MLMD -Chapter 453 Trouble Arises

“Orders! Ships No. 3, 4, and 8, switch to chain shot and aim for their masts—hit them hard! …Ships No. 2 and 3, fire at the two ships ahead! Don’t let them get close!”

Amid the thunderous cannon fire, Guo Jingxian stood on the deck, directing the fleet as if flying kites. This tactic—using the speed of the warships and the range of the cannons to keep the enemy at bay—was truly fascinating. Watching his own guns relentlessly hammer the enemy while the opponents could do nothing but glare helplessly was an exhilarating feeling.

“Big Brother! The Zheng fleet is flanking us from behind!” Yan Fei shouted suddenly, pointing to the side as he assisted in command.

Guo Jingxian glanced over. Just then, the Zheng fleet, which had been spectating from the front, had quietly maneuvered around to the left, trying to encircle them.

“Hmph… trying to flank us?” Guo Jingxian sneered and immediately ordered, “Full speed ahead! Shake them off. Yan-type ships, circle behind them and give them a hit.”

“Yes… full speed ahead!”

Yan Fei acknowledged and began relaying the orders through the fleet.

Since the dawn of warfare, what has been the true force multiplier for armies? Many would probably shout in unison: weapons. From wooden clubs and stone axes in the Stone Age, through bronze and iron weapons in the age of melee combat, to the firearms of later eras, the forms of warfare evolved alongside weapons. Yet later military experts revealed a surprising truth: in fact, information is the true amplifier of an army’s combat effectiveness.

In the age of melee combat, commanders constantly struggled with how to transmit orders to all units quickly and efficiently. Traditional methods—drums, whistles, or flag signals—had too many limitations, and their timeliness was often poor. By the time an order reached the troops, it could already be outdated or even misinterpreted.

But when Yue Yang introduced radio communication to the fleet, this problem was fundamentally solved. Guo Jingxian’s orders reached every ship captain instantly. The fleet, which had been bombarding Li Laosan’s ships, accelerated immediately. Sailors hoisted all sails; every ship surged forward at top speed, leaving Zheng Zhibao’s flanking attempt in their wake. Furious, Zheng Zhibao swore wildly from behind.

“Hahaha… Let old Zheng Laosan just eat our dust!” Yan Fei laughed heartily as he watched Zheng Zhibao fall behind.

“Enough laughing. We may have shaken off Zheng Laosan, but the real show is just beginning,” Guo Jingxian said calmly.

“Big Brother, no matter how those bastards try to act, we’re not afraid of them.” Feeling the overwhelming power of their own warships, Yan Fei’s chest swelled with pride.

“Orders: fleet, circle around and hit them from behind!” Guo Jingxian commanded, guiding the fleet in a wide arc as they closed in on the Zheng ships…

“Fire… fire…”

“Boom… boom boom…”

On the early morning sea, the thunder of cannon fire and the officers’ hoarse, resolute commands echoed far and wide.

Zheng Mansion, Shijing Town, South Bank of Quanzhou, Fujian

Zheng Sen hurried along the corridor of the backyard and entered a quiet courtyard. Two maids working inside immediately bowed to him.

Waving his hand, Zheng Sen asked, “Has Mother woken from her nap?”

One maid quickly replied, “Madam has long been awake and is drinking tea now.”

“That’s good!”

Zheng Sen strode inside. He saw a middle-aged woman in a plain robe with her hair styled in a mature fashion, carefully arranging the tea set. Her movements—rinsing the tea leaves, warming the cups, and brewing the tea—were orderly and graceful. This woman was Tian Chuan, Zheng Zhilong’s first wife.

Zheng Sen did not disturb her, standing quietly to watch. When she finished, he stepped forward and bowed. “Mother, I pay my respects to you.”

“Sen’er, you’ve come,” Tian Chuan nodded. “Sit down.”

“Yes!”

Zheng Sen sat across from her but quickly asked, “Mother, I heard Father has arranged a marriage for me?”

“You already know?” Tian Chuan sipped her tea and smiled.

Zheng Sen frowned. “Mother, I’m still young and don’t want to be tied down by marriage too early. Could you speak to Father and ask him not to push me into marriage yet?”

At this, Zheng Sen lost his usual composure, like an ordinary youth confiding in his mother.

“You…” Tian Chuan chuckled and shook her head. “You don’t want to know whose daughter your father has chosen?”

“No!” Zheng Sen said unhappily. “I’ve just earned the title of xiucai and am preparing for the provincial exams. How could I be thinking about marriage?”

Tian Chuan smiled faintly. “Your father chose the niece of Dong Yangxian, the Vice Minister of Rites. Her surname is Dong, given name You. I’ve met her—graceful, elegant, and beautiful. She will make a fine wife. Since ancient times in the Ming, it is said one should marry first, then build a career. Your argument doesn’t hold, so I won’t support it. Perhaps you don’t know: your grandfather recently wrote, saying he also plans to arrange a marriage for your younger brother, Tian Chuan Qizuoemon. As the elder brother, you can’t be outdone.”

“I…” Zheng Sen was speechless, bowing his head.

Tian Chuan poured him tea and asked, “Sen’er, I see you’re troubled today. What’s bothering you? Can you tell me?”

Zheng Sen sighed. “Mother, here’s the matter. Father, having had everything go smoothly for years, has grown arrogant. A few days ago, he sent Third Uncle and Third Uncle Li with a fleet to sea…”

Zheng Sen recounted everything in detail and concluded, “Mother, judging by the actions of Marquis Yue Yang, he is resolute and commanding. Controlling Shanxi, Liaodong, and Shandong, with hundreds of thousands of troops and being the current imperial son-in-law, he is arguably the most powerful man in the Ming. Father, relying on hundreds of ships, has repeatedly opposed him. I fear that if things go wrong, our Zheng family may face total disaster.”

Tian Chuan was silent for a moment before softly saying, “I’ve been staying in the backyard, and as a woman, I didn’t ask about these matters. But from what you say, Father is indeed treading a dangerous path. I’ll find a chance to advise him.”

“Alas…” Zheng Sen sighed, stomping his foot in urgency. “No, I must speak with Father. If we completely offend Marquis Yue Yang, our family may not even survive in Fujian.”

“Sen’er…” Tian Chuan began to speak, but suddenly shouts and commotion came from outside.

Zheng Sen’s face darkened. Though Zheng Zhilong was a pirate, the household rules were strict—no noise in the backyard. Someone dared break the rules today; this could not be ignored. He stood and said coldly, “Mother, these maids have no discipline. Today, I’ll teach them what rules mean, or the backyard will be lawless!”

Tian Chuan glanced at her son calmly. “Sen’er, the maids here are always obedient. Don’t vent your anger on them. Go and ask what happened, but don’t make it hard for them, understand?”

Zheng Sen immediately sobered and bowed deeply. “Thank you for reminding me, Mother. I’ll go inquire.”

He stood and moved toward the door, but before he reached it, a maid ran up, out of breath. “Madam, Young Master… Third Master has returned…”

“Third Uncle is back!” Zheng Sen was first surprised, then delighted. “Where is he? I’ll go see him immediately.”

The maid gasped, “Young Master… Third Master… he… he is seriously injured.”

“What?” Zheng Sen leaped forward, grabbing the maid’s wrist. “What happened? How was Third Uncle injured?”

“Young Master… Young Master…”

The maid cried out in pain, and Tian Chuan scolded, “Sen’er, what are you doing? Let go! Do you want to break Mei’er’s hand?”

Realizing his mistake, Zheng Sen released her and demanded, “Quick, tell me! What happened?”

The maid ran to Tian Chuan, trembling, and said, “Mistress, I don’t know all the details. The front courtyard brothers said Third Master suffered a crushing defeat at sea. Third Master Li died on the spot, our fleet was routed, and Third Master was seriously wounded. Only through the brothers’ desperate rescue did he escape. The front courtyard doctor is on the way now.”

“Third Uncle… seriously wounded?” Zheng Sen’s heart sank. His worst fears had come true.

Staring ahead, Zheng Sen muttered, “Our Zheng family is in trouble…”