Di Ming

Chapter 483 The Tiger of Maya!

On the deck of the flagship Xianyang, beneath the Ming Dynasty's Xuan Yue Chi Sun Dragon Banner, the Ming Regent Prince raised his telescope, gazing at the Malay Peninsula to the east of the strait, his eyes as vast and boundless as the sea.

Zhu Yin wore a nine-stitched leather cap with a dragon-head gold hairpin, inlaid with pearls and jewels, and draped with crimson silk. He wore a robe with slits on both sides and pipa-shaped sleeves, and an outer sleeveless jacket with a front opening.

This outfit is neither armor nor official robes, but rather the military uniform of a prince, which looks very majestic and noble.

"Pass on my orders." Zhu Yin lowered his binoculars and issued the command: "The fleet must control the Strait of Malacca within one day and destroy the foreign puppet government..."

Through Zhu Yin's years of efforts, the Jinghai Navy's navy has transformed into a modern navy.

Not only are its warships, artillery, and navigation instruments already ahead of the West, but its naval manuals, navigation standards, naval tactics, and navigation support are also comprehensively ahead of the West.

The Ming navy today is a truly highly professional sailing navy.

Upon Zhu Yin's order, the Ming fleet immediately changed formation, and the escorting naval attack fleet was dispatched.

Zhu Yin only dispatched an attack fleet of three thousand men. He never missed any opportunity to hone and train the navy in actual combat.

Given the colonial authorities' strength in the Strait of Malacca, he only needed to send an attack fleet of three thousand men to annihilate them.

Malacca's fate is destined to be changed!

...

The hot winds of Southeast Asia continue to blow through Malacca.

The city was controlled by Francisco Silva, the commander of Malacca City under the Portuguese Viceroyalty of India.

The commander's residence was located in the city center, and the heart of the city was the massive stone fortress that guarded the mouth of the Malacca River—Fort Famosa, a large castle with a sturdy bastion known as "Fort Santiago".

Count Silva, the commander of Malacca, has ruled this most important Portuguese colonial city in the Far East for seven years. His Excellency is not only the ruler of the Strait of Malacca, but also the head of many colonial outposts in Malaya and Sumatra on both sides of the strait.

His forces in Malacca consisted of 1,200 Western white soldiers, mainly Portuguese and Spanish, supplemented by 2,000 indigenous mercenaries and mixed-race militia whose loyalty was questionable.

In addition, he also had several pirate gangs serving him, and these relatively obedient pirates numbered more than two thousand in total.

The defense system of Malacca City was centered on Fort Famosa, supplemented by several gun emplacements located in strategic locations, totaling more than one hundred cannons of various types.

Its strength is undeniable. Portugal will naturally prioritize developing this golden sea route.

The city's warehouses were piled high with spices plundered from the Spice Islands, textiles imported from India, and large quantities of silver awaiting transshipment.

The count was a white supremacist, arrogant and fanatical colonizer who not only arbitrarily bullied, massacred, robbed, persecuted, and levied heavy taxes on neighboring kingdoms such as the Johor Sultanate and the Aceh Sultanate, but also showed no respect for the Ming Empire, which was not too far away.

Although he had heard some rumors about the Ming Dynasty's strength from merchants and priests, he never took them to heart. In his view, the so-called Ming Dynasty was nothing more than a backward country established by an ignorant and inferior race, which could inevitably be conquered.

Otherwise, why would Spain be organizing a naval crusade, intending to conquer the Ming Dynasty in one fell swoop? Well, according to Western letters, the allied forces will arrive in India in a few months, and at the latest in July, they will reach Malacca.

He will definitely join the allied forces and conquer the Ming Dynasty together.

However, although Silva scoffed at the Ming Dynasty, it didn't mean he wasn't interested in it. He liked the Ming Dynasty's silk, tea, embroidery, artifacts, milk candy, and ginseng... and he also liked the young women of the Ming Dynasty.

The girls of the Ming Dynasty were far more intelligent and beautiful than Malay women. If Malay women were like dark, thin monkeys, then Han Chinese women's skin, appearance, temperament, clothing, and charm were as beautiful as tranquil and elegant porcelain.

Let us continue to enjoy this dignified tranquility until the allied forces arrive.

However, this tranquility was completely shattered this morning.

"Commander! Commander!"

A lookout nearly stumbled into the mansion, his voice shrill with fear: "The sea...south of the strait! A huge fleet is coming! Flags and ship types we've never seen before! There are so many of them! They're ignoring our flag signals, they must be the enemy!"

"What?!" Count Silva woke up with a start, kicking over the Han Chinese girl he had bought on the bed. Her hairy body was exposed as he waved his fists. "Heavens! What are you saying!"

As he spoke, he put on his clothes and hat and ran outside, leaving the Han woman who had been kicked over clutching her chest and groaning in pain.

The alarm bells in the city were also sounded urgently.

Inside Fort Famosa, the routine morning meeting was instantly filled with a tense atmosphere.

The room was already filled with colonial officials from the Malacca authorities.

Silva rushed in, fastening his brass buttons as he asked, "Have you figured it out? Is it the Acehnese dhow fleet or the Johorese sampan fleet?"

He preferred to see these two old, backward, and weak rivals.

“No! None of that!” the sentry stammered, “The ships… are huge! There are several like floating palaces! The flags are… are red, with the sun, moon and dragons on them!”

"The sun, moon, and dragon?" Captain Alvarez, the fortress's artillery commander, paled. "Those are the flags of the Ming Dynasty! The Ming Dynasty's sun, moon, starry sky, and dragon flag! They are Chinese! Why would Chinese people be here?!"

"Lord! How many men are in the Chinese fleet?"

Many of the Western officers present turned ashen-faced. They might have looked down on the armies of the native kingdoms, but they still harbored a deep-seated awe for the vast and mysterious Ming Empire.

“Sir!” a lieutenant said, “I know Colonel Gutt who is serving in Burma. Colonel Gutt once told me that the Ming army is very powerful and they could easily defeat the Japanese army…”

Silva frowned. "The question is, what are the Chinese doing here? Could it be... I know! Sir! They might be going to attack Burma!"

"Because Burmese merchants say that their king is leading a large army to attack China in northern Burma!"

Silva was, after all, a Malacca commander with the qualities of an officer and a top student at the Lisbon Military Academy. How could he not even have this judgment?

Captain Alvarez, the artillery commander, nodded in agreement: "The Count is right, that must be it!"

Silva clenched his fists. "Damn the Ming Dynasty! The Chinese fleet is passing through Malacca, shouldn't we intercept them?! They didn't submit any application for passage beforehand! Not even a diplomatic note! Malacca is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom of Iberia! This is an outrageous and shameless act of aggression!"

"Your Excellency!" Captain Alvarez's face turned ashen. "This is indeed an extremely rude act of aggression! But the Chinese fleet is enormous, with large warships. They are not like these Sudanese natives from the East Indies! Your Excellency, don't forget Zheng He!"

"If you consider the records about Zheng He's voyages, you'll understand the strength of the Ming fleet. Now is probably not the time to ask them to submit applications for passage and pay tolls!"

"Let's go!" Silva suppressed his shock and led everyone to quickly climb the highest watchtower of Famosha Castle.

When he saw the massive fleet with its orderly formation and forest of sails on the horizon, especially those towering warships, his palms instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

The oppressive aura emanating from that massive fleet gave him a shock he had never experienced before.

Everyone was stunned as they watched the massive fleet approaching. They all unconsciously made the sign of the cross on their chests and murmured the name of the Lord in their hearts.

They had always believed that there was no fleet more powerful than the Spanish Armada. But the fleet before them seemed even more powerful than any Armada they had ever seen!

The cannons on that fleet were clearly not just for show.

They never dreamed they would see a powerful fleet in the East Indies that did not belong to the West.

"Sound the alarm! Everyone to combat positions! Load the artillery!" Silva ordered hoarsely, his voice lacking its usual composure and confidence.

I meant—everyone!

"Send another small boat to quickly gather our pirate allies! Get them here to rendezvous!"

Count Silva issued several urgent orders, then turned and strode back to the council chamber, followed closely by his officers, their faces filled with panic.

The emergency military meeting was held in a tense and fearful atmosphere.

"Gentlemen, the situation is critical." Silva tried to calm his troops, but his tone was urgent. "It appears to be the main Ming fleet. Their target may be Burma, but there's no doubt they won't treat Malacca well!"

"I think they want to attack us! They want to challenge the great United Kingdom of Iberia! They want to challenge Lisbon! They want to challenge Madrid! They want to challenge the Vatican!"

"Then let's fight bravely!" Captain Alvarez slammed his fist on the table, trying to mask his fear with courage. "Our Fort Famosa is built of stone, and its fortifications are strong enough to block the estuary! These Easterners don't understand real artillery warfare. If they dare to come near, we'll welcome them with our sharp firepower!"

“Calm down, Alvarez.” The older municipal official, Sosa, a colonist more knowledgeable about local affairs, shook his head and said, “The Ming people were able to build such a giant ship and sail thousands of miles to this place. Is it really that simple?”

"Commander, gentlemen, the Chinese are not to be underestimated in their resolve and strength. Although they come with ill intentions and may seize our Malacca, we should immediately send out small boats to try and communicate. Perhaps we can negotiate, or buy time and await news from Goa..."

"Negotiations? By the time our envoys land, their cannons will already be raining down on us!" Alvarez retorted excitedly. "We must strike first! Show our resolve with artillery fire! The Ming fleet is so large, possibly numbering tens of thousands. Can we gamble with their goodwill?"

“But,” a faint voice rang out, it was the sergeant in charge of logistics, “can our artillery…reach that far?”

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over everyone's heads. They all realized with dismay that the Ming fleet's anchorage seemed to be just outside the effective range of most of their cannons—by a few dozen paces.

Silva was torn. Hold out? Reinforcements were nowhere in sight. Attack? The enemy was far too numerous. Surrender? Absolutely not! It would be a tremendous disgrace to Portugal and the United Kingdom.

Silva thought for a moment and finally made a difficult decision, “Execute the defense plan: all artillery positions and fortifications to be on high alert! Soldiers to their positions! Pray for God’s protection! At the same time… immediately send messengers by land to Johor and Aceh to tell them that if the Ming people succeed, they will be next!”

“If the Chinese get Malacca, it will be even worse for them.”

Although he knew these natives might prefer to see the white people suffer, he had no other choice.

"Furthermore, sending someone to negotiate is not a show of weakness, but rather to represent the United Kingdom and the Governor-General of Goa, hoping that the Chinese will not set their sights on Malacca..."

The order was given, and alarm bells rang throughout Malacca, plunging the city into chaos.

Western soldiers rushed to the gun emplacements, native mercenaries also took up their weapons and prepared to fight, and the colonists' families rushed to the church in panic.

Meanwhile, in the rainforests and villages on both sides of the strait, the local Malay and Sumatran natives watched with bated breath as the Westerners prepared for war and the massive Ming fleet roared with excitement.

They awaited the impending storm, their eyes filled with a mixture of fear, curiosity, and a glimmer of hope that it might change the status quo.

They hoped that the Ming army and the foreigners would both be severely weakened, and that neither of them would be able to occupy Malacca and would have to get out of there!

Most of them were subjects of Sudan, and while they disliked foreigners, they also disliked Chinese people. They hated all infidels!

...

While the colonial authorities were preparing for war, the Ming fleet, which had been assigned combat missions, also completed its attack formation.

All the battleships were turned sideways, and the muzzles of their 40-pound ship-mounted cannons were pointed straight at the city of Malacca!

On the flagship "Xianyang", Zhu Yin held up a telescope and observed the famous Fort Famosa with great interest, his mindset like that of a tourist.

He even leisurely began brewing tea on the deck.

Even his so-called homeland of Sumatra held no sentimentality for him. Later generations, though they lived in Sumatra, saw their family massacred several times by the natives. In the end, the once-great Wu family, along with the Hong families (former officials of the Jianwen Emperor who changed their surnames), were reduced to a few scattered members.

Therefore, he never considered Sumatra his homeland. His hatred for the indigenous people could never be dispelled.

The colonizers were despicable, but the indigenous people were no better. Today, let's be the tigers of Malaya and teach the foreigners a lesson.

The commander of the attack was Cao Xin, a general of the Jinghai Navy.

"Target: Fort Famosa and all visible forts along the coast." Cao Xin's order was clear and ruthless. "Each ship, in sequence according to its range, fire in turns. Let the foreigners see what the might of the Ming Dynasty is all about."

There were no warnings, no attempts to persuade them to surrender.

Our lord intends to take Malacca decisively and seize control of the strait. Our lord has declared that from this day forward, this strait will be renamed the Zheng He Strait.

My lord is truly magnanimous. Zheng He was clearly a trusted minister of the Yongle Emperor, and one of the purposes of his voyages to the Western Ocean was to find the Jianwen Emperor, yet my lord still admires Zheng He.

This is what magnanimity is all about!
The Ming army refused to accept the colonizers' "negotiations" and responded to the foreigners with the Ming army's artillery!

"Boom boom—"

Suddenly, a continuous burst of fire erupted on one side of the fleet, accompanied by a deafening roar!

Like a summer thunderstorm, it rumbled across the strait. The whistling shells streaked across the sea and sky, blasting towards the seaside castle.

What?! The foreigners were shocked to see the Ming army firing cannons from such a distance.

Could it be that the range of Ming Dynasty artillery was greater than that of Western artillery?

impossible!?

However, this first round of shelling, with its dense rain of bullets, actually covered their defensive lines and hit them themselves!
"Boom!" The solid iron ball, carrying enormous kinetic energy, slammed into the massive stone walls of Famosha Castle, sending rubble and dust flying everywhere.

What terrified the defenders even more were the "exploding shells" that exploded in mid-air; these were early explosive shells improved by the time traveler Zhu Yin.

Shrapnel and shockwaves mercilessly claimed the lives of soldiers exposed at their positions, a truly brutal act.

Amidst screams, flesh and blood flew everywhere!
Not only did the range increase, but the power of the Ming army's artillery also far exceeded the expectations of the foreigners.

"God help us! Their cannons...have a longer range! They're more accurate! They're more powerful! No!"

A white gunner, looking at the destroyed cannons and the dead and wounded comrades around him, let out a desperate wail.

"no!"

The foreigners' artillery also began to fight back desperately. It must be said that the white army was indeed well-trained and could be considered highly professional soldiers.

Unfortunately, most of the defenders' cannonballs landed futilely on the sea in front of the Ming warships. Even when they did hit, they could hardly cause fatal damage to the sturdy warships, especially the battleships.

Moreover, the number of artillery pieces of the defending forces was incomparable to that of the Ming army. The Ming army only dispatched a fleet of three thousand men, but had two hundred cannons with shells weighing eighteen catties or more.

The Ming army's continuous, precise, and fierce artillery fire struck the colonial army's fortifications like an iron hammer, gradually dismantling and crushing them.

The colonial army suffered hundreds of casualties from just five rounds of gunboat bombardment.

For a century, Western colonists, who had been able to easily defeat native armies ten or a hundred times larger with a very small number of troops, were now in a miserable state of being crushed by the Ming army.

The indigenous soldiers, whose fighting strength was already weak, could no longer hold out under the Ming army's terrifying artillery fire. With a shout, they turned and scattered, and two thousand men were wiped out in the blink of an eye. Only a thousand or so white soldiers remained to defend the castle and fortifications.

Silva and other important figures hid behind bunkers, listening to the continuous explosions, the sound of walls collapsing, and the screams of soldiers, their faces pale.

How could the Ming army be so powerful? Why didn't such a powerful Ming army go to the New World, India, Europe, or even Southeast Asia before?
They originally thought that the West had the most advanced firearms, warships, and the most professional army, and could easily defeat the army of any country outside the Western world with fewer troops.

This is why some people have proposed conquering the whole of China with 20,000 or even a few hundred men.

But what do they see now?
We saw cannons, warships, and an Eastern army that were more advanced than those of the Western world!
The once invincible, world-dominating noble white army was not the strongest at all!

It turns out they just hadn't encountered a truly formidable foe yet.

The Sousa municipal official stood to the side making the sign of the cross, muttering:

"This is the fire of hell... They have brought the wrath of the dragons of the East... Seris... Seris... The Chinese are a land of gold, invincible, the birthplace of the Huns and Mongols! My God, we actually want to conquer them..."

The battle unfolded into a one-sided, overwhelming victory. In less than an hour, the walls of Fort Famosa facing the strait were riddled with holes, collapsed in many places, and most of the attached gun emplacements were destroyed and engulfed in flames.

The defending troops suffered heavy casualties and their morale completely collapsed.

In the late afternoon, the Ming fleet's artillery fire began to extend into the city, providing cover for the land troops to land in small boats.

A thousand well-equipped and highly motivated Ming soldiers, under the precise cover of naval gunfire, quickly occupied the port area and advanced towards the ruined Fort Famosa and the city.

"Bang bang bang—" The power of the Ming army's muskets also startled the foreigners.

The foreigners were devastated to discover that even their prized firearms were inferior in performance to those of the Ming army.

The Ming soldiers were clearly more professional in terms of their training, armor, and tactics. This was an elite army rarely seen even in Europe!
The foreigners' last shred of resistance completely collapsed.

The remaining resistance of the foreign soldiers was quickly crushed. Seeing that defeat was inevitable, Silva and his men attempted to escape through a side gate of the castle, but were soon discovered and captured by the Ming army's vanguard.

The cornerstone of his proud Eastern colonialism collapsed in less than half a day.

The Ming army entered Malacca and searched for, killed, and pursued the fleeing and hiding foreign soldiers.

The Ming army killed countless people!
They didn't try to persuade them to surrender; instead, they killed them on the spot. Key locations such as the headquarters, warehouses, and seaports were all captured by the Ming army.

As the sun sets, the blood-red rays illuminate the devastated city of Malacca.

On the dilapidated main building of Fort Famosa, the Portuguese coat of arms was torn down, and a brand new Ming Dynasty flag with the sun, moon, and dragon design was slowly raised amidst the smoke of battle, fluttering in the wind.

Malacca, which had been occupied by Western colonists for over eighty years, was then controlled by the Ming army.

"My lord, all the bandit leaders, including the foreign chieftain, have been captured. Please give your instructions!" Soon, Cao Xin, who had captured Silva and the others, brought a group of high-ranking prisoners to see Zhu Yin.

The Ming regent waved his hand and said, "Execute them all on the spot, behead them and display their heads to intimidate the natives."

"Yes, sir!" Cao Xin immediately carried out the order, and Silva and the others were all beheaded before they even had a chance to beg for mercy. Bloody white heads hung from the trees outside the city.

More than a thousand white people were slaughtered.

The captured native servants were all executed.

Then, Zhu Yin, amidst rubble and bloodstains, and surrounded by his personal guards and generals, ascended St. Paul's Hill behind St. Paul's Church.

As the sun set, Zhu Yin stood on the high ground, overlooking the strait where the smoke of war was gradually dissipating and the magnificent Ming fleet. He couldn't help but feel a surge of pride, as if he could conquer the world!

Yes, at this moment, he is the Tiger of Malaya.

From this day forward, China will control this vital golden shipping route in the Eastern Sea!
The afterglow of the sunset illuminated Zhu Yin's resolute face, seemingly also illuminating a new era for Malacca.

This swift and decisive raid, fueled by overwhelming military superiority, completely altered the strategic landscape of Southeast Asia.

It seems to be proclaiming to the Western colonizers: From now on, the roles of offense and defense will be reversed! The enemy can go there, and so can we!

Zhu Yin looked at the Ming Dynasty's banner, his eyes welling up with tears.

The distinctive Ming Dynasty dragon flag with its crimson sun and crescent moon fluttered above the Malacca Fortress. In Zhu Yin's view, this heralded the end of the old era and the beginning of a new one led by the time traveler.

Taking Malacca is only the first step.

Zhu Yin knew that he had to deal with the counterattack of the Western colonialists and manage this strategic location.

The decisive battle that will determine the fate of East and West will come one day!

"Pass on the order," Zhu Yin said calmly.

"Rename the Strait of Malacca to the Zheng He Strait. Rename the city of Malacca to the Zheng He City!"

"Change Temasek to Singapore!"

"From this day forward, Zheng He City, the Zheng He Strait, Singapore, and other places all belong to the Great Ming Dynasty!"

...

P.S.: This concludes our voyage. Tomorrow we'll be attacking Burma! Thank you, goodnight!

(End of this chapter)