When Joao IV was embarrassed, Wu Zhong, who was present, laughed, laughing that this king was too stupid to even understand a simple truth.

For these great powers of France, it was more profitable to make Portugal an enemy than an ally.

Because of this, France could openly attack the commercial ports and strategic fortresses in the hands of the Portuguese and take them for themselves.

Not to mention the envoys of England, who put aside the topic of support and settled the old accounts of the two countries.

The English envoy said that when there was a revolution in England, João IV not only did not support the Lord Cromwell, but instead let a fleet loyal to the king anchor in the port of Lisbon and used it as a base to attack the Lord of the Protector's fleet, which was a serious provocation to the English Republic!

After listening to the interpreter next to him translate, Wu Zhong smiled again, this was all a few years ago, and Cromwell also sent a fleet to blockade the port of Lisbon in retaliation, cutting off the sea passage from Portugal to Brazil.

Sure enough, the British envoys soon made a condition: in order to compensate for the losses of the English Republic, Portugal must open the trading territories of Brazil, Africa, and the East to the British, and promise preferential tariff rates!

There are even regulations that allow British merchants in Portugal to engage in their own religious activities, and Portugal can only charter British ships when it needs to lease foreign ships!

Looking at the aggressive British envoy, Wu Zhong sighed in his heart: "I really didn't expect that the English Republic, which usually traded with the Ming Dynasty, would be such a bandit in Europa!" ”

João IV's face turned red, he slammed the table, and said from between his teeth: "No way! ”

Portugal is a traditional Catholic country, and the British believe in Protestantism, so letting them engage in religious activities in Portuguese territory is undoubtedly a naked insult to Portugal!

Admiral Medina felt a pang in his heart, and secretly said that it was over, but he was afraid that Cromwell would sail the English Navy to Lisbon again afterwards. (Cromwell has blocked Lisbon twice in history)

The British envoy snorted coldly and left on the spot, which made the Portuguese monarch even more faceless.

As the Netherlands, which also became independent from the Kingdom of Spain, their emissaries were much more polite.

The Dutch envoy first expressed concern and strongly condemned Spain's actions, and then, on the grounds of war with the Dutch Navy and the English Navy, there was no way to get out of teaching the Spanish Armada a lesson.

João IV sighed, and finally turned his gaze to Wu Zhong, the envoy of the Ming Dynasty.

"I heard that your emperor defeated the Spanish army and recovered the ....... of Nanyang"

João IV was very particular about his wording, using the words "recapture" rather than the words "forcible seizure" and "seizure" used when he first summoned Wu Zhong.

It can be seen that he is cowardly this time and begins to move closer to Daming.

Wu Zhong smiled slightly and said, "Our family is a happy person, and we don't like to go around the bend, what do you want to say?" ”

In Wu Zhong's eyes, there is only one emperor in the world, that is, the Tianwu Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the king of Europe, who is not worthy of his honorific title of "Your Majesty".

Joao IV smiled awkwardly and said, "Your envoy should understand that the Armada is coming for you......"

Wu Zhong smiled: "This is not the same, maybe Philip IV wants to reunify." ”

Joao IV's face changed, but he couldn't refute it, what the Armada wanted to do, he could only wait for them to sail into Lisbon.

Even if they say under the banner: We are here to kill the Ming fleet, you let it!

João IV did not dare to believe it all, this kind of conspiracy to destroy the world is not only in China, but also in the West, whoever believes it is stupid!

Wu Zhong said: "The Ming fleet can help you fight against the invincible armada, but our family also has a condition. ”

"Your Excellency, please speak."

Wu Zhong didn't speak, just glanced left and right at the French and Dutch envoys.

João IV agreed, signaled the Admiral Minister Medina to bring the envoys of the two countries down for tea, and then retreated.

After the hall was cleared, Wu Zhong spoke: "The conditions of our family are very simple, Princess Catherine of your country will marry me Daming. ”

As the chief of the inner hall and Zhu Cihong's personal eunuch, Wu Zhong learned of the task of his uncle and listed it as a major "diplomatic task" without thinking.

"That's ......."

Joao IV was stunned, and this is the condition of the Ming Dynasty?

The royal princesses of Europe are all prepared for political marriages, and there is nothing wrong with choosing the Ming Dynasty, not to mention that Catherine likes the culture of the East very much.

Importantly, the attitude of the European powers towards Portugal disappointed João IV.

Is that all? What does the old man think!

Wu Zhong said: "We have a custom in the East, a woman must marry with a dowry, I don't know if there is such a custom in your country?" ”

"Yes!"

João IV immediately came to his senses and knew that this great Ming Qin mission was preparing to negotiate an alliance between the two countries.

If you want an alliance, you have conditions!

João IV pondered for a moment and said, "There are two dowries given to Catherine by the Kingdom of Portugal, one is 800,000 pounds, and the other is our Indian colony of Mumbai!" ”

Wu Zhong raised his eyebrows, and secretly said that this guy has something, and he got to the point all of a sudden, and he was really happy!

Others don't know the value of Mumbai, but Wu Zhongke, who has followed Zhu Cihong all the year round, is a man Qing'er!

On the map of the Kunyu Wanguo of the Qianqing Palace, important strategic locations in the world are marked, and Mumbai, India is one of them.

Although Wu Zhong didn't know where the place of Mumbai was important, he understood that the place marked by Emperor Tianwu must be very important!

Bombay was occupied by the Portuguese in 1534, and in 1661 (probably the 18th year of Tianwu), it was given to the British as a dowry for Princess Catherine. (Historically, Catherine didn't marry until she was twenty-five years old, married to the restored King of England)

Facing the Arabian Sea, Mumbai is an important trading center in Asia, and is also the largest port in India in later generations.

Now Mumbai is only seven small islands in the Arabian Sea, which have not yet been dredged and filled to become a peninsula, but its strategic location is undoubtedly extremely important for the Ming Dynasty.

It will not only allow the Ming to open up the Indian market, but also expand its influence from the sea to the Middle East, and Mumbai is less than 4,000 miles away from the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf!

Even if Joao IV didn't mention it, Wu Zhong would have offered to let Bombay give Da Ming as a dowry for the princess, and now it's okay, save him from opening his mouth.

Wu Zhong was overjoyed for a while, only to hear João IV ask, "What is the courtesy of your country?" ”

"Our family can't make decisions for His Majesty the Emperor, so you should mention it, and I will convey it."

Wu Zhong responded, talking less and listening more, and looking at the conditions offered by the other party.

João IV was prepared and listed four conditions in one go:

"First, the Ming fleet went out to battle and defeated the Spanish Invincible Armada."

"Second, after defeating the Spanish fleet, the Ming fleet needs to stay in a detachment to stay in the Portuguese Madeira Islands for a long time to help defend Portugal from the invasion of foreign navies."

"Third, the Ming Dynasty put pressure on the Netherlands to end its war with Portugal in Central and South America, sign a peace treaty with Portugal and recognize Brazil as owned by Portugal."

"Fourth, ensure that Princess Catherine can still believe in Catholicism after she arrives in the Ming Dynasty."

João IV finally reminded: "All the conditions are based on the first article, if the Ming fleet cannot defeat the Spanish Armada, then all the other conditions will be null and void, and the princess will not marry the Ming, let alone a dowry!" ”

His words are very straightforward, Da Ming must prove his strength, whether he is qualified to be a strong backing of Portugal!

The reason why João IV hugged Daming's leg was to fight the Invincible Armada, and to use Madeira as the Ming naval base in the Atlantic, allowing long-term garrisons, in order to let Daming assist Portugal in recovering the Brazilian colonies in South America.

João IV was very clever that the Madrid Islands are located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, more than 3,000 miles from the Portuguese mainland and 10,000 miles from the Americas. (One of the five sea commands of the Portuguese Navy)

In this way, the garrison of the Ming Dynasty not only could not pose a threat to Portugal, but could deter European countries and dare not invade Portugal, which was equivalent to finding a free thug.

It's just that Joao IV didn't know that there is an old saying that clever is mistaken by cleverness, and his decision today will hurt European countries in the future.