Chapter 975 Setting Sail
A massive fleet, totaling forty-one ships, began its journey along the Yangtze River, heading towards the open sea.
Among these vessels were ten colossal ships, each measuring sixty meters, sailing together. The sight was truly awe-inspiring.
River barges and fishing boats scattered, hastily moving to the sides to clear their path.
However, they were not alarmed, as all the Gao Family Village ships flew the multi-colored Heavenly Lord flags. Vessels bearing these banners were known for their tireless efforts in eradicating pirates and aiding the common folk, never once abusing their power or acting foolishly.
The multi-colored Heavenly Lord flags had already earned an excellent reputation among the people along this stretch of the river.
As for the official Ming naval forces, upon seeing the multi-colored Heavenly Lord flags, they assumed it was a "grand undertaking by imperial merchants, operating under a secret imperial decree." They dared not approach to inquire, choosing instead to keep a safe distance and feign ignorance, believing it to be the safest course of action.
Soon, the fleet reached the Yangtze River estuary, at Chongming Island.
Cui Weihua, the Military Preparations Commissioner for Suzhou and Songjiang, approached in a Cangshan boat. "May I ask if Captain Shi is aboard?" he called out.
Jiang Cheng leaned over the ship's rail, cupped his hands, and replied, "Commander Cui, you are well, I hope? Lord Shi is stationed in Anqing and is not on this vessel."
He sighed, "When your ships passed Chongming Island one by one, I didn't think much of it. But seeing them assembled like this, it truly is a formidable navy. This large-scale operation suggests you won't be returning to the Yangtze River anytime soon, will you?"
Li Daoxuan, listening from the side, mused, *This fellow is quite sharp. He's deduced from our deployment that we won't be coming back.*
Jiang Cheng replied, "Indeed. We are tasked with a secret mission under imperial decree. Should we return to the Yangtze, it will only be one ship at a time, never again in such a grand formation."
Cui Weihua felt a pang of regret. "Why would His Majesty not allow an official like myself to join? I yearn for a chance to earn great merit."
Jiang Cheng chuckled. "Commander Cui, as the Military Preparations Commissioner for Suzhou and Songjiang, a position of such importance, you will have plenty of opportunities for merit in the future."
This was no mere consolation; it was the truth.
Li Daoxuan had designated Zhoushan as a naval base, which meant it needed to be distinct from civilian ports. And the area under Cui Weihua's jurisdiction was modern-day Shanghai.
The strategic importance of modern-day Shanghai needed no elaboration. There was no way Cui Weihua wouldn't be needed in the future. His fleet of antiquated Ming vessels could still be put to good use for commerce.
The fleet bid farewell to Cui Weihua and sailed southeast.
Cui Weihua watched the fleet's disappearing direction, then looked up at the sky, pondering for a few seconds. Suddenly, a realization struck him, and he exclaimed in astonishment, "Southeast? Such a massive fleet heading southeast? They're either going after pirates or Westerners. What has His Majesty taken that he's become so resolute all of a sudden?"
After exiting the Yangtze estuary, the fleet continued along the coastline for a short distance.
The mainland coastline ahead formed a peculiar pointed shape.
This was Nanhui Mouth, which would become a famous tourist attraction in modern Shanghai.
Of course, it wasn't a scenic spot yet. Instead, it housed a dilapidated guard station. During the previous Japanese pirate (Japanese pirate) invaders, the imperial court had built a fortress here and established a guard post. After years of war and neglect, the guard station now looked like a ruined, unfinished building.
Inside, several gaunt-faced garrison soldiers stood atop the dilapidated structure, staring in shock at the colossal fleet that had appeared before them.
The labor reform pirate leading the way spoke up, "Heavenly Lord, Instructor Jiang, we can't follow the coastline any further from here. We must head southeast into the open sea, straight to Shengsi Island, north of the Zhoushan archipelago. There are some pirates stationed there. It would be better to start our attack from the periphery."
None of Gao Family Village's sailors had any prior deep-sea experience, so Jiang Cheng humbly sought advice. "How do we navigate? Ahead lies the vast, boundless ocean, without a single landmark. Once we leave the coastline, we won't know where we are."
The labor reform pirate explained, "The sun, monsoon winds, and ocean currents can all be used to determine your position. Of course, the sun is the primary guide. However, constantly staring at the sun for years to navigate can severely damage one's eyes. That's why... nine out of ten captains are one-eyed."
Jiang Cheng was startled. "I certainly don't want to become one-eyed!"
Li Daoxuan, hearing this, couldn't help but chuckle. Thinking it over, it seemed sextants hadn't been invented yet, and even European pirates at this time didn't have them for navigation.
At that time, European pirates could usually only determine "latitude" by the sun, but not "longitude." In such circumstances, all ships were forced to follow the same latitude, which provided an opportunity for pirates.
Pirates didn't need to search for merchant ships across the vast ocean; they only needed to wait at specific latitudes.
Li Daoxuan returned outside the diorama box, found data on the compass, sextant, and marine chronometer, organized it into a "Comprehensive Guide to Navigation Artifacts of the Age of Sail," and dropped it in front of Gao Family Village's research building.
Switching his view back to the box, he saw the labor reform pirate squinting at the sun, determining his position, then squinting again, making fine adjustments... guiding the fleet deeper into the boundless sea.
The direct distance from Nanhui Mouth to Shengsi Island was less than fifty kilometers.
For pirates, it wasn't a very long journey.
However, for Gao Family Village's rookie sailors, this was their first time sailing where water stretched in every direction—front, back, left, and right—without a single piece of land or island for reference. Their palms were slick with nervous sweat.
"Where are we now?"
"How much longer until we arrive?"
"My heavens! Where exactly are we?"
The sailors were utterly flustered.
A wave surged, and the Wanli Sunshine pitched violently with the swell. The ship's rocking was far more intense than anything they'd experienced on the Yellow River or the Yangtze, thoroughly terrifying the crew.
The labor reform pirate observed the state of the crew and couldn't help but whisper, "Heavenly Lord, Instructor Jiang, it feels like the entire crew is green. Perhaps we should recruit a new batch of sailors who grew up by the sea."
Li Daoxuan smiled without speaking.
Jiang Cheng, however, said, "No one is born knowing everything. They'll get better with practice. We don't have enough time to start from scratch, recruiting and training a navy. By the time we did that, it would be too late."
Shi Lang emerged from behind, the young man still inspired by the Battle of Liaoluowan he had recently watched. He roared with fierce determination, "Exactly! We need to speed things up and seize the moment. The longer we delay, the stronger the Western pirates become. It doesn't matter if the sailors are green; we'll catch them! We'll capture all the pirates on Zhoushan Island, every single one!"
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