India has always been a jewel in the crown of the British Empire and the most important treasure in the entire British colonial system. By controlling India, the UK has a market of hundreds of millions of people and a very large raw material base.
Since the end of the 19th century, India's black tea production has replaced China's, and agricultural products such as cotton, spices, opium... are also indispensable to Britain.
More importantly, controlling India also controls the Indian Ocean, thereby ensuring the safety of the golden shipping lane from Europe to Asia.
Unless you come to the Indian Ocean, you would never imagine how much heavy troops the British have invested here. When the combined fleet ended its live-fire exercise and approached Sri Lanka, six more warships joined the queue, and all of these six warships were actually steam powered. A wheeled battleship, an example of the combination of steam power and sail power.
Perhaps the pressure brought by the Zhiyuan was too strong, and the British Prime Minister issued a strict order requiring the British Navy to use the highest standards for escort from Malacca to London.
Is it really just to ensure safety? In fact, the previous escort of 33 warships was already a fleet that no country dared to challenge. There is actually no need to add these steamships.
But Xiao Letian understood what Benjamin and the British politicians were thinking. They wanted to scare themselves to death with numbers and put pressure on themselves.
The subtext of the British is very obvious. Don't think that you are awesome just because you have a Zhiyuan. You can't imagine the history of the British Empire. Moreover, through the intelligence network of Fangguan and Yi Wang, Xiao Letian has learned that the British are secretly imitating the Zhiyuan. There are three ships at a time, but it will take nearly two years to launch them.
New warships are still under construction and cannot be used to scare people. In the end, they can only rely on quantity to show off their appearance. The warships in Southeast Asia and Bangladesh have been assembled, and now it is the turn of the Indian colonies.
Unexpectedly, the Indian colony was even more ambitious. Six steam paddle-wheel battleships with wooden shells and iron armor were pulled out. Six black smoke ribbons were extremely dazzling in the blue sky of the Indian Ocean.
If guests come from afar, you must receive them! The chefs on the Zhiyuan sighed, "Let's go and prepare for the banquet. These British guys are too good at eating. We are exhausted every day..."
A new group of officers are coming to meet His Majesty and the Head of State. In the end, it is this group of receptionists who are unlucky. They work three shifts 24 hours a day without rest. Coupled with the rough seas, one-third of the more than 100 chefs are already there. Fallen sick from exhaustion.
Being a cook is a very strange profession. Although it is just cooking, the boss usually does not dare to embarrass these people too much. It is not that they are afraid that these people will poison you and kill you. What the boss is afraid of is spitting in it. This thing cannot be tested. Out of poison.
Of course, the person in charge of the entire internal affairs was the fat man Jin Sanshun. He was sensitive to the emotional fluctuations of these logistics staff, and hurried into the back kitchen to increase the bonus by another 30%, which made everyone smile.
Jin Sanshun was roasted by the fierce fire in the stove and his whole body was dripping with oil, but he still didn't dare to relax: "Young and old men! Please work hard. Even if we don't pay for money, we have to pay for the dignity of the Chinese people, right? We can't let the foreign devils look down on us. Well, you said that we Chinese people don’t even understand etiquette among cooks, right?”
"I know everyone is tired and seasick, but no matter how hard it is, we have to get through it... We have to give face to the head of state no matter what!"
When the head of state was mentioned, everyone became angry, "That's what Chief Kim said! If we don't target the British big nose, we have to work hard to target the head of state..."
"But Chief Jin, we have a suggestion, would you consider it?" A chef asked with a smile, the sharp knife in his hand was still cutting up the fresh fish.
Jin Sanshun didn't dare to neglect, "Tell me...what are the conditions? Is it a matter of money? This is easy to handle, and I won't lose you..."
The chef who was preparing fish fillets in vinegar kept saying, "Sir! We don't have any requirements. When we return to China in the future, can we ask the head of state to take a photo? We will hang it in the ancestral hall. This will honor our ancestors, right?"
As soon as this sentence was said, the whole kitchen went "Yes, yes, yes, yes, why didn't I think of this? We asked the head of state to take pictures, and we kept the town house!"
Jin Sanshun wiped his sweat and said, "Has the head of state become a goalkeeper?" He's still staying at home... But he doesn't dare to offend these national-level celebrity chefs. They will have to work hard to hold various banquets in Europe in the future.
"No problem! I'll make the decision on this matter right here! Don't wait to return to China. When we get to Europe, I'll find an opportunity for the head of state to take a group photo with you!"
After appeasing the tired chefs, Jin Sanshun walked back to the deck to prepare for the welcome. However, as soon as he arrived on the deck, he found that the atmosphere was very strange. Almost everyone was standing on the deck on the north side, and people kept looking at the sea to the north.
Those with telescopes were looking out, and those without telescopes were also looking with their hands on the pergola. The fat man Jin Sanshun didn't know what was going on and came to Hyoutaro's side and asked, "Brother! What's wrong? What are you looking at? What's wrong with a big girl on the sea... …”
"Nani? Big girl? Where is it... Bah, bah, bah, what are you talking nonsense! Five unidentified warships suddenly appeared in the northern waters, and now the British have pressed forward..."
"What? Unidentified battleship!" Jin Sanshun snatched Hyoutarou's telescope without saying a word. The rope was still hanging around Hyoutarou's neck, and he was pulled over with Hyoutarou's head.
"It hurts, it hurts...you damn fat guy...count..."
Jin Sanshun doesn't have the time to care whether Hyōtaro is in pain or not. He only has eyes for those sailing battleships of unknown origin. No, there is also a warship with a wooden shell covered with steel plates, but it is not a paddle steamer but a propeller warship like the Zhiyuan.
"Be good! Apart from Britain, the only one who can produce such warships in the Indian Ocean must be France! Damn it, the French are here to cause trouble again!"
There is nothing wrong at all. What comes from the north is the French’s last maritime armed force in the Indian Ocean. These five main warships are the last to support the appearance. The remaining large number of warships have been mobilized by the French Emperor back to the Atlantic to deal with Prussia. threats.
In 1869, the British had gained control of the entire Indian continent, and the French were forced to Bangladesh, Myanmar and other places. To put it bluntly, this was just a defensive fleet cruising in the Bay of Bengal.
Although the strength of the French is no longer what it used to be, the pride of the Gallic Rooster cannot be lost. They will never let Xiao Letian pass by in front of their eyes. Even if they come to add some trouble, they have to join in the fun.
The last five battleships came menacingly from the north. They knew that the British would not go to war with them, so they approached the combined fleet without any scruples and marched in parallel in a showy manner.
According to the saying of the old navy, this is a very gangster way of blocking your door to curse and disgust you.
