The fleet that Charles and Charlotte were in left Sanqing Port after the supplies were completed.
The entire fleet quickly increased its speed to twenty knots, and then maintained its speed and headed north along the coastline.
The fleet headed by the battleship can run at thirty knots, but there is no need to demonstrate the capability of thirty knots, or even a dedicated twenty-five knots to show the passengers.
For a high-speed warship with a bulbous bow and a square stern, a relatively suitable cruising speed is about 20 knots.
If the speed continues to slow down to less than fifteen knots, the maximum endurance can of course continue to be improved, but it is no longer the most suitable state for the current power system and hull line.
At the same time, for the accompanying passenger ship, twenty knots was already the highest speed that could be sustained.
If the battleship continues to accelerate, it will no longer be able to accompany it as an escort.
For previous battleships, twenty knots was also the maximum speed.
For the new fleet, it is the most efficient cruising speed, which can already produce a very shocking effect.
Two days and one night later, the fleet arrived at the easternmost tip of Nanyin Continent.
Coal-fired passenger ships replenished at the fuel dock.
The battleships and cruisers were parked at the passenger terminal and were open to local officials, military officers, and businessmen for visits during the day, and small-scale banquets were held with local senior officials.
After three days of openness, the fleet set sail again, continuing to follow the coastline and turning northwest.
After arriving at the northernmost part of Nanyinzhou, we docked at the dock outside Shiyou Lake.
The passenger ship was refueled again, the fleet was once again open to the public for visits, and another banquet was held.
Three days later, we set off again, crossing the Zhongyinzhou Sea (Caribbean Sea) and entering the North Yinzhou area.
After nearly twenty days of sailing, on April 4, the fourth year of Ankang, the fleet entered Lower Dongyi Bay (Chesapeake Bay) and arrived at the port of Norfolk in the Kingdom of America.
The two battleships and four cruisers did not need to dock in Norfolk, but the fleet commander followed the voyage and entered the dock range based on the purpose of the trip.
Allow local people on and around the pier to directly see these six brand-new warships.
Especially the two huge battleships directly triggered cheers after entering the dock area.
The British naval battleship stationed in Norfolk was placed next to the two battleships for direct comparison, and the overall size shrank by a large margin.
The officers of the British Navy were now looking at the two ships in great astonishment.
Comparing their own ships, they had an inexplicable feeling in their hearts that the two battleships of the Ming Dynasty were the battleships, while their current battleships could only be regarded as cruisers.
The opponent's ship is bigger, has bigger, longer and more guns, and it even looks like it should be faster.
They simply could not imagine the situation when the two sides met on the battlefield.
At the same time, the passenger ship carrying the main passengers began to approach the dock.
High-level representatives from the two countries, led by Charlotte, Frederick, Amelia, Grenville, Monroe, Jefferson, Charles, and Talleyrand, all came to the deck and looked at the dock getting closer and closer. scene.
Grenville looked at the other battleships on the dock, and then at the Ming Dynasty's "super battleship" hanging not far away. His mood was very similar to that of the local naval officer in Norfolk.
He sighed in his heart, shook his head feebly and instinctively, then looked at Monroe beside him, and said with a solemn expression:
"Compared with the new battleships of Ming Dynasty, the existing battleships of our navy are like toys.
"From firepower to speed to range, they were all completely and completely crushed...
"We sailed continuously for 12,000 kilometers from Xintianfu to Norfolk, and the Ming Dynasty's fleet only replenished fuel once before setting off.
“It only takes five or six hours to refuel once, and then it can continue sailing at a speed of 20 knots for half a month.
"The high-speed passenger ship we took, including the replenishment before departure, had to be replenished three times along the way, each time taking nearly three days.
"It only took nine days to replenish fuel. These nine days were enough for the fuel fleet to sail 8,000 kilometers.
"The distance of nine days and eight thousand kilometers is even enough to determine the outcome of a naval battle."
Munro also responded with wonder and emotion:
"Fuel-powered... fully fuel-powered battleships are truly a disruptive improvement compared to coal-fired battleships.
"If possible, the United Kingdom and the United States should also switch to all-fuel power."
Jefferson interrupted again at an inappropriate time and said:
"We don't have oil fields."
Grenville and Monroe fell silent.
French representatives led by Charles and Talleyrand also had similar sentiments.
However, the final conclusion was slightly different. The French were more determined to build a pure fuel fleet.
At the same time, Her Majesty the Queen of the United States did not consider these deeper matters.
Charlotte held the side of the boat with both hands and raised her head expectantly, looking at the country that belonged to her in front of her.
The dock is large, but somewhat dilapidated, or chaotic, and lifeless.
Around the pier, you can see a large number of chaotic simple houses, or it would be more appropriate to say sheds.
It gives the impression that there are slums everywhere, and there are slums as far as the eye can see.
Although the port of Norfolk was not occupied by Napoleon, Napoleon's front was once less than 100 kilometers away from Norfolk.
In addition, Norfolk Port has long served as the garrison and headquarters of the British and French naval and land forces.
After continuous construction over the past three years, the entire Norfolk has been transformed into a huge military camp and fortress complex.
At the end of the war, Britain and France exchanged colonies in accordance with Zhu Jingyuan's original agreement.
Norfolk was the nearest large port to the area transferred to France.
In order to transfer the population as quickly as possible, the British temporarily sent a large number of residents evacuated from New York, Philadelphia, and Boston to Norfolk, and then slowly moved south from Norfolk.
In order to temporarily accommodate this population, Norfolk not only set aside military camps for use, but also built a large number of simple shanties.
The slums grew larger and larger, turning the entire Norfolk city area into a huge slum.
Charlotte looked at this scene and suddenly felt a little disappointed:
"It's such a mess. How did the United States become like this now..."
Frederick also nodded:
"Yes, when we were in New York, we could still see quite bustling streets. Norfolk is not the largest port in the United States. Why does it look like a huge slum now?"
As Americans and Virginians from Norfolk, Monroe and Jefferson felt even heavier and sadder when they looked at the scene on the shore.
At the beginning of the war, the two were captured directly by Adams and taken to Napoleon's side.
I haven’t been back to Virginia for more than three years, and now I’m back and see this scene.
Monroe listened to the words of the Queen and the Regent, with several helpless guesses and explanations:
"It should be because of the continuous war, which destroyed the order of the United States...
"Then there was...a massive emergency migration that left Norfolk in disarray.
“Norfolk used to be like this, it was a very beautiful seaport city.
"After the population migration is over, Norfolk should gradually return to its former glory."
Charlotte asked Monroe:
"Mr. Monroe, the fleet has docked here. Do we want to stay here?"
Monroe shook his head gently:
"No, after we land, we will transfer to a boat and go to Richmond, the current capital of the Kingdom of America."
Zhu Jingyuan's arrangement was to send Charlotte, Frederick, Amelia, Monroe, Jefferson and other people related to the United States to the United States instead of sending them back to England.
They should also return to the United States first, with Charlotte and Frederick presiding over the government affairs of the United States symbolically, and Monroe and Jefferson substantively managing the affairs of the United States.
So they would all disembark here and go up the bay to Richmond.
Charlotte had already expected this. Zhu Jingyuan had talked more with Charlotte in private, and now he subconsciously asked:
“Would things be better in Richmond than in Norfolk?”
Monroe wanted to say it should be better, but also wanted to say he didn't know.
But no.
Monroe had not returned to Richmond for more than three years, but Monroe knew that the situation in Richmond was probably not much better.
Because Richmond is the front line.
The British and French allied forces and the troops of Napoleon and Adams once had a long-term tug of war here.
This city... even if it is still there, it should have been fortified.
However, faced with Charlotte's problem, Monroe did not want the little queen to be disappointed in the United States:
"It should...should be better. Richmond doesn't have a large number of immigrants who need to be transferred, so there won't be a large number of shanty towns that look like slums...
“Moreover, the joint investment of Prince Dashi and Her Majesty the Queen is mainly placed in Richmond.
"Prince Dashi's amusement city is also in Richmond. It has now completed the construction of some facilities. Some of the entertainment facilities in the New Tianfu Amusement City are already here."
Charlotte suddenly smiled when she heard this:
"Yes, His Royal Highness and I have been building an amusement city in Richmond for several months."
Charlotte's anticipation returned.
The passenger ship docked at the dock, and Charlotte and her party said goodbye to Charles and Talleyrand, and took the boat to Richmond.
The British delegation headed by Grenville also disembarked in Norfolk, but they did not follow Charlotte to Richmond, but were waiting for the passenger ship back to the British mainland.
The French delegation headed by Charles and Talleyrand bid farewell to Charlotte and Grenville and continued northward with the fleet.
The fleet sailed around the Dongyi Peninsula that day and arrived at Changdao at noon the next day.
The fleet docked at the Lin County (Brooklyn) Pier on Long Island and began formal and comprehensive replenishment and rest.
The atmosphere at Lin County Pier is very different from that at Norfolk Pier.
Norfolk is full of chaotic shantytowns, while Long Island's Linxian docks are orderly both inside and outside.
The Norfolk Pier is lifeless, but the Lin County Pier is a thriving scene.
Norfolk was once the frontline headquarters of the war, a key military stronghold directly threatened by the war, and also a transit point for the subsequent large-scale transfer of residents.
Lin County was a paradise during the war.
While the entire eastern part of Beiyinzhou was in flames of war, the Dongyi Kingdom, including Lin County, was always peaceful and peaceful.
The contrast between the devastating war that was approaching in Chichi and the peaceful life that he was experiencing personally made the residents of Dongyi Kingdom's sense of honor for their country skyrocket, and the centripetal force of this new special vassal kingdom skyrocketed.
During this war, the Dongyi Kingdom not only selectively accepted some high-quality immigrants, but also completely completed the reform of its internal system, transforming this place dominated by Thai and Westerners into a Ming-style vassal state.
The huge battleship also docked directly at the pier. When the workers on the pier and the guests getting on and off the ship, as well as the guests on the ferry from Long Island to Manhattan and other places, looked at these battleships, they were first shocked.
Then I looked at the Ming Dynasty flag on the ship and cheered instinctively.
Many people climbed up to the heights around them, waving and shouting vigorously at the warship that was slowly docking in the port.
The key to this unprecedented huge battleship is that it belongs to the Ming Dynasty and is also a battleship of our own country.
This quickly filled their hearts with a sense of honor.
Charles and Talleyrand looked at the scene on the dock, feeling very complicated and not knowing how to express themselves.
The distance between the two ports of Norfolk and Lin County is only a few hundred kilometers, and they were both originally lands belonging to the United States.
Now there is a completely different atmosphere.
After the passenger ship docked, Charles took the French delegation ashore.
Then he first went to visit Liu Yizhi, the chief historian of the left side of Dongyi Kingdom.
Liu Ruozhi received a report that the French Crown Prince Charles, a close friend of Prince Dashi, came to visit, so he went to the garden to greet him.
The car that Charles was riding in stopped in the yard, and Charles, who was wearing a gorgeous dress, got out of the car.
Although Liu Ruozhi came to greet Charles, he was not too serious.
At this time, I felt surprised and confused, so I directly asked the staff and translator Gauss around me:
"Is this the French Crown Princess's wife?"
Dongyi Kingdom has held the second round of imperial examinations, and Gauss also successfully passed the examination and obtained the title of Dongyi Kingdom's imperial examination.
Gauss looked at Charles' image and was obviously stunned for a moment. When he heard Liu Ruozhi's inquiry, he immediately recalled and confirmed the report he had received, and then reported to Liu Ruozhi:
“The person in charge of the reception did not mention that the French Crown Prince brought his wife, so he should have come alone.
"At the same time, there are no particularly noble women in the French delegation."
Liu Ruozhi immediately became confused and wary:
"Then who is this woman? Why did she arrive here without notification?"
Gauss said quite firmly:
"The guards and receptionists will not be mistaken. There is only one truth. This is not a woman..."
At the same time, Ciel had already walked over briskly on high heels.
Lolita dress high heels usually have thick heels and thick soles, which are much more stable than ordinary high heels.
After Ciel got used to ordinary high-heeled shoes, when he switched to Lolita high-heeled shoes, his movements were hardly affected by the shoes.
Charles came to Liu Ruozhi and introduced himself with a smile. :
"Hello Liu Changshi, I am Louis Charles, Crown Prince of France. I am passing through Lin County and came here to visit."
Liu Ruozhi, Gauss and other followers immediately widened their eyes.
Several people looked at Ciel up and down, trying to find obvious masculine features on him.
They did find some things, such as Ciel's plain chest and slightly angular face.
More importantly, his voice is much deeper than that of women.
But if I hadn't known it in advance, I wouldn't have realized that he was a man just by looking at his image.
Liu Ruozhi asked in a slightly unbelievable manner:
"Louis Charles? Are you the Crown Prince of France? A friend of His Royal Highness the Prince of France?"
Of course, Charles noticed Liu Ruozhi's complicated expression. He had seen it many times these days.
Ciel no longer felt ashamed, and was even a little proud.
Facing Liu Ruizhi's question, Charles subconsciously held his head high:
"Yes, I am the close friend of His Highness the Prince of Dashi, Louis Charles, you did not admit your mistake.
"Perhaps Liu Changshi was surprised by my image, right? Maybe he even thought I was a woman?
“Actually, as my dear friend said, clothes themselves have no male or female definition.
"When this outfit is worn on me, a man, it is men's clothing."
Liu Ruozhi was noncommittal and didn't know how to evaluate it, so he simply didn't comment:
“Prince Dashi has always made amazing words, and he can always give people special inspiration and obtain unique harvests.
"Liu Daozhi, the chief minister of the left side of the Dongyi Kingdom, welcomes the Crown Prince Charles. The Crown Prince has been tired from traveling all the way. Let's go to Guanyi to rest first."
Ciel was not polite and didn't say too much about his clothing. He handed it over very naturally:
"Thank you, Liu Changshi..."
(End of chapter)
