The first thousand five hundred and sixty-eight chapters England do the navy
In fact, this is indeed the case. The Spaniards are still a global colonial power these days. Whether in Europe or around the world, especially in the Americas, they have a strong position.
In addition, Spain's relationship with the empire in the past twenty years has been pretty good, so if Datang wanted to set up an embassy in Europe, Spain would definitely be the first choice.
As for the Portuguese, they also wanted the empire to establish an embassy in their country of Portugal to increase their Portuguese influence.
However, this Portugal had just fought a war with the empire, and was defeated by the empire. In fact, the empire did not value the Portuguese very much.
Therefore, we only decided to establish a consulate in Portugal. As for the embassy in Europe, we chose to place it in Spain.
Apart from these two countries, among other European countries, there is only one Ottoman Empire spanning Europe and Asia that deserves the empire's attention, and the rest are just scum.
More importantly, they had no contact with the empire, so there was no need to establish an embassy.
In order to ensure that there are no unnecessary misunderstandings, the Spanish and Portuguese will send their diplomats originally stationed in Shanghai to return to Europe. Then after arriving at the port of South Africa, the Spanish and Portuguese will return to Europe first to report the news and
Make relevant preparations.
Chang Zhenchuan and others waited in South Africa for a while before setting off for Spain.
This was done to allow Chang Zhenchuan and other envoys to arrive in Europe smoothly without having to let Navy warships escort them all the way!
These days, it's just like the Tang Dynasty Navy strictly blockading the Cape of Good Hope and not allowing ships from other countries to cross the Cape of Good Hope and enter the Indian Ocean. Once discovered, they will be treated as pirates!
The Portuguese and Spanish also strictly blocked the sea areas under their control, and found that ships from other countries were treated as pirate ships!
In this aspect, the English know it best!
As a backward maritime trading country, every time we cross the Atlantic to trade with South Africa, we have to risk our lives to break through the naval blockade of Spain and Portugal in order to reach the South African port!
Although the Tang Empire signed a series of official documents and agreements with the Spaniards and Portuguese, there was no stipulation that Spanish or Portuguese ships could not enter the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia, and there was no clear stipulation that Tang ships could not enter the Atlantic Ocean.
But in fact, everyone knows very well that the Indian Ocean, the Western Pacific and even the Central Pacific are such a large area of water, which is the sphere of influence of the Tang Dynasty. Unless the Spanish and Portuguese want to break out a war with the Tang Dynasty, otherwise,
It is impossible to enter the above sea areas for trade.
Similarly, if Datang did not want to start another war in the Atlantic Ocean, it would not send large-scale ships into the Atlantic Ocean to trade with Europe.
This is a mutual recognition by both parties of their respective spheres of influence.
The Tang Empire is now busy digesting the Indian Ocean coast, as well as many expansion tasks such as the localization of Nanyang and the localization of the Americas. In addition, it is already preparing for a large-scale war in the Western Regions. Naturally, at this time, there will be no extraneous affairs with Spain.
What violent conflicts arose in Portugal?
Therefore, even though ships were occasionally sent deep into the Atlantic Ocean in the past, they were mainly used to explore routes and collect marine and coastal geographical information. Sometimes they would go secretly, and sometimes they would go as official ships under the guise of visits.
go.
But they generally don’t trade in the Atlantic Ocean, especially in Europe.
This time the mission to Europe is a serious official act. Naturally, they will not go secretly, but go openly. Portugal and Spain will even need to provide necessary supplies and protection along the way, so it is necessary
Contact and preparation in advance is a given.
The ships of the Datang Western Trading Company that Xu Zhenchuan and the others boarded were all motor-driven ships, and they were large ocean-going ships of 1,000 tons. Compared with the previous small ships of 400 to 500 tons, they ran more steadily and faster, even though they were not as good as the Pacific.
A large passenger ship, but not bad.
They soon arrived at the port of South Africa!
With the arrival of these four merchant ships from the Tang Dynasty Western Trading Company, it caused a stir among the merchants from various countries in the port. Those merchants waved Royal Bank checks or Tang Yuan cash to snap up all the goods, and then they went non-stop.
shipped back to Europe.
Of course, this is also a festival for pirates. I don’t know how many pirates have ambushed spies in South African ports, waiting for these ships to go out to sea and enter the Atlantic Ocean to plunder.
At this time, Xu Zhenchuan became interested in one of the pirates. This pirate was none other than England's great pirate leader Hawkins!
But at this time, in addition to being a pirate, he also had a very special identity. He was also a representative of the English royal family, and he approached the Tang Dynasty for cooperation on behalf of the English royal family.
In a way, this pirate leader is now a diplomat of the English royal family!
It is normal for Hawkins to appear in the Port of South Africa. Not only Hawkins, but also many merchants from Europe and North Africa will appear in the Port of South Africa.
Although the Portuguese and Spanish have strict blockades on the sea areas they control, it is still impossible to achieve a complete blockade. After all, the Pacific is so big. As long as Hawkins and others are careful and don't foolishly go to the waters near the colonies controlled by others.
If you wander around, you won't be unlucky enough to encounter a Spanish or Portuguese patrol warship.
Of course, without the supply support from coastal ports, it will be more dangerous and difficult for merchants from Hawkins and other countries to travel to South Africa.
Since Hawkins came to the South African port last time and led the fleet to transport the goods of the Tang Dynasty and successfully returned to England, he has been greatly welcomed by the English royal family and other nobles.
Because Hawkins' trip to South Africa brought them a lot of lovely gold coins.
In this way, Hawkins also reached the peak of his life. He was appointed as Vice Admiral of England and presided over the construction and development of England's new navy.
What is the new navy?
No need to ask, it is naturally the navy of the Tang Dynasty!
Battleships equipped with steam engines are the battleships of the new era!
However, he found a lot of people in England, trying to find people to make steam engines and equip them on battleships. Unfortunately, he failed.
He had seen several steam engines, but even John Ferroman, the most successful steam engine maker, his steam engine could only run continuously for about half an hour after several improvements.
And the most important thing is that his steam engine only has a few horsepower!
Can a few horsepower steam engines propel a warship of hundreds or even thousands of tons to sail?
Impossible.
Disappointed, Hawkins could only continue to fund Philoman's research and development of steam engines, while also looking for other methods, such as purchasing steam engines from the Tang Dynasty, or even directly purchasing warships from the Tang Dynasty.
Because of the great success of the first South Africa trade, Hawkins quickly prepared for the second South Africa trade. This time he led an even larger fleet.
Four merchant ships were funded by the English royal family, and three merchant ships were jointly funded by other nobles and merchants. In addition, Hawkins himself and the investors behind him also contributed two merchant ships.
He led a total of nine merchant ships from England. It is worth mentioning that the fleet did not go to South Africa immediately, and it also carried too much valuable cargo, but there was no industrial products, cloth, woolen and the like.
Instead, there are more seemingly worthless industrial raw materials, such as coal and even grain.
Then there are some products with European characteristics, such as English rum.
However, these things are not valuable, and even if they are all sold, they will not be able to produce enough gold and silver to purchase goods from the Tang Dynasty.
And although his ultimate goal was the South African Port, in fact he had to do some slave business before arriving at the South African Port, otherwise he wouldn't even have the money to purchase goods from Datang.
His fleet first went to Africa and engaged in the slave trade in secret. After a lot of trouble, he saved enough funds to go to the port of South Africa.
He led the largest ocean-going trading ship in England's history, hiding all the way, taking several risks and sailing in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean for a long time, and after several slave trades, he finally arrived at the port of South Africa.
After arriving at the South African port, it is natural to sell the goods and then purchase the goods from Datang.
At this time, he learned that a delegation from the Tang Dynasty had appeared in the port of South Africa and was preparing to set up an embassy in Europe.
At this time, Hawkins believed that this was his opportunity and England's opportunity.
What opportunity is, of course, is the opportunity to break the Spanish or Portuguese blockade.
As a newly rising maritime nation, England can most deeply feel the pain of the Spanish and Portuguese blockades of many Atlantic waters. Countless English people hope to break this blockade.
From the early triangular slave trade to the current South African trade route, the English had to hide. If they were caught by the Spanish or Portuguese, they would 100% be killed as pirates.
Of course, in fact, the English merchants represented by Hawkins did not rob Spanish or Portuguese merchant ships. It is not an exaggeration to say that they were pirates.
But in the Atlantic these days, who dares to say that his butt is clean?
There is no toilet paper for smearing on the buttocks, no one can say anyone is dirty.
When Hawkins was in the South African port, he had seen the steam ships of the Tang Dynasty many times. However, when he found the Tang Dynasty merchants who wanted to purchase them, he was directly rejected. When he found the local Datang officials
When he said that he was a representative of the English royal family and was purchasing a steam battleship on behalf of the royal family, he was rejected before he even heard the story.
But he doesn’t give up!
So when he heard that a high-ranking official from the Tang Dynasty had arrived in South Africa and was preparing to leave for Europe, he realized this opportunity.
The Tang Dynasty had not opened any embassy before, but they opened it now. Combined with the information he knew about the Tatars wreaking havoc in Eastern Europe, and the Tang Dynasty and the Tatars being a dead end, etc., he concluded that the Tang Dynasty would send an embassy to Europe.
It's definitely not simple.
As a European country, the English did not want to be left behind when the Tang Dynasty wanted to change its foreign policy towards Europe.
So he once again came to the door as the plenipotentiary representative of the English royal family!