On the afternoon of March 16, East of London, Thames Estuary

Murky waves lapped against the steel hull, propelling the three blue-gray battleships to sway gently.

-- The Huizhou, Shiyan, and Wanxian, the three Chinese Xinrui destroyers flying the "1 August" naval flag shortly after they were lifted from anchor and launched, are completely incomparable with the huge battleships and aircraft carriers that once roamed these waters in the past. But at a time when the British Isles are falling apart, they dominate the seas that once left the Dutch, French and Germans in the dust.

Bombardment of the Thames estuary -- The Second German Reich had poured all its financial resources into building an oceanic fleet, and had fought a bloody battle that had not been possible in the Battle of Jutland, but the Chinese task force had achieved it with little effort.

This immediately caused a great panic - in the shallow, narrow waters of the Thames estuary, the British Navy had no naval operations at all, except for a frigate, which was usually used as a backdrop. Therefore, when the three destroyers of the Chinese fleet task force successfully entered the mouth of the Thames, it was only a few small patrol boats of the maritime police that came to intercept them.

When the stunned British Maritime Patrol found that the radio had been jammed, and finally turned the bow of the ship to report the news, the Chinese advance fleet was also stunned - because it once thought that the other side was a suicide terrorist flying a bomb boat, even though the other side had softened its posture, it hurriedly turned around and returned. The three Chinese destroyers were still firing at full fire, intending to blow them to the bottom of the sea as an appetizer.

Thereupon. Under overwhelming and dense artillery fire, two British patrol boats rushed to the beach with difficulty. Shells rained down, and the patrol boat was like a night duckweed in a vast ocean, blown to and fro by the towering column of water. Fortunately, the two ships were not far from the coastline, and the sailors did not have time to clean up the rice flags flying high on the mast, so the two captains gave the order to abandon the ship and directed their warships to run aground. The sailors of the civilian ships hired on board and the officers and men whom the Admiralty managed to bring in. Like a dumpling, he jumped down waist-deep in the sea and rushed towards the land in a panic.

Then, according to the precise ground coordinates obtained in advance. Sixteen major military bases near London, with the exception of two that have clearly expressed their support for royal orthodoxy and refused to join the rebels, are under siege. All the rest withstood massive missile bombardment. Everywhere was blown up to the ground with flesh and corpses. Smoke of gunfire abounded. On the green field of the beach, there are countless bomb craters, and there is a "crater connected to the horizon"!

In the command tower headquarters of the Huizhou, a certain middle-aged captain and commander of the detachment kept holding a telescope and looking at the tragic situation of the war at close range -- the burning sea, the roaring missiles, the explosions that obscured the sky, and the rolling monstrous waves. Soaring flames and shattered wreckage......

Seeing this scene is cruel and magnificent. The atmospheric, but with the aesthetics of violence and destruction, is really touching and sighing.

Turning a perspective, in his telescope, a shipyard of considerable scale was faintly visible. The metal street lamps and fences in the factory were rusty, the factories had collapsed, the cranes had collapsed, the wooden docks had been damaged, and the grass was overgrown everywhere - after decades of deindustrialization, the paralyzed British had lost too much of their own basic industry, and seemed to think that they could get by by playing with finance.

As for the coastal defense missile positions and coastal defense batteries...... These redundant wastes of money are nowhere to be found at the mouth of the Thames.

Therefore, when the Chinese expeditionary task force came like Mount Tai overwhelmed, the troops were overstretched, there were endless battles everywhere, and there were many military bases that could not be taken over by the "puppet government" of London, and for a time they were unable to protect this sea frontier. I could only watch as three Chinese destroyers, whose total tonnage was less than 10,000 tons, flaunted their might outside the gates of their own capital, igniting a raging sea of fire on the shore with whistling missiles!

“…… Captain! Couldn't get any closer to the coast! A naval staff officer hurriedly burst into the cabin and reported in a loud voice, "...... The hydrological conditions in this area are too complex, and it is easy to run aground or run aground if you deviate from the main channel! And we don't know if the enemy laid mines...... Weishenme must drive into the enemy's line of sight to launch missiles? We could have done this further afield! ”

“…… Don't worry, there are only a few air bases near London, which have been bombed by the EU for a whole day, and just now they have been completely paralyzed by our missiles! And they may not be happy to go with the rebels in London to the end! ”

Comrade Captain of the Huizhou waved his hand disapprenously, "...... We are not fighting a sneak attack, but saving a humanitarian crisis against humanity and civilization! It is more important to deter the enemy than to protect yourself...... Moreover, why did the British fleet in the 19th century only allow the shelling of Humen and Dagu, but not allow our fleet to shell the Thames estuary? Herald! The front main gun is loaded with ammunition and fires half a base towards the shore! Free Fire! ”

“…… Be! As soon as he mentioned the past of the Opium War, the staff officer was also a little excited, immediately saluted the military, and turned around and walked away.

After issuing the order to shell the Thames estuary, and waiting for the first shelling, the captain turned back to sit on a small sofa, looked at a pair of large official characters hanging on the bulkhead at hand, and then finally couldn't help but reach out and stroke the rice paper, and sighed faintly.

This is a sonorous inscription carved on the Monument to the People's Heroes in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

“…… Over the past three years, the people's heroes who sacrificed their lives in the People's Liberation War and the People's Revolution have been immortalized!

Over the past 30 years, the people's heroes who sacrificed their lives in the People's Liberation War and the People's Revolution have been immortalized!

Dating back to 1,840 years, since then, in order to oppose internal and external enemies, and to fight for national independence and the freedom and happiness of the people, the people's heroes who sacrificed their lives in all the struggles are immortal! ”

“…… Alas, from 1840 to this year. How many years have passed? I can't imagine that our fleet will one day be able to come here, the birthplace of China's modern humiliating history, to avenge the shame of the past...... The Opium War was remembered by us Chinese for two centuries. I wonder how long this shelling of the Thames estuary will be remembered by the British? Feeling the rumbling of cannon fire on the deck, Comrade Captain muttered to himself in a low voice, took a deep breath of the smoke-rich air, took off the intercom from the bulkhead, and issued the next order aloud:

“…… After the first round of half-base shells was fired, they were replaced with propaganda shells. Hit all the flyers that were made last night on the shore! ”

――――――――――――――――――――

In the evening of the same day, Scotland's largest city, Glasgow. City Hall Building

The Honourable David Brown, Minister for Polar Development and Minister of Magic of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Chancellor Potter, who had just finished his video communication with King Bixia, was stunned for a while. Only then did he come out of a secret room in a trance.

“…… Prime Minister of the Cabinet of the Provisional Government? It's just me for the time being? Oh! My God! This is completely inconsistent with any of the laws! ”

-- Despite repeated persecution by radical rebels. The English royal family, which had been reduced to vase puppets for many years, finally made up their minds, and in view of the deplorable situation of King Charles I of England and King Louis XVI of France, the British royal family insisted on the decision not to give in, but to fight to the end.

But the problem is that although the vast majority of the royal family members are safe and sound, it is no longer the Middle Ages, and the monarchs of Western countries have all been reduced to vase puppets for many years, and their only official job is to attend ceremonies. They simply have no experience or ability to actually govern or run the army.

And if carte blanche were to be entrusted to the Scottish government, it would risk further stoking tensions between England and Scotland. Dismantling the United Kingdom system, which is now in jeopardy, would become even more uncontrollable if the Scottish government organized an army to conquer England after a long and fierce war, and the resulting explosion of nationalist sentiment in England would make the country even more unmanageable.

As a result, as the only cabinet minister who has not yet been lost in London, David Murphy stayed in Glasgow. Mr Potter was appointed interim Prime Minister and was ordered to form a provisional government in Glasgow until the end of the civil unrest.

But not long after, after preliminary negotiations with a group of EU envoys, he no longer felt a single milliliter of official joy, only anxiety about the future situation, anger against the greedy "allies", and an irrepressible sorrow and loss.

“…… The French, the Irish, the Germans, they simply want to dispose of the United Kingdom as a trophy! ”

After another round of secret talks, David . Chancellor Potter rubbed his scalp in anguish as he addressed his permanent under-secretary, Harry. Gordon complained, "...... A permanent garrison in Britain is to be made! And also to partition and occupy our capital London! Coupled with the abolition of the pound sterling, the replacement of the euro, the freezing of overseas assets, compensation for military spending and losses of the diaspora, and the establishment of a new government overseen by the European Union...... Are we a defeated nation or a colony? It has been more than three centuries since the end of the Glorious Revolution that we have not seen the boots of a foreign invader set foot on English soil! ”

“…… What's the solution? Since the end of the Glorious Revolution, we have not had a capital occupied by traitors for more than three centuries, Your Excellency! "Harry. Permanent Undersecretary Gordon smiled helplessly and shrugged his shoulders, "...... In my opinion, as long as the civil strife can be quelled as quickly as possible, even at the highest cost, it is theoretically worth it! Otherwise, if this turmoil drags on for too long, our King Bixia may still be the head of the entire Commonwealth, but your provisional government will become a government in exile! ”

“…… Government in exile? How is this possible? Now the international crusade against the 'Nelson Knights' is overwhelming, and the armies of all countries have landed in Britain and besieged them - although it is also a lion to us, at least the basic position can no longer be changed. ”

David. Potter's interim prime minister blinked incredulously, "...... Moreover, the rebels' Liliang is far less powerful than they thought, and now that even London is about to be breached by EU troops, how can these rebels still have a way to reach the city of Glasgow? ”

“…… I am certainly not worried that the Nelson Knights still have the strength to annex the rest of the United Kingdom. Under the encirclement and suppression of various countries, it is almost impossible for them to hold on to their existing territory! Rather, they fear that if the war continues for a long time, Scotland may take the opportunity to become completely independent. Wales is next, and Northern Ireland is no different...... Then Glasgow under our feet will naturally become a foreign city! ”

Harry. Gordon's permanent undersecretary sharply pointed to some kind of cruel and terrible prospect, "...... If, by the time the United Kingdom fell apart, the rebellion in England had not been quelled, what could your Provisional Government do other than become a government in exile?

Oh, and there's a possibility of even more pessimism. That is, the government of the United Kingdom was directly closed and dissolved, and the whole of Britain was once again transformed into the Kingdom of England, the Kingdom of Scotland, and the Kingdom of Wales in the Middle Ages...... There may be a Dominion of Northern Ireland to be added. The Knights of Nelson would then become the rulers of England. We were put on trial or sent to concentration camps like the Russian officials of the Red Revolution......"

“…… Say no more, Harry! Can't we put down the rebellion as quickly as we can with our liliang and get everything back on track? "David. Potter's interim prime minister rubbed his temples with a painful expression. “…… So many foreign troops poured into Britain. I panicked when I looked at it! ”

“…… With your own liliang, put down the rebellion as quickly as possible? That's a pretty light thing to say! "Harry. Gordon pursed his lips disdainfully, "...... Your Excellency the Interim Prime Minister, how many armed liliang do you still have in your hands? Scotland's northernmost domestic army was disarmed by the Russians, Portsmouth's main domestic navy was detained by the Chinese, 20,000 mercenaries from the United Kingdom Security Company rebelled, and the local military police in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have now declared their neutrality, and you can't even command the guards of this city hall - well. If we manage to lobby for it, the Northern Irish authorities might be able to provide us with 1,000 to 2,000 men. But there is absolutely no heavy equipment like tanks.

As for the military police in England, they have either joined the rebels or are caught up in chaotic street fighting in various major cities, and even communications have been cut off.

We in the United Kingdom have a large number of troops overseas, and they are loyal to the King, but they are scattered across the South Atlantic, the Caribbean, and the Indian Ocean, and some even as far away as Antarctica, and it will take at least a week to bring them back...... A week later, the French tricolor was flying over London! And the French commander will be hailed as the Napoleon the Great of the new era! ”

“…… At least we still have SAS! (The British Special Air Service Regiment, Britain's most elite special forces, has distinguished itself in overseas theaters.) ）”

David. Potter almost gritted his teeth and said, "...... They can be ordered to perform a decapitation operation against the leader of the Nelson Order! ”

“…… That's right, we also have SAS. "Harry. Gordon nodded in acknowledgement, but then immediately changed his tune.

“…… But there are less than 1,000 SAS men in total, more than half of the troops are deployed overseas, some are trapped in the chaotic areas in the south, and now only more than 200 people have just received the royal decree and completed the assembly in Edinburgh - even if these SAS boys are all reincarnated Rambo and 007, they can't turn the 'Special Air Service Regiment' into a 'Special Air Service Division' or 'Special Air Service Army'. But special forces operations have never been inseparable from intelligence support, and MI5 and MI6 are now all out of touch! We don't even know where the general command of the rebels is...... Therefore, even if they were thrown into London, which has a population of nearly 10 million, they would quickly evaporate like droplets of water dripping from the furnace fire.

Truth be told, it seems to me that in the current situation, they are thankful that they can keep Edinburgh from becoming a battlefield and keep the royal family safe. Hey, if our king Bixia dies again, and Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland each have different heirs to the throne, then Britain will have a realistic version of A Song of Ice and Fire 'Battle of Kings'! ”

“…… It sounded to me more like another War of the Roses. Sorry, Harry, I haven't read A Song of Ice and Fire. ”

David. Potter muttered, "...... So we can only continue to negotiate with the EU and use their liliang to quell the rebellion? ”

“…… With all due respect, if you hope in the mercy and salvation of the European Union, you will be a poison of despair for Britain - since the rise of the Habsburgs in Spain, Britain's national policy has been to suppress any of Europe's leading powers and to keep the continent permanently divided. After Emperor Napoleon, any country that tried to rise to become the hegemon of Europe was beaten to death by Britain with a group of small friends. Even after the establishment of the European Union, we did not forget to constantly create divisions in this organization, but unfortunately it became more and more ineffective - there is no way, after the same trick has been used for too long, it gradually becomes less effective. What's more, our liliang is also getting weaker and weaker.

On the other hand, the EU is also dreaming of a-for-tat, breaking up the island of Great Britain into a bunch of miniature states, and then plunging the island into endless internal strife among the countries, which can never threaten the EU's 'Greater Europe' ......."

“…… I also know that Europeans, especially the French and Germans, are unreliable, but there has to be a solution to this problem! Harry! ”

“…… This requires us to look to the past for a reference to the past, Your Excellency. Harry said with a subtle sense of superiority, "...... After the end of the First Shijie War, the defeated German Foreign Minister Simon once said: "The enemy's tactics must be estimated." Some of the enemies want to milk the cow, others want to cut off the cow's head, and those who want to milk the cow will make an agreement with us. Then, according to the guiding doctrine mentioned above, Germany, though it had suffered heavy losses in the Treaty of Versailles, was not re-dismembered into a bunch of small states.

Britain today is not defeated, but in fact it is no different from defeat, it is the same cow surrounded by people, some of the countries want to cut off the head of the cow, some want to milk the cow, and the only thing we can do is to make a compromise and deal with those who want to milk the cow......"

While Harry was still talking, a video communication suddenly interrupted the conversation between the two men, accompanied by a high-pitched electronic sound.

“…… Your Excellency Potter, the Chinese and Russian envoys have arrived at Glasgow International Airport and will be there in half an hour! ”

“…… Look, Your Excellency! Harry smiled and squeezed his eyes, "...... The milkman is coming! (To be continued......)