Global colonization began with Ming Dynasty pirates.

Although Shen Wangshu said he would try again, given the current state of the government troops, it was clear that an immediate attack was impossible.

Having just suffered a crushing defeat, the morale of the government troops had collapsed; what was worse, they arrived at noon and were pushed onto the battlefield without even a hot meal, and were now starving.

So Shen Wangshu ordered everyone to eat on the spot and brought out most of the supplies so that everyone could have a good meal first.

This move somewhat salvaged morale.

While cooking, Shen Wangshu directed the sailors to dismantle the cannons on the two Fujian ships.

These Fujian ships were equipped with many cannons, including the Dafaqi, Baizichong, and Frankish cannons, but only the Dafaqi at the bow was helpful for attacking cities.

The Fa-fu (发熕) was an improved version of the breech-loading cannon introduced during the Zhengde era. It was originally called the Da-Fo-Lang-Ji (大佛郎机). Later, to distinguish it from breech-loading cannons, it was often referred to as Fa-fu.

In essence, it was an early imitation and modification of European cannons. It was mass-produced and installed on naval warships in the late Ming Dynasty. It wasn't until the later emergence of the more powerful and larger Hongyi cannon that it was displaced, but its large number meant it was still widely used.

Half an hour later, the two steamers were carefully hoisted onto the large sampan by the sailors and then transported to the beach.

Then, more than a dozen sailors worked together and pushed it step by step toward the village.

They advanced to a position of about 150 paces, then aimed the dark muzzle of the cannon at the village gate.

The appearance of the cannons instantly boosted the morale of the government troops, while Linjia Village was in an uproar.

Lin Hao naturally saw this scene as well, and it was impossible for him not to be worried. He even regretted not having driven them away sooner.

But Lin Hao quickly banished this thought from his mind. Cannons were something they had to face eventually, and this was a good opportunity to test the village's ability to deal with them, so that they could make improvements later.

However, once cannons are deployed, it becomes increasingly difficult for one's own side to escape unscathed. Being hit by such a thing doesn't result in injuries; one can only suffer scattered wounds.

A little over fifteen minutes later, a large amount of gunpowder and projectiles were transported to the two cannons.

"Young Master, why don't we charge out and destroy these two cannons?" Lin Yi suggested.

"Forget it, we can't rely on the others. The only ones who can break through are you guys. If we do, we'll take at least two rounds of artillery fire. I can't bear to do that." Lin Hao shook his head and refused. Even if the wooden wall was blasted down, Lin Hao didn't think the enemy could break through.

Lin Hao would rather lose a large number of new recruits than lose a single teenager. These were the very people he had painstakingly trained over four years; they were the core of his future team, and he had invested too much effort in them, making them extremely important.

Even if I recruit more young people for training in the future, as I become busier, I will have less and less time to devote to this, and the training intensity will never be able to catch up with these people.

These young men, in particular, have already experienced several major battles and can be considered both literate and skilled in martial arts. They can die, but they must have value. It would be truly unnecessary for them to go out and be bombarded to death by cannons.

If two cannons are enough to scare you, then the other side is underestimating you.

A moment later, the government troops finally finished cleaning up the two cannons. The gunners loaded the gunpowder and shells into the cannons, then picked up torches and lit them.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, a tremendous roar resounded, and two enormous iron balls were launched with unstoppable force.

boom--!

A sonic boom several times louder than the breech-loading cannons on Lin Hao's ship swept in, causing even the well-prepared Lin Hao to feel his heart pound and his lips go dry. His men were even more terrified; some were so frightened they immediately wet themselves.

After the two cannons fired simultaneously, Lin Hao was surprised to find that the stockade wall was completely undamaged.

Two cannonballs soared high over the stockade wall and disappeared into the distance.

"You scared the hell out of me! These government troops' cannons are nothing special after all." Someone couldn't help but laugh loudly.

"Don't be careless, the government troops aren't finished yet." Lin Hao shook his head. Although it's normal for the first shot to miss, so many misses are a bit hard to believe. This means the enemy is just taking a gamble, and it seems they'll need several more shots to reach the stockade wall.

As Lin Hao had predicted, the next two shots also missed. This time they hit low, the shells creating a crater in the sand, but still failing to reach the stockade wall.

"Are you all shit-eaters?" Shen Wangshu was so angry that he whipped each of the gunners hard, then picked up his knife and said, "It's fine if the ship can't hit it normally, but this is such a big fortress, and it doesn't move. If you still can't aim, I'll chop off your heads."

The gunner was so frightened that he trembled all over and began to reload the shell.

A moment later, the two cannons fired in succession. Perhaps under the pressure of the knife, the gunners' potential was unleashed, and this time one of the cannons successfully hit the soil near the village, and then bounced off and smashed against the wooden wall.

Unfortunately, while the weakened force would be fatal to a person, it was insufficient for the wooden wall. The struck log trembled violently, but behind it was the earthen wall, and all the force was absorbed instantly.

"Well done, keep going, smash this turtle shell for me." Shen Wangshu was immediately satisfied.

Subsequently, the government troops performed better and better, and shells kept hitting the wooden wall. If they hit the lower half of the wooden wall, it was okay because there was soil to cushion the impact. But if they hit the upper half, a hole would be immediately torn open. If there were people behind them, they would definitely be killed.

Even though no one was directly hit, several people were injured by splinters that flew out when the shells were fired after four rounds.

Lin Hao had no choice but to order everyone to come down from the wall, and then arranged for several people to keep watch from above.

"It's so frustrating to just take all the beatings without being able to fight back. My next step is to build a cannon," Lin Hao said through gritted teeth.

"Young Master, how long are they going to bombard us? If this continues, everyone's morale will completely collapse," Lin Yi asked helplessly. He saw that everyone had been forced back against the wall by the cannon fire, their faces showing lingering fear; they were clearly terrified by the artillery.

"Don't worry, it won't last long. Didn't you see the sun is almost setting?" Lin Hao reassured them casually, then turned to the others and said:

"Don't be afraid, everyone. The government troops can't break through the stockade with their cannons. Once they get here, we'll show them what we're capable of. We'll wipe them out without leaving a single survivor."

As Lin Hao had predicted, the fighting had been going on since noon, and the sun was almost setting, the evening glow illuminating the entire beach and casting the last rays of light of the day. If the government troops didn't make their move soon, it would be dark.

Unless the government troops want to fight the Lin family at night, they have no choice but to take action.

Seeing that the bandits had been completely suppressed, Shen Wangshu immediately ordered his officers and soldiers to regroup.

This time, they removed a large number of planks from the boats on the nearby beach and made them into a more sturdy shield.

At the same time, more than twenty soldiers armed with muskets were gathered together to prepare for a firefight with Lin Hao and his men.

"Brothers!"

Shen Wangshu shouted, "They've been terrified by the cannons!"

"Charge in! Once the stronghold is breached, don't sheath your swords!"

"The goods and women inside are yours to enjoy! The first to enter will be rewarded with 10 taels of silver!"

Upon receiving news of the government troops' deployment, Lin Hao immediately ordered, "Everyone, get up on the wall and prepare for battle! Send the signal immediately to Liu Aniu to prepare for an encirclement. We must annihilate this government force!"