The former Qin King Fu Jian sent troops to destroy the Eastern Jin Dynasty, but the result was a tragic backlash!
Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty sent troops to fight for Goryeo but failed, and was killed by Li Yuan out of righteousness!
In the Southern Song Dynasty, Lianmeng destroyed the Jin Dynasty. Seventy years later, the allies used the most incompetent navy to destroy the country!
Meng Yuan was driven out of the customs by the only armed group in history that succeeded in the Northern Expedition...
These cases tell us the fact that there is no best, only better!
So far, in the war of external expansion, there are only two dynasties that have become stronger and stronger as they fight, and that is the former dynasty and the Ming Dynasty!
However, no matter how large Mengyuan's territory is, it can't compare to the thousands of miles of territory of the Ming Empire!
I’m not bragging, it’s really thousands of miles!
From the North Pole to Tasmania in the south!
Angola in the west and Bermuda in the east!
After Zhu Cixiang and Wang Shi fought hard for seventy years, they finally achieved the small goal of occupying nearly half of the earth's land area!
Even without the elixir, after Zhu Cihong died, the territory of the Ming Empire today would not be smaller than that of Zhao Song.
After seventy years of hard work, the old Zhao family's gang would faint in the toilet when they saw the old Zhu family's territory...
Zhao Song was not short of money, had a large population, and was still in the lead in terms of ordnance, but the result was repeated defeats!
I have to say that the old Zhao family is really the best family in ancient times and modern times!
In addition to the need to remain vigilant in the Western Military District and the need to continue to encircle and suppress the British and Spanish guerrillas in North America.
On the occasion of Zhu Cihong's ninetieth birthday, the world was finally settled. Master Wang basically had no battles to fight and could rest for a while.
In the seventy-sixth year of Haojing, that is, 1719 in the Western calendar, the imperial court held a grand military parade in Beidu to celebrate the birthday of Emperor Haojing!
In view of the fact that two eighth-level ironclad ships (Scharnhorst) were launched the year before last, completed sea trials last year, and joined the Ming Dynasty Navy at the beginning of this year.
Zhu Cixi decided to hold the third ship review. Also launched at the same time were eight level seven ironclads (King) and eight level six ironclads (Blücher), as well as a bunch of gadgets.
The Academy of Sciences previously estimated that the total cost of the two Scharnhorsts was 150 million silver coins, but the actual cost reached more than 139 million.
After seeing the comparison between the estimated amount and the actual situation, Zhu Cihong decided to cut the budget for eight battleships (four each for the King and Blücher) and save money for the ninth-level ironclad, the Bismarck battleship.
The original plan of the thirteenth batch (1709-1717) was to build twelve ships each of the King and Blücher. Later, four ships of the two classes of battleships were cut off, leaving only the minimum construction scale.
It is expected that the construction of two Bismarcks will begin in the sixteenth batch (1731-1739). The total cost will reach 400 million silver coins. The construction time will be eight years, and the amortization will be 50 million silver coins per year.
The way to control costs is to stockpile all raw materials in advance, and after occupying North America, the originally expensive oak will be easy to obtain.
Oak floors were installed in the rooms of wealthy people, and oak decks could be laid on battleships.
This is not a waste of money. In the past, most sail warships were made of oak or teak...
Since the Ming Dynasty had very abundant financial resources, it could fully support the construction plan.
The Navy estimates that it will need at least eight level nine battleships, which means it will require 1.6 billion silver coins.
However, it is only equivalent to one year's revenue of the current Ming Empire, so it is not a big deal.
The construction of "Bismarck" was still twelve years ago. It seems to take a long time, but it is actually very fast.
This year, during the ship review, Louis XIV will be able to get the two brand-new seventh-level ironclad ships he has dreamed of.
Zhu Cixiang called the fifth- and sixth-level ironclads cruisers, and the ironclads of more than 20,000 tons were called battleships.
After this new naming method was published in military magazines, it gradually became popular.
Six years later, Louis XIV could still obtain the first eighth-level ironclad ship (Scharnhorst).
With the two battleships joining the French Navy, it means that Louis XIV's fleet has surpassed the Inca Empire and regained the second place in the world!
Since the battles in Europe are mainly land battles, as well as possible air battles in the future.
The navy, especially the main fleet, is not very useful.
The main tasks of the French Navy's main fleet are escort and overseas training, and then they are used to show off their muscles!
In other words, to satisfy the vanity of a certain emperor!
At some point, it matters...
Especially after Zhu Cihong deployed a battleship in semi-enclosed sea areas such as the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean, Louis XIV felt a little pressure and felt a little unhappy.
If possible, the French Navy would also deploy one battleship in the same waters, so that it would be considered equal.
Louis XIV has no control over other places, but in the waters surrounding Europe, the French Navy must show some signs of it!
The Mediterranean Fleet of the Ming Navy no longer continued to rent the island of Mallorca, but chose Gavzos Island in the Ottoman Empire, which is the small island located southwest of Crete.
At the same time, the anchorage on Crete can also be used to berth warships, and there is no need to rent every year, because both sides know the strategic intentions of the other side.
Under Ibrahim's command, Crete had become the largest naval and air force base of the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean.
It echoes the French navy and air force base in Malta, but the relationship between the two parties is still delicate as it was a hundred years ago.
The reason why the Ming Navy chose Gavzos Island instead of Crete with the Ottoman Navy is very simple, that is, pigs can be raised on the island!
Pork head, pork trotters, braised pork, braised pork ribs...
This is a delicious delicacy to boost the morale of the Ming Dynasty officers and soldiers. It is generally indispensable except in special circumstances.
Piglets and pork are imported from the Kingdom of Naples, and the other party is also very welcome to maintain trade relations with the Ming Navy.
The Ming Dynasty Ironclad is docked at the port. People on the shore don't need to look at the national flag. They can instantly recognize it as long as they see the paint.
The hull is off-white and the superstructure is orange. There is no other ship in the world.
The hulls of the ironclad ships of the Zheng fleet are the same color, and the superstructures are pink...
Zhu Cixiang considered changing the color of the superstructure to purple and black, which symbolizes the coming of purple energy from the east.
However, the name of the "Big Orange Fleet" has already spread out, and it is easy to identify at sea.
Especially on a sunny day, it is impossible to be accidentally injured.
If a "accidental incident" did occur, it was definitely done deliberately by the other party.
And the beautiful orange color also conceals the true power of these killer weapons to a certain extent.
A single salvo from the entire fleet can destroy a seaside town with a population of tens of thousands.
Of course, since the Iberian Peninsula was assigned to France, the Ming Dynasty Mediterranean Fleet has been semi-inactive.
The northern part of Africa south of the Mediterranean Sea and all the way to the northern part of the Mauritanian desert belongs to Austrian North Africa.
South of the Mauritanian desert and extending all the way to the north of the Portuguese Congo is French West Africa.
The Mauritanian desert, which is rich in scorpions, is the boundary between France and the Ottomans. It just so happens that this demarcation satisfies both sides.
Louis XIV was not yet at ease, so he ordered the establishment of a naval and air force base in Dakar, near the Mauritanian desert, to monitor the opponent's every move.
Today, Dakar has become France's largest military base in West Africa, with a brigade of marines and nearly a hundred fighter planes stationed there.
The wharf can dock six 10,000-ton cruisers at the same time and has thirty berths. The military wharf and the military wharf are built separately.
In order to show that it has no intention of getting involved in the whirlpool of this water area, the Mediterranean Fleet of the Ming Navy is the same as the Baltic Fleet.
There are only one level seven ironclad ship, two level six ironclad ships, two level five ironclad ships, and these five battleships are on duty at ordinary times.
Due to the high cost of use of the seventh-level ironclads, except for offshore exercises, they spend most of their time docked at the dock for maintenance.
Doing so can extend the service life, and if necessary, a well-maintained second-hand battleship can be sold at a good price...
Zhu Cixiang, Jie Xuan, and a group of senior generals in the navy are all fond of the new and dislike the old.
Outdated and old warships can be sold for money to purchase the latest warships.
If three or four level six cruisers can be purchased in exchange for one level nine battleship, the top brass of the Navy will definitely agree immediately!
In fact, the money for the construction of Bismarck did not need to be provided by the court at all.
As long as a bunch of cruisers are disposed of, the money for eight Bismarcks can be scraped together.
Small countries that cannot afford level seven or eight battleships can only buy cheap second-hand cruisers out of considerations of face or actual needs.
Zhu Cixiang allowed them to barter and borrow money. Anyway, the selling price of second-hand cruisers was higher than the original construction cost.
This is equivalent to the fact that the Ming Dynasty has spent decades in vain, and finally can get the money back to buy Bismarck...
Any country with a coastline is willing to form a good relationship with the Ming Empire. This is the reason.
France and the Netherlands also have shipbuilding capabilities and the need to eliminate second-hand ships, but the small coastal countries are willing to choose to cling to the chicken thighs of the Ming Empire.
There are many reasons for this. The Ming Dynasty not only accepted loans and barter, but also had complete equipment for its navy, army and air force. You can buy second-hand goods from whichever branch of the army you want.
What's more, the Ming Dynasty has become an invincible army in the eyes of everyone. It really works for me to turn to the Ming Dynasty for help in times of crisis. The case is the Inca Empire.
From a guerrilla army that was surrounded and suppressed by the Spanish, it has transformed into an empire with the second largest wealth in the world. Who can not envy it?
This is the reputation of a world hegemon, and it is the target of many small countries.
Especially those heads of state who were threatened by neighboring countries wished they could visit the Ming Empire once a year.
Most of the time, Zhu Cixiang would ask Master Ming to exercise restraint.
After all, peace brings wealth, and the Ming Dynasty Master will not fight a meaningless and valuable battle.
Normally, the Ming Dynasty King's Division was only responsible for escorting ships of second-hand arms.
During the war, the Ming Dynasty King Division was responsible for monitoring prisoners of war as they carried the bodies of their companions.
William III came very early this time because he wanted to discuss the purchase of a seventh-level ironclad ship with Zhu Cixiang.
It's not so much a purchase as it is a barter, and it's exchanging a young lady for an ironclad!
The last one was finalized in 1724, five years later.
William III could use the same method to obtain a twenty-year-old seventh-level ironclad ship.
The Dutch Navy previously acquired a second-hand level six ironclad ship at a cost of 60,000 young ladies and an annual repayment of five million silver coins for twenty years.
After seeing that Louis XIV had acquired two battleships, William III instantly felt that the cruisers in his hands were no longer good.
But he didn’t want to pay a higher price, so he thought of a clever way.
That is to use the sixth-level ironclad ship in hand, plus some silver coins and the girl, to exchange for a seventh-level ironclad ship!
"Yes! And the repayment amount is still five million silver coins per year. The repayment period will be recalculated starting from this year and will last for twenty years. However, your country still needs to provide 50,000 women. The requirements are the same as before!"
Zhu Cixiang readily agreed to William III's proposal, and even the battleship he wanted to barter with was the one under the name of the Academy of Sciences.
The earliest "King" was launched in 1695, twenty-four years ago. It was originally a test ship of the Academy of Sciences.
However, it has never been engaged in overseas operations and is based in Tianjin. Therefore, if it is properly maintained and painted, it can be regarded as a brand new second-hand product, and it will definitely sell!
If this one doesn't work, there is also the one sold to Poirot, which was launched in 1702 and is seventeen years old. All he has to do is give Poirot another one of the same type and a smaller age.
If William III does not return the sixth-level ironclad ship in his hand and wants to get another seventh-level ironclad ship, he will need to exchange it for 100,000 young ladies...
"That's great, thank you very much!"
Regarding the conditions for providing 50,000 girls, William III felt that it was still within the scope of what he could bear.
Although only less than 20,000 of the 60,000 girls sent last time came back, the ones sent were all English women.
After living a hard life and suddenly living a good life, many British girls are of course unwilling to return to the British Isles.
No matter where they are, they have to give birth to children for their men, take care of them, cook, and wash clothes. Why not stay in the Ming Empire?
You can eat meat every day here, and the climate in most naval bases is much better than that in the British Isles, not to mention the quality of life is much higher.
According to reports from the navy, some of the first batch of young ladies who came to Ming Dynasty had already given birth to five children to their spouses...
Five children in eight years!
Zhu Cixi had to admire the fertility of these young ladies!
Before discussing this business with William III, he should read the book "Postpartum Care of Sows"!
She used the method of giving birth to children to turn her natal family into a wealthy family. This aspect is indeed amazing!
When a young lady gives birth to a baby, the court will reward her with two hundred silver coins. Five babies are worth one thousand silver coins!
These young ladies can be called a model of "giving birth to a whole sky"!
Life in a naval base is different from that inland. There are abundant fishery resources, so there is no need to worry about eating seafood, and eating meat comes naturally.
As for the young ladies who have returned home, many of them want to visit their parents.
Then go through the Ming Empire's trading companies or consulates in Britain, and then return to the Ming side.
The young ladies who were attracted by high-ranking generals and brought to the prosperous Beidu were very few who chose to go home.
Every young lady plans to stay in Beidu and live a happy life every day...
