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Chapter 1270 Rescue the businessman Li Jinde
"Now we have three ways to rescue Li Jinde who was imprisoned by pirates. One is to use a lot of money to redeem Li Jinde from the other party, and try to agree to the pirates' request. The second is to form an elite team and secretly sneak into the fortress of the mountain city of Algiers. rescue……"

"Using a large amount of money to redeem may be easy to succeed, but wouldn't it be a show of weakness for us? Just imagine, if we ask the pirates for a compromise, all the pirates in the future will regard our Chinese merchants as their sweet pastry , we will be unable to move an inch in the West."

"The reason is this. As far as the current situation is concerned, paying a ransom or goods can bring this matter to an end, and the life of shopkeeper Li can still be guaranteed. We will not conduct Mediterranean trade in a short period of time. Temporarily sacrificing So what if a sum of money is exchanged for the safety of shopkeeper Li?"

"Their pashas specifically targeted us Chinese businessmen, obviously not for money. We took the initiative to ask for redemption. If we were rejected, Western countries might laugh at us. In the future, the Spanish and Portuguese privateers Attack our ships too, so that doesn't really solve the problem at all."

The directors in the business hall had another dispute because they found out about Li Jinde.

Before Li Jinde disappeared, they were looking for someone to put pressure on the Ottoman Empire. Now they have found Li Jinde's whereabouts, but the problem has not been resolved-they seem to have returned to the original point, how to rescue Li Jinde safely.

The most common method is to use gold and silver to redeem people from pirates. If the other party is for the purpose of kidnapping, then they should be willing to release people.The disadvantages of such an approach are obvious. A weak compromise will easily make Barbary pirates and even pirates from other countries more rampant. Chinese merchants and merchant ships will become treasure ships on the sea, hijacked by pirates from various countries to demand ransom.

"Is the second method feasible? Is it enough for our Fourth Fleet and your Intelligence Office to enter Algiers for a rescue operation?" Sun Xu, the commander of the Fourth Fleet, saw that the businessmen were arguing about the first plan, so he turned to And to discuss the second method with the person in charge of the intelligence department - lurking into the mountain city of Algiers with an elite team to rescue Li Jinde.

The person in charge of the Intelligence Department handed over a blueprint in Dutch to Sun Xu: "This is the topography and defense map of Algiers drawn by the Dutch businessman who contacted us. Li Jinde worked as a coolie in the Pennion Fortress. , this fortress is on the top of the hill, close to the sea, and the intricate paths and stone steps below form a tight layout. Usually there are about a hundred people stationed near the fortress and the fortress, even if our people can lurk below the fortress Even the streets, Li Jinde could not be rescued without disturbing the defenders."

"Have you ever thought about another question? The officers and soldiers of the Fourth Fleet are all from the local people. Our appearance is thrown into Algiers, and it is very obvious among the pirates. I am afraid that our team has just landed in Algiers. will be surrounded by pirates."

The words of the head of intelligence made Sun Xu silent for a while. The appearance problem made them rely on buying the enemy to carry out latent activities. Want to send a team deep into the Mediterranean to rescue Li Jinde?Almost impossible to do.

The intelligence service and the Fourth Fleet discussed the defense of Algiers, and finally agreed that the second method was not feasible.

As for the first method, the six directors argued endlessly.

"There is another way, that is, we take the initiative to go to Algiers to ask for someone." Sun Xu, the commander of the Fourth Fleet, said suddenly.

"Who can go to Algiers, where pirates are rampant, to get people out?" Everyone wondered.

"Since the Intelligence Department has found someone, our Fourth Fleet can't make any contribution in this matter. This time, our Fourth Fleet will go to Algiers to dig someone!" Sun Xu's tone suddenly became high.

Everyone was shocked. As the commander of the Fourth Fleet, since he made such a statement, he would use the Fourth Fleet to bring Algiers to its knees!Ask them to take the initiative to hand over Li Jinde!

"Will this matter be a little risky... Although your fleet has no shortage of gunboats, you don't know anything about the wind direction and current changes in the Mediterranean Sea? If the Fourth Fleet suffers heavy losses because of saving people, then your Fourth Fleet How should the fleet explain to the Admiralty?"

"Hastily declare war on the pirates. If they kill shopkeeper Li, won't we not achieve our goal of asking for shopkeeper Li, and instead kill him?" The directors couldn't help expressing their concerns to Sun Xu.

The person in charge of the intelligence department also said to Sun Xu: "Barbary pirates are not just pirates. According to our intelligence, behind the Barbary pirates is the Ottoman Empire supporting them. During the war, the Ottoman Empire will recruit ships and ships from them. Personnel. Once the Fourth Fleet declares war on the pirates in Algiers in the Mediterranean Sea, it is likely to alarm the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire may gather all the warships in the Mediterranean Sea to surround you. At that time, it will be a naval battle between the two countries. The Fourth Fleet now has less than ten warships, so it is difficult to fight against the two hundred galleys they assembled?"

Sun Xu just pondered for a while, and then replied: "Actually, when your intelligence office was inquiring about Li Jinde's whereabouts, our Fourth Fleet also conceived of entering the Mediterranean to fight in the Portsmouth port in addition to normal training. If Li Jinde is in The place is Algiers instead of Constantinople. I think it may not be impossible to attack Algiers with a fleet into the Mediterranean Sea, force Algiers to surrender before Constantinople's fleet is concentrated, and then make a quick decision and leave Mediterranean."

"Algiers is under the control of the Ottoman Empire, but it is closer to the Spanish Empire and the Kingdom of France. Even if the fleet of Constantinople wants to support Algiers, it will definitely worry about the navies of Spain and France. , will not come to the aid of Algiers immediately. Their hesitation will be our opportunity."

After listening to Sun Xu's deduction, many of them didn't know these places, but since the Fourth Fleet was sure to use force to subdue the pirates, organizing an expedition against pirates to establish China's prestige in Europe would be a good way.

"Have you considered the worst-case scenario? We cannot capture Algiers, the fleet from Constantinople surrounds us in the Mediterranean Sea, and Li Jinde is killed by pirates." The most stable intelligence department asked Sun Xu.

Yes, if the Fourth Fleet follows its most optimistic inference, the pirates will hand over Li Jinde under the threat of the Fourth Fleet's strong ships and guns.

The same situation may be worse than the Fourth Fleet imagined. Once a tactical error occurs, the Fourth Fleet entrusted with important tasks may be severely damaged.

(End of this chapter)