Seven Seas Beacon Fire

Li Che spoke with an unquestionable tone, as if making a judgment rather than speculating about the future: "So next, we will definitely enable your country to possess the technology of 16-inch naval guns. If we say it's okay, then it's definitely okay."

How could General Alexander not have discerned the hidden meaning in Li Che's words at this point?

Clearly, the previous actions of the Victorian Empire and the United States of Colombia in arming Barat and Yingzhou have aroused strong dissatisfaction from the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty's current actions are obviously a response to the previous actions of these two countries. Providing the Ursus Federation with the relevant technology for 16-inch naval guns should be a direct answer to the Victorian Empire.

He could imagine that even if the Ursus Federation lacked the necessary manufacturing equipment and technology for its own naval arsenals, the Tang Dynasty would provide targeted technical support. If there was no equipment, they would export it; if there were no technical personnel, they would send experts to assist. In short, the more uncomfortable the Victorian Empire felt about the Ursus Federation in Europe, the better.

Thinking of this, he felt somewhat grateful to the Victorian Empire. If they hadn't armed Barat, the Ursus Federation would probably have had to make do with 330mm naval guns from the Tang Dynasty.

Thinking of this, Alexander and Ivanovich exchanged a glance and couldn't help but wonder, if the Tang Dynasty's technological resources were a response to the Victorian Empire, then where would they next try to undermine the United States of Colombia?

Chapter 289 Polonia: The Dew of Town is Here Today!

Despite the many twists and turns of the Ursus delegation's visit, their final gains clearly far exceeded their initial expectations.

The Ursus Federation and the Great Tang, the two largest countries in the world by area, have had many conflicts and even wars in the past. Although they still share a long land border, Ursus has given up its ambition to expand eastward due to the pressure of the current external environment. Therefore, there is no reason for them to continue to be enemies, at least for now.

While this might not make them friends, it at least laid the foundation for some cooperation. The Ursus Federation is currently the biggest outlier in Europe, and the Tang Dynasty is, in some ways, a defeated nation that is not actually defeated.

Both sides are countries that are on the opposite side of the mainstream international community in this era. The reason why the two countries can still exist is not because other powers are kind-hearted, but simply because Ursus and Tang Dynasty are indestructible.

Ivanovich and Alexander both knew very well that the Ursus Federation was able to reap such an advantage not because of any deep friendship between the Tang Dynasty and Ursus, but simply because the Tang Dynasty had opened a window for them temporarily due to the current special international situation, based on the principle that the enemy of my enemy can be considered half a friend.

Therefore, both of them wanted to take this opportunity to import more things that the Ursus Federation needed from the Tang Dynasty, especially the precision manufacturing technology or products that the Ursus Federation lacked.

After all, no one knows how the international situation will develop in the future, and it is very likely that if we miss this opportunity, we will never have another chance.

Although the Ursus Federation is currently facing financial difficulties, having spent most of its foreign exchange reserves during the Ursus Empire era on the World War, this does not prevent the Ursus Federation from engaging in trade through other means.

In this harsh land at the northernmost tip of the World Island, there may be nothing else, but there's plenty of hard currency buried deep within the earth.

Whether it's various mineral raw materials, oil, or even gold, the Ursus Federation can provide them all.

Ivanovich originally planned to take this opportunity to improve the livelihood of people in Ursus by importing several chemical production lines from Datang. Although Ursus is full of resources, its ability to process and utilize these resources is relatively low.

Ivanovich's idea was actually very simple: at least ensure that the domestic chemical industry could provide enough fertilizer to farmers while meeting its own industrial production needs.

However, just as Ivanovic was preparing to embark on a major purchasing spree, bad news from home disrupted all his purchasing plans.

Polanian forces began a large-scale invasion of the disputed border region between Polania and the Ursus Federation. After a brief exchange of fire with the Ursus Federation's border troops, the Ursus Federation's border troops were quickly routed.

As of the time the news arrived, Polanian forces had already taken control of most of the disputed territory, but Polanian military operations showed no signs of stopping. They now seemed to be further mobilizing and recruiting, as if they were preparing to take another piece of flesh from the Ursus Federation.

Li Che and his entourage only received news from China and learned about what had happened in Europe after the Jingyuan had already set sail.

Frankly speaking, the armed conflict that has broken out in Eastern Europe and could escalate into a local war has become the biggest news besides the naval treaty, with newspapers across Europe cheering for Polania.

"Wasn't Polania part of Ursus before? How come it turned against us right after gaining independence? Could it be that this region is populated by royalists who support the Tsar?"

On the bridge of the Jingyuan, after reading the telegram, a staff officer asked a question with some confusion. For people who were not very familiar with Western history, their knowledge of the newly independent country of Polania was basically limited to the fact that it was originally part of the Ursus Empire and took the opportunity to become independent after the collapse of the Ursus Empire.

"Although the Polania region was previously ruled by the Ursus Empire, the Polanians and Ursus people are not the same ethnic group. There is a deep historical enmity between them. If I had to give an example... the Polanians are roughly equivalent to the Jianzhou Jurchens during the Ming Dynasty?"

Li Che patiently provided an explanation for the staff officer. Although his analogy might not be entirely accurate, it did give the officers and soldiers, who were unfamiliar with the history of Ursus, a general understanding and connection to the situation.

"These Polanians are quite bold. They have such a small territory, yet they dare to wage war against the Ursus Federation."

"Hey, what's so strange about that? Back then, the Jianzhou Jurchen tribe once defeated the Ming Dynasty at the Battle of Sarhu. Later, they even took the opportunity to enter the pass. If it weren't for Emperor Longwu and Prince Li Jin back then, these Jianzhou Jurchens might have really become the second Mongol."

While the officers and soldiers on the Sword Bridge treated the armed conflict between Polania and Ursus as a topic of conversation to pass the time during their long voyage, Li Che's brows furrowed even more. He had almost forgotten that Eastern Europe had been quite turbulent in recent years, but he simply couldn't understand why Polania dared to attack Ursus.

Because in another world, the war between the Great Polish and the Great Russian was based on the fact that many powers sent interventionist forces to the Great Russian side; the Great Polish was not fighting the Great Russian alone.

Is it that Polania has become bolder in this completely different world? Or have they become more foolish? Or does Polania truly possess the strength to "pacify the isolated and suppress the Lu"?

However, just as the Jingyuan was about to arrive in Honolulu, a new telegram arrived, refreshing the "world news," and everyone was surprised to find that... the Polanian army had actually given the Ursus Federation forces a sound thrashing?

what's the situation?

It's one thing that Ursus can't beat Letania, but how come it can't even beat Polania?

"What do you think, Your Highness?"

After putting away the latest telegram, Sa Dingming tentatively asked Li Che about the fact that the Navy had previously agreed to export the technology of 16-inch class large-caliber naval guns to the Ursus Federation, and that the Crown Prince had played a role in this.

However, if the Ursus Federation is truly a hopeless case, then the Crown Prince's original plan to use the Ursus Federation to contain the West will fall through.

“The conflict won’t last long,” Li Che said in a definitive tone. “Although the Ursus people have spent most of their history fighting petty wars, their ability to fight petty wars is unparalleled. The size of the country is what it is. Polania just took advantage of the fact that Ursus was unprepared and probably also had the support of some Western powers… But I think Polania will soon begin negotiations with Ursus.”

"What are they after? It wouldn't be difficult for the Ursus Federation to mobilize a million troops. Do these Polanians really want to put their country in danger for such a small amount of disputed land, just to have a quick thrill and then die?"

"I think this might be a test by Polania on behalf of certain major powers."

A cheerful voice broke in at that moment. Li Che and Sa Dingming turned their heads to look and saw a middle-aged man of about 50 years old walking over with a smile while stroking his goatee.

Li Che and Sa Dingming smiled back at the kind-looking, smiling middle-aged man who wasn't wearing a military uniform and seemed like their own uncle: "Professor Wei, have your seasickness symptoms improved these past few days?"

"Much better. My body is adapting even faster than I expected." The person referred to as Professor Wei is named Wei Wei, a tenured professor at the School of International Relations of Aurora University. Given his age, his ability to become a tenured professor is remarkable. Many people his age would find it difficult to even become an associate professor. He was also one of the representatives participating in the naval treaty negotiations.

"Professor Wei just said that Polania might be testing the waters on behalf of some major Western powers?" Sa Dingming picked up on the topic Professor Wei had just mentioned: "There's still some time before we dock and enter the port. You're very knowledgeable, so why don't you elaborate and broaden the horizons of us uneducated folks?"

"I dare not accept such praise. There is a sequence to learning, and everyone has their own expertise. How could I dare to show off my knowledge in front of Your Highness and the General? What I just said was merely a casual remark. After all, both the new school of thought and the conservatives in the Ursus Federation currently hold substantial power."

The relationship between the two sides is currently relatively stable, but I think some countries might feel that... external means could be used to disrupt this stability. After all, in the eyes of many powerful nations, the Ursus Federation is an absolute outlier.

Professor Wei's words were clearly very convincing. Everyone had some understanding of the situation in the Ursus Federation. For example, the relationship between Ivanovich and Alexander in the delegation they sent to visit the Tang Dynasty was quite delicate.

Although Professor Wei stated that he was merely speculating, most people nodded in agreement. Even though Professor Wei did not directly point out which country he thought orchestrated the adventure in Polania, many people had a common answer in their minds.

Sa Dingming even turned his gaze to a long and graceful battlecruiser with five twin 15-inch Mark I guns and flying the St. George flag, which was the first capital ship that the Jingyuan saw when it entered Pearl Harbor.

This strikingly large ship, now moored at the dock, is none other than the HMS Hood, the largest battlecruiser in the Victorian Empire's arsenal, and also the largest ship currently anchored in Pearl Harbor.

However, as his gaze involuntarily fell upon the main warship of the Royal Victoria Navy, the officers and soldiers on the Jingyuan also discovered a problem that was neither too big nor too small.

Whether intentional or unintentional, the berth that the Colombian Navy allocated to the battlecruiser Jingyuan happened to be a cramped berth less than 300 meters long in front of the HMS Hood at this dock. For the Jingyuan, which is about 220 meters long, such a berth is quite extreme, and generally, tugboats on the dock would be needed to assist the ship in docking.

However, Pearl Harbor officials stated that their tugboats were currently busy, and they were "concerned" that if the Jingyuan could not be moored, they could wait for their tugboats to become available to assist in the mooring process.

This is a deliberate attempt to intimidate them.

At this critical juncture, Li Che didn't seem worried about the Colombian Navy's show of force. He continued to ask Professor Wei in a seemingly casual tone, "Professor Wei, what do you think... the outcome of Polania's probing will be?"

"No one can guarantee anything about this, but... based on my understanding of the Ursus people..." Professor Wei maintained his usual smiling demeanor.

"The characteristic of the Ursus people is that they respond better to gentle persuasion than force. If you try to appease them, they might just make a mess of things themselves. But if you really try to take advantage of them when they are in trouble... the people of Ursus can always unleash some amazing energy."

On the surface, Li Che didn't comment on Professor Wei's answer, but in his heart, he had already raised his opinion of this international relations scholar, chosen by his father, to a whole new level. Should he say that this guy's level was even more impressive than he had thought? Or should he marvel at his father's sharp eye for talent?

Professor Wei's words did not receive the same widespread approval as before, after all, the Ursus Empire had hardly made any outstanding contributions in the previous world war.

This country was brutally defeated by the Victorian Empire in the Crimean War in the latter half of the last century. Its performance in this world war completely disgraced the former European military police. People in the world today would never call the Ursus people a "warrior nation".

How can a fighting nation be so weak?

Li Che simply smiled noncommittally, then turned his gaze to the captain of the Jingyuan: "Do we need to wait here for Columbia's tugboat?"

The Shandong captain, sporting a long beard, chuckled and rubbed his hands together. He rolled up his sleeves and personally went to the steering wheel, saying, "How could I possibly delay Your Highness's time?"

Immediately afterwards, the seemingly unremarkable captain personally micro-operated the ship and issued hundreds of commands in just a few minutes. The giant ship, with a full load displacement of over 3 tons, was manipulated in his hands like magic, just like Sun Wukong's golden cudgel.

Amidst the somewhat astonished gazes of the Colombians on the dock, who had initially been gloating and ready to watch the Tang Dynasty Royal Navy make a fool of itself, the entire battlecruiser steadily came to rest in the rather cramped berth without the assistance of any tugboats.

Chapter 290 Treaty Negotiations Begin!

Back when Li Che was still on Earth, one of the things that was very popular on the internet was watching the border troops of India and Pakistan compete to see who could kick their legs higher on the border.

To outsiders, the fierce, glaring, and gritting-teeth competition, where they seemed to be putting their feet on their heads, appeared comical and ridiculous. But only the people of the two countries involved truly understood that the reason for all of this was simply that nations are neighbors that cannot be moved.

Although the Tang Dynasty and the United States of Colombia do not share a direct border, if we consider their respective spheres of influence at sea as "territory," then the two countries can be considered neighbors to some extent.

The first round of communication between the "neighbors" in the port began at this small berth.

On the bridge of the battlecruiser HMS Hood, while a group of people, led by Sir Balfour, the former Prime Minister and current Foreign Secretary of the Victorian Empire, were enjoying a pleasant reception ashore with their Colombian hosts, several senior naval officers, including David Beatty, did not choose to indulge themselves at this time.

Most of them remained aboard the battlecruiser HMS Hood. Sir Belf's actions were merely a smokescreen. After all, Sir Belf was not a naval expert. In the ensuing negotiations, although he was the one who ultimately made the final decision, the specific technical details would have to be handled by the many Royal Navy officers.

The Jingyuan's "lateral stop" maneuver just now was not only a show of skill in front of the Colombians, but also in front of the Royal Navy of Victoria. After watching the "lateral stop" that almost caused a collision between the two ships with a blank expression, Betty couldn't help but turn to the staff officer next to him and ask: "In our Royal Navy, how many ship helmsmen can complete a lateral stop under such circumstances? We can't even consider ships smaller than destroyers."

Betty's question nearly set the staff officer's CPU on fire, because after their superior had suddenly thrown out such a question last time, the sailors were unsure what kind of answer this not-so-broad-minded First Sea Lord actually wanted to hear.

"Do you hope that many of us can do this?"

"What do you mean by 'I hope someone can do this'? It's either you can or you can't!"

Betty was getting angry. His anger stemmed partly from the sailor's reply, and partly from the fact that he already had a pretty good idea of ​​the answer, but it was one that he found hard to accept.

The fundamental reason why it was so hard to accept was that Betty discovered that the quality of the Royal Navy officers and soldiers she had once been so proud of was probably not as outstanding as she had imagined.

Based on what he just demonstrated, maneuvering such a massive battleship into berth without tugboats is something that the helmsmen and captains of his previous flagship, the HMS Lion, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, and now the HMS Hood, clearly could not do.

The true quality of an army can often be seen from some details. As a Victorian naval commander who had fought against the Ming Dynasty Royal Navy, the predecessor of the Tang Dynasty Royal Navy, Betty had a high opinion of the Ming Dynasty Royal Navy because the final stage of the Battle of the Java Sea well demonstrated how the Ming Dynasty Royal Navy was defeated.

Throughout human military history, many outstanding generals and iron-willed armies that were capable of fighting tough battles began by "winning a losing battle".

Simply put, it means to lose without collapsing, which is very difficult.

After reluctantly withdrawing her gaze, Betty thought to herself, "Why am I talking so much to these sailors who only have an elementary school education? How could these guys possibly understand what kind of opponents we're facing right now?"

The Royal Victoria Navy sent HMS Hood to this naval conference with the intention of demonstrating its military might and showing off its power before the Colombian Navy's new generation of main combat ships entered service.

But as the saying goes, the layman sees the spectacle, while the expert sees the details. Beatty's journey on the Hood was increasingly terrifying.

Previously, the United States of Columbia was indeed a powerful rising star in the minds of these Royal Victorian Navy officers and sailors. However, before actual in-depth contact, Beatty did not have a clear concept of just how strong it was. When the HMS Hood stopped in Columbia to refuel, Beatty counted the Lexington-class battlecruisers being outfitted on the dock and the multiple large dry docks on shore needed to build these behemoths that reached a length of 270 meters.

This is just one of the shipyards used by the Colombian Navy to build warships. Although the Royal Navy of Victoria quickly ridiculed the Colombian Navy for building warships that resembled "white elephants" after learning the general details of the Lexington-class battlecruisers.

(The term "white elephant" specifically refers to those warships built in the navy that have an astonishing tonnage and cost, but whose combat capabilities are not entirely commensurate with their size, such as the first-class armored cruisers of the Powerful class.)

While it is indeed very likely that the Lexington-class battlecruisers equipped with 16-inch guns could not defeat the Admiral-class battlecruisers equipped with 15-inch guns, the question is, how many more Admiral-class battlecruisers can the Royal Navy of Victoria build?

Just by looking at the docks and warships being fitted out on the piers, any rational person would understand which country will own the oceans if such free competition continues unchecked.

Add to that the Tang Dynasty, which revitalized the previously stagnant Royal Navy of the Ming Dynasty in just over a year, and Betty is now increasingly convinced that taking the initiative to sign the treaty was probably the wisest decision the Royal Navy of Victoria had ever made, because only in this way could they maintain their global dominance for another 20 years.

Therefore, he made the most important point clear: the Victorian Empire could bluff in this negotiation, but it must not hesitate to compromise and make concessions when necessary. Signing this treaty would be the greatest victory for the Victorian Empire!

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Returning our focus to Li Che, perhaps because Xiao Lu's move during the docking had genuinely surprised the Colombians, they didn't experience any similar targeting from the Colombians in the subsequent events.

The Colombians prepared a multi-story villa for the Tang Dynasty's negotiation team to rest in, but the Tang Dynasty naturally indicated that they preferred to sleep on their own warships.

After all, although there were former members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard among the accompanying personnel to handle some troubles on the hidden front, it was impossible to really expect one or two experienced intelligence officers to completely find all the listening devices and other things buried in this room.

Therefore, after having dinner on shore, everyone returned to the warship to rest in the evening. In any case, for a battlecruiser of more than 3 tons, there is no feeling of being at sea when it is in a calm harbor. Just like people who are seasick at sea can have a good rest at night.

What was somewhat distasteful was that on a pier opposite the one where the Jingyuan was docked, there was an ordinary-looking cruise ship. The chrysanthemum flag flying on the mainmast of this cruise ship indicated that it was sent by the Yingzhou Navy.

This time, the Yingzhou people did not send their main warships. Perhaps they were afraid of being defeated at their doorstep last time and were worried that if the Tang Dynasty encountered the Yingzhou main warships on the way, they would take the opportunity to sink the ship.

Of course, they were not the only ones who chose to come by civilian ships. On the shore, Li Che saw several small countries, such as the Kingdom of Iberia, the Kingdom of Onfaros, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which also had a few capital ships, but whose naval size was significantly smaller than that of other major powers.

These small countries also mostly arrived by civilian ships, and many of them, unlike Yingzhou, did not charter a ship specifically for this purpose. They simply transferred to civilian shipping routes. These small countries also came here to participate in the discussion of the naval treaty.

Of course, these small countries are not qualified to sit at the table. They are here today to sit at the children's table. None of these countries will have a tonnage quota for capital ships because none of them have the ability to build capital ships on their own. The treaty signatories only need to restrain each other from exporting capital ships, and then the development of capital ships in the navies of these countries can come to an end.

After a short two-day break, the highly anticipated Honolulu Naval Arms Control Treaty Conference officially commenced. Naval representatives from various countries took their seats around a circular podium. In the ensuing negotiations, representatives from each country's navy would take turns speaking on this prototype podium, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a fierce battle between eight-horned dragons.

However, the deadly fights that usually take place in the octagon of those underground boxing rings are often just for bets in bars, while what will be decided on this stage is the different fates of the navies of various countries in the next ten or twenty years.

The heads of delegations from various countries seemed to be whispering to their subordinates, covering their mouths, much like boxing coaches giving their athletes final technical instructions before the final match – a truly amusing scene.

The hypocritical and pretentious opening remarks are nauseating. The countries gathered here today are clearly here to divide up the world's maritime rights. It's just a few imperialist countries dividing up the world. Not long ago, they all ganged up to fight a world war, and countless people's brains were spilled. Yet now, with just a few words, they're all peace-loving nations again.

Of course, none of these formalities were of any real substance. When they finished these pointless topics and started to discuss how exactly the "Naval Arms Control Treaty" should be implemented, it was like pouring a large bowl of plain water into a pot of boiling oil, and the room immediately erupted in chaos.

Unfortunately, the initial demands of different countries were quite different.

The first speaker was not the host country, Colombia; the United States of Colombia was scheduled to speak last. The first to take the stage was Sir Balfour. Sir Balfour first presented Plan A prepared by the Victorian Empire. In this plan, Balfour suggested that all countries retain only warships that have been completed and put into service, and that all warships that are not yet completed and are under construction be scrapped.

Then, the service life of the warships that everyone has is replaced in units of 20 years. For example, if you have a capital ship that has been in service for 16 years, then you can only build a replacement ship to replace this ship after it has been in service for at least three to six years.

The Victorian Empire's proposal was met with strong opposition from Columbia as soon as it came out of Sir Balfour's mouth.

Sir Balfour's proposal, which they internally called the "solution," can be summarized in three words: "preservation."

To put it bluntly, it uses the warships already in service with each country as a bargaining chip, demanding that each country give up the new generation of capital ships that are under construction. This means that the Colombian Navy will have to give up the Lexington-class battlecruisers and South Dakota-class battleships that are about to be acquired.

How the hell is that possible? The fastest-progressing of these two main warships will be delivered this year. The Colombian Navy will never give up on these ships!

Even though Sir Balfour proposed a form of compensation for the Colombian Navy in Plan A, namely allowing the Colombian Navy to restore their Colorado-class battleships, which were equipped with 15-inch guns by the Royal Victorian Navy during the war, to 16-inch guns.

But this obviously cannot meet the requirements of the Colombian Navy—after all, on the other side of the ocean, the Royal Navy of the Tang Dynasty already has two Longyuan-class battleships in service. The Colombian Navy is actually one of the world's most naval forces that values ​​big ships and big guns, and they find it hard to accept that their opponents have warships that are bigger and stronger than their own.