sovbooks Chapter 133 Tracking at Sea
Chapter 133 Tracking at Sea
Chapter 133 Tracking at Sea
5:00 AM (卯时).
Dengzhou Wharf.
Before dawn, a thin layer of morning mist shrouded the sea.
Eleven ships lay silently anchored in the harbor, their masts towering and sails billowing. Their hulls appeared and disappeared in the morning mist, like a pack of lurking beasts.
Lu Yan stood at the bow of the flagship "Zhenhai" and looked at the distant horizon.
The Zhenhai was a converted Fujian-style ship, about ten zhang long and three zhang wide, with a deep draft and good stability. It was equipped with two breech-loading cannons, and there were ten firing ports on each side of the hull, allowing flintlock musketeers to fire from inside.
This is Lu Yan's flagship, and also the most heavily armed warship in the entire fleet.
"Boss, the wind is blowing in the right direction."
Zhao Changying walked to his side and said in a low voice.
"Okay." Lu Yan nodded. "Pass down the order to weigh anchor."
6
"yes!
'
The bugle sounded, deep and long.
Eleven ships weighed anchor at the same time, their sails slowly rising and billowing in the morning breeze.
The fleet slowly sailed out of the port and headed northeast.
The fleet sailed at sea for two hours.
The sun has risen, the morning mist has dissipated, and the sea is a deep blue.
Lu Yan stood at the bow of the ship, looking at the distant horizon.
"Master," Shen Qing said, stepping out of the cabin with a nautical chart in his hand, "According to the intelligence provided by our spies, the Li family's pirate stronghold is on a small island northeast of the Changshan Islands."
He pointed to a point on the nautical chart.
"This island is called 'Black Reef Island,' and it is about 120 miles from Dengzhou. There are simple piers, barracks, and warehouses on the island, and seven or eight fast boats are moored there."
How many people are guarding the island?
'
"About two hundred men," Shen Qing said. "Most of them are desperate criminals, very fierce. But their weapons are mainly knives, spears, bows and arrows; they have no firearms."
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-
Lu Yan nodded.
"Two hundred men, seven or eight ships," he said thoughtfully. "We have one hundred and fifty men, eleven ships, one hundred and twenty flintlock muskets, and five breech-loading cannons. In terms of firepower, we have an absolute advantage."
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"But naval warfare is different from land warfare," Zhao Changying said. "The sea is rough, the ships rock, and the accuracy of muskets will be affected. Moreover, the enemy's fast ships are fast, and if they don't engage us in direct combat but instead scatter and flee, it will be difficult for us to catch up."
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"So we need to catch them off guard," Lu Yan said. "Before they can react, we'll first use cannons to sink a few ships and disrupt their formation. Then we'll use flintlock muskets to suppress them and prevent them from getting close."
J
"Does the boss mean—long-range firepower suppression?"
"That's right," Lu Yan said. "Our advantage is firearms, while their advantage is close combat. As long as we don't let them get close, we've already won this battle."
"6
Zhao Changying nodded, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.
"Understood."
Another hour passed.
The fleet has entered the waters around the Changshan Islands.
The area is dotted with numerous islands and reefs, and the sea conditions are complex. Lu Yan stood at the bow of the ship, looking at the scattered islands in the distance, secretly making plans in his mind.
"Master, Black Reef Island is just ahead."
Shen Qing pointed to a small island in the distance.
Lu Yan followed his finger and saw a small island standing alone in the sea, with jagged rocks and sparse vegetation. On the south side of the island was a small harbor with seven or eight boats moored there.
"I see it," Lu Yan said. "Pass down the order to put the entire army on alert."
T
"yes!
'
The bugle sounded again, this time with three short blasts, one long blast, and a combat alarm.
The eleven ships quickly changed formation, from a column to a line, spreading out in a fan shape. The flagship "Zhenhai" was in the center, with the other ships positioned on either side.
The ship's guards poured out of the cabins and took their positions.
The flintlock musketeers crouched behind the ship's gunwale, aiming ahead through the firing ports.
The gunners stood beside the breech-loading cannons, loading gunpowder and lead bullets.
Zhao Changying stood at the bow of the ship, holding a long sword, his eyes blazing.
"Master," he whispered, "the enemy has discovered us."
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Lu Yan looked towards Black Reef Island.
A commotion broke out on the island's dock. Several figures were running, seemingly shouting something.
A moment later, the ships in the harbor began to move.
Seven fast ships weighed anchor one after another, their sails raised, and headed toward Lu Yan's fleet.
"They're here." Lu Yan's lips curled up slightly. "Pass down the order to prepare for battle."
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The two sides are getting closer and closer.
Lu Yan stood at the bow of the ship, calmly observing the enemy's formation.
Those seven fast ships were all sand barges, small in size, fast, and highly maneuverable. The "pirates" on board, armed with knives, guns, bows, and arrows, stood at the bow, howling and looking menacing.
"Master, the enemy wants to get close to us and engage in boarding action," Zhao Changying said.
-
"I know," Lu Yan said. "We can't let them get close. Pass down the order: when they're three hundred paces away, the cannons will fire."
"yes!
'
The distance between the two sides continued to shrink.
Four hundred steps — three hundred — three —
"Fire!"
'
Lu Yan gave the order.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
'
The five breech-loading cannons fired simultaneously, spewing out bursts of flame and thick smoke from their muzzles.
The lead bullets whistled as they flew toward the enemy ship.
"Bang!
'
A lead bullet struck the bow of a speedboat, sending wood chips flying and causing the boat to rock violently.
"Bang!"
Another lead bullet struck the mast of another fast boat, snapping it in two and causing the sails to collapse.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
'
Several lead bullets landed around the enemy ship, creating towering columns of water.
The enemy's formation was immediately thrown into chaos.
The "pirates" clearly hadn't expected their opponents to have cannons. Panic ensued; some wanted to continue charging, while others tried to turn tail and run, creating utter chaos.
"Good!" Zhao Changying exclaimed with delight, "You hit the target!"
"Keep loading!" Lu Yan said in a deep voice, "Don't stop!"
The gunners quickly loaded gunpowder and lead bullets, preparing for the second salvo.
At the same time, the enemy's fast boats had already closed to within two hundred paces.
"Flintlock muskets, get ready!" Lu Yan shouted.
One hundred and twenty flintlock musketeers simultaneously raised their rifles and aimed at the enemy ship through the firing ports.
"put!
'
"Bang bang bang bang bang"
One hundred and twenty flintlock muskets fired simultaneously, the gunshots as dense as popping beans.
Lead bullets rained down on the enemy ship.
The "pirates" on the enemy ship fell one after another, their screams echoing throughout the ship.
"Load!"
The flintlock musketeers quickly loaded their ammunition.
The advantages of flintlock muskets are fully demonstrated at this moment: high rate of fire, high accuracy, and resistance to moisture.
Traditional matchlock guns take more than half a minute to reload, and the match cord is easily extinguished by sea breeze or wetted by seawater.
But flintlock muskets are different. They use flint to strike a fire, do not require a match, and are much faster to load.
Before the enemy could react, the flintlock musketeers had already completed their second round of reloading.
"put!
'
Another salvo.
The "pirates" on the enemy ship fell in droves once again.
"Third round, release!"
'
"Fourth round, release!"
Four volleys of fire inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy.
Of the seven fast boats, two have already been sunk by cannon fire, one has lost power due to a broken mast, and the remaining four are also badly damaged.
The pirates on the ship were either dead or wounded, and those who survived were terrified and turned to flee.
"Chase them!" Lu Yan waved his hand. "Don't let them get away!"
"6
The fleet gave chase at full speed.
Half an hour later.
Black Reef Island, harbor.
Lu Yan's fleet has already approached the island.
The naval battle resulted in a one-sided massacre—of the seven enemy ships, four were sunk and three were captured. The enemy suffered nearly a hundred casualties and more than thirty prisoners.
On Lu Yan's side, only a dozen or so people were injured, and no one was killed.
"Master," Zhao Changying walked to Lu Yan's side, "there are still remnants of the enemy on the island. Should we go ashore and wipe them out?"
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Lu Yan looked at Black Reef Island.
The island's docks were deserted; the "pirates" were clearly terrified by the ferocity of the naval battle and had all taken refuge in the island's barracks.
"Land on the island," Lu Yan said. "Leave no one alive."
"yes!"
Zhao Changying turned around and gave the order.
More than a dozen small boats were lowered from the large ship, and the soldiers jumped onto the boats and rowed towards the island.
Lu Yan also boarded a small boat and personally led the team to the island.
Black Reef Island, pier.
The moment Lu Yan stepped onto the dock, the wooden planks beneath his feet creaked.
The dock was a scene of devastation—broken masts, shattered planks, scattered cargo, and the corpses of several "pirates."
"Master, be careful." Shen Qing walked beside Lu Yan, holding a short knife in her hand, and vigilantly observed her surroundings.
Lu Yan nodded and led his personal guards toward the island.
The barracks on the island were located behind the pier, consisting of a row of simple wooden huts. The doors and windows of the huts were tightly closed, and there was no sound coming from inside.
"Surround them," Lu Yan said in a low voice.
The guards quickly dispersed and surrounded the barracks.
"Listen up, you inside!" Zhao Changying shouted. "You are surrounded! Lay down your weapons, come out and surrender, and we'll spare your lives! Resist to the bitter end, and we'll kill you without mercy!"
'
The barracks were completely silent.
A moment later, a door creaked open.
A burly man with a full beard stepped forward, holding a knife with the tip pointing downwards, signifying surrender.
"No—don't kill me—" his voice trembled, "I surrender—"
Behind him, a dozen or so "pirates" emerged, each one dejected, like defeated roosters.
"Tie him up," Lu Yan said.
The guards stepped forward and tied the "pirates" up tightly.
Zhao Changying led his men to search the barracks and soon made a discovery.
"Master!" He emerged from a wooden hut, carrying a wooden box. "Look at this!"
Lu Yan took the wooden box, opened it, and found a stack of account books and several letters inside.
He casually flipped through the account books, a cold smile appearing on his face.
The ledger contained a list of goods looted by this group of "pirates" over the years—silk, porcelain, tea, copper, iron, saltpeter, sulfur—
Each shipment was marked with the words "Delivered to Li Mansion".
"The evidence is conclusive," Lu Yan said. "The Li family's relationship with this group of 'pirates' can no longer be denied."
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He picked up the letters again and looked at them carefully.
The letter was written by Li Shouzhen to the pirate leader, instructing them on which merchant ships to plunder and which sea routes to avoid.
Where to deliver the goods?
"Good, good, good." Lu Yan said "good" three times in a row. "Li Shouzhen, you've just handed your head to me."
He carefully put away the account books and letters, then turned to Zhao Changying and said, "Continue the search. Turn over all the warehouses on the island. I need to know exactly how much the Li family has smuggled."
"6
"yes!
'