The "Harpoon" anti-ship missiles shipped from Tianjin were successively transported to Xiamen via Zheng's warships. They were supplied in four batches of fifty missiles each, for a total of two hundred missiles, more than double the original verbal promise of a certain prince. .
All are "Harpoon"-2 anti-ship missiles with upgraded warheads and built-in gunpowder and fuel. They are more powerful than the previous type and are more suitable for attacking wooden ships, giving them the ability to explode and Burning double whammy.
After the public test firing in Penghu, the senior generals of the Zheng Group were all shocked. They did not expect that the prince could actually develop such a sharp weapon. He really deserved to have returned from his study tour in the fairy world, making these weapons like the work of a miraculous craftsman.
The speedboats that the Dutch Red Barbarians relied on not only had extremely high speeds, but also had fierce firepower. They were the most troublesome ships for the Zheng army. At present, it only takes up to three anti-ship missiles to make the warship lose its combat effectiveness, or even sink because the fire cannot be extinguished.
This kind of weapon is simply the natural enemy of the Hongyi battleship. Even if it does not concentrate on the ship and just hits the mast, it will burn its sails, making it unable to sail, and eventually it will be captured by our own side.
It can be said that with the anti-ship missiles, Zheng Zhilong is fully confident in winning the naval battle. If he can obtain a thousand anti-ship missiles from the prince, he can even attack them and directly lead the fleet south to attack the headquarters of the East India Company in Pakistan. davia.
Zheng Zhilong has never seen such a sharp firearm, and he must have never seen it either. In this way, he can catch the opponent off guard. Especially when he takes it out during the decisive battle between the fleets, he will definitely achieve a great feat for himself.
After only cleaning up the large fleet of ten and twenty warships, Zheng Zhilong did not intend to reveal this secret weapon at all, but chose to continue to hide it. There was really no need to use anti-ship missiles to attack so few ships.
As long as they pass through the Luermen waterway, hundreds of Zheng's warships will swarm up. No matter how powerful Hongyi's warships are, they will be surrounded and annihilated, and not even the last one will be left.
But that guy Bolger is very cunning. After receiving the personal letter, he is afraid that he will move the entire fleet away from here, and he will not give himself this chance.
But this directly proved that he did not want to negotiate with himself at all, let alone compromise and make concessions to himself. All his actions were used to perfunctory and delay, in order to wait for the reinforcements sent by Batavia to come to relieve the siege.
Zheng Zhilong decided that if Hongyi's battleship was not in the port, then there was no need to continue the discussion. Meeting the messenger would be a waste of his precious time. It was better to use firecrackers to make Hongyi understand how powerful his military strength was.
No matter how cunning Bolger is, he can't escape. His own fleet can directly bombard the castle of Geranze. Even if it cannot be defeated for a while, Hongyi still has to give Hongyi a taste of power before the typhoon comes.
"What? Five million taels of silver?"
When Bolger received the message brought back by He Bin, he was shocked beyond measure. This almost wiped out his whole year's trade volume. Zheng Yiguan dared to be so presumptuous, which really surprised him.
"Yes, sir, we all heard clearly that Zheng Yiguan's forward fleet is just outside the Luermen Waterway, and his main fleet is only about less than twenty nautical miles away from the forward fleet. According to my visual inspection, the two sides are The fleet has a total of at least 500 warships. Although most of them are not as good as our speedboats, there are so many that we cannot resist their invasion from the sea! Zheng Yiguan also knows the time of high tide. It is said that the tide will come no later than the night after tomorrow, and by then his fleet can easily pass through the Luermen Channel and sail directly to the water near the Castle of Geranze!"
David Cillessen, the assistant sent by Bolger, truthfully relayed to him what he saw and heard. Zheng Yiguan's quotation was also made to everyone in Dutch and Fujian, so there was no Hearing impairment issues.
At present, Zheng Yiguan's fleet is waiting aggressively for the high tide, so he dares to speak loudly. Regarding the time of high tide, everyone present has lived in the local area for many years, and they know this very well. What Zheng Yiguan said is completely correct.
If the hydrological conditions are exploited, then the Luermen Waterway will not be a pass, but a thoroughfare. Zheng Yiguan's fleet can be sent directly to Damuan Bay. At that time, his side will face artillery fire from hundreds of warships. .
Damuan Town is not a European-style defensive city, but an open town. It does not even have the most basic walls, let alone a bastion that can be used to counterattack the enemy. Under the enemy's violent attack, it will definitely be Can't hold it.
It is almost certain that as long as the Zheng army sends thousands of soldiers to land there, the town will fall within an hour and fall into the hands of the enemy, becoming an outpost for the enemy to attack the castle of Geranze.
The six blocks will become the Zheng army's bunkers and artillery positions. It is undoubtedly ideal to launch an artillery bombardment on the Castle of Geranze from there, but it is extremely bad for our own side.
Cillessen knew that Colonel Jansen suggested arming the men in the town, which would increase the number of about a thousand minions, and it had been approved by Bolger. However, the minions were minions after all, and their combat effectiveness was very different from that of the regular army.
During the Battle of Liaoluo Bay, we fought against both the Zheng Army and the Ming Army. Our impression of the enemy was that they were short in stature, but had amazing perseverance, indomitable courage and determination, and were not as weak and weak as they seemed.
They risked their lives and charged one after another. It seemed so stupid and crazy, but it was precisely because they did not understand and could not do it that they felt that it was extremely difficult to defend against the enemy's attack.
To this day, many senior Dutch personnel, including Cillessen, still do not understand this, even though He Bin, who is also an Oriental, has given an intuitive explanation.
Those Ming soldiers usually grovel and serve their generals, as lowly as slaves, with no dignity at all. In wartime, he becomes brave and tenacious against the enemy. When he launches an attack, he looks ferocious, like a group of bloodthirsty beasts.
The service status of the black slave soldiers who served the Dutch army was similar, but they were far from being so loyal and humble. Both Berg and Jansen wanted to train the black slaves to be like Ming army soldiers, but they couldn't do it the right way.
If it is really realized, five thousand black slave soldiers can be trained and stationed in one place, which can greatly enhance the defense capabilities of this place, whether it is against the Zheng army or the indigenous people on the island.
"Well... the night after tomorrow..."
Cillessen's answer made Bolger fall into deep thought. In at most two days, the pirate leader Zheng Yiguan would lead his huge fleet to attack Dajuan Island.
Without the obstruction of the Luermen Waterway, not only would the town be unable to defend itself, but the Castle of Geranje would also be bombarded by a violent storm, and the situation could be said to have taken a turn for the worse.
It is impossible to agree to Zheng Yiguan's price. At present, we simply cannot get the money. It is difficult for the entire Dayuan Island to collect five million taels of silver.
Even if he could give it to Zheng Yiguan, the pirate leader would not withdraw his troops easily and would continue to extort money from his side, so the money would definitely not be given to him.
But how to delay the enemy's advance is an extremely difficult and troublesome matter. Without giving money, Zheng Yiguan will not be able to delay the attack at all.
"If you go back and tell Zheng Yiguan that his fleet dares to attack the Dutch Dajuan area, then from now on, his cooperative relationship with the Dutch East India Company will be over. Our company will not purchase from Zheng in the future. Any goods, and their merchant ships will also be attacked by our warships, and the two sides will be in a state of war for a long time. The East India Company will dispatch a thousand warships to attack Zheng's merchant ships, and attack the merchants including Fujian. The Ming Empire implemented a comprehensive naval blockade in the coastal areas. Until Zheng Yiguan apologizes and pays compensation, the amount of compensation will not be less than five million taels of silver. Please consider it carefully. Once we suffer immeasurable losses, let him Bear all the consequences!”
Zheng Yiguan would speak harshly, and Bolger would do the same. Zheng Yiguan may not be afraid of the garrison in the Dayuan area, but he will not be afraid of the Dutch East India Company, which is more powerful than him.
Whether in terms of economic strength or military strength, Bolger believed that the East India Company could surpass the Zheng Group and the Ming Empire and was the well-deserved king of the region.
Being an enemy of the East India Company meant self-destruction. Even the Spanish Imperial Navy, the former maritime hegemon, did not easily dare to go to war with the East India Company.
Regarding Zheng Yiguan's risky behavior of unilaterally tearing up the cooperation agreement and suddenly launching an attack on the Dutch Dajuan area, the East India Company will definitely take corresponding countermeasures, and they will be more stringent and far-reaching than the other party.
"...Okay! I hope Zheng Yiguan can change his mind!"
Cillessen could only pray like this, knowing in his heart that there was little hope.
Bolger didn't want to pay the silver, let alone evacuate the senior officials. It seemed that he was going to fight Zheng Yiguan to the end.
The most terrible thing is that the military strength of the two sides is not at the same level at present. After seeing Zheng Yiguan's fleet, Cilesen instinctively believed that it was almost impossible for the defenders to win.
It will take at least three months for reinforcements to arrive here. Whether the defenders can survive these three hellish months is doubtful.
Thinking that the Castle of Geranze was about to be violently bombarded by the most powerful fleet in the East, and that the scale of the bombardment was almost unprecedented, Cillessen even didn't want to stay here.
He also has a wife and children who usually live in the town. Even if he is taken to live in the castle, he does not feel safe at all.
Zheng Yiguan wanted to attack the senior officials, but he couldn't stop him.
If Bolger wants to stay here, he can't stop him either.
But he hopes that he and his family can survive the upcoming war unscathed, and that is the most important thing.
"As long as we can hold on for a month, or even twenty days, there will be a violent storm. The storm will help us destroy Zheng Yiguan's fleet and let them understand that their officers are blessed by God!"
Berg placed all his hopes of repelling the invading enemy on the storm, because it had been more than thirty days since the last storm passed through.
According to the meteorological records recorded by the officials, in summer, an extremely violent storm will occur here in up to two months.
Therefore, Berg firmly believed that the storm would come here. Zheng Yiguan's fleet seemed powerful, but it was vulnerable to the divine storm.
The storm will cause Zheng Yiguan's warship to sink to the bottom of the sea. Even if it can float on the sea, it will lose most of its combat effectiveness and is not as powerful as one's own armed merchant ships.
After losing the fire support of the fleet, the soldiers of the Zheng army who landed in Damuan Town were unable to capture the Castle of Geranze and were finally forced to withdraw here. Berg believed that this kind of thing was very likely to happen.
By the time Zheng Yiguan's fleet and soldiers recovered from the storm, it would be three months later, and reinforcements sent by the headquarters would have arrived by then.
Zheng Yiguan will face an unprecedented thunderous blow. The East India Company's fleet will destroy his only remaining warships, returning Zheng Yiguan to the starting point and obliterating all the results of his many years of hard work.
Bolger felt that as long as the headquarters sent a hundred warships and armed merchant ships, it would be enough to sweep across the Fujian coast and destroy the strongholds and ports occupied by the Zheng army along the coast. This made Zheng Yiguan realize how terrible it was to provoke the East India Company.
"What? Bolger only has one fortress left, and he still dares to threaten Ben Bo? Is he crazy?"
The trio of Cilesen, Kecu, and He Bin had no choice but to set off again and rush to the anchorage where Zheng Yiguan's fleet was located. The content they relayed almost made Zheng Zhilong angry.
It is not difficult to take down the sea castle on the island at the end of the northern line. Damuan Town is also an easy prey. The only thing Bolger can rely on is the Castle of Geranze.
Even so, not only did he not intend to pay the silver, but he also threatened himself and threatened that the East India Company would give him bloody revenge. Isn't this whimsical?
Even if reinforcements from the East India Company come to charge in a few months, he is not afraid. At worst, the two sides will compete to see if the strong dragon can suppress the local snake.
However, Zheng Zhilong believed that he was the upright dragon, and the East India Company was a greedy snake. The other party came all the way and still wanted to win the war, so he could only hope that his side would surrender voluntarily.
"Your Excellency, I know that you have a powerful fleet, which is invincible in the East. However, the Castle of Geranze is not an oriental castle. It will not collapse even if it is bombarded. In the end, Your Excellency, the Count, can only achieve nothing." And return."
Cillessen did not want Zheng Yiguan to really lead his fleet to the sea opposite the Castle of Geranze and launch a stormy bombardment of the castle. That might threaten his family.
"I don't want to use force easily. Unfortunately, Bolger is stubborn and stubborn and refuses to quit as a senior official, let alone pay the silver. I have no choice but to lead the troops to take it myself. Why not? Dongfan is my Ming Dynasty king. Soil, all the buildings you built on the royal soil should also belong to my Ming Dynasty, including the Castle of Relanja! You don’t need to pass on my message anymore. You can march into the Great Bay with me. I will let you see with your own eyes how powerful my fleet is!"
According to Zheng Zhilong's "pirate logic" - when I see it, I get it, and if you build it, I have it!
All your buildings on Dongfan land will be owned by the imperial court, regardless of whether you agree or not.
Hongyi used the land in Dongfan as a trading port and earned tens of millions of taels of silver, without paying even one tael of silver in taxes and fees to the court.
Now there is nothing wrong with the imperial court sending you to ask for money. If you don’t give me money, I will give you bullets. This is the way of the Ming Dynasty!
