In late November 1485, at the mouth of the Congo River, a fishing village near the sea was ruled by the indigenous chief Soyo.
The raging Congo River rushes into the Atlantic Ocean here, instead of forming a common seaport delta, but carving out a deep valley along the coast. Relying on the rich fishery resources of the river mouth, the tribal people settled here and formed a peaceful fishing village. On normal days, the village is full of life with children running around and women busy.
As the sun sets, three caravels are docked on the river bank. There was deathly silence in the indigenous fishing village, and the smell of blood was everywhere. The carnival of massacre had just ended, and the venting of animal desires was temporarily satisfied. At this moment, one or two hundred fresh corpses, regardless of gender, old or young, were piled on the altar in the center of the village, with a large thatch covering them.
"Haha! Killing the pagans means saving their souls! Haha! Then take away their belongings, which were given to us by the Lord!"
Boatswain Diego laughed, shouted happily, and used the torch in his hand to light the thatch in the altar himself. The more than twenty sailors around him also looked satisfied and set fire to the indigenous huts. Behind the sailors were large bags of looted property. Seven or eight young dark-skinned women, naked and strung together with hemp ropes, were kneeling in front of the burning village, crying desperately.
The raging fire quickly rose, destroying all evidence of guilt. Afterwards, the sailors divided up the looted property, carried bags of food, and dragged the staggering woman to the boat on the river.
The food on the exploration fleet is running low. Taking advantage of the opportunity to land supplies, Boatswain Diego gathered nearly thirty sailors from three ships, gathered five pairs of breastplates, and three matchlock guns, and attacked this fishing village of one or two hundred people.
Facing this group of fierce sailors, ordinary indigenous villages were powerless to resist. The sailors first knocked down three indigenous warriors with matchlock guns, and then the armored sailors took the lead in killing Ding Zhuang, and the rest of the sailors surrounded and killed them from all sides. Within a few minutes, the peaceful village turned into a murderous hell. The sailors wielded scimitars and skillfully slaughtered the villagers, leaving no one alive to avoid attracting the warriors of the indigenous chiefs.
Of course, Diego was not worried about the indigenous warriors. The fleet will soon sail into the Atlantic Ocean and embark on a long journey home. Even if the indigenous warriors pursue it, they will never be able to catch up. He laughed loudly at the thought and shouted to the sailors in the other two boats.
"Foda-se! It's so exciting today! But there isn't much gold among the natives here. When we get to the Gold Coast, we'll go out and do it twice more!"
"Okay! Boss Diego, I listen to you!"
"Foda-se! It's great to follow Boss Diego!"
"Not bad! The guys finally came out of the devil's land alive, and they even killed people with ease!"
"Ha ha!"
Diego laughed with satisfaction when he heard the compliments from the sailors on each ship. Then, he pointed at the indigenous women next to him.
"Here, take two for each boat, take them back and have a good time!"
Hearing this, the sailors on the other two ships looked at each other. They had some intentions, but no one dared to accept them. In the Age of Discovery, the rules on ocean-going sailing ships were very strict. In order to boost the morale of sailors, captains from various countries will acquiesce in allowing sailors to go ashore and plunder, but they will never allow women to be brought on board. In fact, even a ruthless pirate captain would never allow a woman to exist on the ship unless he had degenerated to a certain extent.
"No. Boss Diego, you should keep the woman! It's getting late, we have to quickly bring our belongings back to the ship."
The sailors on both ships hesitated for a moment, but decided to refuse. They said hello and hurriedly boarded the sampan to return.
"Foda-se! These courageous hyenas!"
Diego cursed in a low voice. If they were not in a desperate situation, it would not be that easy to encourage the sailors to rebel. It seems that we need to contact him a few more times before killing all the nobles on the ship. Thinking of this, he curled his lips, waved the short sword fiercely, and shouted at the sailors he trusted.
"Foda-se! Let's go! Take the women, we have the final say on the flagship now!"
More than a dozen sailors were laughing and joking, first throwing their belongings and food onto the sampan, then dragging the woman to another sampan, and then rowing to the flagship together.
As a lightweight exploration sailboat, the Caravel's sides are not high. Seeing the sampan approaching, a three-meter-long climbing rope ladder was thrown from the flagship.
Diego raised his head, grabbed the rope ladder, and climbed to the boat first. As he climbed, he shouted in confusion.
"Mattim, why are you standing on the deck with so many sailors?"
Quartermaster Mattim looked stiff and the corners of his mouth twitched. He paused for a moment and replied loudly.
"Guys can't wait to see the harvest of your plunder!"
"Foda-se! As agreed in advance, the food will be returned to the ship's warehouse, and the property will not be your share! As for the women, we can have fun together!"
When he heard that there was a woman, the corners of Mattim's mouth twitched even more. He said nothing and waited for Diego to come on board.
"Haha! Guys on the ship, as long as you follow me Diego, you will have food, drink and..."
Diego boarded the boat excitedly and was about to continue shouting, but his words paused for a moment. His complexion instantly turned pale, and even his fingers began to tremble.
"Mattim, you..."
Mattim lowered his eyes and sighed quietly.
Two steps behind him, five musketeers squatted in a row, holding loaded matchlocks in their hands, all aiming at Diego, who had just boarded the ship. The fire door cover on the matchlock gun has been opened, and the lit match rope is hung on the metal faucet, burning slowly with uncertain brightness. Just a few steps away, as long as the musketeer gently pulled the trigger, the deadly lead bullet would shoot out, pierce Diego's chest armor, and then shoot a bloody hole. On both sides of the musketeers were ten elite soldiers, each wearing breastplates or leather armor, holding sharp scimitars in their hands, ready to attack.
"Martim, my brother! Let's talk! What do you want? I will give you all the looted property along the way! I will also let you take the lead on the ship! ... Guys on the ship, I am the boatswain Diego. , but I have never been sorry to you!..."
Diego trembled all over and raised his hands in fear. He shouted as hard as he could, trying to persuade everyone on the boat. Behind him, four of his henchmen were forced to surrender as soon as they boarded the ship. The rest of the sailors stayed on the sampan, watching the situation on the ship with fear.
"well!"
Quartermaster Mattim sighed. He slowly turned around, revealing a familiar face behind him. Only then did Diego, the boatswain, see the noble knight Bruno holding a short knife, which was pressed against the back of Mattim's heart.
"Foda-se! Bruno! It's you!"
Diego was stunned for a moment, then his eyes were split and he roared angrily.
"Foda-se! Fuck you to death! I should have chopped you into pieces that night in the cabin!..."
Bruno's eyes were cold and he looked at Diego with contempt, as if looking at a barking defeated dog. He waved fiercely at the elite armored soldiers and gave a stern order.
"The captain has an order! Boatswain Diego launched a rebellion and betrayed the kingdom! They are evil people who believe in the devil! Take them down!"
Hearing this, ten elite soldiers looked towards the captain's cabin at the stern of the ship. Captain Diogo looked solemn and sat calmly at the door of the captain's cabin, nodding to everyone on the deck. Soldiers rushed up from both sides, preparing to capture Boatswain Diego and his cronies.
"Foda-se! You are the guards on the other two ships! Foda-se! Diogo, you dead dog with diarrhea!"
Seeing the captain appear, Diego screamed in despair. He roared and waved the scimitar in his hand fiercely.
"shooting!"
"Bang! Bang!"
Under Bruno's order, the two musketeers pulled the triggers directly, and a white eye sprayed out from the tail end of the matchlock gun. Two lead bullets spun and shot out rapidly. One hit Diego's knee, shattering the fragile patella joint, and the other hit his arm, turning his thick upper arm into a bloody mess.
"ah!!"
Diego screamed miserably, huge kinetic energy exploded in his body, and he fell to the ground covered in blood. The elite soldiers swung the iron handles of their daggers and knocked the sailors behind them to the ground. Then they took out tough hemp ropes and tied Diego and the sailors securely.
Seeing this scene, Mattim could no longer stand still. He knelt on the deck with a pop and hugged Bruno's calf.
"Brother Bruno, I have never treated you badly! You are a noble knight, just spare my life! From now on, I will be your dog and I will obey you in everything!..."
Bruno frowned, raised his kick, and kicked Mattim to the ground.
"Get out! The captain is in charge now! Mattim, if you want to live, crawl to the captain and beg him!"
Then, Bruno couldn't wait to take two steps forward and walked up to Diego, who was wailing and rolling. He looked down at the other party's miserable state and laughed.
"Haha! Diego, how are you? How does it feel to be hit by a musket? Come on, let me check you out!"
With that said, Bruno stepped on Diego's knee, and the other man suddenly curled up in pain, like a cooked red shrimp.
"Tsk, tsk, my knee is broken! Oops, my arm is broken too!... He's in so much pain that he didn't even cry, he's such a tough guy!"
Bruno had a winner's smile on his face. Then, with a fierce look in his eyes, he raised his foot, aimed it at Diego's lower body, and stepped down hard with all his strength!
"Foda-se! Make you think about my wife!"
"Ahhhh!!"
An extremely shrill scream was squeezed out of Diego's mouth, making people shiver all over. Nearly ten steps away, Chef Haroldo shivered deeply, as if he heard some kind of egg breaking sound.
On the other side, Quartermaster Mattim was trembling all over. He crawled to the captain's cabin with difficulty, and a few steps away, he lay on the ground and begged the captain.
"Dear Captain! Noble Royal Knight! Please, for the sake of my loyal following of you for more than ten years, please spare my life! Even if it means being a coolie sailor..."
"Oh? Mattim, how long have you been following me?"
Diogo looked calm and his eyes were deep. He stretched out his hand to stop the guard beside him, and looked at Mattim at his feet.
"I... I have been with you for thirteen years... starting as a sailor's apprentice..."
Mattim lay on the ground, his voice trembling.
"Yes, thirteen years and six months. That was the 1472nd year since the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. At that time, I had just become a captain. We followed the respected navigator Joao Santarém in the Gulf of Guinea The islands of Annobon and Príncipe were discovered..."
Diogo lowered his eyes and fell into long-lasting memories.
The European continent was generally peaceful that year. The Portuguese in the west explored the Gulf of Guinea and the Gold Coast; the Grand Duke of Moscow in the east married the conquered princess of Byzantium, Sophia. And in the unknown Eastern Heaven, an unprecedented master was just born, and his name was Wang Shouren.
After a while, Diogo smiled calmly, his expression changed.
"Mattim, the Lord has said not to use time to test the loyalty of humans, but to give them a chance for redemption. Now, let the Almighty Lord decide your fate!"
As he spoke, Diogo took out a newly minted Portuguese Cruzado gold coin. The gold coin features the crowned Portuguese coat of arms on the obverse and the Holy Cross on the reverse. he said gently to Mattim.
"Mattim, I will throw this gold coin and let the Lord judge you. If the royal emblem is facing up, then I will hang you without blood according to the laws of the kingdom and hang you on the mast of the bow of the ship. . If the holy cross faces upward, I will follow the Lord’s teachings, forgive your previous sins, and give you a chance for redemption. How about that, fair?”
"....Captain, very, very fair..."
Looking at the gold coins in the captain's hand, Mattim's face turned pale and he responded tremblingly.
"Then, I say one, two, three, and the trial will officially begin."
A saintly smile appeared on Diogo's face.
"Come, pray to the Lord sincerely!"
"one,"
"two,"
"three!"
Diogo threw the gold coin high with his left hand. Mattim's eyes followed the gold coins, spinning up and down, just like his rapidly beating heart. Then, Diogo's left hand suddenly stretched out, and then he covered it with his right hand, and the gold coins suddenly disappeared from the air.
Mattim's knees were shaking and his forehead was covered with sweat. He knelt on the ground and prayed devoutly while trying to raise his head and look at the surface of the gold coin. However, the gold coin was tightly covered by the captain's big hand, and nothing could be seen.
Diogo retracted his left hand and slightly raised his covered right hand. He glanced at the gold coins on the back of his hand, and a mysterious smile appeared on his old face.
"Tchau!"
Mattim's knees suddenly weakened and he almost collapsed to the ground. In Portuguese at this time, Tchau means both greeting and farewell, which is equivalent to "hello" plus "goodbye" in Chinese.
"Ha ha!"
Diogo rarely smiled happily. Then, with a solemn expression, he said to Mattim solemnly.
"Congratulations, Mattim! The cross is up, you survived. As the Lord testifies, I forgive you for all your previous sins!"
"Ah! Thank you, I really appreciate your kindness! Dear Captain, I am your eternal servant!..."
Mattim's eyes filled with excitement, and he lay limply on the deck. The sailor uniform on his body was completely soaked. He hugged the captain's calf and couldn't help but feel grateful.
Diogo shook his head gently. He looked at Mattim seriously.
"Don't thank me, thank our Lord! It is the merciful Lord who heard your prayers and gave you the opportunity for redemption! From now on, you must devoutly believe in our Lord and redeem your past sins!"
"Yes, yes! Praise the Lord, He is the light of the world. I follow His guidance and do not walk in darkness. I will gain the light of life..."
Mattim was incoherent, praying so devoutly for the first time. Diogo listened quietly, with a smile on his face. After the other party finished praying, he calmly gave instructions.
"Martim, my old friend. Go! Execute Diego and his cronies for me, and redeem your sins with your own hands."
"Yes, follow your will, my master!"
Mattim knelt on the ground and kowtowed heavily. Then, he turned his head, stood up, and walked to Diego with a fierce expression.
Bruno raised his eyebrows when he saw Mattim striding over. The quartermaster only talked to the captain for a short moment before he seemed to be completely different. He stood back and watched the quartermaster's behavior.
Mattim remained silent and took a tough hemp rope from the hands of the sailors around him.
"Foda-se! Mattim, you, what are you doing!"
Boatswain Diego was lying on the deck covered in blood. He stared at Mattim holding the rope and walking towards him, and howled in terror.
"Mattim!! I'll kill you!...Uh! Uh! Ho!..."
Bruno's heart trembled. He watched Mattim kneel down indifferently, put a rope around Diego's neck, pressed his knees against the opponent's spine, and then suddenly exerted force on his arms!
Boatswain Diego struggled desperately, his legs beating hard. Mattim, however, remained motionless and showed no mercy. There was even a redemptive smile of relief on his face. Within two or three minutes, Diego's face was covered with bruises, his eyes were bulging, his long tongue was sticking out, and he became limp and motionless.
Mattim stretched out his hand to feel Diego's breath and nodded with satisfaction. Then, he continued to hold the rope and strangled the remaining four Diego's cronies one by one. Then, he relaxed and went to report back to the captain.
The dying wail echoed across the ship, shaking the hearts of all sailors. Diogo looked calm and scanned the people on the deck. Everyone bowed their heads in awe and saluted the respected captain. The lion has come out of the cage and once again rules the jungle on the ship, controlling everyone's life and death.
Diogo's gaze lingered on Bruno's face. The noble knight bowed his head in awe. His eyes immediately shifted and fell on the fat face of the chef Haroldo. Haroldo fell to his knees, and then the carpenter Ivo...
After Diogo glanced around, the boat was as quiet as if there was no one around. He spoke calmly, and his voice fell into everyone's ears.
"Previously, there was a rebellion on the ship in order to persuade me to return."
Hearing this, many people's hearts tightened. Bruno held his breath and quietly touched his short knife.
"The mastermind of the rebellion is Boatswain Diego and his cronies. The other participants are all coerced. The merciful Lord grants salvation to everyone, and I will forgive everyone else, including those who robbed without authorization. sailor!"
"Praise...praise the Lord! Praise the captain!"
Heavy exhales sounded on the deck, followed by garbled prayers. The devout captain swore by God not to hold anyone responsible for the rebellion, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Because they believe that the respected Captain Diogo will never break his sacred oath.
Under the gaze of everyone, Diogo stretched out his left hand, made a cross on his forehead and chest, and prayed for a moment. Then, he said firmly.
"The Almighty Lord gave me a revelation! The route to the East is not far away, as long as we go around the south of the African continent! There is the powerful country of Elder John, rich India, and Silis, which is full of silk! As long as we discover the Eastern Route , the generous king will reward each of you! Your names will also be passed to the ears of the holy pope, and you will reserve a place in heaven! This is your only chance for redemption!"
Hearing this, the sailors' expressions changed. They had a vague premonition. Sure enough, the next moment, Captain Diogo stood up slowly and gave an order that could not be disobeyed.
"Retract the sampan, hoist the sails, and hang the rebels' bodies on three masts! Adjust the course, raise the flag, and tell the entire fleet! Let's continue exploring and turn our head south! Our Lady protects us!"
"...Our Lady protect us!"
The deck was quiet for a few breaths. Then, a low voice of prayer came from the group of sailors. Everyone obeyed the captain's order and got busy again. Bruno exhaled silently, lowered his head and walked to the side of the ship. He looked at the uneasy sailors on the sampan and shouted.
"The Lord is my witness! The captain has forgiven your sins! Bring food and belongings and get on the ship quickly. No women are allowed!"
The eight or nine sailors on the sampan looked at each other for a while and nodded. In the wild tropical jungle, in the land of the devil, leaving the fleet means death! Without hesitation, they drew their machetes, cut the throat of the indigenous woman, and kicked her into the Congo River. The rolling river, with its red waves, merges into the vast ocean, just like the eternal jungle.
After a brief period of busyness, the three caravel sailboats slowly turned around, driven by the winter northeast monsoon, and headed south with difficulty against the cold Benguela current.
Everything is under control. Diogo slowly turned around, walked into the dim captain's cabin, and closed the cabin door silently. The fatigue of illness finally appeared on his face. Then, he smiled lightly and loosened his clasped right hand. The Cruzado gold coin was finally revealed from the back of his left hand, and facing upward was the royal emblem.
"Praise the Lord!...for He has done wonderful things. With His right hand and His holy arm He works salvation...Amen."
Diogo chanted softly, this is a hymn of praise, the Lord's salvation, Cantate Domino.
