Mornings in the waters of Madeira come very late. 【】

When the sun came out, Xu Canxu finished handing over the shift and went to the restaurant for breakfast.

Without the threat of scurvy, the mood of the sailors was quite relaxed. They went to the restaurant in twos and threes, and there were some talking and laughing on the way. However, as soon as they approached the door of the restaurant, everyone became serious. Many people's faces became very strange, as if they had encountered something very strange.

Actually, there was nothing special, that is, at the door of the cafeteria, there was a second lieutenant and two sergeants. Beside them, there are a lot of black sea bowls. Inside each sea bowl, there is something black like a medicinal soup. Their task is to forcibly "drugged" everyone. Everyone who comes into the restaurant, regardless of their status, must be drugged. Even Commander Chen Zhan is no exception.

Of course, these things that look like medicinal soup cannot be real medicinal soups. They are actually anti-scurvy agents. The main raw materials of the medicine are lemon juice, orange juice and the like. In the remote corner of the restaurant, there are some fixed jars and jars, the largest of which is the size of a water tank. It's lemon juice, orange juice and the like.

There is no doubt that the taste of these lemon juices, orange juices, will not be very good. They are specially treated for long-term storage and to prevent the chemicals from spoiling. The original golden yellow color has turned into a dark black, like traditional Chinese medicine. The fragrance of lemon is gone, and the sweetness of the orange is gone. The rest, only the taste that is so sour that it can make people lose their teeth.

To be honest, no sailor likes to eat something so sour. When many sailors drank it for the first time, they couldn't help it and vomited on the spot. As long as you drink this medicinal soup, you will hardly have an appetite for the rest of the time. However, the military order is like a mountain, and you have to drink it if you don't drink it. If you don't take the initiative to drink, you will be forced to "indoctrination".

According to the rules of the White Army and Navy, every morning when he gets up, every sailor must drink at least a small bowl. Even in the case of illness, it is indispensable. If anyone does not drink, it is a violation of the military order, and they will be criticized at least and locked up at worst. If you really can't stand the taste of this "perfect tonic soup", then you can only quit the white-clothed navy.

After reporting his position and position, Xu Canxu picked up the lemon juice, pinched his nose, and drank it in one go. The second lieutenant of the navy, who specialized in supervising the execution of the medicine, glanced at Xu Canxu expressionlessly, and then nodded. A sergeant next to him had already found Xu Canxu's name and put a checkmark after his name. At this point, Xu Canxu's first task today is completed. Xu Canxu strode forward and entered the restaurant.

Space is very precious for any warship, and there can be no place for it to be wasted. In the past, it was impossible for warships to have a special restaurant. The sailors were looking for their own places to eat. However, due to the decrease in the number of cannons and the number of sailors in the warships of the White Navy, the dining room can also be done decently.

As a battleship with a displacement of more than 1500 tons, the area of the restaurant, which is about several hundred square meters, can accommodate one and a half hundred people to eat at the same time. The entire crew on the flagship was about two hundred and fifty people. Basically, you only need to divide it into two batches, and you can eat it all. Therefore, the work of the kitchen can also be said to be four meals at a time, in a clear and orderly manner.

It's a pity that the food on the warship is almost set in stone. Soybeans, winter melon, radish, pickles, sauerkraut, sweet potatoes, corn, potatoes...... It's basically all of these things. Fresh vegetables are out of the question. There is no way to save it for a long time. Unless a warship docks, there will be fresh vegetables to eat. Occasional bean sprouts are considered good.

As for meat, it's basically fish. What is the most lacking in the Navy? Except that the sea water is fish. As long as you want, you can eat fish every day until you smell the fish and want to vomit. Fishing also does not require any special equipment, only need to hang a large net behind the warship, and pull up the large net regularly, and the various fish caught in it are enough for everyone to have a meal. If you're lucky, you might even catch some of the most valuable fish.

It is a pity that no matter how precious the fish, in the eyes of the battleship cook, it is the same. Because, what is needed here is a large plate of food, a collective meal, and there is no such thing as a small stove. Unless there is a serious illness number, special treatment will be given. The food of the officers and soldiers of the white-clothed army is the same, whether you are a high-level general or the most basic soldier, you are treated equally. Even the most precious fish is treated as an ordinary ingredient.

It's not that Xu Xingxia doesn't want to improve the food of the officers and soldiers, it's not that he is unwilling to spend money, but he doesn't have that kind of technical conditions. In the era when there were no refrigerators and no crispers, it was impossible to preserve fresh vegetables. Meat other than fish is also impossible to preserve for too long. There are many reasons why warships have to dock from time to time. Improving food is also a key reason. Not being able to eat fresh vegetables for a long time is unbearable for many people.

The staple of breakfast is steamed buns, steamed buns and white porridge. Everyone can choose according to their different eating habits. The officers and men of the white-clothed army and navy come from all over the world, and some people like to eat rice, and some people like to eat noodles, so naturally all kinds of food must be prepared. Today's staple dishes are egg fried rice and noodles, and side dishes are boiled eggs and pickles.

Xu Canxu likes to eat noodles and finger meat, all of which are influenced by his mother. He also likes to eat barbecue. He also knows how to barbecue meat by hand, and the level of barbecue is quite good. Of course, his father also seems to like to eat noodles. However, when there is no pasta, Xu Canxu will not refuse to eat rice, and egg fried rice is also what he likes.

asked for a plate full of egg fried rice and a small plate of pickles, Xu Canxu found a seat, sat down alone, and slowly started eating. After a while, Wang Yunfei also came, brought a big bowl of porridge and five fritters, and sat next to Xu Canxu.

Wang Yunfei is a typical talker, and he talked to Xu Canxu all night last night, and he didn't feel tired at all. When he entered the restaurant, he picked up the soup and drank it all in one go. As if it wasn't a medicinal decoction at all, but a real tonic. The amount of breakfast he asked for was twice as much as Xu Canxu's. Xu Canxu felt that he was enough to eat, but compared to Wang Yunfei, he was a big deal. This kid is a foodie.

As soon as he sat down, Wang Yunfei and Xu Can talked again. I don't know where he found so many topics, but he even knows a lot about the military operations of the White Army in the Western Regions. There are so many things that even Xu Canxu doesn't know. While eating, Xu Canxu felt that he was really a little sleepy, and he just wanted to go back to sleep early, so he didn't answer much. Wang Yunfei didn't mind, he said his own.

The strange thing is that this guy can talk endlessly, and at the same time, he can also stuff things in his mouth endlessly. After eating a large bowl of food, he went to fill a large bowl again. After eating the five fritters, he went to get five more. It felt like he was going to make a third shot. As a result, he really made a third shot. However, the third time he shot, he brought back a large plate of Yangzhou fried rice, which was about the same as the one Xu Canxu brought back just now.

"Ahem, aren't you afraid to hold on? It's hard to sleep if you're too full. Xu Canxu said worriedly.

"It's okay, I can't hold on, the more I eat, the better I sleep. If you're hungry, you really can't sleep! Wang Yunfei said indifferently.

A naval lieutenant next to him interjected: "Wang Yunfei, aren't you afraid of dying?" I said that you kid has been in the Navy for two or three years, why are you still so good at eating? Do you really want to make up for all the shortcomings of the previous ten years? ”

Wang Yunfei smiled and did not answer. Judging by his expression, it should be a default.

After a while, Xu Canxu finally figured it out. It turns out that this Wang Yunfei is also a person with a story. He hadn't eaten a full meal until he was eighteen years old. After joining the White Army, there was no limit to the amount of food, and he ate with his belly open. As a result, the more he ate, the more he ate, the more he ate, and now the amount of food is more than three times that of Xu Canxu.

"I won't mess with you. You're so good at eating. Xu Canxu shook his head and said.

Standing up, putting the pots and rice bowls back into the sink, Xu Canxu left the restaurant and went straight back to his kennel, ready to rest. Due to the decrease in the number of cannons, the reduction in the number of sailors, the rest conditions of the battleships of the White Coats Navy are quite okay.

The battleship had a dedicated rest area and was relatively quiet. Everyone has a fixed bed and a spare hammock so they don't interfere with each other. When you toss and turn, it doesn't affect others. Therefore, when you are really sleepy, you can still get a good night's sleep. Provided, of course, that no enemy comes to disturb them.

Although Xu Canxu has a special identity and a mysterious origin, only Chen Zhan knows his true identity. Therefore, his hammock is no different from that of an ordinary officer. Usually, in order to avoid influencing others and avoiding being influenced by others, Xu Canxu usually spreads out the hammock and hides in a dark corner to sleep.

It just so happened that Zhang Daniu and Xu Canxu were in a cabin. When Xu Canxu returned to the cabin, he found Zhang Daniu with a black face, without saying a word, sitting directly on the ground, bowing his head and smoking silently. His face was very bad, obviously he had encountered some sad thing.

I don't know when tobacco has become the main spiritual food for naval officers and men. This kind of thing, which was originally not available in the Ming Empire, was immediately welcomed by the white-clothed army after it was introduced to the Ming Empire. All the officers and men of the white-clothed army and navy, from the deputy commander Chen Xinhai to every grassroots sailor, it seems that there is no one who does not smoke.

At that time, there was no filter or anything, they were all directly rolled up with shredded tobacco and smoked, and the taste of tobacco was very strong. If several people smoke together in a relatively narrow and closed space, the air will turn white. Xu Canxu saw this is what it looks like. The entire cabin was covered with smoke screens, and it was almost impossible to see people's faces.

Around Zhang Daniu, there were still a few ensigns, lieutenants, or something. They are all members of the observation group. They were all silently patting Zhang Daniu's shoulder to express comfort. When the cigarette in Zhang Daniu's hand ran out, they immediately handed him another one and lit it easily. As a result, the cigarette in Zhang Daniu's hand was never extinguished.

When chatting with Wang Yunfei last night, Xu Canxu already knew the cause and effect. Seeing this scene, he also sat down silently. Someone next to him handed him a cigarette, Xu Canxu took it, lit it with a fire fold, and joined the army of Tutu. As a result, the white smoke screen in the cabin was even thicker and more smoky. Fortunately, there is no fireworks alarm device or anything in this era, otherwise, the iron alarm will be automatic.

The reason for what happened is actually very simple. Yesterday, the letter from the Western Regions was delivered to Zhang Daniu. There was nothing else in the letter, only bad news, that is, Zhang Daniu's younger brother, Zhang Erniu, died in the battle against the Western Regions.

Since the letters needed to be turned around several times before they reached the Fourth Fleet. Therefore, when Zhang Daniu got the news, Zhang Erniu had been sacrificed for more than five months. Among all Zhang Erniu's relatives, he, the eldest brother, should be the latest to get the news. It's no wonder he is so sad, they don't have a daughter in their family, only their two brothers.

While the White Army and Navy are constantly advancing towards Europe, the White Army and Army are also constantly advancing westward. Their goal was to defeat the Ottoman Empire and push the front directly into the Mediterranean on land. To this end, Xu Xingxia mobilized more than 100,000 troops, equipped with a large number of mortars, and formed the Western Regions Army.

Under the command of Gao Jie and Mao Shisan, the Western Regions Army of the White Clothes Army has advanced to the vicinity of the Safavid Dynasty, and it is getting closer and closer to the Mediterranean Sea. The leader of the Safavid dynasty, Abbasid I, also adopted the strategy of joining forces with the White Coats and attacked westward together. With Abbasid I, who was very familiar with the enemy, leading the way, the White Army advanced faster.

On the western border of the Safavid Empire, the White Army and the elite army of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, the Sultan's own soldiers, fought a series of fierce battles. As a result, the Sultan's own troops suffered heavy blows from the white-coated army in succession and suffered heavy losses. In three years, the losses of the Sultan's own troops exceeded 300,000. The losses of other Ottoman [***] troops, more than a million people. Without the arrival of the true gods, the defeat of the Ottoman Empire would have been inevitable.

However, in the face of the sharp knives of the white-clothed army, the Ottoman Empire's will to resist was still very high. They couldn't defeat the whites on the front, so they figured out a way on the flank. In the name of the true God, they mobilized the bewitched people against the march of the White Army. I have to say that this trick is still very useful. As the White Army got closer and closer to the Mediterranean, it encountered more and more resistance, and the losses suffered also tended to expand.

Although the equipment of the white-clothed army is very advanced, the training level of the officers and men is also very high, and the combat effectiveness is outstanding, it is still subject to the influence of local complex terrain, people's conditions, religion and other factors, and people will still die from time to time. No matter how strict the precautions are, it is impossible to achieve zero casualties. After all, it is difficult for a strong dragon to suppress the head snake. Zhang Erniu was on patrol when he accidentally encountered an attack by hostile forces and died heroically.

Of course, this method of the Ottoman Turkish Empire could not stop the white army from launching a fatal blow against them. Xu Xingxia decided to take Istanbul down with the army and navy advancing at the same time, attacking from front to back. Istanbul is the political, economic, cultural, and religious core of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, and as long as it is taken down, the Ottoman Turkish Empire will collapse. As the time for the White Navy to enter the Mediterranean Sea became shorter and shorter, the plan to encircle Istanbul by sea was finally about to come true.

"Big cow, the festival mourns and changes." A Navy lieutenant came in and offered comfort to Mr. Zhang. This naval lieutenant is Chen Zhan's adjutant Zhou Jian. He came forward to comfort Zhang Daniu, that is, on behalf of the fleet commander Chen Zhan, to comfort Zhang Daniu.

Everyone comforted again, and Zhang Daniu slowly cheered up. He swore that he would make the enemy look good and that Istanbul would be conquered. When the time comes, Zhang Erniu's great revenge will be avenged with his own hands.

"Doot toot!"

Suddenly, a hurried whistle sounded.

There is an enemy!

Most likely, the enemy fleet is coming!

The crowd was stunned and hurried out of the cabin.

Xu Canxu also walked quickly to the deck, raised the binoculars, and carefully observed the surroundings.

Sure enough, on the northern seas, a large number of warships appeared. They didn't approach very quickly, and they seemed very cautious. The sails of most of the battleships were not fully hung up, obviously because they were worried that they would move too fast and collide with the battleships of the White Navy. If that's the case, they must be the ones who suffer. Because, the artillery fire of the white-clothed army and navy is really too ferocious. The harder they charged, the greater the losses they received.

"So many warships? Estimated 500 of them, right? Gao Rusong frowned.

The number of enemy warships is simply too great to be able to count accurate numbers. As the chief observer, he could only deduce from his own experience that the enemy's warships should not be less than five hundred. Perhaps, behind these five hundred enemy ships, there are many more warships that have not been dispatched. However, this is not within the scope of his reconnaissance.

Five hundred warships is indeed not a small number. The Fourth Fleet of the White Army Navy has only more than 30 warships. If you don't guess wrong, it should be that the Western powers have taken out all the battleships that they pressed the bottom of the box. With so many warships appearing together, it is obvious that they are going to dismount the white-clothed army.

"All the army turns!"

"Maneuver south!"

Chen Zhan calmly issued the order.

All the warships of the Fourth Fleet immediately turned and fled to the south.

At this time, the sea breeze happened to be blowing from the north, and all the warships of the white-clothed navy opened their sails and fled to the south with the help of the wind. However, the enemy battleships did not catch up. To be precise, the warships of the Western powers did not move at all. After a few moments, they were no longer visible.

"These guys weren't fooled?" Chen Zhan's brows couldn't help frowning. The original strategy of the white-clothed navy was to try to lure the snakes out of their holes and annihilate them individually. If the fleets of the Western powers catch up, what awaits them will be a huge trap. As long as the enemy falls into this trap, not to mention five hundred warships, even if there are a thousand warships, they will all be destroyed. But, alas, the fleets of the Western powers, did not fall for it. In other words, the original strategy of the White Navy has failed.

It can be seen from this that among the commanders of the fleets of the Western powers, there should also be smart people. They must have seen through the schemes of the white-coated navy. This is not surprising. After all, the white-clothed navy is an upstart, and their various experiences are still relatively shallow. Relatively speaking, the navies of the Western powers are the real ancestors!

Zhou Jian frowned and said, "Commander, it seems that we still have to attack hard!" ”

Chen Zhan nodded and said slowly: "Zhou Jian, immediately send someone to get in touch with the other fleets and inform them that our original plan has failed." Now, a new plan needs to be executed. At the same time, someone was sent to report to the deputy commander of the Navy to see if there was a need for a strong attack. Our fleet will return to the port of Las Pamas and wait for orders. ”

Zhou Jian solemnly agreed, turned around and went to carry out the order.

All the warships of the Fourth Fleet continued to fly south, until they returned to the port of Las Phamas before coming to a slow stop. At this time, the port of Las Pamas was already full of various warships of the White Army and Navy. At a glance, all the flags of the white-clothed army fluttered on the mast of the battleship. The whole port is like a big square with red flags fluttering.

The original Las Parmas had only one port and could only berth more than a dozen merchant ships. Today, Las Plamas has five large ports that can berth more than 100 large merchant ships. Moreover, there are many more ports in the process of expansion. If these ports are expanded, at least 300 large warships can be berthed.

The warships of the White Army Navy are constantly gathering here in large numbers. They were all fleets that came from the rear to reinforce them. The current White Army Navy has a total of twenty detachments. Most of the warships are Tianshan-class warships with a displacement of more than 1,500 tons. Battleships with a displacement of less than 1000 tons have completely withdrawn from the battlefield.

For the safety of the port, those powerful 155mm howitzers were also deployed on both sides of the port, with black holes and muzzles, facing the sea outside. If an enemy ship appears at this time, the bombardment of 155mm howitzers alone can wipe out the opponent. It's a pity that none of the warships of the Western powers appeared.

Half a month later, Chen Xinhai led more warships to Las Palmas. In the months that followed, the White Navy and the combined fleets of the Western powers worked hard to assemble all the warships. By the spring of 1634, the White Navy had assembled more than 300 warships. The Western powers, on the other hand, concentrated more than 500 warships.

Prehistoric naval battles, on the verge of breaking out.

(To be continued)