According to the standard configuration of the French army, each of the three heavy cruisers must be equipped with at least 60 cannons. In the sailing battleship era, the cannons were evenly distributed on the left and right sides, which means that there are now a total of 90 cannons facing Xiao Letian. merchant ships and these brave fishing boats.
The gun doors made of Atsugi were opened, and the black muzzles of one gun after another were aimed murderously at Xiao Letian. The deck of the battleship was full of sailors running wildly, and the sails that had just been lowered were pulled up again. , there were fast and confusing French orders everywhere, and people listened for a long time without understanding what they were shouting.
But no one was stupid. There was no need to guess what the French wanted to do. An atmosphere of sadness and anger spread on the sea, and everyone was furious.
It's so arrogant. This is the coastal waters of Germany. It's not far from Hamburg. These French people are so arrogant. This is a clear sign of bullying. Prussia does not have a strong navy.
"You French people are really bullying others too much. As men, you want to use such despicable methods when you are defeated. Do you even want to restore your dignity by insulting women?"
"No matter how weak the Ryukyu Kingdom is, it is an independent country recognized by the world. The public law of all nations is not a decoration. How dare you treat a country's prime minister like this? How dare you treat a country's envoys like this."
"Not only that, but in front of you French people are thousands of Prussian civilians on more than a hundred civilian ships. Do you want to massacre civilians?"
Everyone looked at the barbaric threat of the French in disbelief. These proud Prussians were completely angry this time, and the unique stubborn talent of the German nation was successfully stimulated.
"Let them fire... let them come over our bodies... let the whole of Europe see what kind of thugs they are."
"Despicable devils...go back, we will never allow you to harm the guests of Prussia...the benefactor of Hamburg."
This is fighting spirit. Xiao Letian looked nervously at the imminent crisis. He couldn't understand the situation. No matter what Xiao Letian's calculations were before, he was convinced that the French would not massacre civilians. Now Prussia is in the crisis just now. During the excitement of the victory over Austria, the morale of millions of soldiers was high. At this time, it was really good to provoke the national hatred of the Prussians.
"Something's wrong... There's something wrong here..." Xiao Letian's mind was already spinning wildly. "With the intelligence capabilities of the French, there is no problem in avoiding the patrols of the Prussian offshore defense fleet, and they fired at me to massacre us Chinese. It’s also possible for people to…”
"Even if they blow up the Portuguese merchant ship, I believe the French can resolve the diplomatic dispute caused by it, at most at the expense of their interests... But how dare they take action against thousands of Prussian civilians? This is an undeclared war... …”
"How could this happen, how could this happen..." Xiao Letian couldn't figure out the key point of this issue no matter how hard he thought about it, but Xiao Letian knew that France and Prussia absolutely cannot go to war now. If the gun goes off now, Prussia will definitely lose. , all Bimarck's efforts will be in vain.
"Stop...send a signal to the French and tell them to stop immediately. I, Xiao Letian, will go over right away...don't fire." Xiao Letian jumped to his feet and shouted, and soon more than a hundred Chinese officers also wanted to understand the key here. Yes, they all jumped up and shouted back and forth in German and English.
"Disperse... Prussian friends, we thank you for your protection... But don't make meaningless sacrifices. Disperse immediately. These French people are really capable of opening fire..."
"Thank you, thank you... We Chinese people remember this friendship, but there can be no bloodshed now. The war should not involve innocent civilians. Please leave..."
Xiao Letian danced the most fiercely among the group. In the end, he even climbed up the tall mast and shouted at the French, "I am Xiao Letian. I will not run away. I will stand here... Let you go." I will go with you now that you have rescued these civilians..."
The wind was so strong on the mast that Xiao Letian had to hold on to the cable with both hands to stand still. After roaring three or four times, the sea wind filled his throat and made him speechless.
Xiao Letian felt a little regretful now. If he had known that Napoleon III was so vengeful, why not be gentler when he slapped him in the face? Now that the situation has become so tense, what if the gun went off and a full-scale war broke out between the two powerful armies...
Xiao Letian really didn't dare to think about what happened next. The possibility of this happening was very high, especially since the entire Prussian nation was in the excitement period after the victory of the war. The slightest stimulation of this group of people would make the whole nation go crazy. , even the king will not be able to suppress it by then.
Xiao Letian is very clear about the current situation of Prussia's armaments. In a major war, 80% of the artillery shell reserves in the warehouse were consumed, and 70% of the bullet reserves were consumed. Even the military rations were only enough for the army to fight for half a month. Under these conditions, as long as If you start a war, you will definitely die.
By then, let alone the hope for the rejuvenation of the Prussian nation, it is estimated that even the little money from the Sino-German Fund will have to be lost in the end. Therefore, these French people must not be allowed to kill people today, and the situation must not worsen. Even if they are killed If we capture him in Paris, there is still some hope for diplomacy. But if people start dying, it will really come to an end.
Xiao Letian stood on the towering mast facing the wind, shouting heroically to the French, "I am Xiao Letian...I am standing here...you fire at me...let these citizens go..."
The shouts echoed on the sea, and all the Prussian fishermen and sailors heard them. The simple citizens had been burned out of their senses by anger, and their emotions had been aroused. The group of people shouted collectively at Xiao Letian with tears in their eyes.
"If the Prime Minister doesn't leave, we won't leave either... Let the enemy march on our corpses. The Prussians will not watch their friends die and remain indifferent..."
The roars of more than a thousand people shook the heavens and the earth. Xiao Letian's tears fell instantly. He was not moved, he was just angry.
"Oh, this is the feeling of being stood up. I can't tell the truth in my stomach. You have become fanatical. You are risking your life now, but have you ever thought about me? I don't want to die yet. I I don’t want to be bombed to death by the French. The plot hasn’t developed to that point yet. Even if I go to France, I may not die.”
But there was no way he could say this, because out of the corner of his eye, Xiao Letian had already seen that Leo, who was returning home with him, had already set up a camera. The scene of him standing in the wind and smiling at a powerful enemy was probably frozen.
Sigh...many saints in history were probably framed like this.
Whether it was the strong protests of the fishermen and sailors or Xiao Letian stepping forward to negotiate in person, they did not stop the French from preparing for war. In just a short time, all the gun ports on both sides of the three warships had been opened, and a large number of sails were pulled Standing up, the battleship obviously began to accelerate.
Xiao Letian watched helplessly as armed sailors were distributing ammunition and rifles on the enemy's deck. There were roars of preparation for war coming from the hidden shooting deck, and the captains and first mates in senior officer uniforms also started to speak. The telescope began to look over the battlefield.
Hey, something is wrong. Why are these officers pointing their butts at me and looking at the sea with binoculars? Is this the legendary Chiguoguo who ignores my mother and humiliates me before killing me?
Xiao Letian's heart was full of doubts, but soon everyone discovered something was abnormal.
The previous situation on the sea was like this. The Portuguese merchant ship sailed south, and three French warships came up from the southwest. Then a full starboard rudder made the port side of the warship parallel to the starboard side of the merchant ship.
Then the three French warships formed a line and sailed south together with the merchant ships. Of course, at this time, under the pressure of the French, the sails of the merchant ships had all come down. Merchant ships relied on wind, sea currents and inertia. The force drifted southward, and of course a few jibs were left in order to stabilize the direction.
In order to maintain the same speed and distance as the merchant ships, the French warships also lowered a large number of sails, and the entire deck was as empty as dead wood in winter.
It is precisely because both sides lowered their sails to slow down a lot that the fishing boats could intervene. Otherwise, the speed of the fishing boats would not be able to catch up, and it would be impossible to fill the fifty-meter-wide sea area in the middle.
Now, the French cruisers are beginning to prepare for war, and restoring maneuverability is the first priority. When more and more sails catch the sea breeze, the speed of the fleet begins to become faster. It is impossible to keep pace with the merchant ships. .
The speed of the French warships became faster and faster, and the distance between the two sides also began to increase. From the initial fifty meters, it gradually became sixty meters, seventy meters... Soon the crowded fishing boats began to disperse. , the crowded scene no longer exists.
"What are the French doing? Are they afraid that they will be covered in blood after the cannon fire? Damn it, these French people are really nothing. They are going to kill people and still pretend to be gentlemen. This is distasteful of our blood. Is it dirty?"
When Xiao Letian heard the roar from the crowd at his feet, he was speechless. How much must he hate the French to think of the worst and most disgusting things about anything? It is estimated that even if French soldiers invite Prussian fishermen and sailors to drink, They will all maliciously think that the French peed inside.
Xiao Letian shook his head, got rid of the random thoughts in his mind, and continued to observe the situation on the sea, but when he raised his head, "Ah." Xiao Letian subconsciously exclaimed, and he even unconsciously opened his hands to cover his own body. mouth.
He had forgotten that he was still on a high mast. There was actually a smooth wooden stick under his feet. Not to mention him, even the most agile sailor did not dare to let go and stand on it.
"Hey, hey..." Xiao Letian shook his hands and looked about to fall into the sea.
"Sir, be careful..." the crowd exclaimed,
