nashuaworldcup Chapter 712 Port Demonstration
Chapter 712 Port Demonstration
Two days later, at Nanpu Port.
The dock was packed with a huge crowd, staring blankly at the nine massive ships that were looming over them like a mountain—the largest of which was beyond their wildest imagination, seemingly taller than the walls of Seoul.
The fishing boats on the sea had long since fled, leaving only a few merchant ships that couldn't escape and turtle ships undergoing repairs in the harbor. The once spacious harbor was now completely crammed full after nine ships were brought in.
Several officials hurriedly arrived at the dock in a two-person sedan chair. Upon arrival, they practically tumbled off and shouted, "What are you all standing around for? The navy, board the ships and meet the enemy! The rest of you, get ready to prevent the enemy from landing!"
The people on the dock seemed to awaken from a dream, and they sprang into action. Some ran towards the turtle ship, some raised their spears, and some took out their bows and arrows, as if facing a formidable enemy. The Korean bows and arrows were shorter than those used by the Ming army, and faced with the mountain-like behemoth, they were as insignificant as ants facing an elephant.
On board the "Shandong," Li Fei frowned and asked Jin Nandou, "Didn't you say you were confident you could make the officials here kneel to welcome us? Why do they seem more interested in war?"
Kim Nam-doo wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "We didn't coordinate beforehand. They were probably startled by our sudden appearance here, so it's normal for them to act strangely. How about I go down and talk to them?"
"No need." Li Fei looked down at the crowd on the dock, who were like ants on a hot plate, and said calmly, "At times like this, fists are more effective than words."
The massive warship revealed the side cannons, aiming at the crowd on the dock and the turtle ships with their sails raised.
Jin Nandou was shocked and knelt down with a thud, pleading, "Please, General, have mercy! If the cannons fire all at once, Nanpu will be reduced to ruins!"
Li Fei ignored him, walked past him, and directly ordered Silva: "Make your move!"
Kim Nam-doo crawled a few steps on his knees, wailing, "Please, General, show mercy..."
Li Fei ignored him, his hands resting on the edge of the ship's gunwale, watching the scene ahead with great interest, as if waiting for a grand spectacle to unfold.
"It's over..." Kim Nam-doo couldn't bear to watch the impending tragedy and covered his eyes with his hands. He hadn't expected things to turn out this way. He only wanted to save his life and, incidentally, facilitate connections between the Ming army and his own country's officialdom. If a massacre like the Nampo Massacre were to occur today, he would be a sinner in Pyongan Province and even Joseon, despised even after death.
"Boom boom boom!"
With a violent jolt, the deafening roar of cannons continued unabated, and Kim Nam-doo felt the deck beneath his feet tremble slightly. Although he dared not look at the shelling, he heard screams and shouts from the dock, along with the sounds of collapsing buildings. A moment later, he heard several more loud explosions from the dock, seemingly from a gunpowder magazine, followed by the sound of rubble crashing to the ground—but in his memory, there were no gunpowder magazines in Nampo Port.
The roar continued, and the shelling was indeed more devastating than he had imagined... But... wait, why were there no screams? All he could hear was the deafening roar of the cannons and the shouts of people running around, but he hadn't heard a single scream. Had the shells all missed their mark, hitting the houses but not the people? That didn't make sense!
Kim Nam-doo mustered his courage and walked to the side of the ship, cautiously peering down.
As far as the eye could see, the houses and warehouses near the dock were completely destroyed, with rubble and stones scattered everywhere. Wisps of smoke rose from a few broken walls. However, there was no scene of carnage as one might have imagined. Although some people were injured by flying debris, blood streaming from their foreheads, they seemed to be out of danger. Most people were running around like headless flies, and people were being pushed and shoved into the water. The turtle ships moored in the water followed in Jin Nandou's footsteps, riddled with holes, and began to sink with a gurgling sound. It was only a matter of time before they sank. The sailors didn't even have a chance to demonstrate their unique skill of spraying poison gas before they were already doomed, jumping into the water one after another.
Kim Nam-doo breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that the purpose was not to massacre, but to establish his authority.
Li Fei inspected the effects of the shelling with satisfaction. He didn't want to commit a pointless massacre; these Korean scum were not true enemies of the Qiong Navy, not even worthy of being called adversaries, and a massacre would be meaningless. Therefore, he instructed Silva to raise the cannon muzzle and fire over the dense crowd at the dock towards the buildings behind. In this way, the goal of deterring the enemy was achieved without causing too many casualties.
He turned to Kim Nam-doo and said, "It's your turn. In this situation, no matter what you say, they'll listen carefully, right?"
Kim Nam-doo cautiously approached the bow of the ship, found the governor of Pyongyang and the military commander, and shouted loudly, "Lord Park, Lord Yoon, it is I, Kim Nam-doo. This is a warship from the superior country. Please do not resist, lest bloodshed ensue."
The two officials he had named saw him, were taken aback, looked at each other in surprise, and whispered to each other: "That guy Kim Nam-doo, wasn't he ordered to patrol Gaji Island? How did he end up on a Ming Dynasty ship?"
Even if Kim Nam-doo hadn't shouted, they wouldn't have dared to resist. The power of the giant ship's cannons was earth-shattering, beyond human capability; how could they dare to use their flesh and blood to withstand it?
The two men exchanged a glance and a look, then knelt down and shouted, "Pyongyang Prefect Park Sung-kwang and Military Commander Yoon Jae-soo greet the heavenly army of the superior nation."
The local officials knelt down, and the rest of the soldiers and civilians followed suit, forming a dense, kneeling mass on the dock.
Seeing that the situation was under control, Li Fei sent his trusted subordinate, Borhu, ashore to negotiate.
"We are under orders from Liu Ye, the Marquis of Pingnan, Grand General, Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, Left Commander-in-Chief, and Commander-in-Chief of Qionghai Garrison of the Great Ming Dynasty, to harass the Tartars in the Pi Island and Lushun area. If you know what's good for you, obediently send us supplies regularly before leaving. Otherwise, we'll bombard you with cannons and leave your Pyongyang coastline barren!"
Korean officials and civilians alike resented the Qing army. Upon hearing that a fleet from their suzerain state was about to attack the Qing forces, Pyongyang Prefect Park Sung-kwang and Military Commander Yoon Jae-soo were overjoyed. They had already witnessed the fleet's power and were confident it would inflict heavy losses on the Qing army. Although forced to sign a humiliating treaty, these local officials dared not openly aid the Ming in their campaign against the Qing, but secretly transporting supplies and providing covert support was not a problem. Besides, they had no other choice; how could they possibly withstand such artillery fire?
The two men said respectfully, "Please rest assured, Your Excellency, we will take care of this."