Realm of Power

After the heavy rain, the blue sea was filled with the warships of the Aden Navy with their front ends tilted like knives. Compared with the previous days, the wind and sunshine were beautiful, and the scenery of the mouth of the Gulf of Aden, known as the Gulf of Aden, was seen all day long. There was an extra chill in the cold wind. The cold wind from the north has dropped a little bit at this time. Mixed with the sea breeze, the grass and trees were blowing on the vast land. Since the end of winter this year, the Kingdom of Aden has suffered frequent defeats on the land battlefield. More than 100,000 of the kingdom's elite army soldiers were killed and wounded, and the north and south were all defeated. The navy also suffered losses. Dozens of mountainous naval warships were also sunk and damaged. Until now, Aden seems to be a For patients who have passed the early spring, there seems to be a period of time in the winter that they cannot survive. News of defeats comes one after another, places are lost one after another, famous generals fall one after another, even the king who has high hopes. Du Shuangjun, a direct descendant of the royal family, and the face of the Aden military were completely lost in the southern battlefield of Aden.

The Fourth Army of the two armies in the royal capital is now barely keeping the southern front from collapsing. The royal capital urgently mobilized 30,000 troops to reinforce the south and block the possibility of the slave rebellion in the south extending to the north. The army tightened its teeth and unanimously claimed that the army The root cause of the fiasco was the navy, and the Imperial Army launched its attack from the sea Come on, if there were no mistakes in the navy, it would be impossible for the imperial army to appear in the southern region, and it would not appear in the kingdom's weakest point. If it were not for the incompetence of the navy, the kingdom's army would not rush to fight with hundreds of thousands of soldiers. The blood of soldiers is used to stop this huge mistake of the Navy.

"The root of the problem is the sea. If the sea cannot stop the Imperial Navy, it will be useless no matter how hard the army fights."

Since the end of the meeting of the Ministry of Military Affairs, this sentence has been circulated privately among the Admiralty of Aden. After Issadi refused to hand over the command of the Kingdom's navy, the fleet admirals under the former Commander-in-Chief of the Aden Navy also joined the ranks of opposing Issadi. They gathered under the Naval Building of the Kingdom of Aden, wearing Aden Navy uniforms. The admirals were uniformed and stood in a neat queue, saying that they would refuse to return to the fleet if Issadi did not take the blame and resign. Most of these naval admirals had connections with the army.

Over the past year, the strength of the Army in the Central Asian battlefield has been obvious to all. The defeat in the southern battlefield has also been compressed to a certain extent in the hinterland of the Gulf of Aden. Most of the people in Aden are unaware of the situation in the southern battlefield and think that although the southern battlefield It was unfavorable, but it was not completely rotten. The weather was still so bright that it made the world a transparent scene. It was the weather when the army went to war and killed people. Only the top military officials in Aden felt like the cold wind was blowing. Coldly, 20,000 people of the Imperial Army broke into the south, and 80,000 people of the Imperial Army broke into the northern desert. Although they were both battles of 10,000 people, it was clear that it was just a regional-level invasion, but on the Aden side, there was a It felt like the family was being emptied of money. At the beginning, the Army thought that the Imperial Army was just here to make fun of them. Twenty thousand people were enough to do anything. Even giving them away was a bit too much. That is to say, they could barely perform a military report. level,

But now, the Aden military wants to know even more, how did this war end like this!

How many Aden generals have been silent about the southern battlefield, not daring to comment, let alone discuss it. Where are the two armies in the royal capital still blocked? His Majesty the King's face has almost killed people these days. I heard that the number of slaves in the south has exceeded 100,000. Millions, except for a few big families who can barely maintain their territories, The area of ​​other families is in a mess. It is said that there are more than 30,000 nobles gathered at the southern entrance, but no one dares to let them go without the royal order. This situation will not last long. Once these fleeing nobles enter Aden Bay, the news of the disastrous defeat in the southern battlefield will be exposed

A great victory must be achieved to dilute the humiliation of a disastrous defeat before this news fully breaks out. There is huge pressure from the top and bottom of the Aden Military Affairs Ministry. The army is no longer good, so it can only rely on the navy? However, anyone who is not blind can see that the naval commander-in-chief is already frightened. Because he cannot know the whereabouts of the main force of the Imperial Navy, Isadi insists that the main force of the Royal Navy stay at the entrance of the Gulf of Aden, nominally to protect the Gulf of Aden. safety, but in reality he was avoiding war. Facing the devastated Aden estuary and accusations from countless people, Issadi’s attitude was more like adding fuel to the fire to the situation.

"A person who has lost his determination to fight is no longer suitable to continue to serve as Commander-in-Chief of the Navy."

"The Royal Navy needs a more powerful and decisive leader!"

"The Royal Navy is losing its only chance to completely defeat the Imperial Navy!"

The turmoil within the Aden Navy was even more intense than that of the outside world. At the naval meeting, the admirals of each navy fleet all argued, "The main force of the Imperial Navy has come thousands of miles to fight in a different sea area. There is no dragon-class battleship with amazing firepower. It is a big taboo to only have the light Dragon Tooth warship. However, our Aden Navy has not only completed the assembly of the main fleet, but also is waiting to work. The fleet is on The next step is to equip the latest heavy iron armored ships, and to fight at home. The weather, location, and people are all on the Aden side. Such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will never come again if it is missed. If the main force of the Imperial Navy is let go this time, It is impossible to find such an opportunity next time. Once the Imperial Navy is allowed to return safely, it will be a great shame for our Aden Navy!

"Where is the position of the Imperial Navy?" Isadi looked squinting at the excited naval admiral like a sitting giant beast. The entire Aden Navy was gathering momentum and was ready to attack. Vowing revenge, Isadi is indeed an experienced naval commander, but he vaguely feels something is wrong. Fanaticism and madness are not the same thing, and bloody bravery and desperation are not the same thing.

"As long as you are willing to allow the navy to go to sea, my subordinates will risk their lives to find traces of the imperial navy for you." The navy admiral's eyes were red, his fists were clenched and he said angrily, "How many people died in the destruction of Anxi in Aden, Aden Anxi Port is the largest financial source and residence of our Aden Navy. How many naval family members have been killed or injured, this fact should not be invisible to Mr. Isadi."

In the early morning, the fog in the port covered the ground like water. The humidity of the port city and the coldness of winter gave the air a biting feeling.

In Lisuo Port near the entrance of the Gulf of Aden, in a villa in the south of the city, the former Navy Commander-in-Chief Gudeago, who had rested for a period of time due to physical discomfort, looked at his students with complicated eyes, hesitated for a moment, and said in a deep voice "Your mind is already in chaos. At this time, it is indeed not suitable to continue to direct this war."

"Teacher, has the Imperial Navy returned?" Isadi's voice was trembling. This was the last result he wanted to face. The Imperial Navy has achieved a brilliant record so far, and even returning is justified.

"It is impossible for the main force of the Imperial Navy to return like this. You know this better than me." Brother Gudeya stood in front of the window glass, his eyes falling on the sea in the port in the distance. "Sleeping on the hospital bed, it is often seen on the streets recently. "You can hear talk about the incompetence of the navy, and just yesterday someone was throwing rocks at my front door."

"It makes the teacher tired"

Isadi lowered his head in shame. He was a student of Brother Gudeya. As the legendary commander of the Aden Navy, Gudeya brother was also a symbol of the golden age of the Aden Navy. At this moment of confusion, he came to seek help from his teacher. , Brother Gudeya was also very aware of Isadi’s situation, and he said

"The mood of the entire Aden Navy is now in an abnormal state. It is like a volcano that may erupt at any time. This state is quite dangerous. As the commander of the Navy, you need to understand that those words are just gossip. Don't let it happen because of it. Shake your own heart." Brother Gudeya turned around from the window, his eyes falling on On Isadi's haggard face, the corners of his old and stern eyebrows showed a trace of solemnity. Others didn't know it, but he could still feel it. It was not that Isadi refused to let the navy go into battle, but that he was facing the cunning and fierce Imperial Navy. A giant beast in the sea, the Aden Navy is equivalent to exposing its softest belly to the muzzle of the Imperial Navy's Thor.

I don’t know if people like to reminisce about the past more as they get older. This change in the war always reminds Brother Gude of the decisive naval battle with the Nansi Combined Fleet that he personally commanded decades ago. It is almost the same replica, facing the powerful but not internally united Nanxi Combined Navy Fleet. Gudeyago, who was thirty-four years old at the time, adopted the tactic of lurking and luring, leading part of the main force of the South China Sea Combined Fleet into the Lofan waters off the reef, and then taking advantage of the weakness of the opponent's navy's inability to quickly assemble in the reef area, Defeated each one and finally established the Aden Navy's hegemony in the South Sea.

Is the sea surface of Luofan Sea still so calm? When he returned from his dream at midnight, the old man could still see the scene of countless shipwrecks burning on the sea in an area of ​​more than ten miles.

"The commander of the Imperial Navy this time is Imperial Navy Minister Dostelenko. He is a famous and talented commander in naval raids. He is invincible in the inland sea. This raid on the Gulf of Aden may not necessarily be fake. Now the main force of the Imperial Navy is lurking , is a stroke of genius. With such a person, even I dare not talk about a decisive battle. Your caution is not wrong, but how long can you hold on against the entire military, or even His Majesty, with the power of one person?"

"I don't know. I just believe that the Imperial Navy will not be lurking for too long. Unless they can float on the sea without eating or drinking, as long as they reveal their whereabouts, the dominance of this decisive battle will return to our hands again." Isadi He nodded and smiled bitterly, and said in a solemn voice, "If the teacher is the commander of the Imperial Navy, in which direction do you think such a huge fleet of ships will be lurking?"

Isadi asked tentatively. He believed that Jiang was still old and hot. His teacher was a living map in the navy. He was a mature figure. Half of the power territory of the Aden Navy came from when he was the commander-in-chief of the navy. It was captured in the sea area of ​​​​Aden, where is the most suitable place for the fleet to hide, and where is the most suitable place to launch an ambush. If there is anyone who is most likely to guess the location of the Imperial Navy, his teacher is definitely one of them.

Gudeya was stunned for a moment. He did not expect Isadi to ask such a question. He hesitated and said, "The south is the route back. I believe you have sent surveillance. The north is the Gulf of Aden, and the coastline to the west is too flat. It is completely It is not suitable for the fleet to lurk, so the only remaining possibility... Speaking of this, Brother Gude's mind suddenly flashed back to the surface of the Luofan Sea in his memory. For that battle, he had paid close attention to everyone in the Luofan Sea area. Surveying every fjord After finally determining the lurking point, he continued in a solemn voice, "If I were the commander of the Imperial Navy, I would choose an area close to the offshore, preferably one with a curved coastline, where I can hide the fleet and can be launched at any time." Launching an ambush on a target, for example, the Luofan sea area falls into this category. "If Dostelenko hears Gude's analysis, his hair will stand up in fear. Gude's analysis is almost the same as that of the Imperial Navy." the true route of travel

Hearing the teacher mention the Luofan Sea Area, Isadi's face showed a flash of surprise. The teacher meant that the Imperial Navy might be lurking in the offshore area to the east.

"Is the Imperial Navy heading east?"

Isadi looked stunned, and his chaotic thoughts gradually became clearer. The offshore sea to the east is indeed very suitable for hiding. However, there has always been a problem with his judgment of the direction. The possibility of the main force of the Imperial Navy heading east is too low, too low. Imagine, because heading east is completely opposite to the route taken by the Imperial Navy, and the main force of the Imperial Navy is heading towards In the east, there are no supply points at all. Even if a certain port is temporarily occupied, it cannot stay for too long and let the entire main force of the navy wander. This bold setting is really unimaginable, so Isadi subconsciously believes that the main force of the imperial navy can Driving in any direction, even lurking near the entrance of the Gulf of Aden, it is absolutely impossible to go east!

"My lord, this is an urgent report from the Admiralty!" The adjutant appeared in a hurry at the door of the room, holding a report in a fiery red envelope.

"Is it a battle report?"

Isadi's eyes fell on the red cover of the report, and he couldn't help but feel shocked. Could it be that, as the teacher said, the main force of the Imperial Navy was heading east? Because the Kingdom's naval squadrons from other directions are all gathered in the Gulf of Aden, only the east side, because of the need to ensure the transportation of materials for the Central and Libyan battlefields, still has some squadrons performing tasks. Since it is a battle report, it means that the naval fleet encountered it. Now only the Aden naval fleet is active in the east. Issadi didn't even receive the report and directly said to the adjutant, "Read it!"

"Yes." The adjutant nodded in agreement. In fact, he was also very curious about where the main force of the empire was. This was already the focus of heated discussion in the entire Gulf of Aden. Some people even opened a bet on where the imperial navy would be found. , and the answer may lie in this urgently sent battle report. Taking a deep breath, the adjutant opened the battle report in his hand with a little excitement and trembling, his eyes fell on it, his lips were slightly opened, but no sound came out.

"What's wrong? Why don't you read it?" Isadi's serious gaze swept across the adjutant's pale face, and he could faintly feel that although these naval squadrons were not weak, they were still at an extreme disadvantage when facing the main force of the entire empire's navy. Encounter...Isadi didn't dare to think about it.

Under Issadi's red eyes, the adjutant read out word by word, ""On November 13, the Royal Navy's Eighth Squadron escorted the Army's Twelfth Army on its way back, in the Luofan Sea Area. Suddenly encountered an ambush by the main force of the Imperial Navy. All thirty-seven battleships of the Eighth Squadron were sunk. Fleet Admiral Sobyago was killed in the battle. The Twelfth Army fled with the transport fleet to the ambush coast, and was ambushed by the Imperial Navy again offshore. , the entire army suffered casualties of more than 6,000 people..."

In the Luofan Sea Area, the main force of the Imperial Navy is actually hiding in the Luofan Sea Area! Isadi murmured in a low voice with a pale face. The adjutant's voice was like a heavy hammer hitting his chest. Isadi's body swayed under the load. The main force of the Imperial Navy was really heading east. Why should it go to the east? East! What is there in the east that is worthy of the Imperial Navy crossing thousands of miles of sea? Isadi can't figure it out at all.

"Is there any target in the east that is worthy of being attacked by the Imperial Navy across thousands of miles of sea?" Brother Gudeya said to himself, his eyes suddenly opened, and he quickly walked to the hanging map of the Aden Sea area, and waited for a few seconds. After the bell, his face suddenly turned as gray as paper, and he said in a deep voice, "It's Mars Star Moon Bay. The Imperial Navy's goal should be Mars Star Moon Bay!"

"Masi Xingyue Bay!"

Issadi's expression also changed. If there is one place that can strangle the throat of the entire Aden, it is undoubtedly Mas Crescent Bay, which is the junction point between the waters of Aden and southern China.

It is the place where all fleets coming and going must pass.

Cutting off Mas Xingyue Bay means that the Kingdom of Aden has lost contact with the hundreds of thousands of Aden Army soldiers on the battlefield in Central and Bibia. Once this happens, the situation of the Aden Army in Central and Bibia will suddenly turn negative. Although Zhongbia is Materials are abundant, but all kinds of military supplies are still shipped up from Aden itself, and the huge wealth gained from plundering in Central and Bibia cannot be shipped back. This will be a heavy blow to the urgently needed financial gap in the country.

The Imperial Navy's throat-sealing sword is indeed sharp enough to shake the entire Aden