“Your Highness! Your Highness!”
Yang Chengye ran hurriedly toward the first-class sail warship, his face showing anxiety.
Xiao Ming and Yue Yun were excited moments ago, but seeing Yang Chengye’s expression, they exchanged a glance filled with unease.
When Yang Chengye reached the first-class warship and climbed aboard, he didn’t bother looking at the ship but said, “Your Highness, there’s trouble. Fishermen from Dashicun reported that while fishing at sea, they saw a group of strange-looking people. Their ships resemble our galleons.”
“Strange people?” Xiao Ming and Yue Yun were startled. Xiao Ming asked, “What do they look like?”
“They’re tall, with red hair, and they fired muskets at the fishermen. Three fishermen were wounded. They flew flags with three horizontal stripes.”
“What colors?”
“The top stripe is red, the middle white, and the bottom blue,” Yang Chengye recalled the fishermen’s words.
“Your Highness, that can only be the Dutch,” Yue Yun said nervously. “If they discover our naval port, it’ll be trouble. The Dutch just defeated the Chu King. Their arrival at Dengzhou can only mean ill intent.”
Xiao Ming’s face darkened. The distance from Ryukyu Island to Dengzhou was 1,500 kilometers. The Dutch warships appearing at Dengzhou were definitely not there for sightseeing.
There was only one explanation — something related to Dutch interests was here. He believed the Dutch weren’t passing through by chance.
“Chu King!”
Xiao Ming quietly repeated the name. Li Wei had told him about the Chu King meeting the Dutch envoys. He didn’t know what was said, but after defeating the Chu King, the Dutch appeared at Dengzhou. There must be a hidden plot.
Thinking carefully, Xiao Ming suddenly had a realization. Li Wei had said the Dutch forced the Chu King to buy matchlock muskets after defeating his fleet. Previously the Chu King had bought them voluntarily, but now he was coerced. Surely the Chu King told the Dutch he had access to cheaper matchlocks.
He would definitely have revealed that.
With this clarity, Xiao Ming said, “Immediately send coastal fishing boats to scout the sea situation and monitor the Dutch position. Also, few people know this bay’s location, and neither do the Dutch. But just in case, Yue Yun, lead three warships to patrol outside the bay.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” Yue Yun’s expression turned cold. Only the previous three warships were armed with cannons.
If the Dutch penetrated the bay, the newly launched warships would be destroyed. For him, these ships were his life. He would never allow this to happen.
After arranging these tasks, Xiao Ming lost his mood to admire the warships. He and Yang Chengye disembarked, walking ashore as Xiao Ming said, “The Dutch and the Wokou have close relations. They don’t know this bay well, but some Wokou near Dengzhou city do. To prevent surprises, the Dengzhou army must immediately enter the city to defend.”
Ye Qingyun complained, “Your Highness, the Dutch have muskets, but Dengzhou’s troops still rely on bows and swords. How can we fight the Dutch?”
Frowning, Xiao Ming said, “I know some generals resent my favoritism toward Qingzhou troops. But now is not the time to discuss that. It’s not that you won’t get muskets; musket production takes time. After the Youzhou troops, Dengzhou troops will get muskets.”
Ye Qingyun’s thoughts were seen at a glance by Xiao Ming. He immediately smiled foolishly, “Your Highness’s insight is sharp. Just hearing that comforts the Dengzhou soldiers. I will gather the troops and enter the city now.”
Xiao Ming nodded, but he truly did not expect the Dengzhou army to fight the Dutch. At this stage, the Dutch were beyond Dengzhou troops. Dengzhou also lacked cavalry. Infantry against infantry, his plate armor offered no advantage.
“Besides, immediately send someone overnight to Qingzhou to ask Niu Ben to dispatch Qingzhou troops to Dengzhou,” Xiao Ming continued.
Ye Qingyun nodded and rode off toward Dengzhou’s main camp.
Yang Chengye said, “Your Highness, Dengzhou is too dangerous now. Please don’t enter the city. Stay at the bay instead. If anything happens to you, I will bear the blame with my life.”
Xiao Ming said, “The situation is unclear. Don’t be so pessimistic. The Dutch know I have muskets, so they will be wary. By the way, where is Dashicun?”
Yang Chengye said, “Dashicun lies in the opposite direction from the bay, about 150 li from Dengzhou city.”
“In that case, the Dutch fleet should be near the beach outside Dengzhou soon,” Xiao Ming said anxiously.
This bay is thirty li from Dengzhou, hidden behind two giant reefs. The two towering reefs form a gate to the bay. In fact, this harbor is quite concealed.
After arranging urgent tasks, Yang Chengye immediately returned to Dengzhou city to command defenses. Xiao Ming stayed in the bay, observing silently.
Now, he could only pray that Chen Qi’s cannons and the Qingzhou troops arrived quickly. Otherwise, a year’s preparation might be wasted.
That night, Xiao Ming stayed at the naval port. By noon the next day, Dengzhou army scouts reported the Dutch fleet had anchored north of Dengzhou city. About a thousand Dutch soldiers in gray uniforms carrying muskets had landed on the beach.
Simultaneously, about two thousand Wokou followed the Dutch ashore. Guided by the Wokou, the Dutch were advancing toward Dengzhou city.
“Wokou and the Dutch?” The sight Xiao Ming least wanted had appeared.
In the great colonial era, Western powers never ruled colonies alone; natives willingly served as their lackeys.
This was very similar to the barbarians’ rule.
He had heard the Dutch had 10,000 stationed troops, but he guessed the real Dutch numbered no more than 3,000.
This information indirectly confirmed his guess.
This was good news for him, but there was bad news too. It seemed the Dutch were strongly supporting Wokou. Given Wokou’s nature, they were probably very pleased with the Dutch.
Otherwise, the Dutch would not be appearing outside Dengzhou city together with the Wokou.
“Four thousand men,” Xiao Ming calculated the Dengzhou army’s strength.
Since building the naval port, he had expanded the Dengzhou army to ten thousand men.
But facing 4,000 well-armed troops, Xiao Ming was not confident at all.