Throughout November, people on the east bank were engaged in a massive grain collection operation in the Berg River basin. By the end of the month, they had destroyed or destroyed three Khottentot tribes, seized nearly 10,000 catties of grain and nearly 1,600 head of livestock, plus the previous stocks and some of the grain seized from the Xhosa, and finally succeeded in resolving the food crisis hanging over the Fort in the River.

If nothing else, they will just be able to survive next summer's harvest. However, perhaps the "martial bravery" of the people on the east coast was beyond the imagination of the surrounding barbarian tribes, large and small, and a few weak and sparsely populated Khoisan tribes and even Xhosa tribes took the initiative to send a batch of gifts to the river fort and asked for submission in order to seek protection.

After receiving a gift of hundreds of cattle and sheep, he "generously" allowed these barbarians to migrate to the east and south of the river fort to cultivate and graze, so that they could come to the rescue in time after being attacked.

Of course, there is no such thing as a free lunch. These weak barbarian tribes, after seeking refuge, naturally have to bear corresponding obligations. For example, according to the population and economic strength of these tribes, the Hezhong Fort side will regularly levy a certain amount of grain, a certain number of cattle and sheep as a "protection fee"; Moreover, these barbarians were to be guided by civil and military advisers sent by the Fort of River, and their adult males were to be called up to fight on the east coast at any time.

In the face of such conditions, these barbarian tribes who came to take refuge had to agree if they did not agree. If they don't agree, they will likely be killed immediately by the East Coasters, and even if the East Coasters don't kill them, they will be swallowed up by other tribes in the cruel tribal annexation wars in the future, and then die; And if they agree, although I don't know what the future will be, at least for now, they seem to be able to survive for a while.

So. The choice is easy to make.

The combined number of these barbarian tribes was no more than two thousand. Among them, there are more than 1,500 Khoisans. There were more than 800 Xhosa people. They set up tribal camps in a makeshift area to the east of the Fort in the River and on the south bank of the river, and then began to cultivate and herd their herds. Their arrival also gave the Fort Riverside a small strategic buffer zone, and in the event of a sudden attack by the enemy, these barbarians would be able to buy some time for the people on the east bank of the Fort in the River, so that they could react in time and not be caught off guard.

The end of the grain requisition operation in the Hezhong Fort means that the last place in the territory of the Republic of China on the east coast of China has also fallen into calm this year. At this time in London, the smell of gunpowder has just entered the strongest time.

In June. The king's favorite client, Archbishop Lauder, was accused of slandering the government and bishops with books, newspapers, and pamphlets. Prin, physician and writer Henry. Burton, theologian John. Busterwick threw himself into the famous Star Room Court in Westminster and whipped it, cut off its ears and put it in a flail for public display.

At the same time, William. Archbishop Lauder also imposed extremely strict censorship of the press and literature, strictly forbidding all dissatisfaction with the government, and vigorously persecuting the Puritans who were dissatisfied with him and the king. This led to a mass exodus of dissenting Puritans in England to the American colonies in search of their freedom of faith.

In addition, the biggest movement of Archbishop Lauder was naturally to impose on the Scots the Arminian idea of religious unity. He attempted to replace the Presbyterian system in Scotland with the episcopal Anglican system, so as to achieve the religious unity of Scotland and England, and gradually realize the plan of the "Union of Great Britain" during the reign of Charles I's father, James I.

This plan, which aimed to eliminate the mixed religious ideas in England, strengthen the power of the crown, and maintain the unity of the country, was naturally supported by King Charles I. The English king, who was born in Scotland, had weak feelings for the Scots and was opposed to the bishops' proposal for unification of the church. The proposal to reunify the regime and eventually introduce absolute monarchy rule on the continent in England and Scotland was of interest. He therefore praised the actions of Archbishop Lauder.

Moreover, the king's support was not limited to policy. At the end of September, a consignment of cheap but sophisticated weapons was secretly shipped into Bristol from overseas, where they were quickly transported to the north-west, where the royal party was strong. There, a small army of about 2000 people is being secretly formed.

The cost of the formation of this army was secretly raised by the king and the church hierarchy to deal with the Scottish heretics in the north and the disgruntled parliamentarians in the country. In fact, with the king's financial resources, such an army of 2,000 men would have been difficult to build, but Mr. Abraham of Lincolnshire, a close friend of Archbishop Lauder, managed to obtain a surprisingly cheap batch of weapons: 1,500 of the latest flintlock rifles, 50 cannons, 200 suits of armor, and 10,000 sabers—all at a surprisingly low price of three thousand three hundred pounds. Moreover, according to Sir Hamilton, the King's close retainer, the First Adviser to the Military Affairs, who sent someone to inspect the weapons, they found that the quality of the weapons was generally a grade higher than that of the products of his own country, and even that of the Dutch.

Charles I, who was greatly overjoyed, categorically decided to immediately form an army that was completely in his hands. To this end, he worked hard to reduce the amount of his court, and together with the donations of the Church and the money that the Earl of Stratford had exploited from Ireland, the army of about 2,000 men was finally raised with great difficulty. Equipped with a new style of flintlock rifles with a faster rate of fire, the army abandoned the traditional combination of arquebuses and spearmen and adopted the pure musket unit used by the people of the eastern coast of the New World, training day and night in order to be able to quickly combat effectiveness in the event of war.

"So, Ryan, you're saying that what the East Coasters want is peace with the Parliamentarians?" William. Archbishop Lauder had just returned to his London residence after an audience with the king when he received notification of Abraham's visit.

"There is no doubt that William, the people of the East Coast desperately need peace." Ryan. "I had a few dealings with their plenipotentiary in Bordeaux, and he was a very energetic young man who never knew how to hide his thoughts, and he told me very bluntly that they needed peace. Of course, my words may mislead you, but I have to explain here: the people of the East Coast have a certain strength, and perhaps it will not be good for the kingdom to continue the war. ”

"It's not good for the kingdom, but it's good for us to consume the money of the parliamentarians." William. Bishop Lauder unabashedly put his own interests and those of the royal party above the interests of the country, and then said, "Ryan, why should I help the people of the East Coast end the war?" Maybe it would be better to continue the war......"

"I don't suggest you think about it from that perspective, William." Abraham said bluntly: "The contradictions between us and the parliamentarians are irreconcilable, and given the bad record of the parliamentarians leading their armies into London on several occasions in history, I think there may even be a war between us, not to mention the king's war against the Scots." War needs weapons, money, and the people on the East Coast have a lot of cheap weapons, and if we can't meet their demands, none of this will be possible. The weapons which I got back this time through the East Coast were sold for about £6,000 to £6,500 in the country, but I actually spent only £3,300, of which only £2,000 were paid in cash. So, I think it's better for us to meet the demands of the East Coasters. ”

William. Bishop Lauder was silent for a long time, as if considering the gains and losses, before he slowly said, "Okay, Ryan, you convinced me. I'll write a letter in a moment, and you go to Henry with this letter. Montagu, he'll tell you how, my friend. ”

"The Earl of Manchester? Is he in London? "Ryan. Abraham was a little confused, but he seemed to have some understanding.

"No, it's his son Eduardo here. The young man was in a heated fight with the Parliamentarians, and I think it would be easier for Eduardo to do the work. Bishop Lauder explained a little.

"I see." Abraham said. This Eduardo. Montague was also a difficult character, having followed the current King Charles I to Spain as a young man, and was rewarded and promoted by the Duke of Buckingham, a powerful minister at the time, and was named Baron Kimbolton. But this man is politically close to those parliamentarians, and his father Henry is completely at opposite extremes.

However, in Ryan. In Abraham's view, this Eduardo and his father were a typical political opportunist who bet between the two camps in the country. However, this is also the common practice of many aristocratic families at this time, and others are beyond reproach.

Abraham, who was zealous about the cause of the royal party, was anxious to settle the war between the East Coasters and the big merchants led by the East India Company, so as to gain the trust of the East Coasters as soon as possible, so that they could support the royal party with greater strength. Therefore, in and William. After Archbishop Lauder's farewell, Abraham hurried to the Earl of Manchester's residence in London, where Eduardo was said to have lived. (To be continued......)