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Chapter 1433 A facade of harmony masking underlying discord (2)
The slogan of uniting against external forces to defeat the Ming Empire's monopoly on navigation and trade rights in Asian waters and allowing European merchant ships to navigate freely sounded appealing and indeed swayed many people, including politicians from various countries. However, in practice, the reality was far from the rosy picture described.

Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, the Netherlands, England, France, Venice, Sweden, Denmark, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Russia, the Crimean Khanate, the Ottoman Empire...

These are all key members of the coalition, but the current alliance is only superficial; at its core, it is rife with contradictions and distrust.

Getting a group of people who have been fighting each other for hundreds of years to suddenly unite is probably more difficult than getting the Ming Empire to surrender immediately. This is no longer a simple matter of winning or losing a war, but a complex political game and distribution of interests.

"Mr. Oquendo, Sir Pennington, some issues may not yield results if we discuss them now. Perhaps we should focus our time on tomorrow's battle plan. If the Ming warships continue to throw those explosives into the sea, how should we respond?"

At this moment, someone spoke up, breaking the awkward atmosphere. He was quite handsome and young, looking about the same age as a graduate of the Royal Academy. Yet, he was able to sit at the same table with commanders from various countries, which clearly indicated a rather special status in Europe, where hierarchy was very strict.

His impeccable Parisian accent gave a rough idea of ​​his background: a French military officer. More specifically, he was a French Vice Admiral and commander of the French fleet, Jean Armand de Mailer-Bressé.
Do you remember the full name of French Prime Minister Richelieu? Armand Jean di Plessy de Richelieu! Compare the two, don't their full names look a bit similar?

In fact, in the eyes of French nobles, these two names not only resembled each other, but also had a deep connection. The specific origins are related to the naming structure of French nobles, which will not be discussed in detail here, but will only be briefly mentioned.

Jean Armand and Armand Jean are actually the same person, but the name was deliberately changed due to their different social status.

Armand's name, derived from a saint, carries strong religious connotations. This made the name common in aristocratic families, representing birth order within the family, much like the eldest son in the Chinese family hierarchy of "伯仲叔季" (bo, zhong, shu, ji).

Richelieu's most illustrious title was not Prime Minister of France, but Cardinal. Therefore, he deliberately placed Armand's name first to highlight his illustrious religious status.

Melle-Brazé was a young man whose most glorious identity was that of a noble family, hence the name Jean, signifying his status as the eldest son. Armand was a name he received from his mother's family, specifically his uncle's name, that of Prime Minister Richelieu.

That's right, Blaze is Richelieu's nephew and also his niece's husband, because he married his uncle's niece, a classic case of doubling the family ties!

Because of this close relationship, when Richelieu reformed the French Navy, the 18-year-old Blaise was appointed as a vice admiral. Since the French Navy did not have the rank of admiral, a vice admiral was equivalent to the highest-ranking officer in the navy.

Isn't this blatant nepotism? Of course, this kind of thing is perfectly normal in Europe; nobles and even monarchs of various countries are all related through a web of connections.

Richelieu wanted to use the opportunity of reform to achieve centralized rule, so naturally he needed to employ someone extremely trustworthy. Even if Blaze was incompetent, as long as he was loyal, he was better than someone who was capable of everything but disloyal!
Richelieu's judgment proved correct; although only 18 years old, Blaise was an exceptionally talented admiral. He possessed not only leadership skills but also tactical genius. It was with his strong assistance that the reorganization of the French Navy was successfully implemented, quickly establishing two fleets, one for the Mediterranean and one for the Atlantic. They boldly imported several capital warships with over 40 guns from the Netherlands, rapidly building combat capability and gaining the upper hand in several encounters with the Spanish fleet.

Besides being able to manage the French Navy, Blaise was also an outstanding frontline commander, fearless in the face of gunfire. He personally led warships in numerous naval battles and insisted on standing on the sterncastle to command while wearing a red cloak, earning him the nickname "Red Devil" from the Spanish Navy—a moniker that was probably both a compliment and a criticism.

He is only 21 years old now, and sitting among a group of veterans in their forties, fifties, or even sixties, he is not only fearless, but also exudes the composure of a great general who remains calm even if Mount Tai collapses before him.

"We found an unexploded one in the waters near the landing site. Judging from its size and weight, the Ming warships probably couldn't carry too many. The previous Ming fleet never used this type of weapon, so it's highly likely they weren't equipped with it."

Following Blaise's lead, Tropp also offered his own insights. Most of the mines laid by the rescue fleet failed to detonate, and one was captured by the Dutch, suggesting that the Ming army likely did not possess them in large numbers.

"That makes things easier. We can continue with the tangent line tactic and try to get closer. We can make a hundred mistakes, but they won't allow even one. As long as we succeed just once, we'll win!"

After listening to Tropp's analysis, Sir Pennington became even more enthusiastic. He firmly believed that the Ming navy was not invincible, and that as long as the allied forces were not afraid of sacrifice and overcame all difficulties, the final victor would surely be the allied forces.

"Sir, the situation is different now. They only had 11 ships before, but now that number has doubled. They can easily form two or three fleets to cooperate and provide cover for each other. Although we have more ships, they are limited by their speed and cannot function properly. We cannot gain an advantage and will only be eaten up bit by bit."

However, his view was immediately opposed by Blaise, a young man who had rarely expressed his opinions before, not because he lacked ideas, but out of a desire to protect the Allied forces. Furthermore, the French navy had the fewest warships, so there was no need to fuss over many less crucial issues.

However, the situation is different now. Ming reinforcements have arrived, and no one knows whether there will be more following. If they don't make their stance clear now, they may miss their chance.

My uncle recommended himself as the commander of the French Navy, not only because the position was suitable, but also for another reason. The French Navy was undergoing a transformation and was already weak; it couldn't afford too many losses, so bringing them back safely was the best option!
"If we don't seize this opportunity to defeat the Ming army, we may never have another chance. As you have seen, they are attacking the Viceroyalty of Peru. Will Barbados, Martinique, Recife, or Guyana follow? Hesitation will only lead to being defeated one by one. It's time to fight to the death!"

Oquindo, who had just been questioning Sir Pennington, chose to support him this time. In order to make the generals of the various countries present understand the current situation, he even deliberately exposed his own dirty laundry, trying to arouse the countries with colonies in the New World to unite against the common enemy.

(End of this chapter)