Seven Seas Beacon Fire

At this very moment, within the Victorian Empire, Li Che is enjoying afternoon tea with a distinguished guest.

To be honest, given Li Che's personality, he would generally not grant any invitation from the nobles of Victoria to have afternoon tea with him.

Even if you claim to be from the Victorian Empire, and how great or powerful your family is, it's all the same. No matter how powerful your ancestors were, they can't be as powerful as mine.

However, when he learned that Fisher wanted to invite him to afternoon tea, Li Che readily agreed without hesitation. If there was anyone in the entire Victorian Empire who could definitely get afternoon tea with him, it would probably be this man, besides Prince Edward.

There's nothing else to it. After traveling back and forth between two worlds, can't I even chase after some stars today?

Judging from his appearance, Li Che was convinced that the old man before him was indeed a fighter within the Royal Navy of the Victorian Empire. If the oil painting did depict him with a certain air of gentle refinement...

Li Che had ample respect and was well-prepared for this reformer of the Royal Victorian Navy who ushered in the era of dreadnoughts and spearheaded the development of the world's first battlecruiser.

Ironically, this man dedicated his entire life to the Royal Victorian Navy, and during his tenure, the Royal Victorian Navy's decline was already unstoppable.

What's the point of developing dreadnoughts first? What's the point of developing battlecruisers first?

After a lifetime of struggle, the Royal Victoria Navy has gone from being the undisputed leader to being forced to share the reins with two other navies under your leadership.

There are simply too many ways to hurt someone's feelings.

After a few rather pointless pleasantries, Fisher got straight to the point. Although Sir Fisher had "retired," he was still willing to take on this political mission because it concerned the future of the Royal Navy of Victoria and he had a deep affection for it.

The former head of the Royal Victoria Navy stated during afternoon tea today that the Royal Victoria Navy hopes to align with the Royal Tang Navy on the standards for future battleship replacements.

"25,000 tons, 12 inches?" Li Che looked at Fisher in front of him and found it hard to imagine that the "father of dreadnoughts" who advocated larger capital ships and larger caliber guns would turn around and develop 12-inch caliber naval guns again.

"Your Highness, what is your decision?"

"This isn't something I can decide on my own, is it?"

Li Che stared at Fisher, their intense gazes seemingly about to collide and spark.

"Sir Fisher, while I admire your past achievements, the primary premise of our nation's defense forces is to safeguard our national security."

During the last World War, the Chinese and Colombian navies clashed multiple times in the high seas. It can be said that the two navies were each other's primary hypothetical enemy. It's impossible for us to accept this battleship before the Colombian navy announces its acceptance of it with 12-inch guns.

Fisher was not surprised by Li Che's remarks, because from his own perspective, Fisher did not want to roll back the caliber of battleships, which had already been developed to 15 or 16 inches, to 12 inches.

After all, what kind of ship did this grandfather propose back then?

It is a "light cruiser" of over 1 tons equipped with 15-inch turrets, and also a Mubi-class battlecruiser equipped with 508mm caliber guns.

Regardless of the reason, it's clear that for Sir Fisher, the most important factors were the firepower and speed of the warships. As a result of these increasingly higher requirements, the tonnage of the warships naturally increased, along with the construction period and cost.

"We made this suggestion with the hope that everyone would abide by it," Sir Fisher said. "If the Colombian Navy ultimately does not join, then our suggestion will be officially null and void."

Li Che raised an eyebrow in surprise. These Victorians were serious this time; they really wanted to bring down the standard for battleships.

Chapter 389 Just like that middle-aged man who is no longer able to do his best

Li Che was not surprised that the Victorian Empire had further ideas about limiting the size of capital ships.

After all, the British Empire in another world twice attempted to control the specifications of capital ships. The idea of ​​controlling the specifications of capital ships was based on a very simple premise: since naval treaties would restrict the size and specifications of warships, why not keep these specifications to a minimum during the treaty period?

A 2-ton battleship with 12-inch guns can be considered the minimum requirement for battleships in this era. Everyone knows that no one is at a disadvantage with such a 12-inch battleship. As long as war does not break out, everyone can build a navy of sufficient size and number with the least amount of money.

Especially for navies that need to be deployed globally, the issue of quantity is often more serious than the issue of quality.

The problem is that this suggestion is based on the premise that all countries are beneficiaries of the existing international order and that everyone is willing to abide by and uphold this international order.

Therefore, in another world, the British Empire's suggestion to impose comprehensive restrictions on the performance of newly built battleships by various countries after the London Naval Treaty quickly met with a cold reception. Even its own cousin was not very willing to try to reduce the caliber of the guns on capital ships to 12 inches.

So, with compromise from all sides, the new treaty limited the gun caliber of battleships to 14 inches, while the tonnage remained at 35,000 tons. However, apart from the British themselves, no other country was really prepared to abide by the treaty. Even their cousin, the Ansar, had already half-heartedly prepared a plan for triple 16-inch guns in addition to the quadruple 14-inch guns.

As for the two Mediterranean giants and the small-time players, they never intended to renew the treaty from the very beginning.

Therefore, Li Che was very certain that the Victorian Empire's plans would fail from the very beginning, because there was now more than one naval power in the world that was very dissatisfied with the existing international order.

The Tang Dynasty was actually the first to bear the brunt.

This is also the direct reason why Fisher came to visit him in a private capacity today. If the Tang Dynasty, which is the most dissatisfied with the existing international order in the world, can accept this suggestion, then the feasibility of the Victorian Empire imposing restrictions on 12-inch gun battleships on other countries will be greatly improved.

Therefore, if the Tang Dynasty explicitly refuses, then the Victorian Empire's proposal will definitely not be able to proceed.

The leaders of a British empire are certainly not fools; they know exactly what the crux of the matter is.

Even in another world, the seemingly foolish RN ended up with only its battleships obediently adhering to the 14-inch gun regulations, seemingly shooting themselves in the foot. But in reality, the British were never rigid and dogmatic; from the very beginning, they were planning something on a higher level.

According to the original plan of the British, the King George V-class battleships should have started construction in 39, and all five battleships should have been completed by 5. This was actually the original plan of the British, which was to rush the construction of ships when the international political situation began to be turbulent.

The enormous strategic advantage Britain possessed during World War I was not fundamentally due to the belated arrival of 15-inch battleships, but rather to the 16 343mm gun battleships and battlecruisers that began construction in just a few years starting in 09.

You could say that these 343 battleships were mediocre in performance, that their armor protection was not ideal, or that they lacked sufficient upgrade potential.

However, a cheap price and an absolutely sufficient quantity are the best answers.

Imagine if Dai Ying had had five fast, new battleships at the beginning of World War II; they wouldn't have been so short-handed in the early stages of the war.

How many KGVs can BSM take down in the Denmark Strait? Even if Bishop and Veneto are incredibly strong, can they still take on five opponents at once?

Moreover, the Lion, with even better quality and 16-inch guns, was about to emerge, which was exactly what Britain had envisioned. Unfortunately, the shrinking shipbuilding industry and the repeated revisions to the design plan rendered all of Britain's preparations futile. In the end, Britain not only failed to get a head start but also lost out in terms of the quality of individual ships, suffering a huge loss.

"Sir Fisher, you are a smart man. Why do you think your country has enough leverage to persuade us to cooperate with you?"

Li Che stared intently at Fisher, the most important leader of the Royal Navy this century. He could feel the fiery passion in the eyes of the young man sitting opposite him.

"This is a win-win situation for everyone. Apart from Colombia, all of us Old World countries suffered heavy losses in the last World War, and our economies have not yet recovered from the impact of the war."

Our recommendations are the most beneficial for economic recovery, and we believe that your country's current decision-makers are intelligent people, which is why we are confident that intelligent people will make the best choices for everyone.

Fisher's statement is actually quite logical and persuasive. From an economic point of view, it is indeed true, especially during the economic recovery in the first few years after the war. Investing one dollar more at this time is equivalent to investing 10 dollars or even 100 dollars 10 years later.

Seeing that Li Che remained silent, Fisher then tried to persuade him:

"A battleship of more than 2 tons equipped with 12-inch naval guns is enough to give absolute dominance over all cruisers, making it the most cost-effective choice for the navy."

Moreover, considering the fleet composition of our countries, the oldest of your country's existing main warships are equipped with 330mm naval guns, while the naval guns of our country and Colombia are larger in caliber than those of your ships.

According to the replacement order stipulated in the treaty, warships that have been under construction for 20 years can be replaced. Your country's earliest decommissioned and replaceable battleships all had 330mm guns, while the Colombian Navy intends to replace them with 14-inch guns. If both sides respect the 12-inch gun option, then all newly constructed battleships in both countries will use 12-inch guns, thus bringing the firepower of newly built battleships from both sides to a similar level…”

“We started construction according to the original provisions of the treaty, and those battleships equipped with 380mm guns are still at the same level.” Li Che pointed out this point bluntly: “Can I take what you just said as sophistry?”

"As long as countries continue to replace their battleships with new ones, the performance differences of older battleships will be eliminated under common limiting standards, but the 12-inch gun option is the most cost-effective."

"Ultimately, the reason your country chose to implement the 12-inch gun battleship program is simply for money." Li Che couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Of course it's for money. Money is the foundation of a country's operation! Your Highness, only countries on the opera stage of those princes' revenge stories don't have to worry about money. In reality, money can really crush a country."

Li Che, who had watched both "Ming Dynasty" and "Nirvana in Fire," snorted:

"I am also well aware of the importance of money in this regard, but Sir Fisher, money is important to a country, but money is not everything to a country."

I now even feel a little sorry for the Victorian Empire, the former empire on which the sun never sets, which, when faced with challenges, proclaimed a policy of dual power. Before the outbreak of the last world war, your friend shouted in the House of Commons that eight battleships were needed.

In 2009, your country started construction on eight new main warships, a feat of scale that shocked the world. Unfortunately, the current Victorian Empire can only resort to such methods to find rivals to prolong its existence.

After saying this, he leaned back in his chair naturally: "In the end, your country's current performance is like a middle-aged man who is impotent in that area. He says that his greatest hobby is fishing, but in reality, he is just willing but unable to have sex with his wife. The Royal Victorian Navy will not be able to hold the position of the world's number one navy for long."

Fisher remained silent at this moment.

As the head of the Royal Navy of Victoria, his awareness of the decline of the empire's power was the most obvious.

Why was Fisher so determined to push for the reform of the Royal Navy back then? Because he saw the decline of the empire and knew that the empire had to catch up with the rapid development of technology in order to continue to eke out a living as the world's superpower.

“I don’t deny what you’ve said.” Fisher slowly shook his head. “But I’m powerless to change the overall situation, so all I can do is make the best of my ability at each stage. Your Highness, please believe me, this is a good opportunity for everyone to benefit.”

“Sir Fisher, it’s not that I’m unwilling to assist and cooperate with you,” Li Che said, spreading his hands. “It’s just that our country’s defense capabilities and needs cannot be met by 2-ton battleships. Moreover, if there are countries that are not signatories to the treaty and they begin to develop their navies, what will we do if these countries, which are not subject to the treaty, build powerful battleships?”

"Then let's bring that country into the treaty as well."

"What if they don't want to?"

"If that happens, it will be enough time to adjust the treaty. We, as early-developing countries, will always have an advantage in terms of the size of our navy. In any case, the advantage is on our side."

Li Che couldn't help but applaud Fisher. How come he never realized this old man had the potential to be a diplomat? Just look at his silver tongue! No wonder he was the man who could persuade the Royal Navy to go crazy and start building the Dreadnought with him back then.

Fisher thought he was about to convince Li Che, but Li Che's next words froze the smile on his face:

"The world is inherently very complex. Often, a win-win situation doesn't necessarily mean it can be pushed forward, because there are some people in this world who don't care about whether it's a win-win situation or not. They only care that their enemies and adversaries don't win; they'd rather both sides lose!"

"Your Highness, I don't understand..."

“Our navy will not accept this kind of… economical solution.” Out of respect for Fisher, Li Che ultimately chose a more tactful wording: “Our navy has always regarded the powerful enemy on the other side of the ocean as our primary enemy, and to defeat such an enemy, what we need is certainly not 2-ton battleships.”

"The world war is over, yet your country still holds such ideas. If this gets out, it will only make people think that your country is an unstable factor threatening world peace."

“We don’t care about that, Sir.” Li Che shook his head. “Although we are in a peaceful situation now, our navy has never stopped preparing for war. Sir Fisher, I know you may not understand why we are still so hostile to Colombia several years after the war ended. I have many examples to share with you and to demonstrate the logic and inevitability behind it, but I think one example is enough for me to give you today.”

"Is it the impact of the original Yanping naval officers and soldiers being incorporated?" Fisher, as always, had a sharp eye and immediately grasped the crux of the problem.

"That is indeed the case, but doesn't Your Excellency want to know where this seed of hatred originated?"

Fisher paused for a moment: “I know that the Colombian expeditionary force has carried out some… rather excessive military operations in Borneo.”

“A rather extreme military action…” Li Che couldn’t help but laugh out loud: “I really admire you Westerners, because your talent in journalism is truly unmatched.”

Sir Fisher, now I'll tell you a story. The protagonist of this story, as far as I know, was an officer in the former Yanping Army. He was sentenced to imprisonment by our military court for refusing the surrender of the Colombian Army during battle and for handing over neighboring troops to their prisoners of war for mass execution. Do you know why he made such a radical choice?

Fisher shook his head cooperatively.

"Because during the counter-offensive after the Battle of Dongdu ended, he led his troops to successfully return to his own village, but the Colombian troops in the town ran away very quickly, and the troops failed to catch them."

When he returned home, he found his wife lying naked on the floor, her body covered in wounds, clearly having committed suicide after enduring excessive abuse by Colombian beasts; and his baby, already cooked, in a large pot on the stove in the yard…

Even Fisher, who had once suppressed Egyptians in the colonies, stared wide-eyed at this moment. The mental shock and visual hallucinations brought about by these few words made him feel nauseous immediately.

"Sir Fisher, do you think there is any possibility of any easing or compromise in our defense strategy under such circumstances?"

"We are not in a state of true peace now; it is only a temporary ceasefire. In order to prevent such a tragedy from happening to our land again, we will absolutely not accept your country's suggestion."

Chapter 390 Two Jokes

Fisher ultimately left disappointed. For him, the disappointment was not only because Li Che rejected the Victorian Empire's proposal to further control the specifications of capital ships, thus thwarting the Victorian Empire's plan to "maintain sea power at the lowest cost".

More importantly, from the conversation with this imperial grandson, he could directly sense the dissatisfaction of the Tang Empire, from the top to the bottom, with the current international order.

While it's foreseeable that the Tang Empire wouldn't quickly become a challenger to the existing Versailles-Honolulu system, it's also foreseeable that when the existing international system is challenged by developing countries, they certainly won't be the maintainers of the existing system; in fact, they might even be happy to take advantage of the situation.

After Fisher left, Zhu Miaoyun came out of the house with a somewhat unpleasant expression. She slowly sat down next to Li Che.

Originally, Zhu Miaoyun was just listening for fun, intending to eavesdrop on how her lover was exchanging barbs and scheming with these old foxes in the foreign military and political circles.

Unexpectedly, the tragedy that Li Che told Fisher about in Borneo was far too shocking to her moral compass.

"Was everything you just said true?"

"Are you asking about the story I just mentioned that took place in Borneo?" Li Che sighed softly. "Is there any need to fabricate such a story? Rather, without anyone experiencing it firsthand, most people probably couldn't even imagine it."

If all of this is not true, do you think the Navy Department would have ultimately approved the tactic proposed by those people in the Yeonpyeong Navy—a tactic that would be almost suicidal in actual combat, involving small torpedo destroyers and wrestling the enemy between islands or at night.

Because these people are almost insane. If you don't give a group of people on the verge of madness a place to vent their energy, they really might go completely insane if they keep it bottled up for too long.

Zhu Miaoyun nodded in agreement: "When I was in Gaza, I thought the IDF and Zionists were among the most cruel and vicious people in the world. Those guys were adding drugs to the flour given to refugees and tying children to armored vehicles during battles. I never imagined there would be people even worse than them. These Colombian troops seem almost as bad as the Japanese devils..."

"There's no need to categorize these beasts as more inhumane or inferior," Li Che said, gently patting Zhu Miaoyun's head. "We just need to remember their behavior. We shouldn't try to understand them, otherwise their actions might harm our spirit and mind. Wasn't that what happened to Iris Chang in your world? She sacrificed her health and life for the actions of those beasts; it wasn't worth it at all..."

Zhu Miaoyun shook her head at this moment: "Normal people may indeed not be able to understand the actions of those beasts, but I believe that there must be some sacrifices made by people like Ms. Iris Chang so that more people will remember what those untried beasts did... Ah Zhi, will you start World War II in the future?"

Zhu Miaoyun's last words, taken out of context, might sound a bit unsettling, but the girl's expression at that moment was very serious. It was clear that this was the issue that Zhu Miaoyun cared about most right now. In fact, this issue had been deliberately avoided between the two of them before, but the issue that was avoided always had to be revealed eventually.

"The way you're saying this... it makes me sound like someone about to give a speech in a beer hall. I'm neither an art student nor did I fail my college entrance exams. Why would I start World War II?"

"Because of the current international order, because of the suffering that some people in our country experienced in the last war, for various reasons... you have every reason to start World War II."

Li Che waved his hand: "That's not something I need to worry about. Even if Grandpa is old, it's hard to say whether he'll still be on the throne. Even after the old man passes away, there's still Dad. I'm just a grandson of the Crown Prince now. During World War II, I'll at most be a Crown Prince. I can indeed influence many things, but the fate and future of the entire country are not something I can control."

“Azhi, don’t avoid my question. I’m not asking if you can, I’m actually asking if you’re willing. If you can control and influence this country…”

A long silence fell between them, and the silence itself was an answer.

After a while, Li Che pulled the girl into his arms, lifted her onto his lap, wrapped one arm around her waist, and held her hand with the other. He rested his head against her heart, listening to her heartbeat, and slowly spoke:

"I don't want to lie to you. You're a very kind girl. Even before you transmigrated, you were already dedicated to charity work for children in Gaza you didn't even know. To be honest, if I disregarded my background, in terms of courage, I might not be as brave as you..."

I don’t know if you will see me as the source of all the trouble, like Mustache, but in fact, ever since the end of the last war... no, even before that, I have been preparing for the outbreak of World War II.

I'm not sure if I'll be the first to start a war, but I've already witnessed the consequences of a nation being drawn into a world war without adequate preparation, and I absolutely cannot allow my country to be dragged into such a catastrophe again without being ready.

Are you afraid I'll hate you?

“A little…” Li Che hugged the girl tighter: “In the last moment before I transmigrated, when I still shared your perception and vision, in the instant that the Jedam exploded next to you, when I woke up here, I was really scared… From the first time I transmigrated to your world as a child until now, for more than ten years, you have always been by my side. I can no longer live without you. So if my answer doesn’t satisfy you, how about you kick me hard a couple of times when we get back tonight? You absolutely must not leave me, okay?”

“Just say you want a reward. Why all the mushy talk all of a sudden… I told you, I’m going to be your empress. Where could I possibly go?” Zhu Miaoyun said, tapping Li Che on the head with her little fist. “And you actually think I’d leave you for this? You’re such a pig.”