Total War: Restoration of the Ming Dynasty in Luzon

Chapter 81 Landing and Beating the Dog

March 20th, the first year of the Regent's reign, off the southern coast of Taiwan.

Low, leaden clouds pressed down on the sea, and the salty sea breeze whipped up white foam, slapping against the approaching black coastline. The flagship Pingyi, a fifth-class ship, sailed at the head of the fleet. Zhu Jiheng stood on the deck, holding onto the cold gunwale, gazing into the distance at the land that was faintly visible in the morning mist, feeling a surge of emotions in his chest.

He vividly remembered the humiliation he felt when he left Taiwan last time. If it weren't for the system, he would probably have been taken to the mainland by now, living under the Qing government's surveillance, with his future uncertain.

Now, with the help of the system, he has finally made a powerful comeback. This time, he will not run away again.

"Your Highness, we have seen land ahead. According to the nautical chart, it should be the area around Takow (Kaohsiung)."

Qin Yunwu stepped forward, pointed ahead, and reported to Zhu Jiheng in a deep voice. Behind him, several lookouts were nervously adjusting their monoculars.

Zhu Jiheng nodded slightly and immediately summoned Zhang San, the intelligence officer who had accompanied the army on the expedition, and asked him, "How many troops does the Qing government have stationed in Taiwan? Can you also ascertain the deployment of the coastal artillery forts?"

When Zhang San arrived, he was prepared for Zhu Jiheng's question and quickly answered:

"Your Highness, according to the reports from the spies who have infiltrated Taiwan, the Qing court has only withdrawn a portion of its troops. There are still about 10,000 troops stationed in Taiwan, mostly from the Fujian Green Standard Army, guarding places such as Taiwan Prefecture, Penghu, Luermen, Takow, and Keelung."

The Dagou garrison had a force of about three hundred men, with a simple earthen fort and only a few old-fashioned cannons on the shore, whose range and accuracy were negligible. However, the Luermen Channel was narrow, riddled with reefs, and fortified with artillery, making a direct assault difficult.

"Luermen..." Zhu Jiheng chewed on the place name.

Decades ago, Zhu Chenggong seized the opportunity of the tide to break through this treacherous path and secured victory in one fell swoop. History seems to have come full circle. Today, he leads his army to face the same enemy who is defending the strategic pass, only this time the enemy has changed from the Netherlands to the Manchus.

"Issue my order: the main force of the fleet shall anchor temporarily in the open sea and remain on alert. Two two-masted fast ships, carrying a company of scattered soldiers, shall take advantage of the thick fog at dawn to conduct reconnaissance of the hydrology and the movements of the garrison along the coast of Dagou."

The remaining ships, prepare for landing, with line infantry as the first echelon, followed by grenadiers and local auxiliary troops. Artillerymen should unload their cannons and board the boats, ready to seize the beach at any time!

"Yes, sir!"

The messenger clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, quickly ran to the side of the ship, and waved the flags to the other ships.

Before long, the two two-masted fast boats sped away like arrows, silently disappearing into the morning mist. On the decks of the two ships, skirmishers in dark green uniforms were checking their muskets and ammunition, preparing for the possible battle to come.

About an hour later, the fog gradually dissipated, and one of the fast ships returned first, bringing back definite news:

The Qing army at Dagou Pass was clearly unaware of the approaching army. Smoke curled from the chimneys above the fortress, and only a few sentries strolled lazily along the shore. The location of the artillery positions had been confirmed, and the defenses were lax.

"Heaven is on my side." Upon hearing this, Zhu Jiheng's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He raised his fist and said, "Pass on my order: the gunboats will advance, aim at the Qing army's forts and strongholds, and fire at the Qing army's camps to cover the landing of the land force."

Once the artillery barrage begins, each warship will carry the advance landing force to the beachhead. If resistance is encountered, kill them without mercy!

With flags fluttering and drums and horns sounding, the main fleet, which had been waiting for battle, immediately sprang into action, cutting through the waves and quickly closing the distance to the coastline. Gradually, they were able to see the astonished, wide-eyed faces of the Qing soldiers on the shore through their telescopes.

"Enemy... Enemy attack!"

The piercing shouts shattered the morning tranquility, and chaos erupted within the Dagouxun Fortress. Gongs clashed, and Qing soldiers, disheveled, poured out of their barracks.

However, it was all too late.

As the ships entered the range of the cannons, the helmsmen worked hard to turn the rudders, and the massive hulls began to turn, aligning their sturdy sides with the coast.

The gun ports were suddenly pushed open, revealing rows of dark cannon muzzles aimed at the Qing troops who were in disarray on the ground.

"fire!"

At the command of the Ming warship commander, the broadside cannons, which had already been loaded, roared deafeningly. The enormous recoil from the shelling caused the massive warship to sway slightly to the side, stirring up surging waves.

The scorching iron ball tore through the air, crashing down on the Qing army's artillery positions and fortified walls with a deathly shriek.

In an instant, wood chips and gravel flew everywhere, and smoke filled the air. The Qing army's shore cannons, which had just been set up, were overturned and blown to pieces by precise artillery fire before they could even fire.

"The warships advance forward, forcefully landing on the beachhead!"

The warships, already prepared, launched their small boats. Line infantrymen squatted on the sampans, while rowers on either side shouted commands, their muscles bulging. The small boats cleaved through the waves and sped toward the beach.

Rumble-

Shells kept whistling overhead and crashing onto the beach. The Qing troops could only flee in panic, unable to mount a counterattack against the large number of Ming boats that were pouring in. They could only watch helplessly as the Ming troops landed on the beach.

"Follow me!"

Each company commander brandished their sabers and, after the small boats rushed onto the beach, jumped off first and stepped into the knee-deep water.

"Kill!" The line infantry roared, followed closely by the enemy.

Facing the cool sea breeze and the smoke of gunpowder in the early morning, they waded through the shallow water, crossed the beach, and quickly formed a formation on the beachhead.

However, their vigilance was clearly unnecessary. The Qing army was already outnumbered, and when they suddenly encountered such fierce artillery fire, their morale collapsed instantly. They abandoned their swords, spears, and muskets and turned to flee inland.

Seeing the Qing army so easily defeated, Zhu Jiheng showed disdain, but he did not completely underestimate the enemy. He ordered a halt to the pursuit and quickly built a temporary dock on the beach, unloading all troops, artillery, and supplies and transporting them to land.

"These defeated soldiers will surely report back to their superiors after they escape. We need to prepare for fighting the Qing army on land as soon as possible," Zhu Jiheng said to Qin Yunwu and others. "Once the land forces have all been disarmed, your navy can enter the Taiwan Strait, find the main force of the Qing Fujian navy, and try to annihilate it, thereby seizing control of the sea."

"Yes, sir!"

Qin Yunwu's expression turned solemn, and he replied in a deep voice.

Half an hour later, the temporary dock was initially completed. Zhu Jiheng took a small boat and landed first. As soon as his feet touched the wet sand, before he could even enjoy the air of his homeland, he saw an officer rushing over.

"Your Highness, our army has seized several Qing documents in the fortified village, including recent official correspondence from Taiwan Prefecture. Please take a look."

As the officer spoke, he presented several sheets of stained paper.

Zhu Jiheng quickly flipped through the documents, his brows gradually furrowing. The documents mostly concerned the daily allocation of funds and provisions and the arrangements for patrols, but one document from the Fujian Land Route Commander's Office caught his attention.

The article mentions phrases such as "strictly investigate the coastal areas to prevent traitors" and "report any unusual activity in Luzon and other places immediately," and the date is exactly five days ago.

"It seems the Dutch have already made contact with the Qing court and alerted them." Zhu Jiheng handed the document to his adjutant beside him. "However, judging from the defenses at Takow, the warning was not effectively issued to this point, or perhaps our army's actions were swift enough to exceed their reaction time."