Chapter 257 My Decision

On the vast ocean, the two warships are driving one after the other. Unlike the navigation of ordinary warships, the two warships with thick smoke in the chimneys have been sailing at a high speed of more than 10 knots. The bow hit the tip and cut the blue sea, leaving a white rill that continues to spread around the back of the ship.

Careful people will notice that the bows of these warships fluttering British merchant flags are decorated with golden dragon patterns, and their sterns are written with Chinese square words "Zhenhai" and "Dinghai". Is this Ji Li? Chen Qingjia bought two warships for the navy.

Twenty-one days ago, on August 24, on the tenth day after Cheng Biguang and his entourage of officers arrived in the United Kingdom, the "Zhenhai"-class warship finally sailed from Port of Portsmouth and returned home. In addition to more than 20 naval officers on each ship, the ship also hired hundreds of British and German naval officers and soldiers to help fly and escort, and the sea that received the ship The military officers accompanied the ship to drive and practice.

In order to save money and shorten the supply time during the voyage, the two battleships of the same class, Zhenhai and Dinghai, were overloaded with coal storage in Portsmouth. The "Zhenhai class" with a normal coal carrying capacity of only 840 tons was designed to load nearly 2,100 tons of high-quality British Welsh anthracite.

For these two warships, the Chinese navy and even the whole of China are eager to see through. According to the route, the two warships are all the way out of the North Sea, across the Atlantic Ocean, through Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea, into the Red Sea through the Suez Canal, and finally across the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea.

In the process of naming the ship, it can be said that it took a lot of time. At first, someone suggested using "Ji Li? Chen named one of the warships as the source of the warship, but it was rejected by Ji Li. After nearly a month of discussion, the navy finally took out two "Zhenhai and Dinghai". After being handed over to the ruling, the two ships were officially named. The difference between Zhenhai and Dinghai and the two ships of Zhenyuan and Dingyuan in those years is only one word, but the difference in this word shows the expectation of the Admiralty of these two warships. The eager navy is looking forward to these two warships, and even the 1,600 carefully selected sailors in the whole navy. When they return home, They have taken boats from all over the country to Guangdong. They will receive warships in Guangdong. Finally, with the help of British employees, they will fly the warship to Nanjing. After reviewing the ship, they will sail into Ma'anshan to maintain the ship.

Like the wandering son whose father is looking forward to returning, the Ministry of the Navy sent telegrams to the two ships "Zhenhai" and "Dinghai" in the name of the ruling family. Every day along the way, at 8 a.m., 6 p.m. and 0 p.m., these three times will be sent to report, so that the Admiralty Department can grasp the news in time.

"Beep..."

When they met the British cruise ship in the scorching sun of the Indian Ocean, the two ships "Zhenhai" and "Dinghai" sounded their sirens one after another. Along the way, they were used to the first salute of each other.

"D, D..."

When the whistle sounded, there was a beep in the telegrapher's headphones in the telegraph room. When the telegraph note was written down the line of the telegraph, the telegraph with a pencil kept copying the telegram on the paper. This was a secret code that was completely different from the password used in the past, although the vast majority of the crew members on the ship were in the British and German sea. Military employees, but the telegraph was sent by the Chinese navy, but at the moment of copying the telegram, the young telegrapher's heart tightened.

Although he does not have this secret translation, the completely different secret is reminding him of the fact that this is a wartime secret. According to the order formulated by the Admiralty, only in wartime will the navy suddenly change the password.

"Class A secret electricity!"

After completing the telegram check, he took a look at the message in his hand. The telegrapher turned his head and said to the sergeant beside him.

As soon as he heard the Class A secret telegram, the sergeant was stunned. Instead of taking the telegram directly, he took out the pistol from the cabinet behind him and pinned it to his waist, and then carefully covered it with a military uniform. After handing the telegraphman a submachine gun, he took the telegraph and left the telegraph room. When he went out, the door of the telegraph room was closed. The newspaperman pressed the submachine gun next to the telegraph machine, waiting for the next telegram or further order.

Hiding in **, Ji Li, who became weak because of the storm after crossing the Red Sea, listened to her daughter's crying and couldn't help regretting it again.

"Risa, maybe we should really take the train back home from Russia!"

She was seasick, and Resa was also seasick, and the most painful thing was that Qin'er, who had only ten months old, was also seasick. The last time she took a cruise, it was fine, but this time she returned home on a warship. Although she installed a hanging blue on the chandelier in the captain's room, Qin'er was still seasick when the storm came. In order to save money and time, the army The ship did not avoid the storm.

"Madam..."

Before Risa could speak, the door of the captain's room was pushed open. Cheng Biguang came in. After entering the captain's room, he first gave a military salute to his wife.

"Madam, I just received a telegram from Nanjing!"

"Is it from the government?"

Listening to the telegram, Ji Li couldn't help but sit up from **, and her pale and pretty face was full of joy.

"Madam,"

He nodded and shook his head.

"Yesterday, the ruling axe negotiated with the countries to recover the right of tariffs. The countries refused to negotiate. The ruling axe ordered the imposition of additional taxes. Now the United Kingdom, the United States, France and Germany are adjusting warships to demonstrate in Shanghai..."

Cheng Biguang's voice seems to be a little solemn. Maybe this is fate. When the second ship returned to China, it was forced to return to Hong Kong due to the Qing-French War. Now the second ship is returned to China, but it is threatened.

"What!"

Ji's expression tightened and she looked at Cheng Biguang in surprise.

"The government requires our ship to return at full speed. It is possible that... the fleet may be intercepted by British ships in Manar Bay..."

Listening to Cheng Biguang's words, Ji Li asked back after meditating for a while.

"We will take a few more days to reach Manar Bay!"

"If you speed up, you should pass Manar Bay in the early morning of tomorrow!"

"General Cheng!"

Ji Li, who stood up while holding the bed, looked at Cheng Biguang in front of her.

"If the countries use warships to fight against each other, then China needs these two warships more than ever. You are the commander of the fleet. I only have one hope, which is to safely sail the warship back to China and hand them over to the navy to fight against the countries. This is what you should do."

She took another look at her daughter who seemed to be asleep in the cradle. She remembered something her father had said.

"My husband told me that the biggest shame of soldiers is disarming and surrendering. I'm not a soldier, but I know that for the British navy, the white flag will not be raised at any time, and I believe the same is true for the Chinese navy!"

"Madam, of the 1,100 officers and soldiers accompanying the two ships, only 103 naval officers and soldiers, and the rest are British and German naval employees!"

Cheng Biguang expressed his worries. If there were only a thousand naval officers and soldiers on this warship, he would rush back regardless of the cost, but this was by no means the case. Before coming to the captain's office to report to his wife, they had already held a meeting, and they would carry out the orders issued by the governor, but the lady... People are ashamed of disarming. There is no reason to explain that these two warships were donated to the navy. If my husband asked us to enter the neutral port to wait, I would accept it, but my husband asked us to sail back to China. It can be seen that the country needs these two warships. If the British navy tries to surrender the ship, then, Cheng General, I only have one request"

Ji Li's voice was not loud, but there was a resolute look in her expression, "Blow it up!"

"Madam!"

Cheng Biguang looked at the lady in front of her in surprise, and Risa's face was also surprised. She also didn't expect that her wife would make this decision.

"If it really comes to that moment, I hope that General Cheng will sink the warship after firing, and the Chinese navy will never surrender without a fight!"

After saying this, Ji Li walked towards the hanging blue hanging from the chandelier buckle. In the cradle of the warship, her daughter was sucking her big thumb and looked at her daughter Ji Li stroking her delicate face with her fingers, and a slight smile appeared on her face.

"Dlow down the flag of the merchant ship! From now on, these two warships are the existence of the Chinese navy in the ocean!"

"Madam, I hope you and Miss can leave the warship! There is a Japanese merchant ship returning from the United Kingdom about 130 nautical miles away from us. I think they must be willing to protect their wife's safe return to China!"

Ji Li shook her head and turned around to look at Cheng Biguang.

"General Cheng, if it was my husband on the warship at this time, would he be a deserter?"

A rhetorical question made Cheng Biguang silent. He made it clear in the ruling telegram that the wife's departure and stay are up to the wife, and the unyability of the warship is also a requirement of the rule.

"General Cheng, please pick up the officer to the combat room. I hope I can say something to them!"

"It's madam!"

After a military salute, Cheng Biguang just withdrew from the captain's room.

"Madam..."

As soon as Risa was about to speak, Ji Li said her words, holding Risa's hand and telling her seriously.

"Risa, if... you take Qin'er and Mr. Zhang to the lifeboat together, you promise me that you will bring Qin'er back to the young master safely!"

"But what about you, madam?"

Ji Li did not answer Risa's question. Instead, after simply dressing up in the mirror, she left the captain's room. When she occasionally met British or German naval sailors in the aisle, Ji Li politely returned politely when they saluted to her as in the past.

"... The ship cannot be surrendered and cannot be captured by the enemy. I hope you will remember this training! If the British army is bound to seize the ship, I hope you will carry forward the spirit of the navy and coexist with the ship. Although Ji Li is a female stream, she is also willing to coexist with all naval soldiers!"

With that, Ji Li bowed deeply.

"In a word, please!"

"Please rest assured, I will not disgrace the name of the soldier and swear to coexist with the ship!"

Thirty-two officers on the ship also responded at the same time, looking at the lady in front of them with heartfelt reverence. This reverence is no longer originally derived from the wife's dedication to the ship, but now it is more out of respect for his wife's courage.

(to be continued)