The Sun and the Lion

The combined fleets of the Safavids and Mamluks sailed toward Socotra Island in a mighty manner, but when they arrived, they found only one ship and a small fortress waiting for repairs by craftsmen on the beach. The Mamluk fleet, as the main force, was at the forefront. , soldiers from Egypt and Syria landed and surrounded the unfinished Portuguese fortress, and many forcibly recruited local laborers launched a resistance at this time.

Under the joint offensive here, Portugal's presence on Socotra was wiped out. The surviving Portuguese were lynched by the angry locals. Fortunately, the soldiers acted quickly enough and snatched the garrison commander out alive, and then there was Routine interrogation for information.

Originally, Hussein was suspicious and thought that the Portuguese were using some kind of strategy to wait until the fleet relaxed their vigilance and suddenly rush out from the darkness to catch them off guard. But how did the Portuguese know that Socotra Island would be attacked?

The result of the subsequent interrogation made Hussein's worries unnecessary. The garrison commander said: The man from Albuquerque set sail a few days ago. He probably went north, and there has been no news since then.

Both the Governor of Yemen and Hussein were very confused by his operation. According to the chart, heading north from Socotra Island is the southern coast of Arabia. Most of the ports there only have dates, sea salt and seafood. They can only replenish the fleet. supply.

I think the Franks have two possibilities next. Now we know that they are going to these ports to collect food and water. These forcibly collected supplies must be to support the fleet's sailing, so they can either return here to continue to rest, or they can search for Other targets are waiting for opportunities. After Hussein analyzed it, the officers present thought it made sense.

As for other targets, I think it will be any trade port along the coast. Only bustling ports can support a fleet. Aden, Muscat and Hormuz are the only three choices, which is also in line with their motives. .”

The governor of Yemen raised objections: Now that they have hit a wall in the port of Aden, will this place still be a target?

I don't know, maybe these Franks, who are as cunning and cruel as poisonous snakes, are planning to use Socotra Island as bait to attract our army's attention, so that they can take advantage of the opportunity to return to attack Aden. Hussein shrugged.

Huda will not favor infidels. The governor of Yemen shook his head, and then continued: In that case, we might as well divide our troops into two groups, and stay here to prepare for the ambush of the returning Franks, and then send fast boats to search along the coast. what do you think?

He was very confident that the Portuguese fleet could capture Muscat and Hormuz. As a senior naval officer and one of the earliest members of the Safavid Navy, he has seen the defenses of Hormuz and Muscat. The port of Aden has been ruled for a shorter time and is farther away, so its defense is weaker. . But just like that, the Portuguese couldn't win a single surprise attack. If nothing else, there were more coastal defense guns in those two places, and the skill level of the gunners was better than that of Din's recruits. What the Safa defenders had to consider was no longer The question of victory or defeat is a question of the size of the victory.

But that was beyond his scope of concern. The battle reports had been compiled and sent out, and Muscat and Hormuz were not under his jurisdiction.

I don't want to waste too much time here. The Franks have already established a foothold in India. Malik's order to me is to eradicate it. I think India is the most important. Hussein reminded the Governor of Yemen, saying that he would Arrive in Gujarat before the end of autumn.

The Governor of Yemen calculated that after deducting the sailing time, the experience card did not last long. However, he had no reason to let the other party stay to help share the defense of Aden. Seeing that he could not work as a coolie for nothing, he could only say regretfully: I can't stand side by side with the church members. Fighting, alas, this is Huda’s arrangement.”

The reluctance of the Governor of Yemen made Hussein think with some criticism: Fellow Christians, how many Sunnis have been persecuted by you? The Caliphate has all slandered and cursed you. That is to say, the current good relations between the two countries are not conducive. Words of unity and friendship are hard to say and cannot be said.”

In order to promote relations, Hussein took the initiative to mention the captured Portuguese Karak. Although the Mamluk army was the main force in the battle to land on the island, he did not want this trophy. He did not have a reliable port to place and repair the severely damaged ships, and due to the arrears of wages, he was extremely short of sailors under his command. No one could be spared to man more ships. To this end, he also planned to directly recruit Portuguese traitors.

That Frankish ship is at your disposal. You need the warship more than I do. You are the important guardian of the Hajj route. Hussein's beautiful words and loot were all accepted by the Governor of Yemen.

After some heart-to-heart discussions, the two people, who had slight differences, made a plan for the next battle and started preparations for the next battle. Find Shuyuan www.zhaoshuyuan． com

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If the combined fleet on Socotra Island is only slightly divided, then the Portuguese fleet currently staying at an unknown anchorage is almost split. Because of the failure in Aden, the prestige of the chief captain has been questioned.

It rained continuously all night, and although the dhow he sent disguised as a merchant ship to scout the northern ports had not yet returned, he could already know from rumors that Aden was already the Safavid stronghold with the weakest defense. There must be nothing good to eat in Beida.

Your Excellency, we should not go further north. Your Majesty has given us the task of blocking the Red Sea and disrupting Muslim shipping. Going north will only take us further away from our goal.

The captains believed that with the failed precedent of Aden, any plan to raid the port should not occur. They hoped to be able to freely plunder Muslim merchant ships sailing in and out of the Red Sea. This would be safer and they could also get a lot of loot.

In Albuquerque's view, these suggestions were captains challenging the authority of their superiors for their own selfish purposes, and he emphasized: His Majesty the King has not authorized you to discuss with me. As a subordinate, the most important thing is to obey orders.

I think you have an obligation to listen to legitimate objections. Your Excellency, our army should not attempt any action with huge risks now. It should proceed with caution and contact the deputy king to obtain the reinforcements needed to blockade the Red Sea. A captain Argue with your superiors alone.

With the leader in charge, all the captains put pressure on Albuquerque, saying directly: If you refuse to consider legitimate suggestions and ignore the results of the vote, then we also refuse to obey your orders and will report to the Vice-President. complaint!

Albuquerque continued to treat the captain forcefully, and the two parties argued, and the meeting broke up unhappily.