"Very good, these Chinese are very wise and know that eggs cannot collide with pebbles... Hahaha, they have lowered their sails and have slowed down..."
The Busantore in the middle of the three cruisers was the command flagship of this operation. The captain put down his telescope and lit a cigar comfortably.
"You see, this world belongs to the navy. The reason why Britain is strong is because they have the world's largest navy. The reason why we, France, are the second best in the world is because the damn army steals the most military funding. "
The captain was very angry, especially after the Imperial Army lost face at the hands of the Chinese. The Navy's long-suppressed anger could no longer be contained.
Since ancient times, there have been many conflicts between the navies and armies of various countries. In the final analysis, it is all about money. Even a country as rich as the United Kingdom cannot maintain the world's number one navy and army at the same time. This is unprecedented in human history. Except for the United States after World War II, which achieved all the firsts, no country in the long history has achieved this.
The British navy is very powerful, but their army is very weak. On the contrary, the French have a very strong army, but their navy can only eat dust behind the British.
In Xiao Letian's memory, the country where this contradiction was most obvious was Japan during World War II. The contradiction between the army and the navy even rose to the level of national policy formulation.
At that time, the spokesperson of Japan's army force was Hideki Tojo, and the spokesperson of the navy force was Mitsumasa Yoneuchi. Before World War II, the Army Ministry tended to ally with Germany and Italy, while the Navy Ministry tended to ally with Britain and the United States.
In 1936, after the February 26th Mutiny that occurred in Showa 11, the Japanese Imperial Faction was suppressed, and the ruling faction represented by Tojo Hideki came to power. It was from that time that World War II entered a period of full-scale outbreak. .
Sometimes Xiao Letian also thinks tangledly. If the pro-British and American naval faction controlled Japan at that time, would modern history have been rewritten? What would have been the outcome of World War II? Every time he thought of this, Xiao Letian would shudder and get up. Goosebumps.
Leaving aside the story of Japan for now, France now actually has serious internal conflicts between the army and the navy. When Napoleon III restored the glory of the French army, it pales in comparison to the navy, and the senior navy officials felt uncomfortable. Why should the soldiers of the empire favor one over the other?
Therefore, when the French Army gave Xiao Letian a hard slap in the mouth, these senior naval officials cursed openly but secretly laughed at them, and they deserved it.
"The glory lost by the Army must be made up by our Navy. We must capture Xiao Letian alive and present it to His Majesty the Emperor in Paris... I firmly believe that the Navy's budget will definitely double next year, hahaha..."
The captain smiled arrogantly, but there were always some blind people around him who made the scenery look bad. "Well... the decline of our navy is not due to the failure of the Battle of Trafalgar..."
The man who kept his eyes open spoke lower and lower, and in the end he simply covered his mouth with his hands and stopped talking. He was surrounded by murderous looks.
The captain said with a look of grief and anger, "The core root cause of Trafalgar's failure was not that the navy was too weak. If we had more battleships and more artillery, wouldn't we lose?"
"Yes, you can be considered a member of the navy." The surrounding officers said in unison.
The blind man was finally ashamed and shut up, but he still couldn't help nagging in his heart, "Was our navy weak back then? Under the leadership of Napoleon, we were able to successfully break through the defenses and rush into the Mediterranean to expedition to Egypt. Such a navy is really Are we weak? Moreover, in the Battle of Trafalgar, our crew was clearly outnumbered..."
But it is a pity that some things can only be said in the heart and cannot be said on the stage.
"Captain... The Portuguese opposite is sending a semaphore... but the angle is wrong, I can't see clearly..." Just when a group of people were complacent, the superior lookout suddenly shouted.
"Can't see clearly... It seems like they are sending signals to fishing boats and merchant ships on the sea... Wait, they turned around and they sent signals to us..."
"Say it quickly." The crowd became impatient.
"The other party asked us to close the gun doors and lift the alert posture... Ryukyu Prime Minister Xiao Letian has agreed to board the ship, but they require the courtesy of diplomats."
"Hahaha... I gave in. These Chinese people gave in in front of our navy... This is the power of the cannon, this is the power they can't resist..." The captain jumped up excitedly.
"Comrades, now you know how important the navy is. No matter how elite the army is, it is only composed of one individual. Even if the enemy's bullet hits the chest, he will die... But our navy is different. Everyone here Each battleship is the pinnacle of human shipbuilding technology..."
“We have the firepower to destroy a city, we have the defense to withstand artillery shells, and we can gain unimaginable maneuverability when our sails are spread... Ah, almost all the most advanced technologies in human society have been condensed together. It has become this invincible battleship under our feet..."
Well, it seems that this captain has the potential to be a third-rate poet.
"Follow my orders, the battleship's right rudder is full... its port side is parallel to the merchant ship... close its gun doors and wait for our prisoners to board..." the captain curled his lips.
"It's really unnecessary. As long as our three warships face the enemy from the side, no matter what if all the gun doors are closed, it only takes ten seconds to open them all... By then, there will be a hundred loaded cannons aimed at them. You guys, just one volley and you're going to hell..."
The French cruiser began to close the gun doors and change its posture in accordance with Xiao Letian's request, and the flag messages sent back were also very polite. They assured Xiao Letian that they would give him the best diplomat courtesy. This time they only wanted to invite the Ryukyu Prime Minister to go Paris as a guest.
After Xiao Letian listened to the flagman's translation, he spat into the sea water and looked at the warship that changed its posture with disdain. "I'm a guest. Damn, three heavy cruisers came to pick me up. Why didn't I notice that there was something wrong with my face?" So big..."
At this time, the Portuguese captain came over and said cautiously, "Your Majesty Prime Minister, the flag signal just now has been responded to. There are now ten fishing boats rushing towards us. They are willing to pick you up and leave here... Your Majesty Prime Minister, I have already chosen We got a fishing boat, it’s the fastest one, you and your wife, hurry up and get on the boat..."
"Well, what ship should I get on? As I just said, I must stay here to deal with the French, otherwise none of you will be able to escape their revenge... Let my wife get on the ship, and you can leave quickly..."
Xiao Letian looked at the captain coldly, "I'm not kidding you. You have to remember that only I can stabilize these French people. You all won't be able to survive without me."
While he was talking, a small fishing boat was already approaching. The starboard side of the Portuguese merchant ship faced the French warship. The fishing boat quietly approached the port side of the merchant ship and was not discovered by the French for the time being.
"What's wrong, what happened to you, what are these French people going to do?" The captain of the fishing boat is from Hamburg, and he really cares about these guests from China.
The Portuguese sailors said with sad faces, "Don't ask, these damn French guys are too bullying. They are here to deal with these Chinese guests. Just now, Prime Minister Xiao Letian agreed to be a hostage on a French warship... You guys I came here to disperse and take away the remaining officers, and quickly retreat to Hamburg. I can save every one..."
With a bang, the fishing boats that were approaching and the fishing boats that were already approaching exploded. They jumped and scolded these French guys for being shameless.
"Send semaphores...Send semaphores one by one...tell everyone not to leave here and help the Chinese evacuate here..."
The rope ladders were thrown down one after another. The sailors on the fishing boat looked up at the Chinese officers and shouted anxiously, "I can hide ten people on this boat... hurry up, hurry up, hurry up..."
"My boat can hide 8 people. Come to me... My boat can hide 5 people. It's safe here..."
Amidst the urgings one after another, Xiao Letian suddenly burst out, "What are you looking at? You don't cherish the time I bought for you with my life, you bastards...get out of here and try to return home alive. I haven't left yet." You finish the journey for me..."
"Sir... haven't we agreed to live and die together? If we leave, how can we raise our heads in this life... How can we have the face to go back to our country to see our parents in our hometown..." The crowd exploded with a roar.
Xiao Letian felt like crying now, "You... you are so angry with me. I am not taking you to Shuibo Liangshan to become bandits. Why are you dying in the same year, the same month and the same day? Do you think it is rare for me to die with you? You Go back and help me kill my enemies one by one, only then will I be happy... Leave them all."
In the chaos, a female voice like an oriole rang out, "A soldier's order is to obey. Have you all forgotten that if you are asked to evacuate, you should evacuate first. It is enough for me to accompany you here..."
Of course it was Huniu who spoke, and she was the only one who could take the lead from Xiao Letian. But today was different from usual. Xiao Letian, who had great respect for Huniu, also became cold-faced.
"Hu Niu, Ping'er...you guys should go too. Master Long will protect his wife and leave quickly."
Master Long became anxious when he heard this: "Why are you still here with me? How can I leave..."
"Get out, get out of here..." Xiao Letian pulled out the pistol from his waist and put it on his chin. "This is the second time I'm forcing you. You know my temper. You know I won't follow you." Just kidding, I really dare to shoot..."
The crowd was immediately calmed down. Everyone knew that Xiao Letian was a ruthless person. It seemed that he had really made up his mind this time. If everyone didn't leave, they might really force him to death.
Hu Niu cried and jumped angrily, "You threaten me again, you bully me again, I owe you something, why should you let me go when something happens, I don't want to leave, okay... oh oh oh, they are French You can’t even kill women, right? Even if you are under house arrest in Paris, you still have to have someone to cook and wash your clothes for you..."
The crying Hu Niu also got angry. She strode up to Xiao Letian and suddenly took out a Colt revolver from her bag. She actually put it on her chin.
"Stop scaring me... If you die, I will die. If you dare, shoot, and if you shoot, I will shoot..."
With a bang, the crowd went crazy. The Portuguese captain and sailors kept crossing themselves on their chests, "What's going on? Why can't we understand anything? God, they are really a match made in heaven..." …”
