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

From the northeast, Gan Hui's reserve fleet, like a sword drawn from its sheath, pierced the rear right flank of the combined fleet, which was somewhat scattered due to the pursuit.

The two giant ships at the forefront, one black and one red—"White Tiger" and "Vermilion Bird"—displayed their fangs, no less formidable than "Azure Dragon," with overwhelming force as soon as they engaged the enemy.

"Port side, target enemy ship 'Glory of Lisbon,' volley fire!"

Onboard the "White Tiger," Gan Hui, with a stern expression, personally oversaw the battle.

This massive, jet-black ship resembled a ferocious beast leaping from the deep sea. Its sixteen "Yuanfeng" heavy cannons (slightly fewer than the Qinglong, but with a better gun layout and a faster rate of fire) roared simultaneously, raining down deadly bullets on a Portuguese third-class battleship that was attempting to turn and intercept it.

At a distance of less than two hundred paces, the bullets hit their mark almost without fail. Several huge holes were instantly torn in the starboard side of the Portuguese warship, the hull tilted violently, the deck was a mess, and the roar of cannons mingled with the splintering of timber and the screams of sailors.

Almost simultaneously, the vermilion hull of the "Vermilion Bird" appeared like a moving flame under the sunlight.

Its target was a Dutch armed merchant ship.

The denser barrage (the Suzaku emphasized firepower density, carrying twenty cannons, mostly medium and short-range cannons) instantly engulfed it. The fragile merchant ship, converted into a modern vessel, could not withstand such an attack. The cabins flooded, the mainmast broke, and a fire broke out, quickly rendering it incapable of fighting.

Gan Hui's fleet's surprise attack was precise and deadly.

The Portuguese and Dutch ships on the right flank of the combined fleet, already demoralized from yesterday's fire and artillery battles, were now thrown into chaos by a fierce attack from their flank and rear, downwind.

Several warships attempted to turn and engage the enemy, but collided with friendly ships; others tried to accelerate away, only to find they were outspeeded. The formation was completely disrupted.

"Good! Gan Hui has arrived just in time!"

On the "Azure Dragon," Zheng Zhilong saw the chaos on the right flank of the Combined Fleet, and his eyes flashed with a sharp light.

He endured the excruciating pain in his left arm (a shell fragment had grazed it, causing profuse bleeding, but it had been hastily bandaged), forcefully pushed away the soldiers supporting him, grabbed a tin megaphone, and though his voice was hoarse from blood loss and exhaustion, it carried an undeniable resolve:

"Order! 'Azure Dragon,' 'Fu Ning,' 'Ding Hai,' and 'Zhen Dong,' turn 30 degrees to starboard, target the port side of the enemy flagship 'Saint Martin'! 'White Tiger,' 'Vermilion Bird,' and Gan Hui's forces, press the enemy's right flank to the left, and sever its connection with the central command!"

"The rest of the ships, follow the flagship, concentrate fire, and bombard the enemy's central front! The remnants of the fire fleet, wait for an opportunity to strike, targeting the enemy's largest and slowest ships!"

Flags fluttered and drums and horns sounded.

The main Xia army fleet, which had been on the defensive and retreating, suddenly turned around like a giant dragon awakening under Zheng Zhilong's command, and launched a desperate counterattack against the combined fleet's cannon fire!

The newly joined Gan Hui fleet, like a sharp blade, slashed fiercely at the already wavering right flank of the Combined Fleet.

The battlefield situation reversed instantly.

Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet, Admiral Mora, stood atop the damaged HMS Saint Martin, his face turning extremely grim.

He found himself in a dilemma: if he continued to pursue Zheng Zhilong's main force, there was a risk that the right flank would be completely defeated by Gan Hui; if he sent troops to rescue the right flank, Zheng Zhilong's counterattack from the front would inevitably be even more ferocious.

"Order the 'St. Isabella' and 'St. Anna' to turn and support the right flank! All other ships, concentrate fire and sink that blue devil ship first!"

Mora gritted his teeth and made a decision. He believed that the "Azure Dragon" ship, where Zheng Zhilong was stationed, was the soul of the Xia army. As long as it was sunk or severely damaged, the morale of the Xia army would inevitably collapse.

However, how could Zheng Zhilong let him have his way?

Just as the ships including the "Saint Martin" adjusted their guns and bombarded the "Qinglong" with all their might, the "Qinglong" led the three ships "Funing", "Dinghai" and "Zhendong" to complete a brilliant tactical maneuver.

Using wind direction and rudder control, the four ships drew a sharp angle, creating a brief crossfire situation against the "Saint Martin" in a short period of time!

"Port side, target the stern of the 'St. Martin'—fire!"

"Starboard, target the base of the mainmast of the 'St. Martin'—fire!"

Zheng Zhilong's hoarse roar echoed on the "Qinglong". At the same time, the three ships, including the "Funing", also aimed at different parts of the "Saint Martin" and opened fire fiercely.

In an instant, shells from two directions rained down on the sea behemoth, the "Saint Martin."

Although most of the shells were deflected or blocked by its thick hull, the intense bombardment, especially the concentrated fire on specific areas, still caused terrible damage.

"Snap—!!!"

A sickening, massive cracking sound drowned out all the artillery fire and clearly reached the ears of everyone on the battlefield.

The towering mainmast of the "Saint Martin" was hit by at least three shells near the base of the deck!

The wooden structure could not withstand such an impact, and after letting out a mournful cry, it snapped in two!

The massive mast, tens of feet high and bearing the mainsail, along with its intricate rigging and canvas, resembled a felled giant tree, tilting and crashing down toward the port side with terrifying force!

"God! The mainmast! The mainmast is broken!"

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way quickly!"

Utter panic and chaos ensued aboard the Saint Martin.

The toppled mast and sails destroyed part of the superstructure, crushing and injuring countless sailors. More seriously, the breakage of the mainmast meant that the giant ship lost its main propulsion and control, causing the ship to drop in speed and sway sideways involuntarily on the sea!

The flagship's severe damage was a devastating blow to the morale of the Combined Fleet.

Many officers and sailors on the warships lost their last shred of fighting spirit when they saw the giant mast slowly toppling over.

"Admiral! The enemy flagship's mainmast has been broken!"

On the "Azure Dragon," the lookout shouted excitedly.

A flush rose on Zheng Zhilong's pale face from excitement.

Ignoring the pain in his left arm, he snatched the binoculars from the soldier next to him and stared intently at the "San Martin," which was slowly drifting sideways and descending into chaos.

He knew the decisive moment had arrived!

"Zheng Zhilong is here! Sons and daughters of Great Xia!"

He snatched the drumsticks and, with all his might, struck the war drum aboard the "Azure Dragon," a drum symbolizing the final assault. At the same time, he roared, his voice amplified through the brass horn to reach the surrounding ships, "The enemy leader has been routed! All troops, charge! No retreat! Kill the enemy and serve the country today! Long live His Majesty! Long live Great Xia!"

"Long live Your Majesty! Long live the Great Xia Dynasty!!"

"kill!!!"

Witnessing the enemy flagship suffer heavy damage and hearing the commander-in-chief's encouragement despite his injuries, the morale of the Xia army fleet soared instantly.

Whether it was a new warship or an old one, whether it was Zheng's old subordinates or the officials and soldiers sent by the imperial court, at this moment their eyes were red, they roared, and they drove their warships to rush towards the chaotic combined fleet!

The artillery fire intensified, the grappling hooks began to fly, and the boarding warriors had already drawn their gleaming blades.

On the other hand, the Combined Fleet, facing a desperate situation with its flagship suffering a fatal blow, its right flank on the verge of collapse, and a fierce counterattack from the front, finally lost all will to fight.

"Retreat! Everyone retreat! Retreat south, towards the waters east of Penghu! Everyone who can leave, leave!"

General Mora, under the desperate protection of his personal guards, was transferred in a sorry state to a smaller communications boat. Looking back at the fleet engulfed in flames, thick smoke, and chaotic battle, his heart was breaking, yet he had no choice but to issue this humiliating order.

He knew that if he didn't escape, the entire combined fleet, including himself, might perish in this damned Liaoluo Bay.

For a fleet that has already lost its organization and morale, the order to retreat often means an even greater disaster.

The ships scrambled to turn around and raise every available sail in an attempt to escape this deadly sea.

But their disorderly escape made them prime targets.

How could the Xia army fleet let such a good opportunity slip by?

"Chase them! Don't let them escape! Fire freely! Fire ships, ram and sink those that are slow!"

Zheng Zhilong, Gan Hui, and the commanders of the various ships unanimously issued the order to pursue.

Shells rained down on the fleeing Combined Fleet.

A Spanish galleon, due to an overly sharp turn, collided with another Portuguese warship. Both were damaged and slowed down, and were quickly overtaken by several Xia warships, which then burst into flames under intense close-range cannon fire.

A Dutch armed merchant ship attempted to escape by speed, but was relentlessly pursued by two improved fast ships of the Xia army. Eventually, the ship was boarded and, after a brief resistance, raised a white flag.

The battle lasted from dawn until afternoon, and then the pursuit continued from afternoon until dusk.

The combined fleet was utterly routed, completely losing the will to resist, and they could only lament that their parents hadn't given them two more sails.

The Xia army fleet, with its morale soaring, pursued the enemy relentlessly, continuously expanding its gains.

As the setting sun painted the entire Liaoluo Bay sea area a poignant golden-red hue, this earth-shattering naval battle, which lasted two days and one night, finally came to an end.

On the sea surface floated broken planks, broken masts, scattered debris, and countless corpses bobbing with the waves.

Several heavily damaged warships of the Combined Fleet, which could not be taken away, were slowly sinking, leaving only huge whirlpools behind.

The strong smells of gunpowder, burnt food, and blood lingered in the air for a long time.

The Xia fleet was also exhausted, with many warships battered and bruised, and sailors lying sprawled on the decks, too exhausted to even cheer.

But on every face covered in smoke and blood, there was a joy of victory and a sense of relief at surviving the ordeal.

The initial results were quickly tallied and reported to the "Azure Dragon".

Although the "Azure Dragon" itself suffered considerable damage, with its mainsail damaged, multiple planks cracked and flooded, resulting in dozens of casualties, it still stood firm as the flagship.

As Zheng Zhilong listened to the report of the battle results, a relieved smile finally appeared on his pale face due to blood loss. Then, his vision went black and his body swayed.

"Admiral!"

"Big brother!"

His bodyguards and Zheng Zhihu, Gan Hui, and others who had just boarded the "Azure Dragon" quickly helped him up.

"It's alright... I'm just exhausted."

Zheng Zhilong waved his hand, forcing himself to stand firm, his voice weak but firm, "What...what were the results of our battle?"

"Report back to the Admiral!"

A clerk, holding a preliminary report, spoke with a trembling voice, "In this battle, our army sank two enemy large galleons, one second-class battleship, one third-class battleship, and six armed merchant ships! We captured one enemy second-class battleship, two third-class battleships, and three armed merchant ships! We killed, wounded, and captured no fewer than four thousand Western, Portuguese, and Dutch naval and land troops! The enemy fleet commander, Mora, barely escaped with his life, fleeing in a fast boat!"

"What about our losses?" Zheng Zhilong asked, closing his eyes.

The clerk's voice lowered slightly: "Our army... lost one new-type warship ('Zhendong,' sunk), and two seriously damaged; lost a total of seventeen old-type warships and fire-attack ships. More than 1,700 soldiers were killed in action, more than 900 were seriously wounded, and countless others were slightly wounded..."

The cost was heavy. But compared to the glorious victory achieved, it was all worth it.

Zheng Zhilong opened his eyes, looked at the setting sun in the west that was about to sink into the sea, and then looked at the warships on the surrounding sea that still flew the Great Xia Dragon Flag and stood proudly despite being battered. He slowly exhaled a breath of foul air that smelled of blood.

"Clear the battlefield, treat the wounded, and retrieve those who have fallen into the water, regardless of whether they are friend or foe. Repair warships and replenish supplies."

He gave the order word by word, "Then, send someone... by express courier, to report the victory to His Majesty."

After saying that, he could no longer hold on, his body went limp, and he fainted.

The sleepless nights of command, injuries and blood loss, and immense mental pressure finally broke this naval hero, the first commander of the Imperial Navy.

But he knew he had won. The Great Xia Navy had won.

Liaoluo Bay, this nameless sea area, will henceforth be etched on the monument of history, witnessing the first step of an Eastern empire reclaiming its rightful scepter of the sea.

And Zheng Zhilong's name will spread far and wide with this victory, becoming awe-inspiring in all directions.