Chapter 107 Bombardment of Lisbon by Warships João IV was forced to negotiate peace

When the two captured captains saw King Joao IV, they trembled and told him what Mu Yi had asked them to say, "Their Ming Dynasty naval army said that they still want to settle disputes peacefully and don't like war, but if we are willing to fight, they will accompany them to the end." Ask us to write back to us by dawn tomorrow or they will open fire on Lisbon! ”

João IV looked at the two embarrassed captains, and knew that although the two of them were captured, their ship had been sunk and fished out of the sea, and it was impossible to surrender, and said: "I do not blame you for doing your best for Portugal." Go down and get some rest! ”

The two of them snot and tears went down with gratitude. The ministers who did not leave were also a little moved by the king's generosity.

After the two captains had gone out, João IV looked around at the civilians and soldiers present and asked, "Can our great Portugal surrender to these ugly Orientals?" ”

When the ministers heard what the king meant, they all said, "No! Absolutely not! ”

Ruo Ao IV knew that if he agreed to the request of the Ming Dynasty now, his king would be immediately deposed by the parliament, and he would not even have a chance to turn over.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we can't beat them at sea, but they've come from afar, and we're determined not to let them ashore, and they won't be long before they leave here. So I ordered all the ships to stay close to the shore and not to go out to sea and fight them. The officers and soldiers on the coast have their cannons ready, and if the ships of the Ming Dynasty dare to approach, let them taste the power of our artillery! ”

At this time, some people also asked worriedly: "Your Majesty, the range of the cannons on the naval warships of the Ming Dynasty is much longer than ours, and it is said that the cannonballs are also particularly powerful." No matter how big or small our ships are, a single shell will blow them to pieces. Do we also have to be prepared, we should try to keep as few people as possible near the fort. Leave some more people behind and fight them when they land and we will fight them!" ”

"That's right! They came from afar, there won't be too many of them, and when they go ashore, it's time for us to play to our advantage! Some people say so.

"Good! You're right! Just prepare as everyone says! In addition, inform us that the officers and soldiers on the border should pay attention to the movements of the Spaniards, and do not let the Spaniards take advantage of us! João IV was still worried about the threat from the Spaniards behind him.

The Portuguese had to carry out a national mobilization to meet the challenge of the Ming Dynasty. Although the Portuguese monarch and ministers could not accept the current situation at once, the Portuguese who rolled out of the war quickly mobilized, and almost all of them were soldiers to deal with the Eastern Devil. It was these Eastern Demons who had sunk many of their ships at once last night, which the Portuguese, who considered themselves to be a maritime power, could not accept. I have heard before that in the far east their ship was sunk by the barbaric Ming Dynasty of the East, who once demanded revenge from the king. But they never expected that they would be beaten by the Ming Dynasty, which the proud Portuguese really couldn't accept, so as soon as the mobilization order was issued, all the Portuguese were ready to fight with the Ming Dynasty.

In this day's battle, the warships of all levels of the Ming Dynasty were chasing the Portuguese warships at sea, but in fact, there was no battle at all, just like hunting. Even shooting at the fleeing Portuguese boat felt much easier than hunting. When hunting, the prey has to bite back, these fleeing ships are almost beaten, even if some bloody captains can't escape at a glance, turn around and want to use cannons to counterattack, the gunners on the Kiln Gang warship will not give them a chance, when they turn around, the bullet surface is also the largest. Portuguese warships or armed merchant ships were doomed to be sunk if they were targeted by the Kiln Gang warships.

In fact, in the end, the warships of Yaogang lost the excitement they had at the beginning, and gradually the ships that saw the Portuguese fleeing too far away did not chase them. Even so, the officers and men of Yaogangshui are also very hard. In the evening, Mu Yi notified the ships to hold a banquet to celebrate, but asked for a small amount of alcohol not to be mistaken.

The next day, at dawn, Mu Yi said to Zheng Zhilong: "It seems that today is another busy day!" ”

"Yes! His Majesty the King of Portugal has not replied to us, so let's do what we planned! Zheng Zhilong said.

After the flotilla lifted anchor, it began to move towards the mouth of the Tagus River.

Zheng Zhilong said: "Our esteemed majesty has prepared all night, are there many people waiting for us in the shore fort?" ”

"We don't want to do this, but it's okay, when they came to our Macau with great force, I didn't know they had today!" Mu Yi said indignantly.

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you! These Xiyi people should understand this truth. Zheng Zhilong said, "Let's give them a lesson today and let them remember this truth!" ”

When the Tagus River flows into the Atlantic Ocean, it forms an inland sea called the "Sea of Tagus", one of the most magnificent natural ports in the world, where many great navigators set sails. However, to enter this quay-dotted "sea of trees", you have to pass through the Tejo estuary, which is only about two kilometers at its narrowest point.

On the north bank of this stretch of river stands an old building called the Belém Tower. The Tower of Belém is called the Tower, and it is actually a five-story fortification built during the reign of Manuel I to defend the port in the Belém district and the nearby Monastery of St. Jerome, and is a small blockhouse, all made of marble. It was used to defend Lisbon and its port.

For the sake of safety, Mu Yi ordered all cargo ships to stay at sea, and all warships followed the Taishan towards the mouth of the Tejo River.

The coast of Lisbon is surprisingly quiet, and the fleet seems to have entered a no-man's world, with only seagulls chirping incessantly, making the sea and sky even more peaceful.

Zheng Zhilong held the binoculars and said to Mu Yi: "Look! Belém Tower in front of you! ”

"Yes! What a beautiful Belém Tower! It's like floating on the sea! Mu Yi exclaimed.

"Humph! It was a guy covered in thorns, with a lot of cannons on it. Guess if we get closer, they'll have to greet us with cannonballs! Zheng Zhilong said.

"Yes! But it's a pity to blow up this Belém Tower! Mu Yi said reluctantly holding the binocular.

"Come on! Commander Mu, don't be pretentious! This Belém Tower, as well as the São Jorge Castle at the highest point in Lisbon, must be blown down first! Zheng Zhilong said with a smile.

Before the Yaogang fleet entered the Tejo estuary, the batteries on the north and south banks of the estuary fired at the Yaogang warships at the same time.

This blow was a bit sudden, and Mu Yi's fleet had not yet entered the effective range of the Portuguese shells. In fact, this is the result of the Portuguese being very good at learning and being able to adjust in time. That's why they can become a maritime power.

The reason why the Portuguese knew that their ships could not fight against the Ming Dynasty ships was that their cannons had a long range, high hitting accuracy, and powerful shells. By the time the Ming Dynasty ships entered the effective range of their own cannons, it was likely that they would have been blown away by other people's shells. So although they knew that the hit rate of the shells would be very low, they fired the artillery ahead of time this time.

As a result, the cannonballs hit the water around the kiln gang warship like a boiling pot. Despite the low hit rate of the dense shells, some shells smashed on the steel hull of the warship and exploded when they hit the sea. It also fell on the deck of the warship, and before it rolled into the sea, it exploded on the deck. However, the power of such a black ** cannonball is not very great, and it can't cause any decent damage to the Yaogang warship.

The somewhat careless Yaogang fleet immediately began to fight back.

Mu Yi commanded all the warships, each of them to deal with a directional battery according to the division of labor. The Taishan did not fire, and Zheng Zhilong personally directed a triple 304mm cannon on the foredeck of the Taishan to aim at the Belém Tower, and the gunner reported: "The target is locked!" ”

Zheng Zhilong ordered: "Open the cannon!" ”

"Knock knock!" There were three earth-shattering bangs, and three shells flew out. Then there were three loud "boom boom" noises in the distance, which immediately suppressed all the cannon sounds.

Two shells hit Belém Tower. Two thick clouds of smoke billowed out, and the ancient tower, which was very majestic and beautiful, was gone. All that remains is the pedestal, which occasionally peeks out as the waves ripple.

Zheng Zhilong didn't care how the other warships bombarded the batteries on both sides of the Tejo estuary, and ordered: "All the guns of the Taishan pay attention, target the castle of San Giorgio in Lisbon, aim and prepare, reload!" ”

On the Tarzan, there are fifteen 304 mm caliber cannons and thirty-six 130 caliber cannons. His firepower can be described as terrifying.

"The cannons are ready!"

"Fire!" Zheng Zhilong decisively gave the order.

All the cannons on the Tarzan opened fire at the same time! "Knock knock!" The sound of the cannon shook the 25,000-ton Tarzan, and the smoke also enveloped the Tarzan.

At this distance, all shots at St. George's Castle were aimed at direct fire, and St. George's Castle was immediately filled with smoke and boulders.

Mu Yi's choice to bombard this St. George's castle was also carefully studied.

Perched on a hill within the city of Lisbon, São Jorge Castle is the highest point in the city, having been occupied by the Arabs for more than 400 years and later served as the royal palace of the Portuguese.

The old castle of São Jorge is a landmark of Lisbon, like the Tower of Belém, and to attack them is to shock the Portuguese psychologically.

The cannons of all the ships of the Kiln Gang fleet were firing at the same time, and the Kiln Gang people rarely had such an opportunity to use firepower.

All the batteries near the coast of Lisbon were within direct range of the Kiln Gang warships, and as soon as they opened fire, the Portuguese guns basically had no chance to speak. The rumbling of the cannonball, but as soon as the 304-mm cannon on the Tarzan spoke, it suddenly stood out in the chorus of rumbling artillery fire, and every shell exploded with the whole city of Lisbon.

After fighting for a while, Zheng Zhilong said to Mu Yi: "Hey! It's fun, let's get out first! Let His Majesty take a good look at his wounds! ”

"Huh! Lao Zheng, we have blocked Your Majesty! Mu Yi held up the binoculars and said, "It's a pity that St. George's Castle is in ruins before you can take a good look!" ”

Zheng Zhilong held the binoculars and glanced at the smoke-emitting St. George's Castle, put down the binoculars and said, "There is another story in this castle, do you want to hear it?" ”

"Come on! I don't want to hear it, and you can't hold it back! ”

"Haha! Or do you know me! Zheng Zhilong laughed and said, "Then I'll tell you about it!" Pointing in the direction of the castle like a pillar of smoke, "That's it, there was once a great hero I think I should remember." When the Christian Crusaders attacked the castle, the *** cultists who defended the city desperately tried to close the castle gate, and in order to prevent them from closing the gate, a great hero named Martin Monez inserted his body into the gate, and was crushed to death. So the gates were not shut, and the Christian army stormed the castle! ”

"What a hero!" Mu Yi said, "It's a pity to bomb this castle like this!" ”

As Zheng Zhilong said, after the Yaogang fleet ravaged Lisbon, it retreated, and King João IV and his subjects began to tease their wounds.

Despite their skill and preparations, the Portuguese faced a very disparity in their opponents, and the Kiln Gang destroyed almost all the forts on the Lisbon shore with a single artillery fire.

It was not only the Portuguese subjects who were greatly shaken, but João IV was also greatly shocked. Each explosion of the 304-caliber shell sent a shudder to the palace, followed by a scream from the palace. A cannonball of such power that the Portuguese had never seen before, it was as if the devil had descended. Those bishops, priests, and prayers didn't do anything. It wasn't until the Ming Dynasty had enough of the naval warships and retreated that the frightened Lisbon dared to come out to see what was going on?

Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty navy did not fire at civilian targets, let alone the palace, which made Joao IV feel a little comforted.

When he came out to see the ruined St. George's Castle, he was even more glad that the Ming Dynasty still left some leeway for himself, if they really wanted to solve the problem peacefully, their own palace would be like this. This kind of appearance is also made by the Ming Dynasty Navy for themselves, which means that if they continue to fight, their palace will be the same as St. George's Castle. Thinking of this, Joao IV broke out in a cold sweat.

He immediately called a meeting of his ministers to study what to do next.

However, the people who had the meeting had not yet arrived, and two more captives were released by the Ming Dynasty, and they still sent him a letter.

Mu Yi and they know very well that it is not in their interests to destroy Lisbon, and fighting is a means rather than an end. After the fight, I naturally have to make it clear.

Mu Yi's letter naturally hoped to maintain friendship with the Portuguese and be able to conduct trade activities peacefully. If the issue cannot be resolved peacefully, the attack on Lisbon will continue tomorrow. Mu Yi also told João IV in the letter that you can leave Lisbon and flee into the mountains, as the Arabs did, but if you lose Lisbon, the Spaniards will come back and take over here, and we can trade with the Spaniards. In fact, in addition to you Portuguese doing maritime trade, your land is narrow and poor, and if we blockade you for a while, you will be defeated without a fight, and the Spaniards will be able to clean you up. However, if we give up our suspicions and cooperate with us, Lisbon will become the center of European trade, and we guarantee that the Spaniards will not dare to threaten Portugal again, which is a matter of great benefit to both of us, so why don't you seriously consider our proposal?

Ruo Ao IV didn't understand this truth, but he knew that if his country didn't suffer a little loss, the people would not be able to understand themselves correctly, and they would feel that they were extremely powerful, and it was impossible for them to accept the advice of the Ming Dynasty. Now is the time to think about it.

Joao IV sent the letter from the Ming Dynasty and let all the adults read it. After a while, when everyone had arrived, Joao IV looked around at everyone and asked, "When everyone came over, did they all see the consequences of our attack this time?" ”

The adults lowered their usual heads with their usual haughty heads, and when Joao IV saw this, he asked, "What is the matter, noble lords?" Don't dare to look up? That's great! Come on, read the letter sent by the Ming Dynasty to all the adults, listen to it, and then talk about your feelings! ”

One of the courtiers read the letter, and one of the ministers said, "Your Majesty, this is the Ming Dynasty humiliating us!" ”

"Yes, I'm just like you, and I can tell that this is humiliating us! So what, what do we do? João IV asked, staring at him.

The minister sweated a little under the murderous gaze of João IV, "Your Majesty! Me, we ....."

"We? What are we? João IV changed his usual mild attitude, "Bastard thing! We need to face ourselves up to ourselves and not deceive ourselves here. We can't beat them at sea, and we can't beat them on land. As he spoke, he looked around at everyone again, "Ladies and gentlemen, we must face up to the reality and don't deceive ourselves!" ”

One of the adults could not help but say, "But, Your Majesty, the face of our kingdom ......"

"Haha! Until now, what kind of face are you talking about? Joao IV's voice trembled and asked, "Have you seen the Castle of San Giorgio and the Tower of Belém?" ”

"Look, I see!" The adult lowered his head and whispered.

"Face?" Joao IV said loudly to everyone, "You can still talk to me here now, because the Ming Dynasty navy did not bombard my palace and saved us face!" ”

Everyone knows that it is true that the Ming Dynasty did not kill everything, and if they really opened fire on the palace, I am afraid that this place will be in ruins like the castle of St. George and the tower of Belém!

Joao IV looked around and asked, "Shouldn't we consider the Ming Dynasty's proposal today?" ”

An adult quickly understood what the king meant, "Your Majesty, I think that the Ming Dynasty did not bombard the palace, but it didn't want to really start a war with us yet, that is, there was still room for it." If we follow our approach, we are so much stronger than our opponents, and we will definitely not show mercy. I think they must have something to ask us for, so we might as well talk to them again? ”

Joao IV waited for this suggestion and asked, "Ladies and gentlemen, will you all share your opinions?"

"Anyway, let's talk to them first!"

"yes, talk to them first!"

“”

What Joo IV wants is the result, "Since you all feel that you should talk, then send someone to invite them to come and talk again!" ”