Zheng Zhilong moved the main force of the South China Sea Fleet and three marine divisions to southern Taiwan, and dispatched Cangshan ships to patrol the various ships on the sea, especially in the southeast.
Hundreds of ships were parked in Dayuan, and it was very crowded. A large number of ships were not parked in the port, but parked in the open sea, and dropped anchor directly in the open sea.
The ships are so dense, not to mention fighting, it is very difficult to turn.
However, Zheng Zhilong did not intend to stay in the senior officer for a long time.
In October of the fourth year of Chongzhen, Ming Dynasty (AD 1631), Zheng Zhilong personally led the main force of the South China Sea Fleet to set off for the South Ryukyu Islands.
Zheng Zhilong stood alone on the deck of the "Nanhai" Canton Ship, watching the blue water and such a huge fleet, his heart was ups and downs. The pirate who could not be beaten and fled before was no longer seen. Instead, he took his place. It is a conquest, a conquest that relies on a powerful fleet as the backing.
His goal this time is the Southern Ryukyu Islands.
Not only because the Southern Ryukyu Islands are the closest to Taiwan, but also because of its owner.
When Zheng Zhilong was a pirate, it was the Dutch who fought the most with him. At that time, it was inevitable to fight for his own economic interests. Whether it was to reap a lot of wealth after victory or desperate after defeat, he did not hate the Dutch. Because there is no justice in such battles, only benefits.
Fight purely for profit.
Zheng Zhilong hates the Spanish most.
The Spaniards are now entrenched in the Southern Ryukyu Islands.
So Zheng Zhilong went south from Taiwan, and the first thing to be destroyed was the Southern Ryukyu Islands.
The South China Sea Fleet sailed on the sea for a whole day. When it was getting dark, it came to the southernmost part of Taiwan Island. Outside of Taiwan Island, there are a group of small islands called Qixingyan. However, the Qixingyan has not been developed, and it is impossible to moor so many ships. .
Zheng Zhilong had to drop anchor around the Qixing Rock, and the entire fleet, centered on the Qixing Rock, surrounded in all directions.
At noon the next day, the fleet entered the Bashi Channel.
"Commander, two Cangshan ships came across."
"Ao, go and see." Zheng Zhilong came to the deck. He thought it was the sentry ship, and he might report to him what happened.
Two Cangshan ships flying the Sun and Moon flag, facing the northwest wind, gradually moved closer to Zheng Zhilong’s flagship "Nanhai". Although the Cangshan ship was the smallest ship of the Ming Dynasty, it came from the southeast and the fleet sent a blessing ship to intercept it. Just brought the soldiers on the Cangshan ship over to meet Zheng Zhilong.
"Commander, there is a situation ahead." When the soldier saw Zheng Zhilong, he immediately knelt down and reported what he said he had seen.
"What's the situation?" Zheng Zhilong asked Lingbing to speak back.
"A fleet came on the opposite side, a total of 40 or 50 ships, of which no less than 10 large ships, and flying different flags." Cangshan ship did not dare to get too close to the opponent, so the observation is not clear, the sea is different. On land, it is impossible to use the cover of the terrain to spy on the other party's information. The sea surface is unobstructed. You can only use the speed advantage of small ships to quickly flee after spying on the opponent's message.
"What kind of flag is it?" Zheng Zhilong was puzzled, a fleet, so different flags would appear.
"There are three kinds of flags, one is a tricolor flag, from top to bottom, in order of red, white, and blue."
"Tricolor? That should be the Dutch flag," Zheng Zhilong estimated. The Dutch had to settle accounts with him for the Taiwan issue. "Are there two more?"
"There is another kind. There are red bars up and down, and yellow bars in the middle. The yellow bars are probably the image of a castle."
"Is it the shield and flag of Spain?" Zheng Zhilong whispered: "Could it be that the Netherlands and Spain are united? Then their target must be the South China Sea Fleet."
"There is also a flag with a blue background and a square and a crown on one side." Lingbing really didn't know how to express it, so he had to draw a rough pattern.
"The armillary sphere and the shield? Did the Portuguese also join in? I haven't asked them to settle the account yet, they have come to the door?" Zheng Zhilong is very familiar with the banner of Xiyi all the year round in Nanyang. "They are still away from us. How far?"
"About two hours' journey." The messenger initially determined the distance based on his own estimation and the speed of the Guangzhou Ship.
Now that the two fleets are heading towards each other, it is estimated that they will meet in an hour.
Zheng Zhilong let the messenger go down and continue to monitor the ships of the Xiyi Allied Forces, while he discussed the enemy with Zhang Zhu, the deputy commander of the South China Sea Fleet.
"The Dutch and the Spaniards have vengeance, it's nothing more, but also a Portuguese, what does Commander Zhang think?"
"Commander, if the fight goes on, Daming will offend Xiyi from Nanyang." Zhang Zhu was a little uneasy. He didn't want to make too many enemies.
Zheng Zhilong disagrees, "Commander Zhang, Xiyi has already established a large number of strongholds in Southeast Asia. If there is no war, will they automatically give up these strongholds? If there is no stronghold, how can the South China Sea Fleet gain a foothold in Southeast Asia?"
"Commander, didn't your Majesty say that we want us to fight one by one?" Zhang Cook thought to himself, since Daming did not go to war with Portugal, can he try to win Portugal
"Commander Zhang didn't really understand your Majesty's words," Zheng Zhilong felt that the honest deputy commander was sometimes a hindrance. "It's good to fight one by one. It is after defeating them thoroughly. If the South China Sea Fleet cannot fully demonstrate its strength, Xiyi will Live in peace with us?"
"Commander..." Zhang Zhu felt that he did not understand Zheng Zhilong or Xiyi.
"Just like Taiwan, if the South China Sea Fleet does not rely on its strength, can the Dutch and the Spaniards be expelled?" Zheng Zhilong forgot that the Spaniards did not expel them, and none of them escaped.
"Since the Dutch and the Spaniards have offended, it is useless, but the Portuguese, can they not conflict for now?" Zhang Zhu still did not want to expand the war.
"Commander Zhang, now the Portuguese ships are with the Netherlands and Spain. Can we let them separate?" Zheng Zhilong said, "They want to run, but I won't let them run. Now I will sink them more. When a ship attacks Malacca in the future, their strength will be weaker."
Zhang Zhu knew that Zheng Zhilong was determined, and he stopped persuading, "Commander, Xiyi's combined ship, isn't it small?"
Zheng Zhilong was even more excited. When he was in Taiwan last time, there was no decent enemy on the sea, so he had to personally attack the castle on the land. "Commander Zhang, don’t worry, Xiyi’s combined fleet has only forty or fifty ships, which is better than the South China Sea Fleet. That's far away."
"..."
"Commander Zhang, don’t worry. I, Zheng Zhilong, are not a brutal person. If the South China Sea Fleet is damaged by underestimation of the enemy, I will not be able to explain to your majesty." Zheng Zhilong patted Zhang Zhu on the shoulder. The fleet, especially the size of their ships, are there any reinforcements."
"Yes, Commander," Zhang Zhu looked up to the sea in front of him. The water was so foggy that he couldn't even see a merchant ship. "Since war is inevitable, his subordinates must obey the commander's dispatch."
"Okay, then Commander Zhang will move. If the flagship fails, Commander Zhang will command the entire fleet on my behalf."
This is the rule of the fleet. During naval battles, the deputy commander of the fleet generally does not stay on the flagship. If the flagship is destroyed and sunk by the opponent, the commander cannot command, the deputy commander will take over the commander and command the entire fleet, deputy commander. It is the standby command system of the fleet.
"Yes, Commander," Zhang Zhu added before disembarking: "I am the person in charge, and I don't plan tactics like the commander, so don't charge the flagship."
"Commander Zhang, don't worry, I don't know the severity."
After Zhang Zhu left, Zheng Zhilong asked the rider to give a semaphore: After an hour, there may be battle, and the ships are ready.
The naval battle was about to begin. Of course, Zheng Zhilong would not think that Xiyi's combined fleet was here for peace. Since Zheng Zhilong was asked to ask him for an explanation, war was the best method.
There is no axiom on the sea, whoever is strong will have reason.
The transport ship slowed down, and under the protection of several blessed ships and the Cangshan ship, gradually distanced itself from the entire fleet.
After half an hour, masts appeared vaguely on the sea, as if they suddenly came out of the sea.
The mast is getting higher and higher, and the observers can see it with the naked eye. Below the mast are connected gray-black balls, which should be Xiyi ships.
According to the information reported by the observers, Zheng Zhilong is not in a hurry. The thin water mist on the sea surface has been completely dispersed by the sun. The blue sky, the blue sea, and the true sky and sea are all the same.
The visibility on the sea is excellent. Zheng Zhilong estimates that the ship can be seen fifty to sixty miles away with the naked eye. The ship of Xiyi has just appeared, and it is still at least forty or fifty miles away.
The effective range of the South China Sea Fleet’s naval guns is only 3,000 steps, which is only four and a half miles, and the maximum range is only 5,000 steps. At a distance of seven and a half miles, it’s still early to the Xiyi fleet.
What Zheng Zhilong needs to do now is to keep the upper hand position. The South China Sea Fleet is sailing downwind. As long as Xiyi's combined fleet cannot traverse the entire South China Sea Fleet, it is impossible to gain the upper hand.
The small black spot on the opposite side is getting lighter and bigger, and the outline of the ship can already be vaguely seen.
The South China Sea Fleet was solemn and solemn, except for the watchmen who kept reporting the position of the Xiyi Fleet.
Zheng Zhilong stood on the deck of the "Nanhai", quietly looking ahead, Xiyi's fleet became clearer and clearer in his eyes.
The ships of the South China Sea Fleet occupies a huge number of advantages. There are 80 ships of Guangzhou Ship and 120 ships of Fortune Ship. Even if the Cangshan Ship is not included, it is already four or five times that of the Xiyi Fleet.
The only thing Zheng Zhilong was worried about was Xiyi's ship itself. In the last time in the Tainan Sea battle, the Dutch warship was smaller than the Cantonese ship, only the tonnage of the Fortune ship, but the number of artillery was more than that of the Cantonese ship.
If their real battleship comes, if there are more battleships, if the battleships are full of bombs...
Zheng Zhilong never intends to fight against his opponents. If his ships are all gone, what will he rely on to dominate Nanyang in the future? But today, he changed his mind. Xiyi's combined fleet came to him for revenge. War is the only option. If you want to get involved in the guide foreign, today is the best opportunity.
Either defeat Xiyi and openly break into Nanyang from then on, or light up the fleet and rebuild the fleet.
If it is the latter result, then Yang Wei Nanyang’s commander of the South China Sea Fleet should not be himself.
"Commander, the Xiyi ship is thirty miles away."
The words of the messenger made Zheng Zhilong decisively end his contemplation. He looked around and saw that the sea was really black and the Dutch fleet flying the tricolor flag was in the middle. To their left, the shield and emblem of Spain, and the armillary sphere of Portugal on the right. shield.
The Netherlands is the main force of this combined fleet.