When the Yansui discovered the signal flares rising in the northern sea, the lookout post on the flagship of the Flower of the Ocean had already discovered it. Not only the Flower of the Ocean, but also the flagship of the Glory and several other Folang warships also discovered the abnormality almost at the same time.
Rows of signal bombs soared in the night sky above the sea, dazzling. At the same time, the rumbling sound of artillery came with the north wind, mixed with the majestic shouts of killing. It seemed that thousands of troops were charging towards them.
Alfonso was shocked. If reinforcements from the enemy troops came at this time, and our own side had just suffered heavy losses, how would we respond? Moreover, those signal bombs were rising in rows, which must be a huge fleet attacking.
Although it is puzzling why a large number of enemy ships attacked from the northern sea. However, at this time, it is impossible to verify these things, and we cannot take risks.
Two Ming Dynasty armored warships have turned the entire fleet upside down. If a few more ships come, the consequences can be imagined. There must be no chance at this time.
So Alfonso quickly issued an order to stop pursuing the Yansui to avoid being attacked by the opponent. At the same time, he ordered the fleet to reorganize their formation and prepare to meet the enemy. Since this deep-water channel can hinder the passage of large numbers of his own fleet, it can also
As a defensive position for one's own side.
After the warship pursued by Fo Langji turned around, the Yansui finally escaped danger and sailed northward with difficulty.
On the sea outside the exit of the northern channel, the sound of signal flares and gunfire shouting to kill was still loud. Liu Tan had already realized that it was a bluff. He ordered a signal flare to be fired in response, and a lantern signal was played on the sea to the north.
"My name is Yansui, are you coming to rescue me? Please approach me."
Soon after, the Yansui received a response. On the dark sea, the lights flickered on and off, and the light signal of the Ming Dynasty's Invincible Fleet was transmitted back. The signal soldier received it and translated it.
"The Lord Protector of the Ming Dynasty is here and allows you to come closer to me."
The officers and soldiers on the Yansui cheered loudly. Although they were all tough guys who were not afraid of life and death and were ready to sacrifice, the joy of escaping from death at this moment still made them happy and cheering.
Many people thought: The Duke personally came to the rescue and led so many fleets, which was really unexpected. I wonder where the Duke hid so many warships, could he have conjured them up?
After sailing three or four miles north, on the sea outside the exit of the deep water channel, the officers and soldiers on the Yansui saw the figures of two wooden sailing ships with heavy sails. The soldiers stared at the sea to the left and right.
, but saw nothing. Except for two wooden sailing boats, the dark sea was empty.
Many people thought: It seems that a blackout has been implemented, so many warships must be hidden in the darkness.
Two wooden sailboats docked at the Yansui. Zhang Yanling's figure appeared on the deck of the Yansui.
The springboard was quickly set up, and Zhang Yanling led Huo Shijian and a group of guards onto the front deck of the Yansui.
Liu Tan knelt on the broken front deck of the ship's side and knelt down to Zhang Yanling.
"Liu Tan, who is in a humble position, pays homage to the Duke. He is in a humble position and is incompetent, so I ask the Duke to punish him." Liu Tan's voice was low and trembling, feeling both excited and guilty.
A group of generals and soldiers also knelt down to pay their respects.
Zhang Yanling glanced at Liu Tan and everyone, waved his hands and said: "Everyone, get up, it looks like the battle is very tragic. Where is the Ningxia? Is it still behind?"
Liu Tan knelt still, his head lowered, lying on the deck, his body trembling slightly.
Zhang Yanling frowned and said, "What's wrong? What's wrong with Feng Mazi? Is he in trouble?"
Liu Tan raised his head, tears rolling down his face, and said hoarsely: "To the Lord Protector, General Feng... and all the soldiers on the Ningxia... died for the country. He can no longer give us anything.
Got into trouble."
After Liu Tan finished speaking, he burst into tears. All the soldiers behind him also began to sob.
Zhang Yanling was stunned and stood there blankly, staring for a long time and unable to speak.
Zhang Yanling and other soldiers stood on the deck of the cruising Yansui. Everyone was as motionless as clay sculptures and stood frozen in silence.
After a long time, Zhang Yanling reached out to take off his helmet, held it in his hand, and said in a hoarse voice: "Fire ten cannons to see off General Feng and all the soldiers on the Ningxia. Also... to see off all the soldiers who died tonight."
The sound of cannons boomed, echoing on the dark sea. The sea breeze blew, and the waves roared. It was midnight, the wind became stronger, the seawater reached high tide, and the waves became bigger.
After ten cannon shots, everything returned to calm. Zhang Yanling said: "Get up, General Liu, and take the brothers to the sailboat to rest. I will take over the Yansui."
Liu Tan looked up at Zhang Yanling and said, "Don't you want to ask General Feng and the reason why the Ningxia sank?"
Zhang Yanling looked at Liu Tan and said: "No need to ask, naturally I will kill the enemy with blood and die together with the enemy. I will write this in the memorial to the court. The matter of General Feng and the Ningxia was due to my poor planning. They all
That's good, it's all my fault
A loyal general and a loyal and brave man. General Liu, you can report the specific battle situation to me later. I saw at least four enemy ships burning through the telescope. You did a good job. The Folanji people did not rush through.
You are indispensable for the deep-water channel."
Liu Tan bit her lower lip, kowtowed to Zhang Yanling, stood up, and walked off the Yansui with dozens of exhausted and scarred soldiers on board.
Liu Tan knew that Zhang Yanling knew Feng Mazi and knew that he was a reckless person. Feng Mazi had volunteered himself this time to guard the deep water channel with Liu Tan. Zhang Yanling had expressed his worries to him and told him that he must restrain him well to prevent him from acting impulsively.
Therefore, Duke Guo must have known in his heart that Feng Mazi must have acted impulsively, which led to such a result. Strictly speaking, even if Feng Mazi died in battle, his actions would still be held accountable. But Duke Guo did not want to do this,
Therefore, he did not ask a single question, unwilling to let Feng Mazi bear some bad reputation after his death. He would not mention a word in the memorial to the court.
Liu Tan was relieved and thought secretly: "Brother Feng, you can rest in peace. The Duke of Guo has preserved your reputation and will ask for credit for you. The court will certainly be generous to your wife and children. Your son will also benefit from this."
You have received the favor of the court. Don't worry, I will take good care of your son, and I will treat him as my own son. I hope he can make a difference in the future, which is what you most want to see."
Liu Tan and others went to the wooden sailboat for treatment and rest, and they soon learned that the Duke of Guo did not lead a fleet to come to the rescue.
The so-called fleet is nothing more than these two wooden sailing ships. There are not even half a Ming warship on the surrounding sea.
When Zhang Yanling led a hundred soldiers to arrive here on a sailboat, he saw the raging battlefield from a telescope from a distance.
Of course, Zhang Yanling couldn't rush to join the battle. Going to join the battle with two wooden sailing ships would be asking for death. But when he saw several enemy ships chasing his own ships, he knew that the situation was unfavorable. So he ordered people to disperse on the sea in small boats.
, fired signal flares, fired random cannons from the wooden sailing ship, and ordered all the soldiers to shout for kill, in order to confuse and deter the opponent and deter the enemy's attack.
The enemy was in the open and we were in the dark. The Folangji people could not see the ships that Zhang Yanling and others had implemented blackout. However, Zhang Yanling was able to roughly judge the enemy's situation by relying on the enemy ships burning on the sea. He really frightened the opponent and saved Yansui at the critical moment.
Number.
After hearing these words, Liu Tan and others were all impressed by the Duke's resourcefulness. If he rushed to save people in a hurry, he would have lost his life and lost the waterway. Now it is obvious that Fo Langji can't figure out the situation.
, so there was no large-scale attack. Obviously, deterrence worked.
On the Yansui, Huo Shijian led people to inspect the ship and was shocked. Judging from the damage to the ship, it was a fierce battle. The bow and stern of the ship were damaged in many places and were scarred.
The armor is damaged in many places, the ship's side is broken, and the rotating oars on the deck are also seriously damaged. The current Yansui is only one step away from sinking. Fortunately, the armor has good protection and can withstand a lot of damage, ensuring the integrity of the internal ship plates.
, there is no water leakage. Otherwise, the Yansui may have sunk.
The current Yansui is said to be an iron-clad ship, but in fact it can only be regarded as a huge wooden ship. Fortunately, the main structure of the entire ship is intact. Except for the damage to the keel on the upper part of the bow, the rest of the hull and cabins are damaged.
The keel structure is intact, so it can still sail. But as a combat ship, I'm afraid it won't be able to withstand more shots.
After Huo Shijian reported the situation to Zhang Yanling, Zhang Yanling only nodded lightly and asked Huo Shijian to lead people to conduct a detailed inspection of key parts of the ship, inspect and clean the artillery, and count the shells.
Zhang Yanling did not order to continue the advance battle. Under the circumstances, being able to deter the opponent from attacking rashly is the best result. Although the Yansui was damaged, it could still be used as a mobile fort at sea.
If the opponent attacks forcefully, they will still be able to fight. But that would be the worst result.
However, at present, the Folangji people do not seem to understand the situation and do not dare to attack for the time being. However, this situation can only last until dawn. Once the sky breaks, everything will be hidden. By then, the Folangji people will inevitably
It's to launch an attack.
It was already midnight, and there were less than three hours before dawn. Zhang Yanling didn't care about how to deal with it after dawn. Even if he had great abilities, he relied on a severely damaged warship and two wooden boats.
There is nothing we can do about the sailboat.
At the moment, Zhang Yanling's only hope is that the fleet led by Wang Hong can arrive in time. It can reach the battlefield before dawn and complete the encirclement. From dusk to dawn, it also takes a whole night. I don't know if Wang Hong and others can
If you haven't caught up with the voyage, can you make it in time?
Zhang Yanling thought over and over again and made a difficult decision. If Wang Hong and the others had not arrived at dawn, he would order a withdrawal to Guli Port. Although doing so would let the Folangji people go, it was a helpless move. What happens next?
, but couldn’t care less.
Looking at the dark sea in the south, Zhang Yanling secretly prayed that this would not happen. Otherwise, it would be a huge failure of his plan, with endless consequences.
Time passed quickly, and several hours passed quickly. The color of fish belly appeared in the east.
Zhang Yanling stood in the cabin of the Yansui with a frown on his face, watching the clouds in the east go from cold to brilliant, and then to the magnificent scene of a red sun gushing out. He felt no joy at all.
The sunrise on the sea was originally a spectacular and magnificent scene, and it was also Zhang Yanling's favorite scenery. But at this moment, it foreshadowed that Zhang Yanling had to make a choice.
Before Wang Hong and the others arrived, their position was nowhere to be seen. Seven or eight miles away, Fo Langji's warships had already begun to move. The details of our side had obviously been seen through by the other side. It seemed that the only way to do this was to order an immediate withdrawal to Guli.
.
"Sure enough, all gods and Buddhas are useless, including the God of Western belief. I have prayed for you in vain. Everyone who appears can go eat shit." Zhang Yanling cursed angrily in her heart.
"Huo Shijian."
"The humble position is here!"
"Send the order..." Zhang Yanling sighed and paused.
At this moment, the roar of artillery fire rang out on the sea to the south, dense and loud. Zhang Yanling was shocked and quickly climbed up to the middle of the charred tall mast and raised his telescope to take a look.
On the southern sea, the smoke of artillery fire is rising. The Franco's warships are moving rapidly and chaotically. Some are turning around, some are sailing sideways, and some are firing towards the southern sea.
Zhang Yanling was overjoyed and shouted loudly: "They are here. Hahaha."