Chapter 57: Don’t kidnap me!
South China Sea.
There are no clouds in the sky, the blue waves are rippling, and the sun is blazing in the sky.
It is a rare good weather.
On the sea.
A huge fleet sailed towards the north.
The sun and moon flags hung on each ship indicate the identity of this fleet.
This is the fleet belonging to Ming King Zhu Daohua.
It was already February 19th.
After nearly four days of sailing.
The fleet has passed Qiongzhou Mansion.
Heading straight towards the Pearl River Estuary.
The passing merchant ships have also been driven away by the reconnaissance gunboats sent out long ago to prevent the fleet from being spied on.
In fact, this fleet has a lot of weapons.
Let alone East Asia in this era.
Even in Europe.
That is also the top existence.
navies throughout Europe.
Those lagged behind the bulky and expensive battleships.
In the face of a fast gunboat equipped with pointed tail fin wooden supports and explosive shells, there is no way to fight back.
Even if.
In the Ming army's future fleet plan.
This kind of wooden fast gunboat is only a transitional product - the future belongs to ironclad ships.
Zhu Daohua was just waiting for Watt Engineering to solve the thermal efficiency problem of the steam engine, and for the metallurgical engineer named Martin to put the open-hearth steelmaking method into large-scale application.
You can build a truly epoch-making warship - an armored gunboat!
Iron-armored gunboats are truly epoch-making and revolutionary weapons.
Of course.
For the current Ming Army fleet.
A single-masted, two-masted or three-masted schooner fast gunboat.
It's enough for use.
Behind and to the left and right of the fleet were gunboats responsible for escorting.
And in the center of the fleet.
There are hundreds of Chinese sailing ships.
All were three-masted sailing ships.
The main ship types are Guangzhou Shipyard and Fuzhou Shipyard.
This is the most common Chinese-style hard sailing ship in the South China Sea.
Although this kind of sailing ship is not fast enough.
But the advantage is that the load capacity is good, the operation is easy, and the number of sailors required is much smaller than that of a soft sailing ship - fewer sailors required means less supplies are needed, which means there is more load space.
Therefore, it is impossible for Zhu Daohua to abandon this type of ship, which has great potential to develop into an excellent merchant ship.
Actually for a long time in history.
Even if ships powered by steam engines appeared, sailboats still had not left the stage of history - after all, steam engines needed to burn coal as power and had limited endurance.
In fact, when ironclad battleships first appeared.
It needs to be towed to the battlefield by a sail battleship - if the ironclad ship is allowed to sail to the battlefield position by itself.
The fuel required is enough to backlog the loading space of the ironclad ship itself.
So even if you have a steam engine, you have cheap steel.
Sailboats are also irreplaceable for the time being.
At the front of the fleet.
The sides of a three-masted schooner.
The faces of the Ming army sailors wearing the red military uniforms of the Ming army were tense.
Everyone is staring ahead.
At this time it was close to the Pearl River Estuary.
Enemies may appear at any time.
This will be another confrontation between the Ming and Qing Dynasties after more than a hundred years!
But Zhu Daohua, who was sitting on the top cabin, was very relaxed.
"Your Majesty, our Xu family is most familiar with the terrain of Lantau Island. The headquarters of the Red Flag Gang was here at the beginning... But since the Xu family returned to the King, the Guangdong Navy sent an army of warships to Lantau Island..."
On Zhu Daohua's side is Shi Xianggu.
This time, he was the only woman who accompanied Zhu Daohua.
The main reason is of course that Shi Xianggu is in good health and is very capable of tossing.
In fact, Luo Fangmei is also in good health.
But she was honored to be pregnant with Prince Ming's child.
If this baby is a boy.
If nothing else happens, he will become the glorious successor of Ming Dynasty.
Unlike later generations, no one in this era dares to say who their successor is.
If anyone dared to say in front of Qianlong that he was the "successor of feudalism in the Qing Dynasty", he would definitely be disgraced by the Nine Tribes.
And the significance of Ming Dynasty having a successor is of course very important - to put it unluckily, even if Boss Zhu suddenly dies unexpectedly, if he has no heirs, then the situation he created will fall apart.
on the contrary.
What if Luo Fangmei gave birth to a son?
As a queen, she could keep her young son in charge of the country with the support of Luo Fangbo, Ye Daoqi and other wealthy Lanfang families.
This situation will not be easily resolved.
After the Jiashen Rebellion of the Ming Dynasty.
If one of Chongzhen's sons could run to Nanjing.
The situation in Nanming is not such a mess.
Therefore, before the army goes out to fight, it is announced that the queen is happy.
It was a shot in the arm for everyone in Prince Ming's palace.
And after Luo Fangmei became pregnant gloriously.
Shi Xianggu was also a little anxious.
Take the initiative to ask for help.
I want to accompany Zhu Daohua on the expedition.
The reason is also very valid.
Let’s talk about our understanding of the Pearl River Estuary.
Who can compare to the pirates of the Xu family?
Now as the fleet arrives at the Pearl River Estuary, the outline of Lantau Island is clearly visible.
...
"Duelei Loumu! She is really Ni Ming!"
Lantau Island.
Guard Guan Shouzhong of Guangdong Lvying Navy lay on the watchtower and looked around. When he saw the sea and sky in the distance, which were almost overwhelming ships, he couldn't help but take a breath.
In fact, before this, Ming army reconnaissance ships frequently conducted close reconnaissance around Lantau Island.
But Guan Shouzhong and the Qing soldiers on the island are also used to it.
So I didn't take it seriously - even though it was the Qianlong Dynasty, which was known as the prosperous age, the Qing Dynasty was basically defenseless.
The fleet has arrived at the mouth of the Pearl River.
The Guangdong Lvying Navy had no reaction.
"Sir, we are going against the bright trend, let's... let's withdraw!"
"withdraw?"
Guan Shouzhong frowned.
He has the nickname "Sai Guan Gong" in Guangdong Green Camp.
It’s not that he’s very good at fighting.
But he looks upright.
At first glance, he seems to be the material to play a positive character.
He is tall and tall, with a square face, thick eyebrows and big eyes, and a dark beard that hangs down to his chest.
Maybe it's to claim his "flower name".
Sai Guan Gong also likes to carry a Yanyue Sword.
Go to that stop.
No makeup required.
Then you can have a period of Guan Gong warming wine and beheading Hua Xiong.
Plus he has a great name.
He is a loyal minister as soon as he hears it.
Therefore, as a hereditary green camp general, Guan Shouzhong can be regarded as having a prosperous official career.
Less than fifty years old.
He became the garrison officer of the Green Camp Navy, a fifth-grade military attache!
Although a military attaché of the fifth rank was nothing in the Qing Dynasty - the status of the military attache of Luying was low after all. In front of a civil servant of the seventh rank, a military attaché of the fifth rank would have to salute.
But for Guan Shouzhong, who was just a small boss.
That was a position he had never dared to imagine.
Can do it all.
First of all, thanks to the good looks and good genes of my parents, I have grown into this majestic appearance.
Secondly, I would like to thank my parents for choosing the name well.
Guan Shouzhong.
What a loyal minister.
Secondly, of course, I have to thank myself for making reasonable use of the characters.
Guan Shouzhong is naturally loyal.
But he's not stupid either.
The army on the opposite side is pressing down on the border.
The seven or eight boats under his command are used to deliver food.
But as a garrison officer, if you lose your land.
That is a crime punishable by beheading.
It’s really embarrassing.
Guan Shouzhong frowned more and more.
Next to him, Mr. Qian's legs were already trembling.
"Sir, let's fire a few cannons from a distance and then run away. Let's fight on the sea. Ni Ming rushed us to the outside. We can't go back to Lantau Island... so we can only conserve our strength..."
The subordinates advised,
Guan Shouzhong frowned: "I have the responsibility of guarding the territory. If you want to leave, you can leave. Remember to bring Ni Ming's information back to Guangzhou! I am going to fight Ni Ming to the death!! Don't kidnap me!"
