The British cabinet pinned its hopes on the appetite of the Chinese Empire would not be so great. They hoped that they would be able to retain control of the southern part of the Kingdom of Iran, thus creating a buffer zone that would serve as a barrier to protect India. If the Chinese Empire accepted this plan, it would undoubtedly be a happy outcome for all. Of course, if the Chinese Empire is not willing to accept it, then the only way to deter it is to use force.

As soon as the British Cabinet made its decision, they sprang into action. The British War Office gave an order to the Anglo-Indian army to send five infantry divisions from India to take control of the southern part of the Kingdom of Iran. Moreover, after entering the southern part of the Kingdom of Iran, it is not allowed to take the initiative to provoke the Chinese to avoid the outbreak of conflict. Obviously, the British are also self-aware, and they know very well that relying on tens of thousands of British and Indian troops is not an opponent of the Chinese Army at all.

At the same time, the British cabinet also issued an order to Rufus Isaacs, Earl of Ridding, the vice-king of India, asking the Indian colonial government to expand the size of the Anglo-Indian army and prepare for the possibility of Chinese invasion.

This order immediately made the Indian colonies jump for a while. Britain's military strength in India was not very strong in the first place. In addition to the tens of thousands of purebred British Army, the rest are more than 200,000 British and Indian troops. And the combat effectiveness of the Anglo-Indian army is really worrisome. As for the Chinese Army, it is a powerful army that is among the best in the world! In World War I, the performance of the Chinese Expeditionary Force in the European battlefield is still fresh in the memory of many British Army officers. Isn't going to war with the Chinese Army a self-defeating way?

The Earl of Reading was very dissatisfied with the decision of the British Cabinet, but he could not change the order of the Cabinet and had to carry it out. On the one hand, the Anglo-Indian troops deployed in northwestern India were dispatched into the Kingdom of Iran and occupied the southern part of the Kingdom of Iran. On the other hand, the expansion of the Anglo-Indian army began. There is no shortage of population in India. But the Indians are being too lazy. As a result, they live a life of poverty and backwardness when they have abundant natural resources. After being tamed by the British, the vast majority of Indians had become accustomed to British colonial rule over them.

After the order was given by the Earl of Reading, the Anglo-Indian army began to expand. In terms of the financial resources of the Indian colonial government, there was no problem at all in expanding the size of the Anglo-Indian army from more than 200,000 to 500,000. Of course. As for the combat effectiveness of the troops, I am afraid it will be difficult to guarantee.

At the same time, the British Admiralty, Sir John Jericho, was also having a headache. The main force of the Royal Navy is to be sent to the Indian Ocean to deter the Chinese Navy. This puts a lot of pressure on the Royal Navy. The strength of the Chinese Navy is not to be underestimated. If the fleet is sent less, it is not necessarily an opponent of the Chinese Navy. However, if more warships are sent, it will cause the emptiness of other seas of the British Navy. Sir John Jerichault also believed that war with the Chinese Empire should be avoided as much as possible. That would be extremely unwise. It may make Britain fall hard, so that Britain's position as the world hegemon will be lost in advance.

It's just that. Sir John Jericho's views were considered too conservative in the British Cabinet. The British cabinet hopes that the Royal Navy will be tougher as a way to demonstrate the strength of the Royal Navy and make China feel Britain's determination to compromise and back down. But Sir John Jericho didn't think so. Instead, he believed that this would make the Chinese Empire regard the British Royal Navy as a great enemy, and would do everything possible to defeat the Royal Navy. So, when the fleet into the Indian Ocean was chosen. Sir John Jericho still chose as many powerful capital ships as he could.

"Five 'revenge-class' battleships and five 'Queen Elizabeth-class' battleships are a must-go. In addition, four 'Admiral-class' battle cruisers are also a must-go. In addition to these fourteen capital ships. There are also four 'Iron Duke-class' battleships to be sent to the fleet. Two 'prestige-class' battleships are also important and cannot be wasted. The battlecruisers "Tiger" and "Lion-class" battlecruisers are also going to enter the fleet. In this case, the entire fleet would include 14 battleships, 10 battlecruisers, and a total of 24 capital ships. If you count the numbers. More than all the capital ships of the Chinese Navy combined. Even if the caliber of the main guns is inferior to the Chinese's 'Three Emperor-class' battleships and 'Pinghai-class' battleships, they may not be without the strength of a battle. In addition, these warships are all cutting-edge warships, and even if the situation is not right, they can be evacuated with the advantage of speed. Sir John Jericho said.

Though. The "Treaty on the Limitation of Naval Armaments" signed at the Washington Conference stipulates that the total tonnage of the capital ships of the British Navy cannot exceed 500,000 tons. However, the dismantling and mothballing of the British Navy's capital ships has only just begun. So much so that the British Navy does not intend to dismantle and mothballize capital ships until the conflict with China ends. After all, the total tonnage of the 24 capital ships dispatched by the British Navy alone this time has exceeded 750,000 tons. Of course, this has almost all the main forces of the Royal Navy. If this fleet has any strengths and weaknesses, then the Royal Navy will be seriously damaged. It will also lead to the position of world hegemon of the British, changing hands ahead of schedule.

Therefore, the British Navy was very concerned about this operation, and they hoped to rely on such a powerful fleet to make it difficult for the Chinese Empire to retreat. If this is the case, the British Empire will undoubtedly be able to save its face, and at the same time, the benefits will not be too much.

It's a pity that what the British didn't know was that the Chinese Empire was ready to take this opportunity to inflict heavy damage on the British Navy. For this reason, the main forces of the Chinese navy have begun to assemble and are secretly preparing plans to deal with the British navy.

After the British Navy's expeditionary fleet was formed, the fleet was about to leave Britain and go to the Indian Ocean. However, Sir John Jericho and the Cabinet were at great odds over the choice of the Fleet Commander. Sir John Jericho believed that the commander of the expeditionary fleet had to be a cautious man in order to bring back the main force of the Royal Navy without any danger. The British cabinet, however, believes that the deterrence they need is the number one thing they need to deter China. Therefore, it takes a person who dares to do it.

Sir John Jerichault recommended Admiral Louis Mountbatten, while the Cabinet preferred Field Marshal David Beatty. This guy who made a big splash in World War I, but actually almost killed the British Navy.

Despite Sir John Jericho's arguments, he was unable to change the Cabinet's decision. Field Marshal David Beatty became Commander of the Royal Navy Expeditionary Fleet. The first thing Marshal David Beatty said when he took office was that he would let the yellow-skinned monkeys of the East shrink east of the Straits of Malacca. The Indian Ocean, and indeed other seas, will be the waters of the British Empire. It can be seen how arrogant this marshal is.

The expeditionary fleet of the British Royal Navy soon departed from the Portsmouth military port, and the media around the world reported on it. It can be seen that because of the eastward advance of the Royal Navy Expeditionary Fleet, the confrontation between the Chinese Empire and Britain became more and more intense. A war seems inevitable.

In Yanjing, the capital of the Chinese Empire, in the Imperial Palace, Wu Haoxuan was also listening to reports from the General Staff, the Army, and the Admiralty. The British have already made a move, and it is a very tough move. Now, it's the turn of the Chinese Empire to pick up.

"Your Majesty, according to the information we have received, the Anglo-Indian army has dispatched about five infantry divisions, more than 60,000 troops, from the defense zone in northwestern India, intending to enter the southern part of the Kingdom of Iran. It is clear that these Anglo-Indian troops were there to help Se Giaddin stabilize his power. The commander at the front called to ask if he could launch an attack. Marshal Zhao Xifu, Minister of War, said.

"Are the troops drawn from the 9th and 13th armies ready? In this battle, the empire must win a big victory. Wu Haoxuan said.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, the 9th Army and the 13th Army are all elite troops. If there is a war, we will be able to win at the minimum cost. Marshal Zhao Xifu said with great certainty.

"Alright, let the army attack. Not only to destroy the rebellious Sai Giyadin, but also to advance to the south of the Kingdom of Iran in one fell swoop, and to eliminate the Anglo-Indian troops entering Iran. Wu Haoxuan ordered.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Marshal Zhao Xifu assured.

"Your Majesty, the Royal Navy has specially assembled an expeditionary fleet and has set off from the Portsmouth Military Harbour. The Royal Navy's fleet lineup this time is very large, including five 'Revenge-class' battleships, five 'Queen Elizabeth-class' battleships, four 'Iron Duke-class' battleships, four 'Admiral-class' battlecruisers, two 'Prestige-class' battlecruisers, 'Tiger' battlecruisers and three 'Lion-class' battlecruisers, a total of 24 capital ships, and the total tonnage has exceeded 750,000 tons. Together with cruisers and destroyers, the large and small ships of the expeditionary fleet of the British Royal Navy exceeded a hundred. Marshal Sa Zhenbing, Minister of the Navy, said.

"Tsk! With so many capital ships, the British seem to have sent most of the main forces. Do they think that this will scare the Empire? Wu Haoxuan sighed. Obviously, compared to the British Navy, the Imperial Navy was too weak.

"Is the Imperial Navy ready?" Wu Haoxuan asked.

"The main fleet and submarine forces of the Imperial Navy have begun to move south, ready to meet the British Navy." Marshal Sa Zhenbing replied. (To be continued.) )

PS: The twenty-third update, ask for a monthly pass and a reward!