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Flanders is a historical place name in Western Europe that includes the present-day provinces of East and West Flanders in Belgium, the Calais and Nord departments in France, and the Zeeland department in the Netherlands.

In the 16th century, Flanders was used to refer to the southern part of the ancient Netherlands, located in the southwestern lowlands of Western Europe, on the coast of the North Sea.

The Netherlands is a very economically developed region in Western Europe, at this time, it has a population of 3 million, more than 300 cities in 17 provinces, Antwerp in the south is the center of international trade, and the economic center in the north is Amsterdam.

It has been a place where trade has been prevalent since ancient times, and it is also the richest place on the European continent, and it is also a treasure coveted by various countries.

The Habsburgs took control of the place and made it their own money, contributing to the Habsburg Empire.

Annual taxes accounted for half of the Habsburg revenues.

With the accession of Philip II, the devout Catholic believer finally revealed his anger at heresy.

With the actions of the Spanish Regional Inquisition, all the Protestants, ***, suffered a major blow, and the Catholic Church reasserted its authority.

Philip II, on the other hand, had established his own prestige at home with the victorious end of the Italian Wars and the repression of religion, and the old nobles had to submit to his command.

In this way, his eyes were again on the Netherlands, especially Flanders, a region of great wealth, and he could not tolerate being taken by the Protestants.

Both to preserve the Catholic faith and to consolidate his rule, he finally extended his claws to the Netherlands.

First, he sent his new governor to the Netherlands for religious action.

Historically, more than 50,000 Protestants were persecuted during the time of Charles V, and people were already grieving.

At this time, the new governor was a woman.

This governor was Margaret, Duchess of Parma.

She was the illegitimate daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.

She was raised by Charles V's aunt, Archduchess Margrethe of Austria, and her sister, Queen Mary of Hungary.

These two noblewomen were both great women, successively governors of the Netherlands (Margaret 1507-1530, Mary 1530-1555), and were prominent statesmen who oversaw the richest of the Habsburgs' estates.

Therefore, Margaret was expected by Philip II to let her sister continue to control the Netherlands.

When the Governor took office, she was gentle and sympathetic to the plight of the Dutch, but she did not hesitate to carry out her brother's orders.

Thus the Inquisition prevailed throughout the Netherlands, and all the Protestants were terrified and uneasy.

Business has been affected, and it is much more depressed than in the past.

Under the pressure of the new governor, the atmosphere in the Netherlands was somewhat uneasy.

At this time, Thomas. Greshan took the boat and came to the trade center - Antwerp.

As soon as he got off the boat, he felt that although the whole city was still thriving, it was uncomfortable.

"Hans, what's been going on in the Netherlands lately?" Sitting in the carriage and looking at the nervous pedestrians outside the carriage, Greshan couldn't help but ask the person in charge of his family in Antwerp.

As one of the few woolen merchants in the United Kingdom, especially in the Netherlands, which had close ties with England, Greshan of course had some men to look after the business.

"Sir, recently a trusted female governor has come to the Netherlands, who hates the infidels, and although the methods are not drastic, they still have a great impact!"

"Look at the pedestrians on the road, and you are always worried that you will be caught by the monk who suddenly appeared! How can you bother to do business! ”

The supervisor who stayed behind pointed to the pedestrians with sad faces, shook his head, and said helplessly.

"Yes!" Seeing such a picture, Ge Leshan's confidence in completing the task was doubled.

Boris was a craftsman, or weaver.

At the age of 40, he originally wanted to go home to retire, keep his previous savings, buy a grocery store, and retire leisurely.

Who knows, after the tyrant conducted the Inquisition in Spain and expelled and persecuted a large number of Protestants, he also extended his claws to the Netherlands.

The new female governor faithfully carried out the tyrant's orders, and imposed a series of prohibitions and persecution policies against the Protestants, so that everyone was in danger, and even he was a little trembling in his usual work.

As far as the eye can see, there are fewer and fewer pedestrians on the streets, and it is getting dark, so I have to hurry home, otherwise something will not happen.

Boris hurriedly picked up speed and returned to his home.

However, to his surprise, his mother-in-law did not greet him at the door, which made Boris a little angry, he worked so hard for the family, and did not understand anything at all.

As soon as he entered the house, Boris's first reaction was that the house was so bright, and the second reaction was, who is this person?

I saw that in his house, in his place, sat a well-dressed gentleman, followed by two subordinates, and his wife, who was sitting a little dazed, bowed her head.

"Well, sir, don't you know what you're doing with us?" Boris was stunned for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face and said in a low voice.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Boris, a senior weaver?" Greshan, who was sitting in the chair, asked with a kind smile.

"Of course, do you have any orders?" As soon as Boris heard that people were looking for him, he just wanted to deny it, but when he saw his old wife shrunk in the chair, he sighed and simply agreed.

"We're here for you!" As he spoke, as soon as Greshan's eyes hinted, the guards on the side took out a money bag, revealing the glittering gold coins inside.

"Here are fifty gold coins, please come with us!" Greshan has a friendly voice, but he is very domineering in his words.

"Where to go?" Boris couldn't help but ask.

"England!" Greshan said habitually.

"Let me think again!" Boris glanced at the gold coin, swallowed his saliva, and said in a trembling voice.

With his status as a senior weaver, he did not eat or drink, and it took him five years to accumulate, and the temptation was too great.

Seeing that the effect of the gold coin offensive was not obvious, Ge Lershan immediately persuaded him:

"Mr. Boris, you should leave the Netherlands, if not for the gold, for the sake of your wife, for the sake of your married daughter's family!"

"If you think about it, your Majesty the King hates Protestantism very much, and this year the new Governor has proven it, and then, I think the situation in the Netherlands is not far from Spain!"

Boris shuddered at the thought that his family would be persecuted and tried like the Spanish Protestants.

Consider that England is also a Protestant country, and it should be much better than the Netherlands.

One last glance at the gold coin, Boris made up his mind.