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

The first night of the Battle of Liaoluo Bay was spent in an atmosphere of extreme exhaustion and high alert.

On the sea, the burning shipwrecks, like will-o'-the-wisps, gradually died out, leaving only charred debris and a pungent smell.

Both sides dispatched small boats to retrieve their own drowning victims from the dark sea. Occasionally, they would meet, exchanging only wary and indifferent glances, without escalating into further conflict. A tacit truce had been temporarily established after the bloody battle.

Zheng Zhilong barely slept.

He stood on the stern of the "Azure Dragon," repeatedly examining the nautical chart by the dim light of the lanterns, listening to the intelligence sent back by the scout ships one after another.

The combined fleet did not flee far away, but regrouped in a leeward bay about twenty miles to the southeast.

They suffered considerable losses, but their main force remained intact, especially the largest Spanish warships. Although the "San Felipe" was damaged, its structure was sturdy, and after emergency repairs, it was still capable of fighting.

What worries him even more is the wind direction.

After midnight, the wind force increased significantly, and its direction steadily shifted to the northeast, and continued to increase.

This means that for the Xia fleet, located on the western side of the battlefield, if they want to launch an offensive tomorrow, they will be at a disadvantage due to the headwinds. The combined fleet, on the other hand, can take advantage of the wind to deploy its forces at its own pace and even launch a counterattack.

"Order all ships to repair damage, replenish ammunition and water, and treat the wounded as quickly as possible. Fire ships... take stock of the remaining ships, gather those that are still usable, and reorganize them."

Zheng Zhilong's voice was slightly hoarse, "Tell the brothers to take a break, but don't take off your armor or let the cannons out of your hands. The real battle will probably come after dawn."

He was right.

When the pale autumn sun of the eighth year of Xuanji once again pierced the thin fog on the horizon and illuminated the Liaoluo Bay, the wind direction had completely shifted to a strong northeasterly wind.

The waves on the sea were much larger than yesterday.

The combined fleet has reappeared.

Unlike yesterday's chaos and panic, after a night of reorganization, the remaining twenty-two warships formed a tighter and more aggressive formation.

The damaged "San Felipe" was protected in the center of the formation, while the "San Martin", another Spanish galleon of comparable size, took the lead.

All the gun ports on the sides of the warships were open, and the dark muzzles gleamed coldly in the morning light.

General Mora, commander of the Spanish fleet, had thick bandages wrapped around his head. His face was pale from blood loss and anger, but his eyes were as fierce as those of a wounded beast.

Yesterday's crushing defeat was a humiliation he had never experienced in his twenty years of service in the Far East.

The fire attack and the terrifying broadside volley caused him heavy losses, but it also made him see the true strength of the Xia fleet—aside from the less than ten new warships that posed a threat, the rest of the ships, whether fire ships or old warships, were no match for the Spanish galleons in a regular, distanced artillery battle.

"They took advantage of the wind direction and used trickery."

Mora roared at the Allied officers gathered aboard the San Martín, "Today, the winds are in our favor! God is on our side! We will, in the manner of Spanish warriors, with our invincible cannons, send those cunning Easterners, along with their ridiculous toy ships, to the bottom of the sea! For the King, for God, revenge!"

"Revenge!!" the officers roared, their eyes bloodshot.

A low, mournful conch shell horn sounded in the combined fleet, signaling a full-scale attack.

The massive fleet, aided by the strong northeasterly winds, began to press towards the Xia fleet to the west in a slightly horizontal formation.

Instead of rushing to board the enemy ship, they intended to take advantage of the superior number, range, and power of their own warships' broadside guns to launch several devastating long-range bombardments from outside the effective range of the Xia army's artillery.

"Enemy ships are turning! Forming a line! Intending to fire at long range!"

Sailors on the "Azure Dragon" lookout tower shouted hoarsely.

Zheng Zhilong's heart sank; the worst-case scenario had occurred.

He immediately ordered: "All ships, change formation! New warships advance to cover the older warships as they move backward! All ships, prepare to evade!"

But it was already a bit late.

The combined fleet, sailing downwind, was very fast, especially several giant ships such as the "San Martin," which were the first to enter what they considered a "safe" firing range.

"Fire!!"

The Saint Martin's starboard side was armed with more than forty heavy cannons and long guns, which spewed flames and thick smoke in succession. The enormous recoil caused the giant ship to sway slightly to the side.

Immediately afterwards, other Spanish and Portuguese warships also opened fire.

In an instant, dozens of heavy iron solid shot, with a piercing whistle, flew more than two miles and slammed into the front of the Xia army fleet!

"Evade! Hard to port!"

"Watch out for shelling!"

Exclamations of alarm rose from the Xia army's ships. The sailors frantically turned the rudder, trying to hull the ships sideways to the direction of the incoming shells and reduce the area exposed to the shells.

However, the combined fleet's first salvo was clearly the result of careful aiming and ranging.

"boom!!!"

"Snap—!!!"

A heavy shell, estimated to weigh over twenty-four pounds, slammed into the side of an old-fashioned Fujian-style ship positioned in front of the formation, attempting to cover friendly vessels.

The heavy wooden cabin was easily torn and pierced like paper. The shells continued their trajectory, tumbling and crashing inside the cabin. Wherever they passed, people, wood, and cargo were all reduced to dust!

Seawater rushed in through the huge breach, and the Fujian ship tilted at a visible speed. The sailors on board cried out and jumped into the sea.

This is just the beginning.

More shells fell, some hitting the sea and sending up towering columns of water, some skimming over the masts and breaking the mooring lines and sails, and several hitting the target directly.

In the Xia army fleet, several old-style Fujian and Guangdong ships were severely damaged, caught fire, or began to sink.

These ships were relatively fragile and were no match for the heavy cannons of the Spanish galleons.

"Hold the line! New warships advance, open fire and return fire! Suppress enemy ships!"

Zheng Zhilong roared angrily on the "Qinglong".

He had to send the new warships to the front, using the range and rate of fire of the "Yuanfeng Cannon" to suppress the enemy's artillery fire, thus buying time for the old warships to relocate and regroup.

New ships such as "Qinglong", "Funing", and "Dinghai" ventured out, and their broadside guns began to roar.

Their shells also successfully hit the leading Combined Fleet warships, causing damage.

However, compared to the thick hulls and massive size of the Spanish warships, it was difficult to inflict decisive damage unless a vital point was hit.

Moreover, firing against the wind significantly affects both the trajectory and range.

To make matters worse, the Combined Fleet seemed to have its eye on the "Seiryu" flag.

Under General Mora's strict orders, the "San Martin" and several nearby warships concentrated most of their firepower on the blue behemoth that had brought them such painful memories.

"Boom!"

A shell flew past the stern of the "Azure Dragon" and shattered the exquisite carved railings.

"Bang!"

Another shell hit the forward starboard side of the "Azure Dragon". Although it was blocked by the thickened hull plating, the violent shock shook the entire ship, and several gunners were knocked to the ground.

"Admiral, watch out!" The guards suddenly tackled Zheng Zhilong to the ground.

Almost simultaneously, a chain shot swept across the upper part of the mainmast of the "Azure Dragon". Although it failed to break the mainmast, it tore a section of the mainsail and snapped a large section of the sail ropes.

The tattered canvas and ropes, like the wings of a wounded giant bird, drooped down with a clatter, severely affecting the ship's maneuverability.

"Report! Gun emplacement number three on the starboard side has been destroyed, and five gunners have been killed!"

"Main sail damaged, speed reduced!"

"Water is taking on the port side; the sailors are working to repair it!"

Bad news kept coming in.

Zheng Zhilong stood up with the help of his personal guards, his face ashen.

He hadn't expected the sudden change in wind direction to bring such a huge disadvantage, nor had he expected the Combined Fleet to be so vengeful and make such decisive tactical adjustments after suffering heavy losses.

If this exchange of fire continues, his new warships might be able to hold out, but his old warships will likely be torn to shreds one by one. And once he loses his numerical advantage and is approached by the combined fleet, the consequences will be unimaginable.

"Order all ships to retreat northwest while fighting, maintaining distance from the enemy! Do not linger in battle!"

Zheng Zhilong decisively ordered that they try to take advantage of the relatively better maneuverability of the new warships to create distance, reorganize their formation, and look for another opportunity to fight.

However, the Allied Fleet, riding the favorable wind, was not about to give up. They pursued relentlessly, unleashing wave after wave of artillery fire.

The Xia fleet was on the defensive, with ships being hit repeatedly. More and more wreckage and people were floating on the sea, and the situation deteriorated rapidly.

On the "Saint Martin," General Mora looked at the Xia fleet, which was fighting and retreating in a somewhat disheveled manner, especially the mainsail of the iconic "Azure Dragon" which was damaged, and a cruel smile appeared on his face.

"Chase after them! Don't let them get away! Today, I'm going to use Zheng Zhilong's skull as a wine glass!"

Just as the Xia army fleet was in dire straits, and Zheng Zhilong even began to consider whether to order a dispersed retreat to avoid being surrounded and annihilated by the enemy's superior artillery fire and tailwind advantage—

"Admiral! A fleet has appeared to the northeast! It's our ship! Reinforcements! It's reinforcements!!"

The lookout at the top of the mast screamed in a distorted, ecstatic voice, almost drowning out the rumble of the cannons.

Zheng Zhilong suddenly grabbed the binoculars and looked northeast.

Bathed in the light of the rising sun, a sizable fleet, sails full, sped into the battlefield from the rear of Liaoluo Bay!

The two leading warships were similar in size to the "Azure Dragon," but their paint schemes were quite different. One was painted in a majestic black, while the other was painted in a fiery vermilion. The prows of the two ships were carved with ferocious white tiger and winged vermilion bird statues, which shone brightly in the sunlight!

On the mainmast of that black warship, a brand-new flag embroidered with the golden character "Xia" and a qilin pattern was fluttering in the wind!

"It's the 'White Tiger' and the 'Vermilion Bird'! They're new ships from the Longjiang Shipyard! They're our reinforcements!!" The generals around Zheng Zhilong also saw them and instantly erupted in thunderous cheers!

These two warships are improved main battleships built by Longjiang Shipyard after the "Qinglong". They are superior to the "Qinglong" in terms of firepower, protection and speed!

They were supposed to be delivered a little later, but apparently, after receiving the urgent military intelligence from Liaoluo Bay, the shipyard and the imperial court made them put into service ahead of schedule with astonishing efficiency and sent them thousands of miles to the battlefield!

Behind these two dazzling new ships were more than thirty warships of varying sizes, including several new gray-blue ships of the same class as the "Azure Dragon," and many more were modified versions of older warships that had been reinforced and fitted with more cannons.

This is the last reserve team that Zheng Zhilong left at the Zhoushan base, and it is also his backup plan to deal with the worst-case scenario!

Led by his trusted general Gan Hui, they had been lurking on the periphery of the battlefield, waiting for an opportunity. Now, at the most critical moment, they finally descended like divine soldiers!

On the bridge of the "White Tiger," Gan Hui lowered his binoculars, a chilling smile spreading across his face: "Brothers, the Admiral is in trouble, it's our turn! Issue the order: full assault! Target—the rear right flank of the enemy fleet! Give them a good beating!"

The arrival of fresh troops instantly changed the balance of power and the overall situation on the battlefield.

Gan Hui's fleet charged in from the northeast with the wind at its back, and crashed right into the right flank of the combined fleet, which had become slightly out of sync and exposed due to its pursuit of Xia Jun's main force!

"Fire!!"

The "White Tiger" and "Vermilion Bird" demonstrated their power in actual combat for the first time, with flames and roars from their broadsides being no less impressive than those from the "Azure Dragon" of yesterday.

The right flank of the combined fleet was caught off guard and immediately fell into chaos.

With the fleet led by the "Azure Dragon" fighting and retreating in front, and the "White Tiger" fresh forces launching a fierce attack on the flank, the offensive of the combined fleet was halted.

General Mora's smile froze as he realized with horror that the initiative on the battlefield was slipping from his hands.

"Hold the line! Right flank, turn and engage the enemy on the flank! Central force, continue the pursuit and break through the enemy in front first!"

Mora tried desperately to adjust his position, but the wind was turning against him—Gan Hui's fleet had a tailwind, while his center and right flank were now facing a headwind.

How could Zheng Zhilong let such a golden opportunity slip by? "God bless our Great Xia! All troops, halt your retreat, turn, engage the enemy! Target: the enemy flagship 'San Martin,' all troops, charge!!"

On the mainmast of the "Azure Dragon," the slightly damaged but still fluttering dragon flag suddenly pointed forward!

The Xia fleet, which had been fighting and retreating, suddenly turned around like an enraged whale and charged back towards the combined fleet, braving the cannon fire!

The Battle of Liaoluo Bay took a dramatic turn on the morning of the second day due to the addition of two new ships, the "Baihu" and "Zhuque".

The battle situation became unpredictable once again, and the bloody fighting had only just reached its climax.