The Black Sails of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 26 The Great Sailboat Sets Sail

He had conducted a very detailed investigation and planning before hijacking the Manila galleon.

However, the rudder lock was an absolute secret. He knew it existed, but he could never find out exactly what it was made of, so he could only deal with it as it came.

Lin Qian thought to herself, no wonder that in the decades since the Manila Galleon came into existence, there have been several hijackings, but none of them have succeeded. Even when it docked in port, only a dozen or so soldiers were sent to guard the ship.

It turns out that this rudder lock is the source of the Spanish people's confidence.

Jose cautiously advised, "This thing can't be taken out. You can still escape now."

Lin Qian ignored him.

Jose added, “Even if you remove the rudder lock, you can’t raise the sails and weigh anchor on the large sailing ship. Besides, there are naval warships and coastal defense guns in the port. Why don’t you just grab some cargo and run away? I can take you to the warehouse.”

Lin Qian kept her eyes fixed on the rudder lock, unmoved.

At this moment, Lei Sanxiang's voice came from the wheelhouse: "Brother Lin, the Franks are gathering more and more on the dock. You need to hurry. Once these bastards rush up, the brothers won't be able to hold them off."

"I understand," Lin Qian said calmly.

The noise outside the cabin grew louder and louder, and the sound of matchlock guns could be heard from time to time.

Inside the helm, the other two crew members could no longer hold on. One of them said in a strained voice, "Helmsman, what should we do?"

"Quiet, let me think about it."

A quarter of an hour later, Lei Sanxiang went to the wheelhouse again and shouted, "Brother Lin, a Francois gunboat is heading towards us." His voice trembled slightly.

"Just guard the ship's hull; they won't fire." Under immense pressure, Lin Qian became even calmer, her mind racing, and a plan gradually took shape.

"I've got it!" A brilliant idea flashed through Lin Qian's mind. She turned to the naked Jose and said, "You just said you could take us to the warehouse, right?"

……

At this moment, the dock outside the large sailboat was already filled with onlookers.

Thunder rumbled in the sky, and the rain began to fall without warning.

The crowd's enthusiasm remained undiminished. Many brought umbrellas from their homes to continue watching, while some who lived far away simply held up a stone slab to shield their heads, unwilling to move an inch.

More and more Spanish guards, all soaking wet, crowded the pier, holding matchlock guns that had become mere fire pokers, gazing longingly at the towering gunwales of the large sailing ship.

Governor Alonso had his servants move tables and chairs to a high point on the dock, with a curtain of rain hanging over his head. He sat in the chairs, holding a glass of red wine, watching everything in the harbor, looking quite content.

An officer ran up in the pouring rain to report: "Your Excellency, the Holy Justice is ready. Captain, please grant permission to fire?"

Alonso roared, "Fool! What if we damage the sailing ship?"

"But the gunwales of the Holy Justice are too different from those of a large sailing ship, making it difficult to board..."

“Let the Holy Justice cruise around the docks and surround them.” Alonso took a sip of wine with a smug look on his face. “Once the Fury returns, the end will be for this gang of pirates. Until then, all we need to do is trap our prey.”

The Fury is a standard tonnage galleon with a gunwale height roughly the same as that of a large sailing ship, allowing for easy boarding.

It would take at most a day for it to deal with the pirates in Lingayen Bay and then return to Manila Bay.

During this period, the Ming Dynasty pirates could not possibly have made a single move.

Not to mention the obstructions from the rudder lock and anchor, the sail and cable system alone, which is far more complex than that of a traditional Chinese hard sail, is something these yellow-skinned monkeys could not master in a single day.

Alonso admired the towering masts of the large sailing ship.

The tallest sail on this ship is nearly thirty meters above the deck.

Even the lowest barge is nearly ten meters from the deck.

Without extensive training, ordinary crew members would never have the courage to climb up.

Without climbing onto the spade to unfasten the latches, the square sail cannot be lowered, and the boat will have no power to move.

The thought of the pirates' helpless predicament almost made Alonso burst out laughing.

He downed the wine in one gulp, then placed it on the table, tapped it lightly, and the servant behind him poured him more wine.

As she poured the wine, Catherine's voice came from behind her: "Is that Lin Qian?"

Alonso turned his head and saw her walking towards him wearing a coat, with a maid holding an umbrella for her behind her.

"Don't worry, they're already trapped on the large sailing ship."

Alonso raised his glass and said.

"I underestimated the courage of this pirate named Lin Qian and overestimated his intelligence."

Catherine stepped under the rain curtain, her emotions complex. She asked again, "Is Lin Qian on the ship?"

Alonso had a servant bring another chair, gesturing for Catherine to sit down. He ran his fingers along the rim of his glass, his tone light and cheerful. "Lin Qian is either in Lingayen Bay or on the large sailing ship, but my intuition tells me he should be here."

I originally thought his goal was either the 100,000 pesos ransom or Manila.

I never imagined he would actually attempt to hijack a large sailing ship; it's laughably foolish.

Catherine's tone was somewhat dissatisfied: "As far as I know, Lin Qian is not a stupid brute. Since he took action against the large sailing ship, he must have been prepared."

Alonso keenly noticed the change in his daughter's emotions: "You seem to be defending him?"

Catherine was a little flustered and explained, "I just wanted to remind Father to be careful. This man has a frighteningly accurate intuition and ascetic self-discipline."

I spent more than forty days on his ship and witnessed him navigating through storms. He slept less than five hours a day and never engaged in any form of entertainment…”

Alonso interrupted her: "It seems you've suffered a lot on his ship. Don't worry, he'll pay for it soon."

“He’s a really terrible person,” Catherine concluded.

"I know, child, I know..."

Time passed by minute by minute.

Suddenly a bird call came from afar, and gradually the bird calls grew louder.

Catherine was awakened by birdsong, and the silk cloak covering her slipped off.

"Is it dawn yet? How is Lin Qian?" Catherine asked anxiously.

“Don’t worry, nothing has changed. They’re stuck on the large sailing ship,” Alonso’s voice came from the side.

Catherine turned to look east. The heavy rain of the night had stopped, the thick clouds in the sky had dissipated, and the morning light was faintly visible behind the massive mountains of Luzon.

"How long have I been asleep?" Catherine asked.

The servant replied, "Not more than three hours, Miss."

Catherine felt somewhat uneasy, so she put on her silk cloak and stood up.

The location is elevated, offering a distant view of the decks of large sailing ships.

On the deck, countless tiny figures, no bigger than ants, were busily moving about.

“What are they doing?” Catherine asked.

Alonso replied sarcastically, "A pointless attempt to pull out the rudder lock."

Even so, he had been sitting there for more than three hours and was starting to feel a bit tired.

He'd had enough of this Sisyphus-like folly.

Alonso summoned his soldiers and ordered, "Send men to the ship to persuade them to surrender. Tell them that the governor has promised that they will not be hanged if they surrender."

"Yes, Your Excellency!" The soldier stood at attention, saluted, and then went to relay the order.

Catherine turned around and asked, "Father, is what you're saying true?"

“Of course not,” Alonso said with a playful smile. “There’s no need to be trustworthy with a bunch of pirates. I had someone prepare the gallows half an hour ago.”

"Oh." Catherine turned her head, gazing at the large sailing ship in the distance, and murmured, "Damn pirate, are you really out of options?"

Suddenly, Catherine saw the square sail under the mainmast of the large sailing ship lowered, and a few minutes later the middle sail was also lowered, the sail surface shining white in the dim light of the morning sun.

Catherine thought she was seeing things, so she quickly rubbed her eyes. When she opened them again, she saw that the square sail on the mainmast had been lowered, and the Latin chevron on the stern had been unfurled.

On the deck, the main anchor winch slowly rotated.

"Your Excellency, the sails of the large sailing ship have been raised!" a soldier rushed in to report.

Alonso angrily retorted, "I'm not blind!"

He stood up from his seat and muttered, "This is impossible. The anchor hasn't been raised yet, so why are the sails being hoisted?"

An officer rushed over in a panic: "Your Excellency, the Holy Justice requests permission to fire."

"No!" Alonso suppressed his inner panic. "The rudder lock hasn't been removed, the anchor hasn't been pulled up, they can't go far, this is just a bluff."

The officer said urgently, "Sir, we need orders."

After a moment's thought, Alonso said in a deep voice, "The Holy Justice will block the entrance to Manila Bay and have the soldiers on the pier force their way onto the ship using ladders!"

"Yes, sir!" the officer replied loudly.

Before he could even give the order, the three masts of the large sailing ship were already unfurled, and it slowly set sail from the port.

(End of this chapter)