Chapter 149: Onward to Hong Kong

Shi Zhiqi’s spirits lifted. He watched as the small motorboat pulled up to the gangway on the other side of the Lin Yun 11 and immediately instructed his signalman:

“Signal the Lin Te 11: I need to board the flagship to report on our combat readiness!”

The departure of the Pearl River Estuary Task Force was not marked by a grand ceremony. The only send-off was the “March of the Warships” playing over the loudspeakers. Although the Navy desperately wanted a military band, they couldn’t find enough musicians among the 500 transmigrators, and the local musicians, learning from television tutorials, faced immense difficulties.

The formation was led by four patrol boats from the 4th Patrol Boat Squadron, followed by squadron after squadron of ships setting sail. Every vessel was adorned with military flags. On the main and mizzenmasts of the Lin Yun 11 flew the flags of Chen Haiyang, the Naval Chief of Staff, and Wen Desi, the Naval Advisor. Aboard his flagship, the Da Jing (Great Whale), Shi Zhiqi watched with some satisfaction as his own Marine Detachment Commander’s flag fluttered in the wind.

On the shore, a large crowd of onlookers had gathered. The departure of a large naval formation was a rare and spectacular sight for them. The flag-draped ships, the imposing sailors standing at attention along the rails, and the gleaming, polished cannons… Wen Desi spared no effort in promoting the concept of a “Naval Show.” He believed that only by making the military appear powerful and impressive to the public could they attract willing recruits, rather than relying on the current system of semi-compulsory conscription.

The policy of “enlist first, re-educate later” was effective, but Wen Desi hoped to foster a social value system in the future empire where military service was considered an honor. Therefore, he wholeheartedly supported any initiative that enhanced the prestige and public image of the military.

Just moments before, Shi Zhiqi had submitted a proposal he had painstakingly compiled—or rather, “plagiarized”—titled “Marine Corps Uniforms, Insignia, Ranks, and Etiquette.” On the surface, it was a proposal to “enhance the military’s image,” but in reality, it was the beginning of Shi Zhiqi’s plan to “de-navalize” the Marine Corps. Wen Desi, not thinking that deeply, was quite appreciative of the detailed system Shi Zhiqi had devised. This put Shi Zhiqi in an even better mood.

On September 4th, the Pearl River Estuary Task Force arrived in the waters off Macau. The sudden appearance of such a massive fleet caused a wave of panic among the Portuguese in Macau. After a brief period of confusion, all large Portuguese vessels in the harbor raised their sails and prepared for battle.

The Elders observed Macau’s forts and harbor through their telescopes. Taking Macau wouldn’t be difficult, but the place was too small. It frequently struggled with basic supplies like vegetables and fresh water, and it had little potential for development. Hong Kong Island was a much better prospect.

“Let’s leave this place to the Portuguese,” Wen Desi said, lounging in a wicker chair on the aftcastle of the Lin Te 11. He was feeling slightly seasick—the ship was still too small, and it pitched violently in heavy waves. Shi Zhiqi had invited him aboard the Da Jing, but he had declined.

“At least wait until they’ve finished building the Ruins of St. Paul’s,” Chen Haiyang joked, lowering his binoculars. From a naval officer’s perspective, Hong Kong was a rare and superior naval base, while Macau’s harbor was far inferior.

The fleet left the waters of Macau and continued sailing west. They had now entered the Pearl River Estuary—the very same Lingdingyang made famous by Wen Tianxiang’s poem. The island of Nei Lingding was off their port bow.

This was part of the so-called “Inner Ocean.” The coastline here was a twisting labyrinth of inlets and coves, with countless bays perfect for concealment and ambush. Occasionally, they would pass the wide estuaries where freshwater rivers met the sea.

The “Inner Ocean” was dotted with a constellation of islands. Some were inhabited, others were favorite resting spots for fishermen to anchor their boats, but most were nothing more than tiny, deserted islets and reefs.

These desolate islands also provided excellent places for pirates to rest and lay ambushes. The entire task force remained on high alert during the voyage, guarding against sudden pirate attacks. Not only were Liu Xiang’s ships active here, but there were also numerous smaller, scattered bands. Even local fishermen might turn to piracy for a quick profit at any moment.

This area was a prime hunting ground for pirates. Maritime traffic was heavy, and the abundance of harbors provided great convenience for merchants. Large quantities of goods were transported by ship, shuttling between coastal towns and villages. Although the cargo here wasn’t as valuable as that on the “ocean-going ships,” a haul of everyday necessities was still very valuable to pirates—it could be sold off quickly. After collecting and analyzing a large volume of intelligence on pirates from the Foreign Intelligence Bureau, Xu Ke told Chen Haiyang that the pirates here took everything. They wouldn’t pass up low-value daily goods like fishing rods, rice, and salt, and would even take “cold cargo” like bricks and tiles.

“All I can say is, these pirates are desperately poor…” Xu Ke sighed.

Chen Haiyang said, “A rising tide lifts all boats. In the beginning, a few bottles of wine or cartons of cigarettes were enough for a bribe. Later, even a fifty-thousand-yuan red envelope was considered a small token.”

“North Lantau Island is ahead.”

“Order the lead ship to change course to 120 degrees. All other ships follow in sequence! No one falls behind!” Chen Haiyang gave the command to turn. “We are about to pass through the Urmston Road.”

Chen Haiyang planned to lead the fleet past Lantau Island, through Urmston Road, then through the Ma Wan Channel, and enter Victoria Harbour from the western approach. Of course, the place would not be called Victoria Harbour in the future. However, the proposal to name it “Wu Zetian Bay” had met with considerable opposition.

For European ships departing from Macau and entering the Pearl River Estuary, the “Mo Dao” (Urmston Road) was the first major landmark on their charts. In a sense, passing it was the first step on the journey to Guangzhou.

As the fleet entered Urmston Road, Chen Haiyang ordered all ships to high alert. To the north of this area lay the famous Tuen Mun. The Portuguese had once attempted to occupy it as a trading post in China but were defeated by Ming forces. According to intelligence provided by Xu Ke’s Foreign Intelligence Bureau, several hundred Ming soldiers were stationed there, possibly with a few patrol ships monitoring the sea. The appearance of the Aussie Song Navy was highly likely to trigger an armed conflict.

However, the fleet passed through the area without any engagement. Chen Haiyang and the others observed along the way but saw almost no sign of any naval vessels. According to historical data provided by Yu E’shui, the Guangdong Navy was supposed to conduct regular patrols in this part of the Pearl River Estuary.

Huang Zhua’zi commented, “Rules are rules, but whether they can be enforced is another matter entirely. This is the end of the Ming Dynasty. The regulations are probably just empty words on paper.”

Huang Zhua’zi was aboard as a member of the long-range survey team—this timeline’s Hong Kong Island also required a comprehensive survey and mapping. He could have let others go, but Huang Zhua’zi desperately wanted to become a ship’s captain in the future, so he volunteered for the voyage to accumulate nautical knowledge and seamanship skills.

Chen Haiyang said, “It’s probably because the navy has too few ships to cover the area.”

“I’d love to run into the Ming navy and have a real fight! Even just to fire a few shots!” Huang Zhua’zi was excited. He strained his eyes, scanning the horizon, but saw nothing but a few scattered fishing boats. The area was filled with islands and sandbars of various sizes, which in another timeline would belong to Hong Kong’s Outlying Islands District.

Huang Zhua’zi’s hope for a battle was soon realized. That afternoon, as they were passing through Ma Wan Channel, the signalman suddenly shouted:

“Vanguard has spotted suspicious vessels!”

The Ma Wan Channel is a north-south waterway, flanked by Ma Wan Island to the west and Tsing Yi Island to the east. Below Ma Wan Island, there is a smaller islet called Tang Lung Chau. In the sheltered waters between the islands, many fishing boats of all sizes were anchored. The lookouts on the vanguard patrol boats alertly noticed that bonfires had been lit on the hills of both Tsing Yi and Ma Wan islands, obviously some form of communication.

Subsequently, a few suspicious-looking fishing boats appeared on the sea, gradually approaching the vanguard squadron as if to scout the fleet. Upon realizing the large size of the fleet, they quickly departed.

Chen Haiyang said, “Those are pirate ships.” He raised his binoculars. “Order the patrol boat squadron to capture the enemy vessels!”

As the flag signal was given, a few minutes later, the four patrol boats of the lead squadron broke formation and charged towards the fleeing fishing boats.

Huang Zhua’zi raised his binoculars, watching the scene unfold in the distance. There were clearly not many enemies. Three small Wucao junks were trying to escape towards Ma Wan Island, but their clumsy hulls were no match for the speed of the nimble, lateen-sailed patrol boats.

The patrol boats quickly cornered the three junks. Just then, Huang Zhua’zi saw a puff of white smoke rise from the first junk, and faintly heard the sound of a cannon shot.

“They’re firing, they’re firing!” shouted the lookout. “The enemy ship has opened fire!”

Almost simultaneously, the two patrol boats that had cut off the pirate ships erupted in thick smoke, with flashes of fire twinkling within the clouds.

The sea around the vessels was instantly churned by numerous small white waterspouts. The hull of the junk seemed to shudder, and its sail collapsed.

“Enemy ship is on fire!” the lookout had just shouted when one of the junks was rocked by a small explosion and burst into flames.

“They didn’t fire, why did it explode?”

“The gunpowder on the pirate ship exploded,” Chen Haiyang said casually. “Pirates often leave their powder kegs open on deck during a battle.”

The battle was over quickly. Two Wucao junks were captured. The third was engulfed in flames so intense that there was no point in trying to save it.

Following the standard procedure for dealing with captured pirates, the prisoners were not processed at sea. Men were sent to dismantle the few cannons on board and confiscate the gunpowder. Then, sailors were ordered to pilot the captured junks and follow the fleet, forbidden from breaking formation.