"Sir Pennington, it's an honor to invite you to have tea this year. I heard that the English Parliament has allocated 1.7 million pounds to your Royal Navy for training officers and building ports in the past three years. You have also ordered dozens of warships from several shipyards, which is probably a huge increase in strength."

Sun Xu, the commander of the Fourth Fleet, brought Zheng Zhibao, Ruan Youjin, Ruan Youyi and other groups of the Fourth Fleet to invite officers from the Royal Fleet to come to his station for tea.

The two fleets were in the same port, and they had joined forces in the Mediterranean, and their relationship was pretty good. They basically had a party every month to meet officers from both sides and occasionally exchange intelligence.

"No matter how many ships there are, they can't compare to your armored ship. Our shipyard is also studying the use of armor to cover the hull. I wonder if it can produce armored ships that satisfy our navy. It would be great if you were willing to sell one or two ironed ships to us." Sir Pennington looked at the Huo Qubing and General Fubo who were staying in the port. He always felt that the length of the other party's ship was too exaggerated, and it was almost impossible for wooden sailboats to reach.

The two steam ironclad ships made the Royal Navy officers envious, and they would rather trade 10 sailboats for one ironclad ship.

"I see that your Navy has many new faces. Has something happened recently?" Sun Xu noticed the Royal Navy's major blood change, many officers were replaced, and there were many newcomers.

"If you tell this, it may bring shame to our Royal Navy, but you are allies, and there is no need to hide it from you..." Sir Pennington lowered his voice, "Parliament believed that our Navy was corrupt, and when Parliament opposed King Charles, the navy was not firm in its position, so it replaced a group of officers and transferred a group of officers from the Army to our Navy. Many of them had not experienced combat at sea or even lacked navigation experience. It was really hard to believe that they could lead our Royal Navy to victory."

"So that's how it is..." Sun Xu picked up the teacup and felt relieved.

Charles I once raised 800,000 pounds for the Admiralty. In this era, 800,000 pounds was a considerable amount of funds, but the Royal Navy was not revived due to bureaucratic corruption. The Royal Navy was still bribed by the Parliament with money in the struggle between the king and the Parliament, standing opposite Charles I.

As Charles I's sister, Sophia had no good feelings for the former Navy people, so she took this opportunity to get many naval officers out of office.

"We also noticed that you have assembled 14 warships and 20 transport ships. Are you planning to conduct an expedition to the outside world? What is your purpose?" Sun Xu asked another sensitive topic.

"There is no way. Our two fleets are in the same port, and no movement can be hidden from your eyes. We are indeed going out, but I can guarantee that our private actions have nothing to do with you this time." Sir Pennington did not explain the destination of their Royal Navy's expedition, and was afraid that the expedition would be leaked.

"I can understand your difficulties. Now that the Royal Navy has been controlled by the Queen and Congress, your salary will be stuck by the Queen and Congress." Sun Xu didn't ask much.

"The Navy is almost a profession. Fortunately, we England are an island country and never lack sailors." Sir Pennington smiled bitterly.

"The proportion of sailors here is indeed very amazing. Many people make a living by the sea. If they leave the sea, there may be unemployed homeless people everywhere." Sun Xu said.

There are more than 10,000 sailors in Portsmouth alone, serving the Royal Navy or the maritime merchants and earning meager salaries.

"Sailors are a dangerous and low-reward profession. Only privateers can get rich overnight. Many people really can't survive and become sailors. There are not many people who can get rich. Many sailors heard that when the Caribbean pirates can get unimaginable treasures by plundering Spanish treasure ships, but the Spanish naturally guard their treasure ships, and there are very few sailors who can grab the treasure ships." Sir Pennington said.

After the Royal Navy's major blood change, Army officers such as George Monk, Black, William Payne came to Portsmouth to take over as naval officers. This time, Prince Rupert, who was famous in the Civil War in England.

Prince Rupert, who is only 24 years old, is the hottest figure in England besides Queen Sophia, one of the main commanders of the King's Army, and half of the Stuart royal family's bloodline.

This expedition, Prince Rupert was appointed deputy commander of the expedition, and Sir Pennington was commander of the naval fleet. The troops of 14 warships and 20 transport ships secretly crossed the English Channel, expeditioned to the West Indies, and seized Spanish colonies in the West Indies.

They concealed the Spanish's invincible fleet and carried out a great sneak attack.

The whole of Europe did not expect that Queen Sophia, who had returned to England for three years, would make a big splash and would choose to seize Spain's colony in the West Indies at this time.

"Sir, do you think the Royal Navy of England sailed southward this time when it left the port?" Ruan Youyi asked Sun Xu after the Royal Fleet left.

"They have 14 warships, but they need 20 transport ships as supplies, which means that they are likely to not get supplies along the way, and they must be a long-distance battle. The East has been occupied or influenced by us, so it is impossible to go to India or East India. This fleet is either going to America or Africa. It is more likely to go to America or the West Indies." Sun Xu inferred.

"Queen Sophia was indeed influenced by our military master. She had only been in power for three years. The number of ships in the Royal Navy had just reached 50, so she couldn't wait to start colonial expansion. If the East was our colony, then the West was the Queen's colony."

"But the competition in the West is too great. Several kingdoms are expanding outward. After all, the Western countries have too few land and population, and all kingdoms are looking for a way out."

The officers of the Fourth Fleet inferred that Queen Sophia ordered the Royal Navy to expand outward, and they did not respond much to the expansion of England.

When it comes to colonies, the area of ​​colonies they control is far above European countries, North America, India, Oceania, Cape Town...

"I just fear that England will also entangle us in war with the colonies of other kingdoms."
Chapter completed!