Zhao Shichao stood on the high slope and raised his binoculars to carefully note the location of the enemy's artillery - there was a heavy cannon on the east side of the earthen fortress, and it was estimated that the projectile should be thirteen catties. There are two smaller ones on the west side, about four pounds.

However, no matter which size of the cannon is, it can easily cross a distance of more than 200 paces and hit the shore.

However, the Zhu family, who was responsible for connecting and reinforcing the boats, did not insist at all, and as soon as the cannon sounded, he ordered the soldiers to quickly withdraw out of the range of enemy artillery.

It wasn't until nightfall that he led the men to tow away the smashed boats, while dozens of freshly requisitioned boats were tied together with iron cables.

……

"Nine hundred and sixty-two, nine hundred and sixty-three......" Fausto's adjutant carefully "counted" the number of Ming troops on the other side, until he counted to nine hundred and seventy, and finally stopped.

He turned his hand and slipped the binoculars to another officer beside him, "Nine hundred and seventy, three less than Núñez." ”

"Almost." The latter quickly wrote down the figures, "The main force of the front line is 2,100 men, the covering force on the two flanks is 920, plus these 970 people who remain in the battalion, the enemy forces concentrated on the opposite bank are ...... Well, about 4,000 people. ”

He then ran to Fausto and reported the result to the lieutenant. He had to do similar work every four hours to determine the movements of the Ming army.

"Sir, the number of people in the intelligence is the same, they should all be here."

"Okay." Fausto looked at the fishing boats in the telescope and nodded, then said to the lieutenant, "Keep watch."

"Oh, by the way, let the gunners slow down and shoot their guns. The enemy has not yet boarded the ship, do not waste shells on these broken planks. ”

"Yes, sir!"

It seems that this auxiliary king is about to make up his mind to force the crossing. The corners of Fausto's mouth hooked up a smug smile, "Don't you see that the artillery fire on my side is very weak?" Come on, when your soldiers are on board, I'll give you a 'surprise'." ”

He had three twelve-pounder guns, two four-pounder and two six-pounder guns, but he only ordered three of them, one large and two small, to open fire to show weakness.

If the Ming army boarded a large number of ships and forced the crossing, all the artillery on his side would open full firepower and fire fiercely at the boats in the center of the river, which would definitely inflict heavy losses on the unsuspecting troops crossing the river.

"No, it's still not enough." As an experienced career officer, he knew that he had to try to wipe out the enemy in the Pearl River in order to maximize his victory.

"Song, follow me." He beckoned the interpreter who was standing not far away, walked towards Tong Yizhen's military tent, and said to himself, "You should ambush the gunboats on the river near here, and then suddenly rush out to shoot when the enemy crosses the river......

"Let these Orientals have a good understanding of the art of war." He smiled triumphantly again.

……

Zhang Jiayu looked around at the terrain, took out the map for comparison, and quickly determined his location.

In two nights, he led his troops to drive more than 80 miles, and by this time he had reached the upper reaches of the Pearl River, which was almost the limit of night marching in this era.

This is basically the location chosen by His Royal Highness the Vice-Chancellor.

He looked up at the sky, and the morning light was beginning to appear, so he ordered the herald beside him: "Stop the march and let everyone rest." The hussars went out five miles to be on guard. ”

"Yes!"

When the brigade set up camp in the woods four or five miles away from the Pearl River, Zhang Jiayu gathered several officers and said to Chen Yi first: "Okay, it's up to your engineer company today." ”

"Don't worry, I've just seen the river, and the water flow is much slower than Futun Creek. Shen Shi began to build bridges, and the passage of the army was guaranteed before dark. ”

"Okay." Zhang Jiayu nodded, and then instructed Chen Xiongfei, "The artillery should also disassemble the artillery carriage in advance, and cross the river first before it gets dark." ”

"Half an hour is enough to dismantle it." Chen Xiongfei said with a smile, "Last time in Futunxi, the artillery was the slowest move, and after we went back, we could figure out a set of good ways to drag the artillery across the bridge, and this time we promised not to delay things." ”

After discussing the arrangements for bridging and crossing the river, and what to do if they encountered enemy patrol boats, they went to rest.

Before the sky was completely dark, a pontoon bridge nearly a mile long miraculously appeared on the surface of the Pearl River. The company of chasseurs first ran across the bridge and set up improvised defensive positions on the other side of the river. Then Chen Xiongfei personally led people, put the barrel on several wooden planks with small wheels, and slowly dragged it across the bridge.

By the time of the ugly time, all 900 soldiers of the Dragon Guard had crossed the river. Zhang Jiayu counted the number of people on the west bank of the Pearl River, and without delaying for a moment, he immediately led the team to the south.

Chen Yi worked tirelessly, and ordered the sappers to dismantle all the pontoon bridges, so as not to be discovered by Tong Yizhen's people, and he was busy until dawn the next day.

Two days later, Zhang Jiayu's troops had rushed to the north side of Guangzhou for more than ten miles, but they were scattered and ambushed by the river, just waiting for the movement of the auxiliary king.

The next day, it was just dawn. Fausto was dreaming that he had contributed to Portugal's acquisition of Macau, and His Majesty had conferred on him the title of Baron.

The Governor was holding a knighthood ceremony for him, when suddenly a piercing shout dragged him out of his dream, "Enemy attack! ”

"The enemy army is crossing the river!"

"Tell the lieutenant!"

He got up with a skelet, suddenly sleepless, rushed out of the military tent in a few steps, took the telescope handed over by the adjutant on the side, and saw nearly a hundred boats and boats on the river full of sails heading towards him. In the dim light, the ship could be faintly seen filled with Ming soldiers in dark green military uniforms, and dense wooden oars sticking out of the side of the boat on both sides.

"What are you doing in a daze?!" He yelled at his lieutenant, "Fire, fire!" ”

Then he hurried to the fortifications and shouted to the mercenaries, who were still a little drowsy: "Get up for me!" Get ready to meet the enemy! ”

Not long after, Tong Yizhen's people also found that the Ming army was crossing the river, and suddenly the military drums sounded, and the Cantonese soldiers hurriedly held bows and guns, and looked out of the earthen ramparts.

The next moment, the three twelve-pounder cannons behind the earthen ramparts were the first to roar. One shell fell into the river, while the other two iron balls accurately hit one of the sand boats at the front.

Bento vaguely saw the soldiers on the ship fall into the middle of the river like sacks, whistled triumphantly, and skillfully instructed his men to clear the chambers and reload them again.

Subsequently, the four-pounder and six-pounder guns also began to fire, and in an instant several columns of water two feet high were stirred up on the surface of the river, and all the boats crossing the river were stopped by heavy artillery fire, and the speed became slower and slower.

However, the Portuguese mercenaries on the west bank of the Pearl River began to form in an orderly manner, lighting the flotting rope, and about 200 Spanish heavy muskets immediately poked out of the firing holes of the earthen ramparts.