Rise of a Lonely City: From Exiled Prince to Ruler of the Nine Provinces

The seventh year of Xuanji, autumn, September 20th. Penghu sea area, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the sea breeze was blowing.

A huge red flag, like a burning flame, pierced the morning mist atop the mainmast of the "Azure Dragon," igniting the fuse of a great battle.

When Dutch fleet commander Putmans saw that red flag, his last shred of hope vanished.

He drew his sword sharply and pointed it at the sea: "Fire! God bless the Netherlands! Fire!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The coastal defense cannons on Fengguiwei Castle roared first, and heavy solid iron bullets whistled as they crashed into the sea, stirring up columns of water that shot into the sky around the Xia warships.

Immediately afterwards, the four main Dutch warships—the two large galleons, the Hector and the Slaughter, and the two fast ships, the Dolphin and the Albatross—also turned their hulls to the side, opened their starboard gun ports, and spewed fire and smoke from their dark muzzles.

The Dutch inherited the tactical traditions of the Spanish Navy, emphasizing boarding maneuvers and boarding, but also placing great importance on broadside gunnery.

Their gunners were highly trained, and their first salvo demonstrated an extremely high level of skill. Most of the shells landed near the vanguard of the Xia fleet, and the resulting jets of water nearly capsized several smaller patrol boats.

"Hold on! Hold the formation!" Zheng Zhilong stood on the stern of the "Qinglong" ship, holding a tin megaphone. His voice was still clear amidst the sea breeze and the sound of cannons.

"Order all ships to stay close to the flagship, maintain column formation, and seize the upper hand! No firing is permitted without my order!"

Faced with the Dutch's fierce artillery fire, the Xia fleet did not panic or fall into disarray as Putmans had anticipated.

On the contrary, this fleet, which was composed of Zheng Zhilong's former subordinates, centered on new warships, and had undergone a brief period of intensive training, demonstrated remarkable discipline.

More than sixty warships of various sizes, led by the "Qinglong", braved the gunfire and drew a smooth arc. Relying on their familiarity with the hydrology and wind direction of the Penghu waters, they began to take advantage of the wind and change direction, attempting to cut into the position between the Dutch fleet and the coast and seize the upwind position (T-shaped horizontal position).

"Trying to gain the upper hand? Not so easy!"

Putmans saw through Zheng Zhilong's intentions and immediately ordered the two agile fast ships, "Dolphin" and "Albatross," to intercept them, attempting to disrupt the Xia fleet's formation and buy time for his main warships to adjust and fire another salvo.

Like sea dogs, the two Dutch fast ships, with their excellent maneuverability, darted diagonally towards the waist of the Xia army column, and their side guns opened fire one after another.

Several old-style Fujian ships belonging to the Xia army were hit by bullets, splinters flew everywhere, and screams of agony could be heard.

Zheng Zhilong's eyes were cold, and he remained unmoved.

His gaze was fixed on the two reckless Dutch scuttles and the two massive galleons behind them.

"Order: 'Flying Thunder,' 'Lightning Bolt,' and 'Thunderbolt,' launch an attack! Engage those two speedboats! 'Azure Dragon,' target: enemy flagship 'Hector,' hard to port, full speed ahead!"

Commands were conveyed swiftly via flag signals.

Three new Xia-style warships (Azure Dragon class), similar in size to the Dutch frigates but with a more streamlined design and faster speed, immediately broke away from their main force and, like three arrows released from a bow, headed straight for the "Dolphin" and the "Albatross".

Their side gun ports also opened, revealing equally chilling gun muzzles.

"Fire!"

"Fire!"

Almost simultaneously, artillery fire erupted from both sides once more. Shells crisscrossed the air.

The Dutch frigates' gunfire remained accurate, leaving bullet holes in the Xia army's warships.

However, the firepower of the Xia army's new warships surprised the Dutch.

Their shells appeared to be lighter and had a faster rate of fire. Although the power of a single shot might be slightly less, they were continuous, pounding on the sides and decks of the Dutch Clippers like hail.

"Damn it! How come their cannons are so fast?" the captain of the Dolphin cursed. His ship had been hit in several places, and one of its secondary masts had been broken.

At this moment, the behemoth "Azure Dragon" displayed a level of agility disproportionate to its size, propelled by strong winds.

Its massive body sliced ​​through the seawater, and to the astonishment of the Dutch fleet, it cleverly inserted itself between the Hector and the Slaughter, splitting the Dutch fleet in two!

"Now!"

Zheng Zhilong suddenly waved his hand, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement and killing intent, "Port—fire salvo! Target the waterline of the 'Hector'!"

The row of tightly closed gun ports on the port side of the "Azure Dragon" opened instantly, revealing the menacing barrels of twenty-four dark "Yuanfeng" cannons. The gunners had already loaded the guns, and the fuses hissed as they burned.

"put!!"

At Zheng Zhilong's command, all twenty-four cannons roared simultaneously!

The entire "Azure Dragon" tilted sharply to the right due to the terrifying recoil, and a huge shockwave blew a white wave across the sea.

Twenty-four heavy solid iron bullets, trailing deadly trajectories, slammed into the starboard side of the Dutch flagship "Hector" less than three hundred meters away almost simultaneously!

"My God!" The Dutch sailors on the Hector only had time to utter a single, terrified cry.

The next moment, like a heavy hammer hitting the wooden box, a series of teeth-grinding cracking sounds rang out!

At least seven or eight shells hit the Hector directly near the starboard waterline! The thick oak planks were torn and pierced like paper by the improved conical shells of the Yuanfeng Cannon (with simple guidance from Xiao Chen and implementation by Zhao Tie)!

Seawater rushed in frantically from the huge breach, and the ship tilted at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Abandon ship! Abandon ship!" Putmans fell onto the deck amidst the violent shaking. He struggled to his feet and saw the horrific scene on the starboard side, his heart sinking to the bottom.

Just one salvo! Just one salvo! His prized flagship suffered heavy damage!

The HMS Slaughter attempted to come to the rescue, but the HMS Seiryu had already turned, its starboard gun ports opened again, and the dark muzzles were coldly aimed at it.

Meanwhile, three new warships of the Xia army had successfully entangled two Dutch fast ships. Among them, the "Dolphin" was badly damaged, its mainsail was on fire, and it was about to lose its fighting ability.

As for the armed merchant ships, they had already been divided and surrounded by the Xia army's massive fleet, and could only fight on their own.

The outcome of the naval battle was no longer in doubt after the "Azure Dragon's" astonishing broadside salvo.

"Raise the white flag! We surrender!" Putmans, looking at the surging seawater and his desperate subordinates around him, finally gave the shameful order in a hoarse voice.

If we continue fighting, we will only be wiped out.

The Hector raised a white flag.

Immediately afterwards, the Slaughter, the badly damaged Albatross, and the remaining armed merchant ships also ceased their resistance.

Only the "Dolphin," due to its severe damage, slowly sank into the azure sea before surrendering, leaving behind only a huge whirlpool and floating debris.

The Battle of Penghu lasted less than two hours, from the first cannon shot to the surrender of the Dutch fleet.

The Royal Naval Fleet of Great Xia achieved a brilliant victory with minor losses (several old warships were damaged and over a hundred men were killed or wounded), sinking one and capturing three Dutch capital warships (the "Hector" was heavily damaged and towed, and later repaired) and more than ten auxiliary vessels, killing, wounding and capturing nearly a thousand Dutchmen.

The victory in the naval battle was only the beginning.

Without any delay, Zheng Zhilong immediately ordered the fleet to bombard the beachhead of Fengguiwei Castle after accepting the surrender and taking control of the Dutch warships, in order to cover the landing of the army.

Nearly three thousand elite Xia troops (a mix of valiant old pirates under Zheng Zhilong and some soldiers from the Southeast Garrison) who had been eagerly preparing on the transport ships, sailed onto the beach of Penghu Island in small sampans under the cover of gunfire from the "Qinglong" and other warships.

The Dutch marines who remained at the castle numbered only three or four hundred. Although they put up a fierce resistance relying on the bastion, their morale quickly collapsed under the overwhelming superiority of their forces and the continuous bombardment from naval guns.

Braving a hail of bullets, Xia soldiers used gunpowder to blast open the outer fence of the castle and swarmed in.

Brutal boarding maneuvers unfolded in every corner of the castle.

The Xia soldiers fought bravely, while the Dutch marines fought to the last moment.

When Zheng Zhilong personally led his personal guard through blood and smoke into the command post in the center of the castle, he saw Putmans covered in blood, his sword broken, being held down by two Xia soldiers.

"I demand treatment befitting my status." Putmans' face was ashen, but he still managed to maintain his noble arrogance.

Zheng Zhilong looked at him coldly and said in broken Portuguese (he had dealt with Westerners for many years and knew a few words): "A defeated general has no right to make demands. However, His Majesty the Emperor is benevolent. Whether you and your men live or die depends on how much ransom the governor of Batavia is willing to pay for you."

That evening, the red, white, and blue Dutch flag atop Fengguiwei Castle was lowered and thrown into the fire.

A brand-new, dark-colored flag of the Great Xia Dynasty, embroidered with a golden dragon, flutters in the sea breeze at the highest point of Penghu Island.

One of the Dutch East India Company’s most important outposts in East Asia fell into the hands of Daxia.

The news, like a hurricane, swept swiftly across the southeast coast and will surely reach Manila, Batavia, Goa, Lisbon, and London at top speed.

The broadside salvo from the "Qinglong" not only sank the "Dolphin," but also officially heralded the arrival of a new era—a new and undeniable maritime power had revealed its sharp fangs on the seas of East Asia.