On the plywood, Captain Petra looked into the distance with a melancholy expression, as if lost in thought.

After twenty years of crawling and rolling at sea, he had never been so nervous. Even when she was robbed by pirates, Petra was not as nervous as she is now.

There is no way, who let him take a business that he shouldn't have?

In fact, Petra also knew that the business was risky. It was very dangerous to sail at night in those days, and under normal circumstances, no one would ask to leave the port overnight.

However, there are surprises in everything, and for the sake of the pound, Petra still doesn't mind taking risks.

In his consciousness, it was nothing more than taking a few people to smuggle away. Petra has done something like this many times.

It's just that under normal circumstances, they are smuggled into Britain from outside, and smuggling out of Britain still rarely happens.

For Petra, these are minor issues, and as long as the money is sufficient, everything is negotiable.

Everything went well ahead and it wasn't until these special customers boarded the boat that Petra realized something was wrong.

After so many years of crawling and rolling at sea, Petra is also well-informed. No matter how much Vittorio Emanuele III disguised, his temperament could not deceive people.

With years of experience, Petra could tell at a glance that the identity of this gang was extraordinary and definitely big.

The problem is that the Fulda is just an ordinary cargo ship, and there is no comfort at all.

Unless it is a time of crisis, even if the big people are down, they will not choose this obviously disidentious way of traveling.

No one wants to take on this kind of business, which means a lot of trouble. Before Captain Petra could repent, he was warned.

Send the person to the Netherlands according to the agreement, and double the commission income according to the agreement; If anything happens on the road, the whole family will go to hell together.

Refusal is impossible, the whole family is targeted, Petra can only hope that God willing, the road will be smooth sailing.

……

While Petra was deep in thought, two warships were catching up from a distance, no more than 20 nautical miles.

The experienced first mate reminded: "Captain, something is wrong. The two warships in the back seemed to be eyeing us. ”

Hearing the words of the first mate, Petra went straight to the observation room without saying a word, picked up the binoculars and looked behind.

Sure enough, two warships appeared in the sky, heading towards the Fulda.

Because of the distance, Petra couldn't tell which country's warship it was. However, the gradual shortening distance still told Petra that the visitor was not good.

"At the current rate, in six hours at most, the two warships behind will catch up.

The order went down and hastened, and we had to get to Holland as soon as possible. After completing this task, all income is increased by half. ”

The first mate replied heartily, "No problem, Your Excellency, Captain. ”

Everyone risked their lives to go to the sea to beg for a living, and what they wanted was money. As long as the money is sufficient, everything is easy to discuss.

However, Captain Petra was not so optimistic, and with many years of sailing experience, he could be sure that the closest port to the Netherlands was more than 100 nautical miles.

Under normal driving conditions, a warship is not much faster than a cargo ship, but the speed burst limit of a warship is high, and if it moves at full speed, it can run twice as fast as a cargo ship.

Of course, the steamships of this year are still limited by power. Although the warship runs fast, once it is moving at full speed, it will inevitably usher in a major overhaul afterwards, and may even be scrapped.

Unless it's a very important thing, the navy is not so extravagant under normal circumstances.

……

The movement on the ship also alarmed Vittorio Emanuele III in the cabin.

"What's the matter, could it be that you met a pirate?"

For the sake of safety, when Vittorio Emanuele III left, he arranged for several cargo ships to leave the port at the same time, and he just chose one at random.

Theoretically, as long as there is no exposure that night. In these years, communication was inconvenient, and even if the British government found out that he was missing the next day and ordered the Royal Navy to chase him, it would not be so fast.

Before anyone could answer, Captain Petra broke in.

"I'm very sorry to have bad news and I have to disturb you.

Now the situation is very critical, and two warships have caught up, less than 20 nautical miles away from us.

I've given the order to speed up, but the Fulda is just an ordinary freighter, and even with the power modifications, it still can't outrun the warship.

For the sake of everyone's safety, I hope that you will open your hearts and make things clear so that you can make a decision. ”

Hearing that the warship was catching up, Vittorio Emanuele III's face changed drastically, and he sighed helplessly.

Thinking of the heavy responsibility on his shoulders, Vittorio Emanuele III forced himself to calm down and said slowly: "Your Excellency, Captain, there is still a lot of cargo on the Fulda, right?" ”

Captain Petra nodded, the cargo ship must be carrying goods, there is no need to doubt it at all.

Receiving an affirmative reply, Vittorio Emanuele III: "Very well, then now all the goods and sundries are thrown into the sea, except for the necessary coal."

Including bed linen and duvet covers, personal items, weapons and ammunition, food and water were kept only for half a day, and everything possible was done to reduce weight. ”

Vittorio Emanuele III's understatement stunned Captain Petra and exclaimed: "This is impossible! If I lose these goods, I'll pay for it! ”

It's really not an exaggeration, with Petra's net worth, she lost this cargo, and she had no choice but to go bankrupt.

Vittorio Emanuele III smiled slightly, pretending to be nonchalant and said: "Don't worry, all the losses will be borne by me, including the employer's grievances, someone will solve them for you."

Now, all you have to do is get rid of these unnecessary things and find a way to speed up the boat and get rid of the pursuers behind you. ”

Indemnify?

Vittorio Emanuele III confessed to being a poor man, arguably the poorest royal family in all of Europe.

The rich family wealth left by the original ancestors has long been tossed because they want to restore the country.

In order to maintain a decent life, Vittorio Emanuele III was already in debt. The so-called compensation is a blank check.

But no matter how much money he has, he can't show his timidity. In any case, let's talk about whether we want to pay compensation or not, and then we will talk about it!

After pondering for a moment, Captain Petra still shook his head: "It's still not good, even if we throw away all the cargo on the ship, the speed will increase by two knots at most, and we still can't outrun the warship."

Don't forget, there are guns on the warships, they can attack from a distance, and the small size of the Fulda can't stand the toss. ”

It doesn't matter if you have money or not, the key is that life is important. In these years, civilized law enforcement is not popular, and the navy's favorite thing is to use artillery shells to speak.

Vittorio Emanuele III frowned and asked with concern: "Is the warship that came to pursue the British or French?" ”

Captain Petra rolled her eyes and replied in a very exaggerated tone, "Not sure yet. But we set out from London, and the warships that came to pursue us were supposed to be British.

Have you offended the French government?

God, I'm so unlucky! It's terrible that this kind of thing can happen......"

Vittorio Emanuele III waved his hand: "Your Excellency, don't be so pessimistic. If it was a warship of the British, they would not dare to open fire.

I think instead of wasting your time here, you should hurry up and clear the warehouse, at least we have a better chance of escaping.

Otherwise, if everyone falls into the hands of the British, I will be fine, but you will die. Trust me, they're going to hang you. ”

Killing kings is not something ordinary people can do, although the throne on the head of Vittorio Emanuele III is a little low, but a king is a king.

In the European political system, murder is a serious crime.

Vittorio Emanuele III was sure that the English were very dissatisfied with him running away, but no matter how dissatisfied they were, they did not go to the point of killing the king.

The British government can't afford to kill the king, and the Royal Navy can't afford to kill the king.

In comparison, it is difficult to say about the French. The two sides were already enemies, and Vittorio Emanuele III had no confidence in the temperance of the Bonapartese dynasty.

Moreover, Vittorio Emanuele III ran away from London, and the French, as long as they were thick-skinned enough, could completely disagree with it and dump the blame on the British.

Captain Petra's face sank, and after a moment, "Well, you win." But Your Excellency, you'd better give me a satisfactory explanation, or we'll all break up. ”

Compromise, it's a thing that can't be done. Petra had not lived long enough to die.

After pondering for a moment, Vittorio Emanuele III said slowly: "Don't worry, the reward afterwards will definitely satisfy you.

If you perform better, even if it is to give you a knighthood, it is not impossible. ”

Titles of nobility are valuable in Europe, but they are also very cheap. At least for now, the titles of the Kingdom of Sardinia are not worth much.

While in London, Vittorio Emanuele III sold his title more than once in order to raise funds for his restoration.

From the prince to the knight. As long as there is money, there is nothing that cannot be sold.

For Vittorio Emanuele III, the knighthood was the cheapest asset, completely worthless until the restoration was successful.

Even if the restoration is successful, the gold content of the title of the Kingdom of Sardinia will be greatly reduced. After all, it's a knighthood bought with money, and don't expect the aristocratic world to recognize it.

Captain Petra is not stupid, there are many powerful people in Britain, but those who can be paid for their titles are in fact some exiled royal families.

Thinking about the current situation, the identity of Vittorio Emanuele III has in fact been revealed.

Knowing is knowing, but Captain Petra's emotional intelligence is not low, and he forcibly suppressed his impulse.

This is not a good time to reveal your identity, and no monarch wants to be seen at his most down.

"Your Excellency is no problem, I'll do it right away!"

After saying that, he glanced at Vittorio Emanuele III, and Petra withdrew.

Seeking wealth and danger is common in ancient and modern China and abroad. Captain Petra, who had been adrift at sea for more than twenty years, had long since grown tired of this life.

It's just that I don't have the opportunity to transform, so I have to continue to work. Now the opportunity has come, although Vittorio Emanuele III looks down, but he can't stand the noble birth!

As it stands, the chances of the restoration of the Kingdom of Sardinia are about the same as those of the anti-French alliance to win the war.

Judging by past experience, Captain Petra believes that the odds of victory for both warring sides are fifty-five. Now defecting to Vittorio Emanuele III is a big gamble in life.

It stands to reason that Captain Petra in the middle of the year shouldn't like to gamble, but the problem is that he can't rely on other powerful people at all!

The royal families and great nobles of various European countries have a bunch of retainers. Who would be fed and supported, and their own people who know the root of the matter don't need it, and run to reuse a guy of unknown origin?

Don't look at the current public opinion, it is becoming more and more unfavorable to the aristocratic group, but it is the aristocracy that holds the power.

Even the most bullish capitalists are trying to become a member of the aristocratic group, and Petra is no exception.

……

Watching boxes of goods being thrown into the sea, Captain Petra was bleeding from the depths of his heart, and now all he lost was money.

Although Vittorio Emanuele III promised to pay compensation, it is still unknown whether it will be fulfilled.

After all, this king is too poor, and the next war for the restoration of the country will cost a lot of money.

Even if the restoration is successful, there will still be many years of hard life ahead.

It is enough not to go to the past, but to ask for money, and the king cannot fail to pay his debts. But if she wants to go to the past and achieve a counterattack in life, Petra can't make it difficult for the boss.

The distress did not last long, and the warship behind suddenly accelerated, 15 nautical miles, 10 nautical miles, 5 nautical miles......

The distance between the two sides is constantly being narrowed, and the cruel reality makes Captain Petra no longer care about the heartache.

The first mate said in a panic: "Your Excellency, the British in the back have raised the flag, telling us to stop the ship for inspection, otherwise we will open fire." ”

That's the Royal Navy, and everyone who has been messing around at sea these years knows that the last thing in the world to mess with is the British Royal Navy.

In normal times, everyone hides when they encounter it, and avoids close contact as much as possible.

The reason is naturally due to the Royal Navy's good reputation as a "thief and officer", even if this is a British ship, and when it meets the Royal Navy at sea, everyone is still worried.

In particular, Captain Petra also ordered all the goods to be discarded, and the uneasiness in everyone's hearts was even stronger.

Petra endured the discomfort and said: "Reply to them, this is the high seas, it does not belong to the jurisdiction of Britain, and they have no right to inspect it." ”

The first mate said in a trembling voice: "Can this be done by the captain, if they really open fire, then we will be finished."

Otherwise, stop the ship for inspection, and there is nothing on the ship anyway, which is worth their ......."

"They're coming for me, but it doesn't matter anymore. Send a flag to tell them that if you want to kill the king, you can shoot it! ”

The sudden sound startled the two of them, and at some point, Vittorio Emanuele III appeared behind them.

Seeing that Vittorio Emanuele III had identified himself, Captain Petra hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, why did you come out. It's not safe here, so you might as well go back to the cabin! ”

……