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Chapter 1278 Ironclad Ship in London
"The Oriental fleet is here again, this time the fleet is not smaller than last time!"

"There is a big black ship, it is like a black devil, much longer than normal ships! Our king's golden devil battleship is not that scary, and that black devil battleship sometimes emits black smoke!"

"Their fleet is in the dock area. It is a huge fleet. Perhaps only the Dutch can organize such a large fleet for ocean voyages."

The city of London was boiling because of the arrival of the Chinese fleet again, and everyone was rumoring that a "black devil" broke into the Thames River.

In the palace of King Charles I, King Charles is looking at the design of the Monarch of the Seas, full of ambitions.

Because of the luxury sculpture of the Monarch of the Sea worth more than 6000 pounds, he has received a lot of criticism, but the British subjects, nobles, and soldiers are generally satisfied with the launching of the Monarch of the Sea, and believe that it can bring about safety in coastal defense for the British Three Islands , and protect one's own merchant ships.

The prestige of Charles I also rose all the way because of this, and it seems understandable that he extended the ship tax in coastal areas to the whole country.

"The Scottish Presbyterian Church must be afraid because of the launch of the Sovereign. If I can win a victory overseas, my prestige will be unprecedented." Charles I pondered how to make the divine right of kings more consolidated in Britain.

Charles I gradually realized the system of the Eastern Empire. Strengthening the army and launching foreign wars were the most effective ways to divert domestic conflicts and improve prestige in the short term.If everyone is tied to a battleship and leads the country to prosperity, then no one will dare to question his rule.

As a neutral country, Britain can choose to declare war on any side in the 30 Years' War, but declaring war with the empires and kingdoms of the European continent is undoubtedly a costly thing, and naval battles cannot determine the outcome of the war, and an expeditionary force must be dispatched to land fight.Such wars appear costly and pointless.

The Fourth Fleet proposed to him to enter the Mediterranean Sea to attack the Barbary pirates attached to the Ottoman Empire, and gave Charles I a vent to promote his own force.

There were footsteps outside, and the guard came in to report after getting permission: "Your Majesty, the Oriental merchant ship has arrived."

"Have they reached the City of London?" asked Charles I.

If the merchant ship arrives, it means that the squadron of the Fourth Fleet has also arrived, so according to the agreement between him and the Fourth Fleet, the warships of both sides will form a joint fleet to fight!
"Citizens can already see the Chinese boats moored on the river Thames, but..."

"Just what?"

"They have a very strange ship with black smoke, and many people in the city went to the pier to watch."

"A ship with black smoke? Could it be on fire?"

Charles I was puzzled by the strange ships reported by his subordinates.

Even if the sailing boats in the east are somewhat different from those in the west, it shouldn't be described as strange.In the era of wooden sailing ships, the gap between ships capable of ocean voyages would not be particularly large.

"Your Majesty the King, you will know when you go to the dock yourself." The guard said respectfully.

With some doubts, Charles I led people towards the pier.

In the dock area of ​​the city of London, thirty large and small wooden sailboats with dragon flags were moored, all of which were ships from the east at a glance.

The iron-clad ship General Fubo anchored on the river far away from the river bank, and sent officers and soldiers to the shore through small boats.

If the Britons in the past were only mysterious about the East, they are now in awe.

Being able to send two huge fleets here one after another is enough to show the strength of the Eastern nation.

The pier was crowded with crowds of onlookers, most of whom were residents of the City of London.

There was a lot of people on the river beach, and they all looked curiously at the boats on the Thames.

Among them, the most conspicuous is the ironclad ship General Fubo with a black hull.

"Black devil! It's narrower than our Britannia King of the Seas!"

"What are the two huge chimneys on the hull for? Is there a stove in the ship?"

No one present had ever seen a steamship, and compared the black-painted iron-clad ship to a black devil.

Sun Xu and several officers of the Fourth Fleet are currently preparing the supplies needed for the fleet's expedition. They temporarily stay in London to negotiate with the king.

After the fleet from the east arrived, Sun Xu and others rushed to the pier immediately.

"Sir, isn't that ship called the Black Devil the unfinished ironclad ship of our Dalian shipyard?!"

"That ship has its own name, General Fubo."

When the officers of the Fourth Fleet arrived at the pier, they naturally saw the black ironclad ship at first sight.

Since they knew that Dalian Shipbuilding No. [-] was building an ironclad ship, even though it was the first time they saw the completed General Fubo, they immediately recognized the unique design of the steamship.

"I really can't believe it. The first ironclad ship has been assigned to our Fourth Fleet. Now we can be considered rich." As the commander of the Fourth Fleet, Sun Xu is far away in the West, and he had no intention of competing for the first ship. Steam ironclad ships, but at present it seems that the Ministry of the Navy has taken the initiative to divide the ironclad ships into the establishment of the Fourth Fleet.

"The battleship Soochow and the other four gunboats arrived safe and sound, which means we have six more warships." The officers and soldiers of the Fourth Fleet jumped for joy.

They were planning to lead the fleet into the Mediterranean Sea to blockade Algiers, but they didn't expect that there would be an ironclad ship as a big killer.

A steam ironclad suddenly appeared in the era of sailing warships, and its naval combat capabilities were even comparable to an independent fleet.

"It seems that we need to make a small change to the battle plan for entering the Mediterranean..." The officers of the Fourth Fleet saw that new warships had joined their fleet, and they were full of confidence in the upcoming naval battle.

If they were afraid of the Ottoman Navy and Barbary pirates who were fighting at home before, then the arrival of the ironclad ship General Fubo completely dispelled this fear.

"Is that the logo of the Ministry of War? It seems that there are troop carriers?" The sharp-eyed naval officer was shocked by the arrival of the ironclad ship and found three troop carriers.

The infantry and artillery of the troop carrier, wearing War Office armbands, were looking curiously at the city of London from the deck.

"Negotiate with the British side and let our officers and soldiers go ashore to rest temporarily, so as not to cause unnecessary misunderstanding." Sun Xu sent people to negotiate with the British customs officials.

The sudden intrusion of an army unit into the capital of a kingdom would disturb any kingdom.

(End of this chapter)