bookrebus Chapter 185 Choice
Chapter 185 Choice
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The Zheng brothers were dumbfounded. They couldn't believe that this cannon was so powerful. Not to mention their own small cannons and muskets, even the Dutch cannons weren't necessarily this powerful.
They did not understand that the caliber of a cannon is generally proportional to its power. Compared with the Dutch 18-pound and 12-pound snake cannons and half snake cannons, the 32-pound caron cannon was almost twice as powerful except for its shorter range. One 32-pound solid shot was more destructive than two 18-pound solid shots, and even the number of shot pellets was much greater.
After a salvo, most of the "sailors" were wiped out. The Zheng brothers thought that was the end of it, and Zheng Zhihu was even thinking about how to save face. Unexpectedly, a second round of shelling began immediately afterward.
"Boom boom boom," the cannons roared, and the second volley of shells completely wiped out the remaining "sailors" on deck. When the smoke cleared, the deck was empty. Zheng Zhihu's mouth gaped open, big enough to fit an egg—if the deck had been full of living people, these two volleys of shells would have wiped out the crew of ten ships from just three ships. Four or five hundred men were gone without even touching the enemy.
Zheng Zhilong clenched his fists. Although he had learned about this type of cannon from the Battle of the Pearl River Estuary, seeing it with his own eyes still deeply shocked him. For boarding manpower tactics, this cannon was simply a natural nemesis. Even the fiercest warriors were only flesh and blood; how could they withstand this torrential rain of shrapnel?
Even Liu Ye's men thought the drill was over and were preparing to use the cannon fire as an opportunity to have a serious talk with Zheng Zhilong. Then, the booming sound of cannons rang out again, and the third round of shelling began. Liu Ye and his men were stunned, and the Zheng brothers were even more dumbfounded: such a firing speed was something even the Dutch, known for their superior artillery, couldn't match.
Unlike the previous two rounds, this time solid shot was used. The nearly 30-pound iron balls slammed into the ships, and the enormous kinetic energy pierced through the hulls, creating huge holes. Seawater began to pour in, and the ships slowly tilted and sank. The ten ships, already tottering in the storm, were like fragile toys, almost falling apart. It looked like most of the ships were about to sink.
Liu Ye was quite surprised. It was just a drill; they should have stopped short of a real battle. This was too much, making it seem like a real fight. Worried that Zheng Zhilong would be enraged, he deliberately said loudly, "This Li Fei is really clueless. What is he trying to do? We'll teach him a lesson when he gets down." As he said this, he secretly observed Zheng Zhilong and the others out of the corner of his eye. He found that everyone from Zheng Zhilong to his brothers and cousins was staring wide-eyed in disbelief, showing no sign of anger whatsoever.
Zheng Zhilong was usually very careful not to show his emotions, not only to his subordinates but also to his own brothers, in order to maintain the authority of the head of the family. However, after three rounds of cannon fire, he could no longer contain his shock. His mouth gaped open, and only one thought occupied his mind: I must obtain this cannon, no matter the cost! With such cannons, the Zheng family fleet would be like a tiger with wings, making the annihilation of Liu Xiang and the defeat of the Dutch a piece of cake. The entire Ming Dynasty's maritime territory would then be unchallenged!
The third round of shelling had ended, and everyone stared silently at the sea, fearing there might be a fourth.
At this moment, Silva, a black sailor under Li Fei's command, emerged from the cabin and ran to the stern waving a small flag. This was the pre-arranged signal that the shelling had ended, and everyone on shore breathed a sigh of relief. If the shelling had continued, the Zheng family would not only have lost all face, but would have been utterly humiliated.
Right after the drill ended, Zheng Zhilong's side made a complete 180-degree turn in attitude. Zheng Zhihu stopped his taunts and sarcastic remarks and instead warmly invited Liu Ye and his group to rest at the inn, saying that it was getting late and they should get some rest before talking again the next day.
After escorting Liu Ye and his party to the post station, the Zheng brothers dismissed the rest of their men, closed the gates of the government office, and held a closed-door meeting.
Zheng Zhilong remained silent, his face tense, seemingly lost in thought. Zheng Zhihu, Zheng Zhibao, and the others were still replaying the scene they had just witnessed in their minds, their hearts still pounding with fear. Zheng Zhiwan and the others were cousins, of lower status than the others, and since they didn't speak, they were unwilling to speak rashly either. For a moment, the main hall of the yamen fell silent.
Zheng Zhilong walked a few steps in the main hall of the government office. After thinking for a while, Zheng Zhilong seemed to have sorted out his thoughts and said, "There are no outsiders here, we are all brothers. If you have any thoughts, please speak up."
Zheng Zhihu spoke first: "Brother, this cannon is much better than the Hongyi cannons cast by the imperial court, and even the Dutch cannons are inferior. Whether we buy it or rob it, we must get our hands on it!"
Everyone agreed.
Zheng Zhilong nodded slowly: "Second brother is right. The cannons cast by the imperial court are powerful weapons for defending cities, but they are too cumbersome to put on ships. Only a few can be carried on a ship, and they are difficult to load. They look good but are not practical. The Dutch cannons are indeed sharp, but they are far inferior to these short cannons. Have you ever seen a Dutch cannon fire so many small cannons at once? And at such a fast rate of fire?"
They had seen the Dutch cannons before. Although they were extremely powerful at a range of several hundred paces and could reach over a thousand paces at the furthest distance, they did not have such a fast range or such powerful shot and bullets.
Zheng Zhibao asked, "Brother, we absolutely need this cannon. But what about their proposal to form an alliance? What should we do?"
Zheng Zhilong hesitated and said, "This is where my dilemma lies. Even if Liu Xiang is colluding with the Dutch, as long as we have this kind of cannon, my chances of winning are still quite good. Why should we involve outsiders to share the benefits when we can do it ourselves? But judging from the tone of this man surnamed Xia, I'm afraid he will only sell the cannon if we form an alliance, and he won't sell it if we don't form an alliance."
Zheng Zhihu slammed his hand on the table and said, "Brother, didn't you already say that if they sell cannons, they can pass through Fujian? If they don't sell, not a single ship can pass! Let's see if they sell or not!"
Among the brothers, Zheng Hongkui was the most mature and prudent. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Second brother is right. But at the time, we thought this cannon was at most similar to the Dutch one, nothing more or less, which is why we were so confident. But after today's incident, everyone understands that this cannon is even better than the Dutch one. Most importantly, it is short, compact, and lightweight, making it more suitable for our ships, so it is indispensable. Since that's the case, we can't afford to offend them too much and end up with a complete breakdown, which would benefit no one."
Zheng Zhilong nodded: "Third brother is right. Scholars say that one who is without desires is invincible. But if one has to ask for something from others, one's back will not be straight. Let's all think about how to buy cannons smoothly without hurting feelings or forming an alliance."