The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 898 Prime Minister, it seems we are living in an unscientific era!
London, Admiralty Building, May 17, 1882.

The air seemed to freeze on either side of the long oak table, with only Colonel Montagu's slightly hoarse voice echoing through the room.

"...The Battle of Oahu proved that the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the Spanish-American alliance had found the 'key' to naval victory." Colonel Montagu's face was long, his tone as somber as if he were presiding over a funeral. "Rapidly advancing behemoths tore through the outer defenses, while heavily armored and heavily armed behemoths crushed the main force caught in chaos. This is the formula of 'damage' plus 'sinking.' Sirs, the Royal Navy must have an equal combination—we need hunters as swift as arrows, and we also need indestructible hammers."

He pointed to a sketch of his ideal capital ship, its lines concise and sharp: "First, the core of the 'fast fleet': a standard displacement of 12,000 to 15,000 tons. Equipped with no fewer than eight 9.2-inch (234 mm) rapid-fire guns. The speed must reach 22 knots or even higher, for which armor can be reduced, with the main armor belt controlled at 4 inches (102 mm) of Harvey steel. Their role is to tear apart the enemy's cruiser lines, intercept merchant ships, and tie down the enemy's main force. When necessary, they can slow down the enemy's capital ships through rapid and fierce firepower."

"Secondly, the core of the 'Iron Wall of the Battle Line': standard displacement of 15,000 to 20,000 tons. The main armor belt requires the hardened armor to be at least 12 inches (305 mm) thick, and the main gun caliber must be at least 12 inches (305 mm). Speed... cannot be less than 17 knots, otherwise it will be too slow to go anywhere. Their role is to withstand the enemy's main firepower and destroy them with heavy artillery."

Montagu's finger slammed down on the marker in Washington: "But distant water cannot quench immediate thirst! The United States of America's (Eastern Federation) 'Constitution-class' ships possess excellent hull structures, yet they are hampered by recoil-operated 12-inch (305 mm) guns! Your Excellency, immediately provide Newport News Shipbuilding with production licenses and authorized blueprints for a complete set of Armstrong 10-inch (254 mm) 45-caliber rapid-fire guns, and completely refit them! At the same time," he took a deep breath, his eyes flashing sharply, "provide the Eastern Federation with 'Rafale-class' ships or their improved versions! Let these 'sea cheetahs' strike before the 'Constitution-class' ships complete their refits, cut off shipping lanes in the Pacific, and force the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's fleet to disperse and search... This is currently the only tactic that can bleed them dry in the Pacific!"

*Snap!* After a crisp military salute, Montagu left the central conference room, which reeked of cigars and the air of authority, leaving behind a heavy sense of pressure.

The sound of the door closing seemed like a signal, and First Lord of the Admiralty, Earl Northbrook, turned to the grave-faced Prime Minister Gladstone: "Prime Minister, Captain Montagu's strategic judgment is astute. The 'fast ship' he mentioned is already under construction by the Naval Shipyard—the 'Whirlwind' class, with a standard displacement of 12,000 tons, a speed of 21 knots with natural ventilation and 23 knots with pressurized ventilation. It is equipped with five twin 9.2-inch guns. The chief designer, Barnaby, told me that this is enough to rival all of our adversaries except for our largest and slowest heavy battleship, and the latter... could never catch up with the Whirlwind!"

First Sea Minister Admiral Cooper Key added, “Yes, Prime Minister. The lead ship of the ‘Surfwind’ class is expected to enter service this June. If its export to the Eastern United States is authorized, it will be the most direct means of deterring the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and relieving its pressure in the Pacific.” He looked at the Prime Minister, his words carrying an implicit expectation: “At the same time, we should immediately dispatch a squadron to the Far East, led by the second ‘Surfwind’ class ship, the ‘Typhoon’, to demonstrate the Empire’s resolve and deter the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.”

“Deterrence?” Gladstone put down his report, his grey-blue eyes scrutinizing his colleagues through his glasses. His voice, though not loud, struck each of them like a hammer blow. “Gentlemen, please answer this question first: If we haven’t truly made up our minds—haven’t decided to wage a full-scale war against that emerging power across the ocean—then what is the point of symbolically sending a few fast ships to the Far East as a form of ‘deterrence’? For the United States’ Eastern Union in Washington, such a gesture might offer a degree of courage, but what about the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom government, which manipulates the puppet state of the West?” He slowly shook his head. “It cannot sway their resolve even by a fraction!”

Foreign Minister Earl Granville leaned forward, his tone carrying the caution of someone at the helm of imperial foreign policy: “The Prime Minister is absolutely right. Now is not the time for our final showdown with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. If we were to move a small number of new, advanced capital ships eastward, it would be more symbolic than substantive; but if we were to move the main force of our home fleet eastward, it could escalate the situation and prematurely trigger our final battle with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. And if the Empire cannot gain an overwhelming advantage in a short period of time… Prime Minister, Russia has long coveted Constantinople, and Turkey is utterly incapable of defending itself. Germany is also sharpening its knives against France. At this moment, we still need the main force of the Royal Navy as the stabilizing force in the European balance of power.” He paused, his gaze turning to the two Admiralty officials, “Perhaps a compromise would be to authorize the sale or lease of the ‘Surfwind’ class to the United States of America, making it a claw of the Eastern Federation in the Pacific, maintaining pressure on the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, probing its true naval technology, without requiring us to prematurely commit our core fleet forces.”

"Should we continue testing them?" Gladstone's brow furrowed, and he tapped a top-secret document on the table. "The Oahu campaign has already tested the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's 'iron-walled behemoth' weighing over 1.6 tons. Mr. Shipbuilding Director, do you think this ship is approaching the limits of their current technology?"

Sir Nathaniel Barnaby, the Chief of Naval Shipbuilding, cleared his throat, his bureaucratic rigor replacing his military bravado: "Prime Minister, based on our intelligence, the combination of protection (heavy armor) and firepower (heavy cannons) on that giant ship has reached the pinnacle of the triple-expansion steam engine era. Unless they can break through..." He abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming resolute, "...the bottleneck of steam turbine technology! But that's impossible. Britain holds the absolute core patent—Parsons is the result of our ten years of support. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's industrial base can currently only manufacture some bulky turbines for power generation, with a maximum of 3,000 horsepower per unit, and their size is too enormous to be mounted on ships. Therefore, that giant ship represents the ceiling of the 'iron wall and heavy cannon' form they can achieve with triple-expansion engines."

"In other words," Gladstone said thoughtfully, "their capital ship technology development space is limited in the short term?"

“Yes, Prime Minister,” Barnaby replied affirmatively. Just as the atmosphere eased slightly, Earl Granville’s voice rang out again, carrying an inexplicable strangeness: “Prime Minister, there is another… anomaly. A report from the Japanese Empire.”

Gladstone looked up: "Japan? Which of the three?"

“It is a formal note from the Sasebo government recognized by the British Empire.” Granville’s expression was as if he were telling an absurd joke, yet it carried the seriousness of a diplomat. “According to intelligence they have planted in the Kusunoki clan’s ‘pseudo-Japanese divine kingdom,’ the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is sending special personnel known as ‘naval priestesses’ to its proxies… or rather, to warships belonging to the US West Coast Navy.”

The meeting room was deathly silent, the faces of the ministers filled with astonishment and confusion.

"'Naval witches'?" the Prime Minister repeated, emphasizing each word as if processing the absurdity of the term. "What for? To perform shamanistic rituals on deck? Or to preach the Bible to pagan sailors?"

Earl Granville shook his head, his expression less one of embarrassment and more one of bewilderment at the unknown: “The report is vague… but the core function points to clear combat effectiveness. It is said that through some kind of… multi-religious ‘mysterious’ ritual, they can improve the hit rate of main gun firing, extend the stable operation period of engine boilers, and even enable ships to obtain more favorable wind and sea conditions…” His voice trailed off, finding it hard to believe even to himself.

“…Good heavens.” Gladstone’s voice dropped, filled with deep incomprehension and a hint of anger. “Does this mean that the generals of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom pinned their hopes for naval victory on the…prayer of a few women?” He wearily removed his glasses. “We spend millions of pounds researching gun barrel sealing, rangefinder accuracy, and the nickel-chromium ratio of carburized armor…and they’re researching witches?”

All eyes turned to the most "scientific" authority present—Sir Barnaby, the Chief Inspector of Naval Shipbuilding. This meticulous engineer and Fellow of the Royal Society remained silent for a few seconds. He adjusted his glasses, his face displaying a peculiar expression that blended professional rationality with a sense of absurdity, and finally looked at the Prime Minister, uttering a famous quote that would be repeatedly cited for decades to come:

“Your Excellency Prime Minister,” Sir Barnaby’s voice was eerily calm, “from the perspective of pure engineering and physics principles… this is clearly extremely unscientific.”

He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over the seated core decision-makers of the empire, and added a sentence, his tone carrying the helplessness of a historical observer and a profound warning:

"But... it seems we're living in a rather 'unscientific' era. What do you think, Prime Minister?"

The imperial elites around the long table exchanged bewildered glances. Their queens were all "the reincarnation of Jesus's sister"—a fact universally acknowledged throughout Europe! In the Anglican church, a chubby little girl stood beside Jesus, looking exactly like the queen in her youth. It was said she was Jesus's sister, a past life of Her Majesty the Queen! And what about Luo Yaoguo, the "Prophet King" of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom? How many things had he prophesied in the past thirty years? He was incredibly accurate! Therefore, anyone who says this era is a "scientific age" is simply contradicting the spirit of science.
All that could be heard was the Prime Minister muttering, "No problem, the Empire also has a Magic Committee. I'll convene the Magic Committee immediately to study how to deal with the enemy's witches!"

(End of this chapter)