"I, Luo Wugui, can't compare to Commander Lu, but we can't lag behind Nanyang in Beiyang! Your Majesty said, find a new way to Dongzhou, fame and fortune, what do you want! ”

Even in September, the sea breeze still blows on the surface of the far north. 1 -- But the words of Luo Wugui, the commander of the fleet, were like a warm sun, which made the hearts of the officers and men burn.

Two 2,000-gauge cruisers and a 3,000-gauge wind-chasing ship, carrying more than 600 officers and men of the Beiyang Fleet, crossed the north of Korea and Japan, and headed for an even stranger north.

The world under our feet is round, which has become the common knowledge of Chinese people. But there are still too many blanks about how the land and sea are distributed on this big sphere. According to the research of the geographers in the country, as well as the fragmentary information obtained from Europa, it can be confirmed that the route from the mainland of Central Continent to Dongzhou is not to cross the ocean to the east. If you detour north and then turn south, according to the "law of surfaces", the distance may be closer than crossing the ocean from Luzon.

Although some exploration companies have explored this route before, they have all returned in vain, mainly because Nanyang and Nanzhou are very profitable, and not many people are willing to "develop" the extremely cold and unprofitable north. Even the Beiyang Company had no intention of operating it, and the Beiyang Fleet had to go into battle in person.

Of course, from the point of view of the interests of the fleet, this is also an inevitable move of enclosure. Compared with the Southern, Western, and Oceanic fleets, the "territory" of the Beiyang Fleet is exceptionally small. The small territory means that the size of the fleet is restricted, and the corresponding treatment and upside are difficult to compare with other Sanyo fleets, which is difficult for Bai Yanding to accept even the ordinary officers and soldiers.

At this time, Huaxia also knew that the north of the Far North was also an ocean, although it was an ice ocean, it was also an ocean, and if it could find a route to the ice ocean and declare that the sea area was the territory of the Beiyang Fleet, the future would be brilliant.

One is to find a convenient sea route from the North Ocean to Dongzhou, and the other is to find a gateway to the Ice Ocean, and this small fleet carries these two tasks.

And Luo Wugui's hard work to grab the command of the expedition fleet from Bai Yanding was also playing his own small calculations.

Luo Wugui felt guilty in his heart, before Fan Sihai was engaged in the opium business in North Korea, he not only did not persuade him, but also secretly helped out. The emperor put on Fan Sihai's illustrious hat of Dongzhou, and then kicked Dongzhou, which seemed to him to be like an exile. Although the Ocean Company relied on the Spanish galleon trade and was able to communicate with the reclamation base of Dongzhou every year, life must have been very difficult. Luo Wugui hoped to take this opportunity to go to Dongzhou to meet Fan Sihai in person, excuse himself, and comfort the old dragon.

Now that the fleet has passed through the Oshima island of Ezo in the north of Japan, according to the approximate information obtained by the previous expedition company, the sea directly north is an inland sea, surrounded by a large peninsula, so it has to go north from the east of the northeastern island chain of Ezo.

"Artillery alert, hope to strengthen the vigilance ......"

The land that could be seen in the telescope was no longer a fragmented island, but an endless continent, and Luo Wugui understood that the west must be Kamchatka, which was occupied by the Rakshasas. Although the expedition company has never encountered a Rakshasa person, as a soldier, you must not lose your vigilance.

Luo Wugui gave an order, and the gunners unloaded their gun suits, wiped the gun chambers, and prepared the fuses of the shells. The officers and soldiers were all looking forward to the appearance of a Rakshasa ship so that they could try their luck.

Now that Yinghua and Rakshasa are still in a state of war, if they can bump into the Rakshasa here, the Beiyang Fleet will have a reason to expand its army in the future.

"We have to get ready as soon as possible and leave early. Be on the lookout, I don't want to be at the most critical moment when the Tatars suddenly come and make trouble, I heard that their navy is active in the south. ”

Beyond Luo Wugui's telescope, three ships of more than 100 tons were docked in a bay at the southeastern tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula. …,

On the hill high in the harbor, a middle-aged man with a round face instructed his subordinates, and the Rakshasa language still had a strong Nordic accent.

"Tatars...... Aren't they the yellow-skinned monkeys? Let's pack as much as we want! It's no different from hunting reindeer...... Yes, yes, wary of the Tatars, Mr. Bering! ”

The subordinates were disapproving, but they were stared at by the round-faced man, and quickly repeated the order respectfully.

Vitas-Bering scanned the seas to the east, his heart fluctuating.

To the east should be the Americas, as long as you cross this sea and set foot on the land of the Americas, the mission entrusted to him by Peter the Great in the past will be successfully completed.

Bering, originally a Dane, worked for Russia in the time of Peter the Great and was appreciated by the Great. Peter the Great entrusted Bering with the task of exploring the routes of the Far East and the Americas, which he regarded as the noblest and most glorious mission of his career.

Two years earlier, Bering had led an expedition to the strait that divided Asia and the Americas, confirming that there was no land bridge between the two continents. However, due to the thick fog at sea, the expedition team was not able to witness the land of the Americas.

Just as he was about to return to Petersburg to receive the merit, news came that Seris had marched into Mobei and threatened the important Siberian places such as Lake Baikal and Amubar. The emissaries sent by Empress Anna went to great lengths to find Bering and asked him to establish a stronghold in Kamchatka in order to ensure that Eastern Siberia would not be infiltrated and annexed by the Seris.

The national needs of Russia and the shortcomings of Bering's first expedition were combined, and Bering decided to set foot on the land of America to complete the mission completely, and by making preparations, he built a stronghold in this ideal harbor, which also fulfilled the task entrusted to him by the empress.

The more important reason for Bering's re-attack is the threat of the Seris. In Bering's opinion, if the Seris became more and more active, they might also look down on the northern sea routes of Asia and the Americas, and thus take away his glory.

Thus, unlike in the time and space of Li Xi's previous life, Bering did not return to Petersburg, and in the following year, in 1733, because the bureaucracy did not recognize his merits, he set out again, and only completed his discovery in 1741.

As for the stronghold under construction in this harbor, Bering named it "Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky", eight years ahead of the history of the other plane.

"Hasn't the St. Paul come back yet?"

Bering suppressed his emotions and raised his binoculars to investigate the surface of the sea. At this time, Russia had not yet explored the northern route, and it took him two years to reach Okhotsk with an expedition from St. Petersburg, and then cross the Sea of Okhotsk by ship to Kamchatka.

It was all from scratch, Okhotsk supported two ships, and in order to ensure supplies, two more ships had to be built. The São Paulo is a new one, mainly used for fishing, and is operating in the open sea at this time.

"Not yet...... It's back! Hey, that's not right! Why is there a boat in the back!? ”

The shadow of the sail of the St. Paul appeared, but the sail could still be seen in the rear, who was it?

"Pick up the gun, prepare the artillery, it must be the Tatars!"

Bering roared, the nerves in his head about the Tatars were already stretched to the fullest, and at the first sign he reacted.

One hundred and thirty men, eighty muskets, ninety-two swords, four two-pounder guns, two six-pounder guns on the flagship St. Peter, and a shore stronghold set up for precaution, should have been able to repel the Tatars. At that time in Yaksa, the remnants of less than 100 men could resist the siege of several thousand Tatars......

The alarm bell sounded in the harbor, and Bering's calculations were also rapidly spinning in his head. He was a fine calculator, while the rest of the expedition didn't have much thought, just one thought, the Tatars...... Nothing more.

When the St. Paul rushed into the harbor, the size of the battleship that appeared next was so huge that Bering and the expedition almost suffocated, and they forgot to fire their guns and cover their bodies. ..., "Wowhaha...... This broken fishing boat is worthless anymore, boom! ”

On the flagship Haihe, Luo Wugui laughed happily, and actually met the Rakshasa people! At that time, when he saw this fishing boat on the sea, he came to his senses and fled in a hurry, confirming through the binoculars that the other party was a Rakshasa man, and the whole fleet cheered.

The Rakshasas have really made an appearance here! The Beiyang Fleet has another bowl of dishes, Luo Wugui's expedition team is simply off to a good start!

The subordinates asked for instructions to open the cannon, but Luo Wugui smiled and said: "There are fishermen, there must be fishing villages and even walled cities, let it take us to its nest!" ”

The speed of the cruiser was more than twice that of the broken fishing boat, and it was particularly painful to play this trick of trying to capture and indulge in the old thing; in order to strengthen the authenticity, they also fired a cannon from time to time, urging the broken fishing boat to run faster, and watching the Rakshasas on the fishing boat throw their fishing nets and dismantle the boat's planks, and use their oars and sails together, the officers and men felt as if they were playing with rabbits, and they were so happy that they felt guilty.

Well, now the fishing boat has brought the warship into the harbor and has completed its mission.

In Luo Wugui's hideous smile, two three-inch cannons roared at the same time, and the fishing boat that had not yet docked was hit by two flowering shells, and the weak hull of less than 100 tons turned into debris, as if celebrating the rebirth of this harbor.

"Boom! Smash all the ships, people, and houses you can see! I'll give you a quota, five hundred guns! ”

The battleship's gun door was wide open, and Luo Wugui's order echoed in the ears of every gunner.

Everyone has long thought that there is too much ammunition on this voyage, and it is simply preparing for a life-and-death battle. Now that there is a place to use, the gunners are exceptionally happy.

The huge battleships, not one but two, were lying in the harbor, and dozens of guns were pointed at the targets that were simply targets.

Just when the two battleships entered the port, Bering knew that it was over, everything was over, and when the battleship's gun door was opened, what he saw in front of him was beyond his expectations.

Hell......

The fragile hull of the ship crumbled, the thin wall of the stronghold turned into dust, the huge and heavy projectiles instantly leveled the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky he had worked so hard to build, and even the flowering projectiles that exploded orange fireworks and violent shock waves, tearing apart the poor worm lying in the trench thinking that it would escape its doom.

In a frenzy......

Bering even saw that the cannonballs actually hit the fleeing crowd, just for two or three people, these enemies were willing to spend precious shells, who were they? Is it a demon?

Like facing two prehistoric beasts, Bering's expedition completely lost the courage to resist and fled in all directions. But most of them were blown into minced meat by shells, and the rest could only lie on the ground and tremble. Bering cowered behind a hillside, the cannon rang out incessantly, and he had to shout like the other survivors with his head in his hands to keep himself awake and not become insane.

Heavy artillery fire ravaged the harbor and the stronghold for a full hour, and only after it was confirmed that there was no one left standing, no more intact houses in sight, and that the three ships had been reduced to thousands of pieces, the battleship lowered its sampan and sent the blue-clad soldiers ashore.

Seeing the blue-clothed soldier searching for him, an expedition member quickly got up and shouted surrender, with a bang, one on his chest, one on his back, and two blood flowers bloomed at the same time.

"Don't move when you're lying on the ground!"

The other party's shout was originally incomprehensible, but the shot just now taught them, and Bering also vaguely understood the tone, it was indeed a Tatar, but was this really a Tatar in Russia through the Battle of Yaxa?

Escorted by the soldiers to the battleship, in the face of their commander, Bering's doubts intensified, yes, the Tatars, more barbaric, but more powerful Tatars.

"I protest, protest against your indiscriminate killing of innocents! This is a gross trampling of the laws of war! "..., there are officials on the ship who understand the Rakshasa language, and of course Bering does not forget to condemn the other party at the first time, so that he can take advantage of morality.

"Innocent? You are soldiers, I'm sorry, Rakshasa has no diplomatic relations with our Yinghua, which is equivalent to an enemy country, and since you are a soldier, don't blame the battlefield for being ruthless. ”

Luo Wugui said lightly, to be honest, he felt that he still had to defend himself, it was really painful, but the officials of the General Affairs Hall were still there, and he had to be perfunctory.

"Tell me honestly, what are you doing on our land?"

Then Luo Wugui played a scoundrel even more, well, that's right, the land we just seized with the cannons of warships.

Bering almost spurted out a mouthful of blood, your land!?

But the other party is obviously not a good object for arguing and reasoning, and when asked about the purpose, Bering is even more vigilant.

He kept silent, not hindering the other captives from honestly explaining, and when he heard the purpose of their expedition, Luo Wugui's eyes lit up, and his gaze at Bai Ling suddenly turned to look at him as a treasure.

"Do you know how to get to Dongzhou? No, what you Europeans call America? ”

Bering wanted to shake his head, but his pride and sense of glory stopped him, so Mr. Bering became Luo Wugui's pilot.

"That's my strait! I found out! It has to be named after me! ”

"Well, when we come back, sink you in this strait, and this place will be yours forever."

"Despicable! Shameless! Savage ......"

"Okay, don't cry...... If I make a move, it will be called Luobai Strait, and we will each divide half. ”

As the fleet continued northward and approached the strait that Bering had discovered, there was such a conversation on the helm of the Haihe.