Chapter 1249 - Generous Rewards
After brief adjustments and rest, the First Squadron began sailing along Xiamen Island's southwestern coast at 1:00 PM, bearing down on Zhongzuo Garrison.
Zhongzuo Garrison sat on Xiamen Island's southwestern coast, backed by Wulao Mountain and facing Gulangyu across the water—roughly where Xiamen University stands today. East of the garrison lay the famous Hulishan Battery—a place many transmigrators had visited in pilgrimage. The 280mm Krupp cannon there was a "sacred relic" in many military enthusiasts' hearts.
Because this location commanded the vital waterway between Gulangyu and Xiamen Island—known as the "Gateway to Fujian, Key to the Southern Skies"—its position was strategically critical. Consequently, Zheng Zhilong had also constructed a battery on Hulishan, mounting several 24-pounder naval guns purchased from the Portuguese.
By contemporary standards, this Hulishan Battery's defenses were not unsophisticated. Though it had only three or four guns and fewer than a hundred garrison troops, the contemporary Tiger Gate Fortress's defenses were equally rudimentary. Compared to the Guangdong bureaucrats, Zheng Zhilong possessed considerably more insight into coastal defense and had invested substantially in Xiamen Island's fortifications.
Though the battery's range was limited—unable to threaten the First Squadron's ships sailing at sea—it remained a nuisance. Particularly since the Hulishan Battery's guns could reach the beach where the First Expeditionary Force planned to land. The battery had to be destroyed before launching the amphibious assault.
The First Squadron sailed past Huaixin Rock, designated the target, and commenced bombardment.
The precise coordinates of Hulishan Battery had already been surveyed and marked by the Special Reconnaissance Team. Thus, the 130mm guns needed only a few trial shots before bracketing the target.
The guns pounded slowly and rhythmically to conserve ammunition—the supply ships hadn't yet arrived, and each ship's main battery shells were down to one-third of their basic load. Smoke and flames engulfed Hulishan. Through binoculars, one could see the battery gradually collapsing amid the dust and debris, rubble and stone fragments flying with each impact. After each shot, the Special Reconnaissance Team's observer reported the point of impact over radio, and the Lichun relayed the information to the other ships via signal flag and lamp. After several salvos, the banners and camps on Hulishan had been obliterated in fire and smoke.
According to the Special Reconnaissance Team's report, besides the Hulishan Battery, the entire island had multiple other batteries, but none posed a threat to their operations. With Hulishan destroyed, Zhongzuo Garrison on the shore was completely exposed, allowing free maneuver.
The First Squadron passed the Hulishan Battery safely, whereupon each ship dropped anchor. Ming Qiu gave the order: "Commence landing."
The landing zone was selected on the beach before Hulishan Battery, about two kilometers from Zhongzuo Garrison. This location was chosen to avoid the anchorage near Zhongzuo—where many vessels were currently moored, with warehouses and trading posts lining the docks. The conditions for a fire attack were ideal there. Should the Zheng family set fire to the docks and anchorage, the entire Zhongzuo waterfront would become an inferno, and both naval and land forces would have no choice but to flee.
Bosun's whistles shrilled across the decks. Sailors opened the deck gratings, and the shouts of Marine NCOs drifted up from below. The Marines, cooped up below decks for most of the day, began climbing up the ladders in orderly fashion.
They crowded up through the hatches, milled about for a minute getting organized, then formed up to await the order to board boats. The deck was cluttered everywhere with small boats and supplies, making movement difficult—they could only shuffle slowly along.
The davit cranes, powered by steam engines, began creaking and lowering boats into the water. Rope ladders were hung over both sides of the hull.
Whistles urged the Marines on. A voice kept calling from the deck: "Number fifteen boat, board!" "Number three boat, board!"
With each call, a platoon of soldiers nervously climbed over the gunwale and scrambled down the rope ladders on either side. Each man carried a heavy pack, steel helmet, and new-model rifle. The assault engineers carried even more—no one wanted to share a boat with them, because they always had demolition charges strapped to their backs.
Li Huamei stood by the gunwale helping maintain order. The Marines passing before her always stole curious glances at this rare female officer. Women soldiers were scarce in the Bobojun—neither the Army nor the Navy had its own medical corps, so the military hospitals that absorbed the most women soldiers didn't exist. As for the other major concentration of women soldiers, the communications troops, the Bobojun's communications still relied on human messengers, creating little demand for women. Only in Army and Navy headquarters were there relatively more female military personnel.
A female officer like Li Huamei serving aboard ship was virtually unique. Fortunately, she had been sailing and commanding crews of men since girlhood and had plenty of experience—she was hardly the sort of girl who blushed at a man's glance. Such situations were old hat to her; otherwise, a more thin-skinned woman might have wanted to jump overboard. She kept a stern face, occasionally barking, "Watch your footing!" "Be careful!"—never allowing the slightest familiarity.
With so many landing craft on the ship, each loaded and lowered at different times and speeds, some already filled with troops were circling the mother ship waiting, men waving at the big ship. Their shallow black hulls cut through the blue-gray water. From the nearby Yangbo, another landing craft was being lowered, davit pulleys creaking. Soldiers covered the hull like ants swarming the gunwales, embarking for the transfer.
Li Huamei turned her gaze northward toward Zhongzuo Garrison, feeling somewhat uneasy. The garrison was very close; all the ships had dropped anchor and were busy transferring troops—the sea and decks were chaos. She glanced up at the wind vane: the wind was still contrary... If the Zheng family seized this opportunity to launch a fire ship attack, their side might face a bitter fight...
She started suddenly—she had actually thought of the barbarians as "our side"! This reminded her: she was still in her undercover role. Her heart grew uneasy.
At this moment, Zheng Zhilong observed from the gatehouse of Zhongzuo Garrison and lowered his Dutch telescope. His brow relaxed slightly, like a master player catching his opponent in a fatal blunder: the barbarians were actually dropping anchor and lowering boats before Hulishan—obviously preparing to land. But this location was less than four li by sea from the anchorage where he had positioned his fire ships. With the dozens of fire ships still moored there, they could ride the favorable wind and reach the enemy—surely the barbarians couldn't weigh anchor and escape that quickly. At the very least, they could destroy half the enemy's boats already lowered, crippling the enemy land forces. Even if they couldn't rout the barbarians immediately, they could buy half a day or a day's time.
He looked up at the great Zheng banner flying from the gatehouse and asked in a low voice: "What's the wind direction?"
By now, the commanders clustered around him understood his intention. But after Zheng Lian's disastrous defeat, leading fire ships into the attack had become an extremely risky assignment—win or lose, the odds were against survival.
After a brief silence, someone stepped forward and bowed: "The wind is favorable! Your humble servant requests permission to lead a fire ship squadron to destroy the enemy!"
Everyone looked: the volunteer was Zheng Zhipeng—Zheng Zhilong's clan cousin, one of the original Eighteen Zhi sworn brothers, the innermost circle of loyalists. At this moment of the Zheng family's existential crisis, only one of their own stepping forward could command the troops' respect and Zheng Zhilong's trust.
"Very well, it's yours." Zheng Zhilong nodded, his eyes showing appreciation. "I'm giving you all the fire ships. I'll send someone to follow with ships to support you. Take care of yourself!"
"I would walk through fire and water for Elder Brother—ten thousand deaths would not deter me," Zheng Zhipeng declared boldly, backing up several steps before turning and hurrying down from the tower.
"Order the commissary to immediately send fifty thousand taels of silver to the docks for General Peng to reward the fire ship crews," Zheng Zhilong commanded. "Twenty taels per man upfront; anyone who rams an enemy ship gets another fifty taels upon return!"
The commanders were stunned. Twenty taels per man! This wasn't just generous—it was unheard of. Normally, even after a victory, a reward of four or five taels was standard; only those with proven merit or wounds received ten taels or more. And that was already exceptionally generous by the standards of late Ming military forces—never mind the beggarly imperial troops. Now these fire ship sailors were getting twenty taels before even setting out? Inconceivable.
"Yes, sir..."
"Also have the commissary bring three hundred thousand taels to the gatehouse and display it. I'm going to lavishly reward the army! Troops going out to attack get ten taels each; garrison troops get five. If we drive off the barbarians, every man gets another fifty taels! Those who die in battle receive their reward on top of the death benefit!"
Another stir among the commanders.
Zheng Zhilong's fourth brother, Zheng Zhibao, couldn't help but step forward to remonstrate: "Elder Brother, this... isn't it too much? Once we set this precedent, if future campaigns don't offer such rewards, the troops won't fight hard..."
"Right now is the time we need everyone to give their lives. Is seventy taels of silver worth a life? I think it's very much worth it!" Zheng Zhilong said. "If we lose this battle and lose Zhongzuo, the silver in this city will go to the barbarians anyway!"
Better to scatter the treasure to win hearts and stake everything on one desperate gamble—perhaps there was still a chance. Better that than to be defeated pathetically, handing all the wealth and goods of the city to the barbarians for nothing.
"...While the green hills last, there's no fear of running out of firewood. As long as our brotherhood holds Xiamen Island, even if we lose every man and every ship, we can come back!" Zheng Zhilong declared. "A thousand pieces of gold scattered will return again. We brothers are men doing great things—we need to show some spirit!"
Stirred by these words, the commanders' blood ran hot. If their elder brother could treat wealth like grass, why should they be timid? As long as they fought off the barbarians, there would be plenty of chances to recoup their losses and come out ahead—after all, Li Kuiqi had once pushed them to the brink, and they had still come back. The commanders bowed together:
"We will follow the General's lead!"
Note: I couldn't find detailed location data for Zhongzuo Garrison; it appears to have been roughly where Xiamen University's Siming District campus is now.
(End of Chapter)