Chapter 1644 Coping Measures
The invulnerable black sailboat was certainly powerful, but in Juan's view, this was not only the strength of the Haihan fleet, but it was also most likely its destiny. Once such an extremely powerful weapon is damaged in a battle, it will undoubtedly have a considerable impact on its combat effectiveness. However, whether the Haihan army will retreat due to this is purely Juan's opinion. If he does not try to divert Aragones' attention, then the other side will always hold on to Haihan and defeat the Manila ship with five warships. The team will not let go of this result. As for the hard work of Juan and his men during the battle, the governor was definitely not interested in slowly understanding it, so Juan could only resort to such strange tricks to protect himself.
As for how to achieve this goal, Juan himself actually has no clear idea. During the previous battle with the Haihan fleet, he had been observing the performance of the "Black Shark", but the combat effectiveness of this ship was so powerful. It was far superior to the Spanish warship in both offense and defense. It was also extremely fast and could even sail in a short time. The speed suddenly increased during the period, and it broke away from the battle group at a speed that was difficult for the Spanish sailing ship. It was also very difficult to encircle and suppress this strange ship at sea with the number of ships.
The only way Juan could think of was probably to use chain bombs to attack its mast and sails, but the range of chain bombs was much shorter than that of ordinary artillery shells. This unconventional tactic could only be used when getting close to the ship. In naval battles of this era, due to the extremely limited range and accuracy of naval guns, it was normal for two ships to engage in face-to-face bombardment. However, the Haihan warship to be dealt with often extended the engagement distance to more than 100 meters. Moreover, they were all heading towards the Spanish warships, and the fighting time was so short that there was no time to prepare. If you want to use chain bullets to hit key parts with low protection, even if you follow this tactic, whether you can achieve the effect Juan wants depends largely on luck.
If you're lucky, you may win the prize as soon as you launch the cannon. If you're not lucky, maybe the opponent will seize the opportunity to kill several of your own ships but still get nothing. But at least in theory, this tactic is a little bit better than the head-on confrontation in previous battles, and there is a glimmer of hope of severely damaging the opponent.
The sudden bad weather temporarily stopped the Haihan Army's offensive, and also gave the defenders more buffer time to prepare for the subsequent battle. Since there were not too many chain bombs in stock, Juan ordered the mobilization of almost all the blacksmiths in Manila to work overtime to make chain bombs. At the same time, he convened a meeting with the most skilled gunners on each warship to explain to them some details that need to be paid attention to when using chain bomb tactics. Due to the limited number of chain bombs, Juan could only arrange for no more than two guns on each ship. Use this unconventional projectile in combat.
It is normal for the craftsmen in the city to obey orders during wartime. However, the problem is that most of the things that the blacksmiths use to eat are heavy and difficult to carry. For example, the furnace for melting iron and the anvil for blacksmithing cannot be moved at will, and they cannot be moved in a short time. The blacksmiths were not allowed to work together, so the task of making chain bombs could only be assigned to each family to complete on their own. In this way, there was not much confidentiality left, but Juan still tried his best to warn all the blacksmiths not to inform anyone else about his chain bomb making.
But how can we really keep this kind of thing a secret? The Chaosheng Merchant Store run by Ran Tianlu has a blacksmith shop under its name. It usually only makes small things such as farm tools and cooking utensils, but at this time the officials are urgently in need of more. With so many chain bombs, the blacksmith shop to which Chaosheng Merchant Store belonged naturally also received the mission. Ran Tianlu had just spent his own money to carry out a labor activity a few days ago. The Spaniards trusted him more. After handing him the iron materials and drawings, they just told him to complete the task of building thirty chain bombs as soon as possible, without thinking. I wonder if he can be trusted with this task.
Ran Tianlu now not only has Father Blanco as his great backer, he has also become a trustworthy person in the eyes of the military, making it much easier to do things than in the past. Although he didn't know the specific purpose of the Spaniards' rush to build chain bombs, he thought it must be to deal with the Haihan fleet that had arrived in Manila Bay. So as Haihan's intelligence officer, he had to try to get the news out as soon as possible.
But Ran Tianlu has a series of problems that must be solved first. First of all, he does not know the current location of the Haihan Army. Secondly, the Manila Port has been completely blocked. Non-military personnel are definitely not allowed to go to sea from the port. The last question is, even if he can get out, he still has to consider whether to sneak back. After all, there are dozens of people in the Chaosheng Commercial Store. If he escapes and the Spaniards notice it afterwards, the store will be in trouble. Maybe all the people who help will be implicated.
The first problem is the best to solve. After the last labor force activity, Ran Tianlu had already established a relationship with the Spanish military officer Gonzalo. The other party had a good impression of him, a Han Chinese who was generous and a believer, and specially warned him If the subsequent war becomes tense, arrangements can be made for him to enter the castle in the center of Manila to temporarily escape the limelight with the Spanish immigrants.
Of course, Ran Tianlu is not very interested in such suggestions. If it comes time to hide in the castle, the last line of defense, it means that the Spaniards have lost their battle and there is no chance to escape. At that time, there is no need for him to get involved with his own life. Risk it and continue to stay with the Spaniards. When the war was in chaos, he might as well stay outside the city and wait for his army to break through the city to help identify the prisoners and maintain local security.
So when Ran Tianlu went to Gonzalo to inquire about the battle situation, the other party was not too surprised. After all, anyone in Manila who was not deaf or blind knew that the Haihan Army had come, but the official blocked the news intentionally, and the people did not Know how the previous battles went. Although the official claimed that the enemy had been severely damaged in the naval battle, no evidence could be produced to prove these results.
"The Haihan people can't even touch the edge of Manila, so you don't have to worry too much." Gonzalo responded to Ran Tianlu's inquiry in an official tone.
However, how could Ran Tianlu be as easy to deceive as ordinary people? He immediately presented the gift box he had prepared: "My lord has been working hard recently, and I hope you will accept it with your kindness."
Gonzalo said politely, but he had already taken it in his hand. He weighed the weight and it was still a bit heavy. He knew that it was probably filled with gold and silver. He coughed dryly and said, "Actually, it's just a fight with the Haihan people." It’s a tie, but the Governor hopes that the public’s mood will remain stable, so he will be a little exaggerated when publicizing the results, you know.”
"I understand!" Ran Tianlu nodded, and then asked: "The Haihan people came across the sea, and they will definitely not give up. I wonder where they retreated to rest? Why don't our Manila fleet take advantage of their retreat to send troops to counterattack? Killing a wave may have a miraculous effect.”
Gonzalo responded smoothly: "They are in Cavite, and that place is not easy to counterattack..."
Gonzalo realized that he had made a mistake and quickly stopped the conversation: "There is still fighting in Cavite. You can't spread this matter, you know?" "I know, I know! You must keep your mouth shut, everyone." Don't tell!" Ran Tianlu hurriedly patted his chest to assure Gonzalo, fearing that the other party would not believe him, so he swore an oath in the name of God.
Gonzalo made a mistake and let Ran Tianlu know that the Haihan Army had captured Cavite. That place itself is a peripheral barrier to Manila City. It is not far from Manila City on land and sea. No wonder the official Dare not announce the news of the fall of Cavite.
Now that Cavite has fallen under the control of Haihan, the Manila fleet originally stationed there can only return to Manila Port to dock. But as a result, it would become more difficult to get out of Manila Port. Ran Tianlu didn't think he could get a boat to leave from the port without concealing the truth. And Gonzalo couldn't help him in this matter. Juan was in control of the arrangements for Manila Port, and the city defense army had no way to intervene.
Unable to go to sea, Ran Tianlu could only think of going to Cavite by land. Going south along the coastline from Manila City to the Cavite Peninsula is probably the shortest route, but the distance is still more than 30 kilometers long, and three rivers need to be crossed in the middle. Under the current weather conditions, if you go there on foot, you probably won't be able to get there in one day. Of course Chaosheng Merchant Inn also has carriages, but traveling south at this time is indeed a bit too conspicuous. After all, almost all the refugees who have poured into and outside Manila in the past two days are from the south. Who would go to such an unstable place?
Ran Tianlu thought about it and decided to send the information at hand to Cavite as soon as possible. However, he was worried that if he left, the business house would be prone to trouble without a backbone, so he delegated the matter to his brother Ran Tiancheng. Ran Tiancheng was not from the Ministry of Security, he was not even registered as a Haihan citizen, and he had basically nothing to do with intelligence work. He was just a pure Ming Dynasty businessman. Ran Tianlu was afraid that the matter would be too big and scare him, so he didn't tell him the truth at all. He only said that the war situation was tense now, and the Spaniards would probably suffer heavy losses. He should go and clear the way with the Haihan people before the city was broken, so as to avoid the insurrectionary army rushing in. There was trouble at Chaosheng Store.
Ran Tiancheng also thought it was reasonable and took over the job. Ran Tianlu sealed the information in an envelope, saying that it contained a banknote from Haihan Bank, which was only used to buy peace from the Haihan people, so Ran Tiancheng carefully kept it close to him. Ran Tiancheng didn't doubt him. In order to avoid being noticed by the Spaniards, he didn't even bring any entourage. He picked a strong horse from the store and set out in the rain. Ran Tianlu specifically told him to stay in Cavite and not return immediately after the talks with the Haihan people were completed. He could only come back after the city of Manila was defeated or the Haihan people took the initiative to withdraw.
The weather was windy and rainy. Although it was inconvenient to travel, it actually provided cover for Ran Tiancheng's actions. No Spanish patrols would be active in the nearby area in this weather. The area outside Manila also seemed to have become a no-man's land. After Ran Tiancheng left Manila for more than ten miles, he encountered a group of immigrants fleeing north from Parañaque Town.
Ran Tiancheng was one man and one horse. When he reached the town of Parañaque, the wind and rain became heavier. He could no longer move forward in the rain, so he could only find an empty house to rest temporarily. He had previously inquired from the fleeing immigrants that the Haihan people had captured Cavite, and residents in nearby towns were worried about being harmed, so they abandoned their homes and fled. And the only place they can go is the city of Manila, which is said to be unbreakable.
Because the weather conditions were very bad and it was getting dark, Ran Tiancheng had to stay here for one night. Fortunately, he was well prepared when he set out. He not only brought his own food, but also several kilograms of beans to feed the horses, so he didn't have to worry about going hungry.
The weather conditions improved slightly the next day, and Ran Tiancheng continued on the road, arriving at the town of Noveleta controlled by the Haihan Army at noon. After he reported his identity and purpose to the Haihan soldiers, an officer soon came to question him, and then asked him to leave his horse in the town, and arranged a separate carriage to take him there. At Cavite Port, Ran Tiancheng was quite flattered by this treatment.
It was still nearly ten kilometers from the town of Noveleta to the Port of Cavite, but with the carriage escorted by the Haihan military, this journey was much easier than before. Ran Tiancheng couldn't help but start to wonder how much benefits his brother had prepared for the Haihan people. If it were less, wouldn't such a high-standard arrangement not receive the expected return? If the Haihan people think the amount in the envelope is too small, should they make the decision and add more?
After thinking about it, Ran Tiancheng wanted to open the envelope to see how much money was inside, but he remembered that Ran Tianlu had specifically told him before he set off that he must not take it out on the way, and that he had to wait until he met the senior officials of Haihan before taking it out and presenting it. At the moment, he still He suppressed his curiosity and decided to handle the matter according to Ran Tianlu's wishes. If the other party really feels that it is too little at that time, then consider increasing the amount depending on the situation.
Ran Tiancheng never dreamed that the envelope he was carrying was not a check from Haihan Bank, but the movements in Manila in recent days and the drawings of chain bombs that the Spanish military urgently needed to build.
After arriving at the Port of Cavite, Ran Tiancheng was handed over to the local officers, and after changing several officers to lead the way, he finally arrived at the headquarters of the Haihan Army. This was Ran Tiancheng's first time entering the army. Although no one was outside due to the weather conditions, he could still feel a chilling atmosphere.
Ran Tiancheng entered the headquarters tremblingly. He heard that the person who met him was actually the Minister of Defense of the Haihan Kingdom. He knew that this official position was equivalent to that of the Minister of War of the Ming Dynasty. He hurriedly wanted to kneel down and kowtow, but was stopped by the other party. Ran Tianlu had said that he would bring out the things after meeting the senior officials of Haihan. The Minister of Defense must be regarded as a high-ranking official among the high-ranking officials. Ran Tiancheng quickly took out the envelope from his arms and presented it with both hands, telling Yan Chujie his purpose.
(End of chapter)