() Huang Chen is jealous and Li Kuiqi has many talented people, and any one of them he pulls out can be able to stand alone. The only people under Huang Chen who can really stand alone are Zhao Hongyi and Ruan Jin. Next year, as Zhang Xing matures and Lin Xishan accumulates enough qualifications,
You can also entrust them with other matters, but now, as for Zhao and Ruan, Yang Dong has insufficient energy, Chen Si has mediocre intelligence, Zhuang Mo is a northerner who is afraid of water, and William has a language barrier. They all have shortcomings.
Huang Chen thinks that he has been in this era for less than three years and has only been rising for two years, so he calms down. To be honest, if he is not afraid of arrogance, compared with the number of talents, he may not be as good as Zheng Zhilong, Li Kuiqi, Zhou Lao and other maritime heroes, but
In terms of talent quality, he doesn't think he will lose to anyone. Like him, his subordinates are all very young and have unlimited potential and future.
"Why did Master Li call me?" Huang Chenpi asked with a smile. Since Li Kuiqi was Zhou Lao's eight-year-old acquaintance, Huang Chen rarely had contact with him on a daily basis. Naturally, he had no friendship and had some personal grudges. At the beginning, he was training for military protection.
It was a secret that no one was allowed to get close to, but one of Li Kuiqi's subordinates did not know how to live or die, and provoked him again and again. Huang Chen killed him in a rage. Li Kuiqi felt that he had lost face, became furious, and almost took someone to find him.
He "theorized" for a while. Zheng Zhilong was afraid that a fight would break out between the two and the alliance would fall into pieces, so he hurriedly found the two of them, made peace with each other, and reluctantly reconciled the grievances. However, the two had no contact with each other since then, and they were not even acquaintances.
superior.
"You and I have known each other for almost a year, but how come Brother Huang still talks so clearly?" Li Kuiqi said with a look of displeasure on his face: "Is it possible that Brother Huang is still thinking about that old incident?"
"That's not the case. Brother, I still have a lot of spirit. It's just that I don't get along with Mr. Li very much on weekdays, so I don't seem to be warm enough." Huang Chen had a mask-like fake smile on his face the whole time, and he kept up his appearance.
Not enough dripping water.
"This opportunity has come." Li Kuiqi laughed and said: "Tomorrow you and I will fight side by side, and we can take this opportunity to get closer and closer."
Huang Chen pulled the corner of his mouth and smiled: "Brother, of course, I can't say anything. It all depends on Master Li."
Li Kuiqi said in a bold tone that matched his rugged appearance: "Brother Huang is enough. From now on, I, Li Kuiqi, will treat you, Huang Chen, as a brother."
Huang Chen, hey, it would be an idiot to take his words seriously.
Li Kuiqi paused and said intentionally or unintentionally: "The alliance leader looks at Brother Huang very differently today..."
"Hey, is this a good thing or a bad thing?" Huang Chen asked with a smile.
"It depends on what Brother Huang thinks. What you think is a good thing is a good thing, and what you think is a bad thing... may not be a bad thing." Li Kuiqi made a twist at the end. Although he seemed to be speaking for Zheng Zhilong, in fact, he meant nothing.
Communicated.
"Then I will do good deeds." Huang Chen said smoothly.
"I wanted to chat more with Brother Huang, but it's getting late. Let's continue chatting tomorrow. Brother, I'll take the first step." After that, Li Kuiqi left with his men.
Huang Chen watched in silence for a long time. He only knew about the "Pirate King" Zheng Zhilong in the South China Sea at the end of the Ming Dynasty. He only had a rough understanding and did not know the details. He knew nothing about Li Kuiqi. Obviously, his future achievements were not as good as Zheng Zhilong. However, at this moment, Huang Chen
In my heart, I have a very high opinion of Li Kuiqi. This person's skills and intelligence are all unparalleled in the sea. He can be called a hero of his generation. He is not half inferior to the "Pirate King".
"How many heroes have been buried in the great waves..." Huang Chen slowly shook his head.
After struggling for most of the night, Huang Chen quickly fell asleep even though he was lying on a strange bed. When he woke up the next day, he took out his pocket watch and saw that it was exactly six o'clock, two hours later than usual. He dispelled the sleepiness and laziness in his body.
, Huang Chen got up and simply washed up. He practiced swordplay in the courtyard. During this period, his subordinates came one after another and gathered in the corridor to talk quietly. Some discussed Huang Chen's Western swordsmanship, some discussed the upcoming war, and some chatted wildly.
, purely to kill boring time.
Huang Chen returned the sword and finished his work. While wiping his sweat, he asked Zhao Hongyi: "Did anyone break the rules last night?"
"No." Zhao Hongyi shook his head and said, "But a few people failed to restrain their hands and feet and injured others."
Huang Chen asked casually: "Is the injury serious?"
"Someone's legs were broken." Zhao Hongyi said immediately: "Don't worry, chief, I have already punished you."
Huang Chen sighed in his heart. Just because of his words, someone was sitting at home and suffered such an unreasonable disaster. He said to Zhao Hongyi: "You will send someone to send some money over in a while. The specific amount will depend on the severity of the injury."
Zhao Hongyi nodded in agreement.
Huang Chen then asked everyone to have a meal together. Since it was not his territory, the food was relatively simple, and it was not advisable to drink alcohol before the war. Everyone felt like chewing wax after one meal, which was very tasteless.
After dinner, Zheng Zhilong sent someone to inform Huang Chen to set off. Huang Chen went back to the house to get a half-body armor weighing 20 kilograms. With the help of the Yan brothers, he dressed up and went out to gather the troops.
His eyes passed over the neat and solemn team, and fell on the three field cannons and eight small Hongyi cannons. Huang Chen felt secretly regretful. Field cannons and small cannons also need to be pulled by oxen and mules, ranging from one to as many as one.
Two or three heads, even on flat ground, let alone going up the mountain, there is probably no chance for them to appear this time. However, Huang Chen is still prepared to take them all with him. Who knows whether the officers and soldiers will suddenly rush down the mountain, or Zhangzhou Prefecture will send reinforcements.
I would rather go to some trouble to be prepared.
Huang Chen led his team out of the city to meet up with Zheng Zhilong and others. At this time, most of the pirates had gathered, and at a glance, they were quite impressive.
Influenced by Western pirate movies, Huang Chen began to think that pirates must be dressed in rags and carry rotten knives and blunt axes. In fact, there are such people, but they are by no means all. Chinese pirates have soldiers, auxiliary soldiers, and boatmen.
Some of them were kidnapped and forced to become thieves, and their combat prowess was very different. Most of the elites focused on buying firearms from merchants, which were ten times more sophisticated than government-made weapons. Moreover, pirates usually used long soldiers in battle, ranging from bamboo spears of two to three feet to one-inch weapons.
There are all kinds of weapons, from long spears measuring seven to eight feet to nine-foot-nine-inch spears. The Fujian people are also famous for their ability to use shields, and there are many pirates who use swords.
Firearms, spikes, and shields are the three most powerful weapons in naval warfare. Officers and soldiers have them, as do pirates, and they are more skillful at playing them.
What Huang Chen sees now is a group of elite pirates, especially Zheng Zhilong and Li Kuiqi, who are the most elite, each with the spirit of a tiger or a wolf. Of course, no matter how elite a pirate is, he is still a pirate. He is not weaker than the navy at sea, but when he goes ashore, he is still a pirate.
The formation is majestic, but it may not be the opponent of the elite officers and soldiers. They have to use some tricks, and Huang Chen is confident that the strength of his team is better than that of the officers and soldiers.
Huang Chen's men and horses lined up, and teams took their positions one after another. There was no movement between them. Everyone looked solemn and stood silently with their troops in hand. This was in sharp contrast to the noisy environment around them. Gradually, the group of thieves were affected by the atmosphere.
, and gradually stopped laughing.
Finally, dozens of oxen and mules pulled an artillery team consisting of three field guns, eight small red cannons, and more than a dozen bronze guns and French guns. They shocked everyone immediately. The pirates were not the ones to fight head-on.
The opponents of Shangguan soldiers abandoned the sea and landed, always adhering to the principle of avoiding reality and avoiding reality, coming and going like the wind. At best, they would only bring dozens of hundreds of kilograms of light French cannons ashore. Huang Chen now did the opposite.
, formed an "unheard of" artillery team, and steadily suppressed the officers and soldiers. This surprised everyone.
"The yellow six trump cards are emerging one after another. It seems that they won't give up until they scare us to death." Li Kuiqi smiled with a hint of complexity.
Huang Xun nodded in agreement and said, "This boy has done amazing things many times. He is definitely not a creature in the pond. He will definitely be our formidable enemy in the future."
Li Kuiqi shook his head and said: "You don't have to come here, he is qualified now. Zheng Zhilong is probably no less afraid of him than I am."
Huang Xunchong smiled and said: "This is a good thing for the big leader. It will prevent Zheng Zhilong from always staring at the big leader."
"That's true." Li Kuiqi laughed.
"...!" Ye Wozhen clenched her fists hard, with a cold glow in her eyes. He has always been proud and arrogant. Only Zheng Zhihu and Liu Xiang can compete with him among the young generation at sea. Zheng Zhihu's martial arts are extraordinary, and he himself
I don't think so, but martial arts alone are not enough for people on the sea, they also need to have means. If the two of them fight in a boat, he may not lose. Liu Xiang didn't catch his eyes before. Who would have thought that his master Liu Sanlao would die if he died?
Liu Xiang immediately annexed half of the troops, came from behind, and became a powerful man.
Zheng Zhihu has a good brother, and Liu Xiang is astonishingly lucky. Ye Wazhen has nothing and only relies on her own hands to work hard to get to where she is today. She is not convinced by the two of them. However, for Huang Chen, who has risen like a comet in just one year,
Ye Wozhen was only envious and jealous of a man who could be compared to Zheng Zhilong and Li Kuiqi. His greatest ambition was to stand in Huang Chen's current position.
Li Kuiqi noticed Ye Wozhen's uneasy heart and said with a smile: "Jane, don't be anxious. The temporary glory is nothing. You have to look at the long term. Your ability is not half worse than Huang Liu. After a few years, you will
I will definitely be able to catch up with him or even surpass him."
"Yes." Ye Wozhen looked solemn and replied respectfully.
Li Kuiqi nodded and turned his attention back to Huang Chen again.
Others have limited eyesight and may not be able to see that Zheng Zhilong once worked as a Dutch translator in Da Yuan. How could they not see that Huang Chen's running team has a Xiyi land battle cannon. It is difficult for him to get such a sharp weapon, but Huang Chen can
He got it from the Spaniards. For the first time, he felt a sense of regret. He had indulged Huang Chen too much in the past, and now it was difficult to restrain him. When he recruited Li Kuiqi, the latter was already in a state of affairs, while Huang Chen was still just
A rising star can suppress him by any means. There is no regret medicine in the world. Zheng Zhilong is also a man with extraordinary ambition. He quickly calmed down and regained his composure.
Zheng Zhihu has not yet returned from chasing Xu Xinsu. At this time, standing next to Zheng Zhilong is his fourth brother Zheng Zhifeng, who will only turn sixteen in another month. Although he is tall and not inferior to an adult, his face has a hint of childishness. Zheng Zhilong vs. Zheng Zhihu
It is love. The latter has followed him around the world since he was a child. He eats at the same table and sleeps in the same room. The relationship is no better than that of others. Zheng Zhihu is not only his younger brother, but also his most capable helper, who has cleared countless difficulties for him. To Zheng Zhifeng
He is doted on, with his handsome appearance, calm character, and both civil and military skills. Zheng Zhilong can easily see his own shadow in him.
Along with Zheng Zhifeng, those who are behind Zheng Zhilong include Zheng Zhipeng, Zheng Zhiwan and others of the Zheng family, as well as Guo Zhikui, Guo Zhilan, Fang Zhiji, Chizhige, etc. among the Eighteen Zhi.
In addition to Shiba Zhi, headed by Hong Xu, he is from Tong'an, Quanzhou. He looks like he is in his late twenties, eighties or thirties, but in fact he is only in his twenties.
He has already been able to relieve Zheng Zhilong's worries and problems, and now he is Zheng Zhilong's general manager, with all his money and food being guarded by him. For such an important position, Zheng Zhilong does not use a clan name but a foreign surname, which shows his trust in him. He also lives up to Zheng Zhilong's trust.
Without the latter's order, even Zheng Zhihu and Zheng Zhifeng would not be able to use a single penny in the treasury.
After Hong Xu, there are strong men Chen Bao and Chen Peng. Chen Bao has the character "leopard" in his name, but he doesn't have the vigor of a leopard at all. People teased him for his thick waist and nicknamed him "three feet six". Of course,
His waist circumference cannot be as exaggerated as three feet and six, but it is indeed much thicker than ordinary people. From a distance, he looks like a human-shaped barrel. He is brave and good at fighting, second only to Zheng Zhihu. Chen Peng is tall and slim.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with Chen Bao, he is like the second general of Heng Ha. He is also one of the few generals under Zheng Zhilong's command.
In addition, there were more than ten people with names and surnames, guarding the surroundings like stars holding the moon, making Zheng Zhilong even more dazzling.
Huang Chen was wearing armor and a heroic figure. He led Zhao Hongyi, Zhang Xing, Zhuang Mo, Lin Xishan, William and other men directly to Zheng Zhilong, clasped his fists and asked: "Alliance leader, when shall we set off?"
Zheng Zhilong smiled and said: "Brother Huang, you and Brother Li are the main attackers. Now that everyone is here, we can go ahead. I will urge the brothers behind to join you as soon as possible. I plan to attack from behind, otherwise the officers and soldiers on the mountain will notice and will not join in the fun."
Here. I wish Brother Huang a great success."
Huang Chen nodded and said: "With the good words of the alliance leader, I will take the first step and say goodbye."
Watching Huang Chen leave, Zheng Zhilong's eyes became solemn again.
"Brother Huang, your army is really majestic, and your artillery team is even more intimidating. You are a match for your officers and soldiers." Li Kuiqi praised.
Huang Chen ignored Li Kuiqi's "** soup" and said with a half-smile: "Maybe it's not useful, but Mr. Li must not have too much hope. Otherwise, he will be disappointed when he gets it."
Li Kuiqi laughed for a while and said, "What Brother Huang said is so true."
Huang Chen smiled and said nothing.
Li Kuiqi looked up at the red sun and said, "It's almost time to set off. Brother Huang"
"please."
Huang Chen got on a brown Fujian native horse that was about the same size as a donkey, that is, a Zhouyu horse, and set off. When William first saw them, he couldn't help but start to show off his European superiority, saying that he was European.
The shortest pony is a hundred times stronger than it, and the Chinese actually ride this kind of horse. Huang Chen felt disgusted and told him that the south of China does not produce good horses, and the good horses are all in the north.
William was very puzzled by this. In Europe, from the icy and snowy Northern Europe, to the mountainous Iberian Peninsula, to the central plains, and even the eastern grasslands, where can't we raise good horses, but why can't we raise them in China?
Huang Chen weakly said that all the land in the south was used to grow food. Naturally, William immediately complained about this, and he proudly told Huang Chen that the height of his beloved horse in his hometown was sixteen hands wide at the shoulder, and that in northern China
Those Tatar horses are no match.
Huang Chen felt very uncomfortable at the time. According to William, the Germans have been artificially breeding fine horses based on their bloodlines for hundreds of years. China is still playing the free-range method. What's more terrible is that this method will continue until the industrial age.
It is no secret that China does not have good horses. Not to mention that compared with Europeans and Arabs who value artificial breeding, war horses from several Asian empires, including Ottoman, Safi, and Mughal, can easily defeat the Ming Dynasty.
A street.
Huang Chen extended his thinking and thought of more. Not only did China have no good horses, but its iron ore was also very poor. In addition, it lacked oak, teak and other high-quality woods. The land was vast and the resources were abundant...?
Niumian Mountain looks like an old cow sleeping, hence its name. Huang Chen rode a little brown horse to the front of the mountain. Looking up, Niumian Mountain is not high in altitude. He can see through the top of the mountain at a glance, but only the front and back sides are visible.
There is a road up the mountain, and the mountain is neither steep nor flat. If Huang Chen was more serious, he could still transport the artillery up, but it would be time-consuming and labor-intensive and not worth the loss. What's more, the officers and soldiers were in a hurry up the mountain and had no time to transport the heavy artillery. In this regard, he did not
Don't suffer.
Huang Chen was not in a hurry to start the war. It was not too late to wait until everyone had arrived. Li Kuiqi had the same idea as him and was happy to pretend to be confused. It was not until most of the people arrived and Zheng Zhilong sent someone to urge them that Huang Chen began to deploy calmly.
"Zhuang Mo..."
"What are the orders from the chief?" Zhuang Mo's pockmarked face rarely revealed a hint of excitement. After all, he was born in the north, and he always felt a sense of embarrassment at sea. Among the leaders of the six brigades, he had the least meritorious service, many of them.
People secretly said that he relied on Hong Ju for support in the past. When Hong Ju died, he did not even dare to go out to the sea for fear of drowning. After being underestimated in this way, Zhuang Mo felt angry and helpless at the same time, and he was holding back his heart.
Jin wanted to make a feat that would impress everyone and stop everyone's mouth. He had no choice at sea. When he got to the shore, it would be like a tiger entering the mountains and shaking all the beasts with its roar.
Huang Chen said lightly: "Back then you told me that Taiwanese barbarians have been hunting with bows and arrows since childhood. Everyone is a good bowman. If equipped with a strong bow made by the Ming Dynasty, it will definitely be a great help to me. I believed you,
I gave you two hundred good warriors and good bows, but it’s been almost a year now and you haven’t shown much performance. To be honest, I’m very disappointed.”
Zhuang Mo couldn't help but feel cold, and hurriedly explained: "I didn't expect that Tuman was so stupid that he couldn't understand orders after a long time, and besides..."
"I don't want to hear an explanation. Huang Chen waved his hand and said, "I just want to know, can the barbarian archers fight now?"
Zhuang Mo was excited and said loudly: "Why not! I am willing to personally lead two hundred barbarian archers as the vanguard to attack the mountain and stronghold for the big leader. If we fail, I will follow the big leader."
"Okay. I will pull out another six hundred spears, swords, and firecrackers to help you."
Zhuang Mo clasped his fists and said solemnly: "This will give you greater confidence, and you will definitely live up to the great leader's trust."