Chapter 601 A New Beginning for the Ming Dynasty
Fire flickered from time to time on the sea surface, and clouds of smoke gushed out and spread quickly, like a thick fog, covering the sea surface under the morning sun.

The Arab ships fled in panic in the thick fog. They were like lambs and elks, appearing and disappearing in the fog, struggling desperately.

The Ming ships were like vicious wolves, and the flashing red light in the thick fog was their sharp fangs. Their figures whizzed out of the thick fog, and then plunged back into the fog in the blink of an eye.

They are like a pack of wolves roaming through the grass on the grassland, chasing their prey ruthlessly and arrogantly.

The sound of artillery fire was like the Poseidon’s ceremonial drum corps, beating drums desperately on the sea in the distance. The roar tore through the air and shook everyone’s heart.

The sound of artillery fire was faintly mixed with cheers and screams, hidden in the smoke blown by the wind. You knew it was there, but you didn’t know where exactly it was.

The dense and huge sound of artillery fire covered the city of Goa like thunder. First, the brave people rushed to the outside of the fortress and the port on horseback or in carriages and looked around.

Then more and more people joined the crowd.

Many nobles, officers and merchants crowded into the best viewing platform on the fortress wall on the left cape.

“Who is it? Our reinforcements?”

A businessman asked in surprise.

Someone retorted: “Reinforcements? Where can we get reinforcements?”

“From the mainland.”

“The mainland? It will take half a year to come here even if everything goes smoothly. Besides, does Portugal have such large sailing ships? Look at this fleet. The largest number of capital ships are very similar to galleons, but they also have a strong influence of oriental ships.”

“It’s the Wusong ship, the most commonly used ship type in the Ming Dynasty.” The officer who came back with the trench mirror replied.

“The Ming navy? Oh my God, why are they here?” an aristocrat exclaimed.

Everyone’s heart sank. The Ming navy had reached Goa, which meant that the rumor that no one wanted to believe was true!
The fleet led by Governor Calderon was completely wiped out in the Strait of Malacca!
“Is it the Ming Navy? How could they have such a large navy?” Some people still couldn’t believe it, holding on to the last glimmer of hope.

“It’s the Ming Navy. I saw their flag, ‘Suzaku Navy’, a big bird with its wings spread in fire.”

Leon’s words caused everyone to fall into silence.

In the silence, suddenly, more than a dozen traces of fireworks appeared on the sea. Before anyone could react, a huge ball of fire suddenly emerged from the thick fog on the sea.

The fierce fire even dispelled the thick fog, and a “fire ship” appeared in front of everyone.

This was a “giant Arab sailing ship”, 800 to 1,000 tons, one of the largest warships in the Arab fleet. At this moment, it was like a hippopotamus on fire, staggering and struggling on the sea.

Suddenly, a bowsprit pierced the thick fog like a sharp spear, followed by the bow, then the hull, mast, and stern. A sailing ship that was much larger than the giant Arab sailboat on fire suddenly appeared in front of everyone like a majestic knight.

It passed by the Arab sailboat that had turned into a huge bonfire, without even bothering to take a second look, and turned and approached a paddle boat not far away, and then flames flashed on the side of the boat.

So many artillery pieces!
The timid people subconsciously took a step back. In their eyes, the huge galley looked like a wildebeest trembling under the roar of a lion.

The distance was too far, and no one could see the details of the shells hitting the galley, but they could imagine that the galley was hit by a hail of shells. They seemed to see that the galley’s hull was tilted backwards.

“This is a one-sided war,” Suarez lamented.

“No!” Condorcet shook his head.

Suarez and several people around him turned to look at Condorce. Isn’t this one-sided?

“It was a one-sided massacre,” said Condorcet.

By the afternoon, the smoke on the sea gradually dissipated, and the people in the fortress were finally able to see the situation clearly.

The vast sea was in a mess. Some ships sank with only a mast left; some ships sank with only half of the hull left. Sailors were either calling for help on board or struggling in the water. Some ships were spinning in place, with serious injuries and would fall to the ground in the next moment. Some were burning with raging fire, and a column of black smoke rose into the sky, like a black line connecting the sky and the sea. Countless wooden fragments floated on the sea, and countless people were struggling and calling for help in the water.
Nearby Ming ships moved among the wreckage and debris, rescuing and salvaging prisoners.
In the distance, the Ming warships continued to chase the fleeing Arab warships, like a group of vicious wolves chasing panicked elks and antelopes.

The Arab fleet suffered heavy casualties, with more than half of its ships visibly lost, and the ships that escaped were also being hunted down. They were inferior to the Ming warships in firepower, and were also being chased down in speed. Whether they could escape or not really depended on God’s blessing.

After a fierce battle for half a day, the huge Arab fleet was swept away like a dead leaf in a hurricane.

The Ming Navy’s combat power is so terrifying!
The jackal was defeated by the tiger and its pack of wolves, but the Portuguese people who were watching the show were even more worried.

Tigers and wolves are scarier than jackals. What should we do?
Everyone looked at Leon and said, “You are our governor now. You swear to protect us!”

“We took the initiative to send people to contact the Ming Navy and directly told them that we wanted to negotiate with them.”

Leon thought for a moment and said.

“Okay, okay! Send someone to talk right away!”

Everyone immediately nodded in agreement.

“I can find the person to contact, but we need to discuss the bottom line of our negotiation first.”

After a moment of silence, a businessman said, “We are willing to donate a lot of money to reward the Ming navy and ask them to protect us from the Arab attacks.

What do you think? “

He looked around proudly, and the expression on his face seemed to say, “My idea is good, come and praise me!”
So silly and naive!

Condorcet said sarcastically: “The Ming navy has captured Goa. Everything belongs to them. Do they need us to contribute?”

The businessman suddenly realized that he subconsciously still felt that the Portuguese were invincible and that they were not afraid of anyone except the Spanish. That was why he thought that what was given to you was a reward, and what was not given to you, you dare not steal.

But now the Portuguese and Arabs are being pinned to the ground and rubbed hard by the Ming people. The invincible Portuguese fleet has already disappeared in the Malacca Strait. Do you think the Ming people still need you to give?
Doesn’t he know to come up and get it himself?

Looking at so many big sailing ships and so many cannons, you should know that everything belongs to others!

Father Enrique asked, “Leon, you have dealt with the Ming people before, how do you think we should negotiate?”

“Father, let’s first ask them why they are here. My intuition tells me that the Ming people are not here to conquer this place, but to do business.”

The silly and naive businessman couldn’t help but ask, “Come here to do business? Is it necessary to send so many large sailing ships?”

Condorcet couldn’t help but retort to him, “If they don’t send so many large sailing ships, will we, as well as the Arabs and Indians, be willing to do business with them peacefully?” Yes, if our navy had not defeated the Ottoman fleet in the Battle of the Gulf of Oman and the combined fleets of Egypt, the Kingdom of Calicut in India and the Sultanate of Gujarat in the Battle of Diu, would the Arabs and Indians do business with us so peacefully?
You have already snatched them all away!

Another big businessman asked: “Sir Leon, if they are here to open up the trade route from Malacca to India, do we still have a chance of survival?”

Leon replied hesitantly: “As long as we don’t resist stubbornly, the Ming people will not harm us. They have a history of thousands of years and are a civilized country. They are more civilized and polite than India, Arabia and us.”

Some nobles and priests were dissatisfied, but when they saw so many warships on the sea in the distance, they dared only keep their words to themselves and dared not speak out.

Well, you have so many warships and cannons, you are the most civilized.

Leon selected Condorcet, Suarez, a noble, an administrative official and a clergy representative, a group of five people, and left the port on one of the two Portuguese warships that had been trembling in the port.

Before leaving the port, administrative officials and nobles urged the captain to raise all the white flags on board.

Two masts were raised with eight sides, four on the bow, and two on each side of the stern, with white flags fluttering, as if for fear that the Ming people would not be able to see.

With so many white flags, the officers and soldiers of the Suzaku Navy must have seen them.

They held back their laughter and led the Portuguese warship to the vicinity of the “Ningbo”. They then asked five representatives to get on a small boat, row under the ship, and climb up along the rope ladder on the side of the ship.

After hearing the intention of Condorcet and his five companions, Yu Dayou thought for a moment and said directly: “It’s Xiao Lai, we are old acquaintances. He is very smart and guessed our intention.

We are here to do business. Of course we can sit down and talk. Let’s ask Xiao Lai to bring someone who can keep his word and come to my place to talk.”

After saying this, he waved his hand and told the five people to hurry back and report the news.

After hearing Condorcet’s reply, Leon immediately replied: “I can go to the Ming ship to negotiate, but there are many things I can’t decide on my own. I need the nobles, officers, merchants and the church to each send a representative who can make decisions to negotiate with me.”

After more than an hour of discussion, the number of people was finally gathered. The noble representative was a baron who was also the tax supervisor of the Indian colony.

The officer representative is the deputy commander of the Sayya Infantry Regiment, the businessman is the head of the largest chamber of commerce in Goa, and the church representative is Father Enrique.

Everyone boarded the boat and arrived at the “Ningbo”, where they were greeted on the deck by Jose and He Fengxian.

Leon’s face darkened, “Is it you?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Where’s Governor Calderon?”

Jose turned his head to look at the small box at his feet, bent down and opened it. Inside was an exquisite ceramic jar, and next to it were a sword, a ring, several letters, and other documents and objects.

“Calderon was very brave in commanding the battle on the ‘Our Lady of Grace’, but a stray bullet hit his left lung and he lost his ability to command.

Three hours later, Count Fernando, who had taken over his command, gave the order to surrender. Half an hour later, Governor Calderon died in my arms, finally free from the agony.

I cremated his body on the spot and put the ashes in this jar. The rest are his belongings, please pass them on to his family.

This letter states that Governor Calderon performed well in the decisive battle, and that he is worthy of being a loyal subject of the King, the noble Count of Portugal. The letter is signed by Count Fernando and ten other nobles and officers, and can be presented to His Majesty the King.

Leon and everyone else’s faces darkened, and they looked at Jose in front of them with complicated expressions.

Everyone present knew what kind of person Calderón was.

When it comes to glory, he will be the first to rush forward; when it comes to bleeding and fighting, he will hide at the back.

In the Battle of Malacca, he acted on his own, underestimated the enemy and rushed forward, which destroyed Portugal’s main force in the East. A century of business was destroyed in an instant. Even if he died, countless people would drag him out and whip his corpse.

But the facts are already like this, and there is no point in whipping the corpse. It is better to give it to him and also leave some dignity for Portugal.

“You’re not coming back?”

Leon asked in stuttering Chinese.

“I have become a naturalized officer of the Ming Navy, with the rank of lieutenant, the seventh grade. This is just the starting point. Once the Marshal reports my military achievements, I can be promoted three more levels, and maybe even awarded a medal.”

Jose replied in fluent Chinese, “This is my new starting point.”

Leon nodded, looked around, and looked at the forest of Ming Navy warships with a serious expression.

“Goa is the end point of Portugal in the East, but it is the new starting point of Ming Dynasty.”

Yu Dayou shouted from the stern deck: “Xiao Lai, have you finished reminiscing about the past? Come up and talk.”

After two days of talks, an agreement was reached.

The Portuguese surrendered control of the four ports of Diu, Surat, Goa and Cochin. The Ming Dynasty ensured the safety of their lives and property and retreated to the port of Muscat.

On the fourth day, the Ming Navy successfully took over the Port of Goa and the City of Goa, and sent a detachment carrying Portuguese envoys to Cochin, Surat and Diu Port to take over.

Yu Dayou stood on the fortress wall on the left cape, overlooking the entire Goa Port and gazing at the Goa city in the distance.

There were seven Ming warships and twelve medium-sized Arab sailboats anchored in the harbor. They were all spoils of war a few days ago and were now given to the Portuguese.

Hundreds of carriages drove out of the city, filled with Portuguese men, women, and children, and piled with their property. When they arrived at the port, they got off the carriages and loaded their property onto the ship. They were leaving here and heading for Muscat Port.

“Marshal, shouldn’t we press on and pursue the victory?” asked the deputy general beside him.

Yu Dayou stroked his beard and said leisurely, “You can’t eat a fat man in one bite. India and Pagan alone are such a large area that it will take us two or three years to digest. Let the Portuguese deal with the Arabs.

Besides, the route to Kunzhou and Duizhou (Africa and Europe) is still controlled by the Portuguese. The mission given to me by the Emperor is to fight the war and seize the territory, but not to delay the business.

If we continue to fight, it will easily cut off the trade route to the west, which will not be worth the loss.”

The deputy commander continued, “General, our army has defeated the Arab pirates and captured all the ports in India. We must report this victory to the emperor.”

“That’s right! The news of my victory has been sent on two fast ships to Longkou Port.”

(End of this chapter)