The Sun and the Lion

Although the Safavid army's small fight in Cannanor failed to defeat the Portuguese fortress, it was equivalent to a public slap in the face of the deputy king, which made the Portuguese furious.

But summer has arrived, and he needs to prepare goods for the spice fleet arriving in late summer. The warships assembled in Cochin are still undergoing pre-war maintenance, not to mention the sea conditions that have deteriorated due to the monsoon.

Time passed quickly in the intense preparations. This year's spice fleet arrived in India very smoothly in early autumn. However, not only came reinforcements, but also a letter from China.

The deputy king checked the latest instructions from His Majesty the King, but Manuel's cold writing in the letter made Almeida feel panicked. He could clearly see the king's suspicion. The letter listed various charges accused by the deputy king's political opponents in the court and the dissatisfied captain - failure to block the Red Sea and control Malacca as planned, failure to report to the court in a timely manner, poor management, acting beyond his authority, etc...

The worst thing is that although Manuel did not prosecute Almeida for these accusations, he did not protect the deputy king. He only coldly ordered Albuquerque to take over as the governor of India, and he followed in January of the following year. The fleet returns home.

After reading the order issued by the king himself, Almeida felt helpless in his heart. No matter what, this was his last battle in India and the last important thing he could do before leaving office.

He continued to exercise power as if nothing had happened, first and then sending reinforcements to Colombo, allowing Albuquerque and Lourenço to consolidate their strongholds in Ceylon. Then he talked to the commander of the spice fleet. After receiving reinforcements, he wanted to increase his own military strength as much as possible.

So far, he has assembled the most powerful fleet in the current Indian Ocean in Cochin, including 5 karaks, including the flagship Flower of the Sea, 4 small karaks, and 6 square-rigged caravel—— An improved caravel with a larger and heavier hull and additional square sails - 2 caravel and 4 galleys, a total of 21 fully manned warships.

Before the fleet officially set off for the expedition, the Vice-King finally wrote a confession like a will to the King in the cabin, intending to have it brought to him by ships returning home. After sealing the letter, believing that he was fully prepared, he ordered the fleet to weigh anchor and sail, and sail northward. The destination was the port of Goa, the "den of evil snakes" where the Muslim fleet gathered.

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"Your Excellency Ehsan, do you think we should not take the initiative to attack the enemy?" Hussein asked puzzledly. In his eyes, the number of warships in Goa Port was already staggering.

The Iranian waved his hand and said: "Believe me, the Franks will definitely take the initiative. Our army is not only the biggest threat, but also humiliated them in Cannanor. We just need to wait and see."

Judging from the information sent back by the spies, the deputy king has been preparing for an active attack. The only question was when this fleet would set off northward. Since spies relied on merchant travel to deliver information, it was difficult for merchant ships to arrive earlier than the warships to deliver the information. By the time he received the news, the Portuguese had almost arrived.

In order to detect the progress of the Portuguese fleet, Ehsan planned to make two preparations. One was to patrol the waters around Goa Port. Guessing that the enemy ships would most likely sail along the coast, he ordered to temporarily extend the patrol distance and frequency to the south. , the maneuverability of these caravels can buy enough time for the main force in the port.

The second one is the Calicut people. Cochin is located south of Calicut. As long as the Portuguese fleet sails along the coast, it will inevitably pass through Calicut. However, the Calicut army did not dare to fight the Portuguese at sea before, so they could not save their lives. The little boat will come in handy now.

So he asked the Calicut warships who came to support the battle to go to a temporary anchorage near Cochin to prepare to ambush the passing Portuguese to delay, and notified the coalition forces still preparing in Goa.

As for why he judged that the Portuguese fleet would sail along the coast, it was because this was the most convenient sailing route, and it also facilitated the Portuguese to intimidate the coastal ports.

The people of Calicut reacted violently to this task, which was tantamount to death, and Ahsan had to give up this unscrupulous method. Even if he achieved his goal through coaxing, it would have endless consequences.

"That's all, Goa is protected by forts, and the enemy ships probably won't dare to approach rashly. Our army can rest assured to organize the team offshore." Ehsan said helplessly, and then began to discuss tactics: "Although I plan to wait for the Franks to come to Goa, But I think we should take the initiative to attack when the enemy arrives, rather than huddle on the shore and assume a defensive posture. Even if the war is unfavorable, we can safely retreat to the river to rest."

The coalition forces are relatively united at the moment. Whether it is the Safavid Army, the Mamluk Army or the Calicut Army, they are all holding back their efforts and planning to give the Portuguese a big blow. Find Shuyuan www.zhaoshuyuan.com as for those who have evil intentions and want to save their lives. Ayaz, the governor of Diu, who had both strength and strength, was excluded from the coalition by Hussein's insistence.

Hussein, who was eager for jihad, immediately agreed: "Just what I want. Those Franks are the most greedy for spoils and glory. I am not afraid that they will not fight with our army."

After Ehsan learned about the enthusiasm of Portuguese sailors and nobles for gang fighting, he planned to do the opposite. He did not plan to rely on well-trained naval infantry to fight the opponent head-on.

The Karak ships of the Safavid fleet are equipped with a large number of firearms, and almost every naval infantryman has a matchlock gun. Each ship can be regarded as an unquestionable floating fort.

Based on his own numerical advantage, his tactical arrangement emerged like this: "I intend to arrange for all the ships under your command, as well as the warships of Calicut, to face the enemy and the Franks. The Caravel under my command will To provide you with fire support, be sure to entangle these Franks so that they cannot be distracted."

"What about your Karak ship?" Hussein looked at Ahsan in confusion.

"My battleships will join the battle at the critical moment and deal a heavy blow to the Franks who are no longer able to escape to deal with another wave of attacks. Before that, we will go around to a favorable position and continue bombarding." Ahsan did not want to save his life. In order to dispel the doubts of his allies, he continued: "Jihad always requires sacrifices. Besides, maybe the Franks think that my Karak ship is the greatest threat and will take the initiative to come up and fight me. In any case, you and I will either Either a hammer or an anvil.”

"I understand, my Mamluks and Ghazi will not bring shame to God." Hussein accepted this statement.

Then came the excruciating wait for the Portuguese to come to Goa.