Chapter 78: Tacking Into The Wind
As the Santa Ana’s guns fired in unison.
Li Kuiqi’s fleet suffered another devastating blow from the front.
A Cangshan Ship’s bow was hit by a cannonball, shot straight through, disintegrating on the spot into a sky full of wood chips.
Another Bird Ship was struck on the deck, over a dozen pirates instantly turned into a blood mist, the entire deck dyed bright red, chunks of flesh hurled backward two or three li, splattering on many of the pirates on the trailing ships.
Li Kuiqi, standing tall on the deck with his massive golden saber, heard only a series of whooshing sounds whistling past his ears.
Behind him on the stern cabin, a crackling as bullets embedded in the wood, splinters flying to hit Li Kuiqi’s occiput, causing his stalwart frame to tremble slightly.
Li Kuiqi showed no fear on his face, but deep down he was already somewhat panicked.
He had seen the official army’s crossbow bolts; he had also faced Tiger Squatting Cannon, Dragon Emerging from Water, and Franchi Cannon.
He had never felt anything like this before.
Lin Qian’s gunboat fired with tremendous power each time, shaking his heart to pound wildly; before even closing for boarding, his men were already suffering heavy casualties.
Fortunately, they were very close now!
Lin Qian’s gunboat was sailing from southwest to northeast, while his fleet was sailing from south to north.
After losing three or four ships, the fleet was now separated from the gunboat by less than a hundred paces.
As long as they could close in for boarding, with his body that could take on ten thousand men and his numerous subordinates, Lin Qian would surely not be a match.
Then he could seize this gunboat and rampage through Fujian-Guangdong with it, perhaps even standing toe-to-toe with Li Dan.
As long as they sailed right under the gunboat…
At this thought, Li Kuiqi’s face twisted excitedly with ferocity, but the next second, his arrogant expression froze on his face.
The Santa Ana fired another salvo, then deftly turned direction and sailed north.
……
On the Santa Ana’s deck, Lin Qian lowered the telescope and ordered: “Course due north.”
Chen Jiao: “Course due north, port tacking, helm over and change sails!”
With the addition of three jibs at the bow, the Santa Ana turned far more nimbly, quickly completing the course change.
As the sails filled with wind again, the eight knots speed gradually took hold, soon leaving Li Kuiqi’s fleet two or three hundred paces astern.
At that moment, thunder crashed in the sky again, followed by sudden heavy rain.
Matchlock guns were useless in the rain, as were the stern cannons on the stern deck.
“Enemy at four hundred paces!” the mainmast lookout reported loudly.
Lin Qian said gravely: “Course southwest, port side engage!”
Chen Jiao: “Course southwest, tack windward, starboard reaching, helm over and change sails!”
Tacking windward meant the bow had to pass through the dead headwind zone directly ahead to the northwest; if the ship’s speed was insufficient, it might stall there, getting blown backward or even capsizing—extremely dangerous.
Unless battle required it, very few ships would tack windward.
As the helmsman worked the ship’s helm, the Santa Ana’s bow gradually pointed northwest, the wind flags on the mast fluttering before aligning parallel to the hull, pointing straight astern.
Everyone’s hearts were in their throats, time feeling extraordinarily slow.
After a moment, the bow slowly veered westward, gradually exiting the headwind zone as the sails filled with wind again.
Everyone let out a long sigh of relief.
Lei Sanxiang shouted loudly from the cannon deck: “Port side engage, all to port! Prepare to load!”
Through the gunports at that moment, Lei Sanxiang could clearly see Li Kuiqi’s fleet not far to the southeast of the galleon.
The firing arc and range were excellent once again.
“Fire!” Chen Jiao roared.
Lei Sanxiang: “Fire!”
After reloading, Lei Sanxiang said: “Fire!”
After several salvoes, Lei Sanxiang’s throat was hoarse, his mouth full of sulfur smell, his skin covered in sticky grime, but his muscles trembled with excitement, his eyes blazing with exhilaration.
This is how a battle should be fought—that feels right!
On the stern deck, Lin Qian saw Li Kuiqi’s fleet lose another three ships, the wake behind full of burning wooden boards and chunks of flesh and corpses.
The Santa Ana was now to the northwest of Li Kuiqi’s fleet; for his fleet to catch up, they would have to beat into the headwind, tacking windward multiple times in a zigzag course.
That was like dancing in the muzzles of the Santa Ana’s guns.
Getting shelled for free, yet still unable to catch up.
This was the advantage of seizing the weather gage in the sailing warship era.
In Lin Qian’s sight, Li Kuiqi’s fleet had tacked windward three times, practically live targets for the Santa Ana to shoot at will.
Fighting so feebly yet still charging head-on was truly remarkable.
But this was just right; watching the enemy get shelled for free always lifted the spirits.
After Li Kuiqi’s fleet’s fourth windward tack, they finally wised up, beginning to sail to the southwest, planning a big loop to charge again and evade the Santa Ana’s firing arc.
Lin Qian ordered: “Slight starboard helm, maintain port firing arc!”
Chen Jiao relayed the order loudly.
As the Santa Ana slowly turned, Li Kuiqi’s fleet reentered Lei Sanxiang’s view.
Wild, manic laughter came from below deck: Lei Sanxiang’s voice—”Hahaha… you bastard! Let’s see where you run to!”
Li Kuiqi’s fleet sailing nearly parallel to the Santa Ana caused the cannon hit rate to drop markedly.
But they kept firing cannonballs nonstop, as if they cost nothing.
Along the way, Li Kuiqi lost several more ships to cannon fire, two Bird Ships disintegrating.
By now, after several windward tacks, his fleet had gradually reached the upwind position to the northwest.
While the Santa Ana had drifted to the downwind position to the southeast.
Li Kuiqi, now holding the windward gage, was filled with grief and rage; glancing astern, fewer than sixty ships remained.
These were all the assets he had painstakingly built over more than a decade, his very heart’s blood.
Watching his men turn to blood mist one by one, his warships burn to powder vessel by vessel, was like being slowly sliced to death with a small knife.
If they died in fair close combat, that would be one thing, but dying to cannon after cannon, worthless deaths, pathetic deaths…
Fortunately, his brothers’ deaths were worth it; now he held the windward, and bearing downwind they could seize that gunboat in one stroke!
True, Lin Qian could turn and flee again, but they were nearing the lagoon’s edge—not far ahead lay the coral reefs.
He, Li Kuiqi, had dominated the South China Sea for over a decade; he was no fool!
He had used his brothers’ lives as bait, step by step forcing Lin Qian into a trap!
As long as they broke through and seized the galleon, all would be salvaged, all worth it—he would remain hegemon of Fujian-Guangdong, while the likes of Lin Qian vanished from the seas!
At this thought, tears welled in Li Kuiqi’s tigerish eyes; he raised his ogre-head saber, turned amid wind and rain, and roared tearfully to his men: “The hour to avenge our fallen brothers is here—follow me aboard to slaughter this fiend!”
The pirates, stirred by his fervor, surged with hot blood and raised their blades as one.
Amid thunder and torrent, Li Kuiqi’s fleet set sail, charging bravely downwind toward the Santa Ana!
On the Santa Ana’s deck, through the telescope Lin Qian saw Li Kuiqi speak a few words at the bow, then his entire fleet charge like arrows loosed from a bow.
Chen Jiao pointed to the port bow: “Helmsman, look!”
Lin Qian looked over; on the ink-black sea hammered by countless raindrops appeared a ring of indigo water.
They had unknowingly reached the edge of the coral atoll.
Lin Qian then realized Li Kuiqi’s wild maneuvers were to lure him to the coral reef’s edge, using the reefs to cramp the Santa Ana’s mobility.
Thinking of such a counter in the heat of battle was truly impressive.
Pity.
A cold smirk curled Lin Qian’s lips as he ordered: “Hard to port, course due east!”
