Bringing the Railway to Daming

Although Ryan didn't know if the other party was really a fishman, he knew that these people were not to be trifled with when he saw the gleaming short knives in their hands, so he immediately swam in another direction.

As soon as he made that move, his opponent immediately caught up, and their underwater swimming speed was noticeably faster than his, quickly surrounding him.

Ryan prepared to fight with his chisel and hammer, but the three men quickly cut his hands, and one of them punched him in the forehead, knocking him unconscious...

On the flagship of the allied fleet, Lin Kui listened to his subordinates' reports.

"Reporting to the commander, the interrogation has been completed. There were two groups of enemy water ghosts. One group was preparing to burn the ship, and the other group was preparing to sabotage it. There were a total of 24 people. Currently, apart from three who are still missing, our water ghost team has killed thirteen of them and captured eight."

Lin Kui sneered after hearing this, "They actually thought of using water ghosts to damage our warships, but little did they know that this is a trick we've used before. It's like showing off your skills in front of an expert."

"However, this also shows that the English are really out of options, or rather, they have lost the confidence to put up a direct resistance."

"Pass down the order: all units must not let this small victory lull them into complacency. Continue to keep watch throughout the night. If there is any unusual activity underwater, deal with it immediately and do not give the enemy any opportunity to take advantage!"

"As ordered!"

Lin Kui overestimated the English's tactical capabilities, and there was no second attack in the latter half of the night.

So at daybreak, the Allied forces of the Three Feudatories continued their advance along the Thames toward London...

London.

Upon hearing that both teams of "warriors" had been wiped out, with only one man escaping, Henry IV did not fly into a rage, but instead appeared remarkably calm, as if he had known this outcome beforehand.

However, he summoned even more nobles to this meeting.

"Tell me your thoughts, the Ming army is now less than half a day's journey from London. What should we do?"

The nobles below looked at each other, and finally an old man with a white beard said, "Your Majesty, the Ming army is so strong, I'm afraid London cannot be defended. Should we retreat?"

"Retreat north, where there are no rivers. If the Ming army pursues us, without warships to rely on, they may not be a match for us."

These words were like a springboard, and the other nobles immediately began to speak one after another.

“Yes, Your Majesty, since we can’t win, there’s no need for us to stay here and wait for the Ming army. If we all become prisoners of the Ming army, England is doomed.”

"Your Majesty, we urge you to evacuate London!"

"As long as His Majesty is alive, London will one day be reclaimed..."

Hearing the words of these noble ministers, Henry IV secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Although he had contracted a strange illness, he did not want to just stay in London and wait to die.

However, since he obtained his throne through rebellion, if he were to propose abandoning the capital and fleeing, his prestige would be greatly damaged, and someone else might step forward, follow his example, and seize the English throne.

Now that the ministers have brought this up, if he then acts as if he's reluctantly accepting it, the loss of his prestige will be much smaller.

He sighed and said in a deep voice, "I had originally decided to stay in London and perish with the capital. But what you all say makes sense; only with us can England survive."

"In that case, let's abandon Dunlun for now and take it back after we defeat the Ming army."

The ministers immediately exclaimed, "Your Majesty's decision is absolutely correct!"

After the large but brief meeting, chaos erupted throughout London. 'The King and nobles are preparing to flee!'

The news spread like wildfire, and everyone from the middle-class nobles and merchants to the common people knew that the Ming army was coming. The kingdom had no confidence in defending London, so it decided to flee.

Because in London, the Ming army was always portrayed as extremely terrifying.

For example, the Ming people all have pure black hair and eyes, are eight feet tall, and can even breathe fire and control thunder. They are the descendants of the legendary demon race from the demon realm.

For example, the Ming dynasty's warships were as tall as ten-story buildings, made of steel, and equipped with many cannons, making them indestructible.

For example, the Ming people liked to capture young men and women, or children. Those who were ugly would be eaten by the Ming people, while those who were good-looking would be sold into slavery.

and many more.

Therefore, when the lower and middle classes of London heard that the Ming army was coming, they panicked and began to pack their belongings and prepare to flee the city.

Inside Faldo Castle, Henry IV paid no heed to the chaotic situation outside, only urging his servants to hurry up and pack up their valuables.

As the capital of several Anglo-Norman dynasties, London naturally accumulated considerable wealth, most of which remained in the hands of successive royal families.

So, Henry IV's servants loaded cart after cart of treasures out of the palace, yet they still seemed to have more than they could carry.

Henry IV, seeing this, had no choice but to say, "Alright, forget about those heavy and difficult-to-move treasures. We must leave London as soon as possible—if the Ming army stops us, we won't be able to escape even if we want to."

"Yes!" the servants replied, immediately ignoring the heavier items.

Just then, a nobleman in armor rode up on horseback and shouted from afar, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The militia in the western suburbs have mutinied!"

"What?!" Henry IV exclaimed in surprise. "What exactly happened?"

The western suburbs were London's largest militia camp, with over ten thousand militiamen hastily conscripted. If these militiamen all defected, wouldn't they block his escape route westward?

Moreover, without these militiamen staying behind to block the Ming army, even if they escaped London, they probably wouldn't have gotten very far.

After all, they were traveling with their families and carrying a lot of valuables, so if the Ming army sent cavalry to pursue them, they could easily catch up.

The general who came to deliver the message said, "I don't know what happened either—I had just gone over to issue your orders when I found the militia camp in chaos. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that many militiamen were fleeing outwards, and a large portion of them were charging into the city!"

Upon hearing this, Henry IV's face immediately turned extremely gloomy.

He quickly gritted his teeth and said, "Attendant, tell everyone that there's no need to pack anymore. Set off immediately and leave London!"

The attendant was taken aback for a moment, but quickly went to relay the order.

Before long, Henry IV left London through the North Gate with three thousand elite troops and a dozen or so wagons.

At the same time, the rebellious militia stormed into London.

Most nobles weren't as decisive as Henry IV; reluctant to part with their castles and estates, they were still loading their belongings onto carts when they were caught in the crossfire of the mutinous soldiers. Instantly, whether they were once high-ranking noble lords or delicate noble ladies, they were all trampled into the mud by the soldiers.

Fortunately for these English nobles, the Ming army arrived just an hour after the mutinous troops stormed into London... (End of Chapter)