The Sun and the Lion

The loud noise of the artillery fire alarmed the Sultan who was having fun in the palace. He quickly put aside the disgraced slave girl and was getting dressed and was about to go out to inquire about the situation. The guard outside the door knocked on the door.

"What happened in the city? What's the reason for this loud noise?" Sultan asked the guard while buttoning his coat.

The guard reported to him in a panic: "Your Majesty, your port was attacked, the warships were burned, and the customs was captured... There are also a large number of unidentified bandits pouring in outside the city, rushing towards the castle."

Sudan frowned: "Who? Who did this? Have you found out?"

Suddenly, a cannonball hit the castle wall. The loud noise interrupted the Sultan's inquiry, and the guards wanted to escort him to a safer place.

On the streets, the Safavid sailors were advancing with great force. They quickly penetrated half of the city. After more than an hour of fighting, all the guards who dared to block their advance were killed and fled in all directions.

Ahsan was overjoyed to see that the battle was going so smoothly. However, he did not immediately enter the castle, but first sent troops to the port area to inquire about the "Trojan Horse".

The scout quickly returned: "Master Governor, your plan was successful. All the warships in the port were burned and no one was spared. The lackeys of the Sultan of Qeshm Island were also killed, and the customs was completely controlled."

This good news was even more joyous. Ahsan immediately ordered the division of troops. A large force went to besiege the castle. Some sailors were responsible for clearing the remaining enemies outside the castle to ensure control of the streets. He took his own soldiers to the port first. .

At this point, the two teams have completed their rendezvous in the port area.

Ahsan immediately took over the customs warehouse and distributed the property to the sailors on the spot. He also asked the merchant ship to send a semaphore to the Caravel sailing ship in the distance, and asked the gunners to pour all the cannonballs onto the castle wall.

However, it was difficult for the gunners on the ship to complete this task. They only learned to load, reset and ignite, and were not very skilled in ranging and aiming. In fact, the Italian gunners who were invited to serve as coaches had no experience of firing at sea.

This makes the aim of the bronze cannon on the Caravel sailing ship quite random. On the swaying sea, unskilled gunners often miss targets as large as the castle in the distance.

The sailors were not in a hurry. Taking advantage of this free time, they picked up their old business of looting. Every household was extorted for ransom, and Ahsan also acquiesced in these actions.

Facing the crossbows of the castle defenders, they responded with breech-loaded revolving cannons. In addition to shotgun shells, the breech-mounted swivel gun is also equipped with solid shells, but they are very weak and difficult to cause fatal damage to the hull. However, there is no problem in dealing with crossbowmen leaning on the battlements.

The sailors immediately adjusted the elevation of the swivel cannon, and aimed their bows, arrows, and matchlock guns at the enemy at high altitudes.

The guns and cannons fired in unison, sending debris flying across the battlements for a while, causing some damage to the defenders above.

However, the shelling of the castle by the breech-mounted swivel gun was child's play for the rest.

…………

Hours of continuous shelling exhausted the defenders in the castle, and the firearms had a huge impact on their morale. Neither the large spray gun nor the bronze heavy artillery can fight against the enemy physically, and the terrifying loud noise is still destroying their eardrums irregularly.

The Safavid side suddenly burst into flames. A single salvo hit the same wall. The penetrating power of iron shells was stronger than that of stone shells. In addition, the castle itself was not very strong. It had been overwhelmed by shelling in the past few hours. The wall collapsed immediately, and the rubble slid down like a mudslide, eventually forming a slope for people to pass through.

The morale of the sailors was greatly boosted, and Ahsan immediately ordered to pass through the gap at all costs. He put on his armor and personally led the charge of the elite pirates. The gunners and arquebusiers with rear-mounted swivel guns did their best to clear the way for the governor to clear the way of threats.

However, the Sultan of Qeshm Island failed to persist until the moment when the Safavid sailors fully captured the castle. The main gate of the castle opened, and he rode his horse to the sailors and surrendered voluntarily.

"Stop! You can stop now. You have won. Go and inform your leader!"

This operation made the sailors standing at the front a little overwhelmed, but the Sultan took the initiative to dismount and approach them: "Take me to see your leader."

Two sailors immediately stepped forward to control him, took off their sabers and daggers, and confirmed that he did not carry other weapons before taking him to the castle.

In the hall of the castle, the two people who had not seen each other for a long time met again, but their positions were changed.

The Sultan looked at the Governor of the Persian Gulf Islands. At this time, he was wearing the official uniform and armor awarded by the King of Kings. In addition, the two had no impression of each other, which made him even more confused.

"Kneel down, you are just a prisoner of war now." Sudan was punched in the abdomen, and then his calves were stepped on by the sailors, forcing him to kneel down.

However, Ahsan was checking the seizure report in the castle treasury at this time and had no interest in humiliating the Sultan. He just asked the sailors to take him for interrogation and told him, "Don't kill him." This gap is undoubtedly a huge humiliation for Sudan, but there is nothing he can do now.

The Sudan who was pulled in could not stay for only two minutes before he was dragged out.

For Ahsan, the most important thing is to take stock of the loot and clear other areas on the island. Controlling Qeshm Port does not mean controlling the entire island. He also needs to divide his troops and go to various settlements to declare Safavid's military presence.

At the same time, defeating the Sultan of Qeshm Island also unlocked the port of Hormuz. Restoring her freedom was not the purpose of this operation, although they spent a lot of energy raiding Qeshm Port for Hormuz. From Hong Kong.

The quartermaster walked into the hall after counting the loot from another place, and Ahsan asked: "How is it at the shipyard?"

The quartermaster replied: "To report to your Excellency the Governor, our army has completely captured the shipyard here. There are eighteen large and small sailing ships being maintained on the slipway. Shipwrights, timber, rigging, asphalt and other supplies are not included..."

After that, the statistical report was handed over to Ahsan, but his educational level was limited and it took a lot of effort to read the official documents.

"Your Excellency, do you want to draft a battle report now?" The staff on the side took the official document and asked Ahsan.

He waved his hand: "Let's wait until everything has settled."

After speaking, he walked to the balcony, facing the east, towards the port of Hormuz, and looked at the sea in the distance. It was the sunrise at this time.