The tactics of the French intelligence agency are still very vicious. They would never dare to attack blatantly. After all, the escort is the British, but it is still possible to use the desert natives.
The Bedouin are a nomadic people in the Middle East and North Africa. They migrate in search of water and grass, and make money by grazing and trading. Of course, war is also a way to make money.
These tribal people have no concept of country. They only have religion and family in their hearts. As long as they don't violate their religion or harm their family, they will work hard for you if you give them money.
The French purchased a batch of Austrian-made artillery through various channels, and then they were operated by the Bedouin, while they themselves hid behind and commanded remotely.
In their plan, no matter how powerful the Zhiyuan was, the intensive fire from twenty-two howitzers could still injure it. As long as the Zhiyuan was scarred, the French could naturally require it to be moored in the Great Bitter Lake for repairs.
No one can explain this reason. If the ship is broken, it must be repaired! And if such a serious attack occurs, do you Chinese have to cooperate with the investigation?
When the time comes, French warships block the northern exit of the canal in Port Sai, and it's hard to say when they will let you go.
Xiao Letian needs time, and so does French Emperor Napoleon III. After he trapped Xiao Letian in Egypt, French diplomats had plenty of time to perform.
Napoleon III must use every possibility to form an anti-Chinese alliance, must unilaterally try Xiao Letian and the Chinese for war crimes, and put the blame for launching aggression on the Chinese in advance.
France's natural allies such as Spain, Portugal, and the closer countries such as the Netherlands and Belgium will definitely agree with the French proposal.
If they try harder, maybe the French Emperor can still get a commitment from the Vatican. After all, the Vatican now relies on the protection of the French army.
With the support of the Holy See and the vassals of many small countries, France can put pressure on Britain. He is very clear about Benjamin's ill will towards Xiao Letian. As long as Napoleon III pays a sufficient price, Britain can still wake up.
With Britain, France, and Russia joining forces, and several small countries joining in, the fate of the Chinese people would be certain. They would first put diplomatic pressure on him, and give him an impossible condition to force Xiao Letian to sign.
What if you don't sign? Hahaha... You don't want to go back to Asia alive. You can directly sink your warship in Egypt, and then the coalition forces will expedition to East Asia and take all the rich Chinese territories into your own pocket.
What a perfect plan this was. All Napoleon III needed was time and time to convince the British. As for public opinion? Go away, as long as Xiao Letian dies, the Chinese people will be destroyed and public opinion will be of no use!
The people are always forgetful, and the Three Minutes of Heat talks about them. As long as France continues to win, those traitors will eventually be swept into the dust of history.
The sand-proof canvas was finally laid out. From the side of the Great Bitter Lake, no one would have imagined that there was an artillery position hidden behind the sand dunes. There was a constant flow of ships on the Suez Canal, and goods from the East and the West were connected to the world here.
The French spy holding a cigarette in his mouth stood on the top of the sand dune, looking at the azure Great Bitter Lake, and watching the ships queuing up on the lake waiting for navigation. He suddenly puffed out the cigarette into the air.
"In four or five days, this will be the grave of the Chinese people! If you dare to challenge His Majesty's glory, your only fate will be death!"
The trap has been arranged, and now they are waiting for their prey to fall into the trap. The French know very well that there is no time to go around the Cape of Good Hope, and for such a large combined fleet, supply along the way is also a big problem.
The temporary change of plan to circumvent the African coastline will definitely catch the African colonies by surprise. Fresh water and food are easy to solve, but what about coal? What to do with some common spare parts of steamboats?
Therefore, there are only two choices before Xiao Letian. One is to return to Asia the same way. That is better. As long as he escapes, France will still have the final say in Europe. By then, Britain will give up protecting Xiao Letian.
The second way is to bite the bullet and cross the Suez Canal, but is this canal so easy to survive?
The Chinese fleet anchored in Sri Lanka finally set sail on time on the third day. On the day of departure, countless locals at the port came out to see off the Chinese.
It has to be said that the purchasing power of these Chinese people is so strong that the three-month storage capacity of the gem merchants in the Galle port was actually sold out in three days.
Of course, after Wang Chen made a joke about buying gems with twenty silver coins in the first place, the brothers became more cautious later and basically bought good jewelry at a very suitable price.
The Chinese army has high salaries, and these veterans have money in their hands. The beautifully minted dragon-patterned silver coins have almost become hard currency in Galle Port, and even the British are willing to collect a few.
When the news that these Chinese were leaving spread throughout the port, thousands of local natives bid farewell with tears in their eyes, "When will you come again... We will leave you another batch of good gems..."
"Hey... I have never seen such generous customers in so many years. If they could come here once a month, life would be much easier!"
Sri Lanka is destined to be just a temporary stop on the journey. No matter how reluctant they are to leave, the combined fleet still disappears in front of them. But these indigenous people do not know that the next time they encounter these Chinese, it will be twenty years old. Many years later.
That is to say, twenty years later, the powerful Chinese could finally break through the British blockade and have a strong foothold in Sri Lanka's gem industry. By that time, the British monopoly could no longer restrain the hands and feet of the Chinese. , Sri Lanka's gem industry has officially entered a stage of rapid development.
Only then can the most suffering gem miners be saved.
The ship sailed smoothly in the Indian Ocean. Four days later, the combined fleet joined twelve other Indian fleets in the Gulf of Aden. Now the total number of escorting fleets has reached thirty-five.
The British flag was waving all over the Red Sea. Warships of all sizes protected the Zhiyuan and began to move north. The entire route was completely exploded.
"Oh God! What is happening to the British? Are they going to start a war?"
"No, it's not a war. I heard from the Italian sailors that the emperor of China is coming, and there is also a Chinese prime minister... The British are here to escort us!"
"Emperor of China? It's incredible. Didn't it say that the emperors of China are not allowed to leave the palace? Is it true..."
"Make way, give way immediately, give way to the main channel..."
