Chapter 73: To My Younger Brother, Personal
Su Qingmei entered the room blushing, picked up the pulse pillow, and fled as if flying.
This time, Zheng Zhilong confirmed the little girl had gone down the rope ladder from the ship before he spoke: “Those women in Ship City are all prostitutes from the shore. Since these people have been to Ship City, they must be familiar with it. Find a few to ask; there might be clues about Zhou Erge and the others.”
Lei Sanxiang slapped his thigh: “That makes sense!”
Then he frowned again: “But there are so many brothels on shore; where should we find them?”
Now Zheng Zhilong couldn’t answer for the moment. In his view, they could only send people to search one by one; there was no shortcut.
Lin Qian continued: “Search in Chaoyang, Huilai, and Chenghai counties, starting from the most expensive ones.”
These three places were the three coastal counties of Chaozhou Prefecture, and Chaoyang was also the closest to Ship City.
The brothels in the county seats mostly had no strong backers either, so they were relatively safe.
Meanwhile, sea bandits made money fast and wouldn’t hesitate to spend it; they were sure to pick the most expensive girls.
Lin Qian added: “Although it’s the national mourning period, banning drinking alcohol, eating meat, gatherings, and banquets, the brothels in Jiangnan enduring the loneliness would be a miracle. Focus on checking those places that really close at night.”
Zheng Zhilong nodded repeatedly: “Listening to Elder Brother Lin speak really feels like parting the clouds to see the sun.”
Lin Qian: “I’ll trouble Elder Brother, Third Brother, and Yiguan to handle this. Each of you bring some silver, manpower, and split to the three county seats. To avoid Li Kuiqi’s informants, set off at night!”
Lei Sanxiang laughed: “Helmsman, rest assured. Visiting brothels is something old Lei is best at!”
Chen Jiao angrily said: “The helmsman isn’t sending you to drink flower wine!”
Lei Sanxiang, having been scolded, grinned sheepishly: “I’ll just satisfy my mouth; I know how to handle important matters.”
Lin Qian stood up and solemnly said to the three: “Li Kuiqi is cautious and cunning. Brothers, make sure not to reveal any flaws in your actions. For the prostitutes and madams in the brothels, find a way to keep them quiet.”
The three stood up, cupped their hands, and said seriously: “Helmsman, rest assured!”
Lin Qian walked to the window and saw the sky outside was overcast, as if a storm was about to arrive soon.
“Go early and return early; our time is short.” Lin Qian said gravely.
……
That afternoon.
The carpenter came to report that the Santa Ana’s modifications were complete and invited Lin Qian to inspect.
Those in high positions must have the ability to handle multiple things at once.
Lately, he had been busy rescuing Zhou Xiucai and hadn’t forgotten the hull modifications, having urged the project progress multiple times.
Finally, completion had arrived.
Lin Qian stood up, went down to the cannon deck with the carpenters, and carefully checked each gunport.
The gunports were almost indistinguishable from those of the original galleon, as if the hull had been designed that way from the start.
Lin Qian specially had someone move a cannon to the new gunport and test-fired a shot.
The gunport opened and closed smoothly, the size was right, and the surrounding structure was solid.
Although the carpenters had been repeatedly urged to speed up, the quality hadn’t suffered at all.
Just this point alone was enough to shame countless later enterprises.
Now with gunports ready, cannons were still lacking. Thinking of cannons made Lin Qian’s heart feel stuffy.
Afterward, Lin Qian inspected the bow triangular sails and saw the jib yard on the bow slanting mast was gone.
The carpenters had lengthened the original jib mast and added several ropes between the jib mast, fore topmast, and main topmast.
Three yardarms lay flat on the deck, ropes tied to both ends, with three triangular sails of different sizes rolled on them.
This was the stowed state of the bow triangular sails. To hoist sail, rope men pulled the halyards to raise the three yardarms while pulling the sheet ropes to unfurl the triangular sails.
Compared to the lateen mainsail, operating the triangular sails was somewhat more complex.
But compared to this workload, the boost to the Santa Ana from the triangular sails was enormous.
First, triangular sails could use the Bernoulli principle to improve wind efficiency, far faster than the original bow mainsail.
Second, triangular sails were flexible to handle, allowing quick tacking to adapt to new wind angles—especially vital in the ever-changing winds of the Fujian-Guangdong Sea Area.
Finally, triangular sails had strong upwind capability. The lateen mainsail’s minimum upwind angle was about 60 degrees; beyond that, only zigzagging was possible.
With these three triangular sails added, the upwind angle could shrink further to 50 degrees or even 45 degrees.
Don’t underestimate this difference of a dozen degrees.
Half a year ago, in the seas south of Manila, the San Felipe with three triangular sails wouldn’t have failed to catch the sluggish Fuchuan Ship.
Lin Qian’s band of sea bandits would have long been shredded by cannons, bodies sunk to feed sharks.
“Raise anchor, head out to sea to test.” Lin Qian said loudly.
Chen Jiao wasn’t aboard, so Bai Langzai took on first mate duties and loudly ordered the crew: “Helmsman commands: prepare to raise anchor! Everyone to the winch!”
Lin Qian looked approvingly at Bai Langzai. This guy was quiet daily but learned fast; issuing orders now, he resembled a first mate.
Lin Qian instructed: “Tell the rope men later not to set the lateen sails; sail only with these three triangular sails.”
“Yes.” Bai Langzai replied.
Much later, the anchor rose. Rope men positioned under Bai Langzai’s orders, but faced with the triangular sails’ complex gear, they were stumped on operation.
These rope men were either Chinese workers from Spaniards’ ships or ship workers trained by Jose; none had handled triangular sails.
Fortunately, Lin Qian was a triangular sail expert in his past life; all rigging for these three sails was his design. Now he taught the rope men hands-on.
Half a shichen later, Lin Qian finished explaining the sails’ use and assigned each rope man: some for sheet ropes, some for halyards, some for untying canvas bindings, others reserves.
Rope men at posts, Lin Qian ordered, and all pulled together to hoist sail.
As the three yardarms rose slowly, rope men felt both novel and thrilled.
Lin Qian directed centrally, syncing all rope men’s actions.
Just as the triangular sails reached mid-height.
A crew member behind Lin Qian said: “Helmsman, someone found this on the beach on the island.”
Lin Qian turned and saw the crew member holding a wooden box containing a already foul severed finger, a letter pinned beneath.
Instantly, everyone’s faces on deck darkened.
“Cover the box and come ashore with me.” Lin Qian said flatly.
A short half shichen later, in Qingmei Workshop.
Su Kang carefully picked out the severed finger with chopsticks and placed it in the plate nearby.
He then slowly picked out the envelope and set it on the table.
The crew member carried the box away.
Su Kang said: “No rush, leave it.”
He took a small knife from the medical box, carefully scraped paper scraps from the envelope, soaked them in a tea cup, stirred, and tested with a silver needle for poison.
The silver needle didn’t change color.
Su Kang sniffed close to the water in the tea cup, then the envelope, confirming no poison.
Then Su Kang tested the severed finger and box with other methods.
Afterward, Su Kang opened the envelope, drew out the letter paper, tested it: “All non-toxic.”
Su Qingmei, usually tense, relaxed at these words.
Lin Qian had a subordinate bring chopsticks and, mimicking Su Kang, picked the envelope before him.
The envelope bore a line of elegant small regular script:
“To my brother Lin Qian personally—Zhou Youcai”.
