Chapter 957

“What is that damn thing?”

Wilson was drenched in cold sweat.

When the Great Yu Empire steam warships’ firepower weakened, he realized that the Great Yu Empire warships might have run out of ammunition. After all, in the fierce naval battle just now, the Great Yu Empire warships had won with fewer numbers, which also meant they fired more shells.

Seeing this trend, a glimmer of hope for victory immediately rose in his heart, but now this hope was crushed by this sudden warship.

He could see that this warship seemed to have just been launched from the shipyard, because the iron armor covering the warship still had a thick layer of rust. But even so, it was enough to terrify them.

A warship covered in iron armor sailing on the sea—what the hell was that?

Just as Wilson guessed, this warship had indeed just been launched and had not yet been officially delivered to the navy for use, because the warship’s paint job had not yet been completed. However, this warship was fully combat-ready, because its cannons had already been installed, and ammunition could be temporarily supplied in the military port.

Their appearance now was precisely because they had just been replenishing ammunition.

The warship was commanded by Xie Yuan and Ding Chang. While Li Wei was fighting at sea, Zhang Liang found them and had them command this steel warship into battle.

Facing the urgent situation, they boarded this warship without hesitation. Because they understood the warship’s ammunition reserves very well, these twelve warships could not defeat such a huge number of warships.

So, to prevent Li Wei from being crushed due to lack of ammunition, he first dispatched the sailing warships, and then personally piloted the Great Yu Empire’s first ironclad warship into the battle.

Because once the naval battle was lost, the shipyards in the military port would surely suffer bombardment from these invaders. The losses at that time would be more severe than ever.

“Don’t be afraid! Charge straight into their fleet! Our warship’s iron armor is enough to withstand the explosion of these explosive shells!” Xie Yuan’s face was beaming.

In the Great Yu Empire’s shipbuilding plan, ironclads were designed precisely to counter these explosive shells. Wooden hulled ships could no longer withstand the impact of exploding shells.

And they knew very well that these Westerners would soon be equipped with similar shells. After all, the Great Yu Empire defection incident had been harshly criticized by the imperial court in newspapers for several months, making it widely known.

For this, the Great Yu Empire now supervised its talents even more meticulously.

Receiving Xie Yuan’s order, the ironclad warship sailed at full power. Unlike hybrid-powered warships, the ironclad warship relied entirely on steam engine power, and its mast had been removed.

In terms of appearance, the ironclad warship was no longer the design of the Great Yu Empire’s current sailing warships. Instead, it became a long, narrow hull, as this type of hull was more suitable for the installation of iron armor.

The only thing that remained the same were the gunports on both sides, because as a first-generation ironclad, they still adopted dense artillery.

“Boom, boom, boom…”

The arrival of the ironclad warship immediately attracted the attention of the British warships. Many warships turned their heads and aimed their firepower at this steel monster. What happened next shocked them.

Under their exploding shells, this warship remained unscathed. Breaking through the flames and smoke, the ironclad warship struck an English warship, which was firing at it, in the middle, splitting it in two.

“Thud!”

Under the immense inertia of the ironclad warship, the British wooden warship was directly hit, creating a huge hole. The ironclad warship’s speed did not decrease. It continued to advance, pushing the warship aside like garbage.

At the same time, the cannons on both sides of the ironclad warship began to fire madly. Because it plunged directly into the middle of the chaotic British fleet, about ten British warships were within its attack range. As the ironclad warship bombarded, these warships became very passive. Some of them were hit and quickly lost their combat effectiveness.

The ironclad warship was so fierce that Xie Yuan and Ding Chang were greatly encouraged. They grew even bolder, completely disregarding the enemy’s cannon fire and pursuing the British warships relentlessly.

Li Wei was deeply shocked. A hint of madness appeared in his eyes. He now truly wished he could personally command this type of warship, but this wish would have to wait until after the battle.

At this point, he said to the first mate, “Did you see that? Have the soldiers concentrate the shells and give them to the more accurate gunners! Hurry!”

“Yes.” The first mate’s spirits lifted. At this rate, they wouldn’t lose.

“Boom, boom, boom…”

The Great Yu Empire warships quickly resumed firing. Although the sound was somewhat muffled, it was enough to deal with the completely chaotic British warships.

At this point, Wilson was in despair.

Because after smashing one warship, the Great Yu Empire’s ironclad warship’s second target was his warship.

He had no way to avoid it, no place to hide. He could only watch helplessly as the fast-moving warship slammed into his.

With a jolt that shook the earth, his warship disintegrated like the first one that was rammed and sunk. He only felt a huge force sending him flying into the sea.

After the ironclad warship joined, the battle reversed even more thoroughly. An hour later, the only two remaining warships fled in disarray towards Japan amidst the waves.

“Captain, aren’t we pursuing?” Ding Chang asked Xie Yuan.

“No need. Such a splendid naval battle needs someone to go back and personally demonstrate it to their masters.” Xie Yuan laughed heartily. He greatly anticipated the British Queen learning of the complete annihilation of the combined fleet.

Ding Chang scratched his head. “You’re right. Heh heh, let them know our might.”

Looking at the British, French, and Spanish struggling in the sea and crying for help, Xie Yuan continued, “Let’s first capture some prisoners. For such a big matter, His Majesty will surely come to Dengzhou personally. Then we can present these prisoners to His Majesty.”

“Yes.” Ding Chang responded and immediately led his soldiers to capture the living Westerners.

At the same time, Xie Yuan dispatched someone to send the naval battle report to Qingzhou Province.

Riding the steam locomotive that night, the courier, who relayed complex messages, delivered the news to the imperial palace at midnight.

“The combined fleet of Britain, France, and Spain… prepare yourselves. We will depart for Dengzhou tomorrow morning.”

Because the matter was serious, Qian Dafu dared not delay. He woke up Xiao Ming, who was sleeping. For a time, the imperial palace became lively.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Qian Dafu responded.

He could see that the Emperor was very pleased. This time, they had annihilated over seventy warships of the three nations’ alliance in Dengzhou in one fell swoop. This was tantamount to eliminating Western naval power in Asia. Thus, taking advantage of this vacuum, they could do many things.

Just as Qian Dafu thought, Xiao Ming was indeed happy about this. Firstly, he saw the true strength of the Great Yu Empire’s navy. Secondly, this battle would surely cause a huge uproar in Europe. The Great Yu Empire would formally take a big step on the path to maritime supremacy.