It was the third day since the six ships headed by the "Happiness" lost contact with the expedition fleet.
Meng Tianxiong and Lin Jinjia were standing on the bow of the ship. In front of them was the endless blue sea, with waves undulating under the blow of the sea breeze. Suddenly, a big wave hit the bow of the ship, and the ship shook violently and splashed.
The rising waves covered both of them.
"Always be alert to large waves on the sea surface and keep the 'Huanxi' sailing smoothly." Meng Tianxiong turned around and shouted to the helmsman.
After saying that, he carefully observed the situation on the sea again. According to the normal speed, the fleet had already arrived at Champa, but they were still sailing on the vast sea. It could be seen that the fleet was deviating further and further away from the route.
Long Zhantian reported this matter to the pilot ship, and the answer he received was that the fleet was traveling against the wind, which slowed down the fleet's sailing speed.
Of course Meng Tianxiong disagreed with this statement. The increasingly strong sea wind and the sudden surge of large waves indicated that the ship was sailing towards danger.
Lin Jinjia scooped up the telescope and looked at other ships. Suddenly he handed the telescope to Meng Tianxiong and said, "Come and take a look."
Meng Tianxiong was surprised by Lin Jinjia's overture. When Meng Tianxiong became the new navigator on the ship, Long Zhantian, the commander of the "Huanxi", asked Lin Jinjia to help Meng Tianxiong analyze for the safety of the ship.
Regarding the navigation situation, Lin Jinjia was very indifferent at that time.
Meng Tianxiong smiled and took Lin Jinjia's telescope, and then looked at the pilot ship.
I saw a circle of people on the deck, including soldiers and sailors. Among them, there was a red Eight Immortals table. On the table was a statue of Queen Mazu, which was about half a person tall. Candles were lit in front of the statue.
Some fruits were put on the table.
A man in strange clothes jumped up and down in front of the statue of Mazu, the Queen of Heaven. While he danced, he muttered something and prayed to Mazu.
Regardless of whether they go fishing or go overseas, sailors on the ship will pray for the blessing of Mazu, the Queen of Heaven. This is a long tradition. People who go to sea have begun to pray to Mazu since the Song Dynasty.
Meng Tianxiong heard from his great-grandfather that Zheng He, the eunuch of the Three Treasures, was a Muslim. He only believed in one god, but every time he went to sea, he would lead the sailing crew to perform a grand ceremony to worship Mazu, the Queen of Heaven.
The sailors and soldiers on the ship chanted along with the man, and their voices spread to Meng Tianxiong's ears with the wind. This is also a song he has been singing since he was a child:
"...The top of Zhupan Mountain is Baoguang. The east and west bamboos are complete. The two Luohan Islands have a shallow one. Baijiao passes the Dragon Tooth Gate. That is to say, go to Nanfan and Xiyang. Behind me, Niangzi burns some incense. Niangzi
Burn incense and bow down, I hope the good wind will be sent to the West..."
Then, this ballad was spread by the wind to more ships, and the people on the ship who could sing this ballad also sang together, and the sailors on the Huanxi also sang together. Everyone's pious and loud voices were accompanied by the waves.
A voice on the boat echoed in Meng Tianxiong's ears.
If Meng Tianxiong was still a helmsman, he would also sing this ballad with everyone. He begged for the protection of Queen Mazu and arrived at the destination smoothly. But now he is a boatman, and the fate of the people on the ship depends on it.
In his hands, so he can't place his hope on Mazu.
"Master Meng Zhou, do you think that after a few jumps like this, the fleet can return to its normal route?" Lin Jinjia's voice rang out.
Meng Tianxiong returned the telescope to Lin Jinjia. He glanced at him and said, "All sailors believe in the Queen of Heaven. You are a scholar, so of course you won't understand this. Sometimes you feel more secure if you believe in God than if you don't believe in God."
"What you said is interesting." Lin Jinjia turned around and looked at him, smiled and said, "It seems you don't believe this at all."
Meng Tianxiong smiled noncommittally. Suddenly he saw a big wave coming in front of the boat. He immediately turned around and shouted to the helmsman: "Go to the right immediately to avoid the wave."
The helmsman immediately carried out his order, but the speed of the big wave was too fast. Although the bow and hull of the ship avoided it in time, the big wave still hit the stern of the ship, causing the Huanxi to shake a few times. Lin Ziyu followed the ship
The man was shaking violently, but fortunately Meng Tianxiong held him and did not fall.
After the ship stabilized, Lin Jinjia pushed Meng Tianxiong's hand away and said: "In the following voyage, the waves we encounter will definitely become bigger and bigger. This is just the beginning."
Meng Tianxiong saw gray clouds rising up on the sea level in the distance. It wouldn't take long for these clouds to move over the fleet.
"The seagulls have also left us." Lin Jinjia noticed that the seagulls that had been flying up and down with the fleet had long since disappeared. This was also an abnormal phenomenon.
"Maybe Mazu will be with us." Meng Tianxiong smiled, knowing that being depressed at this time would not change anything.
Lin Jinjia didn't say anything. He took the telescope and walked to his cabin.
By the afternoon, gray-black clouds had filled the sky, and the wind was howling, and each ship could only continue to move forward with difficulty by relying on its longitudinal sails.
Huge waves kept coming towards the Huanxi. Meng Tianxiong kept directing the direction of the Huanxi. The waves hitting the ship had already soaked his clothes.
Suddenly, as a flash of lightning illuminated the dark sky and the undulating sea level, earth-shaking thunder began to resound through the sky, which was frightening.
Meng Tianxiong's face was unusually solemn. He didn't expect the bad weather to come so quickly.
Following bursts of thunder, the rain hit the deck densely like falling from the sky, making bursts of crackling sounds that almost drowned out Meng Tianxiong's commanding voice.
"Qiang San, go check the sail again and don't let the rope loosen."
"Hurry and turn the steering wheel to the left, a huge wave is coming."
"Xiang Dashi, please check the bottom tank, especially the sealed tank. Don't miss any corner. If a leak is found, bring someone to deal with it immediately."
"Sun De, stand in my position and shout out to me whenever a huge wave comes."
"..."
Fishermen are exposed to wind and rain in the sea. On the vast sea, they often don't see a ship for days or nights, but they encounter unpredictable dangers every day. Therefore, when fishermen go out to fish, they are most eager.
When meeting other fishermen, they have always regarded life as the most important, and it is a natural behavior to try their best to save the people in distress.
The Huanxi had already approached the overturned cargo ship. Several crew members were bobbing in the ups and downs of the waves. Meng Tianxiong shouted: "Throw the rope over quickly."
Several sailors who had been waiting beside the ship's side searched for the target in need of rescue and threw the circled rope to the side of the drowning person. When the drowning person grabbed the rope, he would get into the circle, and then
If the sailor on the boat pulls hard, the circle will be tightly fastened to the body of the person who fell into the water, and the person who fell into the water can be pulled onto the boat.
The dark clouds in the sky are as black as ink, shrouding the whole world in a world of darkness. The wind is getting stronger and stronger, and the huge waves are constantly coming over. The Joy of Joy bumps up and down, sways left and right, and suddenly appears on the huge waves.
, and was almost submerged by the huge waves.
Another boat was overturned by the rising waves. But as soon as they fell into the water, they were submerged and washed away by the huge waves. Meng Tianxiong could only watch them being swallowed by the sea. He had no way to save them.
The wind is getting stronger and stronger. If you don't hug the mast of the ship or simply lie on the deck and grab the side of the ship, you will be blown away by the wind. Meng Tianxiong knows that the hurricane is really coming. What the entire fleet will encounter next is a hurricane.
A nightmare.
Hurricanes can not only set off huge waves, overturn ships, and even cause them to fall apart. Fortunately, Meng Tianxiong had led people to complete the reinforcement of all parts of the Huanxi the day before, so that the ship could be supported for a longer period of time.
Of course, the most terrifying hurricane will form a huge whirlpool on the sea. The huge attraction can directly engulf the ship and tear it to pieces. People on the ship have no possibility of survival.
Another huge wave came over from the left side of the "Huanxi". Meng Tianxiong exclaimed. The huge wave coming from the side could easily overturn the ship. But now it was too late to turn the rudder to the right to avoid this huge wave. The only way
The solution is to increase the weight on the left side.
"Except for the helmsman, everyone lay down on the left side of the ship!" Meng Tianxiong said as he threw himself towards the left side of the ship, but the strong wind stopped his progress. He just threw forward a little distance, and was not far away.
There is still some distance to the left side of the ship.
Everyone crawled to the left amid Meng Tianxiong's shouts. Because the ship tilted to the right and the deck was extremely smooth, it was very difficult to crawl to the left.
Meng Tianxiong shouted again: "The people on the left are holding on to the side of the boat tightly, and the people on the back are holding on to their feet and crawling forward."
At this time, someone stretched out a hand towards him. Meng Tianxiong grabbed the hand without looking, and then climbed to the left side of the ship. When he looked up, the person who had just stretched out his hand was actually Long.
Zhan Tian, at this time, all his clothes were already soaked, and he looked a little embarrassed.
"Commander Long..." Meng Tianxiong quickly let go of his hand, feeling a little at a loss.
Long Zhantian nodded and smiled at him, then looked at the dark sea.
Huge waves more than ten feet high surged up in front of Meng Tianxiong's eyes. In shock, he shouted in a hoarse voice: "Hurry up and lower your head, and hold on to the side of the boat with both hands."
Suddenly, a huge impact force came towards him, and Meng Tianxiong's hand almost let go from the side of the boat. In just a moment, the seawater covered his entire body, and the huge water pressure made him feel suffocated. The seawater
It poured into his mouth from his nostrils, and the bitter and astringent taste made him very uncomfortable.
Just after the huge wave finally passed, a bigger wave came over again, and Meng Tianxiong was submerged again.
Meng Tianxiong suddenly discovered that Wei Dong next to him could hardly bear the huge impact. He had one hand left to hold on to the side of the ship. He was about to be washed away by the huge waves. Meng Tianxiong wanted to stretch out a hand to save him.
He, but it is too dangerous to do so, and he himself will be washed away by the huge waves.
Finally, Wei Dong's other hand failed to support him, and his body flew up with the waves. Meng Tianxiong didn't think much, he let go of his hands and jumped up, grabbing his feet tightly with both hands,
Then he rolled along with Wei Dong in the waves.
The two people rushed directly from the left side of the ship to the right side with the waves. In the chaos, everyone could only watch as they fell into the sea from the right side. No one could save them.
The huge wave finally passed, and the deck of the Huanxi was full of water. The crew and soldiers all got wet and tried to stand up and ran to the starboard side. The scene just now still made them panic.
The heavy rain showed no mercy to them and continued to pour on their heads.
The wind was howling, the rain was roaring, and there were not many ships left bumping on the sea.
"Pull the two of us up quickly, while others clean up the water on the deck." Suddenly, a hoarse voice came from the right side of the ship.
Li Dongsheng, the commander of the marine warfare on board the ship, stretched out his head and looked out. He saw Meng Tianxiong holding the hole of the cannon on the right side of the ship with one hand, and holding Wei Dong with the other hand. Below the two of them was the undulating sea, with debris and debris from the ship floating on it.
Corpse.
"Hurry up and put down the rope!" Li Dongsheng shouted loudly while looking at them intently.
The two people were pulled up. Meng Tianxiong fell on the deck and kept breathing heavily. Wei Dong's condition was not much better. The red blood on his lips was in sharp contrast with his pale face, but he looked completely indifferent.
He looked concerned and was observing Meng Tianxiong on the deck.
"My medicine is working well. The scar on your hand has basically healed." Wei Dong suddenly became very happy, and his face gradually returned to rosy from pale. He looked nothing like a person who had walked through the gate of hell.
.
Meng Tianxiong felt very tired, and he was still worried about the strange medicine that day, and was not in the mood to answer him at all.
Suddenly, Sun De let out a scream: "There is a ship sinking in front, and it seems to be sucked down by a huge attraction."
"Another ship has been sucked in!" This time many people screamed in surprise.
Meng Tianxiong's heart sank. Sure enough, he encountered a whirlpool. He stood up suddenly, rushed to the rudder and shouted an order: "Leave the whirlpool with full right rudder!"
But the ship was already at the edge of the whirlpool, and a huge suction force continued to drag the ship toward the abyss of the seabed.
"Throw everything on the ship into the sea to reduce the weight of the ship." Meng Tianxiong issued the instruction again.
The grain, wine, porcelain, silk, tea, gold, gunpowder, cannonballs, knives, bows and arrows piled in the cabin were thrown into the sea one by one.
After Wei Dong heard this order, he staggered into his medical cabin. When Xiang Dashi brought some soldiers and crew members to the medical cabin, Wei Dong protected the already scattered medicines and refused to let them