Chapter 12: Welcome Aboard
The Fuchuan Ship has been anchored at Manila Port for over a month.
During this time, Mute Huang’s sextant underwent several improvements and finally achieved the ideal precision.
Lin Qian allocated funds from the public account, spending two hundred silver coins to buy a piece of ironwood half a person’s height, to use as the main material for the sextant.
The final product sextant is the size of an adult’s arm, weighing over ten jin, and its appearance is almost indistinguishable from later sextants.
Using it to measure Manila’s latitude yields a result of 15 degrees north latitude, which matches reality perfectly.
After this, Lin Qian had one more daily task: observing the sun’s angle every day to calculate the Solar Declination Angle for different dates.
This is a job that requires patience and precision; it cannot be delayed any day. Once measured for a full year, a complete Solar Declination Angle table can be obtained.
In the future, one can calculate latitude by measuring the sun’s angle during the day and consulting the table.
This facilitates future voyages in the southern hemisphere and meets the need for daytime latitude measurements.
During this time, Chen Jiao recruited over twenty crew members, all of whom had worked on Spaniards’ ships and were very familiar with Nanyang’s weather and hydrography.
Lei Sanxiang obtained over thirty Wild Goose Feather Sabers, about ten Spanish rapiers, over a dozen Japanese katanas, and two matchlock guns.
This early matchlock gun weighs about twenty jin, stands as tall as a person when upright, and requires a ground-inserted stand for use, with the gun placed on the stand for proper aiming; clearly, there is huge room for improvement.
In comparison, Japanese arquebuses and Great Ming’s Lumi Muskets are superior in overall performance to Spanish matchlock guns.
Among them, the Lumi Musket invented by Zhao Shizhen is the strongest.
Lin Qian made up his mind that if there was a chance in the future, he would definitely obtain some.
A few days ago, Lu Dongzhu sent a batch of Spaniards’ navigation instruments, but unfortunately, most were crudely made with poor precision, clearly all discards.
This is not because Lu Dongzhu didn’t prepare carefully; it’s really because the Spaniards guard them too strictly.
For a sea power nation like Spain, its rulers deeply understand the importance of monopolizing navigation technology.
Losing a gun means only losing a few lives.
Losing a ship means only losing dozens of tons of gold and silver.
But if navigation knowledge is lost, they lose the entire ocean.
So Lin Qian still personally visited to express thanks and purchased several thousand taels of silver worth of exotic goods from Lu Dongzhu, mostly cloves and cardamom, etc., as a reciprocal gesture.
During this time, besides writing the sea log and measuring the Solar Declination Angle, Lin Qian would often go to Manila when free, frequently encountering Catherine on the road.
The frequency and number of these encounters were so high that not only did Bai Langzai find it strange, but even Catherine herself noticed.
Catherine was overly spoiled by her governor father, making her extremely willful, but her figure and appearance were stunning, perfectly matching Eastern and Western aesthetics, and she never lacked suitors.
However, her status was noble; suitors were at least navy lieutenant commanders, with titles starting at Count.
Being pursued by a commoner “yellow monkey” like Lin Qian was simply humiliating to her, so every time they met, she would come forward to humiliate him.
But Lin Qian just smiled indifferently, unmoved, and after a few quiet days, continued as before.
Such thick skin and persistent spirit shocked even the guards around Catherine.
After long-term encounters and contact, Lin Qian had figured out Catherine’s travel patterns.
She goes to Kameidi Shipyard in the south of the city every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
That is the largest shipyard in all of Southeast Asia, even Asia, where Manila Galleons are built.
It is also a forbidden zone for Han People; Spanish Guards guard the surroundings of the shipyard, and they will open fire immediately if Han People approach.
Each time Catherine goes, she stays for a day; what she does there is unknown.
But from her personality and dressing in men’s clothing, it can be guessed that she is not like a typical Western noble miss; most likely, she has a strong interest in navigation.
On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, Catherine would be free to move about, sometimes going to the port dock to watch passing ships, sometimes riding horses outside the city, sometimes staying in the Governor’s Mansion without coming out.
And every Sunday, she would dress in women’s clothing to go to church for prayer and worship.
Lin Qian had also entered the church a few times relying on his cross, but unfortunately, the governor’s family members had a special worship room, so he couldn’t see Catherine.
Moreover, the church bell tower was also a forbidden area that Lin Qian could not approach.
During this time, besides occasionally helping Lin Qian with diving tasks, Bai Langzai mostly accompanied him in “encountering” Catherine.
Even with Bai Langzai’s ice-like personality, he couldn’t help advising multiple times: “Sixth Brother, there are plenty of women in the world; why hang yourself on one tree.”
Lei Sanxiang also advised: “Lin Laodi, if you’re really pent up and uncomfortable, I know a few good places…”
Chen Jiao always thought there must be a deep reason for Lin Qian’s actions, but after observing for a long time, he also sighed: “I didn’t expect you, brother, to be such a lovesick fool. Go ahead and stick your hot face to that cold ass, just don’t delay the main business.”
……
48th Year of Wanli, March 25th, Friday, clear skies for thousands of miles.
Early in the morning, Lin Qian came out from the stern cabin and loudly ordered: “Notify the ship workers on shore to all return to the ship before noon; we depart in the afternoon.”
“So sudden?” Lei Sanxiang was quite surprised.
Chen Jiao looked at the sky, his expression worried: “This clear weather is abnormal; setting sail today, I’m afraid…”
“I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.” Lin Qian interrupted Chen Jiao and said meaningfully.
According to Lin Qian’s arrangements, the cabin was already stocked with water and food supplies, the goods for returning to Great Ming were neatly stowed in the cargo hold, ready to set sail as soon as the ship workers gathered.
After more than a month in port, many ship workers had spent all their one hundred fifty taels of silver.
Those who hadn’t spent it all mostly didn’t go ashore much; there weren’t many ship workers on shore, and they soon all returned to the ship.
Now approaching early summer, the monsoon had not yet formed, so very few ships chose to depart at this time.
But with Lin Qian’s order, the ship workers dared not disobey. After lunch, they each took their positions and awaited Lin Qian’s commands.
At that moment, Lin Qian said: “I almost forgot to say goodbye to Miss Catherine.”
……
Around three or four in the afternoon, Catherine left Kameidi Shipyard and returned to the Governor’s Mansion.
From afar, she saw a person standing on the road—it was Lin Qian, with his little follower behind him.
Catherine, full of disgust, told the guard to drive him away.
That guard rode over on horseback, drew his sabre, pointed at Lin Qian, and said in Chinese: “No loitering near the shipyard!”
Lin Qian cupped his hands toward Catherine in the distance: “I am returning to Great Ming; I came specially today to bid farewell to you, Miss.”
The guard translated this, and Catherine rolled her eyes: “Vale, vale.”
Even Bai Langzai, who didn’t understand Spanish, could hear the impatience in it.
“As we part, I have a gift for you.” Lin Qian said, taking out a wooden box from his bosom.
The guard took the wooden box and handed it to Catherine, who threw it directly to the ground without looking.
Just at that moment.
Bang! Bang!
Two gunshots came from the forest by the roadside.
Instantly, a mist of blood bloomed on the horse beneath Catherine; the horse’s brain exploded into pieces, skull and brains splattering everywhere.
Catherine hadn’t reacted yet when she was heavily thrown onto the beach.
The two guards were greatly alarmed; one dismounted to help Catherine up, the other spurred his horse to protect in front of her.
More than half of Catherine’s body was dyed red with horse blood; she was stunned by the sudden change.
Before she could recover, she felt a heat on the back of her neck as if liquid splashed on her; she dazedly turned to look and saw a long knife protruding from the belly of the guard behind her.
The knife slowly withdrew, blood spurting continuously from the wound; in an instant, the sand beneath was dyed bright red, and the guard softly collapsed.
Lin Qian wiped the blood from his face and said in Spanish with a smile: “Miss Catherine, welcome aboard.”
