Dominate the Country

Sergei Burkatovsky was emotionally inclined to national debt, but he was unsure whether the British still had the power to buy the national debt. If Russia's national debt had a "vertical landing" in the European market, it would be bad.

But the successful issuance of national debt would help Russia to re-establish its national image and restore its national credibility, which would have a great effect on the Hague Conference in the near future.

And borrowing money would be much simpler.

"The country is in a precarious situation, and the country is in a difficult situation!"

Russia had fallen behind too much before. With China's current strength and the speed at which their national strength is increasing, it is despairing to think about it. The empire, which was already powerful, is still advancing by leaps and bounds, and it really doesn't even have a chance to be the last one.

At the gate of the Kremlin, Sergei Burkatovsky saw Count Alexis Arakchiev's carriage and asked the guard. Alexis Arakchiev arrived half an hour earlier than him and has not come out yet.

As soon as Sergei Burkatovsky entered the palace, someone met him and took him to the Grand Kremlin. The latter is the name of a palace, which is the palace of successive tsars.

The Grand Kremlin is located on the Borovets Hill southwest of the Kremlin.

Today, Alexander I met with his Minister of War Alexis Arakchiev here.

"Count Alexis." Sergei Burkatovsky waited for half an hour before Alexis Arakchiev came out leisurely. The two of them met eyes and naturally had to say hello. Sergei Burkatovsky also has the title of count.

Sergei Burkatovsky did not talk too much with Alexis Arakchiev. First, he didn't have the heart to do so. Second, although Alexis Arakchiev's upward momentum had been very strong, and he was capable and steady in his work, Alexander I was very satisfied with him, but Sergei had factional interests with him. But Sergei didn't want to offend him completely, because Alexis Arakchiev was very young. Sergei Burkatovsky was already a sixty-year-old man, a decadent age, while Alexis Arakchiev was less than forty years old. A war minister under forty years old had an extremely bright future.

"Look at Count Alexis's face, is there another happy event?"

"It's about the next batch of reinforcements. London has agreed to our proposal." Reducing the number of reinforcements and increasing the input of financial and military supplies is obviously better than a large number of European reinforcements arriving in Russia.

Sergei Burkatovsky knew about this. And it was this matter that Alexander I asked Alexis Arakchiev to focus on recently. It is definitely a great thing to be able to report the good news so quickly.

"This is a great thing. When will their funds be in place? The central finance still depends on these to support it." Sergei's face immediately flushed. This can be said to be the best news he has heard in the past half month.

The two of them made a brief acquaintance, and Alexis Arakchiev hurried out. He still had a lot of things to deal with. Sergei Burkatovsky met Alexander I in casual clothes.

As for borrowing or issuing government bonds, Alexander I did not make a decision immediately after taking over the materials prepared by Sergei Burkatovsky. These two things can be done in two ways.

Borrowing and issuing government bonds are common in European countries, and some banks with strong capital are very keen on this kind of thing. But Russia's situation is a bit special. Alexander I is very clear about Russia's "international image". If they want to have money in the treasury, they really have to hold London's thighs.

"You need to have a good discussion with the British to increase the amount of national debt issued, even if it is fake, and set aside a part of it as long-term national debt..." At this critical juncture, it is very necessary to enhance Russia's national credibility.

...

Natal, on the right bank of the Potenghe River on the Atlantic coast in northern Brazil.

This is one of the most important ports of China in northern Brazil. After a month of offensive and defensive battles, Chen Han finally won after a new round of reinforcements arrived.

The 50,000 European coalition forces that attacked lost more than 20,000. Dead bodies were lying everywhere in the fields outside Natal and between the trenches.

Countless diseases and epidemics bred in it. Europeans fell on the epidemics.

March was still the summer in Natal, with abundant rainfall. Although there was rarely continuous heavy rain here, the rain still had a serious impact on the Europeans' attack and health.

At least a quarter of the 20,000 losses were due to epidemics. In the end, all European soldiers were terrified by the epidemics. Thousands of people died of the disease, which simply pulled out the backbone of the entire coalition.

The general of the National Defense Force in charge of the Natal defense war keenly discovered the vacillation in the coalition, and just when new reinforcements arrived, he immediately launched a fierce counterattack against the Europeans. The latter collapsed!

Based on the concept of "it is better to pursue the defeated enemy with courage. It is not better to seek fame by imitating the tyrant", based on the life creed of "taking advantage of your illness to kill you", and not giving the enemy a chance to breathe, the Chen Han Army composed of the garrison army, the vassal army, and the vassal army fought happily.

Portuguese Brazil must be trembling and terrified.

Before Natal, they - the coalition forces - were on the offensive, advancing northward from the coast of Maceio, advancing hundreds of miles northward, and successively captured many important cities such as Palmares, Recife, and Noon Pessoa. Although this was also due to the Chinese's lack of preparation and retreating in a big step, their situation was very good and everyone could see it.

But now?

After retreating hundreds of miles, even tens of thousands of immigrants were captured by Europeans. Their counterattack finally arrived. And this attack severely damaged the vitality of the European coalition forces in South America.

The main offensive of Brazil was in the eastern coastal areas. Unlike Portugal and Spain, the Europeans divided their troops into two routes in South America. The troops of Portuguese Brazil were concentrated on the east coast, while the troops of Spanish Argentina rushed into eastern Peru - Bolivia.

At the beginning, China was really caught off guard by them. North America was okay. Many vassal states had been established for a long time and had a certain foundation, and most of the garrisons were in North America. But the situation in South America is not so good. It can be said that they have only recovered after a year of war.

They are no longer just able to defend themselves and have difficulty in fighting back.

With the appearance of a large number of recruits on the battlefield and the arrival of a large number of reinforcements from the mainland, both Brazil and Peru have enough power to counterattack.

Of course, this is also due to the Europeans' own suicide. Spain and Portugal are not on the same page and are both clinging to their own interests. The coalition forces can only split into two routes, which greatly weakens their combat effectiveness.

Moreover, while the Spanish and Portuguese colonists are "recovering" the lost land, there are still a large number of dignitaries fighting for the land here. This is really their own suicide.

The Portuguese regent Joao is not a steel figure like Stalin, and the Spanish Bourbon dynasty is not the Red Russia. If the news of the reversal of the war in South America is sent to Lisbon and Madrid, these two guys will be scared to death.

The estuary of the Potenghe River. The sky gradually darkened and the sun was about to set. The setting sun shines on the sea surface at the estuary, rendering the sea water as red as blood.

This is the only way for Natal to reach the sea. The urban area of ​​the latter is not directly adjacent to the sea like in later generations. It is still more than 20 miles inland from the estuary. A large number of defeated soldiers gathered here, and the sea was in front of them. Natal itself is an important port in the northern part of Portuguese Brazil.

From the defeat on the main battlefield to the escape with the defeated soldiers, the road ran for 20 to 30 miles. This group of 3,000 to 4,000 defeated soldiers did not flee south, but ran to the sea along the Potengzhi River.

Europeans cannot cross the sea, they can only summon warships of the combined fleet. The Potengzhi River estuary plain is a standard alluvial plain with flat terrain, so the early Portuguese did not settle in the estuary area, but went all the way to the current Natal. The estuary area used to be a small dock. Not to mention that ships of a thousand tons would not dock here, even ships of two or three hundred tons would find it difficult to dock. Only small fishing boats and inland transport ships can travel.

Although the estuary area is not suitable for building a port city, the land here is fertile and very suitable for human cultivation and settlement. When Chen Han arrived here, there were thousands of Portuguese and their descendants living here.

Of course, when the war spread to the plain of the Potengzhi River estuary, this small port had become empty. No one dared to put everything they had in front of the devil. Yes, in the propaganda of many European countries, China is the devil.

Monotheism also caused a lot of trouble in this. They had conflicts with China hundreds of years ago, and now they are trying their best to blacken China. Unfortunately, today's Europe is no longer the Europe where the church was all-powerful in the Middle Ages.

But the words of war and aggression still made the local Portuguese flee. After Chen Han captured Natal, he did not repair the estuary area. It was just an empty and uninhabited town. It was not until the Europeans came back that people came back to this place, but when these defeated soldiers ran to the estuary area, it seemed to be empty again.

Not to mention the small boats parked here, even the surrounding warehouses were almost emptied. Only half of the warehouse of rice and a pile of gunpowder were left.

There was a Portuguese brigadier general in the defeated army, Miguel, a native of Porto, who was the highest-ranking person in this army. He led a brigade of troops, but he was completely crushed without playing any role in the Battle of Naypyidaw.

Miguel did not dare to delay on the road at all. Even though he had heard the news that the Chinese pursuit troops were going to the south, he still did not dare to stay. Because behind the pursuit troops were the main Chinese forces. And they lacked heavy weapons and even rifles. If they were discovered by the Chinese, there would be no other way except surrender.

Miguel just wanted to get to a safe place as soon as possible. He had had enough of the days on the battlefield where he had to sleep with one eye open. He wanted to go to Lisbon, to the safety of Europe. But the premise is that he can get there. Miguel led his troops straight to the sea and the port. The result was very disappointing. There was not a single decent sampan in the port.

But Miguel was not desperate. He still had a last glimmer of hope. In the empty port, he found hundreds of wounded soldiers in a building, as well as a squad of Portuguese colonial soldiers who were protecting the wounded. The latter told him that the "big army" said when they evacuated that the follow-up ships would come here in the evening. Miguel's heart was full of hope again.

"We should thank God for letting us be at the seaside at this time, instead of being in the pitiful Guarabila."

Miguel encouraged morale. And his method of encouraging morale was to find people who were more unlucky than himself. Guarabila is a city in the south of Natal, between Natal and Noang Pessoa.

"General, when can we wait for the ship?" But Miguel's method of encouraging morale was too low, and the three or four thousand defeated soldiers came from Britain, Germany, Italy, and Portugal. Except for their own soldiers, the others did not know Miguel at all, and they could not understand what Miguel said.

Miguel could only "catch" a small number of officers.

"Don't be impatient, Major. We need to wait now, wait calmly." There is only waiting, only waiting. Miguel comforted a German major from Bavaria, and the roar in his heart could only be released in his stomach.

Perhaps because they all knew that the Chinese army was heading south to attack Guarabila, the defeated soldiers in the estuary area were really quiet and calm. Until a small black dot suddenly appeared on the sea in the distance.

"God, God. Look, it's our warship, it's our warship..."

The soldier who reported the news to Miguel was about to cry.

When Miguel heard the news, he couldn't help but jump up from a broken chair.

Then in half an hour, one officer after another came to him, and the greetings with almost the same meaning made Miguel annoyed. Until a whistle from the sea completely rescued Miguel, and all the soldiers cheered.

"Praise God, praise our great navy."

"Look. It's the South Karenbon of the Caribbean Fleet."

"And the Pisa..."

"And the Monte Carlo..."

"This is to pick us up. We will be safe soon. God, we are saved. Thank the great navy, praise them."

...

"Oh, it hurts so much. My leg is seriously injured. I may have to retire after returning. I need to board the warship first."

"My head injury is also very serious. I can't see everything in front of me clearly. I need to board the warship first."

Miguel's ears were filled with all kinds of sounds. Naturally, he also heard the sound of the defeated soldiers rushing to board the ship first, and this sound was getting louder and louder beside his ears.

Listening to the shouting of the group of officers and soldiers who were not up to their expectations, Miguel closed his eyes painfully. The spirit of the entire army had been completely destroyed. These damn Chinese. Once back in Europe, the dignity and glory of the Miguel family will suffer a major blow, and it will even be difficult to recover. Because Miguel, like those who were arguing about who should board the ship first, had lost the most valuable quality of a soldier - courage.

Miguel felt sorry for himself. In the war, he, Miguel Brito Garcia, was also a brave warrior. But now he has become a complete coward.

The sun set and the sky quickly darkened. With a whistle, the night navigation lights on the warships lit up.

One sampan after another was released from the South Karen State, Pisa, and Monte Carlo.

"You damn pigs, stop arguing. All the wounded should line up according to their ranks and wait for the boat to come. I will let the wounded board the boat first, and those with higher ranks will board first." Miguel could only say this.