vrcanaries Chapter 5 Disengagement
Chapter 5 Disengagement
This round of shelling almost wiped out the Qing soldiers on the deck, leaving no room for the line infantry to perform.
Smoke filled the air, and the deck of the Fujian ship on the left was instantly filled with corpses and wailing wounded soldiers. Blood quickly stained the deck, and the entire ship was almost paralyzed and rendered unable to fight.
"Hard starboard! Disengage! Enemy ship directly ahead, switch to solid shot!"
Seeing that the Fujian ship on the left had lost its fighting ability, Lin Chen immediately shouted loudly to the sailors. The sailors of the Hope showed amazing efficiency. The sails quickly adjusted their angle, and the huge hull turned sharply to the right under the rudder, trying to increase the distance between itself and the Fujian ship on the left.
Meanwhile, the port gunners were methodically loading new shells into the cannons under orders, while the line infantry on the other side rushed over and aimed their guns at the Fujian ship that had been in front of them.
The Fujian-made ships ahead, true to their reputation as elite Fujianese naval forces, reacted swiftly and frantically after witnessing their comrades' sudden annihilation. Their captain, in a state of extreme shock, roared, "Fire! Sink it! Fire!"
Although his men were equally terrified, driven by the officer's strict orders and their survival instincts, they frantically lit the heavy cannons and breech-loading cannons on the deck.
Boom boom boom—
Several solid cannonballs whistled towards the Hope, which was turning. Some shells hit the sea in front of the ship, creating huge columns of water, while others struck the hardwood hull hard, causing the ship to rock violently and the people on the deck to almost lose their footing.
"Your Highness, be careful!"
The adjutant reacted quickly, catching the staggering Zhu Jiheng. Zhu Jiheng's face was slightly pale, and his stomach churned again, but he clung tightly to the gunwale, forcing himself to steady himself, and then roared:
"Line infantry, fire freely! Suppress them!"
The line infantry immediately adjusted their direction and began firing freely at the Fujian ship that had opened fire, relying on the ship's side. Although the turbulence of the sea affected the accuracy, the continuous volleys of gunfire effectively suppressed the Qing soldiers on the deck of the Fujian ship, forcing them to be unable to load and aim at their leisure.
Under the fire suppression of the line infantry, the Hope finally managed to turn around thanks to its superior ship design and sail handling skills, aiming its port side, which was already loaded, at the Fujian ship.
"Port! Target: enemy ship's waterline, fire a salvo!" Lin Chen grabbed the gunwale and roared.
Boom boom boom—
The deafening roar of cannons rang out again, and more than ten iron balls soared through the air, slamming into the Fujian ship that was trying to maneuver and dodge.
However, the two sides were still too close. The two cannonballs hit the Fujian ship near the waterline with great accuracy. The huge impact instantly tore a huge hole in the thick ship planks, and the seawater rushed into the cabin as if it had found an outlet.
The Qing soldiers on the Fujian ship were thrown about by the shock. As seawater entered the cabin, they let out desperate cries. The ship began to list at a visible speed, and they could no longer afford to reload their cannons to return fire.
"here you go!"
Zhu Jiheng clenched his fists and growled, then turned to Lin Chen and ordered, "Full speed ahead! Withdraw from the battlefield!"
Although he wanted to try to loot the Fujian ship that had been bombarded with grapeshot and see if he could seize any spoils, he was worried that the battle that had broken out here might attract the attention of other Qing warships. If they were caught up again, it would be a loss.
After the order was given, the Hope set sail at full speed, cutting through the waves, rounding the slowly sinking Fujian ship, and continuing its southward journey.
Zhu Jiheng looked back and saw that the Fujian ship on his left, which had been the first to be hit by grapeshot, was now completely silent on deck, as if it had lost all fighting power, like a coffin floating on the sea. The ship that had been severely damaged by solid shot was despairingly listing and sinking, and the Qing soldiers who had fallen into the water were struggling and calling for help in the sea like dumplings.
He knew in his heart that if no other Qing warships heard the commotion and rushed over, the Qing soldiers who had fallen into the water would only perish in the belly of the fish.
As the Hope ship moved away from the battlefield, Zhu Jiheng suddenly heard the system's familiar voice.
You have defeated your pursuers and are temporarily safe, but this is just the beginning. Keep moving forward and keep your flag flying high!
[Your incentive package is being processed.]
You have acquired 3 line infantry (360)
You have obtained 2 Falcon Cannons (8)
You have acquired a local cavalry regiment (60)
As soon as the system notification sounded, Zhu Jiheng was stunned for a moment, then his face showed a fleeting look of ecstasy.
This so-called incentive package has come at just the right time!
Zhu Jiheng currently only has a general's guard and a line infantry unit under his command. No matter where he goes, he can't make a splash. But now that he has received new reinforcements, it has solved his urgent problem.
After his initial joy, Zhu Jiheng did not rush to summon reinforcements. The existing forces on the level 6 ship were already somewhat crowded. If he were to bring out even more reinforcements, it would not only be overcrowded, but the stored food and water would also be insufficient to meet their needs.
……
The Hope departed from Tainan and, after defeating the two Fujian ships, finally encountered no other Qing warships and sailed smoothly out of the Taiwan Strait.
"Your Highness, we have entered the open sea and have completely left the Qing navy's usual patrol area."
Lin Chen walked to Zhu Jiheng's side, his tone noticeably more relaxed, and a smile appeared on his dark face, which was tanned by the sea breeze.
Pointing to the compass and the unfolded nautical chart, he continued, "At our current speed and wind direction, we should be able to reach the northern tip of Luzon in less than ten days. We can go there to replenish our food and fresh water supplies before deciding where to go next."
Zhu Jiheng followed his finger to the nautical chart. Although the chart was marked with Chinese characters, the graphic style was obviously European. The outlines of most of the explored islands in the South China Sea were drawn, which was not much different from what Zhu Jiheng remembered.
Luzon...
Zhu Jiheng tried hard to recall the situation on Luzon Island in this era.
If I remember correctly, the Spanish colonists currently occupying Luzon Island have a similarly terrible attitude towards the Chinese. Although the foundation of their rule is the hardworking Chinese, they still exploit, oppress, and even humiliate them, and even launched the infamous massacre of Chinese during the Wanli era.
Although the Spanish committed as many atrocities against the Chinese as the Dutch, they were not exactly good people either. If the authorities had known that Zhu Jiheng, the only surviving member of the Ming dynasty's imperial family, had fled to Luzon, they would have certainly chosen to arrest him as a gift to the Qing court in order to curry favor with them and expand their trade in China.
Therefore, the conflict between Zhu Jiheng and the Spanish was destined to be irreconcilable from the moment he prepared to go to Luzon.
However, Zhu Jiheng was not without his advantages. Although the Spanish had been operating in Luzon for many years, Luzon was far from the mainland, with only a few thousand troops stationed there, and other colonies could not provide timely support.
As a member of the Ming imperial family, Zhu Jiheng only needed to land in Luzon, summon the reinforcements that would be rewarded later, flex his muscles in front of the Chinese in Luzon, and then raise his arms to call on the Chinese, who would naturally respond and join him if they were unwilling to endure the humiliation of the Spanish.