When the direct artillery battalion of the 6th Army's 18th Division commenced their shelling, the Portuguese soldiers stationed in Macau immediately retaliated.
It must be said, the Portuguese soldiers were quite brave.
Facing the 10,000-plus troops of the 6th Army's 18th Division with their 2,000 men, the Portuguese soldiers were not intimidated. Their artillery returned fire under the overwhelming barrage, and their musketeers formed up normally, prepared to engage in a head-on confrontation at any moment.
Unfortunately, the disparity in numbers, weaponry, and military technology was not something that pure courage could overcome.
Ever since being defeated by Spain, Portugal's national strength had been on a continuous decline. Particularly the magnitude 9 Lisbon earthquake in 1755, followed by a tsunami and fires, had leveled almost the entire city of Lisbon – a disaster that was an unbearable blow to Portugal's economy at the time.
If it were merely such a disaster, it would not have plunged the Portuguese Empire into extreme difficulty. However, as England grew stronger, Portugal's own national strength declined year by year, like the saying "Wang Xiao Er's New Year, better than last year." It was only able to survive by relying on India and Macau to funnel resources to the homeland.
Therefore, Portugal's firearms technology remained at the level of old flintlock muskets requiring ramrods to load projectiles along with falconets. The tactic most familiar to Portuguese soldiers was also the line-up-and-fire maneuver – the best tactic summarized by all of Europe during the flintlock era.
However, the Ming Dynasty's army used percussion-fired lead bullets. Although they also required ramrods to load the bullets into the barrel, the firing speed was faster than original flintlock muskets, and their range and accuracy were higher. Not to mention that the Ming Dynasty's cannons were also slightly more advanced than the falconets equipped by Portugal.
On the battlefield, this slight difference was enough to determine the outcome of a war.
What was even more critical was that Portugal's falconets needed to conserve ammunition, while the Ming army spared no thought for ammunition or barrels, simply pounding shells wave after wave.
Consequently, Portugal's artillery and musket units were quickly stunned.
By the time the artillery battalion commander Lin finished expending his shells and divine arrows, Portugal's military strength in Macau had been virtually wiped out. The so-called Minister of Overseas Colonies, Castro, the chief justice, and city council members had already fled to ships, while the remaining Portuguese barbarians gathered by the sea, anxiously awaiting the Portuguese fleet to pick them up.
As the Minister of Overseas Colonies, Castro never expected Portugal to be defeated so cleanly and swiftly. In just one morning, Portugal's army was completely crippled, and Macau, occupied for over two hundred years, had fallen into the hands of the Ming people.
Castro didn't even know how he would report this matter to Maria I.
Because Maria I, the undisputed ruling Queen of Portugal, was a rather peculiar figure –
Maria I's full name was Maria Francisca Isabel Josefa Antonia Gertrudes Rita Joana, a name that was difficult for most people to remember.
But it didn't matter, remembering Maria I was enough. The key point of memory was that she married her father's brother, her uncle Peter III, and had seven children. She was known as "Maria the Pious" in Spain and "Maria the Mad" in Brazil.
At this particular time, her husband had just died, and Maria I herself was suffering from mental derangement. Castro couldn't figure out what kind of excuse he could use to gloss over the loss of Macau.
Should he say something like "destroyed a hundred million enemies and retreated to Portugal"?
Not only did Castro lack the courage, but even if he did, someone would have to believe it – unless he could resurrect the deceased Peter III.
More importantly, he first had to be able to return to Portugal alive. Because as soon as Castro ordered the fleet to sail towards India, the South China Sea Fleet launched an attack on the Portuguese fleet.
Everything was like a replay of the ground war.
The Ming Dynasty's fleet's cannons had a slightly higher rate of fire, slightly better accuracy, and slightly greater power – so Castro's fleet quickly raised a white flag.
However, the South China Sea Fleet did not accept Castro's surrender. This was because the commander of the South China Sea Fleet, Lin Pan, had already issued an order: no prisoners were to be taken, and no laborers were to be captured, leaving such tasks to the brothers in the army.
Think about it, this was a naval battle. Everyone was busy smashing each other with cannons. Who had the time to care about those unfortunate souls falling into the water or surrendering? What if their own side ceased fire to rescue them, only to have the enemy fire their cannons?
Therefore, Castro sank.
Lin Pan, looking at the sea where no Portuguese ships remained, immediately curled his lips and ordered his messenger, "Hoist the signal flags, aim at the barbarians on shore, open fire, and make them retreat!"
...
Zhu Erdan, holding the battle reports from the commander of the 6th Army, Luo Xingchang, and the commander of the South China Sea Fleet, Lin Pan, looked at them back and forth for a long time before concluding –
The commander of the 6th Army, Luo Xingchang, thought the South China Sea Fleet would bring back some prisoners as laborers, so he didn't leave any survivors. The commander of the South China Sea Fleet, Lin Pan, thought the 6th Army would capture some prisoners as laborers, so he also didn't leave any survivors.
These two scoundrels had completely wiped out all the Portuguese barbarians in Macau, creating a magnificent pyre of skulls, but not a single laborer was left!
Zhu Erdan paced back and forth with the battle report, muttering, "What should be done? These two scoundrels are both in Guangzhou, but I, the Grand Governor of the Front Army Governor's Office, am in Jinan. Isn't this going to make me take the blame for them?"
Zhu Erdan wanted to summon both Luo Xingchang and Lin Pan back to Jinan to be reprimanded, but considering the possibility of Portugal sending troops to attack, he had to abandon this idea.
Then Zhu Erdan took the battle report, found Zhu Jinsong, and said with a sheepish smile, "Imperial Brother, your brother has two battle reports from Luo Xingchang and Lin Pan. There's good news and bad news. Which one would you like to hear first?"
Zhu Jinsong glanced at Zhu Erdan and scoffed, "Are you stupid? Have you forgotten what the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Heaven and Earth Society are for?"
"These two scoundrels both thought the other would keep prisoners, so not only did they not bring back laborers, but these two also happened to plow through the entirety of Macau with cannon fire, didn't they?"
"You don't need to tell me about this. I don't care. You go find Uncle Huaiwen later, and see if he asks you for money to buy cats."
Upon hearing about Liu Huaiwen buying cats, Zhu Erdan immediately panicked.
Who in the entire Ming court didn't know that the first person not to be provoked was Emperor Zhu Jinsong of the Ming Dynasty, and the second person not to be provoked was Liu Huaiwen? After all, Liu Huaiwen controlled the Ming Dynasty's purse strings, holding the budgets of various departments tightly. This time, not only did Luo Xingchang and Lin Pan, those scoundrels, not leave any prisoners, but they also flattened Macau, and no one knew how much money it would cost for post-war reconstruction...
Thinking of Liu Huaiwen blocking his doorstep demanding money to buy cats, Zhu Erdan immediately shook his head, driving the terrifying image from his mind, and then looked at Zhu Jinsong with a mournful face: "Big Brother, you must save me. If Uncle Huaiwen really asks me to pay for cats, then my situation with Er Ni will be in jeopardy, and your unborn nephew..."
Zhu Jinsong really wanted to ask Zhu Erdan how he could be so shameless – Liu Huaiwen's Er Ni was six years younger than him, Zhu Erdan, and was only fourteen now, yet he was already thinking about her!
Zhu Jinsong couldn't help but gloat and said, "Solve your own problems. Anyway, I'll tell you one thing: the Great Ming Law clearly stipulates that marriage is not allowed before the age of eighteen. If Huaiwen uncle finds out you're thinking of his Er Ni, I won't side with you."
Although he said he wouldn't help, Zhu Jinsong wouldn't really let Liu Huaiwen go to Zhu Erdan to demand money to buy cats.
Therefore, after careful consideration, Zhu Jinsong instructed Zhu Erdan, "Tell those scoundrels Luo Xingchang and Lin Pan to search Macau carefully and see if there are any surviving Portuguese barbarians. If there are, have them go back to deliver the message."
Zhu Erdan shook his head and said, "You know them too well. If those two scoundrels say there are no surviving barbarians, then there definitely aren't any."
Zhu Jinsong hummed and frowned, "This is a bit tricky."
"If there were survivors, we could at least let a few go back to deliver the message. Then, after Portugal sent troops, we would cripple them again, forcing Portugal to pay double the compensation for the Ming Dynasty's military expenses. Uncle Huaiwen wouldn't have to ask you for money to buy cats. The problem is that these two scoundrels didn't leave a single survivor."
After thinking, Zhu Jinsong finally decided to let the French barbarians inform the Portuguese barbarians –
If Louis XVI knew that Portugal had run into great misfortune in the Far East, he would enthusiastically send troops to wreck Portugal's operations, because France had been severely beaten by England and had long wanted to beat someone else to vent their anger, but their national treasury was so empty that they had to give up this idea.
After all, fighting wars was risky. If they won, it was fine. But if they lost, wouldn't that further strain the national treasury?
However, beating Portugal was absolutely fine.
Because as long as Louis XVI embellished the events in the Far East to Maria I of Portugal, Maria I would likely send troops to trouble the Ming Dynasty, and Louis XVI could take advantage of Portugal's domestic troop shortage to attack Portugal directly, forcing Portugal to compensate France for its military expenses.
In this way, the task assigned by the Ming Dynasty would be completed, France's treasury would recover some of its deficits, and it would also help the Ming Dynasty vent its anger. Louis XVI would absolutely not let go of such a win-win situation.
The more Zhu Jinsong thought about it, the more reliable this method seemed, so he summoned Zeng Cheng and other influential figures to the temporary palace.
After everyone had gathered, Zhu Jinsong began by saying, "I have heard that there is a custom among the barbarians in Europe where the defeated nation must compensate the victor for military expenses – it is clear that our Ming Dynasty is the victor, and Portugal is the defeated nation."
"Therefore, I intend to let the King of Portugal know about the battle of Macau, and then have France mediate, first forcing Portugal to pay a sum of military expenses, and when the South China Sea Fleet can conduct long-distance operations, then we will launch an expedition to Portugal."
As soon as he heard about getting money, Liu Huaiwen immediately agreed: "Your Majesty is wise. Our Ming Dynasty's treasury is so empty that mice run through it. If Portugal can compensate us with military expenses, it would be most welcome."
After thinking, Liu Huaiwen became somewhat conflicted: "I heard that those Portuguese barbarians are also quite poor. What if they cannot pay the military expenses to compensate our Ming Dynasty? Taking their mines or something doesn't seem useful, does it? Didn't Your Majesty set a three-year deadline?"
As for what pretext the Ming Dynasty would use to attack Portugal after three years, if Portugal had already compensated them for their military expenses, that was something they could directly ask scholars like Zeng Cheng, who could always come up with perfect excuses.
However, the thought of the three-year deadline made Liu Huaiwen's head ache again.
If Emperor Zhu Jinsong of the Ming Dynasty said that he wanted to see the King of Portugal in the Forbidden City after three years, did that mean that the Ming Dynasty would wage war against the Jurchen Qing within three years?
ps: After thinking about it, I still added another chapter. Good night, silly book friends!