I

  Chapter 267 265 [Zhao Han's Beggar Navy]

   In the next few days, Zheng and his son stayed in Guangzhou, eating and chatting with Zhao Han every day.

  Zheng Zhilong led the fleet this time, so he can do business by the way, and his men are purchasing various goods.

  On the fifth day after Zheng Zhilong came to Guangzhou, the Guangzhou Navy of the Ming Dynasty completely surrendered.

  In fact, they surrendered a long time ago, because the families of the navy officers and soldiers all live in the shore guard. They just ran a few ships, and now they all returned, and Zhao Han sent people to take over the warships.

  Father and son Zheng Zhilong and Zheng Sen followed Zhao Han to inspect the navy. When they arrived at the military port, both father and son couldn't help smiling.

   A very weird smile.

   "The main town and the Guangzhou Navy are here." Wan Bangyanhui reported.

  Wan Bangyan is a concubine of the Linjiang clan. He used to be the No. 3 member of the Jiangxi Navy. Now he brings some officers and soldiers of the Inland River Navy to Guangdong to form a navy for Zhao Han.

  Zhao Han sighed: "There is a long way to go."

Wan Bangyan said in detail: "The Guangdong navy is divided into three routes: east, middle and west, with 600, 1200 and 104 guards respectively, and can recruit 500, 1000 and 500 sailors. The navy has almost disappeared in name only, and only the Guangzhou navy in the middle of the road is left. There are three Xinhui ships, and dozens of small boats such as black boats and tugboats."

   The Guangzhou navy in front of Zhao Han can no longer be described as shabby, just like a beggar.

   There are only three two-story Xinhui boats, which are barely decent.

  As for those black boats, commonly known as bird boats, they were originally fishing boats! It is only 11 meters long and 2.3 meters wide. It has a single-layer structure and can only be used for offshore patrols. There are only 13 ships of this kind, and the rest are just like fishing boats.

  Zhao Han said: "Let them go ashore for a month of drills to train discipline, and all disobedient ones will be dismissed!"

   "Yes!" Wan Bangyan took the order.

  Zhao Han turned to Zheng Zhilong and said, "Brother Zheng, may I visit your ship?"

   "Of course, my dear brother, please." Zheng Zhilong smiled.

  Zhao Han said to Wan Bangyan: "You come too, learn more."

  Zheng Zhilong's ship is also a bird ship, but the bird ship cannot be compared with the bird ship.

   This is a double-deck big bird ship with a multi-mast bow and stern layout, and guns are equipped on the bow, stern and side.

   "Good boat!"

  After Zhao Han boarded the ship, he could only speak this kind of vocabulary, and he didn't understand professional things.

   "Is this the Franc cannon?" Wan Bangyan asked.

  Zheng Zhilong said: "The improved one hits faster, farther and more powerful."

  Wan Bangyan looked at those Frang cannons, and almost drooled on the spot. The Jiangxi Navy is also equipped with a small amount of Franc cannons, but compared with the ones on this ship, it seems that the gray grandson has met his grandfather.

  After visiting the side guns, Zheng Zhilong took them to visit the bow and stern.

   Wan Bangyan was dumbfounded: "This...is this the cannon of the general in red?"

   "It is." Zheng Zhilong smiled.

   It’s crazy. This thing can be used as a coastal defense gun or a city defense gun. I have never seen it used to be installed on a ship!

  Wan Bangyan was astonished and shocked, and then puzzled: "There is no need to install a general cannon for naval warfare. This thing has a slow rate of fire and poor accuracy. If it is installed on a ship, the rate of fire will be slower and the accuracy will be worse."

   "It wasn't installed on the ship before, it was only installed in the last few years," Zheng Zhilong explained, "These cannons of the generals in red are specially used to deal with the red ghosts!"

   Today's Portuguese have a very good relationship with Ming Dynasty. Although there are constant daily conflicts, they all revolve around the management of Macau. If encountering a foreign enemy, Daming and Portugal will definitely join forces, and even if Portugal does not take action directly, it will secretly help the Guangzhou Navy.

  The reason why they are so well-behaved is because Portugal has already declined and is stuck in food supply by Ming, so it must depend on Ming to survive.

  The entire South China Sea area is Zheng Zhilong's struggle with the Dutch for hegemony.

   Therefore, Zheng Zhilong's strategy and tactics must be improved around the Dutch.

  Zhao Han asked: "This kind of big bird ship, can it deal with the warship of the Red Fan Ghost?"

  Zheng Zhilong said with a smile: "It's this kind of big bird ship. I have built more than 20 ships over the years. The warships of the Red Fan Ghost, come and clean up as many as you want!"

   "Why are you so sure?" Zhao Han asked.

Zheng Zhilong explained: "My virtuous brother may not know that the warships of those red ghosts are different from the warships of other countries. Depending on the speed of sailing, they never line up, just rush forward. After charging close, they will be suppressed with heavy artillery , use the arson boat or jump gang battle to win. My improved big bird boat is designed to fight red ghosts!"

  The weapon of naval warfare in the seventeenth century is the first, second and third battleships.

  However, due to its huge size, too many guns, and a high center of gravity, it is mainly used for offshore operations, and ocean voyages are purely deadly.

  The Dutch battleship is a different kind. It abandons the first and second battleships and focuses on building third-tier battleships.

   Moreover, only a small amount of heavy artillery is equipped to maintain the center of gravity and reduce its own weight, making it very flexible when sailing, and it can be driven directly to Asia.

  The navies of Britain, France and other countries are accustomed to using battle line tactics. If confronted with the Dutch navy, the Dutch warships would rush indiscriminately, rush close and suppress them with heavy artillery, and then jump to the side or set fire to the ship to win.

   In a word, beat the master to death with random punches.

  Zheng Zhilong's big bird ship is tyrannical and unyielding, and its offshore flexibility is higher than that of Dutch warships. The general guns on the bow and stern can suppress the Dutch heavy artillery.

  After approaching, the Dutch were still preparing to release the arson boat, and Zheng Zhilong had already used a rocket-propelled arsonist.

   The two sides fought many times, and the Dutch didn't win once.

  Of course, Zheng Zhilong’s big bird ship has enough ocean-going capabilities. In the deep sea, if there is a complicated situation, the performance will be greatly reduced immediately.

  The big bird boat went out to sea along the Pearl River. Zheng Zhilong pointed to a certain place on the bank and said: "That is the Humen Fort, which is almost deserted. Brother, you need to repair it."

   "Thank you brother for reminding me." Zhao Han immediately woke up when he heard the word Humen.

  Zheng Zhilong said: "The ruins of the Humen Fort were blown up by the Saxons a few years ago."

   "Sexons?" Zhao Han didn't understand.

  Zheng Zhilong said: "That's what Franji people call it. It may be Saxon or Saxon. Sometimes it is also called India."

  Zhao Han suddenly realized that this is England!

   But Zhao Han was even more puzzled: "Have the Saxons arrived in Daming?"

"I came here a few years ago, fought a game, lost 2800 taels of silver, and ran away before the goods were full," Zheng Zhilong shook his head and sighed, "there are more and more Xiyi in Nanyang, who knows where they will come in the future country."

   Zhao Han wanted to laugh when he heard that, the British came to Guangzhou to fight, not only lost, but also compensated Daming Silver with 2800 taels?

   "Who commanded that battle?" Zhao Han wanted to recruit this person.

  Zheng Zhilong had a weird expression: "You know me, and I know me too. We were all recruited by him."

   "Xiong Wencan?" Zhao Han asked.

   "That's him." Zheng Zhilong nodded.

  Zhao Han's expression is extremely wonderful: "..."

  During the Wanli period, the Queen granted the British East India Company an exclusive license for trade in China. At the same time, Queen Elizabeth also wrote a letter to Emperor Wanli: "Queen Elizabeth, Queen of the Kingdoms of England, to His Majesty the greatest and invincible king..."

   There was an accident on the way, the British fleet failed to arrive, and the Queen's letter naturally could not be delivered.

   Until the reign of Chongzhen, the first batch of British fleets finally arrived in Guangzhou.

  The British were not familiar with China, so they found a Portuguese in Macau, hoping to help them contact Ming officials.

  The Portuguese agreed on the surface, turned around and spoke ill of the British, slandering the Ming officials in every possible way.

  Seeing that there was no response, the British attacked directly by force, captured the Humen Fort by surprise, and forced the Ming government to do business with Britain.

  Xiong Wencan is a peace-loving official. As long as Britain returns the 35 cannons in Humen, he promises to trade freely in the future.

  Both sides reached an agreement, and the British ships suddenly sailed into the inland river of Guangzhou, trying to force Ming to sign an unequal treaty by force.

  Xiong Wencan was furious after being raped, and sent three warships to attack, which were the three Xinhui ships in Zhao Han's hands.

  Two British warships were damaged, dozens of British sailors were injured, and the British fleet fled the inland river of Guangzhou in embarrassment.

  The British became more and more angry, burned three Chinese merchant ships halfway, and went ashore to **** 30 pigs to vent their anger. Then they blew up part of the Humen Fort, and after leaving the Pearl River, burned a Chinese merchant ship.

  Xiong Wencan was furious, and summoned the navy and merchant ships to prepare for the conquest, and the British fled to Macau in a hurry.

  Under the mediation of the Portuguese, China and the UK signed a settlement agreement, and the UK compensated Daming with 2,800 taels of silver, and the trade must be rolled out of the Guangzhou waters immediately.

   This is the first close contact between China and Britain.

   After Zhao Han finished listening, he looked at the Humen Fort that was blown up, and felt that the British war reparations were too little.

Zheng Zhilong said: "These Xiyi are actually the same, and they can be honest when they are subdued. In the past, Franji people were also very arrogant. After being punished several times, they are now shrunk in Macau like a dog raised by Ming. They have repeatedly attacked the coast of Daming, Guangzhou has also been attacked twice, and they have not yet been completely conquered."

   "Awe-inspiring but not virtuous, barbarians are like this." Zhao Han nodded.

  Zheng Zhilong said: "How about we set up a cover?"

  Zhao Han smiled and asked: "What kind of cover?"

Zheng Zhilong said: "It is announced that the Hongfan ghosts are not allowed to come to Guangzhou for trade, and the Hongfan ghosts will definitely come to attack. It is 100% absolutely correct. I know the Hongfan ghosts too well. At that time, I will lie in ambush at sea, and my virtuous brother will lie in ambush in the river. Work together inside and outside to beat the Red Fan ghost!"

  Zhao Han thought silently. After the Dutchman was beaten and disabled, Zheng Zhilong would become the dominant family at sea.

  Zheng Zhilong said suddenly: "Brother, I can send you some shipwrights, and you open a shipyard to manufacture warships yourself. How about it?"

   "Brother is so sincere, brother fool is naturally willing to cooperate." Zhao Han immediately agreed.

  The cooperation between the two parties has become closer, because Zheng Zhilong has shown his heart.

   This great pirate seems to really want to surrender, and he probably wants to enter the court and become a high official, or be named a prince to honor his ancestors.

  (end of this chapter)