We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 972 Island Raiders (Part 1)

Qiongzhou Strait.

The sea in winter is far from calm; beneath the shimmering surface, undercurrents surge.

A massive fleet flying the Qing Dynasty dragon flag, like a lurking whale, silently cut through the sea.

The Daqing First Fleet had already hidden in the natural harbor of Naozhou Island three days earlier, taking advantage of the morning mist.

They fell into complete silence, and Li Sheng even forbade the crew from disembarking to replenish water, waiting for the Second Fleet to complete the encirclement of this sea area.

Now that the noose has tightened, it's time to reap the rewards.

Beside the towering mast of the flagship, Zhenhai, a hot air balloon is being slowly lowered by a cable.

The observer nimbly jumped out of the basket and strode towards the bow deck.

Li Sheng, the First Fleet Commander, stood with his hands behind his back at the bow of the ship, the sea breeze blowing his white cloak behind him, making it flutter.

This cloak was naturally designed by Li Che, and it was another clothing invention of his after the Jinyiwei's flying fish robe.

Generals of the naval rank of admiral or above must wear a pure white cloak with epaulettes bearing the word "Navy".

Ordinary naval officers and soldiers also changed into uniform blue and white uniforms to distinguish them from the army.

The navy personnel naturally didn't understand Li Che's joke, but that didn't stop them from thinking that the outfit was quite cool.

"Grand Governor."

The observer clasped his hands in a salute, glancing enviously at Li Sheng's cloak out of the corner of his eye.

Since only officers were allowed to wear cloaks, every naval soldier has made it their goal to wear one.

"The enemy has already begun boarding the ships. The dock is extremely crowded. It is estimated that it will take another hour for them all to leave the port."

Li Sheng nodded and asked, "How many enemy ships do they have?"

"Reporting to the Governor, there are over two hundred small boats, twenty-three medium-sized boats, and eleven large boats."

The Daqing Navy has strict regulations on small, medium and large ships. Only ships larger than 30 meters can be called large ships, ships between 30 and 10 meters are medium ships, and ships smaller than 10 meters are small ships.

Upon hearing this, the young adjutant Li Bao couldn't help but interject, "With so many small boats gathered by the Southern Army, can they cross this strait?"

Li Bao is no longer the pirate from Poyang Lake he once was. As a high-ranking naval officer, he has participated in numerous large-scale naval battles, and the vast ocean has broadened his horizons.

In rivers and lakes, a ship that is more than ten meters long is already considered a large ship, but in the ocean, it is far from that; a single wave could easily swallow it up.

Li Sheng smiled and explained, "In other sea areas, such small boats would be in grave danger, but the Qiongzhou Strait is different. The narrowest point here is less than 20 kilometers wide, and the widest point is no more than 40 kilometers wide."

"When the wind and waves are calm, even an ordinary fishing boat can reach the other side by rowing hard for several hours."

Li Bao nodded in realization, then asked, "So, what should we do?"

Li Sheng shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the distance.

From his perspective, he can't see the other side, and of course, the other side can't see his own fleet either.

Hot air balloons played a crucial role, allowing for observation from the highest point using telescopes, giving them a significant advantage in intelligence gathering.

"No rush, let's wait until they're all on the ship," Li Sheng said calmly. "Once they're out on the open sea, their lives are no longer in their own hands."

Li Bao nodded.

Li Sheng added, "Go and send a message to the Second Fleet, telling them to be patient and wait for us to set off before making any moves."

"Here!"

More than an hour later, the last Southern army ship, fully loaded with soldiers, also slowly left the dock.

The remnants of the Southern army were driven back in disarray, with the battle line stretching for hundreds of miles, making it impossible for them to withdraw completely.

Those who haven't even reached the dock yet have already been ruthlessly abandoned.

The entire fleet, like scattered sesame seeds, barely managed to form a cohesive group and began to slowly move towards Qiongzhou.

The hot air balloon observer on the Zhenhai immediately reported the news.

A glint flashed in Li Sheng's eyes, and he no longer hesitated: "Send the order! All ships raise their sails to full capacity, with the clipper ships as the vanguard, forming a wall formation to engage the enemy!"

The flag signals were quickly signaled, and the bugle sounded a low, mournful wail.

Dozens of clipper ships, their hulls gleaming like arrows released from a bow, were the first to break away from the main force, leaving white trails on the sea.

They quickly adjusted their position, with their bows facing the enemy fleet in the distance, and lined up in a row.

From a distance, it looked like a cavalry unit lined up in a wall, charging towards the enemy fleet.

. . . . . .

The first person to discover the traces of the Daqing Navy was an old fisherman who had been forcibly conscripted to drive the boat.

At that moment, he was squinting at the distance, as was his habit.

This is a habit of old fishermen; they can tell the weather changes from the clouds and the color of the water.

But this glance made his heart sink.

In the distance, on the horizon where the sea meets the sky, a dozen or so black dots are rapidly growing larger.

The old fisherman rubbed his eyes, thinking that his old eyes were getting blurry.

Upon closer inspection, the black spots not only did not disappear, but became even clearer.

The silhouette of the sail was as sharp as scissors, and its speed was far beyond what their haphazard fishing boats could match.

The old fisherman's throat moved, and he looked at the officer on board the ship not far away.

The latter was embracing his daughter, his rough hands groping her, and he was uttering indistinct, lewd words.

Seeing this, the old fisherman immediately decided to swallow his words.

These Southern soldiers brutally requisitioned their ships, and if anyone refused, they were attacked with knives and axes. The boatmen who accompanied the fleet were all forced to come.

He was particularly unlucky; he was captured by the Southern Army just after returning from fishing, with his youngest daughter on the boat.

As a result, the fishing boat was confiscated, and the youngest daughter became their plaything.

Now that things have changed, the old fisherman naturally can't remind these beasts.

He silently lowered his head, subtly adjusting the rudder to bring his small fishing boat slightly behind the rest of the fleet.

By the time more people discovered traces of the Daqing Navy, the fleet had already closed the distance.

More than ten ships with towering sails loomed ahead, their tall silhouettes reflected on the sea like a fully armored knight.

Chaotic screams erupted through the fleet, some shouting in despair:

"Look! What...what is that?"

"A ship! What a huge ship!"

"Oh no! It's the Northern Dynasty's navy! What are they doing here?!"

"Damn it, their ships are so fast, they've already caught up!"

"Back then, we were the ones who provided the money and materials to help them build their shipyard, and now they're using that against us?"

"Dead ship, get out of here!"

Several generals scrambled onto the flagship's deck where Qin Huizhi was, stammering, "Prime Minister Qin, no...it's terrible! It's the Fengtian Army's fleet! They definitely have cannons on board! How are we supposed to fight them?!"

Qin Huizhi was already standing at the bow of the ship, watching the fleet rapidly approaching in the distance, his face ashen, without uttering a word.

The sea breeze ruffled his gray hair and beard, adding to his desolate air.