The Black Sails of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 121 Hero's Tears

While employing the hyena-like anal-splitting tactic in the Seawolf battle line.

The fourteen Siren cannons on the starboard side of the Santa Ana roared incessantly. There were no friendly ships around it, so there was no fear of collisions. No ship lights were being hung, and the entire ship was under blackout, like a ghost on the dark sea.

Even on the stern deck, Lin Qian's ears were ringing from the constant firing of the cannons, and she could smell nothing but sulfur and gunpowder.

Through the telescope, the South Australian Deputy Commander's naval fleet had completed its turn and was regrouping, heading straight for the St. Anna.

At the stern of the naval fleet, the flashes of gunfire from the battle line of the Seawolf could be faintly seen. A Fujian ship led several Haicang ships away from the fleet, driving away the battle line of the Seawolf.

"Boom! Boom! Boom..." The sound of cannons could be heard in the distance.

Lin Qian raised her binoculars and, through the muzzle flashes and the height of the ship's lights, vaguely recognized that the ship firing was the large Fuchuan in the center of the naval fleet.

This large Fujian ship was over ten zhang long, larger than the ordinary three-masted Fujian ship. According to the "Treatise on Military Preparedness", its official name was "No. 1 Fujian Ship". It was equipped with heavy breech-loading cannons that fired eight-jin (approximately 4 catties) projectiles and was the top combat force of the Ming Dynasty navy.

“Enemy fleet, two hundred paces!” the lookout shouted.

At this moment, the Santa Ana turned sideways, lowered its sails, and fired its cannons, with the bullets hitting the bow of the naval fleet, creating another perfect T-shaped formation.

Lei Sanxiang's voice was hoarse from shouting, but he was still in high spirits and loudly ordered the crew to fire the cannons.

"Enemy fleet, 150 paces!" The lookout updated the distance.

Despite the relentless bombardment, the naval fleet charged head-on.

Unlike the line formation tactics commonly used by European navies during the age of sailing warships, the Ming Dynasty navy adopted the goose-wing formation for navigation at sea, which could be roughly divided into five armies: front, rear, left, right, and center, similar to the formations used on land.

This formation is advantageous for boarding maneuvers, but it makes them easy targets in front of naval guns.

In fact, even in this day and age, European navies are still in the exploratory stage of naval tactics.

Lin Qian's strategy of seizing the upper hand and taking control of the T-shaped formation was too advanced, resulting in a tactical crushing victory.

“Enemy fleet, one hundred paces!” the lookout reported again.

Despite the poor accuracy of the cannons on the large sailing ships, the navy could not withstand the constant charging with the cannons firing through the gun ports.

It was too dark for Lin Qian to see the extent of the damage to the naval fleet, but she guessed that the navy must have suffered considerable losses.

Moreover, the closer the two sides are, the stronger the artillery power and the higher the accuracy.

The naval ships' bow-mounted firearms, such as the bowl-shaped cannon, the tiger-squatting cannon, and the dragon-emerging-from-water cannon, were not even within range.

Faced with the firepower advantage of the large sailing ships, even the pirate Li Kuiqi knew to turn and evade. Why did the naval fleet charge forward against them? Was the deputy commander really that stupid?

Lin Qian frowned, thinking to herself, "Something's strange."

"Raise the sails and head due east!" Lin Qian gave the order decisively.

Despite his excellent shooting skills, Lin Qian is the absolute authority on the ship, and no one will question his orders.

As Chen Jiao loudly ordered the sails to be raised, the sailors who had been prepared on the barge untied the sail buckles, the snow-white sails unfolded, and the sailors on the deck tightened the right sail line. The sails gradually billowed, and the large sailboat slowly moved eastward.

“Enemy fleet, eighty paces!” the lookout reported again.

At this distance, the outline of the ship's hull, illuminated by the ship's lights, can already be faintly seen.

Just then, a crew member on the starboard side exclaimed, "Fire ship!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the navy suddenly fired dozens of rockets, most of which fell into the water, while a few stuck into the dark sea. Then, with a whoosh, a small ship was set ablaze.

Immediately afterwards, five or six more bird boats were set ablaze. These bird boats carried no soldiers, and their single masts and hard sails were adjusted to the appropriate level, heading straight for the St. Anna.

The nearest ship was only ten steps away from the Santa Ana.

This is precisely the oldest and most proficient tactic of the Eastern Navy—fire attack.

It turns out that the navy's head-on charge was intended to lull the large sailing ships into a false sense of security, creating an opportunity for the fire ships to approach.

These fire-attack ships were equipped with barbed steel nails on their bows, making it difficult for enemy ships to escape once they rammed them.

The fire-attack ships also contained a large amount of tung oil in their cabins. Tung oil is highly flammable, and the fire would spread rapidly with the wind, with flames reaching several meters high, making it extremely easy to ignite enemy ships.

Historically, Zheng Zhilong used this tactic to defeat the combined fleet of the Dutch and Liu Xiang in the Battle of Liaoluo Bay.

Unfortunately, Lin Qian was not Dutch, and he did not linger in the cannon fire. Instead, he raised the sails in time, and by then the ship's speed had gradually increased.

Lin Qian then ordered the large sailboat to turn and avoid the obstacle.

They barely brushed past the fire ship that was only ten steps away, and all the other fire ships missed their target, turning into raging fireballs and drifting northeast.

"Enemy fleet, fifty paces!" The lookout updated the distance.

As soon as he finished speaking, several types of firearms in the navy fired simultaneously, and the sea around the large sailing ship was instantly churned up.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..." A bright light shone from the bow of a large Fujian-style ship, and then dozens of tiny fire snakes shot out.

This is the famous firearm of the Ming Dynasty navy – Dragon Emerging from the Water.

The rocket's trajectory was unpredictable, and its scattering area was extremely wide. The entire sea surface facing the large Fuzhou ship was within its strike range. Whether it would hit the target or not was entirely up to fate.

Within moments, most of the rockets fell into the water and went out.

The Santa Ana was unfortunately hit on the deck by an arrow. The rocket's tail flame burned out and then exploded violently, blasting several holes in the deck. The crew grabbed buckets of water and quickly extinguished the fire.

Another rocket struck the starboard side of the Santa Ana, and after the explosion, the hull was almost completely undamaged.

Thirty steps!

Lin Qian ordered: "Fire!"

Chen Jiao gave the order, and the gunners of the breech-loading cannons on the open deck, who had long been unable to restrain themselves, opened fire one after another, and for a time the sound of cannon fire on the deck was continuous.

A large number of gunners opened fire from behind the bulwark, and the sailors operating the firearms at the bow of the naval ships were immediately subjected to a hail of iron fire, resulting in heavy casualties.

After a brief encounter with the navy, the Santa Ana continued its eastward journey without slowing down, and the distance between the two sides gradually increased.

Lin Qian ordered: "Turn southeast, aim the cannons at the enemy ship formation!"

Moments later, the Santa Ana opened fire on its starboard side. In the darkness, the results of the battle could not be seen; only the loud crash of breaking planks and the screams of the soldiers could be heard.

Immediately afterwards, a flash of fire appeared in the naval formation, followed by the sound of heavy breech-loading cannons firing.

With a whoosh, a cannonball flew over the deck of the large sailing ship, and the sound of cannonballs hitting the water echoed all around.

At this point, the Seawolf battle line had broken free from the entanglement of the Navy's large ships and once again circled around to the rear of the Navy fleet to launch sniper fire.

Thus, after being attacked from both sides for another half an hour, the navy's defeat became obvious, and the ships scattered and fled.

In the southeastern half of the sea area where the battle was taking place, Ma Chenglie, covered in soot and dressed as an ordinary crew member, stared blankly at the firelight in front of him, his body trembling, his tiger-like eyes filled with tears, and his heart aching as if it were being torn apart.

Unlike the hereditary military system of garrisons, Ma Chenglie was a battalion commander. He was able to rise through the ranks to become the deputy commander of Nan'ao through meritorious service, all of which he earned through real fighting, though he also spent some money.

Regardless, he was a second-rank naval general of the imperial court, possessing a wealth of military strategy and tactics, and was well-versed in naval warfare.

I believe that even if I don't have Qi Jiguang's talent as a commander, I can still match Yu Dayou's strategic acumen.

How could we be defeated by a mere pirate today?
He had put in a lot of effort and painstaking work for today's battle, and he thought his plan was perfect and foolproof.

How exactly did the pirates in South Australia see through their scheme?

Ma Chenglie looked up at the sky, letting the tears of a hero fall, roaring in his heart: "I am not reconciled!"

Seeing the general's expression, the soldiers on the same boat all tried to comfort him: "General, the enemy's artillery is powerful; even the breech-loading cannons are no match for it. I'm sure the court won't blame you. Your health is the most important thing, so please don't blame yourself!"

His subordinates' advice only made Ma Chenglie feel more humiliated and ashamed to live any longer. Moreover, having lost his army and territory, he was destined for death. Rather than be punished and executed by the court, he would rather end it all himself.

Upon realizing this, Ma Chenglie drew his sword with a whoosh and held the cold blade to his neck.

The moment he touched the weapon, a chill ran through his body and raised goosebumps.

The knife was too cold, and Ma Chenglie hesitated, unable to make a move.

The surrounding guards were shocked to see this and rushed to grab the knife. After a struggle, the knife was finally taken away.

"Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war; why does the General have to be so troubled?"

"The bandits are stuck on an isolated island overseas and can't amount to anything. General, we can lead our troops to fight them again another day."

The soldiers offered their advice in a cacophony of voices.

Ma Chenglie remained silent, dejected. Another battle? Did he still have a chance to fight again?
On the distant sea, the flames grew larger, illuminating the tall hull of the large Fujian ship. Shi Jun, Ma Chenglie's most loyal personal guard, was on board directing the operation. However, the defeat was inevitable, and Shi Jun was powerless to reverse the situation. He could only try to buy time so that Ma Chenglie could escape.

A muffled, thunderous cannon blast rang out, sending wood chips flying everywhere on the large ship, clearly indicating that it had been hit by several more cannon shots.

The large ship fought back tenaciously with its breech-loading cannons, one of which hit an enemy gunboat, but this had no impact on the overall battle situation.

A large number of naval warships scattered and fled on the sea, while the Seawolf battle line pursued and intercepted them at sea.

More and more naval warships were sinking, breaking apart, or burning.

What a devastating and heartbreaking defeat.

Among them, the imperial ships sank and the soldiers died in battle, which could be covered up. However, each warship had its own private soldiers, many of whom were borrowed by Ma Chenglie from the surrounding garrisons.

These soldiers died in battle, but it was impossible to cover it up. The garrison commander would surely tear him apart alive.

Ma Chenglie was utterly despondent, but he no longer had the courage to commit suicide. He could only sit silently on the small boat.

At this moment, a naval vessel, the Haicang, rushed towards the small boat where Ma Chenglie was.

Ma Chenglie was immediately alarmed and hurriedly ordered the small boat to row faster to avoid it. In the end, they managed to escape under the cover of night.

This ordeal made Ma Chenglie realize his true feelings; he was still more driven by the desire to survive. He immediately rallied his spirits and ordered his men to row towards the southeastern sea.

Most of the naval warships fled northwest towards Zhelin Bay, but he went against the grain and was sure to escape.

As for how to explain this to the imperial court and the surrounding garrisons, we'll think about that after he escapes ashore.

……

At dawn, the naval battle gradually subsided, and as far as the eye could see, the sea was covered with a layer of floating corpses and broken planks.

All warships capable of sailing have fled the battlefield.

On the sea, there were still five or six flooded naval warships. Their bows were floating on the surface of the sea, and most of their hulls were submerged in water and could not move. Soldiers were all around them, clinging to planks and drifting on the sea.

The Seawolf battle line had split up, with each ship scattered across the battlefield retrieving prisoners.

The No. 1 large ship, which had been specially cared for by the St. Anne, was now badly damaged and taking on a lot of water after a night of cannon fire. The ship was listing at a large angle to the starboard stern, and the heavy breech-loading cannon slid along with it, crashing through the bulwark and falling into the water. Seeing that it was about to sink, the soldiers on the deck jumped into the sea to save themselves.

Seeing this, Lin Qian hurriedly said, "Send small boats to capture prisoners. Make sure the commander-in-chief doesn't die."

After a night of fierce fighting, this large Fujian ship, with its superior fighting spirit and firepower, should be the flagship of the navy. General Ma remained calm aboard. For Lin Qian, capturing the deputy commander of Nan'ao would be ideal, but if not, it would be acceptable; the only thing she couldn't let was die.

This demonstrates political wisdom in the struggle against the Ming Dynasty.

After an incense stick had burned, the small boat was lowered, and Bai Langzai led his men toward the large boat. As they approached the soldier who had fallen into the water, the crew first beat him with oars, making him choke on water and exhaust his strength, before pulling him onto the small boat.

After a couple of hours of this, the small boat returned several times to bring the prisoners to kneel on the deck of the large sailing ship.

There were about forty prisoners, all of whom had taken off their armor and were wearing only their undergarments, making it impossible to identify them.

Most of the prisoners were thin, but a dozen or so were robust and clearly belonged to the family's guards.

Lin Qian coldly asked the prisoners, "Where is Ma Chenglie, the deputy commander of Nan'ao?"

No one answered. Bai Langzai drew his large Miao sword: "Speak!"

One of the prisoners said loudly, "The general left last night. He's probably in the prefectural city writing a memorial right now. Before long, the imperial navy will be pressing in, and you will all be wiped out!"

The speaker was broad-shouldered and burly, with a sharply defined face and an air of shrewdness about him.

Lin Qian asked, "Name, official title?"

"Shi Jun, you are the commander of the general's personal guards, you scoundrel! If you know what's good for you, release me now, or you'll be sorry when the imperial army arrives!"

With his hands tied behind his back, Shi Jun knelt on the deck, still cursing and shouting, displaying a fierce demeanor.

Lin Qian ignored him and asked again, "Did you command that large Fujian ship?"

Shi Jun struggled incessantly, speaking arrogantly: "That's right, you son of a bitch, you bunch of rabble! If it weren't for the advantage of your artillery, how could you be a match for the commander-in-chief! If you have the guts, let me go, and we'll fight again!"

Enraged, Lei Sanxiang rolled up his sleeves and was about to step forward when Chen Jiao stopped him.

Since Shi Jun is the deputy commander's personal guard commander, he must know a lot of key information, but judging from his attitude, he will never honestly tell you.

Therefore, Lin Qian ordered, "Suppress him first, take him back to the island and torture him."

"Yes!" the crew member replied, and led the person off the ship.

Shi Jun was dragged along the ground, laughing wildly and cursing incessantly: "Fine! Use whatever tricks you have. If Grandpa even flinches, Grandpa will lose!"

Lin Qian shot him a cold look and added, "White Wave Boy, once we get ashore, find a pig-swatting expert and start by taking down this guy surnamed Shi."

Bai Langzai clasped his hands in acceptance of the order.

Upon hearing this, Shi Jun choked, his face flushed red, and he could no longer utter a curse.

After the prisoners were all taken away, Chen Jiao sighed, "It's a pity that the man surnamed Ma got away."

"It's alright. The guy surnamed Ma is probably more useful now that he's back on shore than if he were in our hands." After saying that, Lin Qian returned to the captain's cabin. "Let's go back to port."

At noon, the HMS St. Anna and ten Seawolf ships docked at Houjiang Bay.

After the gangway was laid, strings of prisoners were led out.

According to Zhou Xiucai's count, a total of more than 300 prisoners were captured, more than 10 naval warships were sunk, and three Cangshan ships were captured.

With over twenty casualties on their side and the Santa Ana hit by a shell, it was a great victory.

In the age of sailing warships, cannonballs were solid, and they would only cause penetrating damage when they hit the hull. As long as it wasn't a cannonball hitting the bow, stern, or waterline, there wouldn't be much of a problem.

In a naval battle, it was common for two battleships to fire at each other from a distance of twenty meters, each taking over a hundred hits without sinking.

For a wooden warship of the size of the St. Anna, being hit by a single shot was hardly a problem.

Without Lin Qian's instructions, the tasks of counting prisoners, treating the wounded, and repairing the ship were already being carried out in an orderly manner on their own.

Following Lin Qian's instructions, Bai Langzai went ashore and found a pig-scratcher to deal with Shi Jun.

Shi Jun pretended to be tough, but when his pants were pulled down and he saw the pig-slapper heating his knife with a candle, he couldn't hold back any longer and immediately confessed everything.

Bai Langzai found the written record, and the confession arrived at Lin Qian's desk that very night.

In the captain's cabin of the Saint Anna, Lin Qian picked up the confession and read it through. The development of events was basically consistent with his guess.

Two weeks ago, Bai Qing returned from Huangyan, bringing back three pieces of news.

First, the Lin family has completely fallen into ruin. Old Master Lin has passed away, Lin Zhishu has gone mad, there is no one to take care of the family, and the other branches have gone their separate ways and forgotten each other. The family, which has been passed down for more than four hundred years, has collapsed.

Secondly, under the care of the fisherman and his wife, Aunt Li lived a good life, and the family was quite happy. Moreover, as Lin Qian had predicted, the robbery of the Lin family was an ironclad case, and no one went to look for Aunt Li again.

Third, on the sea off the east coast of Zhejiang, a group of pirates on Shuangyu Island were wiped out. Judging from the time, it was around the time they robbed the Lin family mansion.

Combining these three pieces of news, along with the fact that the reward for eliminating Li Zhong had not yet been issued, the mysterious disappearance of merchants on the island, and the gathering of the fleet in Zhelin Bay, Lin Qian had already guessed the thoughts of the deputy commander of Nan'ao.

He turned the tables on them, employing a strategy of outward relaxation while inward vigilance. On one hand, he used the pretext of preparing for the New Year to ease patrols around the island, while on the other hand, he sent men to keep a close watch on the movements in Zhelin Bay.

As the New Year approached, he sent more and more people to keep an eye on Zhelin Bay and kept a close watch on it.

Therefore, when Ma Chenglie led his navy out on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, he thought he was doing it without anyone noticing, but in fact, Lin Qian quickly got the news.

Lin Qian's fleet did not turn on its ship lights and followed the naval fleet from the beginning. It was not until Ma Chenglie sailed close to the open sea that the fleet suddenly launched an attack, catching the fleet off guard.

This was a nighttime naval battle, which made it difficult for the navy to transmit orders using the five-colored flag. They were also ambushed and lost the initiative, which is why they suffered a quick and humiliating defeat.

Otherwise, with just those three large Fujian ships, the Ming Dynasty navy could have held out for a long time, and Lin Qian's fleet would not have paid such a light price to win.

Lin Qian put down her confession, rubbed her temples, took out a cigar from the drawer, and lit it in front of the white beeswax.

Take a deep breath and exhale a long plume of smoke.

Lin Qian got up and walked out of the captain's cabin, holding a cigar in one hand. She stood on the deck, gazing at the lights of Nan'ao City in a daze.

Today is the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, and it will be New Year's Eve when it gets light.

There are few vendors left at the dock, but many houses still have lights on, and occasionally pedestrians wearing cotton-padded clothes walk around the streets with happy faces, and they greet each other with New Year's greetings when they meet.

A cool sea breeze blows, and you can smell the sweet aroma of fried dates.

Spring Festival couplets were pasted on both sides of the canopies of the Tanka boats moored at the dock, creating a strong festive atmosphere.

Who would have thought that just over six months ago, this place was still a desolate wasteland, and the islanders were still struggling to make ends meet?

Lin Qian has been in the Ming Dynasty for almost a year now. Many people have died because of him, but even more have been saved because of him.

Given time, there may be even more people in the Ming Dynasty who will be able to live a good life.

Lin Qian took a puff of her cigar, exhaled a long plume of smoke, and let it dissipate in the sea breeze.

The dry dock has been under construction for over a month now. With traditional cement construction methods and a sufficient number of craftsmen and laborers, the project is progressing rapidly and is expected to be basically completed by February or March next year.

At that time, the Santa Ana will be able to undergo the next phase of renovation in the dry dock, namely, dividing the cargo hold and building another gun deck.

Once the refit is complete, the St. Anne will be able to add twelve more cannons to one side of its hull, bringing the total number of cannons on board to seventy, giving it the confidence to challenge the Fujian and Guangdong navies on its own.

After the gun deck was modified, the refit of the St. Anne was basically complete, and the only way to develop it further was to build a battleship.

In order to prepare for building ships on his own in the future, Lin Qian decided to have the shipyard test-build a single-masted sailboat first. He had already drawn up the design drawings before landing on Nan'ao Island.

"Helmsman." Just as I was thinking, Bai Langzai's voice came from the stern deck.

Lin Qian said, "Perfect timing, there's something I need you and your brother to do."

Bai Langzai clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Please give your orders, Captain."

"I remember there was a group of pirates named Yuan Jin on the coast of Fujian and Guangdong, right?" Lin Qian exhaled a puff of smoke.

“Yes, this group is based in the Kinmen area,” Bai Langzai replied.

"The New Year is coming soon. Tomorrow you and your siblings should go and visit some people, and bring back as many heads as possible."

"Yes!"

……

The New Year has arrived.

Chaozhou city is bustling with activity, with numerous folk customs such as setting off firecrackers, ancestor worship, paying respects to elders, eating vegetarian food, chewing betel nuts, offering incense, brides returning to their parents' home, pasting red paper offerings, offering sacrifices to the deceased, cleaning, welcoming the Kitchen God, worshipping the God of Wealth, sending away the God of Poverty, eating Seven Treasures Soup, wearing human-shaped ornaments, climbing mountains for feasts, and so on.

From the first to the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, people's daily schedules are packed, and everyone's face is filled with happy and joyful smiles as they go from house to house, visiting relatives and friends.

Despite the chaotic officialdom of the Ming Dynasty, the economy and culture of Jiangnan were extremely prosperous, to the point that sharp social contradictions could be suppressed by the festive atmosphere of the New Year.

However, some are happy while others are sad.

At Zhelin Bay, eighty miles southeast of Chaozhou Prefecture, the entire naval camp was draped in white mourning, and faint cries could be heard. Twenty or thirty dilapidated warships barely floated on the sea, and the atmosphere was extremely oppressive.

In Chenghai County, forty miles southeast, the bodies of three children were discovered. Their father was a pancake seller, and they had been making a decent living.

Until two months ago, my father disappeared without a trace, the family lost their income, the creditors took over the house and kicked them out of the house, and they could only survive by begging and eating leftovers.

Amidst the sound of firecrackers on New Year's Eve, the mother hanged herself. Her three children cried all night in the wind and snow, and the next day they froze to death with smiles on their faces.

Those who collect corpses have seen many such human tragedies, so they feel nothing. They simply push the body out of the city and bury it, while passersby along the way exclaim that it's bad luck.

In Huangyan County, Taizhou, the mad scholar Lin Zhishu, with disheveled hair, was burning ancestral tablets in the ancestral hall to keep warm.

As he warmed himself by the fire, he cautiously looked around, occasionally shouting, "Don't come any closer! I didn't do it... Don't come any closer!"

The entire Lin family mansion was deserted; all valuable furniture and belongings had been moved out. The mad scholar's voice echoed through the empty mansion, carrying a hint of ghostly energy.

On the banks of the Yongning River, a fisherman and his wife used their treasured silver to buy fine wine and food. The family closed the door, lit an oil lamp, and sat around the table.

Aunt Li sweetly called out "Father" and "Mother," drooling over the table full of delicious food like a little girl.

The couple smiled at each other, tore off a chicken leg, and handed it to Aunt Li. Aunt Li took a bite of the chicken leg and chuckled. The family was all very happy.

Outside, amidst the wind and snow, a man hid behind a wall, his clothes tattered and worn. His eyes were fixed on the lights of the fishermen's houses, a greedy look in them.

He was originally a garrison soldier in Haimenwei. A month ago, the imperial court issued an edict to investigate the Haimenwei commander for the crime of holding a banquet during the national mourning period. The commander was taken to the capital. Fearing that the court would also investigate his crime of robbing and killing fishing boats, he took the opportunity to escape and barely made a living in the county town.

I thought I would just drift along like this for the rest of my life, but I never expected to meet an old fisherman who came to the city to buy wine and meat.

Once his greed took hold, he could no longer restrain himself and followed them all the way here, waiting for nightfall to strike.

The family's house was low and dilapidated, and the oil lamp was dim, so they probably weren't a wealthy family.

But he had no money on him and had been starving for many days. At this moment, he was willing to kill someone even for just a meal of wine and meat.

Moreover, judging from the sound, there was a young woman inside the room...

The man licked his numb lips, his lust burning even brighter in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)