Chapter 1644 Countermeasures

The invulnerable black sailboat is indeed powerful, but in Juan's view, this is not only the power of the Haihan fleet, but it is also very likely to be its vitality. Such an extremely powerful weapon, once it is engaged in a battle

The damage will undoubtedly have a big impact on its combat effectiveness. However, whether the Haihan Army will retreat due to this is purely Juan's opinion. If he does not try to divert Aragones' attention, then the opponent will

He will always hold on to the result that Haihan defeated the Manila fleet with five warships. As for the hard work of Juan and his men during the battle, the governor is definitely not interested in slowly understanding it, and Juan can only

He resorted to such strange tricks to protect himself.

As for how to achieve this goal, Juan himself actually doesn't have a clear idea. When he fought with the Haihan Fleet before, he had been observing the performance of the "Black Shark", but the combat effectiveness of this ship was too powerful.

, both offensive and defensive capabilities are far superior to Spanish warships, and its speed is extremely fast. It can even suddenly increase speed in a short period of time and break away from the battle group at a speed that Spanish sailing ships cannot match. It is also very difficult to encircle and suppress this strange ship at sea with the number of ships.

.

The only way Juan could think of was probably to use chain bombs to attack its mast and sails, but the range of chain bombs was much shorter than that of ordinary cannonballs. This unconventional tactic could only be used when getting close to the ship. In this era

In naval battles, due to the extremely limited range and accuracy of naval guns, it is normal for the two ships to face each other side by side. However, the Haihan warship to be dealt with often extended the engagement distance to more than 100 meters, and both ships

It was heading towards the Spanish warship, and the exchange of fire was so short that there was no time to prepare. He wanted to use chain bombs to hit key parts with low protection. Even if he followed this tactic, would it be possible to achieve the effect Juan wanted?

, to a large extent it just depends on luck.

If you're lucky, you may win the lottery as soon as you launch a bombardment. If you're not lucky, the opponent may seize the opportunity to kill several of your own ships but still get nowhere. But at least in theory, this tactic is better than the head-on bombardment in previous battles.

With just a little bit of skill, you can see a glimmer of hope of severely damaging your opponent.

The sudden bad weather temporarily stopped the Haihan Army's offensive, and also gave the defenders more buffer time to prepare for the subsequent battle. Since the number of chain bombs in stock was not too many, Juan ordered the mobilization of almost all the ammunition in Manila City.

The blacksmith worked overtime to make chain bombs. At the same time, he convened a meeting with the most skilled gunners on each warship to explain to them some details that need to be paid attention to when using chain bomb tactics. Due to the limited number of chain bombs, Juan could only

No more than two guns per ship can be arranged to use this unconventional shell in battle.

It is normal for the craftsmen in the city to obey orders during wartime. However, the problem is that most of the things that the blacksmiths use to eat are heavy and difficult to carry. For example, the furnace for melting iron and the anvil for blacksmithing cannot be moved at will, and they cannot be moved in a short time.

The law gathered the blacksmiths to work together, so the task of making chain bombs could only be assigned to each family to complete. In this way, there was not much confidentiality to speak of, but Juan still gave him a personal warning.

All blacksmiths are prohibited from informing unrelated persons about their forging of chain bombs.

But how can we really keep this kind of thing a secret? The Chaosheng Merchant Store run by Ran Tianlu has a blacksmith shop under its name. It usually only makes small things such as farm tools and cooking utensils, but at this time the officials are urgently in need of more.

With so many chain bombs, the blacksmith shop to which Chaosheng Merchant Store belonged naturally also received the task. Ran Tianlu had just spent his own money to carry out a labor activity a few days ago. The Spaniards trusted him more and handed him the iron materials and drawings.

, just told him to complete the task of making thirty chain bombs as soon as possible, without thinking about whether he could be trusted with this task.

Ran Tianlu now not only has Father Blanco as a big backer, but also has become a trustworthy person in the eyes of the military. It is much easier to do things than in the past. Although he does not know that the Spaniards are in a hurry to build chain bombs.

What is the specific purpose, but I think it must be to deal with the Haihan fleet that has arrived in Manila Bay. So as Haihan's intelligence personnel, we must try to pass this news out as soon as possible.

But Ran Tianlu has a series of problems that must be solved first. First of all, he does not know the current location of the Haihan Army. Secondly, the Manila Port has been completely blocked. Non-military personnel are definitely not allowed to go to sea from the port. The last problem is, even if he can go out, can he still

You have to consider whether to sneak back again. After all, there are dozens of people in the Chaosheng Merchant Store. If he escapes and the Spaniards notice it afterwards, all the people in the Merchant Store may be implicated.

The first problem is the best to solve. After the last labor force activity, Ran Tianlu had already established a relationship with the Spanish military officer Gonzalo. The other party had a good impression of him, a Han Chinese who was generous and a believer, and specially warned him

If the subsequent war becomes tense, arrangements can be made for him to temporarily escape the spotlight with the Spanish immigrants in a castle in the center of Manila.

Of course, Ran Tianlu is not very interested in such suggestions. If it comes time to hide in the castle, the last line of defense, it means that the Spaniards have already lost their battle and there is no chance of escape. At that time, there is no need for him to get involved with his own life.

It was dangerous and he continued to stay with the Spaniards. When the war was in chaos, he might as well stay outside the city and wait for his army to break through the city to help identify the prisoners and maintain local security.

So when Ran Tianlu went to Gonzalo to inquire about the battle situation, the other party was not too surprised. After all, anyone in Manila who was not deaf or blind knew that the Haihan Army had come, but the official blocked the news intentionally, and the people did not

We know what the previous battles were like. Although the official claimed that they had severely damaged the enemy in the naval battle, they could not produce any evidence to prove these results.

"The Haihan people can't even touch the edge of Manila City, so you don't have to worry too much." Gonzalo responded to Ran Tianlu's inquiry in an official tone.

However, how could Ran Tianlu be as easy to deceive as ordinary people? He immediately presented the gift box he had prepared: "My lord has been working hard recently, and I hope you will accept it with your kindness."

Gonzalo said politely, but he had already taken it in his hand. He weighed the weight and it was still a bit heavy. He knew that it was probably filled with gold and silver. He coughed dryly and said, "Actually, it's just a fight with the Haihan people."

It’s a tie, but the Governor hopes that the public’s emotions can remain stable, so he will be a little exaggerated when publicizing the results, you know.”

"I understand!" Ran Tianlu nodded, and then asked: "The Han people coming across the sea will definitely not give up. I wonder where they retreated to rest? Why don't our Manila fleet take advantage of their retreat to send troops to counterattack?

Killing a wave of them might have a miraculous effect."

Gonzalo responded smoothly: "They are in Cavite, which is not an easy place to counterattack..."

Gonzalo realized that he had made a mistake and quickly stopped the conversation: "There is still fighting over there in Cavite. You must not spread this matter. Do you understand?"

"I know, I know! You must keep your mouth shut and don't tell anyone!" Ran Tianlu hurriedly patted his chest and assured Gonzalo, fearing that the other party would not believe it, so he swore an oath in the name of God.

Gonzalo made a mistake and let Ran Tianlu know that the Haihan Army had captured Cavite. That place itself is a peripheral barrier to Manila City. It is not far from Manila City on land and sea. It is no wonder that the official

Dare not announce the news of the fall of Cavite.

Now that Cavite has fallen under the control of Haihan, the Manila fleet originally stationed there can only return to Manila Port to dock. But in this way, it will become more difficult to sail from Manila Port.

, Ran Tianlu didn’t think he could get a boat out of the port without concealing the truth. And Gonzalo couldn’t help him in this matter. Juan was in control of the arrangements at Manila Port, and the city defense army had no way to intervene.

Without being able to go to sea, Ran Tianlu could only think about going to Cavite by land. Going south along the coastline from Manila City to the Cavite Peninsula is probably the shortest route, but the distance is still more than 30 kilometers long, and

There are three rivers that need to be crossed in the middle. Under the current weather conditions, if you go on foot, you probably won't be able to get there in a day. Of course, Chaosheng Merchant Inn also has horse-drawn carriages, but it is really too eye-catching for the horse-drawn carriage to go south at this time.

After all, almost all the refugees who have poured into and outside Manila in the past two days are from the south. Who would go to such an unstable place?

Ran Tianlu thought about it and decided to send the information at hand to Cavite as soon as possible. However, he was worried that if he left, the business house would be prone to trouble without a backbone, so he delegated the matter to his brother Ran Tiancheng.

Tiancheng is not from the Ministry of Security. He is not even registered as a Haihan citizen. He has basically nothing to do with intelligence work. He is just a pure businessman of the Ming Dynasty. Ran Tianlu was afraid that this matter would frighten him, so he did not tell him the truth at all.

It is said that the war situation is tense now, and the Spaniards will probably suffer heavy losses. They should go and clear the way with the Haihan people before the city is broken, so as not to cause chaos when the rebels rush into the Chaosheng Trading House.

Ran Tiancheng also thought it was reasonable and took over the job. Ran Tianlu sealed the information in an envelope and said it contained a banknote from Haihan Bank, which was used only to buy peace from the Haihan people, so Ran Tiancheng carefully kept it in the envelope.

Ran Tiancheng didn't suspect him. In order to avoid being noticed by the Spaniards, he didn't even bring any entourage with him. He chose a strong horse from the merchant's inn and set off in the rain. Ran Tianlu specially told him to be patient with Hai.

After the Han people completed the talks, they stayed in Cavite and did not return immediately. They could wait until the city of Manila was defeated or the Hai Han people took the initiative to withdraw their troops before returning.

It was windy and rainy. Although it was inconvenient to travel, it actually provided cover for Ran Tiancheng's actions. No Spanish patrols would be active in the nearby area in this weather. And the area outside Manila seemed to have become a no-man's land.

After Ran Tiancheng left Manila more than ten miles away, he encountered a group of immigrants fleeing north from Parañaque Town.

Ran Tiancheng walked alone and on horseback. When he reached the town of Parañaque, the wind and rain became heavier. He could no longer move forward in the rain, so he could only find an empty house to rest temporarily. He had already fled to the village where he had fled.

The immigrants inquired and found out that the Haihan people had captured Cavite. Residents in nearby towns were worried about being harmed, so they abandoned their homes and fled. The only place they could go was the city of Manila, which was said to be unbreakable.

Because the weather conditions were very bad and it was getting dark, Ran Tiancheng had to stay here for one night. Fortunately, he was well prepared when he set out. Not only did he bring his own food, but also several kilograms of beans to feed the horses, so he didn't have to worry about it.

Hungry.

The weather conditions improved slightly the next day, and Ran Tiancheng continued on the road, arriving at the town of Noveleta controlled by the Haihan Army at noon. After he reported his identity and intention to the Haihan soldiers, an officer soon came to speak to him.

After making some inquiries, he asked him to leave his horse in the town and arranged a carriage to take him to the Port of Cavite. Ran Tiancheng was quite flattered by this treatment.

There is still nearly ten kilometers away from the town of Noveleta to the Port of Cavite, but with the carriage escorted by Haihan's military, this journey is much easier than before. Ran Tiancheng couldn't help but start to wonder, what happened to his brother Haihan?

How much benefits have the Han people prepared? If it's less, wouldn't such a high-standard arrangement not receive the expected return? If the Han people read that the amount in the envelope is too small, then should they decide whether to increase the amount?

After thinking about it, Ran Tiancheng wanted to open the envelope to see how much money was inside, but he remembered that Ran Tianlu had specifically told him before he set off that he must not take it out on the way, and that he had to wait until he met the senior officials of Haihan before taking it out and offering it to him. At that moment, he still

I suppressed my curiosity and decided to handle the matter according to Ran Tianlu's wishes. If the other party really thinks it is too little, then I will consider increasing the amount depending on the situation.

Ran Tiancheng never dreamed that the envelope he was carrying was not a check from Haihan Bank, but the movements in Manila in recent days, as well as the chain bomb drawings that the Spanish military urgently needed to build.

After arriving at the Port of Cavite, Ran Tiancheng was handed over to the local officers. After changing several officers to lead the way, he finally arrived at the headquarters of the Haihan Army. This was the first time for Ran Tiancheng to enter.

In the army, although no one was outside due to the weather conditions, you could still feel a chilling atmosphere.

Ran Tiancheng entered the headquarters tremblingly. He heard that the person who met him was actually the Minister of Defense of the Haihan Kingdom. He knew that this official position was equivalent to that of the Minister of War of the Ming Dynasty. He quickly wanted to kneel down and kowtow, but was stopped by the other party. Ran Tianlu said

He had to meet the senior official Haihan before bringing anything out. The Minister of Defense must be regarded as a senior official among senior officials. Ran Tiancheng quickly took out the envelope from his arms and presented it with both hands, telling Yan Chujie his purpose.
Chapter completed!