Prince Chongzhen

Chapter 502 Don’t stop me!
Europa also has a tragic fate.

The Roman Empire was established almost at the same time as the Eastern Han Dynasty, but after the demise of these two powerful countries, China was reborn thanks to the tenacious vitality of Han culture, while Europe remained divided due to the decline of its main ethnic groups.

Of course, God did not favor one over the other, and Europe did not miss the opportunity to reunify.

It’s just that the civilization here in Europe is too young, so young that even though China, the big brother, has already tried all the disadvantages of feudalism, they are still happy to accept it.

Just like the First Empire on which the Sun Never Sets, if a regime with such national strength was born in China, heroes from all over the world would surely flock to it, and the ruling elites would surely make unifying the world their lifelong goal.

But in Europe, Spain's powerful people only use the spoils for enjoyment, and other countries also regard it as a target of attack.

At this time, Spain's proud Invincible Fleet had already lost its former momentum after being rebuilt and annihilated several times, and the army that once dominated Europe had also lost the upper hand in the war with France.

If this trend continues, Spain's annexation by France is almost certain, and another powerful country that has the potential to unify Europe will be born.

This is not just speculation.

In essence, this war that lasted for decades has exhausted the entire Europe. As long as France can reap the dividends of the war, exhausted Sweden and Britain, which is in civil strife, have no ability to stop it.

But whether it was accidental or inevitable, when the Habsburg dynasty's last counterattack failed, France itself fell into civil war, and the opportunity for European unification was lost again.

July 25
Seville, Spain
Although the city is dozens of kilometers away from the coast, due to the existence of the Guadalquivir River, Seville, located inland, is also an important port in Spain.

Of course, Spain, located on the peninsula, has no shortage of excellent ports. The real reason why he suppressed Barcelona and Valencia was the order from the Spanish royal family.

Since the colonization of South America, important commodities such as gold, silver, sugar, and coffee have flowed into Europe through Spain.

The huge volume of trade naturally brought huge profits, and the power of local nobles also grew with the promotion of these profits.

Fortunately, the Spanish royal family reacted quickly. Before such signs appeared, they forced all merchant ships to dock in Seville, which was not a traditional port, for various reasons.

Afterwards, this inland city, which was originally not ranked high, soon became the most important port in Spain, and its prosperity was also among the best in the world.

"Leader! Look!"

"What are you looking at? You look like someone who has never seen the world."

After muttering something disdainfully to the sailor beside him, Qi Lao Er turned his gaze back to the front.

At this time, the merchant ship he was on was gradually approaching the port, and a tall building also came into his sight through many obstructions.

The magnificent building soared into the sky like a towering fortress, standing majestically in the sun, with its highest spire rising from the ground like a huge needle pointing straight to the blue sky.

He knew that the building called a church was a Western temple, and he also knew how much importance Westerners attached to temples.

But he had never imagined that Westerners would build it so high that it almost stood out from the crowd.

"Don't look at it! Get ready quickly!"

Just as a group of sailors and guards were leaning on the side of the ship and watching this exotic scene, Qi Laoer's loud shout awakened them all.

The sailors then returned to their respective positions and made various preparations for docking, while the guards were on high alert, ready to deal with any emergency at any time.

Seeing this, Qi Laoer turned his gaze over again, and the details on the dock became clearer as the merchant ship approached.

In the port waters, various merchant ships are docked at the docks, some are unloading, and some are preparing to sail; sailors and workers shuttle between the docks, unloading various goods from the ships.

On the shore, small vendors stood among the crowd, loudly selling various goods to people of different skin colors and different clothes.

Only then did Qi Lao Er believe that the foreign official on the ship was not bragging, and that this Spanish port was indeed not much different from Hangzhou.

It was actually a coincidence that he became the leader of the guard.

At the beginning, he became the leader of the security guards in the Wen old mansion because of the contributions he made at the critical moment, and he also established a family business in Huating.

With such a job, he planned to live a stable life. Even though the job at sea paid well, he had no intention of getting involved.

But I don’t know whether I should be happy or worried. With your majesty’s maneuvers, the Sea Trade Group is able to operate more and more trade routes, and the merchant ships are becoming increasingly tight.

Faced with such a situation, Gu Zhongcheng, who was in charge of all matters of the group, asked for the emperor's order.

Later, with the assistance of the Navy Shipyard, several shipyards were quickly built in Zhejiang and Guangdong, and the shortage of merchant ships was slightly alleviated.

At this point the conversation turned to Qi Lao Er.

Merchant ships are easy to handle. There is a tradition of shipbuilding along the coast. With the guidance of the navy shipyard, building large ships is not a difficult task.

Sailors were also easy to find. Not only were the people in the coastal hilly areas quite familiar with maritime affairs, but even by recruiting in Luzon and other places, merchant ships could be filled.

However, at this time of year, there was chaos not only on land but also on sea, and it was extremely difficult to find someone who could be used with confidence and who also understood military affairs.

In the end, Qi Laoer could not refuse Master Wen's repeated requests, so he showed up in Seville.

As time went by, one ship after another from the Ming Dynasty approached the dock. When Qi Laoer's ship approached, the foreign official had already landed on the shore, and the not-so-grand welcome ceremony began. There was no need to say much about what happened next. The military supplies shipped from the Ming Dynasty were unloaded in Seville, and Qi Laoer and his sailors and guards set off on their return journey after a short rest. The foreign official he mentioned rushed to Madrid after the welcome ceremony.

By the time all the cargo was unloaded, he had already met Philip IV in the palace.

"Dear Forcado, Luzon is indebted to you."

Looking at the middle-aged man bowing in front of him, Philip IV expressed his gratitude from the bottom of his heart.

When he ascended the throne, the war between the Catholic League and the Protestant League had been going on for nearly twenty years.

Although Spain defeated many European powers several times during this period, it was also somewhat exhausted by the repeated attacks.

Fortunately, Spain had the support of its vast colonies, and it managed to survive despite repeated financial collapses.

However, in recent years, England and the Netherlands have used some shady tricks. Not only have they sent fleets to harass the Spanish mainland, they have also supported pirates in plundering Spanish merchant ships, making Spain's already tight finances even worse.

At this point, not only was there almost no hope of rebuilding the Invincible Fleet that was destroyed in the Battle of Downs, but even the more than 20,000-strong army that was annihilated in the Battle of Rocroi could only recover a small part.

Under such circumstances, North America was no longer Spain's only territory, and the pressure on Luzon was increasing.

By the time Forcardo became the Governor-General of Luzon, the Dutch were pressing forward step by step, and it was difficult for Spain to interfere in the trade in Asia.

Faced with such a situation, Forcado did not let it go.

After taking office as Governor of Manila, he took a series of measures to maintain the security and stability of the colony on the one hand, and strengthened land defense to protect Manila and surrounding areas on the other.

The final result was very obvious. Spain still maintained control over Manila, and the Dutch returned empty-handed after several attempts.

Amid such internal and external troubles, Philip IV's excitement was understandable.

just
"Your Majesty, I came back this time to confirm something with you in person."

Normally, the ministers would have to respond to their king's behavior to some extent. But who would have thought that when Philip IV was still lamenting the difficulties in Luzon, Forcardo said this in a very serious tone.

Seeing this, Philip IV did not seem too surprised. He just sighed and nodded.

"Just ask."

"Your Majesty, although we still have a lot of income in South America, we cannot give up trade in Asia. If Luzon falls into the hands of those companies, the kingdom can still hope to take it back, but if it falls into the hands of the Ming Dynasty, I am afraid that Spain will never have the opportunity to get involved in Asia again!"

Forcado spoke faster and faster, and in the end he was even trying to control his tone.

Earlier, he had secretly invited the Ming Dynasty to station troops in Manila, but the response from the Ming Dynasty made him feel disappointed, so he returned quietly.

He understood clearly that if the Ming Dynasty was only after the profits from maritime trade, then stationing troops in Manila would be enough to protect the trade routes. However, the Ming Dynasty resolutely rejected this invitation. It was obvious that the other party's ambition was not just about the profits from maritime trade.

To be honest, Zhu Cilang’s ultimate goal was indeed to completely turn the South China Sea into the Ming Dynasty’s inland sea, but Forcado’s speculation was also a thief in his heart.

After all, he had spent a lot of effort in Luzon, and for both public and private reasons he did not want the kingdom to give it up easily. Although the Ming Dynasty was still in civil strife at this time, the strength it demonstrated with only half of the country was enough to frighten all Asian countries.

Under such circumstances, Forca would naturally regard the Ming Dynasty as the biggest imaginary enemy.

But then again, although what he thought was not wrong, his position was ultimately only on the gains and losses of one place. From the perspective of the King of Spain, the story would be completely different.

"I understand what you mean. If the kingdom can win this war, then Ming will surely be our most powerful enemy."

Philip IV's words seemed to agree with Forcados's idea, but as his words spread, Forcados' eyes dimmed.

"But the kingdom can no longer hold on," Philip IV said, turning to the map hanging on the side of the palace. He pointed at it and then continued, "The German electors are showing signs of making moves again. Sweden just defeated Denmark and is preparing for war. If we can't hold back France, Ferdinand will definitely lose again."

As soon as he finished speaking, Forcado's attention fell on the map, and the voice of Philip IV came again after a brief pause.

"Once the Holy Roman Empire is defeated, Germany's independence will be unstoppable. By that time, Spain will no longer be able to interfere in the affairs of other countries."

As Philip IV spoke, Forcado's eyes fell on the southwest corner of the map.

At this point, even though he was extremely reluctant to cede Luzon to the Ming Dynasty, he also knew that Spain's strength was not enough to take care of both ends.

This frontier official who had spent a lot of effort in Luzon immediately became depressed.

At first, Philip IV was just weighing the situation on the continent in his mind again and did not notice the psychological changes of his ministers. But at this time, Forcado no longer looked like he wanted to persuade his king. As soon as he turned around, he noticed the other party's psychological changes.

As a king who had been on the throne for decades, Philip IV naturally knew that he should not undermine the confidence of his subjects in this way. He then pointed his finger towards France, and when Forcade raised his head, he whispered.

After a moment, Forcado's eyes seemed to be a little different. He didn't know what Philip IV said. But just as he was about to respond to his majesty's whisper, a shout was heard outside the palace.

"Don't stop me! I want to ask the Emperor of Ming why he rejected the marriage proposal!"

(End of this chapter)