Chapter 409: Stinky and Hard

Zhu Yong stood at the side, saying nothing.

He was thinking about Fulangji.

Portugal, a small country in the southwestern corner of Europe, has a small population but advanced shipbuilding technology.

Their fleet sailed around Africa, reached India, reached the South Sea, and reached Australia.

Now, they are coming again.

But it doesn't matter; the Great Ming fleet has also arrived.

The fleet continued eastward.

After another half a month, a few small boats appeared on the sea.

They bore Portugal's flag, a white field with a blue shield bearing five small shields.

Zhu Yong stood at the bow, squinting at those small boats.

"Issue the command, all troops on alert,"

The command was passed down, and 120 steamships began changing formation.

The vanguard scouts ahead, the two wings guard, the central army follows behind.

Those Portuguese small boats clearly hadn't expected to encounter such a massive fleet at sea.

They froze for a moment, then turned and fled.

"Chase..." Zhu Yong said lightly.

Several steamships accelerated to catch up, the roar of the steam engines deafening.

No matter how fast the Portuguese boats ran, they couldn't outrun the steamships.

In less than half an hour, those small boats were caught.

The leading "Wu Wang" closed in, and the boarding plank was set.

Wang Gui led a squad of Longxiang Army onto the small boat, and in less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, he had seized everyone on board.

Seven or eight Portuguese, dressed in tattered sailor clothes, hair in disarray, faces covered in grime, exuded a foul stench.

Zhu Gang covered his nose and stepped back two paces.

"Damn, why are these people so stinky,"

Zhu Di also frowned, saying nothing.

Zhu Shuang, however, showed no change of expression; he was accustomed to seeing unbathed natives in Australia.

Zhu Yong looked at those Portuguese and asked in Persian, "Where are your ships from?"

No one answered.

Wang Gui stepped forward and asked again in Portuguese.

A slightly older sailor spoke shakily, uttering a string of words.

Wang Gui's complexion changed after listening.

"Second Prince, he says they are merchant ships from Lisbon on a business trip; he says their king has already dispatched an expeditionary force to Australia, with dozens of large ships and thousands of men.

The lead ship is called Cabral, a trusted confidant of the king."

Zhu Yong nodded, his expression calm.

Dozens of large ships, thousands of people.

Not many.

But how many are behind them, we don't know.

"Ask him how far Lisbon is from here,"

Wang Gui translated.

The sailor hesitated, then spoke a string of words.

"Second Prince, he says from here heading east, after about ten days' travel, you can reach Lisbon."

Zhu Yong's mouth twitched slightly.

About ten days.

That's enough.

"Take them down and lock them up," he waved his hand.

Wang Gui led his men to escort those Portuguese down.

Zhu Gang stood nearby, covering his nose with a disdainful expression.

"Second Prince, why are these people so stinky, worse than maggots in a cesspit,"

Zhu Yong said lightly, "Many Europeans never bathe; they only wash three times in a lifetime—once at birth, once at marriage, once at death, and some even never wash those three times."

Zhu Gang widened his eyes and said, "Only washing three times in a lifetime—doesn't that make them like stones in a cesspit, both stinky and hard?"

Zhu Di said nothing.

Zhu Shuang spoke up, "Fourth brother, your words are wrong; the stones in a cesspit at least don't bite, but these people not only stink, they also bite."

Zhu Gang was stunned for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter.

Zhu Yong also laughed.

The brothers' laughter drifted over the sea, carrying far.

The fleet continued eastward.

After a few more days, the outline of land appeared on the sea.

In the distance, the coastline could be seen, gray and desolate.

A few large ships were moored at the pier, bearing Portugal's flag.

On the shore stood several stone-built structures that resembled both castles and warehouses.

Zhu Yong squinted, watched for a while, then said, "Issue the command, prepare to land."

The Command was transmitted down, and one hundred twenty steamships began to change formation.

The vanguard anchored, the two wings provided escort, and the central force held the rear.

The Portuguese on the shore clearly hadn't expected such a large fleet to attack.

They froze for a moment, then fled in panic toward the castle.

Zhu Yong stood at the bow, watching the panicked Portuguese, a slight smile curling his lips.

"Fire the cannons."

Three hundred rear-mounted breech-loading cannons fired simultaneously.

The shrapnel shells pierced the dawn, trailing long tails, striking the castle on the shore.

Explosions rose and fell, bricks and Stone shattered, and smoke billowed into the sky.

After one round of bombardment, a large section of the castle's outer wall collapsed.

The Portuguese poured out of the castle, fleeing inland in a panicked scramble.

"Land." Zhu Yong led the way, stepping down from the gangplank.

Both feet sank into the soft sand of the beach, each sinking about half a foot.

He looked up at the castle, now a wreck, then glanced at the fleeing Portuguese in disarray.

"Pursue."

Ten thousand Longxiang Army troops surged from the ships, Flintlock Guns loaded, bayonets drawn.

They chased the Portuguese, running inland all the way.

After running about half an hour, a small town appeared ahead.

The town was small, with a hundred or so households; the houses were built of Stone, the Street narrow, littered with trash and excrement everywhere.

The air was filled with a foul stench, like rotting trash mixed with excrement.

Zhu Gang covered his nose, his face turning green.

"Second Prince, why does this place smell worse than a cesspit?"

Zhu Di frowned as well, saying nothing.

Zhu Shuang's expression did not change; he was accustomed to the body odor of the natives in Australia.

But the smell here was even more unbearable than that of Australian natives.

Zhu Yong stood at the town's entrance, watching the panicked Portuguese.

Some ran into houses, some fled further inland, and some knelt on the ground trembling.

"Issue the command, search."

The Longxiang Army rushed into the town, searching house by house.

In less than half an hour, the entire town was under control.

They captured about a hundred Portuguese, seized several ships, and also took some food and weapons.

Zhu Yong stood in the center of the town, looking at the Portuguese crouching on the ground.

Their hair was a mess, their faces covered in grime, their clothes torn, and they exuded a foul odor.

A few of the braver ones lifted their heads to glance at him secretly, their eyes full of terror.

Zhu Yong looked at them, and an indescribable feeling suddenly rose in his heart.

These people are still people.

But they live in a way that is far from human.

They never bathe, never clean, live in cesspits, eat moldy food, and drink unclean water.

No wonder the Black Death in Europe killed so many.

"Wang Gui..." he called out.

Wang Gui came up from behind, clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness."

"Ask them what place this is and how far it is from Lisbon."

Wang Gui walked over and asked them in Portuguese.

Those Portuguese exchanged words, speaking at length.

After listening, Wang Gui returned and said, "Your Highness, they say this is a small town in southern Portugal called Faro, a few hundred li from Lisbon."

Zhu Yong nodded.

A few hundred li, not far.