monarch

"Have you finished watching?" The king waved to the welcoming crowd through the car window, while looking at Cecil who was sitting opposite him from the corner of his eye.

After the relationship with Spain was completely broken, Britain also started pre-war preparations. Under the personal supervision of the king, the construction of new warships and the maintenance of old warships were in full swing.The cabinet proposed the most ambitious fleet expansion plan in the history of the kingdom, intending to build more than [-] warships within two years, and at the same time provide large-scale subsidies to the shipbuilding industry to assist the expansion of the shipbuilding industry.

At the beginning of September, the king announced to his close ministers that he would inspect the kingdom's preparations for war. Various tasks including munitions manufacturing, warship construction and material storage were on the king's inspection schedule.Portsmouth Port, located on the southern coastline, is the largest naval port in Britain and also the location of the largest naval shipyard, so it is logical that it became the first stop of His Majesty's inspection.

As elsewhere in the kingdom, the King's visit to Portsmouth was warmly welcomed by local officials and people.By the time His Majesty's carriage entered the city, the high streets of Portsmouth had become a jungle of men and women in festive attire, waving their hats and throwing flowers and petals at His Majesty's carriage.The citizens of this city are mainly composed of naval officers and soldiers, shipyard workers and their families. Since King Edward VI came to the throne, their income has increased by nearly [-]%, and shiny gold coins are more valuable than anything. To arouse the loyalty of the people, the king entering Portsmouth is like bathing in the warm waves of enthusiastic people.

Cecil refolded the few pieces of paper the king gave him just now. When the news came that Robert Dudley was stranded in Lisbon due to damage to his ship, the entire palace seemed to be shrouded in cumulonimbus clouds. His Majesty's side The gathered gloom made Cecil, who was quite talkative in front of the king, not dare to touch His Majesty's bad luck at this time.

The news arrived on this morning, and with it came a long letter from Robert Dudley, ten pages long.His Majesty started watching it while having breakfast, and hadn't finished it until he got on the carriage to the shipyard.When the king finally read the letter, he took out the middle four pages and handed them to Cecil, and stuffed the remaining six pages into his pocket.Obviously, what was written in those six pages was completely irrelevant to state affairs, and the king did not want his ministers to see things.

"I've finished reading, Your Majesty." Cecil's voice couldn't hide his shock, "This is really...I don't know how to describe it...I know that Princess Elizabeth is bound to do something bold in Portugal...But I really I didn't expect her to be so bold."

"This is beyond the scope of boldness." Edward sneered, "This is simply crazy, even crazier than the things she has done before. This is a desperate gamble."

"If this matter is not handled well, what a terrible scandal will be caused!" Cecil put his hands on his forehead, looking like he was about to faint, "Not only her, but the whole dynasty will be ruined! She's gambling, but she's putting on the table not only her own, but your reputation and the reputation of the Tudors. We'll be the laughing stock of all Europe, and at the moment of our final battle with Spain... Philip He will never let go of this good opportunity, he will definitely use it to spoil you, plus..."

"Plus, I'm also a sinner, right?" The king still waved his hand out the window. "Spain can make a big fuss about the depravity of the entire Tudor dynasty, claiming that it is God's will to overthrow this sinful family."

Cecil lowered his head, not daring to take up the king's topic.

"I actually found a handsome Italian guard... This is simply a replica of Catherine Howard." The king's face became increasingly ugly, "Fortunately, she still has a little brain to know how to destroy the most important evidence... At least if it comes to light, we won't see the Italian describe the details of their affair in court."

"I think Lord Robert's suggestion is quite pertinent." Cecil unfolded the four letter papers again, and re-read the paragraphs he remembered deeply, "We shouldn't throw Portugal entirely to Spain, that doesn't suit us. nor should we allow ourselves to be caught in this quagmire. Sir Robert is right that the value of Portugal lies in the fact that she can create a new trouble for Spain, a new wound in the body of the Spanish Empire, and let them More blood loss and if we get Brazil in the process, that's icing on the cake."

"Having said that, if we can't defeat the Spaniards in naval battles, then not only will we not get Brazil, but we won't even be able to keep these existing colonies." At this time, the carriage had arrived not far from the naval shipyard. The continuous factory buildings can already be seen.

"As long as it can cause some trouble for the Spaniards, it is always worthwhile to spend a little money and supplies," Cecil said.

"Yes, you are right." The king's brows stretched slightly, "I will give Elizabeth and the duke the assistance they want, provided they hold hands temporarily and fight against the Spaniards. My sister may have Will be manipulated by emotions at times, but most of the time she is a sane politician, and she will understand the value of forming a friendship with the Duke of Braganza. After all, the best way to deal with enemies is to be friends with them."

The carriage drove into the gate of the shipyard and stopped in front of the breakwater, where four newly launched warships docked along the breakwater. The sails and weapons had not yet been assembled, and countless workers were working in an orderly manner on the deck. , Although there are a large number of them, they can be regarded as orderly from a distance, from which it can be seen that the entire shipyard is in good condition.

This is an extremely rare sunny day in England in autumn. The dense fog and cloud that enveloped the port in the past have all disappeared at this moment, leaving only the bright golden sun and the sparkling sea.The bright sun shines on the sea, making the cold water of the English Channel seem to bring some temperature.A few seabirds were flying freely in the vast blue sky between the sun and the sea, observing the behemoths moored in the port with curious eyes.

Britain has been a maritime country since ancient times. As early as the barbaric era in BC, Julius Caesar's legion rode their trireme warships and turned the Celtic island of Briton into a Roman empire. The province of Britannia; 700 years ago, the Vikings from the north set out from their fjords in their longships across the rough North Sea, bringing blood and destruction to the British Isles; The Mann fleet brought a new king to England. He was known as "William the Conqueror".

All kings, generals, and statesmen know that mastery of the seas masters the British Isles, but it is amazing that the kingdom of England did not have a standing navy until King Henry VIII.Whenever a war comes, the royal family will requisition merchant ships from unwilling merchants and citizens, equip them with simple weapons and use them as warships.

The previous kings were subject to the constraints of the parliament and the nobles, and had neither power nor sufficient funds to maintain a standing fleet. In the period of Henry VIII, the parliament finally became obedient to the king, so King Henry VIII launched In addition to the actual needs, the reason for launching an ambitious naval construction plan is also to satisfy His Majesty's desire to show off.For King Henry VIII, showing off is his innate instinct, as indispensable as air, and this huge fleet has naturally become a tool for him to show off. If you regard him as a peacock, This fleet is the most colorful tail feather.

Under King Edward VI, Britain had the richest finances in all of Europe.Although the British fleet is still difficult to keep up with the powerful Spain in terms of numbers, King Edward already has enough financial resources to build a huge naval industry and a fleet comparable to Spain.In the past few years the fleet has more than doubled in size, and Britain now has more than 150 warships, including twenty of the latest and improved galleons, a new type of warship design not yet adopted by the Spaniards. As for the number of second-class Galen sailing ships, it has increased from 26 when the king first ascended the throne to 110 ships. Although there is still a big gap with the [-] ships of the Spaniards, this gap has been greatly reduced. Shrunken, not to mention that the British warships do not need to consider the cargo needs to and from the colonies, and their stature is generally much more flexible than the Spanish warships, and is more suitable for fighting in the Atlantic Ocean.

The king stood on the breakwater and observed the fleet in front of him with satisfaction: countless huge sea monsters were connected into one, and it looked like an island made of wood from a distance, and the surface of the island followed the waves. And gently up and down.Countless black barrels protrude in all directions, like the spines of sea urchins, a reminder of the essence of these elegant warships, perfect killing tools made of flowing gold.

"Ten years ago, the Spaniards only needed to dispatch one-third of their forces to ensure the defeat of our fleet. Now they must use all their strength to face us." The king's tone could not hide his pride, "On land Their biggest enemy is the French, and we are at sea, and we will do what the French cannot."

"I have no doubt about it," Cecil said.

"Compared with the Spaniards, our warships are much superior in quality." The director of the shipyard gestured to the king as if offering a treasure, and looked at the mountains of timber piled up on the other side of the shipyard, "From the timber of the shipbuilding, we have established an advantage .I have heard that the Spaniards have started to build warships from trees less than ten years old, and because of lack of funds, they have even replaced oak with fir and pine.”

The contempt on the director's face was hard to hide, "Such warships will decay in a few years, the oil and moisture in the wood are a paradise for bugs, after a few years, those warships will become a mass of rotten scum , they are nothing more than disposable items built for invasion, and we would never build such a thing."

"Our warships are all made of oak trees over 25 years old. Their main origin is the forests of northern Europe. Denmark and Sweden are our friends. They all hope that we can relieve the threat of Catholic Spain to their Protestant countries. ...the oak that the Spaniards paid a lot of money to get, we can get it only at cost price and freight. I heard that your expedition found endless forests in Newfoundland and Canada in North America. Wait until those forests are developed , our cost of shipbuilding can be reduced by a large amount.”

The visit continued. The king and his party walked through the huge factory area along the main road of the shipyard. They first visited the cannon foundry filled with black smoke and sparks. The workers here were pouring molten iron into cannons of different sizes. in the mold.

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty." The executive wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand, "It's hot as hell here."

"We can cast an average of ten guns a day. To equip a warship with sixty guns, it only takes this factory to work for a week. This does not include the factories in Chatham, Sheffield and Birmingham. One has the same capacity as ours."

"Compared with similar products of the Spaniards, our artillery has a longer range, and the probability of bombing is lower. This is due to the higher quality of our casting, which minimizes the generation of air cavities." The supervisor continued to point outward. Steaming molds, "That's why the Spaniards tend to fight on board, while we prefer to fight at a distance."

"Impressive," said the king approvingly. "I am delighted to see that the factory is running at a high level."

"On behalf of the whole factory, I would like to thank Your Majesty for your compliment." The corner of the supervisor's mouth was almost grinning to the bottom of his ears.

The king looked around the workshop, and he noticed that the workers were watching him carefully, so he took off his hat and nodded to the workers.The move worked so well that some grizzled, middle-aged workers looked close to tears.

The next stop is the sewing workshop, where women are weaving sails and ropes for battleships.

"The canvas and hemp we use are both high-quality." The supervisor picked up a scrap of canvas and handed it to the king, "Most of these female workers are the female relatives of the shipyard workers and naval soldiers. Nursery so they can come out to work and add an income to their families."

"Can the production here meet the demand?" asked the king.

"It's barely possible at the moment, but as the scale of shipbuilding continues to expand, the production capacity of this plant will soon be completely saturated." The supervisor pointed to an open space outside the window, "We are preparing to expand the plant, and at the same time, we plan to provide more services to the private sector. Textile mills order, and many qualified textile mills have expressed their willingness to accept orders."

"You can tell them that if they are willing to give you a preferential treatment, I can make them suppliers of royal textiles." The king said, "I can even wear clothes made of their fabrics to attend events, as long as they give you The price is right."

"I believe that with your promise, we will be in a very favorable position when negotiating the price." The supervisor bowed gratefully towards the king.As the vane of the fashion world, the nobles rushed to imitate the clothes of King Edward. All the cloth merchants, tailors and jewelers in the country knew that as long as His Majesty wore their products in public, their thresholds would be banned the next day. Stewards and servants in the homes of nobles and rich people trampled on them.

Walking out of the textile workshop, you come to the core of the shipyard, where the docks are located.The Portsmouth Dockyard currently has twelve docks, large and small, and the one in front of His Majesty is the largest one.

Countless workers are working in the large dock. At the bottom of the dock, a giant ship has already begun to take shape. Her keel has been placed and the bottom of the ship has been built.This dock is like the womb of a female whale, gestating the future king of the sea.

"This is the 'Britannia' under construction, Your Majesty." The supervisor introduced the king as they descended the creaking wooden ladder to the bottom of the dock. "This is the largest giant ever built in all Europe." She will have a displacement of [-] tons, have three decks, and be equipped with a hundred guns. When she is completed, she will be the flagship of the fleet."

"Please pay attention to her slender body." The supervisor continued, "She is an enlarged version of an improved galleon. Although the size and weight are amazing, it far exceeds the Spaniard's in terms of maneuverability and speed. Warships... besides this, there are our unique inventions."

The king looked in the direction of his finger, "Did you add metal to the bottom of the ship?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." The supervisor said excitedly, "There is a layer of copper covering the bottom of the boat, which not only makes the bottom of the boat smoother, but also makes it harder for harmful aquatic organisms such as barnacles to grow. In direct contact with seawater, the rate of decay is also greatly reduced. As long as it is properly maintained, this ship will not be a problem for 100 years... She is the queen of battleships, just like Helen of Sparta, every king wants Possessed, but only you have won her heart!"

"The price is also astonishing." Cecil obviously disapproved of the supervisor's boasting, "The cost of that layer of copper alone is worth an ordinary battleship."

"But if you consider that the Navy will be able to use this ship for the next 100 years, then her price is very affordable." The director explained, "The average annual cost of this ship is among all the warships in the Navy. The lowest gear."

"How many warships like this are under construction now?" Edward asked.

"There is another one under construction in Chatham, which is about the same progress as ours here." The director said, "The third ship has placed an order with Liverpool's shipyard, and they have begun to purchase the required materials."

"We can't afford to build more." Cecil added, "This kind of warship is really expensive. But I think three are enough, after all, the Spaniards don't even have one such ship, and they even Focus on quantity over quality."

"When will this ship be finished?" asked the king.

"It is expected to be launched in the spring of next year, and it will be completely completed by this time next year." The supervisor replied.

"If the Spaniards invade next summer, she won't be there in time," said the king.

Cecil waved his hand and asked the supervisor to step aside. He leaned into the king's ear and whispered, "This is why we need Portugal... If Philip really invades Portugal, the invasion will be overthrown." Delay at least a year, and by that time, a large number of new warships will be able to be built and put into service. We will have two hundred to 250 warships, and even if the Spaniards reduce the number of fleets in the colonies and the Mediterranean to a dangerous level, It’s just barely 350 to 70.00 ships for the invasion, and the number of our warships will reach more than [-]% of theirs, which is not a quality advantage... Time is our friend.”

"It seems that we must support Elizabeth's child on the throne of Portugal." The king nodded. "We need the Spanish to invade Portugal. No matter who the child's father is, he must be the heir to the throne."

"As for how long he can sit, that's not our concern," Cecil added.

"That's right, we just need them to delay us for a year." The king seemed to agree.

"In order to ensure the smooth progress of this plan." Cecil hesitated for a moment, but still mustered up his courage to say, "It is necessary to have a minister who is absolutely loyal to His Majesty and also has sufficient ability to sit in Lisbon. Fortunately, the most The perfect candidate is in Lisbon."

The king seemed to have been stung by a bee sting, and the expression on his face was distorted, "If you mean what I think..." he said in a threatening tone.

"I would like to ask you to appoint Sir Robert as a special envoy to be fully responsible for communication with all parties in Portugal during the handover of the kingship." Cecil bit the bullet and said regardless of the king's dissatisfaction.

"You know I don't want to hear such a suggestion." The king's dissatisfaction was beyond words, "I believe Lord Robert is not willing either."

"But I believe His Majesty will do as I say." Cecil replied to the king, "Because it is correct."

The king stared at Cecil with stern eyes, "Yeah, you are always right, and sometimes being right is annoying."

He sighed, turned around, and walked towards the other side of the dock.