The Black Sails of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 98 Breaking the Sea Gate

The surrounding area was filled with torches, the light so bright that he couldn't see what the dark shadow in the river was.

Just as he was about to lean out to take a closer look, a yellow croaker slapped him on the head.

"You think you can just stop like that? Hurry up and move the fish, stop talking nonsense."

There really is something in the river.

"Could it be that they saw a water monkey?" a bold soldier mocked.

"Shut up! Grandpa Water Monkey can joke around too?" a soldier said sternly.

"It's not a water monkey, it looks like a boat!"

"Damn it, even if the Japanese pirates invade the river tonight, they won't stop me from eating fish! If you want to guard the water monkeys, then you can guard them yourself. Hey, there's still a barrel of oil in the hold, don't forget to move it up; you need plenty of oil to fry fish!"

……

The bird boat sailed far past the sea gate.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Lei Sanxiang said, "Brother Yiguan, your trick is brilliant. The fish tastes so good that even I, let alone the soldiers, am drooling."

"Is the ship owner one of Brother Yi Guan's men?" Chen Jiao asked.

Zheng Zhilong laughed smugly, "He's just an ordinary fisherman. I gave him fifty taels of silver this morning and told him to make a boatload of fried fish. The Lin family needs it urgently. Send it over first thing tomorrow morning, and there will be a reward for its delivery. This is what they call 'people die for money'."

Fifty taels of silver, the life of a boatman.

In the Ming Dynasty, this would have been sold for a very high price.

After sailing a considerable distance, Lin Qian ordered the fleet to anchor temporarily.

"Captain, why have we stopped?" Chen Jiao asked.

Lin Qian glanced at Haimenwei and said calmly, "Brother Yiguan has prepared a good show. Watch it before you leave."

Lei Sanxiang muttered, "What other good show is there? Why are you keeping me in suspense?"

Lin Qian smiled but did not answer, and everyone looked towards the river mouth.

Under the moonlight, the garrisons on both the north and south banks were lit with even more torches, making them exceptionally clear.

Not long after, a thunderous explosion was heard in the distance, followed by a splash, like a dragon entering the water.

Under the moonlight, the splashing white waves could be vaguely seen, crashing straight against the cliff.

The cable blocking the river on the south bank broke and fell into the water.

Lei Sanxiang's mouth dropped open: "Brother Yi Guan, did you load gunpowder onto the cliff?"

Zheng Zhilong said, "Wouldn't using gunpowder give them a handle against us? My method will ensure that the garrison soldiers won't be able to spot any flaws."

Lei Sanxiang urged, "Stop rambling and tell me quickly."

Zheng Zhilong turned around and glanced at Lin Qian.

Lin Qian: "Tell me your idea."

"Yes." Zheng Zhilong clasped his hands in a fist and bow.

While Zheng Zhilong was telling his story, Lin Qian ordered the fleet to set sail towards the Yongning River.

"It's actually quite simple. Some time ago, I had someone tie a rope to the river-blocking cable, and a winch knot was tied to the rope, with a heavy object attached to the bottom."

The winch knot allows excess rope to be released, which is why no one noticed anything unusual when the river-blocking cable was lowered.

Once the load is lifted, the winch knot will tighten automatically, lifting the heavy object in the river upwards.

Under normal circumstances, if the officers and soldiers on the north bank discovered that the weight of the winch was unusual and that it was difficult to retrieve the rope, they would definitely report it to their superiors and send people down into the river to investigate.

But today they illegally released the river-blocking rope and committed murder and hijacking. If their superiors find out, it will be a serious crime, and they will definitely force the winch to be turned.

The massive object at the bottom of the river weighed over ten thousand pounds. The river-blocking cable had fallen into disrepair over the years; the iron chains were badly rusted, and the ropes were severely worn, so it naturally snapped with a single pull.

Zheng Zhilong paused for a moment, admiring the astonished expressions on the faces of everyone on the boat.

"The river water is murky, and it's hard to see underwater. Even if we send people to retrieve the river-blocking cable, it will take six or seven days. Then, we'll have to replace the cable and iron rings. Half a month would be considered fast, which is enough time for us to carry out our business in Huangyan."

Upon hearing this, Lei Sanxiang gave a thumbs up again: "This method is brilliant." Chen Jiao asked curiously: "The Lingjiang River has a gentle current and a wide surface. Although there are cliffs on both sides, the slopes are gentle and there are no falling rocks. What heavy object is on the bottom of the river?"

This question hit the nail on the head, and Zheng Zhilong immediately said, "Brother Chen asked a good question. I was also in trouble at first. The bottom of the Lingjiang River is full of thick silt. Not to mention huge rocks, even the cracks between rocks are rare."

I inquired around and learned that this place is often hit by strong winds, and every time a strong wind comes from the sea, the Lingjiang River floods, submerging countless plots of land.

The common people and the government believed that an evil dragon had entered the river from the sea and was causing trouble.

So in the second year of the Wanli reign, the government raised funds, with wealthy families taking the lead and ordinary people donating money, and together they built a statue of the sea-suppressing roar and sank it into the river.

It sank between the north and south guard posts of Haimen.

Lei Sanxiang pressed further, "So, after repairing the Zhenhaihou, will it be of any use?"

Zheng Zhilong shook his head: "Of course it's useless, the Lingjiang River will still flood as usual."

Lei Sanxiang clicked his tongue in amazement: "The Zhenhai Roar, which took so much effort to build, still can't scare away the evil dragon! This story is exciting, but it's just too unsatisfying."

The people on the boat were speechless for a moment.

With the wind in a favorable direction, the bird-shaped boats, sailing high and rowing with ease, sped along the Lingjiang River, their bows cutting through white waves, truly resembling water birds.

Lin Qian stood at the bow of the boat, looking towards the left bank so as not to miss the fork in the Yongning River.

Lei Sanxiang said, "Speaking of stories, I have personally experienced a good one, called 'Master Lin's ship breaks through a thousand-foot wave, and all the crew members look up at Mount Buzhou!'"

During the late Ming Dynasty, people had many forms of entertainment and a very rich cultural life, with storytelling, novels, and vernacular stories everywhere.

Although Lei Sanxiang was illiterate, he could still come up with chapter titles quite well, even when he was just imitating a storyteller.

Zheng Zhilong couldn't help but smile and said, "Is it about Brother Lin braving the storm in Luzon? I've already heard about it from the crew."

"Boring!" Lei Sanxiang glared angrily, his story cut short.

Zheng Zhilong hurriedly said, "Why don't you tell the story again, Brother Lei? Your eloquence is definitely better than theirs."

Lei Sanxiang retorted angrily, "Them? Who told you about them?"

Zheng Zhilong held up his fingers and counted: "Uncle Chen, Zhang Wusi, Skinny Old Ma, Qian Zhongbai, Uncle Huang..."

"Damn it! Old Huang, a mute, can talk? Don't try to fool me!"

Zheng Zhilong: "Although Uncle Huang can't speak, his gestures are quite vivid, and his little apprentice chimes in, making for a really good performance."

"That son of a bitch!" Lei Sanxiang laughed and cursed.

A look of confusion crossed Zheng Zhilong's face as he asked Lin Qian, "Captain, are there really dragons in the Gale? Everyone says there are, but why have I never seen one?"

Lin Qian was having a bit of a headache. If he said no, people of this era would definitely stick to their guns.

He'll probably be exhausted by the time he explains pressure belts, monsoons, cyclones, and warm and cold air masses.

So Lin Qian replied perfunctorily, "Maybe yes, maybe no. There are many things in this world that you have to try to know the answer yourself."

Zheng Zhilong then asked, "Did Brother Lin see the dragon during the Luzon incident? Many crew members said they did."

Lin Qian slowly shook her head: "I didn't see it."

Zheng Zhilong said thoughtfully, "I understand."

As they were talking, a small mountain appeared in front of the bird boat.

At the foot of the mountains, two waterways converge. The thicker one is the Lingjiang River, which then turns northwest to southeast from the mountains.

The narrower waterway south of the mountain is the Yongning River.

Under the moonlight, along the banks of the Yongning River, vast fields of farmland can be seen interspersed, with dark yellow rice ears swaying in the wind like waves.

Some fields have already been harvested, revealing the dark fields.

Amidst the fields and paths, several low-rise bungalows dot the landscape.

It was the busy farming season, and a few tenant farmers' houses still had faint lights on.

Looking at the scene before him, Lin Qian felt both strange and familiar. He took a deep breath and silently said in his heart, "Huangyan County, I, Lin Qian, have returned."

(End of this chapter)