Chapter 720 The Fleet Headed South
As soon as he returned to the northwest bay, Paul received news that surprised him.
The small port I rented in Jiaowan was actually targeted.
The discussion with everyone in the Government Affairs Council was quite pessimistic.
“The other party forced Liszt to respond within a time limit. That time was not enough for the mail ship to make a trip back and forth. Maybe they have already knocked on the door now, or...Liszt has already voted!”
"The latest news was brought back by a merchant ship yesterday. The church's troops were stationed outside the Lion City. The reason they gave was because of the unified deployment of attacking Nisberg, but it was clearly a deterrent to us."
"I don't know if the firearms shipped earlier are enough."
Listening to the discussion, Paul suppressed the anxiety in his heart.
He could only confirm two points: "In any case, Port of Lions cannot be handed over to the church, and we cannot send troops to assist them in attacking Nisburg."
Port of Lions is where merchant ships in the northwest bay can The direct link to the east. Without this place, cargo transportation in the northwest bay can only be left to others.
It is even more impossible to send troops to assist the church. On the one hand, it is inconsistent with the law for him to bypass Jingyao and participate in a war on the territory of another country. On the other hand, he is not loyal to the Holy See, so how can he be led by the other party.
Finally, Paul decided to exercise his right to self-defense.
It is not popular in this world that a king orders his subjects to die and they have to die, let alone the Holy See. Even King Aldo wants to deprive a lord of his life and property without justifiable reasons. That lord They all have the right to defend themselves.
Of course, the fact that you can't beat him is also considered a "legitimate reason" by default. Apparently the Corner Bay Church lists this as one of the legitimate reasons.
"No matter what, you have to send someone to check. If Lion Harbor is not lost, strengthen the defense there. If it is lost, take it back!"
Paul angrily gave instructions to the crowd.
With the rise of maritime trade and shipbuilding industry, the sailing ship construction technology in the Northwest Gulf has made great progress. One notable feature is that the tonnage of the ships is getting larger and larger.
However, the Arda Navy has long been the only one, without a large maritime power as a competitor. Their main function is to eliminate all kinds of pirates and appease maritime security.
So unlike new technologies on Earth that are prioritized for military use, the Arda Navy's progress in ship tonnage has always lagged behind civilian merchant ships.
After a long period of accumulation, Alda's navy began to clearly classify various warships based on tonnage and functions. Generally speaking, those with a thousand tons or more are called battleships, and those with a thousand tons or more are called battleships. Those below 500 tons and above are called cruise ships, and those below are collectively called auxiliary ships.
Soon, a fleet including one battleship, fifteen cruisers, and thirty auxiliary ships was organized, commanded by Admiral Quick, and headed south with great momentum.
This battleship is called Sea Fortress. It is the first and currently only battleship built by the Alda Navy. It was modified from a large merchant ship and has a strong experimental nature.
She has three decks and is equipped with ninety artillery pieces of various types. When moored in the port, her tall hull and densely packed cannon holes can make people who see her for the first time think that the navy is under control. A castle was moved to the sea.
With the fleet going south were three Marine battalions - taking advantage of Alda's expansion, the Navy also expanded the size of its Marines.
……
In the Nisborg Council, in the speaker's office, Marcus was smoking a pipe, and the green smoke rising in front of him could not hide the worry on his face.
The door opened, and Marquis Foster came in and sat down opposite him.
Marcus asked: "Have the family arrangements been made?"
Marquis Foster nodded, "I sent them all to Aldo, what about you?" Kus smiled bitterly, "The northwest bay of Aldo, it's still too far away for me. I have some relatives in Eton."
The Marquis worried: "If we can't defend here, it will be very dangerous in Eton!"
Marcus sighed, "Let's talk about it then! Focus on the present first. Now the whole Nisburg is worried. , I feel like we will collapse first without the church’s army coming in!”
Marquis Foster frowned and made a suggestion: “Send money!”
“Send money! Money?”
“Yes!” The Marquis gritted his teeth and said, “Open the alliance’s treasury, take out all the remaining money, and let them know that if the church’s army invades, In the city, these wealth will be taken away, and people will naturally fight hard.”
"This..." Speaker Marcus hesitated for a while, "I think this move is of no use in improving the city's defense capabilities, and the church's troops will definitely plunder after they come in."
Marquis Foster did not Too understanding, "If you keep it in the vault, won't it still be snatched away when the church's army comes in?"
"What do you think...how about this?" Marcus hesitated to express his idea. , "Transfer the remaining money to our allies, such as..."
Marquis Foster frowned, "Eton?"
He shook his head again, " Do you trust them that much? I think it’s better to give it to your own citizens.”
"With this wealth, we can still go to our allies to continue organizing resistance."
"They may feel that it is more effective to use this wealth themselves, rather than a group of subjugated citizens."
The two argued for a while in the office about the handling of the remaining wealth in the treasury, but in the end neither could convince the other.
"Then let all members vote tomorrow."
The two reached a consensus and that was the only way.
Marcus talked about another thing, "Robin sent news that this is his last contribution to his hometown."
Foster frowned, "Contribution? Is he so sure it will be useful?" ?”
Marcus nodded, “The Aldo people in the Lion City feel offended and very angry, while the church feels that the Aldo people don’t appreciate it, and the confrontation between the two sides is intensifying. "
Foster said displeased: "Then Robin should continue to add fuel to the fire and deepen their confrontation, instead of just stopping and saying anything about his final contribution."
Marcus. Disagree with his statement: "No, he is in a very dangerous situation within the church. It is already good to plant this seed. Besides, he is not the kind of person who is officially loyal to the alliance."
"Two-faced man!"
"In short, don't contact Robin again until the situation is reversed. It is better to leave someone who is willing to help us than to let him be exposed."
The Protestant Army and the Skitarii, who are at war, have planted a large number of spies into each other. The "Robin" in Marcus's mouth is not considered a spy of the Alliance in the church. He only sympathizes with the Alliance because of his origin. , people who are willing to provide some help while protecting themselves.
Marquis Foster sighed, "That buried seed, I don't know if Nisburg can survive until the day it sprouts."
Marcus patted his Shoulders, "Just do your best!"