My British Empire

"What? Cadiz was attacked?" Philip II opened his mouth in disbelief. It was hard for him to believe that someone dared to bully the mighty Kingdom of Spain.

"Yes, Your Majesty, according to the information, it was done by the English, and there is nothing wrong with it!"

The palace minister said with a sullen face, his face was full of anger.

For many years, Spain has never suffered such a major humiliation.

Although it suffered heavy losses in the Netherlands, Spain's huge military power still enveloped Europa, and its dominance was unshakable.

"Your Majesty, a letter has been sent from the south of the Netherlands. The British army in Normandy has suddenly sent troops north. The County of Artois has been occupied. According to visual estimates, there must be about 5,000 people!"

The foreign minister rushed in quickly, flustered, and the words in his mouth shocked everyone.

"The Englishman is such a shameless person that he went to war without declaring it. Send someone to question him!" Your Excellency the Prime Minister blew his beard and stared, extremely annoyed, even more angry than before.

The Englishmen went to war without declaring it. What kind of behavior is this? It really hurts the face of the nobility.

At this moment, such a thought flashed through the hearts of all the ministers. Although they were annoyed, they felt more contempt in their hearts.

"This, Your Majesty!" The Minister of Internal Affairs stood up in embarrassment, with evasive eyes, and said softly:

"Yesterday, a group of Englishmen got involved in a lawsuit outside Madrid, and it's still in court! They're still yelling about emissaries!"

As soon as the Minister of Internal Affairs spoke, His Excellency the Chief Justice looked extremely embarrassed. He lowered his head and said nothing, maintaining his aristocratic face.

"Okay, the most important thing now is to send someone to the Netherlands. The southern part of the Netherlands can no longer fall into the hands of the English. I would rather destroy it!"

Philip II interrupted this embarrassing discussion. For the sake of the nobleman's face, let's make a big deal smaller!

Philip II didn't care about the destruction of the port of Cadiz by the Dutch, but what he cared most about was being provoked by England, who had always regarded himself as a younger brother, on Spanish soil, which was no less than a blow to the head.

If you can't even fight the English, how can you stay in Europa, and how can you lead the Catholic countries to fight against the invasion of the Ottoman Empire?

"In the Netherlands, the power of the kingdom is difficult to take into account. After all, it is too far away. You can ask Austria to help!"

Philip II thought about it, and finally decided to unite with his uncle for the time being, with a little face, how could he be against the rich Netherlands.

"As for the navy, what are the losses?"

Philip II turned his head and asked the prime minister.

"Your Majesty, eighty-six ships were sunk, including sixty warships, and nearly a hundred ships were damaged and lost combat effectiveness. Nearly one-third of the naval strength has been weakened!"

"More importantly, most of the sailors not only did not fight against the English, but joined the ranks of looting after they left. The damage to Cadiz was greater than that of the English!"

Having said that, the Prime Minister and the ministers' contempt for sailors comes from the heart.

"Assemble all the troops as soon as possible, and fight your way into England!"

Philip II exhausted all the strength in his chest and said loudly, as if taking an oath.

...

In Portsmouth, the most important port of the United Navy, it is not only the residence of the Secretary of the Navy, but also the residence of the fleet in English waters. A large number of navies and their families live here.

Portsmouth has changed from a small city of thousands of people to a city of thousands of people, and the consumption is astonishing. It is one of the few high-consumption cities in England. Brothels, casinos, and pubs are the three pillars of Portsmouth Industry contributes most of the tax revenue.

At this time, the originally relatively crowded seaport now has many more fleets, and the flags on the ships are not the flag of the United Kingdom.

Anyone with knowledge will know that this is the flag of Portugal, the world's second, no, third largest naval empire.

Since Edward ascended the throne more than ten years ago, the navy of the United Kingdom has grown rapidly like an inflated balloon.

In 1556, the United Navy had only a few hundred ships, of which there were only three ships weighing more than 1,000 tons, the rest were mostly 300-400 tons, and very few were 600-800 tons.

At present, the total tonnage of ships has exceeded 50,000 tons, there are eight ships of more than 1,000 tons, and there are as many as 100 medium-sized warships of 600 to 700 tons, and there are countless other small ships.

What is especially frightening is that every month, a new 600-ton ship will be launched in England for sea trials, and its terrifying manufacturing capabilities make people shudder.

Compared with Spain, the number of ships will be equal in a few years, the only big difference is the quality of the sailors.

General Flores, the general of the Portuguese navy, led dozens of warships with powerful combat capabilities, and slowly sailed into the port under the command of the guiding ship.

"Boom——" Accompanied by loud noises, a huge fleet began to show a hideous face.

"Is this the largest military port in England?"

Looking at the rows of uniform, large-scale naval ships, and the dense and active crowd on them, the scale is conservatively estimated to be as many as a thousand.

The stretching plank roads are like tentacles and regular lines, which make the entire port planning orderly and pleasing to the eye.

From this point of view, England is already one of the few naval powers in Europe.

"Your Excellency, sure enough, the reason why the English dare to provoke the Spaniards is that they have some capital, and together with us, it is possible to defeat Spain!"

The deputy at the side heard the words, looked at the bustling port, then took a breath, and said in a deep voice.

"No, having too many ships doesn't mean you have great strength, the key depends on the people!"

General Flores shook his head, not agreeing with the deputy's words.

No matter how powerful a ship is, it is controlled by people. A good army commander is a crucial condition for success.

Slowly entering the port, the English style, and the initial formation of Tudor-style buildings are also refreshing.

Soon, all the Portuguese ships were in place, and General Flores, accompanied by Secretary of the Navy James, boarded a high tower together, overlooking the bustling and lively port scenery.

After observing for a long time, the enthusiasm at the beginning has been exhausted, and Flores is a little impatient.

"Boom——" Suddenly, there was a loud sound of firing artillery in the port, just like the sound of shelling when the Portuguese navy first came in, which is called a salute by the English.

"This is—" Flores was inexplicably surprised, looking at the flag on the ship, "the Netherlanders, they are coming too!"