Outnumbered? I'll conquer America with an unlimited number of suicide soldiers.

Chapter 86 Rattlesnake, out!

On HMS Rattlesnake, a sixth-class ship of the Royal Navy.

Lieutenant Colonel Henry Boyce Harvey, the captain, was looking ahead at two merchant ships flying the British flag through a monocular telescope.

He was a middle-aged man in his forties, with a small mustache and a tall, upright figure. The cuffs of his dark blue shirt were embroidered with intricate gold lace, which was proof of his identity.

"Captain, after we signaled with flags, those two merchant ships didn't stop; instead, they moved forward at full speed."

The first mate strode over and reported the information. "The navigator is already recording the time, coordinates, and the types and characteristics of the two fleeing vessels. Should we proceed with the established procedure and fire warning shots?"

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey lowered his binoculars and nodded: "Fire warning shots as per established procedure."

In addition, while proceeding at full speed, have the navigator estimate the distance, wind direction, and remaining coal. If we cannot catch up after five hours, we will cease pursuit and return to Victoria Harbour.

"Yes."

The first mate saluted and strode towards where the other officers were.

Soon, the other officers on the Rattlesnake received the order.

The gunner in the foredeck area looked at his gun crew and shouted, "Captain's order: Prepare for warning fire!"

"Naval guns ready, target bearing determined!"

"Target bearing determined. Rotate the gun mount and adjust the firing angle to maximum elevation!"

With each command, the sailors, dressed in blue shirts and blue trousers, laboriously shoved the heavy cannonballs from the muzzle into the barrel of the 68-pound cannon.

Fire!

The gunner's ignition lever fell, and the fuse hissed and burned.

Soon, the 68-pounder roared like thunder, and amidst the swirling smoke, the heavy solid shot whistled out and crashed into the sea, splashing up a huge column of water.

It was inevitable that the ship would crash into the sea. The two ships were about three nautical miles apart, or 5.5 to 5.6 kilometers, while the maximum range of a 68-pounder cannon is 3,300 meters. We were far beyond the cannon's range.

"They still haven't stopped, not even showing any sign of slowing down. It seems they've indeed been hijacked by pirates."

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey watched the trails of the two ships ahead, a disdainful look on his face: "Then let the Rattlesnake have some fun with you."

With three ships in pursuit and two fleeing, two hours passed quickly.

The two sides were getting closer and closer, and now they were only one nautical mile apart.

On the Rattlesnake, the 68-pounder cannon fired again.

This time it's no longer a warning.

Heavy shells whistled past the Wind Chaser and landed in the sea ahead, splashing water that gave everyone on deck a good shower.

"Old Yuan, how much longer until we reach that sea area you mentioned?"

Tang He wiped his face and shouted, "If we don't get here soon, we'll be dead!"

Hongwu remained calm and composed, even taking the time to assess the power of the cannonballs: "The 68-pound cannon is indeed powerful, but it's a pity that it uses solid shot. If it had used explosive shells, the ship would have been damaged."

From the observation deck, Yuan Laosan shouted, "We've arrived! It's that small island over there!"

"There are many reefs there, and numerous small islands obstruct the view; they could easily confuse the British behind us!"

Hongwu ordered: "Hard to port, and at the same time, have the Breaking Waves hard to starboard. We'll split up, one to the left and one to the right. See which ship it chases, and the other will sneak around its rear!"

Meanwhile, aboard the Rattlesnake.

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey, who had been observing the situation at sea, suddenly frowned: "They've started to split up their forces."

The first mate said, "Captain, the nautical chart shows that there are many reefs in the archipelago ahead. I suspect that the other side is trying to use the terrain to shake us off, or even launch an ambush."

Upon hearing this, Lieutenant Colonel Harvey smiled and shook his head: "First Mate, you're overthinking it."

"Two merchant ships, each four hundred tons, only have one 12-pounder gun on their bow. Even if we were ambushed by them, what's there to be afraid of?"

The first mate countered, "Captain, what if those pirates have other men lying in ambush in the archipelago?"

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey chuckled and said, "Then let them come. The twelve cannons on the Rattlesnake will show them what real firepower coverage is."

The first mate said, "It's a pity that nine cannons were moved down to make room for the steam engine and boiler and reduce the weight of the ship; otherwise, the firepower would have been even more abundant."

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey raised an eyebrow and said, "With the explosive bombs, the reduction in firepower isn't as significant as I had imagined."

He paused, then said, "Hard to starboard, follow the ship on the right."

Amidst the roar of the steam engine, the Rattlesnake cleaved through the turquoise sea, tightly gripping the wake of the Wavebreaker.

As we approached the lush, green islands, the jagged reefs beneath the sea revealed a breathtaking panorama.

"Measure the water depth!" the navigator shouted the order.

The sailor threw the sounding rope into the sea and quickly called out the depth: "Twelve fathoms!"

"Passage is permitted," the navigator announced loudly to the bridge.

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey stared at the Wavebreaker, which was constantly turning to avoid the reefs, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes.

"Damn rats," he muttered. "Naval guns, fire!"

Captain Jianwen of the Breaking Waves looked through his binoculars at the British warships following behind and reported to his superior: "Boss, they've chosen to chase us."

Hongwu, aboard the Chengfeng, grinned and said, "I understand."

He shouted, "Turn around! Now it's our turn to fight back!"

On the deck of the Breaking Waves, Jianwen gripped the gunwale tightly, staring at the British warships that were getting closer and closer behind him.

He could already see the dark muzzles of the warship's cannons, and the naval soldiers on the deck were loading ammunition.

"Can we go any faster? We're getting closer and closer!" he yelled toward the engine room.

"The steam engine has reached its power limit!" the assassins below roared.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar came from behind.

Jianwen turned around abruptly and saw the Rattlesnake spewing out a cloud of white smoke as a shell whistled past, grazing the starboard side of the Wavebreaker and landing in the sea, splashing water all over the people on the deck.

"Damn it!" Jianwen wiped his face. "The boss was right, thank goodness it was a solid shot!"

On the Rattlesnake.

"Captain, the chief engineer reports that we've used up half of our coal," the first mate reported.

Upon hearing this, Lieutenant Colonel Harvey frowned, completely losing his patience.

"In that case, this cat-and-mouse game should come to an end."

"Change to explosive bombs. Forget about the British citizens who might be on board. Sink it!"

Before the words were finished, a lookout behind them cried out in alarm, "Captain, another pirate ship spotted to our right rear! It's approaching rapidly!"

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey turned sharply and looked through his binoculars.

Just then, the Wind Chaser emerged from the waterway they had just passed through, heading straight for the stern of the Rattlesnake, no more than a kilometer away. "As expected."

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey glanced at the approaching Wind Chaser and scoffed, "But you dare attack from behind with just a merchant ship?"

He glanced at the Wind Chaser, whose 12-pounder gun looked flimsy and laughable in the sunlight.

"Fire the 12-pounder guns at the stern and use explosive shells to slow down the merchant ships behind for a period of time."

He casually gave the order, "Once we've dealt with the ship in front, then we can use the broadside—"

boom!!!

A deafening, sharp bang interrupted him.

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey felt the deck beneath his feet suddenly tremble, and he almost lost his balance. Water poured down from the sky, soaking everyone on deck.

"No! This is definitely not the power a 12-pounder can produce!"

Having served in the navy for decades, he had heard the explosions of shells from all the world's naval powers.

He could guarantee that no 12-pounder ever fired a shot like this. Intense, sharp, and loud, as if tearing the sky apart.

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey wiped his face and looked at the cannons of the Wind Chaser, only to see a scene that made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

The pirates on that merchant ship are loading cannonballs from behind the cannons!

"They're using breech-loading cannons!"

He immediately thought of the breech-loading cannon that was under development in China, the Armstrong cannon.

That was top secret information. He wouldn't have known about it if he didn't have an uncle who worked at the Navy Department.

Was it a leak? Or did another country develop it earlier? How did it end up in the hands of pirates? Or were they not pirates at all, but foreign soldiers on a mission?

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey's mind raced, but he quickly forced himself to calm down and ordered, "Ignore the ships ahead, hard to port, broadside engagement!"

The drummer beside him began to beat the drum rapidly, and the storm-like drumbeats instantly tensed the nerves of the soldiers on the deck.

They knew this meant only one thing: battle alert!

The Rattlesnake has just moved a little to the left.

Boom!

Another deafening, sharp bang rang out, followed by an even more violent explosion from deep within the ship's hold. The entire warship began to tilt violently, as if struck by a giant's fist.

"You got hit?"

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey gripped the barrel of his rifle and shouted, "First Officer, report the damage! Get all damage control teams in position!"

The first mate stumbled and lunged toward the ship's side, the sight before him making him forget to breathe.

Near the port waterline, a huge hole was gushing seawater. The edges of the hole were twisted and charred, and it was even emitting eerie yellowish-green smoke.

Even more terrifying, the charred wooden planks began to burst into flames, which spread through the cracks into the cabin and even burned on the seawater.

He swallowed hard and roared, "Damage control team, take leak-stopping mats, water pumps, and fire buckets, and proceed to the damaged area immediately!"

"The carpenter is going to measure the water level in the bilge and report the rate of flooding!"

"All gun crews on port, any surviving ones, load ammunition immediately and return fire!"

On the Wind Chaser, Hongwu held up a monocular telescope and watched the actions on the Rattlesnake.

The British sailors, battling the panic, were desperately trying to salvage the situation. Some carried plugs to the hole, others grabbed water pumps to pump out the water, and still others had begun turning the cannons on the sides.

"As expected of the Royal Navy, their military prowess is truly remarkable. No wonder they have become the world's dominant force."

Tang, standing to the side, grinned and said, "What a pity, we ran into them."

"Third shot, aim for their waterline."

The suicide soldier in charge of firing the cannon suddenly pulled the firing cord.

boom--!

The Type 1 trebuchet roared once more, the shell tracing an almost straight path through the air, accurately striking the Rattlesnake's listing port side.

boom!!!

A blinding burst of fire erupted from the breach, followed by thick, yellowish-green smoke.

A few seconds later, a muffled explosion came from inside the cabin, and the Rattlesnake's starboard side was ripped open again, with seawater rushing in.

"it's over."

On the USS Rattlesnake, Lieutenant Colonel Harvey, enduring the pain, climbed up from the tilting deck.

"Abandon ship!" he roared. "Everyone, abandon ship!"

The first mate, his face covered in blood, rushed over: "Captain, come with me to the lifeboat!"

His words came to an abrupt end.

Both men saw that the lifeboat on the starboard side had been blown to pieces by the explosion, and although the two lifeboats on the port side were intact, the ship was tilting too badly to be lowered.

"Jump into the sea!" Lieutenant Colonel Harvey grabbed the first mate and pulled him into the sea.

The icy seawater engulfed him, and behind him came the continuous splashing sounds of other surviving sailors jumping into the water.

After being underwater for a while, he heard a fourth explosion on the surface.

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey couldn't help but turn around to look.

A massive fireball suddenly erupted from the stern of the Rattlesnake, blasting the entire rear section of the ship to pieces. Fragments of wood rained down on the sea, creating countless plumes of water.

That once proud Royal Navy VI-class ship is now meeting its end in a tragic manner.

The ship rose high into the air, completely submerged in the sea, billowing smoke and steam gushing from the remaining breaches. A minute later, the Rattlesnake vanished entirely from the surface, leaving only a floating wreck and figures struggling in the water.

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey surfaced, grabbed a broken plank of wood, and gasped for breath.

In the distance, the merchant ship that had sunk him began to slowly turn and soon disappeared among the islands.

One day later.

The mouth of the Xijiang River, the Yamen Fort.

This is an ancient fort built in the Song Dynasty. After hundreds of years of wind and rain, the blue bricks on the walls have become mottled.

A Green Standard Army soldier was staring blankly at the river when suddenly he straightened up and squinted at the distance.

"There's a boat!"

The commander on the other side lazily stood up: "What ship?"

"Two ships, flying the British flag," the soldier said.

The captain raised his monocular telescope and looked. Sure enough, two large ships flying British flags were sailing upstream at a slow but steady pace.

"The British ships." The captain put down his binoculars. "Ignore them, let them go."

"Sir, shall we investigate?" the soldier asked.

The captain rolled his eyes and kicked him: "Investigate? Damn it, our cannons were stolen by the Red Turban Army last year. What if the British get angry and open fire? What are you going to do?"

"Besides, when that British warship sailed to the gates of Guangzhou two years ago, even our Admiral had to see it off politely. If even the Admiral doesn't dare to offend the British, who do you think you are?"

He paused, then said earnestly, "Just pretend we didn't see it. It's better for us and for them."

The soldier shrank back and stopped talking.

The two merchant ships sailed past the fort and into the West River with an air of nonchalance.

On the Wind Chaser, Rong Hong gazed at the fields and villages passing by on both banks, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.

"I've been away from my hometown for many years, and I never expected to return in this way."

Hongwu turned his head to look at him and asked, "I remember Mr. Rong, you're from Xiangshan, right? After you've finished dealing with things in Jiujiang, would you like to go back to your hometown for a visit?"

Rong Hong was somewhat tempted upon hearing this: "Is that alright?"

"Why not? We can just stop at the Modaomen Waterway on the way back."

Hongwu then asked, "Mr. Hong Rengan, I remember you're from Huaxian County. Would you like to go back and visit?"

On the other side, Hong Rengan waved his hand and said, "After my cousin's uprising, the elders and villagers either died or fled, so there's not much point in going back."

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