Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 113 Victory in the Naval Battle

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Zuo Wuwei inquired about their situation and learned that after the second round of shelling, apart from the ships that sank on the spot, many other ships, like theirs, drifted downstream with the northeast wind. Because the ships were scattered in all directions, the pirates' several large ships could not cover them all, and many ships actually escaped the second round of shelling.

Zuo Wuwei said, "So, more of our ships will drift over. We need to find a way to rescue them, let them see this side, gather together, and then find a way to escape back inland."

He was the garrison commander of the firearms battalion, currently holding the highest rank and becoming the backbone of the group. His suggestion was unanimously approved. They found a recess in the rock face, gathered some partially damp branches, and lit them with a flint. The burning branches emitted acrid smoke that shot straight into the air, visible from afar.

Whether they were destined to run aground on the beach or were drawn by the fire and smoke, one after another, dilapidated ships ran aground nearby. The sun hadn't completely set yet, and some ships drifted away from the island. The soldiers jumped into the water and swam towards the fire. Some, exhausted, disappeared into the sea, but most, driven by their will to survive, reached the shore.

More and more people gathered, and the beach was overflowing. Zuo Wuwei roughly counted them and found that there were as many as five or six hundred people, including soldiers from the firearms battalion and soldiers from the standard battalion.

The rain intensified, the sea wind howled, and everyone felt cold on their foreheads and soaked to the bone; some even began to chatter. Zuo Wuwei thought to himself that this couldn't go on. Although Guangdong was warm, being exposed to the wind and rain like this was unsustainable; even the strongest person couldn't withstand it. So he led a few men from the firearms battalion to search the surrounding area for shelter from the storm.

However, after walking more than a mile into the island, they found that the island was not only deserted, but also a flat expanse of yellow sand as far as the eye could see, with no caves or other places to hide.

Several soldiers from the artillery battalion couldn't help but lament, "It's like when it rains, it pours. We were already unlucky enough to suffer a defeat at sea, and now that we've finally escaped to this island, we don't even have a place to shelter from the wind and rain..."

Zuo Wuwei reassured them, "It's good enough that we've made it to this island. At least we won't get caught in a storm and sink to the bottom of the sea to feed the fish. Let's keep looking ahead."

The sun was setting, and visibility was poor due to the wind and rain. The sand softened when it got wet, and one foot would sink halfway into it. The group could only grope their way forward, one step at a time.

After walking about a mile, the group felt the ground beneath their feet gradually harden, no longer the soft yellow sand. Ahead, they could vaguely see a dark mass, unsure whether it was trees or wild animals. Someone drew their knife.

Zuo Wuwei stopped and observed for a moment; the dark mass remained motionless.

“This thing is taller than a person, so it shouldn’t be a wild animal. There are very few trees on this deserted island, so how could there be such a large wild animal?” He walked over first, and sure enough, there were trees in front of him.

The tree had a straight trunk, resembling a type of casuarina found on the islands along the coast of Guangdong. He wasn't entirely sure in the darkness, but trees in the wild often form forests, and a dense grove should provide shelter from the wind.

The group carefully skirted the trees and continued walking. The trees grew denser and taller, their branches intertwined, and the dense foliage formed a natural barrier, blocking much of the rain and preventing the wind from getting in.

Zuo Wuwei said happily, "Quickly go and call the brothers over. Let's build a few fires here, and we'll get through this."

The two soldiers returned the way they came and called out to the crowd to seek shelter from the storm. The crowd, who were at a loss, were overjoyed to hear that there was a place to hide and followed them into the woods.

The forest was large enough to accommodate a thousand or so people. The soldiers, who were cold and hungry on the beach, went into the forest, took out their sabers, cut some branches, found an open space, and started a fire. A dozen or so men gathered around the fire, and it finally wasn't so cold anymore.

As night fell, the wind and rain gradually subsided, the soldiers' clothes dried, and although their stomachs were empty, they were all exhausted and fell asleep.

There were no wild animals that could harm people on this desolate island. Zuo Wuwei arranged for people to keep watch, while the rest of the men were exhausted and hungry and fell into a deep sleep. The night passed peacefully.

The next day, it wasn't until late morning that Zuo Wuwei and the others gradually awoke, their stomachs rumbling. They hadn't eaten a single grain of rice for ten hours since the attack at sea.

Seeing that there were no wild fruits in the forest except for casuarina trees, Zuo Wuwei suggested that they go to the seaside to catch fish and roast them to fill their stomachs. Everyone was already starving and readily agreed, heading to the seaside in a swarm.

Although they were so hungry they were weak in the limbs, their craving for food unleashed an amazing potential in everyone, and they jogged back to the beach. Some impatient ones rushed into the sea without thinking, brandishing their knives, hoping to stab a few fish.

The rest of them took off their armor, rolled up their trousers, lowered their heads, and waded through the seawater. They walked around a stranded ship, and someone looked up unintentionally and suddenly saw several tall ships lined up in the distance, their masts soaring into the clouds, their hulls open with numerous windows revealing the dark muzzles of cannons—the very warships that had given them a nightmare yesterday.

The first person to spot the boats was so terrified that he fell face-first into the sea, screaming loudly. The others, startled by the screams, looked up and also saw the boats. Terrified, they scrambled back as fast as they could.

With a loud "boom," a shell struck a stranded ship, scattering wood chips and fragments everywhere.

Zuo Wuwei was observant and immediately noticed that this cannonball wasn't the terrifying 30-pound one from yesterday; it was probably only 10 pounds. Moreover, this shot wasn't aimed at people, but directly at the boat—the beach was crowded, and a few shots would easily skewer a bloody mess. A thought flashed through his mind: this shot was a warning, but he wasn't sure what it meant.

"The thieves have opened fire on us! Run into the woods!" the soldiers shouted as they ran toward the beach.

At that moment, the enemy fired another shot, nearly shattering the already dilapidated hull. A broken plank flew out with wood chips and hit a running soldier, who immediately lost consciousness.

Zuo Wuwei acted decisively, shouting, "Everyone, don't run! Stand still, and they won't fire!"

The officers and soldiers were skeptical; some stopped, while others ignored the warning and continued running.

The enemy used cannons to show them the consequences of their choice: with a "boom," a shell arced through the air, passing over Zuo Wuwei and the others, and landed far away on the beach, creating a large crater. Just as the running soldiers were relieved to have escaped being hit and were trying to go around it, the shell suddenly exploded. The huge blast wave knocked everyone around to the ground, and the shell casing shattered into fragments that scattered everywhere. Many people were hit by shrapnel and rolled on the beach screaming in agony.

"It's a high-explosive shell!" Zuo Wuwei's eyes widened. From a 30-pound giant cannon to a high-explosive shell, the bandits' artillery and cannonballs were constantly challenging his worldview.

The Ming army did possess explosive shells, but due to inadequate casting techniques, to prevent explosions inside the chamber, the shells were filled not with gunpowder, but with toxic dust such as lime and arsenic. The dust, ejected upon impact, would then injure the enemy. As for methods that could injure the enemy with shrapnel after explosion, the Ming army lacked the capability and could only look on with envy.

This shot made the officers and soldiers realize that what the garrison commander had said was true: the faster they ran, the faster they would die. Most of them stood still, afraid to move. Some hesitated and quietly moved their feet, trying to slip away in the chaos.

Zuo Wuwei shouted, "Stop right there! This island is tiny, only a few miles in circumference. The enemy's gunboats have already spotted us. Even if you leave, where can you go?"

Many people echoed, "Commander Zuo is right. The enemy's cannons are too powerful. We should save our lives first and deal with the enemy slowly."

A small boat was lowered from the large ship opposite and rowed to the shore, shouting: "If you want to live, stand still, throw your swords and spears into the sea, and take off your armor!"

The officers and soldiers obediently threw their swords and other weapons into the sea, took off their armor, and stood still.

Liang Xiaoming, aboard the warship, watched the scene before him with satisfaction. Catching these escapees was entirely an accident.