mtlumby2d Chapter 282 Zheng Chenggong
Chapter 282 Zheng Chenggong
??
Liu Ye asked expectantly, "How long after the prototype cannon is completed can it be mass-produced, and will it be ready in time to fight Zheng Zhilong?"
"That depends on the test results. This kind of large-caliber heavy gun is different from the relatively thin-walled Caron gun and 12-pounder naval gun. It must be ensured that it will not crack and explode after continuous high-intensity firing. As I told you, if this kind of gun explodes, it will have catastrophic consequences. It will not only severely damage the warship, but also instill fear in the gunners and affect future battles. Only after undergoing rigorous testing and passing the tests can it be officially put into production and equipped on new thousand-ton warships."
Liu Ye was a little disappointed: "After all that talk, it turns out we might not even make it to the war?"
Liang Xiaoming nodded: "In addition, I have to pour some cold water on you, because I need to personally oversee the cooling process for each cannon, and the manufacturing process is much more complicated than that of the Caron cannon. So even if this cannon is put into production, it cannot be mass-produced on a large scale, and can only guarantee the supply for warships of a thousand tons or more."
"That's not a big problem. If you can just build them like cabbages, they won't be considered a weapon of mass destruction. What I'm concerned about is whether they can be equipped and put into combat capability at the same time the warship is launched."
"I can only say I will do my best, but I cannot guarantee that I will keep up with the progress of the warship's launch."
Liu Ye said helplessly, "Alright, just do your best. Even without it, we can still fight with the existing fleet."
Liang Xiaoming was more optimistic than him: "Compared to the Dutch, we have an advantage they don't: the Bove shipyard can simultaneously start construction on four to six Wuyi-class warships, which is much more effective in replenishing losses. If we switch to the smaller Wuxiang-class, the progress will be even faster. The Dutch can only hope that the East India Company headquarters in Batavia or that new armed merchant ships will be sent from the distant Dutch mainland. In the age of sail, where numbers were the deciding factor, this was a factor that could change the course of the war."
Liu Ye asked Sun Yuanhua, who was waiting nearby, "Mr. Sun, you are in charge of logistics coordination. What is the overall situation of the shipyard?"
Sun Yuanhua replied, "Brother Liang is right. In addition to the two 2,000-ton ships, the other shipyards are also building 1,000-ton warships. However, the cash flow was tight at the time, and the craftsmen's bonuses were delayed. The procurement and supply of materials such as timber, tung oil, jute, hemp, and rivets were also prioritized for the two large ships, which slowed down the progress. Now that we have enough money, the supply of materials is not a problem, and the craftsmen can work day and night. Five or six 1,000-ton warships will be launched soon."
After listening, Liu Ye felt more confident: "Since we are not confident of defeating Zheng Zhilong in one decisive battle, let's prepare for a protracted war. Now that we have stable maritime trade revenue, we can support a long-term war of attrition. We'll wear Zheng Zhilong down."
The Qiongzhou garrison secretly prepared for a showdown with Zheng Zhilong, unaware that Zheng Zhilong was currently riding high on his success. Zou Weilian, the Fujian governor who had consistently opposed the Zheng family and strictly enforced the maritime ban, was dismissed. A heavy burden had been lifted from the Zheng family's shoulders, and Zheng Zhilong felt like the Monkey King, freed from the shackles of the Five Finger Mountain, able to roam freely as birds in the sky and fish leap in the sea, doing as he pleased.
In the Battle of Liaoluo Bay, Hongmao and Liu Xiang were defeated, while the Qiongzhou camp, which had been hiding in Taiwan to seize the opportunity, inadvertently cleared the way for Zheng Zhilong. In the original history, Zheng Zhilong, in order to completely eliminate Liu Xiang's remaining forces, relentlessly pursued Liu Xiang, defeating him "first at Shiwei, then at Dinghai, then at Guanghe, then at Baige, then at Dadan, and finally at Qian'ao." This maritime anti-piracy campaign continued until the Guangdong naval battle in the eighth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, when Liu Xiang was forced to drown in the final battle, finally eradicating this old rival completely.
The campaign against the Dutch was even more protracted. In the twelfth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, the Dutch once again sent Langbitchig with nine large warships to launch a counterattack. They repeatedly defeated the Ming Dynasty's smaller fleets, but Zheng Zhilong eventually sent men carrying bamboo tubes filled with gunpowder to swim and attack them, burning five of their ships. Langbitchig was defeated and forced to retreat. Only then did the Zheng family finally seize control of all East Asian seas from Japan to the South China Sea. Zheng Zhilong reached the pinnacle of his life and was known as the "King of the Min Sea." From then on, the southeastern sea frontier obeyed only Zheng Zhilong, and merchants traveling between China and abroad all used the Zheng family's banner. Historical records state: "Each ship was required to pay three thousand taels of silver, with annual revenue reaching tens of millions, and a city was built in Anping."
In order to absorb Liu Xiang and the remnants of the Dutch forces, the Qiongzhou camp, having been well-rested, easily won a victory. It not only obtained the sailors and seamen urgently needed for its expansion, but also thwarted Liu Xiang's momentum in leading his remaining forces to roam and launch a counterattack. Furthermore, the capture of Putmans and the remnants of the fleet disrupted the East India Company's normal deployment. The position of administrative head of Dayuan remained vacant, and East Asia lacked a leader. The personnel left behind in Fort Zeelandia could only eke out a living, and the plan for Batavia's comeback was thus delayed.
The power vacuum in the East Asian seas presented Zheng Zhilong with an unparalleled opportunity, rewriting history. A goal that would have taken five or six years in the original timeline now seemed within reach. Zheng Zhilong began considering flying the Zheng family flag on merchant ships along the Fujian coast, collecting an annual protection fee of three thousand taels of silver. Simultaneously, large-scale construction began in his hometown of Anping, with a luxurious mansion covering nearly a hundred acres being built near his ancestral home. These actions were a full six years ahead of schedule.
Inside the Zhongzuo Fortress government office, Zheng Zhilong listened with great satisfaction to the good news reported by his brothers and subordinates.
Zheng Cai replaced Zheng Hongkui in charge of trade with Japan. He reported to Zheng Zhilong with a pleased expression, "The Hirado trade went smoothly this time, making up for the losses caused by Liu Xiang's plunder. Without the Dutch interfering, the townspeople of Hirado are even more enthusiastic about the Zheng family." In commercial trade, the Dutch relied on Zheng Zhilong to supply goods to China, but with their South Asian spices and other goods, they remained the Zheng family's biggest commercial competitor. After the Battle of Liaoluo Bay, the Dai-Yuan trading post suffered a severe setback, ceasing its merchant fleets to Japan. For a time, the Zheng family's fleet held a dominant position in Japanese ports.
Zheng Zhilong nodded in satisfaction: "You did a good job. Next time you go to Japan, take Fusong with you. Let him gain some experience, and he'll miss his mother too."
Zheng Cai replied respectfully, "Yes."
Fukumatsu was the son of Zheng Zhilong and his second wife, Hosokawa. His childhood name was Zheng Fukumatsu, and his tutor later gave him the name Zheng Sen. He was born in Hirado, and his maternal grandfather, Tagawa Yukō, was a retainer of the Hirado Domain. Fukumatsu lived with his mother in Hirado until two years ago when Zheng Zhilong brought him back to Fujian to study the Four Books and Five Classics in preparation for the imperial examinations. His mother, Hosokawa Matsu, remained in Hirado according to the shogunate's rule that Japanese citizens could not leave their homeland. Fukumatsu is now ten years old (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning) and is known for his intelligence and wit; he is at an age where he needs to gain experience.
When he comes of age, he will have a resounding name: Zheng Chenggong.