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Chapter 353 Huge losses

Theoretically speaking, the Manila galleon does not need to raise its sails at all and can just float along the north equatorial warm current to the east side of Luzon Island. Of course, actually wanting to take this route still requires the captain to have extensive navigation knowledge, and more importantly, experience, as he may almost get lost along the way.

"Your Majesty, I have heard in Manila Port that a large sailing ship is loaded with cargo and leaves for Japan every June. The local Francois also call it the Manila Galleon. Is it the same ship?"

Huang Nanping clearly remembered that he raised the question during the meeting. He had never seen the large sailing ship from the New World, but he had not only seen the large sailing ship leaving Manila but also made plans for it. It's a pity that the opponent's ship is too big, has too many men, and too many guns. Once it starts to move, the pirate's small boat alone can neither catch up nor stop it.

"Yes, that's the Manila galleon returning home. It's usually filled with raw silk and spices."

"There is still something unclear about the end. If the North Equatorial Warm Current that Your Majesty mentioned flows from east to west, how should the Manila galleon go back?" Seeing that he was not ignored because of his low position, Huang Nanping immediately became bolder. He was so old that he actually wanted to find fault with the emperor.

"Well, that's interesting. If I remember correctly, you used to be a pirate, right? Don't be nervous. I don't mean to belittle anyone. On the contrary, everyone should learn from Commander Huang. If you have any questions, ask them. Don't be embarrassed by the face. That's right, the emperor just endured it.

As a general leading troops in battle, you should not imitate the behavior of officials in the imperial court. If you are unclear about any question on the battlefield, you may lose your life, and it will also bring bad luck to the soldiers. "

The emperor was not angry and emphasized the rules again. Although the superiority and inferiority in the navy have been downplayed a lot, this is the first time that the emperor has explained it face to face. The most excited person was not Huang Nanping but the staff members. They were all young people and they liked nothing more than to contradict their bosses. With the emperor's support, they would probably do it even harder.

"The Manila galleon does not use the North Equatorial Warm Current when it returns. Look here, there is a warm current flowing northeast day and night along the east side of Taiwan Island to the south side of the Japanese Islands. Ships can sail along it all the way to the Japanese Islands. , this warm current is called the Japan Warm Current, also called the Kuroshio Current.

The end of the Kuroshio will meet a deep-sea cold current and roll eastward to form the North Pacific Warm Current. The Manila galleon slowly drifted to the New World along these warm currents. However, the situation on this route was more complicated and the distance was longer. It usually took about half a year to sail, which was twice as long as sailing westward along the North Equatorial Warm Current.

Although the value of the returning Manila galleon is higher, the target of the attack is not the Spanish in Manila, but the governor of New Spain far away in the New World, which is not in our interests.

In addition, the Manila galleon returning home sometimes went to ports in Ryukyu and Japan to continue purchasing goods. The route in the Kuroshio was not very fixed, and catching it was highly accidental.

So we are more confident to catch the silver ship in the south. If the entire ship of silver does not arrive at the port of Manila, do you think the King of Spain will get angry with the Governor of the Philippines? Will he be struck with a knife? "

Even if Huang Nanping doesn't ask Hong Tao questions, he still has to explain these key points clearly. In addition to formulating a combat plan, it also allows the naval generals to know more about the sea. Although they have been training and fighting for several years and are considered rich in experience, compared with traditional maritime powers, there is still a big gap in maritime knowledge.

Take the warm currents in the Pacific Ocean, one south and one north, for example. Their existence cannot be seen from the sea, but the Pacific Ocean far away from home is still clearly explored by European navigators. From seeing the phenomenon to summarizing the rules and then delving into the principles, this is the process of scientific research, and it is also a very long process of exploration. I can use cheating methods to directly teach the results of hundreds of years of exploration and summarization by others to the navy, but I cannot develop the habit of studying the principles in a short period of time among the navy generals. I can only talk about it and force them to do it when I think about it. to think.

As for why he knows so much about the routes of Spanish galleons since he has never been to this era, this is a matter of idleness and busyness. Try to explore as many things as possible. No matter whether it is useful or not, you should first have a general understanding. If you don’t know everything, it will be effective one day. This is the so-called accumulation!

I remember that in a certain life, I once owned a large yacht, the Mouse Superman, which was converted from an aircraft carrier, and I drove it across the world to do whatever I wanted. Occasionally, I worked as a treasure hunter for a period, specializing in looking for ancient sunken ships in the sea. Among them, the Spanish silver ship was the main target.

In order to find the treasures on the sunken ship, various experts must be invited, and at the same time, treasured materials in major libraries in the United States and Europe must also be collected. I dare not say that I know every Spanish silver ship well. Anyway, every route from the New World must be very clear. This is called dedication!

As long as a person lives long enough, even if he doesn't like learning, he will still accumulate a lot of knowledge. If you have a little more curiosity, read more books and practice a few more times, you will become an encyclopedia.

In 1612 AD, in May of the 8th year of Jingyang in the Ming Dynasty, Governor Aguna of Manila suddenly heard the bad news. The Manila galleon was supposed to arrive at the end of April but was still missing. It was not that the voyage was delayed for some reason but that it was kidnapped by the Ming Emperor.

The source of this news is very certain. Two envoys arrived at the Port of Manila on Portuguese ships on behalf of the Ming Emperor, and there was also a letter with them. No one knows whether it was written by the Ming Emperor himself, but the content is very clear.

The Manila galleon was hijacked by the Ming Emperor. The silver on the ship was to be used to compensate the Ming merchants for their losses. The ship was confiscated and all the people on board were detained.

In addition, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty also said in the letter that a Manila galleon was just enough to compensate the Ming Dynasty merchants for their losses, but sending people to plunder would also cost money, so next year's Manila galleon is also scheduled, unless the Governor of Manila can pay another 100,000 The cost of two pieces of silver.

"It's over...Juan, we are all over. Even if the king and the governor of New Spain are magnanimous, the Sandoval family will tear us apart." At this time, Governor Aguna was really like a puddle of mud, paralyzed on the broad There was no luster in the eyes in the seat.

Silver coins and silver ingots worth more than 500 million Spanish reals or 48 taels of silver were hijacked because of the inappropriate policies implemented by the Manila authorities. They certainly cannot afford to pay the compensation out of their own pockets.

When the responsibility is investigated, the king and ministers will never admit that there is an attempt to deliberately persecute the Chinese in the Philippines, let alone pay for the policies of the Philippine authorities. This extremely smelly shit basin will eventually fall on their own heads.

(End of this chapter)