The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 861 The Cuckoo Prince

Lisbon, Portugal.

The city of Lisbon is rather fragmented because it is not built on flat land, but rather on a hilly area consisting of seven main hills.

Among the seven hills that make up the city, São Jorge Castle is the highest point in Lisbon, offering a panoramic view of the entire city from its summit.

Dozens of Portugal's top nobles gathered in the São Jorge Castle, their eyes fixed on Queen Maria I of Portugal on the throne.

Standing to the left of Maria I is her second son, and also her only son, João.

The Queen's right hand was holding that of her only grandson, the one with whom Mo Zirong had sown the seeds of a tragic fate.

Pedro Carlos, born into the Spanish royal family and raised in the Portuguese royal family, was known as the Cuckoo Prince by the people of Portugal and Spain.

"The information I received is absolutely true. That Corsican cannibal has forced the Spanish government to sign the Treaty of Fontainebleau. The most important thing about this treaty is to divide us and the Kingdom of Portugal."

Pedro Carlos, the cuckoo prince, is nineteen years old. Having been raised by Queen Maria I for a long time, he is the only one who can calm the queen when she has a bout of madness. Therefore, he is very influential and popular among the royal family and nobles, making his uncle João look like a fool in comparison.

"This must be a message from His Majesty King Carlos IV, the prince's grandfather."

I don't understand. If the Kingdom of Spain could partition Portugal with France, why would he still warn us to be on guard?

Some people raised different opinions, and even emphasized the word "grandfather" to mock Carlos's status as the cuckoo prince.

But Prince Carlos was not displeased at all. If he couldn't even tolerate this, how could he possibly gain a foothold in the treacherous court?

"It's understandable that the Bellars family doesn't trust this news, since your family is very fond of intermarrying with the French."

"Viscount, remind your cousin, Sir Jacques Laton, that all his achievements were obtained through the Kingdom of Portugal. Whether his Corsican followers consider him a compatriot is, I think, still a question."

Being able to withstand it doesn't mean not fighting back. Lisbon has a historic French-Portuguese community, and the Berard family is their representative.

Lord Jacques Laton, Viscount Bellar's cousin, was one of the most prominent capitalists in Portugal. He served as an advisor to various sectors of the kingdom, including industry, agriculture, and commerce, was granted a noble title, and joined the Knights of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This order of knights was formed after the Knights Templar were dissolved by Pope Clement V four hundred years ago, and was taken in and rebuilt by then King Denis of Portugal.

They made outstanding contributions to the Portuguese Reconquista, so much so that those who were subsequently knighted by the Order of Christ were all influential figures in Portugal.

Therefore, after Prince Carlos retorted to Viscount Bellar a few times, he stopped his insults and instead looked at the other Portuguese nobles inside the São Jorge Castle.

"His Highness Charles IV risked sending me the message because the Fontainebleau secret agreement was also extremely detrimental to the Kingdom of Spain."

This was not a secret agreement between France and Spain to partition Portugal, but rather a scheme by France to further control Spain.

Prince Carlos the Cuckoo explained briefly, then tilted his head slightly to look at his grandmother, Queen Maria I. Seeing the Queen smiling at him, he continued, "We now have two choices: go to Brazil, or go to Goa."

The nobles buzzed and immediately began to discuss, but not about defending Lisbon; they were discussing whether to go to Brazil or Goa.

Since the kingdom fell from its status as a pioneer of navigation, the military strength of the Kingdom of Portugal has been mediocre. Historically, it even had to rely on the power of the Qing government to sign the Treaty of Macau.

The reason why going to Goa is also an option is because Goa in this timeline is developing very well.

It is not only a key node for trade between Dayu and the Middle East, but also an important naval stronghold for Dayu to control the Persian Gulf, and the largest naval port of Dayu along the Indian Ocean-Arabian Sea line.

While the nobles below were arguing endlessly, Queen Maria on her throne sighed.

She whispered to her son João, her grandson Prince Cuckoo, and the Minister of State, Viscount Balmançay:
"It's hot, it's all too hot. And Goa and Brazil are not only hot, but I've also heard that there are many diseases such as malaria. With my health, I'm afraid I'll die in those places once I leave."

Portugal's latitude is similar to Beijing's, but Lisbon's temperature is even more comfortable than Beijing's. In winter, thanks to the North Atlantic Current, the average temperature in January is around 1 degrees Celsius, while in summer, July it is six or seven degrees lower than Beijing, only around 7 degrees Celsius.

Compared to Lisbon, both Brazil and Goa in India are indeed very hot.

And she wasn't wrong. Historically, after going to Brazil, Maria I never returned to Portugal. The Brazilian heat exacerbated his madness, and he eventually died tragically in Rio de Janeiro.

The Minister of State, Viscount Balmanse, who was equivalent to the prime minister, looked at Prince Carlos of the Cuckoo with suspicion. He didn't want to go to Brazil or Goa, and he even complained about the heat. Where else is it not hot?
England wasn't hot, but it also faced the danger of being attacked by France, so the nobles dared not go there!
Once they went to London, they would be taken into control, and then the English navy could control Brazil in their name.

Therefore, there is only one place left to go: the Seres Empire, another ally of the Kingdom of Portugal, which in fact even Goa is controlled by them.

Carlos quickly waved his hand, "Lord, this really has nothing to do with me. I received the news yesterday and came to inform everyone today. Besides..."

As he spoke, a bitter expression appeared on the cuckoo prince's face. "I don't have much contact with the Seris Empire. My real father has eleven sons and seven daughters. He doesn't need me."

These words startled Viscount Balmanse. Looking at Prince Carlos's sincere face, he began to believe that this was indeed not the result of the prince's instigation.

“It was my own idea,” Queen Maria said. “Governor Frederick of Goa wrote to me before, saying that the medical level of the Seres Empire is very high.”

I think my body will receive better treatment in the Seres Empire than it did in Goa and Brazil.

Queen Maria's words caused Viscount Balmanse, the Minister of State who had previously been free of suspicion, to begin to doubt Prince Carlos the Cuckoo again.

Frustrated, Carlos, seeing that he couldn't dispel the old fox's doubts, simply made an excuse to go to the toilet and then gestured to Viscount Balmanse with his eyes.

Sure enough, no sooner had Prince Carlos left than Viscount Balmançe, the Minister of State, found an excuse to follow him.

"What does the prince want to do? Do you want to seize the Kingdom of Portugal?" Viscount Balmanse asked sternly, his eyes practically spitting fire, as if he were about to have Prince Carlos captured at any moment.

“Heh.” Prince Carlos was no longer as obedient as he was in front of Queen Maria. He gave a cold snort with a forced smile, which made Viscount Balmanse suddenly feel as if he were dealing with a real Seresian.

Because Portuguese people generally have more black hair and darker skin, unlike the pale, beefy complexion of Germans, French, and Englishmen, this cuckoo prince doesn't look like a mixed-race person at all, but rather like a true Seresian.

Within the Kingdom of Portugal, the nobility wielded far more power than the king, and were divided into conservatives who clung to the old ways and radical liberals influenced by the French Enlightenment, who fought each other daily.

"What the king is sitting on isn't a throne, it's sitting directly on a volcano! Why should I waste my time, energy, and wealth trying to become King of Portugal?"

"Then you must be plotting to seize the position of Prince of Brazil!" Viscount Balmanse demanded angrily.

This time, Prince Carlos did not object. He hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "I do have this idea, but more importantly, it is for the sake of the kingdom and all the nobles. If I..."

"Excellent!" Before Prince Carlos could finish speaking, Viscount Balmanse clapped his hands and burst into laughter. "Excellent?" Prince Carlos was stunned. He hadn't expected this Minister of State to be even more chameleon-like than himself. What did "excellent" mean?

“Yes, that’s wonderful! Your Highness, you’ve finally learned to use your status to your advantage for us.” Viscount Balmanse suddenly beamed with joy.

"But Your Highness, I hope to receive a good fiefdom, not in Brazil, but in Goa."

"If you agree to our terms, I will personally contact a large number of nobles and Brazilian landowners to support you, but you must also grant them a portion of land in India."

'I'll test your mother!'

Prince Carlos stared dumbfounded at the old fox before him. No wonder he had been so successful in everything he did all these years, and his subordinates were so supportive and fond of him. It turned out he had been waiting for him to take this step.

"I've heard that Emperor Seres wants to use the Kingdom of England to govern India. What a great benefit that would be! Why don't we try to get it?"

"I think we could extend the territory of Goa further inland and establish a Portuguese-Indian government that obeys the commands of the Seres Empire," Viscount Balmanse further explained.

He had long been eyeing Prince Carlos's identity because he knew very well that the rules of marriage in the East and the West were different.

In the West, the identity of Prince Carlos the Cuckoo is of little use; he inherits nothing and is looked down upon everywhere. But in the East, he is a member of a family that is in accordance with human relationships and ethics.

If Goa were to expand eastward and southward into the Indian interior, it would lead to Karnataka, which is not exactly poor; the famous Bangalore is located there.

“But we no longer have the strength to expand Goa’s territory; neither our military nor other resources are sufficient.” Prince Carlos shrugged, passing the buck back to the source of the problem.

“So we need you, Prince.” Viscount Balmançe looked at Carlos. “Portugal, as you said, is in a dangerous place and has lost its future.”

The riots in France were truly horrific; I think they'll instill in many people a crazy ambition. If we want to ensure the continuation of our ancient family traditions, India is the best option.

It turned out that no one was optimistic about the future of the Kingdom of Portugal, and Prince Carlos couldn't help but feel a little sad.

He was indeed prepared, but it was still very upsetting to see everyone wanting to abandon the country.

After saying "We need you," the Minister of State, Viscount Balmanse, fell silent and simply looked at Prince Carlos.

Prince Carlos understood that he needed to demonstrate a concrete, or at least actionable, possibility to them before they would support him.

"A squadron of the Seres Empire, consisting of two Tier III sailing warships, two Tier IV sailing warships, and a supply ship composed of six armed merchant ships, has arrived at the Leeward Islands and will soon reach Lisbon."

"As long as the Queen accompanies me to Nanjing in the Seres Empire, I can have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor to discuss matters concerning Goa and Brazil."

Upon hearing Prince Carlos's words, Viscount Balmanse shook his head. "Prince, this is not enough, far from sufficient to support your becoming the Prince of Brazil."

Because your uncle, Prince João, will certainly go to Brazil, and only a few will accompany you and the Queen to the Seres Empire.

In other words, the only power you can rely on in the future is the Seres Empire. If the Seres Empire can only provide you with this level of support, it is insufficient for you to become a Prince of Brazil, or even the future King of Brazil.

Prince Carlos thought about it and agreed, but this was already the limit of what he could do. His father, Mo Zirong, really didn't care about him at all, and that was no exaggeration. He hadn't even been included in the Mo royal family's genealogy yet.

The fact that the Seres Empire's fleet is coming to pick him up and protect him is something that Prince Carlos managed to obtain five years ago after Han King Mo Zhou arrived in Lisbon. He made contact with Prince Carlos and pleaded with the Han King.

“I’ve heard that the Seris Empire has a custom of adopting one’s brother’s son as their own, and that after adoption, they are no different from one’s own son?” Viscount Balmanse suddenly asked.

“Yes, that’s a custom, but it usually happens when there’s no son to inherit the family business.” As Prince Carlos spoke, his eyes lit up.

"Does the Lord mean that I should voluntarily become Emperor Seris's stepson?" Prince Carlos asked in surprise.

"Yes, the Prince of Belgium doesn't have much power left at this point. Even if he does, he'll only give it to his son, the current Prince of Belgium, Ferdinand."

Even if there's just a tiny bit left over, it will be given to Count Karl (Mogongbo).

Therefore, the prince no longer needs to rely on the father who doesn't acknowledge him. Instead, he should write directly to his great emperor uncle, tell him about his predicament and aspirations, and request his acceptance. Viscount Balmançe gave an affirmative answer.

"Would my uncle, the great Emperor of the East, agree?" After all, he was only nineteen years old and had been ridiculed for his identity for many years, so he was still not very confident.

He felt somewhat unworthy of being a member of the Mo royal family, let alone the stepson of the Eastern Emperor Mo Zibu.

"Yes!" Viscount Balmanse answered with unusual certainty, "because the prince can bring the whole of Brazil to the Great Emperor of the East, both legally and practically."

Although the Seres Empire doesn't need Brazil right now, it certainly will in the future; their population is too large and is growing rapidly.

“Then I will write the letter now!” Prince Carlos nodded solemnly.

At this time, the Great Yu had a fast relay station that could quickly transmit messages to the mainland without stopping. Using fast horses and fast boats, the message could be transmitted to the mainland in a month and a half.

In October 1807, French Emperor Napoleon I dispatched Jean André Junot as commander-in-chief, leading two divisions of French troops, totaling over 8,000 men, and 17,000 Spanish auxiliary troops, to directly attack Lisbon.

Along the way, the Portuguese army offered little resistance, choosing to surrender or scatter in the face of overwhelming odds. When the news reached Lisbon, the Portuguese royal family and nobles, who were already prepared, split into two groups.

A group led by Prince João fled to Brazil for refuge.

A group led by Queen Maria and Prince Carlos the Cuckoo, escorted by the Da Yu Special Fleet, headed towards Goa.

At the same time, Pasha Alemdar, who staged a coup in the Ottoman Empire, had basically taken control of the situation, but he failed to control his army well, and his excessive killings led to widespread opposition throughout the country.

Just then, Kutuzov, the commander of the Tsarist Rus' army in Wallachia and Moldavia, spread the word that the Rus' army intended to abide by the provisions of the Treaty of Tilsit and withdraw from the two principalities.

After receiving a relatively positive reply from the French ambassador to Istanbul, Alemdar Pasha immediately ordered the main force of the Ottoman army to head north and take the opportunity to recover control of the two principalities lost in the previous six Russo-Turkish wars.

At the same time, Mo Gongze secretly issued a mobilization order in Budapest, requiring at least 30,000 Hungarians to be mobilized in addition to the original Lu Fan Army of more than 10,000 men.

Meanwhile, the Anxi army supporting Mo Gongze has begun to assemble in the Caucasus region. As soon as the Da Yu fleet arrives to reinforce Mo Gongze, they will cross the Black Sea and seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take back the right to dominate the Ottoman Empire.

And so, as Napoleon grew increasingly arrogant, and with the brilliant minds of Ross and Ottoman, the war, which had been suspended for less than a year, was about to resume.

(End of this chapter)