The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 807 The Battlefield Belongs Only to the King - Between the Bedchamber
Port of Lisbon, Portugal.

A red flag with a gold sun and moon, symbolizing the presence of the Emperor of the Great Yu Dynasty, flew high over the Bay of Lisbon.

Civil officials dressed in traditional red and blue official robes, soldiers of the Beijing garrison in brown woolen robes and black hats, and imperial guards in red mandarin duck battle robes and skirts with vermilion helmets bearing the character "勇" (yong, meaning bravery), are disembarking from the large ship in single file.

João, the Portuguese regent who later became King João VI of Portugal, personally came to greet him at the dock and touched his nose somewhat uneasily.

He looked at Viscount Barseman, the Minister of State (Prime Minister) beside him, and asked, "Has the Seres Empire become so powerful? My God, their fleet is more powerful than the entire fleet of the Kingdom of Portugal!"

"Yes, Your Highness, the Easterners have returned to the place they have historically occupied, and the glory days of the Kingdom of Portugal are gone forever." Viscount Balseman nodded with a touch of sadness, admitting that he had no choice but to acknowledge it.

The fleet that accompanied Han King Mo Zhouzhe to Europe this time was too large.

It included three Tier III sailing battleships, one Tier III sailing steam battleship, three Tier IV sailing steam battleships, six Tier V sailing steam fast frigates, and three steam fast cruisers, a total of sixteen warships, along with about ten merchant ships and transport ships that followed.

The flagship among them was the Tang Taizong-class steam-powered battleship, the Su Zhuang Gong.

This warship, named after Su Dingfang, a general from the early Tang Dynasty, displaced 4,070 tons, had 870 officers and soldiers, and carried 85 cannons on two decks.

Each of the forecastle and stern was equipped with a newly invented 32-pound rotary howitzer, capable of rapidly bombarding the enemy from 270 degrees, making it an absolute weapon in close-quarters naval warfare.

Meanwhile, the ship is equipped with a state-of-the-art horizontal reciprocating steam engine with an output power of up to 1100 horsepower and a coal reserve of 800 tons, which can run at a high speed of 12 knots using only steam.

With winds below Force 4 and the use of special sails for steamships, it can travel 2,800 nautical miles at a speed of 10 knots.

Even in calm or headwind conditions, it can travel at a speed of 10 knots for 1,400 to 1,600 nautical miles, which is roughly the distance from Guangzhou to Singapore.

It can be said that, apart from its slightly weak endurance, the need for frequent resupply, and its unsuitability for long-range operations, the Su Zhuang public ship is invincible in the South China Sea.

After being deployed in Merfolk Port (Kyaukpyu Port, Myanmar), the entire Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea are under its control. This single ship, with its powerful maneuverability and firepower, can take on an old-fashioned squadron by itself.

Upon hearing the Regent and Viscount Barseman, the Minister of State, say this, a young nobleman of about fourteen or fifteen years old, with a somewhat Eastern appearance, dressed in a typical Portuguese nobleman's blue high-collared robe and a blue and white sash draped diagonally, radiated pride and longing in his eyes.

"Your Highness, the Regent of the Kingdom of Portugal, João, the Minister of State, Viscount Barseman, and Prince Pedro Carlos have come to the dock to greet you."

Standing on the forecast of the Su Zhuang Gong, Han Wang Mo Zhou Zhe did not appear sickly after more than half a year at sea; on the contrary, he was radiant.

The fleet that Dayu sent to Europe this time was the most powerful ocean-going fleet dispatched by the Chinese Empire since Zheng He's voyages to the Western Ocean.

The fleet consisted of sixteen warships and 11,400 officers and soldiers. In terms of firepower, it was even more powerful than Zheng He's fleet.

This is roughly one-tenth of the Great Yu navy's strength. For an ambitious prince, nothing is more satisfying than having a fleet capable of destroying a nation.

"Didn't Maria I come?" Mo Zhouzhe was actually a little disappointed because the Queen of Portugal hadn't come to the port to greet him in person.

"Your Highness, Queen Maria I of Portugal suffered a relapse of her old illness at the beginning of this year, and it is said that she has become somewhat insane and unable to manage affairs."

The one now in charge of Portugal is His Highness João, the Regent, Prince of Brazil, Duke of Braganza, and Duke of Bea.

The one who answered Mo Zhouzhe's question was Gao E, the Portuguese Chargé d'affaires under the Chinese Empire's Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Europe.

Gao Yunshi, who rewrote Dream of the Red Chamber in history, was born into a bondservant family. As a result, he suffered a great misfortune when he arrived in Da Yu. He was thrown into the Mulan Hunting Ground in Chengde and almost froze and starved to death.

Of course, he lost the glory of passing the imperial examination in history. Instead, Heshen saw that he had some talent and recommended him. He then followed Cao Zhenyong to Europe, where he stayed for fifteen years.

Mo Zhouzhe nodded after listening, then suddenly asked, "Who is this Prince Pedro Carlos, and why is he third on the welcoming list?"

For such a formal occasion, the guests must have been carefully selected. It's indeed a bit strange that a prince would show up out of nowhere.

Upon hearing this, Gao E chuckled and said, "Prince Pedro Carlos is the grandson of the Queen of Portugal and the grandson of the previous King of Spain, Carlos III."

And speaking of which, he actually has a connection with the King, because his biological father is His Highness's third uncle, Prince Lu!

???

His Highness the Prince of Han has truly broadened his horizons. He had long heard that the Third Uncle of Lu was a notorious womanizer, but he never imagined he would go to such extremes. Not only did he cuckold the Spanish prince, but Spain and Portugal actually acknowledged it!

It turns out that back then, Mo Zirong harbored resentment towards King Carlos III of Spain for obstructing his appointment as governor of the Lower Netherlands, and even tried to get rid of his wife Maria Elizabeth's title as Grand Duchess of Parma.

So he deliberately intercepted the marriage of Princess Mariana Victoria of Portugal when she was about to marry Prince Gabriel, the fourth son of Charles III.

Our Prince Lu was handsome and dashing, and in terms of looks and temperament, he could rival John Lone, who was also of Cambodian Chinese descent in later generations.

At his thirties, in the prime of his life, how could he not win over a teenage girl?

Of course, Mo Zirong was indeed a bad person. He only thought about taking revenge on King Carlos III of Spain and didn't consider that the young girl Mariana Victoria was about to get married.

Portugal was already weaker than Spain, and this princess was heavily pregnant when she married him; she might not even be able to save her life.

But things didn't go in the worst possible way. Mariana Victoria was petite and didn't show her pregnancy at first.

Moreover, she was the only daughter of Queen Maria I of Portugal, and Spain ultimately tolerated this.

Of course, this illegitimate child was destined to receive no attention and might even be secretly executed, but this child was just too remarkable.

Weighing over seven pounds at birth, with a loud cry and a hearty appetite, it was exceptionally easy to raise!

It is said that when he was born, Charles III heard him crying outside the window and thought it was a five-year-old child making a fuss, which surprised him greatly.

This might be infuriating to other families, but for European royal families, who have a history of inbreeding and produce mostly undesirable offspring, it's incredibly rare—a golden legend among a pile of white cards.

Based on that one cry and that plump, healthy body he was born with, Charles III could never bring himself to let him die of a technical illness.

Thus, this child, who should have been born out of wedlock, survived and was even recognized by Charles III, who named him Pedro Carlos. (Approximately twenty words omitted)
When the child was three years old, in 1788, a large-scale outbreak of infectious smallpox occurred in the Spanish royal family.

Pedro Carlos's father Gabriel, mother Mariana Victoria, and his brother Carlos and sister Maria Carlota all died from the horrific smallpox disease, but he was the only one who survived unscathed, showing no signs of infection whatsoever.

King Charles III of Spain was also devastated by this and fell ill, eventually dying from a stroke.

During the final moments before his death, Queen Maria I of Portugal sent people to Madrid to try and bring Pedro Carlos back.

At this time, smallpox also broke out in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, and Queen Maria had only two sons and no grandsons.

Pedro Carlos was her only grandson at the time, so she wanted to take him over as a potential heir to the throne.

After all, for Queen Maria, a grandson may not be her own grandson, but a grandson born from her daughter's womb is definitely her own bloodline.

King Charles III of Spain agreed and even granted the child the right to inherit his son's property. Although not his biological grandson, the child had become the only heir of his fourth son.

Pedro Carlos not only became a member of the Spanish royal family, but was also successfully brought back to Lisbon, where he was groomed as Portugal's third in line to become crown prince.

Even after Queen Maria had her own grandson, she continued to dote on him.

Surprisingly, the Portuguese people also really liked this strong, intelligent, and handsome prince, though they gave him a rather ridiculous nickname behind his back: the Cuckoo Prince.

"You can even do that? Uncle San is really amazing, he lives up to his reputation!"

After listening to Gao E's account of the whole story, Prince Mo Zhouzhe of Han was stunned. No wonder his father often said that the bedroom was also the battlefield of a monarch. So that's what it meant!
"Your Highness, we have been staying in the Leeward Islands for more than three months and missed the wedding of the Prince of Lu. Is it not appropriate for us to stay in Portugal today?"

The speaker was Chen Huacheng. After the battle to capture Kokand, he returned to Beijing to serve as the deputy commander of the Longxiang Imperial Guard. Later, he joined the navy. He was the admiral of the fleet that Mo Zhouzhe was visiting this time.

Hearing Chen Huacheng's words, Mo Zhouzhe chuckled and said, "Yezhang, don't worry, I, the Prince of Han, will take care of anything."

Hmph, he's going to give tens of thousands of soldiers and tens of millions of silver dollars. None of our sons have ever received such assistance. And Mo Gongze, a mere nephew, actually thinks this is something we should give him?
Lu Wang Sanbo certainly made contributions, but how much merit did Mo Gongze have?
It's true that what he has to do is very difficult, but that doesn't mean my tenth brother can't do it. What we need to do now is let him know where he should sit and whose heart should be with him!

Chen Huacheng hesitated to speak, because the strategy of Prince Lu and his son in Europe was personally planned by His Majesty, and Chen Huacheng was well aware of its significance.

"Moreover, this matter..." Han King Mo Zhouzhe pointed to the sky and said vaguely, "The big boss knows about this matter and also has this intention."

Chen Huacheng immediately fell silent. Since the Crown Prince and his elder brother also had this idea, there was no problem in giving Mo Gongze a warning.

"That English Prime Minister William Pitt Jr. is quite a character; it's as if he was arranged to work with me perfectly," Mo Zhouzhe exclaimed with a hearty laugh.

He had never met Mo Zirong, the Third Prince of Bolu, but considering that he was an elder and had made great contributions by staying in Europe, he certainly had to respect him.

But Lu Wang's heir, Mo Gongze, haha, he only met him once. Why is it that he can gain the favor of his grandfather and father? A nephew gets more than ten sons. Why?
Why should the Prince of Han go to such lengths to set up a stage for Mo Gongze to perform? If he doesn't give him a taste of his own medicine, then he'll truly become an enemy.

Therefore, according to Mo Zibu's calculations, Mo Zhouzhe was fully capable of making it to the wedding of Mo Gongze and Princess Mary of England.

But Mo Zhouzhe dared to stay in the Leeward Islands (Cape Verde) for three months, delaying his arrival date.

. . . .

Near Lisbon, at the Grúz Palace. Queen Maria I, whom the citizens of Lisbon call a madwoman, surprisingly appeared at the reception and even acted perfectly normal.

"Oh, my dear, my baby, come quickly to Grandma."

However, in this unusually solemn reception, the first person Queen Maria I greeted was Prince Pedro Carlos, Mo Zirong's son, whose paternity was ambiguous.

Due to the appalling practice of inbreeding, members of the Portuguese royal family generally suffer from various illnesses. Queen Maria I, known for her mental illness, suffered from severe depression, paranoia, and sleep disorders.

She can only sleep three to four hours a day, and she will wake up from nightmares shouting that her internal organs are missing, or that a demon is going to eat her, etc.

Upon hearing his grandmother's (actually his maternal grandmother's) call, Prince Pedro Carlos hurried over.

Amidst everyone's worried gazes, the prince took his grandmother Maria I's hand, letting her stroke her soft, black hair, and gently comforted her.

“Grandmother, I’m here, Pedro is here, Pedro has always been here.”

The scent emanating from her grandson was captivating. Pedro Carlos was the only member of the Portuguese royal family without body odor, and even possessed a rare masculine fragrance, which Queen Maria particularly loved.

"Oh, my darling Pedro, you are so healthy, and your eyes are just like your mother's!"

Queen Maria was still saying that her depression and sleep disorders were actually much better than in history, thanks to this lovely grandson.

In a Portuguese royal family rife with inbreeding and a host of oddities and freaks, the robust, handsome, and debonair Pedro Carlos stood out.

Queen Maria even needed her grandson to stay by her side in the small hut by the door every night before she could fall asleep.

"I apologize, my elder brother. My grandmother is afflicted with illness and has long since ceased to attend to state affairs. She only came out to see you today because you have traveled thousands of miles to visit her. Please forgive my rudeness!"

After comforting his grandmother Maria I, Pedro Carlos smiled and spoke to Prince Mo Zhouzhe of Han in fluent Nanjing Mandarin, without even a hint of accent.

I rely on!

Mo Zhouzhe was shocked. This was another damned, Mo Gongze-style mixed-race kid.

"Prince, there's no need to apologize. Her Majesty the Queen's personal visit is enough to prove how deep and harmonious the friendship between our two countries is. It's truly touching to see the affection between the prince and his grandson."

While mentally ranting and raving, Mo Zhouzhe's verbal response remained perfectly polite.

"Yes, Your Majesty King Serishan, the friendship between our two nations is so deep and strong."

"Then may I ask one more question? May we allow King Charles IV of Spain's secret envoy to come in and participate in our discussion?" Viscount Barseman, the Minister of State, said in a low voice.

At that time in Europe, the country with the best relationship with Dayu was not Austria, but Portugal.

At least twenty years ago, Mo Zibu obtained the right to mobilize the Portuguese troops in Macau. Before each Portuguese governor of Macau took office, he had to go to the two capitals to pay homage to Mo Zibu and obtain official rank from the Ministry of Personnel before he could take office, just like a Chinese official.

In Southeast Asia, a large number of Portuguese people invested in construction and development. They were the only Europeans allowed to own plantations, unlike other Europeans who were only permitted to invest in rubber plantations and sugarcane plantations.

In Portuguese Goa, it had become the most important transit point and logistical supply point for Chinese merchants entering the Arab region for trade.

Every three months, the Outer South Seas Fleet would even send warships to dock there and conduct joint exercises with the Portuguese Goa Fleet.

It can be said that Chinese merchant ships and warships could freely enter and exit any Portuguese colony without even having to give permission. This year alone, the naval academy has gone to Portuguese Brazil three times for long-distance training exercises.

“Alright, but let’s participate at the banquet.” Han King Mo Zhouzhe nodded. The second important thing he did during his trip to Europe was to conduct secret negotiations with Spain.

Firstly, it informed the Kingdom of Spain that their Philippine colony belonged to the Seres Empire and that they should not make any futile resistance.

Secondly, because Mozibu feared changes in the timeline, Spain sold Louisiana to the United States earlier than Napoleon had in history.

Therefore, Da Yu planned to act ahead of time and buy the ownership of Louisiana at a relatively low price.

Thirdly, Mozibu planned to use this negotiation to strengthen the French Directory and enhance their power, so that France would not be unable to cause trouble in Europe.

"Of course, Your Excellency would be best to warn the Spanish envoys. This is the best way to avoid a conflict between the Kingdom of Spain and the Seres Empire. They must cherish this opportunity."

Mo Zhouzhe feared that the Spanish might not take the hint, so he simply sent the Portuguese to warn them again.

"Prince from afar, the Kingdom of Portugal is doomed! It can no longer sustain itself!"

Suddenly, Queen Maria I, the madwoman on the throne, uttered these words out of the blue, in a shrill voice.

“Grandmother, what’s wrong?” Prince Pedro Carlos quickly went over to comfort her.

Mo Zhouzhe narrowed his eyes. This queen didn't seem like a madwoman.

"Don't you understand why, Pedro?" Queen Maria looked at her grandson, Prince Pedro Carlos. "You understand, you understand why I'm saying this."

Prince Pedro Carlos, feeling helpless, could only whisper a few words to his uncle, Regent João, who was still standing there dumbfounded, not knowing what to do.

The regent then realized what was happening and ordered all the maids and guards to leave the palace, leaving only a few of them present.

"Her Majesty believes that the Kingdom of Spain has yielded to the Directory of France, and if the Second Coalition against France were to collapse again, France would gain strong control over the European continent, and they might ask the continental European countries to isolate the Kingdom of England."

We, the Kingdom of Portugal, cannot follow France and comply with this demand, because our most important asset, the Principality of Brazil, must be protected.

Hearing his younger brother's words, King Mo Zhouzhe of Han nodded. "I admire Her Majesty's foresight. This is very likely to happen. So, what does Her Majesty need me to do?"

Since it was clear that Queen Maria was perfectly normal when she wasn't sick, Mo Zhouzhe understood that she wouldn't have said that without a reason.

Of course, if the Kingdom of Portugal is in trouble, even Mozhouzhe is willing to lend a hand, because they are so obedient that they vaguely remind the Great Yu of the feeling of Joseon serving the Ming Dynasty back then.

"Your Highness, can Pedro become your brother?" Queen Maria asked after a moment's thought.

"Hiss!" Mo Zhouzhe gasped. How was he supposed to answer that?

Mo Zhouzhe could only say, "If Her Majesty the Queen allows, I can ask His Highness Prince Lu, who is also His Highness the Prince of Belgium of the Holy Roman Empire."

“No!” Queen Maria shook her head firmly. “Pedro is my grandson. I will not allow him to have any contact with that immoral man. I only want him to be His Majesty the Great Emperor’s nephew.”

Mo Zhouzhe understood. Damn it, this wasn't Mo Gongze, but another Mo Zirong. He gestured for him to continue.

Haha, you want to be the emperor's father? There are plenty of people in the world who want to be the nephew of the most powerful emperor. Who do you think you are, Pedro Carlos? You can't just say you want to be the emperor without any real thought.

“If Lisbon ever falls, I will take Pedro to Brazil,” Queen Maria said softly, her eyes fixed on Mo Zhouzhe, making him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"But I believe that France cannot defeat the Kingdom of England."

Not only because they are regicides and therefore do not have the support of the major European powers, but also because of you, the Seres Empire is on England's side, and you will not allow anyone to unify the European continent.

So we went to Brazil, but we can definitely come back, as long as France is defeated.

"Then, when we return, Pedro won't come back with us. I'll have him appointed Prince of Brazil!"

“Your Highness Prince Han, do you understand what I mean?” Queen Maria asked.

Mo Zhouzhe understood. Her Majesty the Queen had seen through her father Mo Zibu's intentions: to have the Seris Empire use several times the population and culture to rape the European countries, just like what King Lu Mo Zirong did in Europe.

This way, a large number of 'hybrids' can be created, both physiologically and culturally, and then Europe will truly be no different from the Seres Empire.

Once we control this greatest adversary of Seris, the most powerful civilization outside of Seris civilization, then this world will be entirely under our control.

In that case, Pedro Carlos becomes extremely important, because not only does he control Brazil, but with his robust physique, he could very well have a dominant position in terms of offspring, and there is a high probability that he or his descendants will become the King of Portugal in the future.

Even if their descendants cannot surpass them, there is still the Great Yu Dynasty.

Mo Zhouzhe frantically calculated in his mind, then he stood up and solemnly said, "His Majesty the Emperor will most likely allow Prince Pedro Carlos to add an M to the end of his name as a mark of the Seres royal family."

Regardless of whether Her Majesty's predictions about the future come true, I will strive to obtain at least the title of Duke of Macau or the Duke of Macau for the Prince.

Queen Maria's face lit up as she looked at Pedro Carlos with affection, genuinely happy for him.

Prince Pedro Carlos also knelt at the Queen's feet, tears welling in his eyes. He knew how much effort and sacrifice his grandmother had made for him.

"Your Highness Prince Han, you should go to London as soon as possible. This is the latest battle report I have received." Queen Maria had Prince Pedro Carlos hand a battle report to Mo Zhouzhe.

When Mo Zhouzhe took a look, he couldn't help but gasp, and he even shouted out loud.

"Damn it, is the second anti-French coalition about to end again?!"

(End of this chapter)