands so quickly!"

As more and more Daishan soldiers stormed the Spanish warships, and the enemy offered no real resistance, Ning Caiwei smiled sweetly.

"Little Tiger, in this battle we will not only achieve our first tactical objective, but also make a fortune!"

"We've made a fortune just from these ships."

As she was speaking, a white flag suddenly rose from the Santiago. At the same time, a cacophony of Spanish could be heard.

Another Han Chinese voice shouted, "Captain Garcia is willing to surrender! Who is your ship's owner? Come out and speak!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin knew that the Han Chinese who was shouting were Spanish lackeys.

"They've surrendered!" Ning Caiwei pointed to the white flag. "Shall we accept their surrender?"

Zhu Yin, however, ignored it, as if he hadn't seen the white flag.

His small face was indifferent, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

Should we surrender?
P.S.: Thank you, goodnight! The war won't last too long; it'll be over soon. If it were you, would you accept surrender? Should the little tiger accept surrender?

(End of this chapter)