Italian Minister Barracio was relieved to see that Lin Daxin had kept his promise, and after 20 tons of gold arrived, he ordered his subordinates to release more than 8,000 officers and soldiers of the Italian Navy. $. (23) (w) (x). At least after the construction of new warships in Italy is completed, there will be no shortage of personnel.

However, Barachio secretly snorted coldly at Lin Daxin, who was smiling, in his heart, let you, a greedy Qing Dynasty person, be proud for a while, and when the Italian Navy expansion plan is completed, Italy must make this greedy Qing Dynasty person look good.

Italy has been holding its breath and preparing to settle accounts with Lin Daxin in a few years, and the Italian Admiralty has drawn up a plan for the construction of eight new Queen Margaret-class all-steel battleships, and the funds have been put in place, most of which are funds taken out by the Italian royal family. Italian shipyards are about to begin laying the keels of the eight all-steel battleships at the same time in the dock.

Queen Margaret-class all-steel battleship, standard displacement of 13,400 tons, full load displacement of 14,974 tons, length of 138.6 meters, beam of 23.8 meters, draft of 8.9 meters, 2 three-expansion steam reciprocators, 16 boilers, two-shaft drive, speed of 20 knots, maximum coal loading of 1,500 tons. Waterline armor 152 mm to 203 mm, deck armor 50 mm to 76 mm, main gun turret armor 203 mm, secondary gun turret armor 152 mm, conning tower armor 203 mm. It is equipped with 2 twin 40x 305 mm main guns, 4 twin 40x 203 mm secondary guns, and 16 single 40x 152 mm rapid-fire secondary guns. 20 76-mm rapid-fire guns, 4 460-mm torpedo tubes. Crew: 820 people.

This all-steel battleship is the best combination of Italian warship design and industrial level. It is even a point stronger than the British Navy's Majesty class, and the speed is much faster than the 17.5 knots of the British Majesty class, just for the sake of high speed, the armor is a little weak, but it is not weak.

This is coupled with the 2 Queen Elena-class all-steel battleships already in service, and the 4 Queen Elena-class all-steel battleships under construction, at the beginning of 1898. The Italian Navy would have had 14 formidable all-steel battleships.

The Queen Elena-class all-steel battleship has a standard displacement of 12,883 tons, a full load displacement of 13,995 tons, and a length of 125.3 meters. The ship has a beam of 20.8 meters, a draft of 8.2 meters, 2 triple expansion steam reciprocators, and 14 boilers. Dual-shaft drive. The speed is 18.5 knots, and the maximum loading is 1000 tons. Waterline armor 152 mm to 203 mm, deck armor 50 mm to 76 mm, main gun turret armor 203 mm, secondary gun turret armor 152 mm, conning tower armor 203 mm. It is equipped with 2 single-cell 40x-diameter 305-mm main guns, 4 double-mounted 40x-diameter 203mm secondary guns, and 10 single-unit 40x-diameter 152mm rapid-fire secondary guns. 16 76-mm rapid-fire guns, 4 460-mm torpedo tubes. Crew: 650 people.

In addition, the Italian Navy has 4 large fast armored cruisers with a displacement of almost 10,000 tons under construction. With the plan to build six more large fast armored cruisers of the same type with a displacement of nearly 10,000 tons, at the beginning of 1898, the Italian Navy would have 10 large fast armored cruisers.

Barracio knew that the reason why Italy started such a crazy naval expansion plan was not only because of the naval arms race in European countries, but also because the Italian Navy wanted to seek revenge on Lin Daxin.

Outside the Weihaiwei prisoner of war camp, Barracio saw the commander of the Italian expeditionary fleet, Roberte, coming out of the prisoner of war camp, and immediately greeted him, "Admiral Roberte, I am the Italian minister in the Qing Dynasty, Baraccio, on the orders of Italy, to take you back to Italy!" ”

Roberte's complexion was fine, and when he saw Baracho, he nodded and asked, "Did the Qing Dynasty return our Italian warship?" ”

Baracho smiled bitterly and said, "No! All the warships of the mercenary fleet and the expeditionary fleet were forcibly occupied by the Qing Dynasty man named Lin Daxin, for your more than 8,000 Italian naval officers, Italy paid 20 tons of gold, and the Qing Dynasty man named Lin Daxin agreed to release you! ”

When he heard this, Roberte immediately said in shame: "That Qing Dynasty man named Lin Daxin is so hateful, the face of our entire Italian Navy has been ruined in his hands. This vengeance must be avenged by our Italian Navy, and what action has been taken in the Empire about it? ”

Although Roberte's life in the prisoner of war camp was fine, he considered his time to be his most humiliating day, and he decided that he must return here in the future to wash away his shame.

Barachio showed an excited look on his face at this moment, and said to Roberte with some excitement: "Admiral, a new naval expansion plan has begun in China, preparing to build 8 all-steel battleships and 6 large fast armored cruisers with a displacement of nearly 10,000 tons. By the beginning of 1898, all the warships in the expansion plan would enter service with the Italian Navy, and that would be the day of revenge for our Italy! ”

Roberte waved his fist excitedly and said, "Great! I didn't expect that such a large naval expansion plan would be approved in China! ”

Baraccio said: "Italy knew that after the destruction of the Qing Dynasty, the expeditionary fleet was indignant, and they demanded the rebuilding of a powerful Italian navy and revenge!" Even the royal family donated a lot of money to make such a huge naval expansion plan possible! ”

Roberte sighed and said: "I blame the incompetence of the commander, so that I was attacked by the submarine of the Qing Dynasty, so that the expeditionary fleet was defeated by the backward Qing Dynasty, and I will definitely ask the King of Italy and the Admiralty for my guilt after returning home!" ”

Baraccio actually despised this in front of him, burying the commander of the entire Italian expeditionary fleet, Roberte.

The Italian expeditionary fleet, with 6 ironclad battleships and 4 large armored cruisers, was defeated by the Qing Dynasty with pigtails, and even most of the warships were captured by the Qing Dynasty man named Lin Daxin, making the whole of Italy a laughing stock in Europe.

Even the Balacho in the Qing Dynasty. It was also ridiculed by the envoys of other countries in the Qing Dynasty, you Italy could not even defeat the ignorant Qing Dynasty, and the entire Italian Navy was almost buried in the hands of the Qing Dynasty. It's just too incompetent.

At this time, Vice Admiral Ram, the temporary commander of the Italian mercenary fleet and the captain of the battleship Italia, came over, saluted Roberte and said: "All the officers and men of the navy have packed their luggage and can leave for Weihaiwei Port at any time!" ”

"Italy's two cruise ships with a displacement of nearly 10,000 tons are already in the port of Weihaiwei, and they will send more than 8,000 naval officers and sailors back to the Italian mainland," Barracio said. ”

Roberte glanced back at the prisoner of war camp, and then ordered: "Set off to Weihaiwei Harbor!" ”

More than 8,000 Italian naval prisoners of war lined up. From the prisoner of war camp outside the Weihai Acropolis, under the care of the soldiers of the Dingbei Army, they walked all the way to the Weihai Acropolis. Prepare to pass through the Weihai Acropolis and go to the port to board 2 10,000-ton cruise ships.

When the Italian naval prisoners of war passed through the Weihai Acropolis, the common people in the Weihai Acropolis were on both sides of the street, smiling and looking at the Italian prisoners of war lined up.

"Look, everybody. These are the Italian Navy prisoners of war that were captured before! ”

"So many people! What are they going to do? ”

"You don't know. The Italians gave Lin Dashuai 20 tons of gold and ransomed all these Italian prisoners of war! ”

"How much is 20 tons of gold?"

"20 tons of gold is 640,000 taels of gold!"

"Oh my God, so much gold! That's enough for a mountain of gold! ”

"Haha! I didn't expect these blonde and blue-eyed foreigners to have today, which is equivalent to paying us compensation for the Qing Dynasty! ”

"Hahaha! That's right, it's compensation for us! ”

……

The common people on both sides of the street were talking a lot, and some children took advantage of the fact that the soldiers of the Dingbei Army on both sides of the Italian prisoners of war were not paying attention, ran into the ranks of the Italian prisoners of war, ran around and then came out. From time to time, laughter could be heard from the crowd.

Italian Admiral Roberte's face was gloomy and he suppressed his anger. These Qing Dynasty men simply treated the Italian naval officers as a circus.

After more than 8,000 Italian naval prisoners of war arrived at the port dock of Weihaiwei, they did not stay long, and quickly boarded two Italian cruise ships under the order of Admiral Roberte.

The two cruise ships slowly left the dock, Luo Baiert stood on the deck of the cruise ship, looking at the Weihaiwei port that was gradually moving away, he gritted his teeth and said: "I swear!" I will definitely be back! I want to use the blood of the Qing Dynasty to wash away the shame that the Qing Dynasty brought to our Italian Navy! ”

In Lin Daxin's office of the Water Master School, Chen Ergou said to Lin Daxin: "Principal! The Italian prisoners of war had already boarded two Italian cruise ships and left. Interestingly, there are Italian naval prisoners of war who are reluctant to leave the prisoner of war camp and want to continue to serve as instructors in our navy! Hehe! ”

Lin Daxin also said with a smile: "I give these people to help us train the navy, the subsidies for those Italian Navy prisoners of war are even higher than their salaries in the Italian Navy, of course some people want to continue to stay with us and earn money!" But since we received 20 tons of gold from the Italians, we must keep our promise and return more than 8,000 naval prisoners of war to Italy! ”

Chen Ergou said with some concern: "But we are now completely offended by the Italians, maybe the Italians will come back to trouble us in the future!" ”

Lin Daxin waved his hand and said, "Don't be afraid! According to these soft persimmons in Italy, even if a more powerful fleet comes to trouble us, it will come to send us warships. I would like the Italian Navy to build more powerful warships and come to us for trouble, hehe! In this way, our naval fleet can be expanded again! ”

Then Lin Daxin saw that the sun was about to set outside, stood up and stretched his waist, and said to Chen Ergou: "Don't do anything else today, let's go home first!" ”

Under the protection of the soldiers of the guard regiment, Lin Daxin returned to the Lin Mansion in the Weihai Acropolis.

The two brides in the Lin Mansion were talking in the hall with Lin Daxin's grandmother and mother, and when they saw Lin Daxin coming back, Mrs. Li complained and said: "Daxin, you said that you were busy on the second day of your marriage, and you left my two daughters-in-law at home, if there is anything, you can't do it in two days!" ”

Before Lin Daxin could speak, Ding Xueshan said first: "Mother-in-law, my husband is a person who does great things, and my sister Du Juan and I both understand, so don't complain about your husband!" ”

Du Juan also said coquettishly: "Sister Xueshan is right, the husband's important matter is important!" ”

Mrs. Li said with a smile on her face: "Daxin, look at your two ladies who are knowledgeable and understanding, you must treat my two good daughters-in-law well in the future!" ”

Lin Daxin looked at the two brides who were more delicate than flowers, smiled proudly, and said to Mrs. Li: "Mother, don't worry!" I will treat the two ladies well in the future! ”

Lin Daxin also accentuated his tone with two good words, and then winked at Ding Xueshan and Du Juan.

Ding Xueshan and Du Juan, who understood what Lin Daxin meant, instantly turned red. (To be continued......)

ps: Because I need to have a number of warships, I wrote hundreds of words for free, brothers support me! Monthly passes, subscriptions, rewards, recommendations, likes, no one is missing!