Australian Storm 1876

  Chapter 408 Interlude

  The small episode that occurred on the viewing platform did not affect the mood of the upper class gentlemen and ladies. They selectively forgot this little conflict, as if they did not see the sticking out foot.

  Big people fighting skills, it is better to stay away if you feel that your strength is weak, so as not to endanger the pond fish.

"To be honest, Lee, I'm very interested in your right foot, oh... Is this the legendary Chinese dance step? Or called Kung Fu." Commodore Hugh Howard, who was born in the family of the Duke of Norfolk, was of course not there. In this column, he leaned over with a smile on his face and teased.

  Chinese dance steps, what the **** is this?

Li Fushou was immediately full of black lines. He knew that this son who was born in a top aristocratic family would sometimes have his head off the line and said some cold jokes that he thought to be humorous. cell.

  "Your Excellency, Lord Howard, maybe my reaction was a little bit overwhelming, but please understand a husband’s hardship in maintaining his wife’s reputation. I cannot allow the Southerner to act recklessly, even if he is a respected English nobleman."

   "I understand, he is a nuisance, a typical troublemaker, maybe he will be more honest after suffering, and he will no longer be so defiant."

Brigadier General Hugh Howard shrugged his shoulders indifferently, staring at Nicole's angelic beauty and reluctant to leave, then looked at Fiona's exquisite face as if not eating the fireworks, and Li Fushou around him. Several beautiful ladies, Yingying Yanyan, finally sighed deeply; "To be honest, I regret that I am a devout Christian now. Thousands of women, is this true?"

  Brigadier General Hugh Howard had a personality escape, and the topic turned to the Eastern emperor who was thousands of miles away.

Li Fushou smiled freely, looked back at his wife Gu Liuyan with a comforting look, and told her that these small episodes would not affect anything, and then looked back at Brigadier General Hugh Howard and said; "There must be no thousands of them, hundreds of them Concubines and concubines are generally talented people. Other women are court ladies who serve. The rules in the Eastern palace are strict and hierarchical. The greatest responsibility of these concubines serving the emperor is to give birth to the dragon sons and grandsons of the noble royal family. The royal family opens its branches and leaves."

   "Oh, this... this is really enviable."

  "Your Excellency Lord Howard, this kind of ancient oriental tradition that has been passed down for thousands of years is not for comment, but it does run counter to the spirit of Christian monogamy. From an objective point of view, it is beneficial to men."

   "I think so too. It allows you to have multiple wives publicly. It is the paradise every man dreams of." Hugh Howard said with envy.

Li Fushou saw that the other party was full of expressions that I wanted. He did not want to discuss this topic in depth, so he changed the conversation and talked about the "Dignity" class battleship under construction; the construction progress of "Freedom" on the berth. how?"

  Talking about this topic

  Hugh-Howard immediately refreshed and said with enthusiasm; “With sufficient financial support, everything is going well. The workers at the Red Mountain Shipyard have demonstrated an astonishing level and their performance is impressive.

  Of course, more than 170 senior experts from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in the United Kingdom played a decisive role. They have devoted countless efforts to this most powerful battleship in history, and the result is satisfactory.

  In the cooperative construction, the excellent experience of British experts was well imparted to the learners of Hongshan Shipyard, which made my expectation for the follow-up ship even more urgent.

Since the first keel steel plate was cut at the beginning of the year, the construction of the main body of the "Freedom" iron-clad battleship has been completed 70%. According to the current progress of the shipyard, it will be completed and launched at the beginning of next year. It is expected to take 13 to 14 months, which happens to be the United Kingdom. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard takes twice the time to build similar ships.

  The difference in construction level is obvious. What is gratifying is that...quality can be reliably guaranteed.

  In view of this

I will formally request you to allocate funds as soon as possible to put the construction of the third "Dignity" class battleship on the agenda. It just so happens that the "Qinglong" heavy cruiser has been launched and outfitted and delivered to the Borneo Fleet. The 20,000-ton-class upgrade of the ship has been closed. I think this large slipway can be used for the construction of the third "Dignity"-class battleship.

  Building preparations take time, and what we lack is time. "

  In the Royal Navy of the British Empire, the Commodore is not a member of the general, but a rank higher than the colonel. Only when he reaches the rank of Commodore, he is qualified to lead a fleet to perform tasks.

Brigadier General Hugh Howard was able to serve as the commander of the South Pacific Task Force, which stems from the profound background of the Duke of Norfolk in the Royal Navy. This was originally an under-represented position, but now because of the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria's enthronement by the Earl of Queensland The four 10,000-ton-class heavy iron-clad battleships that were presented as gifts have become very popular.

  Building a first-class battleship is not to be left in the shipyard without asking. The Royal Navy should send experienced military representatives to express opinions on a series of issues during the construction process and make immediate corrections.

As the user of the 10,000-ton battleship, the Royal Navy has a deep understanding of heavy battleships, including the accommodation of officers and soldiers, the setting of the bow command tower, including the observation angle and many other aspects, the laying of armor belts, and the anti-sinking cabin. The Royal Navy has sufficient say in terms of division, pipeline orientation, turret adjustment, ammunition storage safety measures, power cabin layout, and so on.

  Shoes are uncomfortable, only the feet know.

Commodore Hugh Howard is not the representative of the garrison, but because he is the highest officer of the Royal Navy in the South Pacific region, he has the right to inquire about the "Dignity" class battleships under construction at the shipyard. Therefore, he is also the first responsible person. The battleship is responsible.

at the same time

This is another great contribution to the door. The 50th anniversary of Her Majesty’s accession to the throne has given this class of battleship a special meaning. In addition, it adopts a new type of shipbuilding concept that is completely different from the usual. The navy attaches great importance to this.

  As long as the construction of the sister ship of the "Dignity" class battleship can be completed smoothly and with high quality, Commodore Hugh Howard may enter the ranks of generals and successfully promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral of the Royal Navy.

  Oh... it's not possible, it's inevitable.

  This is the confidence of the Duke of Norfolk family. As the son of the top nobility in Britain, Brigadier General Hugh Howard enjoys a much superior ascent path than ordinary people, and there is nothing strange about it.

   Coupled with the increasingly close economic relationship between the Duke of Norfolk and Queensland, it will deepen the relationship with the Earl of Queensland and close cooperation between the two parties is in the interests of both parties.

  It is precisely because of the above factors that Commodore Hugh Howard has been living in Brisbane this year, and he has been in and out of Red River Valley from time to time, and the two sides move quite frequently.

   "Well...I can't answer you now." Li Fushou considered with embarrassment.

  He is well aware of the urgency of the other party. If he agrees, he will appear to be impersonal, and he will be king.

"Your Excellency Lord Howard, you know... the annual financial expenditures were arranged at the beginning of the year, especially for the construction of a large project such as the 10,000-ton heavy battleship, which costs a lot of money. It must be fully prepared before construction can begin. One ship.

  According to the original plan

  After the battleship "Freedom" is launched next year, a comprehensive comprehensive assessment should be carried out before the follow-up ship project can be launched.

  Now it is half a year ahead of schedule. I am afraid that the Royal Navy will criticize it, mainly concerning the quality of construction. "

"I can guarantee this, never." Commodore Hugh Howard, with a chest and a confident tone, categorically assured; "The Royal Navy will hear a heart-warming chorus without any noise. It affects the good mood of Lord Earl. Here I can reveal to you that the Secretary of the Navy wrote to me in a private letter, hoping that the Royal Navy can get the following three ships earlier than the scheduled time, you know... With the help of French funds, the Russians were building iron-clad battleships in the Black Sea, which put a lot of pressure on the Royal Navy."

   "Russians, ha ha ha... they can't pose the slightest threat to the Royal Navy."

"Don’t underestimate those greedy Tsarist Russia bears. They are frantically building two heavy battleships at the same time. Funding, these nasty Frenchmen generously gave all support in order to win Tsarist Russia to jointly fight against the land pressure of the Three Emperors Alliance headed by Germany. What a damn!"

   "It seems that the alliance of the three emperors established by the German Emperor Wilhelm I has broken the political and military power pattern of the European continent!"

"Just so, this fanatical Junker military aristocratic spokesperson has been dazzled by the victory of the Franco-Prussian War. He didn't want to think about it. Without the support of the British Empire, he could only do nothing in the European continent. There is no doubt that this It was a failure."

   Hearing Commodore Hugh Howard’s evaluation of the political and economic situation in Europe, Li Fushou groaned and said nothing.

   To be honest, he was born into a top aristocratic family in England. Political sensitivity is almost an inherent trait. Even if he is in politics, he is a qualified international strategist.

  Some people even say that every citizen of London is a politician.

  This may be exaggerated, but it is not unreasonable. In this colonial world, the sun never sets empire, far more people can see the problem from a global perspective than in other countries.

Commodore Hugh Howard chatted about the international situation enthusiastically for a while, only to discover that the Earl of Queensland had taken him off track, and did not formally answer his request.

  He was about to bring the topic back, and only heard a earth-shaking salute in his ears, and tens of thousands of people around Qinglong Lake shouted like a tsunami;

  "Come on, come on, come on!"

The 12 participating dragon boat teams on the lake dashed out of the starting line like an arrow from the string, drawing 12 boiling white lines on the calm lake. The strong guys with muscular knuckles carried the pulp like flying, neatly in the dense drum beat. Struggling in one stroke, the huge dragon boat galloped away like a beating...

  The cheers, cheering on, and the clamor is full of noise. At this time, it is impossible to hear what is being said even when it is in the ears of others.

  The warm atmosphere has infected almost everyone. Whether it is elegant gentlemen or ladies, high-ranking officials or wealthy businessmen, they all focus their attention on the dragon boat race, waving their arms to cheer for the teams they support.

  Well, I have to wait for a while.

  Hugh-Howard Commodore stopped the conversation with a little regret, and then focused his attention on the Brisbane Wool Guild Dragon Boat Team, which is the only white team among the 36 teams and the team he supports most.

   "Come on, come on, overtake them..." Commodore Hugh Howard put down his all-time hold, and immediately waved his arms and shouted "Come on", behaving even more madly than the others.

  It was the first time that Li Fushou saw the other side of this guy, and quietly moved aside two steps, pretending that he didn't know this madman. (A chapter will be updated in the evening, and it's in hand.)

  (End of this chapter)