Chapter 765: Naval Blockade
Prussian Foreign Minister Friedrich reminded from the side, "Regarding Saxony..."
Baron Thugut nodded sideways. "His Majesty can only accept Prussia gaining Leipzig and Wittenberg."
Friedrich and Grenville exchanged a glance, saying somewhat reluctantly, "Very well, we'll discuss the ownership of Dresden's eastern bank later. Our nation will continue to send troops to Shanghai Rail as agreed."
Indeed, under Britain's "coordination," Prussia and Austria had decided to partition Saxony after the war concluded.
In this war against France, Saxony, as one of Germany's top four states, had firmly refused to send troops, displeased with Prussia and Austria's previous aggression against Poland. It had even dispatched special envoys twice to France to clarify its neutral stance.
This behavior greatly infuriated both Prussia and Austria.
Furthermore, both nations had long coveted Saxony's population and handicrafts. Over a quarter of Prussia's territory had been seized from Saxony in the past. Austria, during the War of the Bavarian Succession, had even briefly annihilated Saxony as a state.
If they could absorb Saxony, it would undoubtedly greatly replenish both Prussia and Austria's strength.
Britain, which had once been unwilling to see Prussia and Austria grow strong, had now, under the pressure of the war against France, agreed to this shameless conspiracy.
"Rest assured, His Royal Highness the Duke of York will soon lead his army south."
"The Wallis Legion will enter the Southern Netherlands from Rung and, after linking up with Prince Coburg, will proceed together to Wavre."
...
The Dutch Channel.
As dusk approached, most shipowners urged their sailors to make for shore quickly. Yet, the "Leisure," belonging to the Special Trade Association, raised its sails and departed Ostend port, heading towards the Atlantic Ocean.
The ship was clearly laden with cargo, pressing its waterline extremely low, but under the skillful handling of the sailors, it still quickly picked up a remarkable speed.
A sailor on the mast, peering vigilantly around, suddenly cried out anxiously to those below just as the sun was about to fully dip below the horizon: "Eleven o'clock, British warship!"
Second Mate Madeno hurriedly repeated the warning into the speaking tube leading to the wheelhouse. The entire ship immediately went hard to starboard, leaving a curving wake on the sea as it desperately tried to evade.
The British ship quickly spotted the "Leisure" and immediately hoisted its sails, giving chase.
Madeno's eyes widened as he watched the warship draw closer. He shouted orders to the sailors to jettison the cargo into the sea, lighten the ship's load, and increase its speed.
Thanks to its familiarity with the waterways, the "Leisure" maintained a distance of over half a nautical mile from the British warship, successfully holding out until nightfall.
The "Leisure" then executed a series of sharp turns, finally sailing into the vast Atlantic under the cover of darkness, barely shaking off the British pursuit.
In the "Leisure"'s cargo hold, the captain looked at the less than one-fifth of the goods remaining and let out a heavy sigh. 'It seems we won't be able to hold out much longer...'
Since the war began, numerous British warships had started patrolling the French coast, capturing or sinking all merchant vessels departing from port.
In just a month and a half, the Special Trade Association had already lost nearly 60% of its ships.
Currently, only a few merchant ships could risk sailing towards America or the Far East under the escort of French warships, but even then, they had to constantly fear encountering the main British fleet.
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