1890 King of Southeast Asia

The issue of selling ships has to be put on hold for now. Four Jiaolong-class ships always seem to be more deterrent than destroyers of several hundred tons.

The current strength of the US Navy is indeed extremely weak, with only 12 protected cruisers, another four to be completed, and 6-8 under construction.

Three armored cruisers (including the Maine) will be in service next year.

The three battleships will take another two years to be in service, and their speed is very slow, and they are not suitable for ocean voyages.

It sounds like a lot, but it has to be divided by two. Before Panama is opened, it has to be divided by two.

He has to maintain the Eastern and Western Ocean fleets at the same time, that is, there are only twelve armored cruisers available, and at most only six can be used in Hawaii. In fact, there may be only four or even fewer.

No wonder Lin Anmin was able to complete the coup with more than 200 strong men. I'm afraid this is a gun barrel stuck in someone's mouth?

Beep~

In November 1893, the Chang'an, which had just returned, sailed out of the port again, followed by the Vega.

The Vega was loaded with a light-armed regiment. They were going to assist Lin Anmin. In order to facilitate their work, they did not wear military uniforms, just to cover up their own mistakes.

A Chang'an-class ship could easily defeat three protected cruisers of the same level. The huge advantage of armored cruisers over protected cruisers had been confirmed, and the US Navy was unwilling to act foolishly.

They would travel day and night and quickly reach Hawaii at a speed of 20 knots. This operation also made Nanhua attach more importance to rapid maneuvering forces.

"Prime Minister, there is your telegram from the United States." Secretary Yang walked into the office, and Liu Yiming was considering the matter of the permanent fleet.

"Put it somewhere." Either Mellon, because of business, or Theodore, who came to test Nanhua on his own behalf.

"It's still too little." The Navy has expanded the size of the Naval Academy, with 1,000 students on campus and 1,000 on board.

But dozens of small warships and patrol boats are about to be put into service, and one point is enough.

After thinking about it, there is no solution for the time being. It is nothing more than expanding enrollment. The fastest short-term training will take half a year before the sailors can take up their posts.

"Dear Liu, when I wrote to you last time, the sycamore trees on the street were still green. I recently reread Mahan's theory and sorted out your thoughts, which benefited me a lot. I think that if a big country wants to exert its influence, it must have a strong ocean-going navy..."

These are the contents of the normal letters between the two, with some flattery from time to time. This kind of telegram has lasted for a year, and some small gifts have been sent through immigrant ships and merchant ships in the middle.

After Theodore entered the Navy Department and became the Deputy Minister, the US Navy basically acted under his will, and finally he was successfully elected president.

"In summary, due to technical limitations, only an ocean-going navy without a supply port cannot allow a navy to exert enough influence on the outside world, and it cannot guarantee the safety of trade lines."

Liu Yiming rubbed his temples and considered what to do next.

The telegram from Hawaii has arrived. The Queen of Hawaii hopes to join South China in the form of a special zone and give up the title of Queen, on the condition that her people will be given equal national status.

Liu Yiming is ready to seek foreign aid. Theodore implicitly expressed his request for Hawaii, at least a station stipulated in the treaty.

How can that be? But a direct refusal is not good for Liu Yiming's next plan. He has been eyeing the Philippines for a long time.

"Charles, how is the harvest?" After running to Charles' villa and finding nothing, he found Charles fishing on the beach under the guidance of the housekeeper.

"Well... I suspect there are no fish in this sea area." Charles slid the net in his hand. It was empty.

"What's wrong? You look like this." Charles also looked frustrated.

"Yiming, I came here to cause some trouble for the French. This is what we agreed on." Charles looked full of resentment.

"Can this be blamed on me? Is Britain's support for Japan too strong?" Liu Yiming had already thought of an explanation.

"Two battleships, two armored cruisers, and a 4,000-ton armored cruiser with dense firepower just entered service. Do you know? The total tonnage of these five warships has exceeded my fleet." Liu Yiming also looked full of resentment.

"Yiming, the British Empire is not targeting Nanhua, and Nanhua is not the enemy of the British Empire." Charles said quickly.

If Nanhua goes crazy and cuts off the east-west trade route, Britain will suffer huge losses.

"Thinking about it this way, is Nanhua a little too big?" This idea flashed through Charles' mind.

"My layout in French Indochina has played some role. In the past three months, there have been more than a dozen locals, and the largest group has now gone up the mountain to become bandits." Liu Yiming didn't know what Charles was thinking.

But Liu Yiming understood that Britain could not tolerate Liu Yiming's attention to the west. In addition to the waterway, once Liu Yiming turned his head to the west, it would be directly British India. The lifeblood of Britain!

"But compared to this, I would rather suppress the demons in the north. It is no exaggeration to say that I have only ill will towards this island nation. If possible, I will happily wipe them off the map." Liu Yiming didn't know if his thoughts were exaggerated.

Or was he just stating the facts?

"You don't need to confront it at all. Britain needs a chess piece to curb the endless greed of the Tsar. This is determined that he must rush north and charges from the Tsar." Charles said from China.

Liu Yiming leaned his lips and rolled his eyes. The idea of ​​Britain should be to support Japan. Die is clear. While fighting against the Tsar, let them confront them, and Britain takes advantage of the prosperity.

As a result, it collapsed. Die Qing had a disgusting court. After World War I, the British enforced strategic shrinkage and made Japanese big. Finally, it made an indelible contribution to the independent movement of Southeast Asia.

"Do you know Hawaii?" Similarly, Liu Yiming began to insert the theme.

"Sugar and pineapple, and stupid grass skirts." Charles nodded.

"There was a coup in Hawaii, and the Queen asked for help from South China ..." Liu Yiming hadn't finished saying, and Charles rushed his neck.

Liu Yiming seemed to hear a "click", but Charles did not perform much.

"Have you started to Hawaii? In a sound, China has been discussing, whether South China's aggression is too heavy, you have won the entire Dutch East India, Brunei, and Guinea, more than two million square kilometers. It took only three years. "

"Attentiveness, I can guarantee that I will not embark on the mainland. For example, I will not have any substantial territorial requirements for French East India."

Liu Yiming's French East India plan also did not have these requirements. It was simply chaotic, and then on the surface, it conflicted with France because of Chinese issues. In fact, in the privately and French people, they flew up with the French.

South China ’s trade exports in the second quarter of 1893 rose 200 more than the first quarter, yes, 200!

Mainly packaged shower gels, shampoo, and cosmetics and skin care products that women cannot resist.

Now a bottle of water emulsion can sell fifty fragments! The chemical factory is produced by tonnage. Robbing money is not so fast!

"But the location of Hawaii ..." I wanted to refute, but Charles suddenly flashed.

Hawaii is very good, but for the United Kingdom, it is a tasteless food. It is a pity.

Britain has abandoned the control of Hawaii. This year's coup, Charles knows. At the beginning of the coup, the U.S. Marine Corps went ashore. The coup leader was also an American immigrant. How could there be such a coincidence?

"If Nanhua confronts the United States, the pressure of the British Empire in the Far East will be much smaller."

"I am sure to persuade the cabinet and support South China to swallow in Hawaii." It must be an annexation. Didn't the United States allow other countries to annex? This is called a face. Make them entanglement and fight!

"What about the price?" Liu Yiming asked calmly.

"I don't know what conditions will be on the cabinet, but it should be based on restricting South China expansion as the basic topic. You have not even occupied the spice islands ..." The speed of expansion in South China is really worrying.

"Look at it again! Nanhua has always wanted to put his eyes in China for development and construction, but what can I do if there is a continuous war? You can't beat anything or not?" Liu Yiming did not say to death.

Charles said goodbye to Liu Yiming, holding fishing gear, and the Air Force home. Fortunately, no one in his family did not have to go to the market to buy fish.

Why is Charles confident to convince the cabinet?

Because half of the cabinet are his relatives, his uncle is still the Minister of Finance, and the House of House also has the uncle of a noble leader, and Hawaii is really a chicken rib for Britain, otherwise it will have been occupied long ago.

Charles first wanted to send a dozen telegraphs by uncle Uncle and Auntie, stating the interest relationship.

Then he officially submitted a public letter to the colonial department. The reason why the colonial affairs department was because he belonged to the Navy colonial fleet. This problem reported that it was obviously inappropriate to the Ministry of Navy.

Maybe the Ministry of Navy pushed the boat, and gave him a diplomatic envoy, and then entered politics.

"One sound, the news came from the local area, my idea was passed, and Britain will support all the justice of your justice in Hawaii." At the end of November, Charles received a reply, and the official official letter would be submitted by Siril.

"What about the price?" Liu Yiming asked with concern.

"You will not agree with the military port, the condition is to stop the behavior of Japan. Britain can make a guarantee on the document. Japan will not make any hostile acts in South China for a period of five years."

Liu Yiming knew that something was wrong when he heard it.

"When did you sign the contract?" No matter what, engage in Hawaii first, anyway, even if Japan is stronger, Liu Yiming has confidence to kill him.

"Soon, the grand envoy of the Hawaii will make remarks that support South China to take over Hawaii. On the day when the South Ri and the Memorandum of Solving, the document was read by Charles.

"Yes, can be at any time!" Liu Yiming made a look of can't wait.

The two grew up for a long time, and after Charles left ...

"Who is clearing now?" Liu Yiming called Secretary Yang in and asked Nanhua's layout in DIE Qing.

"Just after the visit, the consulate has not been established, and the candidate has not yet been selected. Only the Director Chen of the Immigration Department was still in the Dongshan immigration point." Secretary Yang soon had to answer the answer.

"Send a report to Chen Siyuan and immediately take the boat north to tell Lord Li that Britain has fully supported Japan, and South China will be difficult to intervene.

His telegram had been monitored and asked him to quietly tell Chen Siyuan. "

"Also, complete the cruiser trading within the month, and expires invalid."

The last sentence is the key point. Since the British are on the side, it is enough to maintain a basic military presence. Why keep the warships that are about to become obsolete?

It is too expensive to use them for patrolling. Who to use to interrupt the fighting? Japan? Do you need it? There are better options.

After that, Liu Yiming went to the shipyard with a depressed look on his face.

After all, Liu Yiming still wanted to sell a lot, and now his business has been disrupted.

"No! He only said that it is not aimed at Japan, but he did not say that it cannot be sold to the Qing Dynasty!" Liu Yiming suddenly remembered that everything was his own imagination.

Britain did not reveal Japan's war goals, and even misled Liu Yiming, saying that the target was Russia.

"Who cares? Scare Lord Li. If he buys, we will sell. If he doesn't buy, we will increase the price during the war!" If Lord Li does not buy, it is foreseeable that Japan will definitely start a war after the two armored cruisers return next year.

After all, the new round of naval expansion plan of the Qing Dynasty has begun to be implemented, and shipyards from various countries have gone to bid.

…

No matter how much panic this news caused to Lord Li, Liu Yiming has already arrived at the Sishui Shipyard.

The slipway has been cleared, and these small-tonnage destroyers, torpedo boats, and patrol boats are all crowded in the dock for outfitting.

This "crowded" is an adjective, and a large dock even holds two warships.

"How many have been put into service?" Liu Yiming looked at the busy scene and was particularly satisfied.

There are more than ten warships being processed inside and outside, but the tonnage is very small. However, many cargo ships can be seen being built.

"Three squadrons of torpedo boats have been put into service, and six patrol boats have been delivered. The navy is getting familiar with them." Zhao Jiaxing looked at the destroyers and torpedo boats in the dock.

"Why are you here when you are not in Coconut City to look after your treasure?" Liu Yiming was very satisfied with the speed. Although they were all small boats, it was great to start so many at the same time and complete them so quickly.

And it is a purely domestic system.

"Hey~ Those ships will take several years to build." Three medium-sized armored cruisers were all under construction in Coconut City.

"How long will it take for the destroyer? It's not much bigger than a patrol boat, right?" Liu Yiming looked at the destroyer in the dock. There were few people and it took up space.

"The hull has been completed, but the weapons and equipment have not arrived yet." Zhao Jiaxing also wanted the destroyer fleet to be launched as soon as possible.

"The weapons haven't arrived yet?" Liu Yiming frowned.

"The gun factory is experimenting with new twin-mounted guns with faster firing rates and heavier shells."

"The torpedo factory is also improving new torpedoes. There are already results, but now the launch system needs to be changed, so it's delayed." Zhao Jiaxing explained.

Liu Yiming nodded.

"Start construction of another destroyer leader and a tanker." Liu Yiming wanted to use destroyers to station in Hawaii. If the range was not enough, he would start construction of the leader, and that's what he did at the moment.

"Is it too fast?" Zhao Jiaxing was happy at the time, but the expansion was a bit too fast.

"The First Cruiser Fleet is going to be sold, so the personnel will be vacated..."

Liu Yiming can only guarantee the present, the future is already unclear, use a large number of torpedoes to build a line of defense, and ensure safety first...

Please collect, please give me a banknote, please read it!

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