Chapter 8, This Zhuge is the best at reading faces

Secondly, it is possible to transfer the manufacturing technology of the Hongwu Emperor-class ironclad warships to the Kingdom of Roshan, and also to propose assistance to the Roshan people in upgrading their shipyards, steel mills, and armaments factories It seems to be an inevitable outcome

Zhuge thought for a moment and then asked, "Did you bring the materials on the level of the Hongwu Emperor?"

Zhuge pondered for a moment in his heart, then opened the telegram copy to read. The words on the telegram copy were few, but the meaning was very clear. ... There were just two matters, one was to bring Natalie back to the Ming Dynasty ... ! ... and it was imperative to bring her back !

Is that so? Zhuge was still somewhat skeptical. He habitually calculated with his fingers and shook his head, saying, "It seems that the 108th brother has encountered difficulties... It must be that the British side has offered conditions that would entice Nicholas I, prompting the 108th brother to feign amnesia to garner sympathy."

"Is that really the case?" The tenth master of the Zhuge family, Zhuge Weiyi, began to feign contemplation by pinching his fingers. "Shouldn't Nikola's goal be to reclaim the Balkans and capture Constantinople? How could the British possibly agree to this? The British possess large oil fields in the Moldavian region of Turkey, and they would never allow the Russians to control Moldova. If the Russians dare to invade Moldova, the British will certainly intervene." The British possess large oil fields in the Moldavian region of Turkey, and they would never allow the Russians to control Moldova. If the Russians dare to invade Moldova, the British will certainly intervene.

"Brother Daozi... please lower your voice!" Guo Xiaobao was startled by Zhuge's question about Dao and quickly leaned closer to his ear, lowering his voice to say, "The radio telegram is confidential... the embassy does not have it."

This time, it seems I might really have to become the royal mistress of the British Empire

Upon hearing Natalie say this, Zhuge realized that Natalie, who was almost within reach, was about to fly away... The Greek War of Independence had been ongoing for several years. Initially, it went quite smoothly, as the Turkish Empire's army was easily defeated, leaving the brave Greek people to pick up the pieces. However, it was unexpected that there were also formidable figures on the Turkish side. This notable figure was Muhammad Ali, the governor of Egypt under the Turkish Empire. Egypt during this era was remarkable; it was a territory that Napoleon had once traversed, attracting a group of capable individuals who seriously contemplated the future and fate of Islamic civilization. Among them was Muhammad Ali, a military leader from Albania. After seizing the governorship of Egypt, Ali began to implement ambitious reforms, launching the "Navy Movement" in Egypt, and indeed managed to train a new Egyptian army with considerable combat effectiveness. Therefore, seeing the Turkish Sultan being thoroughly beaten by the Greeks, it was evident that he was on the verge of collapse. Muhammad Ali could no longer sit idly by and volunteered to quell the rebellion in Greece. The Sultan, cornered by the Greeks, had no choice but to allow Muhammad Ali to lead the new Egyptian army into action.

It is evident that his memory has still not recovered

Zhuge waved his hand and said, "No, it is not yet time to run. I intend to bribe a few of the Tsar's attendants to ensure that the portrait of that British old prince remains in the Peter Hall... Natalya Pavlovna, do you know to whom the treasure should be given?"

The thirteenth master of the Zhuge family, Zhuge Wei, who manages the family business, laughed and said: "Haha, this is worth several million, no, it must be at least tens of millions of silver dollars in business!"

However, how can the matter of fighting Turkey be separated from the Russian Empire?

After the two of them finished watching, Lord Zhuge finally shook his feather fan and said: "Isn't it just shipbuilding technology... Why not transfer the technology of the Hongwu Emperor-class ships to the Russians? As long as they can send Grand Duchess Natalie to the Ming Dynasty, this 15,000-ton ironclad will soon become outdated. Moreover, the stronger the Russian navy becomes, the greater their desire for expansion in the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea will be. As long as they engage in conflict with the British, we will greatly benefit as the third party."

No trouble at all

At this point, it is not the IMF that intervenes, but rather the United Kingdom, France, and Bavaria that are preparing to send troops for intervention

The Greek War of Independence is currently underway

Indeed, the thirteenth master of the Zhuge family, Zhuge, counted on his fingers and said, "The British have significant interests in the Suez Canal and India, and they also have interests in Egypt. How could they possibly allow the Russians to break out of the Black Sea? If such a thing were to happen, the Russians and the British would surely engage in a fierce battle, and we would then achieve victory without fighting.

As he spoke, he took out a copy of a telegram from the folder and handed it up

It is not easy to run away!

Zhuge nodded to the old master: "Alright, let's proceed with this. Brother 88, go and send a message to Brother 108... Make sure he brings Natalie to the Ming Dynasty. To achieve this goal, we can transfer technology equivalent to that of the Hongwu Emperor to the Rasha people, and we can also assist them in upgrading their shipyards, steel mills, and artillery factories"

Zhuge nodded slightly and said, "Remember, he is the most trusted general of Nikolai Pavlovich"

Of course, I can provide it. Zhuge smiled and nodded, saying, "This is a significant business... If the Russians do not upgrade their shipyards, steel mills, and cannon factories, they will not be able to build the Hongwu Emperor-class super ironclad ships. If the Russians use our Hongwu Emperor-class technology to construct ironclad ships, they will naturally need our assistance in upgrading their shipyards, steel mills, and cannon factories."

Seeing that Zhuge had a good complexion, he was standing in front of a large floor mirror getting dressed, so he hurriedly stepped forward and handed over the envelope: "Brother Daozi, this is an urgent telegram from the Beijing Wuwang Mansion, which has just been received."

Zhuge Ba Ye, in his filial piety, pinched his fingers and said with utmost seriousness: "The 108 brothers are the best at coaxing people; as long as they are not truly foolish, they can certainly make the Tsar spin around in circles."

Although Zhuge believed that the Rakshasa Empire did not need such advanced ironclad ships, since the Ming Dynasty had produced such excellent items, it should be able to help him exchange for Natalie

"Here is everything you might need." Guo Xiaobao brought a briefcase, placed it on a small desk, opened it, and took out a stack of documents, laying them on the desk. He then said to Zhuge Wei, "The Hongwu Emperor-class has a full load displacement of over 16,000 tons, equipped with two vertical steam engines with three cylinders, three shafts, and twin rudders. It has a normal horsepower of 10,000, supporting a speed of 16 knots. Under forced ventilation, the horsepower can reach 13,500, and the speed can reach 18 knots!" The Hongwu Emperor-class has a full load displacement of over 16,000 tons, equipped with two vertical steam engines with three cylinders, three shafts, and twin rudders. It has a normal horsepower of 10,000, supporting a speed of 16 knots. Under forced ventilation, the horsepower can reach 13,500, and the speed can reach 18 knots! The battleship's main guns are four 305 mm caliber Type 4 main guns, equipped with a covered turret and an electric loading mechanism, along with twelve 152 mm caliber Type 4 rapid-fire guns ...

Therefore, the amount that the Rakshasa Kingdom can obtain must be negotiated first

"Not bad," Zhuge nodded at Da Chong and Natalie, "some memories have returned."

Natalie said: "This is a minor issue, you don't need to spend any money. I will just greet a few golden rubles. But what use is it for you to keep the portrait of the British crown prince"

In the Winter Palace, Zhuge woke up early, feeling that the pain in his head had lessened somewhat. While getting dressed, he thought about going to find Natalia to explore the Winter Palace together after changing his bandages, when he saw Guo Xiaobao walking in with a letter in hand

As for the outcome, after the "Napoleonic Wars," the Egyptian governor, who had some Bonapartist elements under his command, took action, and the Greeks immediately found themselves in dire straits, facing imminent defeat. Thus, they had no choice but to send envoys to Western Europe to seek assistance from their creditors—after all, the funds for their rebellion had been borrowed from capitalists in Britain, France, and Bavaria, and were essentially usury! If this rebellion were to fail, it would lead to the "Greek Debt Crisis"!

"What, a telegram?" Zhuge turned around, his face showing a rare expression of surprise, "Is it wired or wireless?"

Thinking of this, Zhuge asked again: "Natalie Pavlovna, before the Tsar summoned me today, was he going to summon Baron Stankov first?"

Natalie said: "He wants me to go to England... He believes that sooner or later we will have to go together with England and France to support the struggle of the Greek Orthodox. If I marry the Duke of York and Albany now, by the time the Greek War of Independence ends, I will likely have become the Queen of England or even the Queen Mother. This would be very beneficial for the distribution of interests for the Russians after the war ends"

Zhuge received two copies of the documents after a long time, then took out his reading glasses and carefully examined both copies. After that, he handed them over to his three brothers for their review

After introducing the paper data of the Hongwu Emperor, Guo Xiaobao wanted to further discuss with Zhuge Weidao the diplomatic policies and expansion directions of the Rakshasa Empire and Britain. Outside the door, the voice of Natalia Pavlovna could be heard: "Weidao, may I come in?"

... ...

At this point, Zhuge raised his thumb and praised, "Second Brother, Eighth Brother, Tenth Brother, and Thirteenth Brother truly possess extraordinary foresight. The British have indeed offered sufficiently attractive terms to entice the Tsar... Guo Xiaobao sent another confidential telegram early this morning, stating that British Ambassador Thomas Standon is willing to exchange the relevant manufacturing technology for the transfer of a sovereign-class ironclad ship in return for the marriage of Grand Duchess Natalie.

I understand..." Zhuge Wei Dao suddenly turned his head to look at Guo Xiaobao, "Baozhi, did you bring the check?"

This statement is certainly meant to deceive. Zhuge has not found the memories of his new physical body at all, but the memories he originally possessed can still be of some use, allowing him to continue to mislead others

Looking at the four great strategists of the Zhuge family, who appear to be able to calculate and predict with precision, Zhuge feels an immense envy in his heart! When will he possess such abilities? ... Unfortunately, becoming a strategist in the Zhuge family is not an easy task; it requires passing through multiple layers of assessments, and each disciple of the Zhuge family only has one opportunity in their lifetime ... . He is still young and does not rush to test his skills; it is better to accumulate experience for a few more years.

"So... there really is a radio telegram!" Zhuge remarked to himself, "It seems that our ancestor was a highly skilled engineer, leaving behind quite a few valuable items! I wonder what year he lived in? Did he have any future black technology?"

This Ivan Fyodorovich's surname is Paskevich, and of course, Master Zhuge, who is very familiar with the history of the Russian Empire, knows his background... He is the Marshal of the Army of the Russian Empire... He has not yet been promoted; once he finishes the Russo-Iranian War and the Eighth Russo-Turkish War, he will be able to be promoted to Marshal

"Take it, take it." Guo Xiaobao asked nervously, "Are you planning to run away with the Grand Duchess? Petersburg is currently in an ice age..."

As he spoke, he looked at his tenth brother Zhuge Weiyi and said: "Old Ten, you are the Deputy Minister of Shipbuilding in the Navy Department. Do you think the technology for the Hongwu Emperor-class can be provided?"

"Hello, are you feeling better?" Natalie looked at the person standing there in a crisp Ming-style military uniform, full of spirit, holding a stack of documents and seemingly ready to get to work. Her anxious heart finally felt at ease.

She only spoke half of her words, the other half being that Nicholas I insisted she marry the British crown prince, which left her with no choice. Of course, Zhuge could still serve as the royal paramour of the British monarchy.

Guo Xiaobao spoke in a rapid-fire manner about the various technical parameters of the Hongwu Emperor-class, while Zhuge Wei listened and compared them with the British King George-class from his memory. Aside from the smaller main gun caliber (the King George-class has four 343mm main guns), all other data appeared to be superior to that of the King George-class. However, the disadvantage of the smaller main gun caliber should be offset by the high rate of fire provided by the electric loading mechanism. Moreover, the armor that a warship of over 10,000 tons can be equipped with will not be too robust, and the power of a 305mm armor-piercing shell is already sufficient. However, the disadvantage of the smaller main gun caliber should be offset by the high rate of fire provided by the electric loading mechanism. Moreover, the armor that a warship of over 10,000 tons can be equipped with will not be too robust, and the power of a 305mm armor-piercing shell is already sufficient

Natalie seemed somewhat disappointed, but she still managed to squeeze out a smile: "Well, Dr. Shidongnov will examine your wound, and then you can wash up and have breakfast... Additionally, after lunch today, Nikolai Pavlovich will summon you in the Peter Hall. Ivan Fyodorovich will also be present to accompany you... Do you still remember who he is?"

It is ! ''

Zhuge said: "I want to read the fortune of this short-lived ghost! I am a descendant of Zhuge Wuzhong Wang, the best at fortune-telling! Additionally, Natalya Pavlovna, could you arrange for Grand Duke Alexander Nikolaevich, the Tsar's son, to attend the meeting this afternoon?"

Zhuge said "Please come in," and the door was pushed open by Natalie's maid. Then, Natalie entered, dressed in a court gown that revealed half of her delicate bosom, followed by a middle-aged man carrying a medicine box.

Hmm. Natalie nodded, "He will first summon Standon, who will bring the portraits of York and the Duke of Albany for me to see. If I am still satisfied, Nikolai Pavlovich will inform you of my engagement to the British Crown Prince. But you can rest assured, I will absolutely not be satisfied. However..."

Greece is no longer in existence, is there still no crisis

Indeed. Zhuge asked Dao, "What is General Paskievich's stance on your marriage, Natalya Pavlovich?"

Even if you do not request the Russians to send troops, they will engage in battle without an invitation. Therefore, in Thomas Standon's diplomatic mission, in addition to facilitating the marriage between the crown prince and Natalie, there is also the discussion with the Russians regarding military assistance for Greek independence—this Greek independence cannot be equated with the destruction of Turkey