The Most Powerful Man in the World

With a dignified expression on his face, General Levi said to Grand Duke Qiangwei: "I hope the Grand Duke can send a letter to the country immediately, requesting the country to dispatch troops and horses, otherwise, the Strait of Gibraltar will most likely be lost from us. …”

"It's impossible, it's ridiculous!"

Hearing that General Levi said that the Strait of Gibraltar might be breached by Mingren, Grand Duke Rose's instinctive reaction was to disbelieve.

They, Spain, have a lot of fortifications in the Strait of Gibraltar, and they have gathered more than 2 soldiers and horses here.

It can be said that even if Daming storms the Strait of Gibraltar, it depends on whether Daming can break through the defense of the Spanish army.

But General Levi looked at Grand Duke Qiangwei and said, "If Grand Duke knew how many reinforcements Daming had come this time, I'm afraid he wouldn't say so!"

Slightly stunned, Grand Duke Qiangwei took a deep breath and looked at General Levi and said, "How many reinforcements can Daming send?"

General Levi did not reply directly to Grand Duke Qiangwei, but instead said to Si Dewen: "General Si Dewen, according to the general's judgment, how many reinforcements did Daming have this time?"

Stephen sits in the rear, although it is not as clear as General Levi, but it can still be roughly judged.

After pondering for a while, I could only hear Si Dewen slowly say: "According to my judgment, Daming has more than a hundred battleships alone, plus hundreds of transport ships. To be honest, how many are there? The reinforcements, I really can't say."

Grand Duke Qiangwei's expression was stagnant, but at this moment General Levi nodded and said: "General Sidwen said it is not bad, the Ming reinforcements alone have hundreds of battleships, of which the new battleships account for more. Almost half of it, and there are hundreds of transport ships. Although I don't know how many of those transport ships are transport infantry, even if there are only hundreds of them, that is tens of thousands of infantry. what."

With a bang, Grand Duke Qiangwei slapped the table with a slap, suddenly stood up and looked at the generals, and said solemnly, "Is what General Levi and General Si Dewen said true?"

The generals looked at me, I looked at you, and nodded slowly.

Grand Duke Qiangwei sat down with a gloomy face and cursed endlessly. Needless to say, Grand Duke Qiangwei was cursing the reinforcements of Ming Dynasty.

General Levi didn't care what Grand Duke Rose's mood was at this moment, and said with a bit of urgency: "I also ask the Grand Duke to quickly send people to the capital, and I beg His Majesty the King and the Cabinet to dispatch troops, otherwise the Strait of Gibraltar is in danger!"

The next day, a red sun slowly emerged from the sea, and a new day began.

In the Strait of Gibraltar, in the port, above the watchtower, several soldiers were monitoring the movement above the sea. Suddenly, a soldier shouted: "Look, there is a situation."

Soon the telescopic mirrors in the hands of several soldiers were aimed at the black spots in the distance. In the telescopic mirrors, black dots appeared on the sea surface. Based on their experience, they could conclude almost instantly that in the telescopic mirrors, black dots appeared one by one on the sea surface. One by one the black spots are simply ships approaching.

Suddenly, the alarm bell rang, and soon the alarm bell rang through the port, and it was General Si Dewen who was in charge of the port's daily defense.

Not long ago, he withdrew his troops in embarrassment, and it was fortunate that the previous defeat had nothing to do with Si Dewen, otherwise, Si Dewen would definitely be responsible for that defeat.

Because there was General Levi's warning, and Si Dewen himself judged that after the Daming fleet had gathered reinforcements, it was very likely that they would launch an offensive on the port in the near future.

After all, the Daming Fleet did not attack the port before. That was because of insufficient logistics of the fleet. Now the logistics is not a problem. Does it mean that the Daming Fleet will not attack the port?

Anyway, if you put yourself in the shoes and think about it, if it were him, he would definitely launch a crazy offensive against the port with a big victory.

Since it was expected, Stephen didn't panic after hearing the warning, but made arrangements in an orderly manner.

On the one hand, he sent someone to Grand Duke Tongbing Qiangwei, and on the other hand, he made arrangements according to the usual warnings.

The forts built on both sides of the strait were stationed in the soldiers, and the muzzles of each were aimed at the sea outside the port.

At the same time, the infantry army stationed several miles away from the port will also rush to the port as soon as they receive the news, and then guard the port to prevent Daming ships from approaching the port for a landing battle.

It's just a cup of tea. Stephen, who has boarded the watchtower, can clearly see the ships running towards them like arrows from the sea through the telescopic mirror.

It was when he clearly saw the fleet coming towards the port that the expression on Stephen's face became extremely solemn.

Even if he was still mentally prepared, when he saw so many ships rushing towards the port overwhelmingly, Si Dewen was instantly shocked.

There are more than 100 ships spread out on the surface of the sea, and as they get closer, an invisible pressure naturally hits the face.

He has already seen the strength of the Daming Fleet during the battle, especially the terrifying momentum under the saturated firepower of the Daming Fleet. Si Dewen now sees the Daming ships that are in his heart. down.

At this moment, the sound of rapid footsteps came, and several generals quickly walked up to the watchtower.

The watchtower is not large, but it is enough to accommodate a few people. General Levi clenched the telescopic mirror in his hand and looked at the ship that was getting closer and closer. Not good."

No need for General Levi to say, even a fool can see that the arrival of the Daming fleet is not good.

The horn sounded, and I saw a group of Portuguese soldiers entering the positions around the port in an orderly manner.

At the same time, the ships also raised their sails and sailed out of the port to meet the Daming fleet.

The pride of the Spanish naval fleet made them unable to bear the result of being blocked in the port and attacked. They would rather sink outside the port than stay in the port and be bombarded to pieces.

Of course, there is no other choice. Anyway, the result is the same. In this case, why do you want to die in the port?

There was a loud bang, and a ship led by the ship took the lead to fire, and a column of water splashed on the water.

Only seeing this scene, General Levi couldn't help but sigh: "Sure enough, the Daming Fleet, which has received logistical support, will not abandon its own advantages and choose to fight with us at close range. After all, the Daming Fleet had insufficient logistics before, so it gave This gave us the chance to get close to shelling."

The Daming fleet is like a tiger descending from the mountain, and the dozens of new warships headed by it are even more ferocious and frightening.

The firepower of dozens of new warships alone is almost comparable to that of the entire fleet, hundreds of ships.

The shells fell like a torrential rain. It is conceivable that the Spanish fleet hurried out of the port to meet the incoming Spanish fleet was just a blink of an eye, and several battleships were hit or sunk directly or burned. There was a fire.

Seeing such a situation, Stephen and Levi couldn't help but slammed their fists on the railing of the watchtower, and said angrily, "Damn, if you have the ability, come close and fight!"

Of course, this is just an angry remark. As a qualified general, it is natural to know that on the battlefield, as long as you can win, no matter what kind of means you can use, a fool will give up his own advantages.

As the Spanish warships sailed out of the port, but just out of the port, waiting for them was the Ming fleet that had already opened its fangs.

A round of artillery shells fell like a god of death. The closer the distance, the higher the hit rate. Even if it was a crazy counterattack from the Spanish fleet, relatively speaking, Daming’s artillery fire was naturally sharper, especially the explosive shells. The destructive power far exceeds that of solid bullets.

The Daming Fleet sank one warship, and Spain had to sink at least four. It wasn't that the Spanish navy was lacking in literacy, but that the equipment gap between the two sides was somewhat large.

If the Spaniards changed the equipment of Daming, I am afraid that the combat effectiveness will not be too bad.

Whenever a Spanish fleet rushed out of the port, it would be covered by a piece of artillery fire. Unless it was lucky enough, otherwise, after a round of artillery bombardment, the battleship had already turned into a sea of ​​fire, and it was luck that it did not sink on the spot.

Seeing these situations through a telescope, General Levi looked at Shi Dewen and the others with a look of despair in their eyes.

It would be unrealistic to rely on the fleet to block Daming's attack. If things continued like this, in half a day at most, few of the hundreds of ships in the entire Spanish fleet would probably survive.

"We must prepare for the worst, and I will go to ask the Grand Duke to order all the troops and horses to be transferred, and I will swear to guard the strait and the port."

Saying that, General Levi quickly stepped down from the watchtower and went straight to the residence of Grand Duke Rose.

A tragic naval battle is going on outside the port. Although it is said that it is still several miles away from the port, the rumbling of the cannon can be vaguely heard in the port, so at this moment, Justice Rose is listening to the report of his servants.

When General Levi came, Grand Duke Qiangwei got up and grabbed General Levi and said, "Levy, did the Daming fleet come to attack the port?"

Levi nodded slightly and said, "Grand Duke, Daming is aggressive, I am worried that the fleet alone will not be able to stop them for too long, and the Grand Duke must mobilize troops and horses to enter the port, just in case!"

Grand Duke Qiangwei immediately said: "I will dispatch troops to the port."

While speaking, Grand Duke Qiangwei looked at General Levi and said solemnly: "Levy, tell me, with our current strength, can we defeat the Ming army, defend the port, and defend the Strait of Gibraltar?"

When Levi heard the words, there was a look of difficulty on his face, and he slowly shook his head at Grand Duke Qiangwei amid the ugly expression on Duke Qiangwei's face.

Although Levi didn't say anything, his attitude showed everything. If Levi was confident, he probably wouldn't shake his head.

Knowing what Levi meant, Grand Duke Rose couldn't help but slammed his fist into the void and gritted his teeth: "If you can't keep it, you have to keep it. What significance does the Strait of Gibraltar mean to me in Spain, even if it is me? If you don’t say it, you should also know that once the Strait of Gibraltar is lost, I will have to go to a military court.”

Losing the Strait of Gibraltar, a strait called the throat of the Mediterranean Sea, has a great impact on Spain's status as a naval power and its economy.

Spain is known as a naval power, and it is hard to meet an opponent. Once it fails, even such an important place as the Strait of Gibraltar has been occupied by others. What face and reputation can Spain have.

Staring at General Levi, Grand Duke Rose suddenly said: "I will give you all the command of the army, Levi, can you be sure to defend the port and the Strait of Gibraltar for my Kingdom of Spain?"

General Levi stood solemnly and said suddenly: "Long live Spain!"

Holding the warrant of Grand Duke Rose, General Levi strode away.

After General Levi left, Grand Duke Qiangwei pondered and shouted: "Come on! Quickly prepare the carriage, this duke is going to bring reinforcements to His Majesty the King!"

With the warrant of Grand Duke Rose, and the reputation and prestige of General Levi in ​​the Spanish army, everyone obeyed General Levi's orders. They were all transferred, and then stationed in the port, setting up three lines of defense, ready for a port battle with Daming.

The artillery fire in the direction of the port was terrifying, and at this moment, a carriage, surrounded by a team of cavalry, walked out of the port and left.

In the port, the ships of the Spanish fleet sailed out of the port one by one, but they soon sank outside the port, but it only took more than an hour, and a full number of them sank on the sea outside the port. As many as ten warships.

So many warships sank, and even the hulls of many ships were piled up and even exposed on the sea.

When the last battleship sank slowly, the original rumbling sound of shelling finally stopped, and in the port, when they saw the entire Spanish fleet annihilated, many people could not help but shed tears.

General Levi, General Si Dewen and many other generals watched the battleships being sunk by Daming, as if their hearts were poached by others, the feeling of powerlessness was almost impossible. Let them pass out.

A general has served in the navy for half his life. It can be said that his roots are in the navy. Now he is seeing the destruction of the Spanish fleet. Although it is only part of the fleet owned by the Kingdom of Spain, one thing is true, that is, the garrison in Gibraltar. This fleet of the Channel is the foundation of the true Spanish fleet.

The destruction of this fleet has greatly damaged the vitality of the Spanish fleet. Even if there are other fleets, those fleets cannot represent the Spanish fleet.

Just when these generals were immersed in the silent and sad atmosphere of the fleet, a soldier came quickly, lowered his voice and said to the generals: "Several generals, Grand Duke, Grand Duke he..."

Chapter 640 The Second Grand Duke Moved the Rescue Soldiers!

Stephen, Levi and several generals couldn't help looking at the soldier. After all, Grand Duke Qiangwei is also the commander of the army, and his status is respected. If something goes wrong, these generals may not be able to explain it to the king. .

As a veteran in the Spanish army, Stephen frowned and said, "What's wrong with the Grand Duke? Could it be that something happened?"

Hearing that the soldier glanced at a few people hesitantly, and then whispered: "Grand Duke, he just brought people out of the port and went straight to the north!"

"Forehead?"

Subconsciously stunned for a moment, the generals of Si Dewen were only stunned for a moment, and they quickly reacted. It is natural for everyone present to be able to reach the status they are today. Naturally, they cannot be fools. Grand Duke Qiangwei left the port at this time and headed north. It's just an escape.

Almost like a conditioned reflex, Si Dewen said subconsciously: "How can he be like this, Grand Duke, isn't he afraid that the army will know that his actions of escaping will make the army distracted?"

General Levi coughed lightly, looked around, and said to Si Dewen: "General Si Dewen, the Grand Duke should go back to China to bring rescue soldiers, the Grand Duke entrusted the port to us, that is for us. Trust, we must hold the port until the Grand Duke comes with rescue soldiers."

Sidwen and other generals heard General Levi say this, with a bit of a wry smile on their faces. Everyone knew that General Levi was just covering up for Grand Duke Rose.

In fact, even Si Dewen felt some regrets in his heart at this moment, why did he just say what was in his heart on a whim.

No wonder General Levi is so valued by Grand Duke Rose, and his feelings are so much worse than General Levi's.

Fortunately, General Levi helped him round the situation. Otherwise, once his own words were spread, he would not only offend the Grand Duke Qiangwei, but also cause the army to become distracted. Those soldiers who were disillusioned were already defeated.

Stephen nodded quickly and said, "Yes, what General Levi said makes sense, but this general wants to go wrong. I just hope that the Grand Duke can persuade His Majesty the King to send reinforcements here."

There was a loud bang, and while he was talking, the loud noise came, which immediately attracted the attention of General Levi, Stephen and others.

Looking in the direction of the loud noise, a fort was caught in the smoke of gunpowder at the port a few miles away.

When the smoke of gunpowder dissipated, it could be clearly seen that the fort had been bombed in pieces, and it had become a place of ruins.

This fort was full of four cannons, but as a result, the Daming fleet outside the port hit the fort and detonated the shells stored in the fort.

The four cannons, including hundreds of soldiers, just vanished in the explosion, and the generals such as Si Dewen, who were only watching, felt distressed for a while.

As the Ming fleet began to attack the port, the fort built in the port also began to fight back.

The advantage of the turret is that it can install powerful artillery. The more powerful the artillery, the longer the range and the greater the power, but the disadvantage is also quite obvious, that is, it is not easy to move, to a certain extent, only Can be placed on land.

In order to completely control the Strait of Gibraltar in its own hands, Spain has repaired more than a dozen forts near the Strait of Gibraltar, and there are no less than dozens of powerful artillery pieces alone.

It can be said that the power of the artillery in each fort is far greater than that of the artillery that collided on the battleships.