Why did Britain send a fleet to blockade the port of Lisbon at this time?

This was actually the bitter result of the illness of King João IV of Portugal, who sent emissaries everywhere to ask for help, only the British responded and offered to help them.

At first, he was very excited, thinking that he had finally found a savior, but as a result, as soon as the envoy sent by the British opened the conditions, he instantly regretted it, because the conditions of the British were too outrageous, not only all overseas colonies should be open to them, but also to share their interests equally, and a few colonies should be sent to them, if they were asked to send troops to help recover the original Portuguese colonies, the conditions would be even more excessive, and most importantly, they would garrison troops in Lisbon!

Britain is trying to make Portugal their vassal, Portugal has finally gotten rid of Spanish rule, and is about to become a vassal of Britain, which is simply escaping from the tiger's mouth and falling into the wolf's den.

João IV was naturally unwilling to accept such conditions, so he wrote a letter and ordered Schvera to seek help from the Ming Empire.

Unexpectedly, the Ming Empire has not yet replied, the British are impatient, and the British naturally do not really want to help them, but fake help, real annexation!

Their plan was to keep Portugal nominally independent in order to silence the other continental powers, but in fact they controlled all Portuguese colonies in all directions for profiteering.

Portugal is a big piece of fat in their eyes, such a big piece of fat, they are naturally in a hurry to eat it in their mouths, if it weren't for the fact that Britain was busy with the civil war some time ago, I'm afraid it would have been shot a long time ago.

At this point, the civil war was finally over, and the Lord Protector Oliver. Cromwell led his army to defeat the royalist army, executed King Charles I, gained power, and became the head of state.

His strategy was simple: blockading the port of Lisbon, cutting off Portugal from all overseas colonies, and forcing João IV to sign a treaty to become a vassal of Britain.

The excuse he made was very simple, that João IV had taken in the Royalists and even helped the Royalists attack his fleet!

This is really a crime that wants to be added, and João IV is speechless, so he is blocked in Lisbon and cannot move.

Of course, this is just an excuse for the British, even if he has not done anything, Cromwell will also send a fleet to blockade the port of Lisbon, whoever has the biggest fist in these years is the truth, Portugal is not the opponent of Britain at all, so they must listen to the British!

Historically, it was by this rogue method that Britain forced João IV to sign an unequal treaty, obtaining most of the benefits of the Portuguese colonies, and thus rapidly rose to become the new maritime hegemon.

However, at this time, I am afraid that their calculation will not be able to sound, because Zhang Bin is here!

The battle outside the port of Lisbon soon ended, and the mouth of the Tagus River changed hands in an instant, Zhang Bin arranged for 100 Weiyuan battleships and 100 Zhenyuan cruisers to block the mouth of the Tagus River, and then led the remaining warships straight to the port of Lisbon.

The port of Lisbon is about twenty miles from the mouth of the Tagus River, and the city of Lisbon is farther away from the estuary, so the battle at the mouth of the sea did not cause any disturbance in the port and the city of Lisbon, everyone faintly heard the roar of artillery, but no one expected that the British fleet was wiped out, and everyone only thought that the British were bullying the passing merchant ships again.

The British didn't know if they were too arrogant or calculated that Portugal did not dare to resist, they just blocked the mouth of the Tagus River, but they did not block the port of Lisbon, and the Portuguese merchant ships and fishing boats in the port could still come and go freely, but they could only come and go freely in the Tagus River Valley, and it was impossible to go to sea.

When the huge fleet of the Ming Navy appeared outside the port of Lisbon, everyone was frightened, and they thought that it was the Spanish Invincible Armada, because Spain had organized such a huge fleet in the history of the European continent, so when they saw so many warships, everyone would subconsciously think that it was the Spaniards.

This guy, so many battleships are blocked outside the port, it's really terrifying!

The port of Lisbon was in chaos almost instantly, with some desperately trying to escape by abandoning their boats on the dock, and others desperately getting on the boats and preparing to get on the boats to escape, and the whole port was full of scurrying ships and people.

Zhang Bin looked at the chaos in the port with a telescope, and couldn't help frowning: "Schwila, these merchant ships and fishing boats belong to your Portugal, they are scurrying around in the port, how can we get in?" ”

When Shi Vera heard this, he said embarrassedly: "This, His Royal Highness the Duke, or I will go in first to find out the situation, and if possible, I will let them clean up the port as soon as possible." However, there may be British troops in it, and I ask His Royal Highness the Duke to send some people to protect me. ”

When Zhang Bin heard this, he said lightly: "How many people do you need?" ”

Schvera estimated: "A thousand people should be enough. ”

Zhang Bin nodded, and then said to Zheng Chenggong behind him: "Success, order a thousand guards, take fifty light ironclad ships, and escort Governor Schwila to the port dock." ”

Zheng Chenggong excitedly said yes and obeyed, and then quickly climbed down the rope ladder on the side side, and summoned the guards and the light ironclad ship.

In a short time, he came to the handsome ship with fifty light ironclad ships and a thousand guards.

Shi Weila didn't need Zhang Bin's orders, and soon climbed down the rope ladder with his entourage, got on the light ironclad ship, and went straight to the port wharf.

Although this light ironclad ship is small compared to the Weiyuan battleship and the Zhenyuan cruiser, it is not inferior to ordinary merchant ships and fishing ships, such a bunch of warships swarmed, and the merchant ships and fishing boats in the port were naturally desperately dodging, and soon, Shi Weila boarded the dock under the protection of Zheng Chenggong, and he didn't know who he was looking for, and after a while, the merchant ships and fishing boats in the port began to slowly drive out of the port, following the current, along the gap left by Zhang Bin's order, and slowly slid towards the direction of the estuary, In less than half an hour, the entire port was emptied.

Zhang Bin scanned the port with a telescope and saw that there was nothing unusual, so he ordered: "Order, order Li Dingguo to lead the Fuguang army to land and control the area near the port." ”

Soon, hundreds of Zhenyuan cruisers lined up in a long line and slowly approached the port wharf, and 50,000 soldiers of the Fuguang Army poured down from the battleship like flowing water, rushing to the port around quickly, and in less than half an hour, the 50,000 soldiers of the Fuguang Army surrounded the entire port tightly, and even all the Portuguese civilians were driven away.

Zhang Bin looked at the situation near the port with a telescope, and then ordered the handsome ship and several Zhenyuan cruisers carrying personal guards to approach the port dock and prepare to land.

He couldn't be blamed for being too cautious, this was Portuguese territory, and Portugal seemed to be facing a British invasion at this time.

However, it is strange that the entrance to the sea is like that, and the port is so big, and the Portuguese king and the British have not reacted at all, what is going on?