In the next few days, Zheng and his son stayed in Guangzhou, eating and chatting with Zhao Han every day.
Zheng Zhilong has brought a fleet this time so that he can do business. His men are purchasing various goods.
On the fifth day after Zheng Zhilong arrived in Guangzhou, the Guangzhou Navy of the Ming Dynasty completely surrendered.
In fact, they had surrendered a long time ago, because the families of the navy officers and soldiers all lived in the coastal guard station. They only ran away with a few ships, but now they all finally returned, and the warships were taken over by Zhao Han.
Zheng Zhilong, Zheng Sen and his son followed Zhao Han to inspect the navy. After arriving at the military port, both father and son could not help but smile.
A very strange smile.
"The main town and the Guangzhou Navy are all here." Wan Bangyanhui reported.
Wan Bangyan was a concubine of a wealthy family in Linjiang. He was the third-largest figure in the Jiangxi Navy before. Now he brought some officers and soldiers of the River Navy to Guangdong to build a navy for Zhao Han.
Zhao Han sighed: "There is a long way to go."
Wan Bangyan explained in detail: "The Guangdong Navy is divided into three routes: East, Middle and West. They are equipped with 600, 1,200 and 104 guardsmen respectively, and can recruit 500, 1,000 and 500 sailors. Guangdong's East Road and West Road
The Navy has almost ceased to exist in name only, with only the Guangzhou Navy in the middle in front of us remaining. There are three Xinhui ships, and dozens of other small ships such as stern boats and tugboats."
The Guangzhou navy in front of Zhao Han could no longer be described as shabby, he was simply like a beggar.
There are only three Xinhui ships with a two-story structure, which are barely decent.
As for those crow boats, commonly known as bird boats, they were originally fishing boats! They are only 11 meters long and 2.3 meters wide. They have a single-layer structure and can only be used for offshore patrols. There are only 13 of them, and the rest are simply
No different than a fishing boat.
Zhao Han said: "Let them go ashore and practice for a month, train them on discipline, and fire them all if they don't obey!"
"Yes!" Wan Bangyan accepted the order.
Zhao Han turned to Zheng Zhilong and said, "Brother Zheng, can I visit your ship?"
"Of course you can, dear brother, please invite me." Zheng Zhilong said with a smile.
Zhao Han said to Wan Bangyan: "You come too and learn more."
Zheng Zhilong's ship is also a bird ship, but bird ships cannot be compared with bird ships.
This is a double-decker big bird ship with a multi-mast bow and stern layout, and is equipped with artillery guns at the bow, stern and sides.
“Nice ship!”
After Zhao Han boarded the ship, he could only speak this kind of vocabulary, and he didn't understand professional things.
"Is this a Franco machine gun?" Wan Bangyan asked.
Zheng Zhilong said: "The improved one can hit faster, farther and more powerfully."
Wan Bangyan looked at those Folan cannons and almost drooled on the spot. The Jiangxi Navy was also equipped with a small number of Folan cannons, but compared with the ones on this ship, it was as if his grandson had met his grandfather.
After visiting the side artillery, Zheng Zhilong took them to visit the bow and stern.
Wan Bangyan was dumbfounded: "This...is this the cannon of the general in red?"
"That's right." Zheng Zhilong said with a smile.
It's absolutely crazy. This thing can be used as a shore defense cannon or a city defense cannon. I've never seen one mounted on a ship!
Wan Bangyan was surprised and shocked, but also doubted: "There is no need to equip a general cannon for a naval battle. This thing has a slow rate of fire and poor accuracy. If it is installed on a ship, the rate of fire will be even slower and the accuracy will be worse."
"It was not installed on the ship before. It was only installed in recent years," Zheng Zhilong explained. "These red generals are specially used to deal with the red ghosts!"
Today's Portuguese have a very good relationship with the Ming Dynasty. Although there are constant daily conflicts, they all revolve around the management of Macau. If they encounter other places, the Ming Dynasty and Portugal will definitely join forces. Even if Portugal does not take action directly, it will secretly help the Guangzhou Navy
.
This is because Portugal has declined and its food supply is blocked by the Ming Dynasty. It must rely on the Ming Dynasty to survive.
In the entire South China Sea area, Zheng Zhilong competed with the Dutch for hegemony.
Therefore, Zheng Zhilong's strategies and tactics must be improved around the Dutch.
Zhao Han asked: "Can this kind of big bird ship deal with the battleships of the Red Fan Ghost?"
Zheng Zhilong said with a smile: "I have built more than 20 of these big bird ships over the years. I will take care of as many of the Red Fan Ghost's warships as they come!"
"Why are you so sure?" Zhao Han asked.
Zheng Zhilong explained: "Brother Xian may not know that the battleships of those Red Fan Ghosts are different from the battleships of other countries. Relying on their sailing speed, they never form a formation, they just rush forward without risking their lives. After charging close, they suppress it with heavy artillery.
, use the arson ship or gang-hopping to win. My improved big bird ship is specially designed to fight the red ghosts!"
The weapons of naval warfare in the seventeenth century were first-, second- and third-level battleships.
However, due to its huge size, too many guns, and high center of gravity, it is mainly used for offshore operations, and ocean navigation is purely a desperate act.
The Dutch battleships were an anomaly, abandoning first- and second-level battleships and focusing on building third-level battleships.
Moreover, it is only equipped with a small number of heavy guns to maintain its center of gravity and reduce its own weight, making it very flexible when sailing and can be driven directly to Asia.
The navies of Britain, France, Spain and other countries are accustomed to using battle line tactics. If they are facing off against the Dutch navy, the Dutch warships will charge randomly, use heavy artillery to suppress them when they get close, and then jump to join the ship or set fire to the ship to win.
In one sentence, he punched the old master to death.
Zheng Zhilong's Big Bird ship specializes in dealing with unyielding enemies. Its offshore maneuverability is higher than that of Dutch warships. The large general cannons at the bow and stern can suppress Dutch heavy artillery.
After getting closer, the Dutch were still preparing to release the arson boat, but Zheng Zhilong had already used a rocket-propelled arsonist.
The two sides fought many times, but the Dutch never won.
Of course, Zheng Zhilong's Big Bird ship has great ocean-going capabilities. When it reaches the deep sea, if it encounters complicated situations, its performance will immediately be greatly reduced.
The Big Bird boat sailed along the Pearl River. Zheng Zhilong pointed to a place on the shore and said, "That's the Humen Fort. It's almost abandoned. My dear brother, I need to repair it."
"Thank you for the reminder, brother." When Zhao Han heard the word Humen, he immediately became alert.
Zheng Zhilong said: "The ruins of Humen Fort were blown up by the Saxons a few years ago."
"Saxons?" Zhao Han didn't understand.
Zheng Zhilong said: "That's what the Franji people call it. It may be Saxon or Saxon, and sometimes it's also called India."
Zhao Han suddenly realized that this was England!
But Zhao Han was even more confused: "Have the Saxons also arrived in the Ming Dynasty?"
"I came here a few years ago. After a fight, I paid 2,800 taels of silver. I ran away before the goods were even filled." Zheng Zhilong shook his head and sighed, "There are more and more Westerners in Nanyang. I don't know where they will come in the future."
country."
Zhao Han wanted to laugh when he heard this. The British came to Guangzhou to fight. Not only did they lose, but they also paid 2,800 taels of white silver as compensation?
"Who commanded that battle?" Zhao Han wanted to recruit this person.
Zheng Zhilong had a strange expression: "You know him, I know him too, we have all been recruited by him."
"Xiong Wencan?" Zhao Han asked.
"That's him." Zheng Zhilong nodded and said.
Zhao Han's expression was extremely exciting: "..."
During the Wanli period, the Queen issued an exclusive license for Chinese trade to the British East India Company. At the same time, ****** also wrote a letter to Emperor Wanli: "Elizabeth, Queen of England, is destined to
Your Majesty, the Great and Invincible King..."
An accident occurred on the way and the British fleet failed to arrive, so naturally the Queen's letter could not be delivered.
It was not until the Chongzhen period that the first British merchant ship finally arrived in Guangzhou.
The British were not familiar with China and found Portuguese people in Macau, hoping to help contact Ming officials.
The Portuguese superficially agreed, but turned around and spoke ill of the British, slandering the Ming officials in every possible way.
Seeing that they could not get a response, the British directly attacked with force and captured the Humen Fort by surprise, forcing the Ming government to do business with the British.
Xiong Wencan was a peace-loving official. As long as Britain returned the 35 cannons in Humen, he promised to allow free trade in the future.
After both sides reached an agreement, the British ship suddenly sailed into the inland river of Guangzhou, trying to force the Ming Dynasty to sign an unequal treaty by force.
Xiong Wencan was furious after being cheated 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 Guangzhou inland river in disgrace.
The British became more and more angry. They burned three Chinese merchant ships on the way and robbed 30 pigs ashore to vent their anger. Then they blew up part of the Humen Fort, and after leaving the Pearl River, they burned another Chinese merchant ship.
Xiong Wencan was furious and summoned the navy and merchant ships to prepare for the expedition. The British quickly fled to Macau to escape.
Under the mediation of the Portuguese, the Chinese and British parties signed a settlement agreement. The British compensated the Ming Dynasty 2,800 taels of silver, and they must immediately leave the waters of Guangzhou after the trade.
This was the first close contact between China and Britain.
After Zhao Han listened, he looked at the bombed Humen Fort and felt that the British war reparations were too little.
Zheng Zhilong said: "These Western barbarians are actually the same. Once conquered, they will become honest. In the past, the Franji people were also very arrogant. After being punished several times, they are now shrinking in Macau like a dog raised by the Ming Dynasty. Red Fan Ghost
They have repeatedly attacked the coastal areas of the Ming Dynasty, and Guangzhou has been attacked twice, but it has not yet been completely defeated."
"Being afraid of power but not being virtuous is what all barbarians do." Zhao Han nodded.
Zheng Zhilong said: "How about we set up a trap?"
Zhao Han smiled and asked: "What kind of condom?"
Zheng Zhilong said: "If we announce that the Red Bo ghosts are not allowed to come to Guangzhou to trade, the Red Bo ghosts will definitely come to attack. It is 100% correct. I know the Red Bo ghosts very well. When the time comes, I will ambush at sea, and my dear brother will ambush in the inland river.
Cooperate inside and outside to beat up the red devil!"
Zhao Han thought silently. After the Dutch were crippled, Zheng Zhilong would become the sole leader at sea.
Zheng Zhilong suddenly said: "Brother, I can give you some shipbuilding craftsmen, and you can open a shipyard to build warships yourself. How about that?"
"Brother is so sincere, so Yu brother is naturally willing to cooperate." Zhao Han agreed immediately.
The cooperation between the two parties became closer because Zheng Zhilong showed his true feelings.
This great pirate seems to really want to surrender. He probably wants to enter the court and become a high official, or be made a prince to honor his ancestors.
