Bang bang bang!
Boom boom boom!
Hollow shot attacked the camp, solid shot attacked the city and houses.
Two formations of over twenty ships, eight of which were warships, four on each side, each with three cannons. They lined up on their respective sides, firing simultaneously with twelve cannons each. In the middle were transport ships, heavily protected. Musketeers, relying on the portholes and bulkheads along the ship's sides, unleashed a barrage of fire towards the Wokou on both banks.
The fleet slowly advanced. Wherever it passed, fierce fires erupted on both banks, and rows of houses instantly collapsed, as if being flattened. In just two short periods, the renowned Lì Port, the largest center of private pirates in the East, was turned to ashes.
According to Zhu Mo's rough estimation, due to the dense concentration of camp sites and warehouses on both sides of the port and the lack of planning, most people did not have time to escape when the artillery opened fire. The casualties on both banks numbered no less than three thousand. The civilian residences of Lì Port were located higher up on the slope, and these were the residential areas for the local residents and visiting smugglers. The port itself was mostly occupied by the Wokou and scattered pirates who had stayed behind.
Under the illumination of the widespread fires, one could see parts of the Frolangji cannons scattered all over the ground. Many bodies were also found with fire-lock guns, likely numbering one to two thousand. Of course, many people had escaped, heading towards Gonghou Mountain. It would be a waste to use cannonballs on them.
But from these signs alone, it could be judged:
In the past few months, the Wokou had received significant reinforcements, with their numbers and equipment almost doubling. He remembered that the last time he was at Lì Port, there weren't so many camp sites in the port. At present, the garrison alone was astonishing, and many of the bodies were of red-haired foreigners, indicating that many Western mercenaries had also arrived. It was not hard to imagine that the private pirate forces in the entire East China Sea had been fully mobilized.
If they had acted a little later this time, or if the combat strategy had been slightly off, and the Wokou had taken the initiative to attack, they would have been in a very passive position. How could it have been so easy as it was now? Thinking back, it was hard to say whether it was luck or strength, but the timing was indeed too coincidental...
Gazing at the scorched bodies covering the ground, Zhu Mo shook his head and sighed, feeling that he had committed the heaviest karmic sin in his life. However, tracing the cause, it was also a situation where the arrow was already on the string. Perhaps after the war, he could find a Taoist priest to perform a ritual for the souls, and after Zhoushan was recovered, Lì Port could still be utilized.
Although Lin Mingguo had trained for a considerable time, this was his first real combat experience tonight. Seeing the ferocity of the "Iron Bodhisattva" cannons firsthand, with the enemy unable to even retaliate, he was lost in shock and muttered:
"Academician Zhu, I never imagined the 'Iron Bodhisattva' would have such power..."
Zhu Mo merely smiled. He couldn't be as surprised as Lin Mingguo.
The reason for the great success this time was mainly because the enemy's camp sites were too dense, and the port sides were very narrow. A single cannonball, even a solid shot, would kill a dozen or twenty people, and after the fires erupted, more people were burned to death. If it were in an open area, the results might only be one-third of this.
He patted Lin Mingguo's shoulder and said with a smile:
"Commander Lin, the world has changed. From now on, when you guard Zhoushan, you must learn from this lesson. The camp sites cannot be so dense anymore... Let's go!"
The two teams, ignoring the sporadic fire from muskets and cannons on the shore, sailed north along the currents and soon reached the opening to the sea in the north. This was the main base of the Wokou warships. Looking ahead, one could see a well-organized and massive formation, far beyond the reach of the Fujian Navy.
Lin Mingguo, familiar with naval warfare, immediately sensed that the situation was dire upon seeing that the water fortress consisted of three large camps, more than double the expected number. He blurted out:
"Academician Zhu, we must hurry! Marshal Yu might not be able to hold on!"
Zhu Mo nodded, also feeling a chill down his spine—
This scene indeed exceeded expectations. At this rate, there were probably no less than three hundred Wokou ships. If most of them were equipped with Frolangji cannons, and if they managed to get close, it would be a certain death situation. No matter how fast the "Iron Bodhisattvas" fired, if dozens of ships charged at them suicidally, they would be unable to escape.
At this moment, he felt a slight panic.
Zhu Mo immediately ordered the two teams to split up and set up artillery positions on the four islands of Dapeng Mountain, Yulong Mountain, Hengdang Mountain, and Caihua Mountain, as per the original plan.
At this time, the two teams passed through the water fortress.
Within each fortress, only three to five dilapidated ships remained. Water pile dwellings were built on the shallow beaches, and some Wokou were shouting within. The two fleets naturally showed no mercy, bombarding them with a series of bangs and booms, quickly clearing the waters.
The artillery platforms on each island were all aimed at the water fortress.
Among them, Dapeng Mountain was commanded by Zhu Mo himself from the flagship. Chen Zude was stationed at Caihua Mountain to guard the northernmost reef channel. In the Hengdang Mountain area, due to the narrowness of the islands, each team sent two commanding officers to lead teams to set up firing positions.
Dapeng Mountain and Caihua Mountain were the largest islands and were closest to the water fortress sea area, each equipped with six cannons. The remaining thirteen cannons were loaded onto four warships. After the other ships were fully loaded with cannons and personnel, and supplies were secured, they immediately set sail back to avoid being discovered by returning Wokou and being unable to enter the fortress.
An hour later,
In the entire Wokou water fortress sea area, only four warships remained. Besides the four hundred musketeers who had landed, the remaining two hundred were all on the ships. The four ships were divided into two teams, also hidden in the inlets of the islands. In the darkness, it was difficult for the Wokou to spot them.
This formation was planned beforehand. It was expected that the Wokou would enter the fortress from the Hengdang Mountain direction to the east. If they didn't see the enemy ships, they would sail straight in, thus entering the coverage of fire from all sides. When Yu Dayou's fleet arrived, the artillery fire would double, completely sealing off this sea area.
...
After waiting for another half an hour, it was the darkest time of the night, with the moon completely obscured by layers of dark clouds.
Zhu Mo and Lin Mingguo, at the foot of Dapeng Mountain, were getting a bit anxious with the wait. Soon, dawn would break. The breaking of dawn on the sea was different from on land; it opened up completely at once. At that time, the seawater reflecting the sky's light would make it brighter and clearer than on land.
Lin Mingguo, who had been accustomed to naval warfare for a long time, looked around and saw no sign of activity, worrying: "Academician Zhu, do you think Da Cun will really return?"
Zhu Mo, though also anxious, was certain about this point and affirmed confidently:
"He will! He definitely will! Think about it, what has happened to Lì Port? This was the result of ten years of effort by the Wokou. If Da Cun loses Lì Port, he cannot account for it to anyone. He would definitely have to commit seppuku... I'm telling you, the worse the situation at Lì Port, the more Da Cun will have to come back."
Mm-hmm,
Lin Mingguo pondered for a moment and felt it made sense, but looking around, he still saw no sign.
At this moment,
The sailor on the mast suddenly shouted:
"Academician Zhu, General Lin, the Wokou are here! In the Hengdang Mountain area!"
Whoosh!
Everyone on the ship rushed to the starboard side, clearly seeing a large expanse of starlight appearing between the dark cloud layer and the sea.
Lin Mingguo, who had been accustomed to naval warfare for a long time, immediately recognized the extremely fast speed and the large number of ships. He exclaimed:
"Academician Zhu! It's the Wokou main force!"
Mm,
Zhu Mo also saw clearly and immediately ordered: "We will retreat and hide in the bay on the west side of Dapeng Mountain!"
Lin Mingguo had rehearsed this scenario no less than five times and knew that this juncture was critical. If the Wokou discovered anything unusual, they might flee this sea area. In that case, in the vast ocean, with fewer friendly ships and more enemy ships, with the enemy faster and our side slower, they would likely face complete defeat.
He directed the sailors to row, quickly retreating out of the Wokou ships' line of sight. Chen Zude's Caihua Mountain had many inlets, making it difficult to be spotted.