Chapter 152: The Sound of Cannon in Malacca

Once a person leaves his familiar environment, his temperament often changes greatly.

Especially when sailing on the sea, there are scenes of sea and sky day after day, which tests people's willpower even more.

Therefore, Yun Zhao gave Han Xiufen great permissions, including the privilege of going over almost all important documents in Lantian County.

This allowed her to be a pirate at sea, and she could continue to participate in the construction of Lantian County spiritually.

Perhaps, this is the sense of belonging.

After his natives, the black scouts brought targets that could continue to plunder.

Han Xiufen once again took people on the boat.

This time she was ready to make a move, because the opponent was a fleet of four armed merchant ships plus three cargo ships, the ships of the Dutch East India Company.

The destination of this fleet is Taiwan.

From the Zheng pirates, Han Xiufen learned that the Spaniards occupied the north of Taiwan, which posed a huge threat to the Dutch, who occupied the south of Taiwan and monopolized the Ming Dynasty and traded with Japan.

At the same time, Han Xiufen also learned from Leonie that a group of Dutch merchants decided to separate from Spanish rule in order to maximize profits, and the war between them had been going on for more than 70 years.

By this time, the Dutch have formed a de facto independence, known as the United Province of the Netherlands.

This was the dream of Cohen, the director of the Dutch East India Company, that is, Leonie's father.

They believed that the Dutch would eventually force the Spanish Emperor Philip IV to recognize the fact that the Netherlands were independent, as long as they continued to attack Spain's maritime power.

Just as the Portuguese gained independence from Spain, they were the merchants who needed to take control of their own destiny.

Han Xiufen also knew that three armed merchant ships of the Dutch were taken away by Han Lingshan, which led to an imbalance of power between the Dutch and the Spaniards, and this caravan was to send supplies to the Dutch in Taiwan.

Han Xiufen didn't have to report the robbery of the Dutch to Yun Zhao, she could make a decision in favor of Lantian County based on her own judgment.

This can also be a trap!

Since there is no way to make some military traps commonly used on land on the vast sea, the military traps of sea battles are often relatively simple and crude.

One of the most likely pitfalls is camouflage!

Just when you think you're facing a normal armed merchant ship, when you get closer, you may realize that you might be facing a warship.

Four armed merchant ships are equipped with three ordinary merchant ships, which is a common operation at sea.

Therefore, Han Xiufen wanted to take a look.

When Han Xiufen's flagship Lantian lifted anchor, the remaining ten warships in the bay of Paradise Island also lifted anchor and set sail.

Every time I go to sea, no one knows if I will come back alive.

Therefore, the sailors on the ship set their sights on the paradise island, which is not big, but it is the sustenance of their hearts.

Leaving Paradise Island and bypassing the reef that protected the island, the fleet finally sailed full sails and headed for the Strait of Malacca.

At this time, it is smooth sailing, which is very beneficial to the operation.

After a day and a night at sea, Han Xiufen gathered all the captains to his flagship.

"This time it's time to look at Bard's methods."

On Han Xiufen's flagship, the captains of eleven ships gathered in front of Han Xiufen.

The Captain Bard she named was a black man who seemed to have a black layer of oil on his skin, as silky as black satin.

After listening to Han Xiufen's instructions, he grinned and showed his white teeth and said, "Since I am the first to fight, then, according to our convention, I will have the right to choose the loot first?" ”

After speaking, he also deliberately looked at Zhang Chuanli and Liu Mingliang.

According to the previous rules, it was generally the first battleship led by these two people, and the loot was naturally the first to be selected, but this time, the big boss was always fair.

Captain Leonie originally wanted to compete with Bard for the starting position, but she had already stood up, and suddenly found that Zhang Chuanli and Liu Mingliang stood expressionless and did not move, and her footsteps stopped.

He also threw a charming look at Bard and said, "If there is a gem, I hope Captain Bud can leave it to me, after all, women always lack a treasure jewelry." ”

Bard laughed, "Okay, I'll pull the jewel necklace off the necks of those ladies and give it to the beautiful Captain Leonie, but I want it." ”

Han Xiufen said with a smile: "In this way, you lead the three Blackfish ships, go first, we will follow you, if you encounter a trap, don't fall in love, leave quickly." ”

Budd laughed and said, "I have twenty eighteen-pounder guns!" ”

After saying that, the three black captains who were familiar with each other left the flagship of the Lantian and returned to their battleship in a small boat.

Han Xiufen listened to the cheers on the sea, and said to the rest of the captains: "If Bard is entangled, we will rush all the way over and help Bard capture the merchant ships, if it is a trap, we will still rush all the way over, and don't look back." ”

When the rest of the captains heard this, they laughed one by one, because the captains of the remaining eight ships, except for Leonie, were all yellow-skinned.

After the fleet entered the Strait of Malacca, the speed of the ships slowed down, and their warships had to go straight up the Strait of Malacca, although they had a tailwind.

Zhang Chuanli frowned and said to Han Xiufen: "We don't have an advantage. ”

Han Xiufen said: "It's right not to have an advantage, it seems that the enemy in front of us has already set up a trap, and Bard may suffer." ”

"The undercurrent is very fast, and it is difficult for our guns to be aimed at the enemy."

Han Xiufen said: "Therefore, we only have one chance for two fleets to pass by, and I want you to open up all your firepower at this time." ”

"Don't jump to fight this time?"

Leonie felt a little regretful about this kind of instruction given by Han Xiufen.

"If we don't jump to fight, I don't think the enemy will give us this opportunity."

"If we're not sure, why don't we leave?"

Han Xiufen said lightly: "Local wars should be considered for the overall situation. ”

"Where is the big picture?"

"Lantian! Take care, everyone! ”

Han Xiufen ended the conversation concisely, whether Leonie understood it or not, it is estimated that she would not understand it either, until now, Leonie still thinks that they are a group of happy independent pirates.

Everyone left the flagship and returned to their ships, and soon, the fleet turned into a column according to Han Xiufen's orders, and the guns on the port side of the fleet were all ready, and the guns on the right side were also pushed over and placed on the empty gun position on the port side.

They believed in Han Xiufen's judgment, and they only left themselves prepared for a firefight.

The ships began to tilt slightly to the left, and all the guns were loaded, waiting to meet the fleet of the Dutch East India Company.

In the 500-nautical-mile Strait of Malacca, it was not easy to encounter a fleet.

In the wide strait, Han Xiufen's twelve warships looked incomparably small.

However, since their fleet entered the Strait of Malacca, there were no merchant ships on the sea, not even fishing boats, and the red flag on Han Xiufen's ship was a devilish existence for the merchant ships in this sea area.

In the past, Han Xiufen would still be very interested in going to various small ports to find these fat sheep, but this time, her combat goal was very clear, and she let go of those poor fat sheep.

After three days of running in the strait, I still didn't meet the legendary fleet.

Han Xiufen's face became ugly, she felt that she had really been fooled this time, not only by those Dutch fleets, but also by those natives.

The silence in the strait was too much.

The boat was already about to leave the Straits of Malacca, and she didn't even see many fishing boats.

This is not normal.

"Go back!"

With Han Xiufen's order, the fleet drew a long arc on the sea, turned the bow of the ship, and began to walk back, this time, Han Xiufen's combat goal has changed, she thinks that those damn earth kings should be the combat target this time.

So, Captain Bard, who could not find the fleet, began to search every bay along the way where the big ships could hide, and at the same time destroy the new homes that the natives had just settled.

From the mouths of the captured natives, Bard finally knew why he had swooped into the air, and the fleet was now hiding in the mouth of the Malacca River.

The brave Bard rushed straight to the mouth of the Malacca River, and Han Xiufen led the rest of the ships to follow not far behind.

Two days later, when the fleet reached the mouth of the Malacca River, Bard's ships had not yet entered the tidal flats when they were under heavy artillery fire from the riverbank.

He hastily exited the mouth of the Malacca River, only to find seven warships directly in front of him, with the Dutch East India Company flag flying on the top.

Seeing that fleet approaching quickly, Bard hurriedly turned around and moved closer to Han Xiufen's fleet.

He could see that he was not facing an ordinary armed merchant ship, but a real European warship!

Among them, the most conspicuous are the four Karak galleons with their tails raised high, which are a type of sailing military ships with three masts and very powerful artillery attacks.

Faced with such an old warship, Bard did not think that the four armed merchant ships he led from merchant ships could deal with it on its own.

Han Xiufen also saw these four classical battleships from the telescope, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

As long as the battleships that came were not battleships carrying more than 80 to 100 guns like the Dutch, Han Xiufen thought that they could fight.

You must know that the real warships in Europe at this time have exceeded the imagination of the Ming people.

Carrying more than eighty guns, they were battleships of the first and second ranks, usually with three decks and guns on all three.

The bottom layer is a heavy gun, the middle layer is a medium gun, and the upper layer is a light gun.

This kind of battleship, which housed sixteen thirty-two-pound guns, once fired, was enough to destroy a merchant ship with one shell.

When Bard saw the battle flag coming from the flagship, he couldn't help but roar, and said to the sailors under him: "Grab the wind, grab the wind, we're going to war!" ”