Seven Seas Beacon Fire

The two had already walked most of the way down the second-floor corridor, and the spiral staircase was not far ahead. After going down the stairs, they would reach the lobby on the first floor. Although there were probably not many people in the lobby at this time, apart from the staff of the guesthouse, there were only the navy personnel who had come with Li Che and a few related personnel from the Military Intelligence Bureau. However, such a sensitive topic was destined to be impossible to discuss after going down the spiral staircase.

Li Che is currently unaware of what exactly has happened within the Ursus Federation. Firstly, the history here is not entirely the same as the history of the world Yunyun lives in. There are aspects that can be referenced, but obviously, one cannot simply follow the script. The current situation within the Ursus Federation is practically a black box to Li Che.

After all, he has many things to do right now and needs to focus his main energy on the navy. (Confirmed)

Li Che remained silent and continued walking forward. Kolchak, standing beside him, glanced at Li Che's calm and expressionless face out of the corner of his eye, then at the spiral staircase that seemed to be approaching them with each step. With each step, his anxiety grew. In a sense, their current steps were almost like a video progress bar, a video that obviously couldn't be rewound.

As the progress bar slowly approached its end, Kolchak grew increasingly anxious. Had his earlier judgment been wrong? When some of them had privately gathered to discuss which route the Tsar should take to escape the Ursus Federation, he had voted for the Eastern Front. Kolchak, a veteran of the battlefield, believed that traditional friendships were absolutely no match for those who had once shared common interests with their enemies.

Besides the fact that the Eastern Front was indeed a surprise attack, the most important point was that although Kolchak believed that the European countries would certainly not hand him back after accepting His Majesty's request for exile, they would also certainly not assist the Tsar in escaping from the country. To be more precise, before the Tsar left the borders of Ursus, these countries would only provide all support except for actual assistance.

However, it is highly likely that the Eastern Tang Dynasty is genuinely willing to send agents to assist them.

But why did this imperial grandson seem so indifferent?

Did I see it wrong?

Finally, when Li Che reached the spiral staircase and had his hand on the wooden handrail, he turned around, smiled, and said to Kolchak, "Even a man like the general is willing to risk his life for the Tsar. If I were a neo-schoolist in the Ursus Federation, I would probably choose to hang Nicholas II."

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince, you..."

“But I’m not a new school of thought in the Ursus Federation, so… I think you’ll probably need an opportunity to speak with my father or my grandfather alone in the next few days.”

Chapter 228 Spread of Infection

The Ursus delegation, which originally planned to make some adjustments in Songjiang Prefecture before heading directly to Yingtian Prefecture, is now forced to stay in Songjiang Prefecture.

Because the chief envoy of the Ursus delegation, Ivanovich, a member of the Supreme Council of the Ursus Federation, fell ill, and was very ill. At first, he only had some discomfort in his throat, but on the night Li Che visited, his body temperature rose to 39 degrees Celsius.

The Tang Dynasty immediately contacted a doctor for him, but after examining him, the doctor quickly told the relevant officials of the Court of State Ceremonial with a serious expression the result that no one wanted to hear the most—it was highly suspected to be the federal flu that was currently spreading from Borneo to the surrounding areas.

In fact, some people had already had this bad feeling when they learned that the Ursus Federation envoy had a fever, after all, the Federation flu was currently trending more than the World War.

This flu, which originated from the Federal Expeditionary Force on Borneo, is now commonly known worldwide as the Federal Flu. Of course, the Tang Dynasty's advance preparations in this regard were indispensable. Li Che had already begun to consider how to deal with the "Iberian Flu" when this world war had just broken out.

In another world, the flu that originated in a federal Kansas military camp was named the Iberian flu simply because Iberia was the first to report its existence to the world. Li Che had long been wary of this kind of backstabbing from the Western media, especially the federal media. This time, before the federal media could exert their influence, he successfully spread the name of the federal flu.

Although the federal government refers to this flu as Borneo flu, it is clear that the voices of Colombians are not as powerful as those of the rest of the world.

The symptoms of this federal flu are quite similar to those of the Iberian flu in another world, so this flu virus is likely also from the federal territory. However, it mutated in Borneo, and its intensity increased by more than one level. Although the health department of the Tang Dynasty cannot accurately trace the source of this virus, it can confirm that the most prevalent version of the virus has begun to spread on a large scale in Yingzhou territory with the withdrawal of the Colombian army.

This can be largely corroborated by the intelligence provided by the Tang Dynasty's intelligence network in Yingzhou. Although both the Colombian army and the Yingzhou government are jointly blocking information, the world is material, and no matter how much information is blocked, it cannot stop the information that can be used for verification.

It is now confirmed that there seems to be a shortage of a large number of medicines within Yingzhou. Not to mention Western medicines, even traditional Chinese herbal medicines are almost in short supply. Medicine prices have skyrocketed several times over. In addition, the coffin industry is booming.

Of course, the most important piece of evidence is that the Yingzhou government implemented strict lockdown measures in a series of major cities, including Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. On the surface, the Yingzhou government claimed that these measures were for the purpose of arresting spies during wartime, but it is obvious to anyone with eyes that no country has ever sealed off its capital to arrest spies.

By now, countless people around the world have carried this virus to various parts of the world by passing through Yingzhou. At least according to the current situation, the federal flu has already begun to spread in Southeast Asia and even some European countries. Because the Tang Dynasty is at war, all civilian contact with Yingzhou has been cut off. As for Borneo, on the one hand, exchanges are conducted through military control, and the handling of various abnormal situations is relatively timely. On the other hand, the Tang Dynasty mainly supports the Song army's war effort, and supplies are mainly sent to Borneo. Large-scale personnel and material transportation is relatively one-way.

For these reasons, the number of federal influenza cases discovered in the Tang Dynasty is currently within a controllable range. However, the pressure of epidemic prevention has been increasing recently, especially in the southeast coastal areas and the southern border. Customs cannot keep an eye on all the ports, so although the epidemic there is being suppressed, it seems that it is only a matter of time before it spreads to the surrounding areas.

But in Songjiang Prefecture, everything was normal before this.

After further questioning, the Tang Dynasty learned that the two ships carrying the Ursus envoy to China had resupplyed in the Strait of Malacca. This basically solved the case; the envoy must have come into contact with infected or virus-carrying locals during the resupply process and was thus infected by the federal virus.

"Am I going to be quarantined too?" When Li Che learned that he would be quarantined for about a week to two weeks to observe his condition, he felt terrible. He wasn't the type of person who could stay in one place for a long time. You know, there are no computers, no cell phones, and no internet in this world. So what's the difference between being quarantined and being in prison?

However, the smiling health official could only try to explain, "We don't want to treat the Crown Prince like this either, but there's nothing we can do. The people Your Highness sees every day are just too important."

First of all, if you are in Yingtian Prefecture, you will definitely see your father and grandfather often. They are the emperor and the crown prince (the executive vice emperor) of this empire. If your virus knocks down either of them, it will be a big problem.

Secondly, even setting aside His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince, how many high-ranking military officials do you have to recruit every day, Your Highness? If this infectious disease were to bring down all the high-ranking naval officers, the Colombians would be laughing all the way to the bank. For the sake of the bigger picture, it would be best to wait a while before considering your status as a close contact.

This left Li Che speechless. After all, Kolchak's sudden statement last night made it seem like the whole script was about to enter the "international political conspiracy" stage, but when he opened his eyes today, he was going to be quarantined. It felt like one second you were watching Minister Kim in the Fifth Republic and he pulled out a pistol to kill insects and shoot down the sun, and the next second the style of the scene suddenly changed and the plot suddenly became "Contagion".

How unlucky I am to run into someone infected with the virus!

Knowing the severity of his condition, Li Che simply gave up resisting. So be it, let him be isolated. He could just treat it as a vacation. He had already prepared for the areas where he could intervene in the war and play a key role, so the short-term isolation wouldn't cause him too much trouble.

However, regarding what Kolchak had said to him the previous night, Li Che had already compiled the relevant conversation on the first day after his quarantine and instructed the Military Intelligence Bureau to deliver it to his grandfather as soon as possible.

After all, asking whether the Tsar's family could be granted political asylum right off the bat is quite shocking, even in the world of explosive topics. As for whether to accept the Tsar's family asylum in China, Li Che himself was undecided.

On the bright side, having a Tsar in one's hands is no less valuable than having the "lychee" of the Ursus Federation. How much influence does this deposed emperor still wield in Ursus today? To be honest, Kolchak's behavior reveals some clues.

It's important to know that Kolchak is now the commander of the Baltic Fleet. As a former "veteran officer," Kolchak's current position shows that the new school of thought in the Ursus Federation is trying its best to unite and win him over.

But what was the result? The result is that Kolchak is now desperately trying to protect Nicholas II and his family.

To be honest, although Li Che knew that the Tsar of Ursus was affectionately called "Little Daddy" by the people of Ursus and that the Tsar had always wielded considerable power in Russia, the extent of his power was still beyond his imagination.

That's why Li Che half-jokingly said that if he were an Ursus, then facing the Ursus Tsar who still possessed such political appeal after his abdication, if Li Che were a Neo-Scholar from the Ursus Federation, then he would probably invite Nicholas II to the basement.

However, after accepting Nicholas II's asylum, the first inevitable consequence would be a deterioration in relations between the Tang Dynasty and Ursus. Li Che was not particularly interested in whether to form an alliance with the Ursus, but he knew that if relations with the Ursus broke down, the consequences would be dire.

After all, these are two large land powers with such a long border. Hostility between these two countries would be disastrous for both. Funds and energy that could have been invested in people's livelihood, education, and the economy would be forced into a standoff that is inefficient for both sides.

In his memorial to his grandfather, Li Che meticulously listed all the advantages and disadvantages he could think of, one by one.

While he was writing furiously, Li Che could never have imagined that the situation in Yingtian Prefecture was like a pot of boiling water.

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"I only found out from the newspaper that Li Che is in quarantine! How long are you guys going to keep this from me?!"

Zhu Miaoyun looked at the military intelligence agents in front of her with some annoyance. Our princess never expected that one day she would become the one whose information was blocked. What's even more unacceptable to our princess is that Li Che has been quarantined as a close contact because he came into contact with a confirmed case.

For Zhu Miaoyun, a girl who has witnessed Ebola in Africa, she understands what a devastating pandemic is like better than most people in the world, especially in the early stages of an outbreak. At this time, the virus or bacteria may not be the most virulent, but the threat to humanity is certainly the greatest.

If we were to use an analogy from the perspective of armor-piercing bullets, the virus at this stage would be equivalent to a third-stage bullet—equivalent to a top-tier steel needle with a fixed penetration constant of 577 mm on Anton Star, which is quite unsatisfactory.

而后面经过进一步的迭代和发展出来的病毒很可能已经进化到了DM53甚至M829A3/4的程度，穿甲弹的威力提高到了650毫米以上相较于前面的三期弹来说优势显著。

However, we all know that when discussing whether a firepower is sufficient, we also need to consider what kind of attack it is facing. Is a 577 in 12.0 the same as a 577 in 10.7?

In the early stages of encountering a virus, the human immune system has no experience in this area and is as fragile as a thin-skinned light tank. However, when the virus or bacteria reach their peak, the human immune system, if not to the extent of STRV122, is at least equivalent to putting a layer of fossil explosive reactive armor on the outside of a tank.

Zhu Miaoyun understands that this is the most dangerous time so far. In addition to the fact that the immune system of early patients is not fully prepared for this, the bigger problem is that the current hospitals are not prepared either, and they lack both treatment plans and relevant experience.

"Prepare a car immediately and take me to Songjiang Prefecture."

"That's what Zhu Miaoyun said after she finished venting her anger."

The two people who had just been scolded by the princess and couldn't even lift their heads looked at each other, and they both saw the meaning in each other's eyes—that wasn't me.

Zhu Miaoyun was genuinely worried about Li Che. If Li Che was also infected with the virus, and his immune system couldn't withstand it, then what would happen next... was truly unimaginable. Viruses don't discriminate based on social status; they truly treat all beings equally.

At that time, she would probably be all alone in this world again, and the thought of such an outcome would drive her crazy. So instead of waiting here for the latest news from Songjiang Prefecture, Zhu Miaoyun wanted to go see Li Che now. Regardless of whether he was infected or not, and regardless of what the outcome would be, Zhu Miaoyun hoped that she could be the one by his side.

However, after he finished speaking, the people in front of him did not make a move.

Clearly, these intelligence agents must have received orders, possibly to ensure their own safety.

"I said, prepare the car immediately, let's go to Songjiang Prefecture now!"

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Chapter 229 Not repeating the mistakes of Little Fairy Doctor!

"So it was actually almost Akiko who came?"

Li Che rested his head on one hand, a pencil dangling from his lips, and watched with a smile as Zhu Miaoyun added homemade fruit tea to his cup.

At this very moment, our Crown Prince is still in quarantine. Quarantine is not an easy time. In this era, there are not many entertainment options. Staying in one's own residence and not being able to go out all day is not only boring, but there are also plenty of documents to deal with and tasks to do.

However, now, our Crown Prince is living a much more comfortable life. At least compared to before, he has the pleasure of seeing beautiful things and... perhaps more delicious food to adapt to.

Zhu Miaoyun was wearing a loose long dress and was pouring the fruit tea she had just brewed into two cups with great interest. Although Li Che felt it was a waste to use West Lake Imperial Longjing tea leaves to make something like "Prehistoric Shanghai Young Woman" or "Prehistoric Heytea," even though the price of West Lake Imperial Longjing tea was not as exaggerated as that of Wuyi Mountain mother tree Da Hong Pao, the annual output of this stuff was no more than one kilogram, and it was more expensive than gold on the market.

These teas were a gift from Mr. Cao, the richest man in Songjiang Prefecture. Li Che, who didn't have much of an impression of luxury goods before, only realized how outrageous the price of these teas was after accepting them. If Mr. Cao had given him a bronze cannon from the Napoleonic Wars or a somewhat obscure rifle, Li Che would definitely have recognized it. It's truly a shame that the Li family has such limited knowledge of luxury goods.

However, seeing Zhu Miaoyun's enthusiastic expression, Li Che was too lazy to tell her how expensive the tea she had been working on these past two days actually was. Especially when the morning light streamed in through the window, filtering through the thin long dress Zhu Miaoyun was wearing, the beautiful shadows cast by the dress under the orange light were truly mesmerizing.

“Yes.” Zhu Miaoyun pushed a cup of fruit tea she had poured in front of Li Che: “When I was about to come to see you, the guards you arranged for me strongly opposed my coming. At that time… I was probably a little angry, and my tone of voice was a bit harsh, so there was quite a commotion that night, which even alarmed the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.”

As Zhu Miaoyun spoke, a blush crept onto her cheeks. After all, when she thought back on what she had done in a moment of impulse, she couldn't help but feel ashamed, as if she had dug a hole in the ground with her toes.

"Even my old man has been alerted?"

Li Che deliberately feigned surprise, but his affected performance only earned him a light kick from the girl, who was both embarrassed and indignant. What was he pretending for? Everything that happened in Yingtian Prefecture while he was still on the train must have already been telegraphed to him.

In this rare house in Songjiang Prefecture with whole-house heating, Zhu Miaoyun not only dressed lightly, but also liked to walk around barefoot in the bedroom. At this moment, she kicked Li Che, and Li Che immediately showed a very pleased expression - since she wasn't wearing high heels, the kick didn't hurt at all.

"I think you just owe me to wear high heels before you wear them." Zhu Miaoyun stomped her foot angrily, but Li Che replied very seriously, "There's no need to reward me like this. This kind of reward can be saved for next time."

"Guna!"

"Alright, alright, I was wrong." Li Che took Zhu Miaoyun's hand and pulled her into his arms. He sat in the office chair with her in his arms, feeling the soft touch of the girl in his arms. Li Che put his head on the girl's shoulder, buried half of his face in the girl's long hair, and smelled the fragrance emanating from her hair.

Li Che knew that Zhu Miaoyun didn't usually wear perfume, but every time he saw her, he felt she smelled sweet. He knew this was a deep-seated hormonal attraction; he was doubly infatuated with this girl, both mentally and physically, just like the reckless madness of the night before last...

"Go on, I enjoy listening to you talk now." Part of Li Che's voice entered Zhu Miaoyun's ear from below her earlobe, while the other part, probably because the two of them were now close together, Zhu Miaoyun could feel the voice passing through her skin and bones into her cochlea.

It feels itchy, but also very comforting.

If I had really backed down back then, I'm afraid all of this would have gone to that Japanese girl.

Zhu Miaoyun couldn't help but recall the news that Li Che had been quarantined. That night, she had really made a big fuss. After all, as a transmigrator who had witnessed the Iberian flu, experienced the ravages of Ebola, and felt the Fort Detrick flu, Zhu Miaoyun was genuinely panicked when she learned that Li Che had been in close contact with a suspected high-risk patient of the current federal flu.

Even at this moment, Zhu Miaoyun felt even more terrified than when she first learned that Li Che had personally gone to the battlefield. This was probably due to a fear of invisible and intangible killers, like ghosts. For some reason, Zhu Miaoyun believed that the real guns and shells on the battlefield would not kill Li Che, but she was truly afraid that the invisible and intangible viruses and bacteria would cause her to lose him forever.

So her impulsive act that night was, to some extent, a hope that she could be with Li Che to the end no matter what. When that Jeddah fell, Zhu Miaoyun even felt a little bit of relief, knowing that she would leave this world with the person she loved.

However, after experiencing time travel and reunion, Zhu Miaoyun felt that she might be like someone who had failed in her suicide attempt, and began to have a nameless fear of death.

So even after Li Renzhi rushed over that night, he still couldn't persuade her to stop.

Just as Li Renchi was at a loss for words, Tokugawa Akiko suddenly stepped forward, knelt down in front of Zhu Miaoyun, and said that Zhu Miaoyun's bloodline was noble and that the situation of the Crown Prince was still unclear. Since someone had to accompany and serve the Crown Prince, she, as his maid, should go instead.

The Japanese girl's actions surprised many people present. After all, although Tokugawa Akiko's nominal status was just a maid, no one would really treat her as just a maid. Her act of kneeling down in front of Zhu Miaoyun felt less like the little princess of the Tokugawa family was superior to the Yongning Princess of the Ming Dynasty, and more like the Grand Consort Ce was superior to the Grand Consort.

Mingzi's words were agreed upon by most of the people present. After all, regardless of whether Zhu Miaoyun would become the Crown Prince's consort in the future, the current dynasty would rather worship her than let anything happen to her. If Princess Yongning could live a happy and peaceful life in the new dynasty, it would be a great political propaganda tool. However, if Princess Yongning were to encounter any misfortune, then for the next hundred years or so, related conspiracy theories would certainly be endless.

However, after a moment of stunned silence, Zhu Miaoyun's gaze regained its firmness:

"I've only survived this long because of Li Che, and I absolutely cannot accept spending the rest of my life without him! That's why I must go to Songjiang Prefecture!"

And so, Zhu Miaoyun finally boarded the express train to Songjiang Prefecture, and half a day later, she successfully embraced Li Che tightly.

After listening to Zhu Miaoyun's detailed description, Li Che chuckled, as if he had remembered something funny.

His somewhat jarring appearance naturally prompted Zhu Miaoyun, who was in his arms, to start twisting the gas cylinder around his waist.

"What are you laughing at! Is what I said really that funny?"

"It's not funny, it's not funny. I'm really touched, really." Li Che suppressed his laughter and looked at Zhu Miaoyun with sincere eyes: "I just thought of a heartbreaking story in a novel."

"The unresolved issues in the novel?"

“Well, I have to name a useless strange fire here…” Li Che chuckled: “You know, when Xiao Yan subdued those three thousand and many fires, if Little Fairy Doctor had also entered, then the Endless Fire Domain would probably have had another mistress in the future. You almost got the same script as Little Fairy Doctor, darling.”

Zhu Miaoyun was nodding along as Li Che spouted nonsense when she suddenly realized, "What do you mean? You mean if that Japanese girl came, you wouldn't be able to control your gun either, right? You womanizing bastard..."

As she spoke, Zhu Miaoyun was about to turn around and use both hands to open the gas cylinder for the man. However, the physical strength of a girl is obviously much different from that of an adult man. Li Che easily restrained Zhu Miaoyun's hands, then put the princess's arm behind her back and controlled it with one hand. Before the freed hand could do anything, Zhu Miaoyun hurriedly stopped in fear: "Stop, stop, stop! Let me recover for another day! I haven't fully recovered yet."

"It's been almost two days, is it still in pain? No way."

"Who told you to be so barbaric?" Zhu Miaoyun turned her back on him irritably. After breaking free from Li Che's "holdout," Zhu Miaoyun stood up from Li Che and then noticed the Navy Ministry documents on Li Che's desk that needed review and approval. Zhu Miaoyun then turned around with a mocking smile on her face: "I think you should focus your energy on your work first, Your Highness. Who in this world works when they are in quarantine?"

"Say that again and I'll spank you." Hearing the word "work," Li Che picked up the pen on the table again, then signed his name on the document in front of him and wrote "Proceed as soon as possible."

Zhu Miaoyun, who was standing to the side, looked at the two sketches drawn on the left side of the document and asked with some curiosity, "Is this another new warship to be built? I remember that our shipyard has been working non-stop for the past year."

Li Che shook his head and then nodded. Over the past year, the navy's shipyards have gone from basically halting production to fully resuming production. Currently, the major shipyards from south to north are either busy continuing to build the Longyuan-class battleships, busy starting construction on brand-new 4-ton battlecruisers equipped with 420mm naval guns, or busy repairing and maintaining the navy's damaged warships.

It can be said that the major naval shipyards are already operating at full capacity, but the sketches drawn in this document are not for starting construction of new warships. The sketches are actually for the Navy's existing "Sea Thunder" class battleships.

This high-performance dreadnought can be considered one of the most proud creations of the Ming Dynasty Royal Navy. Although its guns were relatively small in caliber, its excellent protection made it a strong contender for the title of the best dreadnought.

However, this dreadnought equipped with 12 280mm naval guns is ultimately just a dreadnought. In the current era, the status of dreadnoughts is becoming increasingly awkward. If we look to the future, there is even less potential to be explored with 280mm naval guns. Even if new ammunition is developed in the future, the small weight and kinetic energy determine that this type of naval gun poses a very limited threat to future capital ships.

Therefore, the document signed on this document is actually about the firepower upgrade and modification plan for these "Haiting" class dreadnoughts. In fact, it is to replace the original triple 280mm turret with the same twin 330mm L50 naval gun turrets equipped on the "Haiqi" ​​class battlecruisers.

Such modifications require almost no additional procedures. They only require simple turret replacements and some modifications to the storage layout of shells and propellant charges inside the ammunition magazine. After all, apart from its own firepower, the Haiting-class ships have already reached the standards of early super-dreadnoughts in terms of both tonnage and armor. This is because the design of this ship fully considered the possibility of future replacement with 330mm naval guns, so the diameter of the base ring of the 330mm twin-mount turret is exactly the same as that of the triple-mount 280mm turret.

In fact, if Emperor Yongning hadn't, whether out of personal preference or business interests, insisted that the last four Haiting ships continue to use 280mm naval guns and make use of the turrets that had already been produced without orders, the navy could have acquired super-dreadnoughts much sooner.

This reform can be seen as a kind of "correction of wrongs" to some extent.

Of course, from his own perspective, seizing this opportunity to modify these dreadnoughts is both a good opportunity to capitalize on the fact that these ships were already in port for major repairs after being damaged in the battle, and also a way to avoid disputes during the inevitable naval treaty negotiations in the future.

After all, he wasn't the only one with the idea of ​​replacing the guns on treaty warships.