Louis XIV had three biggest difficulties in building an ironclad ship. One was that it needed the hull of a giant ship. The wood used when building the ship was not as expected. Cut down from the forest, peeling off the bark, and sawing it into the shape required to build a ship. A ship, especially a warship, not only complex wood, but also requires a long period of special treatment. Keels, bows, mast seats, rudder seats, urns, and rudder leaves, sometimes as many as three or even six kinds of wood. From nothing to something, it takes a lot of money, time and mental strength.

Charles I of England was too addicted to the construction of the fleet, which made the public resentment, and was beaten by his ministers. Louis XIV did not want to follow in the footsteps, nor did he want to spend his whole life to accomplish this heavy cause. He had to find another way - the thirty heavy Calais boats in Princess Henrietta's dowry, which others seemed to be useless, and he looked like a huge fortune with golden light.

The second difficulty is the power to drive the heavy hull, which is no longer something that humans can participate in. Wind power - if there is a wind that can push the ironclad ship, there will be only uncontrolled hurricanes. Such winds are definitely not something that can be controlled and closed by a few sails. Fortunately, this problem was solved long before it was proposed. Without the steam engine, Louis XIV would not have proposed the idea of ​​the ironclad ship.

The third difficulty is the iron on the ironclad ship. We mentioned before that the seven ironclad ships that Louis XIV finally completed in the Nantes shipyard used up all the steel storage of France for ten years. France is a country with poor steel. There are almost no large iron ore production areas except Lorraine. But just as Louis XIV said, thanks to Leopold I, France does not have it, Austria has it...

Leopold I owed Louis XIV a huge debt of one and a half million livre. Based on Queen Teresa's dowry, he had to marry three Spanish princesses to repay the debt, and the Spanish royal family had to pay it out. Austria's financial situation has never been ideal, not to mention that he also had to pay the military expenses of several other countries. Because of the same belief, the Catholic countries must of course stand on the same standpoint, but even brothers of the relatives must have clear accounts - especially war.

Looking through history books, kings are rarely accused and overturned for their extravagant life. No matter how gorgeous clothes they wear? What rare jewelry do they wear? What kind of magnificent palaces or churches are built, it doesn’t matter? The vests of the ministers? The only thing that stirs up the people is the only one who is excited about war. Is this a real devil? He devours money and life? He can’t give birth to nothing except pain and sorrow.

Such a war of faith? As a rescued Austria, of course, cannot be denied. France's Marquis of Lois and Minister Corbel made the accounts very clear and organized, and there was no point in being picky and confused? Leopold I's finance minister had to repeatedly talk nonsense under the emperor's order? The procrastination of pretending to be crazy and stupid not only made other countries laugh, but the Roman church, as the guarantor, also had a lot of complaints. Is Austria doing this to fight the enemy alone the next time the Ottoman Turks invade?

But Leopold I was really...I can't afford to pay...

We won’t talk about how Leopold I suffered? Louis XIV waited for more than half a year, and after Leopold I’s finance minister and envoy changed three times, he finally revealed his true thoughts. Of course? It is impossible to use territory to repay debts. If so? The Austrians would not care about fighting another battle with the French - what he wanted was black iron.

No matter when? Iron is an important war material? Especially after entering the age of thermal weapons, muskets require iron and cannons require iron. When building forts and fortifications, cement mixed with iron slag will be stronger. Leopold I was certainly unwilling to give such important materials - but there were only these two roads in front of him. The other was to sell the right to collect taxes to merchants, which is the so-called tax coverage. This mistake was made by the French a hundred years ago, and the same was Austria. Leopold I could be said to have reformed the tax law closely in the footsteps of Louis XIV, and of course he was not willing to fail.

He gave iron.

The Sterischer Iron Mine in Austria is an iron mountain of 2,400 feet high. It is the largest open-pit mine in Europa. As early as the third century AD, the Romans mined iron ore here with rich production and excellent quality. It is one of the most valuable properties of Leopold I and the Austrian royal family. Leopold I can be said to have gritted teeth and taken out nearly half of the Sterischer Iron Mine, and finally offset most of the debts.

This half of the inventory allowed Louis XIV to finally meet the needs of armor and artillery of thirty ironclad ships.

What people see now is the most satisfactory masterpiece of the Sun King. Even if the distance is far away, people can still feel the pressure brought to them by the thirty giant ships. In addition to the people in the palace, most of the people gathered here are residents near Dunkirk. They are either sailors or fishermen, and are very sensitive to the size of the ships. Even if some of them can't even write their own names, they can easily estimate the displacement of these thirty ships. While they estimate, they suspect that they have made mistakes, because the draft of these Calais ships is obviously different from what they think - perhaps because they are loaded with some heavy cargo?

But before they could calculate again, more ships appeared in front of them like dolphins following whales. Thirty black ships lined up in front of them. Later ships were arranged in layers according to the classes. As people calculated, there were 320 ships here. Thirty black ships that they didn't know how to distinguish were removed. There were 30 first-class battleships, fifty second-class battleships, and about a hundred third-class battleships, and some were frigates and supply ships, but they were also equipped with about forty artillery.

These ships were arranged in four rows in people's admiration and silence, and then started from the black giant ship, with the muzzle opened, the dragon's throat trembled, and the deafening roar accompanied by the light gray smoke crossing the deep blue sea water, causing waves of fluctuations, and the continuous spreading tremor rushed to the bank, and the white waves stood up.

Iris!

This was the first cannon sound in September, and it was also the first roar made by the French Royal Fleet at the beginning of a century of glorious beginnings. France's history of coastline but no navy became a thing of the past. The cannon sounded and the heartbeat in people's chests played a magnificent symphony. At some point, whether it was aristocrat, officials, or ordinary people, they couldn't help but put their hands on their chests, as if they didn't do so, and the violently beating heart was about to jump out of their chests.

Thrilling!!

How loud, how dense, how magnificent! The roar of the cannons continued, just like the thunder before the storm, rolling across Dunkirk. The golden and red flames made the sun pale, and even shine in the deep black sea water!

It’s loud, it’s loud!!!

When people wanted to cheer, they found themselves in tears. Some people grabbed the brim of the hat and threw the hat in the air, but their hands were weak. Perhaps their friends and family wanted to talk to them, but their ears were still occupied by the rumbling cannons. Some hugged each other, while others ran to the dock and stretched their arms, so that they could embraced these huge ships in their arms.

Not only civilians, but also nobles. The former forgot fear and jealousy, the latter forgot honor and reserve. They all stood up, and the telescopes were passed from one person to another in the hands of everyone. At the beginning, only the nobles in the stands passed the telescopes to each other, but at some point, those brass tube bodies, gilded silver, and even inlaid with gems and pearls were raised high in the hands of sailors and farmers.

Even the humblest, poorest, and even the most greedy people did not pay attention to the value of the telescope in their hands, nor did they keep watching them. Each of them held the telescope and looked at them deeply for a few seconds, imprinting every detail of the ship in their eyes and hearts, and then passing it to the next person.

Iris!

Louis rarely paid attention to the situation of others. Although this was his wish, he could not understand it before he saw it with his own eyes and heard it with his own ears... This is not a picture and sound that can be achieved by imagination. He was a little dazed, those ships arranged like blades in the narrow strait - yes, it was his. After a full twenty years, he finally built a powerful fleet for France, a real fleet like a pack of wolves on the sea.

Some people may say that this fleet has not been tested by war, but Louis knows that ships are the most important in naval battles. Any little progress and advantage can reverse the entire battle situation. Just like the T-head tactic has been used until three hundred years later, whether the fleet can win in battle still depends on the speed of the ship, tonnage, armor, and the number of artillery... It can occupy a favorable position if it is fast. Tonnage and armor represent the ship's defense ability, and there is no need to say more about artillery...

Even so, the king was the first to wake up. He looked at the Marquis of Lois beside him with a smile: "How many empty cannons have you prepared?"

"Of course forty times, this is your forty birthday." Marquis Lois gently wiped the fine sweat on his forehead, his voice slightly hoarse - the king's smile became meaningful, and he smiled, "Every ship."

"What a bunch of bastards!" Louis whispered, "Remember to remind me that everyone on the ship can get ten gold Louis. This is the king's gratitude."

"Please allow me to thank you on their behalf, Your Majesty," said the Marquis of Lois.

At this time, the people in the square suddenly became turbulent. Louis looked at it intently. It turned out that his ironclad ship was heading towards the dock. The huge and terrifying ironclad ship had brought a lot of shock to the workers of the shipyard, the king and others, and it brought a lot of horror to Dunkirk and the people in the palace. At the beginning, the only King Power almost made the prince and others breathless. Thirty giant ships were like monsters that replaced the world. People's necks were involuntarily leaning back. The people who had run to the dock before ran back in panic. They ran and followed the people who pointed at them and laughed hahaha.

"It's great." Duke Saint-Simon said to the people around him: "France."

France?

Duke Saint Simon remembered that there were schools run by the king's supervisors and priests in his territory. He also sent spies to inquire about the teaching contents inside. It was not surprising that teachers asked students to be loyal to the king, but another thing that made him a little incomprehensible - why did they ask the children to repeatedly reiterate that they were French?

Of course they are... French.

Duke Saint Simon looked at the person in front of him. He tied his hair with a turban, dark and rough skin, and white lips. He was probably a sailor. He stretched out his hand and held a telescope from Duke Saint Simon, right. He looked a little cowardly and anxious. Of course, because Duke Saint Simon looked like a prominent man, and because his friend had already run to the place closest to the black ship and was waving to him desperately.

"Answer my question, this telescope is yours," said Duke Saint Simon.

"Please ask, sir." The sailor was a little surprised, but he replied respectfully.

"The fleet is good, but it belongs to the king. What does it have to do with you? Why are you so happy?"

The sailor blinked, seemingly not quite understanding the question raised by the Duke, and he said in a child-like confusion, "Sir," he said, "I am French, this is the French fleet."

Duke of St. Simon paused, "This is yours."

He watched the sailors rushing toward his companions' backs, "How stupid we are." He said to himself.

Louis XIV's ambition was greater than any king before. He not only wanted to continue the glory of the Bourbon family, but his pattern was not limited to the court and the government. His ambitions radiated to every corner of France, just like he called himself the Sun King, he wanted every citizen to be covered by his light and heat, just like a Parisian or Versailles. In the future, they will not only be proud of their appearance, talents, knowledge or blood, but also be proud of being a Frenchman.

So what can the king get?
Chapter completed!