10 Downing Street, London, UK.

In the office of the Prime Minister, the Duke of Wellington, the two looked at each other silently. Today, the Duke of Wellington does not even attend the House of Commons, but only stays in his study and holds a secret meeting with the other Prime Minister of the British Empire, the Earl Amestad, Prime Minister of the Indian Empire. Guarding the side, there is only the cabinet secretary Huck who has served four British ministers and is still standing today.

Quietly in the office, the two British prime ministers stared at each other, I don't know how long, before they heard the Duke of Wellington sigh and say, "William, why did the situation deteriorate so quickly?" When I left, everything was under control! ”

Indian Prime Minister William. Peter. Count Amsterdam shook his head, "Duke, once a war breaks out, where is there anything to control?" What's more, this war was meant to be a war for all of us, and sooner or later everyone would join it. If we can't win, then the world will be dominated by the yellow race in the future! ”

The Duke of Wellington frowned: "Although it is said that everyone will join sooner or later, it is better to join later than to join earlier." This was also the agreement I reached with His Majesty the Emperor when I left India...... We should protect the United Kingdom as much as possible so that she suffers as little as possible from the pain of war. Right now...... Is the situation so critical that the United Kingdom has to join it? ”

In fact, it was not the will of Emperor William and the Duke of Wellington to delay Britain's entry into the war as much as possible, but the common will of the entire elite who ruled the British Empire, especially the great nobles, big bankers, and big industrialists in Britain. In their vision, the best way to fight the world was to replicate the lines of the Napoleonic Wars, with the British Empire largely hiding in the safe rear, bribing other countries with money and military aid to serve as cannon fodder. And Britain's filial son India and the rebel son of the United States are ideal cannon fodder countries.

The Indian Prime Minister looked at the British Prime Minister, shook his head lightly, and said, "Duke, I think you should have received a comprehensive and detailed report...... Despite our repeated claims of victory, the situation is on the verge of collapse! The Navy suffered crushing defeats in the Straits of Malacca and the Gretel Strait, effectively losing control of the Indian Ocean. After the Ming Dynasty's new battleship and aircraft carrier formations attacked Bombay, we had to lift the blockade of the Persian Gulf, urgently withdraw the forces occupying Muscat, and transfer the Second Indian Ocean Fleet from the Andaman Islands back to the western Indian Ocean. And this also means that the Malay Peninsula has effectively become an isolated island. Admiral Gough has already ordered the Royal Indian Army to lay out a strong defense on the Malay Peninsula, enough to hold out for 6-12 months. But as long as we can't regain control of the eastern Indian Ocean, the Malay Peninsula will eventually fall.

And once the Ming seized the Malay Peninsula and took the Strait of Malacca under their full control, their main naval force would be able to move freely between the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific...... They can choose to attack India or Australia, and we have to be prepared for this difficult situation in advance. ”

Now the 1st Indian fleet has "successfully defended" the Red Sea! Well, this is another "Kaiser Wilhelm victory"!

Dozens of old battleships, armored cruisers, and cruisers of the second and third rank, under the cover of the Second Indian Fleet, sailed far away from the Gulf of Oman into the Gulf of Aden, and then merged with the Gulf of Aden Squadron and turned into the Suyinzi fleet of the United Kingdom defending Europe and the Mediterranean!

Of course, the Suyns fleet was not all concentrated in the port of Suyns (the southern mouth of the Suyinshi Canal), but was stationed in the ports of Suyins, Port Said, and Aden, and also firmly controlled the island of Pirin, a bare volcanic island with an area of only 13 square kilometers, in the middle of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait (less than 30 kilometers wide). As early as the start of the construction of the Suyinz Canal, it fell into the hands of the British along with the port of Aden. The British built docks, forts, coal bunkers, and barracks there, turning it into a fortress to hold the Suyins Canal. This time, the British army increased its troops on Pilin Island, deployed a whole regiment of Anglo-Indian infantry, and also arranged a dozen Vickers 3-pounder guns that had been modified to fire at the air, and also equipped with a large number of horse-drawn machine guns that could fire at the air.

The defense of the port of Aden, which was converted into a fortress at the same time as the island of Perin, was also greatly strengthened. Not only did the British send a few more regiments of land there, but they also assigned four old warships, four armored cruisers, and ten cruisers of the second and third rank to the Gulf of Aden Squadron (now part of the Su-Yin Shi fleet of the United Kingdom), which were tasked with covering the security of Anglo-Indian transport ships entering and leaving the Gulf of Aden.

In addition, the island of Socotra, located outside the Gulf of Aden, was also piggybacked by the British this time. They sent a brigade of Anglo-Indian infantry to the island, and they were also preparing to build an airship landing field.

The airship placed on this island will become the eyes of the Gulf of Aden Squadron, which will conduct reconnaissance in advance when the Gulf of Aden Squadron undertakes escort missions to detect the close Ming Navy breaking the formation.

Although after this "Kaiser Wilhelm victory", Britain did not have to worry about the safety of the Suyinz Canal, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for the time being. However, the strength of the Royal Indian Navy has been greatly weakened, and only the original Second Indian Fleet can be used to protect the lifeline of India's west coast and the western Indian Ocean, and it can no longer support operations in the Malay Peninsula for the time being.

Therefore, the fall of the Malay Peninsula is only a matter of time, and the fall of the Malay Peninsula means that the initiative of the war has begun to shift into the hands of the Ming Dynasty!

With the Strait of Malacca as a hub, in the future, the Ming Navy will attack India if it wants to attack India, and if it wants to attack Australia, it will attack Australia...... Britain's limited navy was deployed in the Indian Ocean, the South Pacific, the Mediterranean, the North Atlantic, and around the mainland (to guard against France and Rakshasas).

The situation is indeed very critical, and we must deal with it with all our might!

"But a full-scale war mobilization in the United Kingdom would mean a fiscal deficit and a trade deficit that would be difficult to contain!" Although the Duke of Wellington was a soldier, he was not ignorant of economic problems, "and France, which was out of the war, could well become a safe haven for capital...... Once a large amount of capital flows from England to France, it will be difficult for us to sustain a long war! In fact, the United Kingdom's prosperity has benefited from the long-term safe-haven demand of European capital. ”

"Duke," said Count Amsterd, "we have considered this question...... We have to pull everyone into the water! Because what is going on is a war between civilizations, no European can stay out of it, otherwise the Yellow Peril will once again sweep Europe. We've got to tie as many people as possible to our chariots! Only then will we be able to achieve victory...... Even if there is no victory, the cost will be borne by all. ”

The Duke of Wellington frowned and was silent for a while before he nodded and said, "Earl, I understand what you mean, and I also know how critical the current situation is...... You'll have to give me some time, though, and I'll need to talk to the Whigs and the bankers who control half of Europe's wealth. I think those people would have chosen to side with us if they had known how critical the situation was. Because only we can protect their interests! Huck, do you say yes? ”

Standing on the sidelines, the chief cabinet secretary Huque, who had not spoken a word during the conversation between the two prime ministers, heard the Duke of Wellington's question and immediately replied with a smile: "Yes, Prime Minister." ”

"Huck," the Duke of Wellington asked again, "do you know who you are looking for?" ”

"Yes, Prime Minister!"

"Okay, then let's go! I'm going to meet them soon, right at 10 Downing Street. ”

"Yes, Prime Minister!"