The waves lapped against the shore, reflecting the light of spring. People came and went on the bridges. There were thousands of shadows of sails, one in Zhejiang, Hangzhou, and one in Hunan. The fish in Tong 'an River were getting warmer, but Lu Zhou's coastal defense lighthouse was not cold yet. The blue sky was clear, and the clouds were floating. The sound of Zhongxing's gunships rang out.
While Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were busy with the spring construction, Lu Zhou's lighthouse finally played its role.
On the farthest lighthouse, the person in charge of guarding the lighthouse saw three boats fleeing. Through his Thousand Mile Eye, he could see the Tang flag on the fleeing boats while the ones behind did not have any insignia.
He sent signals to the patrol boats while he guided the three fleeing boats.
The fleeing boats were much smaller than the pursuing boats. He wondered where the three boats learned to sail with triangular sails. When they sailed against the wind, they would draw the word 'Z' on their sails.
The pursuing boats had straight sails. At this moment, the sails were lowered. The two groups of boats were able to maintain a certain distance from each other under such circumstances. The small boats could not run fast, and the pursuing boats could not catch up to them. However, they did not seem to have any intention of giving up.
Perhaps, the lighthouse was too small a target during the day and could not be seen from afar. The fleeing boats were initially heading in the right direction, but they started to deviate as they ran. The pursuing boats did not notice the lighthouse as well. They were still trying to close the distance between them.
As fireworks rose from the lighthouse, the three boats hastily adjusted their direction.
"Stay here and watch. I'll fight it out with them. If I die, detonate the explosives left behind in the lighthouse for the patrol boats. Lu Zhou's Trading Company will avenge us."
The person who woke up from his sleep hastily put on his clothes and ran down the stairs after he finished speaking. He kicked out the ballista with wheels in the storeroom below.
The ballista had 12 arrow slots. Each arrow was four feet and three inches long and was forged from fine iron. It was considered a weapon of the highest grade. However, nobody would come so far to investigate.
One by one, the arrows were placed on the string, and the string was loosened by cranking the handle. By the time the three people on the leading boats could be seen with the naked eye, all twelve arrows were in place.
Let's see if I can kill someone today. Let's run! We're about to catch up to them. No, I have to block the crossbow so that they'll be on guard. Damn it! Lu Zhou's Trading Company is really awesome. They actually gave the lighthouse a crossbow. "The lighthouse was in a daze.
While muttering to herself, she shouted at the approaching ships. She didn't care whether they could hear her or not. She timidly found a piece of canvas and blocked the cold arrowheads of the crossbow. It seemed that she had made up her mind to ambush someone.
The people on the three boats did not hear her, but they saw the lighthouse. It was also their first time here. They had always heard that the lighthouse here was good. When they were tired from fishing, they could rest in the lighthouse. Anyone who sold the shellfish to Lu Zhou's Trading Company would be given free drinks and meals. However, they had to show the proof of the transaction.
The people on the boats did not know how strong the support from the lighthouse was. However, this was a place where they could rest. Moreover, it belonged to Lu Zhou's Trading Company. It was better than running on the sea alone. They could go in and block the door for a while.
The people on the three small boats did not have the time to adjust their landing positions. They were directly stranded on the reefs or the beach. The people also ran down one after another. They did not care about the boats and did not have time to care about the things on the boats. There was no situation where they had to bear the burden for a little bit of harvest.
A total of ten people jumped down from the three boats. They thought they were saved. When they saw a person leaning on the reef on the shore, they were disappointed again.
"Go in and block the door. They'll be here soon," a young man among the ten people shouted anxiously at the person on the plateau.
The five ships chasing after them were indeed not far away. It was estimated that they would be able to reach the shore in less than half an hour. It was still not too late to block the door under the lighthouse. However, the person standing there was completely unmoved. He turned his head to look at the ten people and shouted, "Everyone, let's go!"
Don't worry about me. I'll show them my power. I'll climb up later. There's a bow at the top. You can use it. Run! "
The ten people looked up at the lighthouse. Sure enough, there was a rope hanging down from the top. They turned to look at the boats chasing after them. They did not want to wait with this simple-minded person. One by one, they ran into the lighthouse and piled the things on the bottom floor at the entrance. To their regret, the lighthouse only had an entrance and no door.
The five boats chasing after them had slowed down at this time. They looked at the lighthouse and made a choice. Should they go up or not? This was the problem.
While they were hesitating, the boats were getting closer and closer to the shore. The people on the boats picked up the javelins and prepared to shoot the person standing on the plateau down when they were close enough.
The javelins were almost within range, let alone the ballista. In order not to miss, Xin Guai waited and waited. Although he had never killed anyone before, he had a lot of practice. However, at that time, he used a wooden shaft and an iron head. He shot into the sea and then fished it up after he was done.
Now that he was using an iron arrow, he estimated that the front part of the arrow would be similar to the wooden one, and the back part would be further away. He lifted the canvas blocking the way and stood behind the arrow on the far left. He was ready to shoot a single shot. After aiming slightly, he moved the bayonet and the arrow flew out with a buzz.
Before the people on the boat who were preparing to use the javelins could react, they felt a cold wind blow over their heads. A puff sound came from behind them. While they were still in a daze, a second arrow flew over. This time, it did not hit the water, but the boat.
With a crack, the bottom board of the boat was shot through, leaving a large hole. The area around the hole also cracked, and seawater gurgled out of the hole.
A third arrow followed. This arrow was not very accurate, and it was a little too far. It hit a reef on the side of the boat. Half of the arrow went in, and the other half buzzed and trembled.
At this time, the people on the boat finally knew what was flying over one after another. If this thing hit them …?
"Run! Plug the leak, quick!" The people on the boat who were shot reacted and shouted at the top of their lungs.
In fact, there was no need for him to shout. The others were turning around, and the people who wanted to throw the javelins stopped thinking about it. The consequences of the javelins in their hands going against that thing were very serious.
The five boats began to turn around as fast as they could. At this time, they regretted that they should not have rushed so close. It was also the first time they realized that the boat, which usually turned around very quickly, was too slow today.
They wanted to run, but Xin Gutless did not intend to let them go so easily. The three arrows did not hit a single person. If he could not stop two people, others would laugh at him again.
He put his hand on the fourth arrow and carefully aimed at it, ready to shoot. He was not afraid that the other party would run away. The twelve arrows were not finished. This was a crossbow, and they wanted to run out of the range at such a close distance? It was too late.
The ten people who were rescued had already climbed to the top and were looking down from the windowless window. They were prepared to fight, but they didn't expect that the five ships would be scared away. They had never seen this kind of ballista that was specially used to attack and defend a city. They looked at the big thing in puzzlement.
"This is good. After they leave, we don't have to worry about being caught by them," said one of the ten people who was holding a package tightly in his arms.
"Run? They can't run away. Gutless, stop shooting. Save the arrows. One arrow costs a lot. Remember to get it back. I won't accompany you in fishing. If you get a magnet and tie it to a rope, you might not be able to find it even after a day. The patrol boat is already here. If you continue to shoot, I will report you. "
The person who stayed to guard the tower first looked to the east, where the patrol boat was coming from. After seeing the shadow of a boat, he shouted to Xin Gutless.
Xin Gutless resentfully took down the rest of the arrows. He put down the string and muttered unhappily, "Am I gutless? I am ready to sacrifice myself. There are only nine arrows left. Not all of them can hit. There are so many people on the five boats. What is there to be afraid of? They can chop me into minced meat if they rush up. "
While the two people guarding the tower were waiting and the ten people who had dodged the attack felt exhausted, the patrol ship rushed over with full sail. From its speed, it could be seen that not only was the ship at full sail, but the human propeller behind it was also operating at full capacity.
The people guarding the tower signaled twice. Without stopping, the patrol boat rushed toward the five boats that had just escaped the crossbow's range and were trying to think of a way to get back up.
"Don't worry. They can't run away. Do you think you can run away after causing trouble? Now, tell me where you live. Tell me your birthplace. "
The person standing on the tower patted the oldest of the ten people on the shoulder and asked.
"Do we have to pay for it? If I had known, I would have thought of a way to do business with the people of Lu Zhou's Trading Company. " The person who was patted said, but in his heart, he began to think about how much money he would have to pay this time. The other party had specially sent a big boat here. How much would it cost?
"No receipt? Then you have to pay for food. Fish is the cheapest. Pork or vegetables are expensive. If you want to eat fruits, the price is even higher. "
The person guarding the tower took out a list from the side. It was full of the price of food. He did not care if the people could read or not. He just introduced the list to them.
The ten people did not care about what they ate. It was a great favor to be able to survive. The person holding the package in his arms asked nervously, "How much does it cost to send a boat here? And that big thing that scared the others away just now. We can't afford it if there are too many. "
As he spoke, he hugged the package in his arms tighter.
"First, we have to see if the flag you hang is fake. If it's fake, you have to work hard because you don't have money."
"It's not fake. We are all from the same dynasty. Can't we get a bargain?"
"Yes, it's a bargain. Are you really from Tang? Tell them your birthplace and put your fingerprint after checking. It's easy to reimburse. Don't hide it. No one will rob you. No matter how precious your things are, how much can they be sold for? The Lu Zhou's Trading Company might not take a fancy to you, "the person guarding the tower said unhappily when he saw that the person was still on guard.
However, the person refused to relax. "You haven't said how much it costs to be from Tang."
"It doesn't cost money. You're so narrow-minded. Remember to thank the Imperial Court first, and then thank the Lu Zhou's Trading Company. The boat came so quickly today. I thought it would take an hour for it to arrive. Take a good look at the menu. What do you want to eat? The timid one below is a chef. He has been trained by the Sea Cloud Inn. You're in for a treat. "
The person guarding the tower began to write down today's events. When the shift was over, he would bring it back to the Trading Company to record it.
The ten of them were relieved. They did not expect that the transfer of the ship would be free, but they definitely did not believe that the person below was a coward. When they looked at him just now, he seemed to be awe-inspiring. Especially when his slightly messy hair was blown by the wind, it gave people the impression that he was standing proudly in the wind and no one could stop him.
However, they still could not figure out why they did not need to pay.
"That … Is it really free? There has to be a reason, right? "The person holding the package still wanted to confirm.
"Why are you so stupid? The people of Tang don't need money. Do you usually pay fishing tax? The right thing to do is to pay the tax. The Trading Company will settle the bill with the Imperial Court after paying the tax. " The person guarding the tower had to explain. In fact, he knew that the Imperial Court would not pay the tax. The Trading Company would pay the tax themselves, and they still had to ask the Imperial Court for help.
"But the tax we pay is not enough to transfer a big boat even once every ten years."
"That's two different things. You are the people of Tang. If you pay the tax, you will be protected. Those who can pay the tax are protected. Those who can't pay the tax are protected. You don't understand. You know that you don't need to pay the tax. It's tiring. What do you want to eat? Hurry up, if you don't want to eat, I'm going up. The timid one is going to sleep. "
The person guarding the tower was slightly dissatisfied when he saw that the other party was not done with his questions.
The ten people did not dare to offend the other party. He should be the most authoritative person. He pointed to a line of words on the menu and asked, "What is this?"
"Sauerkraut and seafood pot. It's cheap. If you have something from the sea on your boat, just bring it up. The sauerkraut, oil, and seasonings here will be 20 copper coins."
The person guarding the tower looked at the words and said.
"20 copper coins?" Obviously, some people could not afford this price.
"I'll give you 100 copper coins now. Go and find sauerkraut for me. I'll take as many as you have. It's only two copper coins for each of the ten people."
While they were talking, the patrol boat had caught up with the five boats that had escaped again. Although it was called a patrol boat, it was actually a gunboat that had just been launched. It was preparing to come here for an experiment. It happened that something happened, so it intervened.
There were 16 large bronze cannons on the boat, eight on each side. The back of the cannons was filled with rollers, and the front of the cannons were filled with gunpowder and iron balls. It was not very accurate. After firing one shot, the cannons had to be reloaded again. It was not bad to be able to fire two shots in a quarter of an hour.
But even so, many people were full of hope for this new weapon. The iron balls could fly as far as two miles. After firing eight shots, they could change direction and fire another eight shots. At such a long distance, the other boats did not have any means to fight back. If they were hit twice, it would be easy to sink.
If they fired a few more shots and were lucky enough to break the mast, then the boat would be waiting for death. At this time, it was normal to chase and attack each other for a few days in a sea battle. It was not like the time when Xiao Bao and Cuckoo were shooting torpedoes and missiles were flying everywhere.
The five boats that had escaped were not because they knew that the enemy had cannons, but because they compared the size of the enemy's boats. If they hit the big boat, the small boats would be smashed. If there were some crossbowmen on the boat, they would be shot a few times.
"Run and see where you can go. The boat is a little small, so it's not easy to hit it. Try to run. Turn left and reload." With the command of the commander, the gunboat slowly adjusted its position. With the command to fire, eight cannons fired eight shots in the smoke and loud noise.
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