I Am Louis XIV

This is the first day of Lent, and there will be 40 days of Lent until Easter. However, this is not a big deal for the Dutch merchant fleet, because they probably spent the forty days It’s going to be consumed in the sea. On the sea, meat has always been a kind of embellishment. Their staple food must be things picked up from the sea. Sea fish, sea beasts and seaweed, captains, first mates, doctors and other distinguished people can enjoy it. When it comes to potatoes and cabbage, the rest of the crew can only endure endless stomach burning and mouth bleeding. These symptoms are very common among the crew now that fresh fruits and vegetables have not been found to resist scurvy.

Captain Hahn has no such troubles. As a captain, he can not only eat potatoes, but also tomatoes, drink coffee, and chocolate, but every time he spits on the deck before eating, because these delicacies Vegetables and fruits were passed from France to the Netherlands, and the Dutch were sure that the crops they used to appreciate were edible. When thinking of France, Captain Hahn’s heart seemed to be ground. He is from Amsterdam, and his brother Dragging their prime minister out of the city hall that night not long ago, and then together with some thugs, dismembered and traded him, Hahn only regretted that he was at sea and not at home, otherwise he would have tried to stop himself brother.

But turning around and asking myself, Captain Hahn is not sure if he was there, would he really try to stop those people--those people are crazy, the French king has an army of 120,000, they all know, but they only have 20,000 , such a disparity in proportion, unless General Luyter's crew can climb ashore, they can't expect to win. No, this is no longer a question of whether they can win, but a question of whether there will be a Dutch Republic in the future.

Under such tremendous pressure, they are like people who have not seen the light after hundreds of dark days. They are full of suspicion and anger towards the husband in charge of the DeWitt brothers. Coupled with the sudden disappearance of William III, Orange Belt The party took the opportunity to use various methods to incite them in the streets and alleys, and these voices of dissatisfaction eventually converged into a torrent of floods, completely destroying their last barrier.

Yes, yes, Captain Hahn couldn't help but a gloomy and bitter emotion flitted through his heart. He knew that his brother, after venting, also realized that he had done a stupid thing, but even if Jesus came, there would be nothing wrong with him. There is a way to put the de Witt brothers back to their original appearance. The people of Amsterdam fell into a kind of chaos and confusion. The one who bears the burden steps forward and tells them aloud what to do.

There are always people who say that those councilors are electing a new ruler, but as described in this article, the motions of the General Assembly have to be passed down layer by layer, from the General Assembly to the Provincial Assembly, from the Provincial Assembly To the city council... This matter is not as simple as building one or two ships or signing a contract. Everyone knows that whoever stands up at this time may become a Dutch hero or a May become a prisoner of the French, and there is even a voice saying that they are not unacceptable to a ruler like the Sun King, but some people retort that the St. Bartholomew Massacre happened in Paris, and the Dutch are all Protestants, no one knew whether a Catholic king would take away their fortunes or even their lives.

Even if Hahn knew nothing about politics, he could tell that the Dutch Republic was already on the verge of collapse. He asked from the businessmen he was familiar with, and they all brought him disappointment, whether it was Utrecht or Zeeland. , or Gelderland, their provincial councilors seem to have never seen the sword of Damocles hanging above their heads, and they are still debating and negotiating day and night, making overt or covert deals—— Even if they are unwilling to be the ones who raise the flag because of their timidity, they are also worried that others will take the opportunity to seize power and get the biggest benefit. There is no doubt that if there is someone to turn the tide at this time, the Dutch will not be unwilling. Give him a crown.

In such a situation of dragging each other down, constantly blaming each other, and even framing and murdering each other, let alone a few months, even if they were given a few years, they would not be able to choose a person who could face the King of France.

Standing on the deck, Hahn looked back at Amsterdam, which was no longer visible, feeling desolate in his heart. Every time he and the businessmen behind him left Amsterdam, he wondered whether he would be able to return to this beautiful city, or when he went back. , it no longer belongs to the Netherlands.

A seagull passed by Captain Hahn's battleship. This battleship is an 80-gun double-decker battleship. The lower deck is about 120 feet long, 30 feet wide, and has a displacement of 1,000. Even so, it is no longer the main ship in the Dutch Navy. The main ships in the Dutch Navy are now three-deck warships with a displacement of more than 1,500 tons, and there are slightly less than 1,200 tons. A ship with 90-98 tons of displacement and a gun load of 90-98 guns-this "Freedom" ship was originally under the command of General Luyter, but because it ran aground during a cruise not long ago, it was repaired. Change to merchant ship escort.

Even so, it and its four friends (approximate warships) are the most dazzling of this huge team. There are seventy-two caravan ships in total. Guarded by four strong and active shepherd dogs, chasing the waves and heading towards the destination under the morning light.

Captain Hahn took a deep breath, not hopeless! As far as he knows, there are also some businessmen and parliamentarians who are trying to buy, bribe and lobby powerful figures in other countries, and some people are recruiting soldiers, as long as they can stalemate with the French and wait until other countries form an alliance against France At some price, Holland can at least preserve its own territory and air routes—as long as... when he was thinking this way, he suddenly heard a sharp cry, "Enemy!"

When the Dutch saw the British warships, they were so close that they could be seen directly with their eyes. Seeing the British warships preparing to seize the T-row, Captain Hahn was dizzy for a while, but he still followed General Luyter to pass by. The person who was involved in the two Anglo-Dutch wars, he reacted almost in the next moment, "Ready to fight!" He shouted, and the crew around him ran quickly, conveying his orders to various places on the ship. The guns of the "Liberty" are arranged in front of the upper deck, in the middle and rear, and on the forecastle and stern of the open deck, and there are twelve thirty-six-pound heavy guns on the lower deck, but Captain Hahn is worried that they have undoubtedly been shot. The British ambushed, and I don't know if these artillery can get a chance to exert their power.

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"Honestly," said Captain Wilson, who was in charge of the operation and one of the Duke's confidantes, "I still can't believe it. Is it a trick played by those alchemists?"

"I don't think you need to care so much," his first mate said in his heart—the alchemist is probably still in disguise, these guys...maybe the servants of the devil, but he didn't show it at all, "as long as they do it They do what they promise."

"I think..." Captain Wilson sighed deeply, but he still didn't continue. He could think of things that the first mate could think of, but he didn't expect that the rumors in London were not all nonsense.

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"Captain Hahn?"

Captain Hahn was startled, because the person in front of him actually came out of the flames, and he immediately drew his sword—the captain who has spent almost half his life at sea knows a little more than ordinary civilians, After all, the sea is ruthless and unpredictable, and some wealthy businessmen occasionally hire wizards, but these wizards are dangerous people no matter what time they are.

The wizard wasn't offended to see Captain Hahn like this—he was dressed like a rich businessman, "Relax, I'm just an ordinary wizard," he said, and he thought so, and he wasn't even a black man. A wizard, that's why he escaped the French king's siege, but he didn't expect that he would encounter this kind of thing just to do business with a businessman and go to a safer New World: "Just to tell you Mr. Captain." He said: "It seems that war is inevitable, and the gentleman who hired me has decided to give you some help if you need it."

"Help?" Captain Hahn remembered that among the seventy-two merchant ships, there were indeed twenty-four armed merchant ships. Although they were called merchant ships, they also had 60-80 artillery pieces, which were fully capable of fighting. He was about to thank him when he saw The wizard waved his hand casually, and a few flames fell on the deck, scorching out several black spots, "In front of the fleet is our master's clipper." The clipper is a small three-masted ship with a long and pointed ram. The flat-bottomed boats that carried the most cargo and the armed merchant ships that carried artillery were both small. Of course, they also carried cargo in the merchant fleet, but obviously, it was not to the point where they could not be lost, because the wizard then said: "These The clippers are all loaded with woolen stuff," he said casually: "My employer said that the wind was just right, and he deliberately set all these ships on fire, and then rushed towards our enemy... Although it may not be possible to prevent them from occupying T Head position, but the smoke and fire afterward will also interfere with their vision, so maybe we can buy a little time."

Captain Hahn hesitated for only two seconds, then nodded immediately: "Thank you very much," he said quickly, "Tell your employer, I will report his loss to General Luyter, and include it as an additional payment for battle damage." .”

"I will tell him," said the wizard, and he threw a handful of brimstone on the ground, and went away in the rising flames.

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First a bit, then a patch, then a whole ship, it was on fire, even at noon, it was still too bright to look at, black smoke rose from the sea to the sky, like no skill The famous artist took a crude charcoal pencil and drew a few random lines between the sky and the earth.

"They're just crazy!" cried Captain Wilson angrily.

The crew jumped ship and left immediately after igniting the ship, and the ships behind rescued them. Although it was very dangerous, the reward promised by the captain and the merchant was enough for them to spend comfortably for several years. , after losing the controller, only one rushed straight to the British fleet, and the others went crookedly to other places, but even so, the huge smoke they raised was as good as Captain Hahn hoped. As he did, the line of sight of the British fleet was disturbed, and Captain Wilson ordered to fire, sinking the clipper that was rushing towards the center of the fleet.

They didn't buy much time for the Dutch fleet, and during this time, Captain Hahn's warships and armed merchant ships had already moved towards the two sides of the British fleet, although the British had already Occupying a favorable position, Hahn's warships also came within range, but the Dutch merchants also showed rare courage-they boldly used their merchant ships as sea fortifications, and let the shells hit the precious goods. Also let the warships cross the British blockade.

The British sent twelve galleys and six clippers equipped with artillery, but the Dutch's decisive action caught them by surprise. Before they could decide whether to actually destroy these merchant ships—that is, When they took the spoils, Captain Hahn had already led his warships and armed merchant ships around to the right side of the British fleet, so that they would occupy the T prefix position.

All of a sudden, the waves are rolling, the flames are raging, and the guns are roaring. The old enemies are fighting each other on the vast expanse of blue waves. At this time, whoever wins depends on the courage of the two captains and whether they are sensitive enough to the battle. ——Captain Wilson Originally took the lead, but he is also a greedy person. In other words, his master, the Duke of York, is often stretched. This is Britain's declaration of war on the Netherlands, but at the same time, the Duke of York also hopes to enrich himself... On the battlefield, even if No amount of hesitation will change the result—Captain Hahn did not waste the opportunity that the merchants fought for him, and his "Liberty" was already firing a volley of guns before it completely crossed the hull. His choice is not bad Correct, although his artillery could not hit the British warships, it slowed down their ships for a while. After all, not everyone has the courage to rush into the artillery fire. He defeated those cowards.

Although Captain Wilson tried his best to recover after discovering his mistake, and even ordered his warship to compete with the Dutch for a favorable position again, in the end, he still had to watch helplessly, full of remorse, in the battle between the thick smoke and the Dutch. Surrounded by broken planks, the "Liberty" passed their field of vision proudly and lightly, leading most of the merchant ships to leap over the trap, and once again plunged into the embrace of the sea and blue sky.

What was left to the British was a sunken clipper ship and three merchant ships that had completely lost power because they served as offshore fortifications. When the crew left the ship, they set fire to it, so they can only say is nothing.

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"I really don't know what to say," Louis said, passing the letter to the candle and lighting it.

This letter was written by a member of the Provincial Council of Gelderland to the mayor of the free city of Najmegen. There is no need to say much about the content of the letter, but the member probably would not have thought that his courier was not as good as the French. Army fast.