On the south side of Qiongzhou Island, there is a hidden port.
It seems that it was just built and many facilities are not yet complete.
The island is sparsely populated, and the main waterway does not pass through it, so that to this day, no one has discovered it.
It would be fine if there was only one ship or a few people. However, looking at the scale of this port, it would require at least hundreds of manpower. Even in a remote and desolate place, it is impossible to go unnoticed. p>
What do Qiongzhouwei eat?
Zhu Qizhen's face dropped as he quickly thought of another possibility.
There may be a traitor in the Qiongzhou Guard, and his status is not low.
However, the top priority is to defeat the invading enemy. As for catching the traitor, we will deal with it when the time comes!
In the cabin, more than 20 accompanying officials were stunned, their faces pale.
Didn’t you say trial voyage?
Why did the fight start?
Where did the enemy come from?
Can I get off the boat...
"Master Cao, what on earth is going on?"
Cao Yi was also confused. Yesterday he said he would take action, but today he actually started fighting.
What's going on?
"Master Cao, can you say something?"
"How could I know!"
Cao Yi was so anxious that he almost cried. He never thought that a naval battle would occur in just a simple trial voyage.
The enemies around the Ming Dynasty have been almost cleared away, and the remaining ones are all sincerely loyal. Where did the ships outside come from?
Could it be the Francois thousands of miles away?
Over the years, he has indeed heard some legends about the Francois. It is said that this country is not big, but it is very good at navigation. If it is really them who traveled thousands of miles to come to the Ming Dynasty, at least it means that their navigation technology is very powerful.<
/p>
The ironclad ship has just been launched and its combat effectiveness has not yet been tested. It is really not a wise move to rush into battle.
What's more, the emperor is on the boat!
If defeated, the consequences would be disastrous...
In his mind, he had already imagined the consequences of defeat. Even if he was lucky enough to survive, he, as the chief envoy, would be finished!
I still think about being able to enter the cabinet and worship the prime minister in my lifetime... Damn it!
At this time, someone on the deck loudly shouted: "Three enemy ships are outflanking our ship. All combatants, prepare to fight!"
"Main gun ready!"
"Gun cabin ready!"
"The medical team is ready!"
"The Emperor has decreed that once an enemy ship enters the firing range, fire immediately!"
"No, two enemy ships appeared in the rear!"
"Prepare the secondary battery, prepare the secondary battery!"
Cao Yi's face turned pale, why did two more ships appear?
One against five?
This is a shame!
"Someone, come quickly, let me out!"
Cao Yi felt like he was going crazy. No, we can't fight this battle. We must persuade the emperor to return!
Outside the cabin door, the Jin Yiwei who was on guard said: "The commander said that no one is allowed to leave the cabin before the battle is over!"
Cao Yi was so anxious that he shouted: "Let me out, I want to see the emperor!"
Others reacted and stepped forward one after another. At this time, the rich knowledge of the scholars was reflected.
"How can the emperor be so reckless? The son of a rich man cannot sit down in the palace!"
"The situation of the enemy is not clear yet. It is said that only by knowing yourself and the enemy can you survive a hundred battles. At this moment, you should retreat and wait to meet up with the navy on the shore to discuss the strategy of retreating from the enemy."
"The enemy ships are powerful, we should avoid the attack temporarily and strike later..."
However, no matter how much these big men talk, the guards outside the door remain motionless.
Cao Yi was so anxious that he beat his chest and stamped his feet, his legs went weak, and he collapsed on the ground, crying: "It's dangerous, it's dangerous!"
Yuan Bin led people to inspect the ship for a week. Hearing the commotion in the cabin, he came over with his knife in his hand.
"What's the matter?"
"Return to the commander, all the adults in the cabin want to be interviewed!"
Yuan Bin said solemnly: "Open it!"
"Yes!"
The cabin door opened, Cao Yi jumped up, took Yuan Bin's hand, and said earnestly: "Commander Yuan, quickly bring us to face the saints, one against five. This is the behavior of a reckless man, and we should
Avoid its sharp edges and slowly figure it out..."
Before I finished speaking, I heard Zeng yelling!
Yuan Bin had already lost his patience. He took out the Xiuchun knife from his waist and put it on Cao Yi's neck.
"With the war imminent, those who make alarmist remarks and disturb the morale of the army should be executed!"
Cao Yi immediately shut his mouth, carefully took a step back, and then took another step back.
The others followed him and returned to the cabin. They were still noisy just now, but now they all shut up obediently.
Yuan Bin glanced at them coldly, sheathed his sword, turned and left.
The enemy ships are getting closer and closer, and the battle is about to break out. Jin Yiwei's duty is to supervise the entire battle, and he has no time to talk nonsense with these big men.
The Zheng He is equipped with one hundred and twenty-two Flying Tiger cannons, two heavy cannons placed at the bow and stern, and one hundred and twenty light cannons in the bottom compartment.
There are thirty holes on both sides of the cabin, which means that a total of sixty artillery can be used for simultaneous operations, and the other sixty can be used as backup. If there is an explosion, damage, etc., the backup artillery can be put into battle immediately. p>
Yuan Bin led people to the gun cabin, where the soldiers were fully armed and ready to go.
"Who is leading?"
A tall man stood up and saluted with clasped fists: "General Lu Qian, commander of the artillery battalion, please see Commander Yuan!"
Yuan Bin nodded and said, "Do you know what happened?"
Lu Qian looked resolute and said in a deep voice: "A pirate ship has broken into our territory of the Ming Dynasty with the intention of offending Tianyan. The general and artillery battalion are ready and can go into battle at any time!"
Yuan Bin looked at everyone and said: "This battle happened very suddenly. To be honest, we have no idea where the opponent comes from, how many men and horses there are, and how many firearms are equipped. However, the emperor is on the ship and is personally directing the battle.
!"
Lu Qian said loudly: "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, we will fight to the death with all our strength!"
Yuan Bin added: "If we lose this battle, needless to say, none of us will survive. If we win, everyone on the ship today will definitely be rewarded. Do you have anything else to say?"
Everyone is silent.
Now that things have come to this, what else is there to say?
"Very good!"
Yuan Bin nodded approvingly and said: "The artillery battalion obeys the order and prepares to fight!"
"Yes!"
Lu Qian immediately began to give orders: "Get ready to fight!"
"The gunners are in position!"
"Ammo is loaded!"
"Open the gun door!"
The baffles of the side gun doors were opened, and sixty guns passed through the slide rails and poked out the dark muzzles.
All gunners are already in position, observing the movements outside through the gun doors.
You can vaguely see the enemy ships, but they are still far away.
Moreover, the angle of the guns on the side cannot be adjusted, and the ship must be moved to a suitable position to shoot.
The same is true for enemy ships, but ironclad ships are relatively bulky and will definitely suffer when turning the rudder.
This is the first actual combat of an ironclad ship. It is a success or a failure. It’s all in one fell swoop!