Chapter 493 - Secret Visit to Bopu (Part 2)

"Jiang Youling truly sabotaged matters!" Zhang Wen muttered beside him. "Now that the Australians have established themselves at Bopu, driving them out will be extraordinarily difficult."

"What do you know!" Tang Yunwen rebuked him. Zhang Wen was a distant relative who had inherited a hereditary position as a Small Banner. Tang Yunwen had promoted him to Chiliarch in his Central Army Standard Battalion as a personal guard. The affection between them exceeded what he showed ordinary subordinates.

"Could the Australian cannons have been manufactured in Lingao?" Tang Yunwen demanded. "How many ships do we have for them to sink?"

Zhang Wen fell silent, though his expression suggested he remained unconvinced.

Tang Yunwen inquired: "Where is the great iron ship?"

"The ship is docked within the harbor. It cannot be seen from here," the boat boss explained. "You would need to sail around Lingao Cape to view it."

"Take us around for a look!" Tang Yunwen was naturally eager to behold the legendary iron vessel.

The boat slowly adjusted its rudder and rounded Lingao Cape. Tang Yunwen observed that security on the cape was exceptionally tight. The platform was surrounded by chevaux-de-frise and other obstacles for protection. Men resembling soldiers stood guard, long muskets slung across their backs. Behind the platform rose another tall, stone-built round tower. According to the boat boss, this was a newly constructed lighthouse. With it, sailing at night and in poor weather was considerably safer.

As they rounded Lingao Cape, the iron ship gradually emerged into Tang Yunwen's field of vision. In that instant, he held his breath.

Too enormous.

Tang Yunwen had seen the great clip-board ships of the Franks and Red-haired barbarians. Their massive hulls and cloud-piercing masts had left deep impressions. Yet compared to the iron ship before him, they were utterly insignificant. A vessel could actually be built to such a scale!

"Good heavens—this ship is immense!" Zhang Wen could not restrain himself.

"This ship has become a scenic attraction in Lingao. Many people come specifically to view it," the boat boss offered. "It is taller than the prefectural city walls!"

"This vessel has no masts, and I see no oars or yulohs. How does it sail?" Tang Yunwen could not fathom how such a behemoth might move across the sea. What kind of sail would be required to propel it? Moreover, being made of iron, would it not be many times heavier than wood?

"I have heard people say it needs neither sails nor oars—the ship moves by itself," the boat boss replied. "But I have not witnessed this personally. The ship has not moved since it arrived at Bopu."

Zhang Wen ventured: "My Lord, this vessel is probably iron-clad rather than iron-built. Otherwise, a ship made of iron—never mind sailing—would sink the moment it entered the water."

Tang Yunwen found himself in agreement. He recalled hearing old shipwrights speak of the Chenghua and Xuande reigns, when the Longjiang Shipyard had constructed a kind of Great Treasure Ship for ceremonial purposes. Its form had been magnificently grand, with multi-tiered palace pavilions upon the deck, resembling a floating city. But it could not sail independently, nor undertake long ocean voyages. When moving, it was towed by smaller boats. Presumably, this iron-clad great ship required similar handling. Otherwise, Tang Yunwen truly could not imagine what force in this world could directly drive such an enormous vessel across the sea.

"Even if iron-clad, the workmanship is astonishing," Tang Yunwen observed. Raising the telescope again, he discerned what appeared to be a cannon on the foredeck. Being experienced in military matters, he had already noted three gun positions in his mind. With these three cannons, any direct assault on Bopu from the sea would invite extreme danger.

While he pondered this, the boat boss suddenly spoke in a trembling voice: "Trouble! A patrol boat is approaching!"

Tang Yunwen looked up. A single-masted small boat was sailing toward them at high speed, full sails deployed. Its velocity seemed almost supernatural—like flying across the waves—yet the hull tilted at such an extreme angle that Tang Yunwen momentarily expected it to capsize.

Recognizing escape was impossible, he hurriedly stowed the telescope and concealed it. He assumed the posture of a fisherman inspecting nets in the cabin. Zhang Wen, however, was visibly nervous, his eyes constantly darting outside.

"Stay calm," Tang Yunwen cautioned.

The patrol boat soon drew alongside the fishing vessel. The moment the two hulls touched, several men wearing blue short jackets leaped across and landed on the fishing boat's deck, then threw multiple ropes to lash the vessels firmly together.

Judging from their agile movements, these men were clearly seasoned mariners. Each wore a tight-fitting blue jacket with front buttons and a broad cloth belt fastened with an iron buckle at the waist—the overall impression was one of toughness and capability.

Everyone carried a short sword in a leather scabbard strapped to the thigh, along with a triangular coarse-cloth pouch hanging from the waist belt, secured with straps and an iron buckle. Its contents were unknown.

On closer inspection, the blue jackets—seemingly simple at first glance—displayed numerous accessories. Small black square patches adorned the upturned collars, bearing cryptic patterns. Soft cloth loops on the shoulders displayed patterns and bars. He noticed the leader bore fewer bars than the others, though his were considerably thicker.

Everyone also wore a cloth strip pinned to the chest bearing the characters "Coast Guard." He did not know the meaning; Tang Yunwen surmised it was probably some form of unit identification.

Upon boarding, the men immediately fanned out. Someone positioned himself at the stern to control the helmsman while others directed the boat hands to lower the sails. They swiftly secured all key points of the vessel.

On the opposing boat, two small cannons were already trained on the fishing vessel. Tang Yunwen had seen similar weapons on Frankish ships and knew they were designed to fire small iron pellets to kill sailors on deck.

Though these people were pirates, the entire boarding and control procedure had been fluid and swift, demonstrating well-trained elite forces. Tang Yunwen reflected that even his Central Army Standard Battalion could not have performed better. Probably not even as quickly.

The leader called out: "Where does this fishing boat hail from? Why are you not flying a flag?"

He spoke Mandarin, but with a southern Fujian accent. This pirate was clearly not an Australian but a rebel subject of Great Ming—most likely one of Zhu Cailao's subordinates who had defected to the Australians.

The boat boss had already approached with obsequious bowing: "This lowly one has not yet obtained a flag..."

"How can you come here to fish without a flag?"

"We heard the harvest is excellent in Lingao fishing grounds, so we came to assess the situation first. If it proves worthwhile, we shall apply for a permit." The boat boss gestured toward the cabin with an ingratiating smile. "We lowly ones would never dare break the rules. Look—the nets are stowed. There is not even a fish scale in the cabin, let alone fish or shrimp."

Tang Yunwen knew the usual routine. The leader would inevitably assume a stern expression and deliver threats, whereupon the boat boss would present the prepared silver. As for inspection, it was nothing more than going through the motions.

However, this leader did not employ the standard intimidation tactics. He simply waved his hand, and his subordinates immediately dispersed, surprisingly conducting a thorough cabin-by-cabin search. Even coiled ropes and stacked fishing nets were examined—very meticulously.

The boat boss hurriedly dug out a few mace of silver from his waist and attempted to press it into the leader's hand. But it was pushed back:

"Keep your silver. If there is no illegal fishing, we shall naturally let you go." The leader spoke seriously. "If illegal fishing is discovered, then apologies will be required."

"There is absolutely no illegal fishing. This is a small token for the officers to buy wine." The boat boss persisted in trying to force the silver upon him.

The leader refused again. Not only did he refuse, but he sternly reprimanded the boat boss. Tang Yunwen watched in astonishment—judging by appearances, the refusal to accept silver was not performance.

Refusing even silver delivered to one's hand—could these Australians truly be considered pirates? Tang Yunwen had dealt frequently with the heroes of the sea and knew that people took this path for various reasons, but ultimately, it came down entirely to wealth and women. That such a group of money-scorning pirates had now appeared was unprecedented.

After the inspection concluded, no catch was discovered. Tang Yunwen's telescope was well hidden and went undetected. The leader registered the boat boss's name and vessel's home port before departing. Before leaving, he reminded them that if they wished to fish locally, they should register at Bopu promptly. A "Fishery Association" had recently been established there, introducing many beneficial measures for fishermen. If the boat boss was interested, he should go "take a look."

The boat boss naturally agreed to everything, nodding repeatedly like a pecking bird until the men departed. Only then did he order the sails raised. Seeing Tang Yunwen sitting beneath the mast, staring fixedly at the retreating patrol boat, he could not help but smile bitterly. "Boss, that truly terrified me."

"What is there to fear! There are neither weapons nor official seals on this boat. As long as you respond carefully, nothing will happen." Tang Yunwen asked: "Those who boarded just now were Australian subordinates, correct?"

"Yes—they specialize in patrolling and inspecting these waters," the boat boss confirmed. "This is a small boat; there are also two-masted large ships. The inspections are very strict! Recently they have captured quite a few scattered pirates. The sea here at Lingao is much safer than in previous years. Coastal boat households and merchants all say that once a vessel enters Lingao waters, it is safe."

If so, the Australians were not merely collecting "benefits" from catches here but also capturing pirates and protecting merchants—conducting themselves somewhat like a government. Reflecting on this, Tang Yunwen grew wary. These Australians harbored no small ambition.

Zhang Wen suggested going ashore to investigate further—probing ground defenses and artillery arrangements. But Tang Yunwen considered that what they had seen was sufficient. Going ashore was risky; many of Zhu Cailao's former subordinates were here, some of whom had seen him. Being recognized would cause trouble. More fundamentally, he had completely lost any appetite for using military force to expel the Australians—the disparity in strength was simply too great.

"Return to White Sand," Tang Yunwen ordered.

"My Lord, if we do not probe the situation on land thoroughly, should we raise troops for suppression in the future, would it not be—" Zhang Wen advised in a low voice.

"It will not be too late to probe then." Tang Yunwen cut him off. "This Lingao matter is extremely complicated. Suppression would require the strength of the entire province."

The implication was plain: no suppression for at least five or six months. Mobilizing the power of an entire province was not something he, a coastal defense assistant regional commander, could arrange. Simply the writing of reports and the circulation of documents—mountains of official paperwork aimed at avoiding responsibility—would consume a month or more.

Moreover, with his status, traveling outside Bopu Harbor to investigate was already "personally risking danger." There was no need for him to act as a spy and infiltrate Bopu. He could leave such work to his subordinates.

(End of Chapter)