After the meeting began, Zhang Yanling gave a brief briefing on the information he had obtained from Figo and several other Franco soldiers. The originally heated atmosphere suddenly calmed down.
Others don't know how powerful it is, but Wang Hong understands it. What is the concept of the opponent's three centipede ships and more than forty French cannons? Coupled with the dozen or so forts in the castle on the shore, it is extremely powerful firepower.
Therefore, after Wang Hong heard the specific situation, he immediately frowned and became silent.
"Master Wang, what do you think? You can tell me." Zhang Yanling said.
"Mr. Marquis, I already knew that the opponent had strong firepower, but I didn't know that it was so powerful. If this information is true, my previous estimate would be ridiculous. I knew they had three gunboats, but I didn't expect them to be on board.
They are actually equipped with so many artillery. They also built an iron wall on the island. Now, I am afraid it will be very difficult." Wang Hong frowned.
Zhang Yanling said in a deep voice: "The information should be correct. Figo and several other soldiers dare not lie to me right now. Figo killed his own officer with his own hands. Now he has no other way to survive except telling the truth.
I judge this information to be credible."
Wang Hong said: "If this is the case, I have no choice but to suggest to the Marquis that we have to discuss it in the long term. With the few warships owned by our Nanhai Guards and Ancha Division's patrol troops, we will die if we go there. Maybe the Marquis must report it."
The imperial court has dispatched naval forces from other places to assist."
Zhang Yanling sighed: "Master Wang, where can we find the navy for help? Besides, we are sending troops here now. By the time the reinforcements arrive, the day lilies will be cold."
Wang Hong frowned and nodded: "That's right. Even if we can call in some reinforcements, I'm afraid it won't help. What's more, we want to rescue the kidnapped people. If the people of Franji hear the news, if they transport the people away,
Then there is no way to save him."
Zhang Yanling smiled bitterly and said: "Mr. Wang, I'm not worried about them transporting people away. If they escape with their tail between their legs, that's fine. What I'm worried about now is that not only will they not escape, but they will sail to sea after getting the news.
Arriving outside the city of Guangzhou, we opened fire from all directions and bombarded the city. Since we were no match for them, we could only let them run amok, but we were helpless."
Wang Hong said in astonishment: "They... dare to be so bold?"
Zhang Yanling said: "If it were you and you had a gunboat in your hand that could absolutely crush your opponent, you would be afraid. If someone else killed you, and you had the power to absolutely crush your opponent, wouldn't you come to take revenge? Instead, would you run away? You
Do you think these red-haired ghosts are good men and women? They come from thousands of miles away
The Franco Kingdom sent a fleet all the way. They occupied many coastal cities along the way and established gunboat bases. Their emperor also established governors everywhere. Their purpose was to occupy land and plunder property.
How could they easily run away in cowardice?"
Wang Hong frowned and remained silent. Qin Yong was a little confused and frowned: "Master Hou, do they still covet my Ming Dynasty? Are they so courageous? Even if their naval guns are powerful, they only have three ships. How dare they
Actively provoking?"
Zhang Yanling glanced at Qin Yong and said: "General Qin, the Eastern Fleet of the Folangji Kingdom has twenty-seven gunboats and thirty supply ships. Along the way, they captured Mantsiga and Kelantan, and established supply and docking ports.
Their fleet has taken control of the Mantsuga Strait. The fleet's passage to the east and its logistics supplies have been unimpeded. The small group of ships dispatched
The ship came to our Tuen Mun Island to become a springboard and establish an outpost. Figo explained that the Eastern Fleet is currently stationed at Mantsiga Port, and it only takes one to two months for them to reach our coast in Guangdong.
.If reinforcements arrive, and a huge fleet with powerful firepower arrives, I am afraid that the coastal areas of Ming Dynasty will never be peaceful."
Qin Yong took a deep breath and was speechless.
Zhang Yanling continued: "Of course, we don't need to panic too much. The Folangji people are not that stupid, and they will not fight a bloody battle with a powerful opponent. But if my Ming Dynasty behaves like a fish belly, they will definitely invade such as
Fire. Bullying the weak is their favorite thing to do. Therefore, give these red-haired ghosts stationed on Tuen Mun Island a fierce blow to show that I, the Ming Dynasty, will expel
The determination of foreign enemies and the demonstration of our strong strength can actually make the other party weigh the pros and cons. They are here to plunder and make a fortune, not to fight against others. Small countries such as Manci and Ghana naturally have no resistance, but our Ming Dynasty is different.
How can they easily force us to surrender? This time we must teach them a big lesson so that they will never dare to come to harass our Ming Dynasty again."
"What the Marquis said is absolutely true. Even if we are at a disadvantage, we still have to fight. We must let the red-haired ghosts know that I, the Ming Dynasty, am not a soft persimmon and have the determination to fight to the death." Wang Hong said solemnly.
Zhang Yanling praised: "Master Wang is right to the point. Strength is important, but courage and will are equally important. Facing a powerful enemy, kneeling down to beg for mercy will only lead to greater humiliation. Only by daring to show your sword can you frighten your opponent."
.What’s more, we may not be able to defeat them.”
Wang Hong and others nodded heavily. This young marquis was indeed an extraordinary person. He was not blindly arrogant in his speech, but was confident and firm.
"It's a pity that although the fleet of the Folangji Kingdom is huge, it is actually nothing compared to the fleet of the Sanbao eunuch who went overseas in the Ming Dynasty. The treasure ships that the Sanbao eunuch sailed to the Western Ocean back then are compared to the Centipede of the Folangji Kingdom.
The ship was several times larger, several times stronger and more beautiful. Hundreds of large ships went out to sea and patrolled overseas countries, how majestic and majestic they were. Since then, foreign countries have paid tribute one after another and expressed their submission to the Ming Dynasty.
Seeking the blessing of my Ming Dynasty, what a grand scene? However, things are different now. Since the Three Treasures Eunuch, the power of the navy has no longer been taken seriously. Not only are there few in number, there are few ships, and the ships and artillery equipped are even worse than those of the Japanese pirates.
The treasure ship has been dismantled and abandoned, and no big ship like that can be built again. Otherwise, if we are fighting against the Folangji Kingdom today, why should we worry about the shortage of warships?" Wang Hong sighed.
Zhang Yanling said: "Let's not talk about that. Although we only have six warships at the moment, this battle must be fought and must be won. My idea is to use six warships as the main force and recruit some cargo ships, but we can
Ship a large number of troops and horses to travel with us. While the people of Franji are not aware of what is happening here, we will land on the island for a surprise attack, use our strengths and avoid weaknesses, and engage in a close-quarters melee. We will not allow the opponent's ships to exert their power."
Qin Yong nodded and said: "Master Hou, this is a good idea. Why don't we just fight them on the sea? No matter how powerful their naval guns are, it will be in vain. Let's land on the island from the bay on the east side of Tuen Mun Island and follow them on the island.
Fight."
Wang Hong muttered: "It's not difficult to land on the island. But the Marquis said that they have castle fortifications on the island, which makes it difficult to attack. Let the other side's ships stay on the sea, and they can fire on the shore. Aren't we faced with both the shore and the sea?
A double attack?"
Qin Yong was stunned for a moment, frowned and fell silent. Wang Hong was right, it was possible to ignore the other side's ships, but if they could fire on the shore, they would become a living target.
Zhang Yanling said solemnly: "We must take action both at sea and on land. On land, we will land on the island from the narrow strait in the direction of Xin'an County. At sea, use six warships to attract the attention of the enemy centipede ship. It is best to lure them away from Tuenmen Island, or you can
Let’s take their escape route first. Then we’ll find a way to solve the problem at sea.”
Wang Hong nodded slightly and said: "Move the tiger away from the mountain? This is feasible. If my six warships pretend to attack from the front, they will definitely come to fight. Then we can land on the island from the east side of Tuenmen Island in Xin'an County, and we may be able to eliminate the red hair on the island first with superior force.
The ghost's castle. Even if there is a melee situation, this will prevent the red-haired ghost from firing cannons."
Qin Yong frowned and said: "That's good, that's good. However, six warships on the sea are too dangerous. If not, they may be sunk by them. If you want to attract them, you can only face the enemy head-on..."
Everyone was silent. Indeed, it is possible to divert the tiger away from the mountain, but it is extremely dangerous. The warships at sea may be violently attacked by the opponent, and they may all be buried in the sea. This is actually tantamount to going to die. Who is willing to accept the order to go to die?
"I can't think about that much anymore. Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the army to entangle them at sea. The Marquis will lead the army to seize the island. I will entangle them to death. Once the Marquis succeeds in seizing the island, they will become homeless dogs.
." Wang Hong said in a deep voice.
Zhang Yanling looked at Wang Hong and said, "Master Wang, you should be aware of the dangers involved."
Wang Hong nodded and said: "Of course I understand. I am not afraid of death. That time at the beginning of the year, I was forced to retreat, which was already a great shame and humiliation. For more than half a year, I have been thinking about blood and revenge all the time. I am not afraid of death."
As a maritime patrol official in Guangdong Province, it is my duty to expel the bandits. Previously, it was Li
Siming, Zhou Guangquan and others suppressed us and refused to let us take action. Now the Marquis is here and is determined to drive out the red-haired ghosts and save the people. How can a lower official be afraid of death? If a lower official dies in battle, it is a worthy death. Please also ask the Marquis to report to the court.
, just say that the lower official sacrificed his life for the country, and he did not let down the court or the emperor."
Zhang Yanling nodded slowly and said: "Okay, Mr. Wang, officials like you are the backbone of our Ming Dynasty. Now that the war has begun, there is no need to fear life and death. However, you should respond with flexible tactics. For example, although the opponent's centipede ship artillery is fierce,
, but the maneuverability is average. The artillery on the opponent's ship is all aligned side by side.
Shooting will show your power. You can order our ships to maneuver temporarily and don't give them an angle. In short, you have more experience in naval battles than me, so you can't act recklessly. You have to lead them by the nose and buy us time. Once we succeed in seizing the island
, you can quickly get out of the battle without making unnecessary efforts."
Wang Hong laughed and said: "I didn't expect that Mr. Hou has so much research on naval warfare. It took me a long time to think about these things clearly, but Mr. Hou hit the nail on the head. Don't worry, Mr. Hou, I also thought about other things.
Tricks. Deal with them well when the time comes."
Zhang Yanling nodded and said: "My assumptions are all, and they are by no means real guidance. In short, just adapt to circumstances. Without further ado, we will talk about the specific details after we set off. Tuen Mun Island is more than two hundred miles away from Guangzhou by sea. We have to go there in the afternoon.
Set off immediately so we can arrive in the middle of the night. Attacking at night is more conducive to a surprise attack. Everyone, hurry up and get ready, we don't have much time."
Wang Hong, Qin Yong and others stood up and raised their hands, saying in unison: "I humbly obey my orders."