In April, the sixth year of Chengtian, Nanjing has entered the rainy season. There is no bright sunshine here, but it reproduces the scenery of the rainy buildings in the south of the Yangtze River, the vast thousands of miles south of the Yangtze River, the yellow warbler is singing happily, and the clusters of green trees reflect clusters of red flowers; The villages near the water, the castles on the mountains, the soft and soft rice seedlings that are green and dripping, and the green and green bushes of banana leaves, swaying in the wind, present a business.

The wind blows with a slight warmth, and the cuckoo calls from time to time tell us that "spring has returned". It's early summer and April.

At the same time, the warm wind of early summer was sent to Chen Ming by the war reports of distant Europe and North America.

On the east coast of the Americas, in the crucial West Indies, the Caribbean was still fierce, and the British as a whole were in decline, and in the strongest naval power of the British, they were firmly pinned down by the combined Franco-Spanish fleet.

Although the British were rapidly recovering their naval power after a long period of stagnation, the French and Spaniards did not stop themselves. And relations between the British and the Netherlands, Prussia, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, etc., became even worse.

"Had it not been for the reluctance of the Spanish fleet to enter the east coast of North America to fight, and to follow the strategy developed by the French to strike at the British control of the seas off the east coast of North America, London would have been in a much more difficult position."

In the Qianqing Palace, Chen Cong's hand slapped on the armrest of the Taishi chair, his face full of irrepressible regret.

Although the Spaniards were involved in the first time of the Anglo-French War, the time has come to this point, and the intention of Carlos III [King of Spain] has been clearly made clear, the Spaniards do not care whether the United States is independent or not, he wants to take the opportunity to defeat the British and regain the position lost by the Spanish Kingdom in the last war in the West Indies.

In contrast to the strategic objectives of the French, Spain's performance was innocent in pointing to the West Indies.

This difference in strategic objectives directly affected the war, which was manifested in the fact that the naval battle on the east coast of North America was still deadlocked, and the control of the sea was still in the hands of the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Without the cooperation of the Spanish fleet, the French could not have achieved complete strategic superiority in the Americas.

Moreover, now that the Spaniards have regained some of their interests in the West Indies, they have resisted the counterattack launched by the British in the second half of last year, and the intelligence from Europe and the secret letter sent back by Gao Yanming show that the Spaniards really intend to make a contact with China's North American Expeditionary Force in order to maintain their interests in the Americas.

This is an 'evolution of events' that makes Chen Ming feel very disgusted.

This is very bad for China.

Carlos III and London fought to the death, which was in China's best interests, but now the Spaniards are going to point the finger at China.

"The population of Mexico is conservatively estimated to be more than six million, and Colombia, Peru and so on have millions of people. The Spaniards made an emergency mobilization in their own territory, and although the new colonists of the Americas were of poor quality and even less worthy of combat effectiveness, the latter numbered 50,000 men. With the addition of the Spanish regular army, that's a big army. ”

According to the news sent back by Gao Yanming, the Spaniards would gather an army of 100,000 to attack the west coast of America. This is a very big number, look at the current North American battlefield, the Continental Army and the British have been fighting for so many years, and the scale of the so-called 'battle' on both sides is also in the 10,000 level.

There is no way.

Both the British and the natives of the Thirteen States faced the same problems as the Chinese Expeditionary Force, with material attacks and ammunition replenishment limiting the growth of each other's armies. John Bull's army before the war was really small, but after the war, the navy and army expanded rapidly, and the army increased from more than 20,000 to more than 100,000, but more lobster soldiers were pinned down in mainland Europe, India, and the West Indies, rather than the North American continent.

However, Spain has a certain dominance and continuity in Mexico, and although it is difficult to supply the logistics of an army of 100,000 people for a long time, it should not be a problem to maintain it in the short term.

At present, the total strength of the Chinese North American Expeditionary Force is only more than 20,000 people.

The latter needed reinforcements.

Because Chen Han's North American control area is about to expand rapidly. If the North American Expeditionary Force can defeat the Spanish colonial army, the army will definitely take the opportunity to go south and attack Mexico City. Otherwise, it will be a waste of great opportunity.

In this case, the North American Expeditionary Force, with a total strength of about 20,000 troops, is obviously not enough, because they still have to occupy territory.

Not to mention Chen Ming's big heart, Chen Ming was arrogant, and the 100,000 Spanish colonial troops didn't seem to be able to put the slightest pressure on him. This was all out of contempt for the colonial army, but also out of trust in one's own army.

If this army of 100,000 people was composed of pure peninsulars and a pure regular Spanish army, Chen Ming would immediately do his best to transport troops to North America. But they weren't. They are a colonial army, a rabble of mixed and miscellaneous formations.

The conflict of interests between the Mexicans and the Spaniards was acute, and Chen Ming did not forget it. It was hard for him to believe what kind of combat power the native army would be in such a situation. Maybe it's possible to fight back and revolt on the battlefield.

But in this battle, Chen Ming must bite off a piece of meat from Spain, and those territories must have troops to garrison, so should they also divide troops from the expeditionary force?

Faced with Chen Ming's inquiry, Chen Cong was silent. He stroked his goatee in his hand, and for a moment he couldn't guess his nephew's plan.

The meat bitten off by the expeditionary force, the imperial court does not divide the troops to garrison, who else can be stationed?

The first time he heard Chen Ming's words, Chen Cong felt that the person who spoke was a fool.

"Your Majesty thinks ......" The voice was long, and Chen Cong still looked at Chen Ming with 'doubt' and 'hesitation'.

The military expenditure of the expeditionary force was a lot of pressure, and Chen Ming hoped to transfer part of this pressure from the shoulders of the imperial court to the shoulders of the noble ministers.

"Uncle Wang, the noble minister of Nanjing, since you are going to divide the territory in the Americas in the future, why don't you adapt to it now?"

How to transfer the pressure on the shoulders of the imperial court to a support point that has the ability and willingness? Chen Ming decisively chose Xungui.

These people have taken root in North America, so don't hide it, just pull up another team, as long as you control the number of their troops and logistics supplies, I don't think there will be a big tail.

And these nobles will certainly be willing, even if they will not dare to back down on the surface.

Just like Chen Cong now, he immediately stood up from the Taishi chair and knelt at Chen Ming's feet: "The old minister never dares to think of such a thing. This must not be done, Your Majesty ......"

In such a centralized environment as China, in front of a wise and majestic founding emperor, that person thinks that the burden on his neck is too heavy, and he wants to kill his head to relieve his pressure?

In front of an emperor like Chen Ming, if he runs his own small private army, he is looking for death.

Didn't you see that now even the Black Ice Ocean Security Company has become a member of the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce to a certain extent?

At the beginning of this year, it was officially acquired by the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce, and the latter quickly intervened in the safety and security work of the enterprises under the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce. Before that, this Hei Bingyang was the queen mother and the emperor's eldest son, and Uncle Guo was holding it, so this is not good. The ownership was replaced by the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce, but everyone is innocent, the headquarters of the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce is not open to the public, and it is reported that it is not far from the General Staff Department of the Metropolitan Governor's Office, as well as the National Security and Military Intelligence Bureau.

There is even more gossip circulating, saying who is who, and swears that he saw Chen Guang and Chen Liang entering and exiting at the door of the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce.

Even Hei Bingyang is not exempt from vulgarity, how could Chen Cong want to engage in a private army?

But Chen Ming is sincere, although all this is a bit unreasonable, but under the premise of the feudal country in the Americas, it is not so abrupt. In the future, after the feudal marquis splits the soil, don't they have to organize their own army?

Chen Cong had a layer of sweat on his forehead, and he returned to the cabinet yamen excitedly. From stepping into the door to walking to the office, all the guards, officials, and office staff along the way knew that he had something on his mind, and it was all too obvious.

"Tell everyone to come to the meeting room."

Chen Cong sat down on the big chair in the office and immediately said to the secretary next to him.

As the name suggests, the Tianzi conference room is the first meeting room of the cabinet, which is not only about its importance, but also about its secrecy.

Liu Zhixie, who served as Chen Cong's secretary, looked awe-inspired, and knew in his heart that this was really a big incident.

However, as the secretary of the first and auxiliary ministers of the cabinet, the news is definitely well-informed in the current cabinet yamen, and he has not heard the news at all. Some things may be serious, but they are nothing compared to the definition of a meeting room. Those things are not worth Chen Cong opening the Tianzi conference room. Immediately, Liu Zhixie thought of the palace. King Song has just come out of the palace.

Liu Dezhao rode in a carriage and rushed to the cabinet as fast as he could. The news from the yamen is too terrifying, the Tianzi conference room. He arrived as fast as he could.

Wang Huizu, Pang Zhenkun, Xiong Bingzhang, Shen Guozhen, Peng Zhongrui, Xie Hu, Yan Xishen, and others did the same thing, and the entire cabinet was present except for Pan Zhencheng, the minister of industry and commerce who went to Beijing and went north.

Pan Zhencheng will start from Lianyungang and visit the port of Busan along the long coastline to the port of Pusan, and then visit Japan to make final consultations on the issue of bilateral currency pegging.

The Tokugawa shogunate in Japan had to adjust the value of its currency.

One by one, one by one, by four o'clock in the afternoon, when the meeting began, everyone was there. The Department of Commerce and Industry attended the meeting on behalf of Mr. Poon, Mr. Han Teng, the first deputy of Mr. Poon.

Chen Cong is like an old monk who is sitting in meditation, quietly waiting for everyone to arrive.

Opening his eyes, two sharp divine lights swept over everyone, Chen Cong cleared his throat, picked up the teacup in his hand and took a sip of tea, "I want everyone to come here today because this king has just received a signal from His Majesty." This indication is of great importance, and it must not be leaked. It's best for everyone to have a score in mind. ”

The whole room was full of old oil, Chen Cong didn't play any tricks, and directly said the emperor's 'signal' after putting down the teacup.

Chen Ming intended to let the Manchu ministers' civil and military ministers organize their own armies in North America, so as to lay the foundation for the defense of the feudal state in the future.

The entire Tianzihao conference room is about to explode.

Chen Cong only chatted about three or five sentences to explain things clearly, but the power produced by these few words made Minister Chen Han dizzy.

It's too staggering for all of you. Even the clerks in attendance unconsciously stopped writing.

"Although this matter is important to many noble ministers, my cabinet also has a lot of responsibility." It is conceivable that once this incident spreads throughout Nanjing, there will definitely be countless people waving their hands at many retired officers and soldiers, and the domestic military supplies will become instantly nervous.

The representative significance of this event is greater than that of the emperor in the past, when the emperor relaxed his mouth and let the nobles 'march' into North America, one is the people's livelihood and the other is the military, and the significance of the latter is much more important than the former. It can be said that by now, no family will have doubts about the future division of the Americas.

Those of you who are here know with their fingers that after this news was exposed, it would definitely be an important stimulus for the noble ministers who had already entered a stable state of export to North America.

Everyone is afraid that they will return to the original fierce competition, but don't be too hot.

"Everyone is an important minister of the imperial court, and everyone here can be said to have a wide range of friends and a member of the things involved. Although this matter is the intention of His Majesty, we are still in the Heavenly Dynasty and the Imperial Court, and the establishment of private armed forces by individual families is in the end arrogant and dangerous.

The old man disagreed. Be mindful!

You can tell your trusted relatives and friends about this, but be sure to show restraint. If this has caused a bad influence in the country, the old man will never sit idly by. ”

Chen Cong's words are actually saying that after the people here go back, they will tell the people in their network that although the emperor allows the matter of engaging in private force, this matter is too taboo, don't forget it, don't make any bad things for Chen Cong.

As for the human, material, and financial resources needed to organize a private armed force, Chen Cong did not mention it. Those people won't let go of this opportunity even if they borrow money, right?

As early as when the tide of military discharges was rolling, there were already people who were trying to win over retired officers and soldiers, especially those middle and low-level officers.

At the same time, the Xungui family has strict requirements for its next generation in recent years, and Chen Zifeng is a minority, and many people who are not successful have to be stuffed into universities or colleges, even if it is a private business college.

Chen Zifeng's father was not knighted, so he indulged his children a little. Those families with knighthoods rarely neglect to discipline their children after learning the news of the closure of the Americas, because when the country is really founded in the future, the descendants of each family are a precious force, at least they are trustworthy people.

Again, the first-class family also has a long-term vision to make big plans for the future. With so many feudal states established, imagine how many vacancies there will be. His descendants are average at the domestic level, but in the future, they will be able to develop in the open sea, and they will also bring the whole family to branch out.

From a certain point of view, this is also not putting all the eggs in one basket.

The matter of overseas feudalism is no longer just the interests of the noble and noble ministers, but also many businessmen who are attached to them or have come together with them, and the latter provides a lot of money for the former.

Whether it is the construction of the livelihood of immigrants thousands of miles away, or the great cause of nation-building in the future, it requires a large amount of financial support. Businessmen, that is the most suitable group to make up for the shortcomings of the nobles......

But it turned out that it was really difficult to get competitors to 'get together', and just a little after the news was revealed by Chen Cong, Chen Ming received this excerpt.