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Singapore, a city that has developed and prospered rapidly due to maritime trade, is geographically important because of its ability to hold the exit from the Straits of Malacca. As a result, it became the center of the British Straits Settlements and a bridgehead for British invasions to the East. It's just that the atmosphere in Singapore is a little tense now, and most of the merchant ships passing by here leave immediately after replenishing fresh water and food, and will not stay here for long. Xinhua and Britain are at war in the South Seas, and it is too dangerous to stay in Singapore.

The merchants of the past prayed that the war would break out after they left, so that they would not be affected by the war. They also knew that it was absolutely impossible to avoid the outbreak of war. Therefore, they just hope that bad luck does not befall them. Britain is the world hegemon, and Xinhua is a regional power in the South Seas, and the war between the two countries is bound to be very tragic. It would even lead to the disruption of trade between the East and the West. This is not a good thing for businessmen. They hope that the winner and the loser between Xinhua and Britain can be separated as soon as possible. In this way, maritime trade can be reopened. Most foreign businessmen thought that Britain would win. After all. Although the rise of Xinhuaguo was very fast, the time was too short and the foundation was too thin. It is far from being comparable to an old world power like Britain.

Of course, there are also quite a few people who want to see Britain unlucky. After Britain became the world hegemon, British businessmen often ran rampant overseas, and there were many businessmen from other countries who were bullied. If Britain is defeated by Xinhua, it will undoubtedly become the third Western power to be defeated by Xinhua after Spain and the Netherlands. At the same time, it will also be because Britain is the world hegemon. Thus making a greater impact. This will undoubtedly make Britain the hegemon of the entire Western world. Therefore, the British Governor of the Straits Settlements, Bonham, and the British Governor of the Indian Colonies, Lord Ellenborough, who decided to start this war, were very cautious. We will strive to be fully prepared to ensure that this war can be won.

"Your Excellency, this is the latest information we have received. Xinhua has already begun to mobilize. Their army, has issued a conscription order. Ten brigades will be conscripted again. That's 60,000 people, which is not a good thing for us. Major General Bletton, the commander of the British Straits Settlements, said with a frown. The Straits Settlements had just over 20,000 troops, and even with the 50,000 troops sent from India, that was just over 70,000. In terms of troops, they could not gain an advantage. In terms of weaponry, the British Army did not have any advantages, but it was barely able to compete with the weapons of the Xinhua Army.

"General. Rest assured that the Indian side will give us its full support. There will be more troops to be sent to the Straits Settlements. When the time comes. We will definitely be able to defeat the Xinhua army. Governor Bonham said. After the failure of the tripartite talks, Xinhua strengthened its military deployment, and it was clear that this was already a defense against Britain. In particular, the army of Xinhua began a new round of conscription, which was completely aimed at the British. However, Britain has no other way than to accuse Xinhua of causing tension in the region and undermining regional peace. Xinhua has realized the crisis and is obviously not going to stop its military deployment because of the protests of the British.

"Yes, Your Excellency the Governor." Major General Bleton nodded, in fact, he was just complaining. He also knows that in this war, the navy is the protagonist. Among the British army, the navy has always been the undisputed boss. Britain was isolated on the European continent, relying on a strong navy to establish their world hegemony. Among the armed forces, the navy has the highest status, and the navy accounts for the majority of its annual military expenditure. In this war with Xinhua, the navy must first defeat Xinhua. There are many islands in the South Seas, and the army's attack must be covered by the navy. After gaining sea supremacy, he can also divide the islands of Xinhua and then destroy them one by one.

"Admiral Allen, is the Navy ready? You are the protagonists of this war, and you must defeat the navy of the new China Kingdom and gain sea supremacy in the South Seas. Governor Bonham said. He has great confidence in the Navy. When he went to Calcutta, India, to meet with Lord Ehrenborough, the Viceroy of India, he was aboard an Apollo-class battleship. He was very satisfied with this new type of warship, which was completely different from the old one. It is believed that the performance of the 'Apollo-class' warships is even more powerful than the 'Shark-class' cruisers of the Xinhua Navy. Although the Xinhua Navy took the lead in reforming this new type of warship, how could Xinhua be the opponent of Britain in terms of shipbuilding. Once Britain gets serious, it can easily leave Xinhua behind. Britain is the master of the world's oceans.

"Your Excellency the Governor, the Navy is ready. The 18 Apollo-class warships of the Far Eastern Fleet and the 28 Apollo-class warships sent by the Indian Ocean Fleet have all been assembled. As long as Her Majesty's war authorization arrives, we can go to sea to annihilate the navy of the Xinhua Kingdom. Major General Allen said confidently. A few years ago, he observed the battle between the Xinhua Navy and the Spanish Expeditionary Fleet in the Java Naval Battle, and was very shocked that the Xinhua Navy was able to completely annihilate the Spanish Expeditionary Fleet at a small cost. Rear Admiral Allen believes that the fundamental reason why the Xinhua Navy was able to achieve victory was that the 'Shark-class' cruisers they used were far superior to the old warships of the Spanish expeditionary fleet. Now, the British Navy's 'Apollo-class' warships are even more powerful. So, is there any doubt about the victory of the British Navy in this war?

"Well, I knew that the Royal Navy was the strongest navy in the world. This time, let the Royal Navy let those yellow-skinned monkeys know that the navy could not be built by a few advanced ships. Governor Bonham was very pleased. It took two or three hundred years for the British Navy to develop to the present. The time since the establishment of Xinhua was only seven or eight years, how can it be compared with the United Kingdom.

"Your Excellency the Governor, rest assured, this battle will be won by the Royal Navy." Major General Allen was very sure of the victory.

"Then I'll wait for the news of your victory." Governor Bonham said.

"Your Excellency the Governor, Her Majesty's War Mandate should be delivered soon. Have we found an excuse for going to war against Xinhua? Major General Bleton asked.

As the number one power in the world, Britain usually bullies whoever it wants, but in order to give an explanation to its citizens, every time they have a foreign war, they will find a well-reasoned excuse. Presenting oneself as a righteous party will help to gain the support of the people. For example, the Opium War was launched under the pretext that British merchants had been persecuted in China and that their interests had been severely threatened. This time, apparently, is no exception.

"General Bleton, rest assured, the reason has long been there. Moreover, this is definitely not an excuse, but a real event. We, the British Empire, have every reason to go to war against the new Chinese state. It's just that the time wasn't ripe before, so I just put this matter down. Governor Bonham said.

"Oh? Your Excellency the Governor, what the hell is going on? "Major General Brighton and Major General Allen are very interested.

"Rear Admiral Allen, do you remember the missing battleship Coventry?" Governor Bonham asked.

"Of course, a few years ago, the battleship 'Coventry' disappeared while on a mission, and after that, the Far Eastern Fleet searched the entire South Seas, but failed to find the battleship 'Coventry'. This also became an unsolved case for the Far Eastern Fleet. Could it be that the accident of the 'Coventry' has something to do with Xinhua Guo? Major General Allen asked in surprise. You must know that the accident of the 'Coventry' was almost eight years ago, and at that time, the new China Kingdom had not yet been established.

Rear Admiral Brighton was transferred to the Straits Settlements later, and was not aware of the matter of the battleship Coventry.

"That's right, the battleship 'Coventry' was indeed launched by Xinhuaguo. To be more precise, it was the predecessor of Xinhuaguo. A hint of anger flashed across Governor Bonham's face.

Major General Burleyton and Major General Allen were a little puzzled, they did not understand the meaning of Governor Bonham's words.

"You probably wouldn't have imagined that the predecessor of Xinhua was actually a group of pirates." Governor Bonham said suddenly.

"What? How is this possible? Major General Bleton exclaimed.

"It's unbelievable. Could such a powerful country be founded by a group of pirates? This must be God joking. Major General Allen also shook his head repeatedly.

"Gentlemen, this is the case. The predecessor of Xinhuaguo was indeed a group of pirates in the South China Sea. During one of the robberies, they came across the battleship Coventry. As a result, they used despicable and shameless methods to successfully attack the battleship 'Coventry' and kill all the British officers and men on board. In the end, the battleship was taken away. That's why we weren't able to find the battleship Coventry. Governor Bonham said angrily. This brazen attack on a British naval warship is simply an undeclared war against Britain.

"Damn, those yellow-skinned monkeys are so daring, they dare to do that, aren't they afraid of the retaliation of the British Empire?" Major General Allen asked in astonishment. What made him unbelievable was that the predecessor of Xinhuaguo, which was still a pirate at that time, actually had such a big courage. If what Governor Bonham said was true, then Britain did have a legitimate reason to go to war against the new country. (To be continued......)