On the coast of the North Sea in Europe, on the north bank of the mouth of the Emes River, after more than ten years of large-scale construction, a prosperous city - Port Emden stands in the once remote German countryside. Its ruler was Frederick V, who officially returned to the Elector of the Holy Roman Empire and was the "Marquis of Lower Saxony-Emden" in Germany, a troublemaker who lost his Palatinate and Bohemian crown but was a blessing in disguise.

The Thirty Years' War in Europe brought great opportunities to the Port of Emden, the third largest trade port between China and the United States in Western Europe, and with a population of 40,000, the Port of Emden became a hub for trade between the Atlantic and the German region, and its busy schedule was almost as fast as Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The thriving maritime trade provided a large number of jobs, and the surrounding war attracted a large number of people and labor, and the city and port were repeatedly expanded.

There are a large number of traditional Western European buildings that are common in the city, as well as ornate buildings with simple shapes. Spacious concrete or gravel asphalt avenues, not found in other European cities, divide the entire city into zones. Crisscrossed by small rivers or canals, and blocks are outlined, and green belts that closely mimic the geometry of a gorgeous city can be seen.

Over the past nearly a year, Frederick V quickly expanded from the lands of the projectile to capture Bremen, Lünerburg, and Hamburg in succession, defeating the Danish army and advancing into Schleswig. Probably even Frederick V did not expect his son to be so brave, but after five years of study in Huamei, he led Emden's army on a rampage, and the Danish army was as vulnerable as paper paste in front of his son.

King Christian IV of Denmark, who had been a-stirring stick several times but had never won once, was already groveling to plead for peace talks. Even the Holy Roman Empire, which had mixed feelings, had to recognize and return more of Frederick V's nominal power.

Frederick V was already so excited at this time, but the only thing left to realize that he could come to this day. It's all about the tremendous support of the beauty of the Atlantic. From the most depressed time, stand up again bit by bit, even if any link is missing the help of Huamei, I am afraid that I will end up dismally.

The history of the German region did not have much of a habit of recognizing his godfather, but that did not prevent Frederick V from consolidating his position in a more traditional way, wagging his tail to the big creditor. In view of the crucial support of the Swavenbo family, Frederick V's flattering gestures were endless.

For example, now, his children have become the most important link between the Kingdom of Emden and Huamei, and he has established a marriage with the Swaven Bo family. Shortly after receiving the title of Marquis of Lower Saxony-Emden. To celebrate the great victory that was coming, Frederick V officially announced two important news.

First, Frederick V handed over his youngest daughter Sophia to Shi Anwen, the eldest son of the Chinese and American Deputy Foreign Minister Swenbo. Shi Anwen is in the high position of Duke of Santa Cruz in the Kingdom of Spain, and his family status is prominent, and he is currently studying for a master's degree in Huamei, while Sophia is also studying at Huamei Ivy League University, so the two are tentatively scheduled to complete their engagement ceremony in Huamei Manchester City.

Secondly, and most importantly, Frederick V announced the imminent marriage of his youngest son, Prince Rupert. The future daughter-in-law is also Shi Wenbo's daughter. As the younger sister of the Duke of Santa Cruz in Spain, Shi Anli's bloodline and the title of the eldest daughter of a gorgeous top powerful family are naturally not to be underestimated, and in Europe, she is also half a princess-level figure.

……

January 23, 1644. Saturday, the Kingdom of Emden.

Today's Emden Harbour is bustling with decorations filling every corner of the harbor and high-spirited Emden soldiers wearing sumptuous uniforms. They are neatly arranged in the port area, enclosing a large area covered with red carpets.

Countless citizens of Emden Harbor crowded around the periphery, excitedly and curiously watching the Atlantic Queen merchant ship approaching outside the harbor. The huge and elegant hull is now refurbished. In addition to loading more than 2,000 tons of grain and war materials, in the most high-end cabin, there are also the family of Shi Wenbo, the vice minister of foreign affairs of China and the United States, including Shi Anli, who is about to get married in a wedding dress.

Although wars are still raging everywhere, this does not prevent the traditional European aristocracy from enjoying a life of opulence and social opportunities, especially the various belligerents who are constantly seeking external support in exhaustion. At this moment, in the red carpet welcome area of the port, more than a dozen diplomats from European countries also looked at the gorgeous large merchant ships that slowly entered the port like a mountain.

When Swenbo's family walked up to the port in a hurry, the frigate Yulu, a Chinese domestic fleet escorting the Atlantic Queen, began to fire a salute, and the port suddenly thundered with joy. In winter, flowers and other things can not be counted on, but the local welcome officials still ingeniously distributed a variety of colored shredded paper to the citizens, and under the wind fluttering, it also looks colorful and brilliant.

As soon as Shi Anli, who was wearing a pink wedding dress, stepped on the red carpet, Prince Rupert, who had specially changed into a Chinese Army dress and wore the rank of captain, hurriedly greeted him. In Prince Rupert's view, his most braunting status is that he is a graduate of the Chinese Army West Point Military Academy and a titular American active duty army captain officer.

Similarly, the first to be in the limelight was not the much-anticipated Shi Anli. Accompanied by his wife Anna, he first laughed and talked with Frederick V and his wife, and then took out a promotion order stamped with the official seals of the Chinese Department of Defense and the Army Command from his pocket and walked in front of his son-in-law, Prince Rupert.

After the careful reading, Shi Wenbo took a pair of epaulettes from the hands of the foreign ministry clerk behind him, and replaced Prince Rupert with the rank of major in the Chinese and American Army. Then Swenbo took a gift box again, took out a medal of honor of the Chinese Congress, and pinned it to his son-in-law's chest on behalf of the Chinese president, in recognition of the other party's incomparable performance in the war against Denmark.

Speaking of which, the 25-year-old Prince Rupert is the senior commander of the army of the Emden Kingdom, and has the most elite troops of the Emden Kingdom at his disposal. But in the eyes of Huamei, he can only be regarded as a middle-level officer like a major in the Huamei Army. The atmosphere of pretending to be complacent in this is so thick that people can't look at it directly. In the process of conferring the title, Prince Rupert held his head high and his expression was extremely solemn.

After that, there was a complicated welcome ceremony, and after a few tosses, Prince Rupert took Shi Anli's hand. Cheering like a tsunami in the mountains, he walked towards the luxurious carriage on the side.

Dai Botong's family, the consul general of Huamei in Europe, was also standing in the welcome area at this time, happily watching Shi Wenbo's family walk through the crowd in high spirits.

"Today is definitely the time for European historians to write about it in the future." Dai Botong took his wife Dai Qingqing's hand with his arm, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, "Frederick V is a salted fish turned over, it depends on what he can come up with." ”

"Well, I've seen the representation of England, both the royal family and the National Assembly. It seems that there are two people from the Irish Council and the Catholic Alliance this time......" Dai Qingqing glanced at several figures in the VIP area, and a sneer appeared on her face. "You can't just let Shi Wenbo, a stallion, be in the limelight, our son will not be bad in the future!"

Glancing sideways at his wife's serious expression, Dai Botong secretly smiled bitterly in his heart.

……

The elegant Emden Palace is located in the middle of a large jungle on the banks of a river in the northwest of the city. Since six years ago, Frederick V has invested heavily in the construction of this luxurious palace complex, not only employing a number of gorgeous architectural engineers, but also importing a large number of gorgeous high-end building materials, and pulling up a team of thousands of refugee laborers in the form of cash-for-work, working day and night.

It's a pity that with the unusually smooth unfolding of foreign wars. Oldenburg easily fell into Emden's pocket at the beginning of the summer of 1643. Frederick V, in order to strengthen the rule of the inland realm, moved the palace to the palace of the former Earl of Oldenburg, and the Emden Palace, which had only been completed for less than half a year, was without an owner. Now, Frederick V has given Emden Palace to his youngest son, Prince Rupert, and his daughter-in-law, Shi Anli. As the future home of the newlyweds.

As a European aristocratic young man and amateur artist who studied in China for several years, Prince Rupert had an unusual affinity and admiration for China, not only copied Huamei in his own living habits, but also brought a lot of gorgeous fashion to Emden.

The aristocracy of the Kingdom of Emden was the most prevalent group in all of Europe. Its imitation kept up with the rhythm of opulent fashion, even faster than the Iberian aristocracy of Seville and Lisbon. Basically, the new high-end clothing of the gorgeous capital Manchester City will soon appear in the aristocratic circle of Emden. Tea drinking, a taste that was only a few popular among the upper classes in Portugal and Spain, was also rapidly spreading in Emden. and spread to the surrounding German states. As for ordinary livelihood goods, they are even more common in Emden.

Whether it is a staggering palace dress in the gorgeous Oriental style or an elegant and delicate court dress in the gorgeous Victorian style, it has become the only choice for the noblewomen who are eligible to enter the Emden Palace. The cheesy monotonous and chaotic 17th-century aristocratic costumes of various colors are completely absent here, and the occasional foreign lady entering the scene in traditional attire is quickly regarded as a private ridicule.

Large, delicate glass kerosene lamps hung from the pillars of the palace's main hall, illuminating the spacious Emden Palace, and on the red carpet, a large number of servants came and went, serving drinks and food to the brightly dressed European magnates. Frederick V had already concealed the lofty posture at the beginning of the reception, and accompanied the Swainberg family to chat with a smile on his face.

“…… Yes, the Kingdom of Denmark must pay for their shamelessness! They must give up their interests in Lower Saxony, and Schleswig should also belong to Emden! In this regard, the Emperor must respect my position! ”

Frederick V's slightly high-pitched voice caught the attention of the European diplomats who were gathering freely in the hall, and this kind of deliberate rhetoric during the peace talks frightened the Danish diplomats who lacked bargaining chips in the corners. Diplomats from the Holy Roman Empire, on the other hand, stared at Frederick V's back with a resentful gaze.

"Our Government has always insisted on the settlement of the dispute by peaceful means, but it absolutely respects the free choice of the ordinary people of the German Lower Saxony and Schleswig regions, and is willing to make unremitting efforts for the return of peace to the Kingdom of Emden and the Kingdom of Denmark!"

Swenbo spoke polite diplomatic rhetoric clearly, and gradually many European diplomats surrounded him.

"However, I personally continue to reserve a position of strong indignation at the French Crown's disregard for the legitimate sovereignty of our Government over the territories of the Florida Peninsula in North America, and I hope to obtain the impartial support of the Kingdom of Emden and His Majesty Frederick V. The US-France Treaty of Friendship signed by our Government and His Excellency French Prime Minister Mazarin many years ago respects each other's territorial rights and interests, but France's military occupation of the Florida Peninsula has no intention of trampling on the spirit of the treaty! ”

Swenbo is still boasting about the Manchester City Weekly reporters who are based in Port Emden and have followed the Chinese and American delegation to cover the wedding. Quickly take out a piece of paper and write it down, maybe in a few days, these contents will appear on the streets of North America. And judging by all indications, it seems that the countdown to Huamei's fangs to France has begun.

"Well, of course, I always thought that whether it was Lower Saxony, Schleswig, or Florida in North America, they should be respected for their rightful owners." Frederick V hastened to echo him, and his cheekiness made the diplomatic representatives of the various German states around him stunned.

"So, may I ask Your Majesty. Do you have any thoughts on the internal disputes that are taking place in the Kingdom of England today? ”

Probably at the behest of the authorities, a gorgeous reporter cleverly followed the topic and looked like he was listening attentively to the record.

"They (the parliamentary army) insulted all the European nobility and went to war against a legitimate king, which was a shameless act of rebellion." Frederick V found an explanation almost without thinking, and diplomats from many countries, including representatives of the French royal family, who had previously looked displeased, were nodding slightly.

"I know. His Majesty King Charles of England was also represented at the wedding of His Royal Highness Prince Rupert, does this imply that England and Emden, who are in a joint marriage, will react unanimously to this state of affairs? An imperceptible smile appeared on the corner of the reporter's mouth, and he asked again step by step.

At this time, the European government zhì family. Having ever met such an evil species as a journalist, Frederick V's face suddenly turned red. In the past year, Frederick V, who had a smooth journey, also secretly coveted England. But it was the first time that someone brought it up like this, and I didn't know what to say at once.

"Huh. We will continue to monitor the state of affairs in the Kingdom of England and trust that His Majesty will make a fair and wise judgment, thank you for your interview. ”

Seeing that the atmosphere was funny, Swenbo, who was secretly snickering, hurriedly stretched out his hand to protect Frederick V, and walked away side by side with the appearance of a world friend. The European diplomats who surrounded them saw that the show came to an abrupt end, and they all felt a little unfinished.

The moment he walked past a pillar, Swainberg stopped and smiled at Frederick V: "The English Parliament has declared null and void the declaration of the Irish Parliament and the Catholic Union, and the Scottish Presbyterian Church has also demanded that His Majesty Charles abolish the prayer book that was forcibly promoted in Scotland...... My Government does not want to see the legitimate independence of England, Scotland and Ireland shattered by a civil war, and therefore hopes that the Kingdom of Emden will exert greater regional influence. As for the appeal of the English Parliament, I think there can be a more decent way to deal with it, don't you think......"

Frederick V was stunned for a moment, chewing on Svenberg's hint, and a minute later his eyes suddenly lit up, revealing a look of joy: "Indeed! No one has the right to spoil a single qiē of these three countries! The rebellious wars waged by those hillbillies are undermining the royal power of England since His Majesty James! ”

Frederick firmly grasped the concept of three countries and answered very cleverly.

Since James I, the English royal family has held the titles of three kings of Scotland, England and Ireland, and the English royal family has also been committed to the complete union of the three countries for a long time since then. Many Catholic aristocrats in Ireland and Scotland were wary of the ambitions of Anglican England.

The Irish Parliament and the Catholic Union announced their separation from the English Crown, which is tantamount to not recognizing the title of King of Ireland held by the current King of England, Charles I. The Scottish Presbyterians had long hated England's dictation of Scotland's internal affairs, so it had to support Charles I against Cromwell, who sought to annex Scotland entirely.

Historically, the War of the Three Kingdoms, which took place in parallel during the English Civil War, was a powerful proof of the efforts of Scotland and Ireland to get rid of the control of England.

This was the most difficult stage of Charles I, and if anyone had the right to legally intervene in the English Civil War now, it was Frederick V of the Kingdom of Emden. Because his wife was a princess of England, several of Frederick V's children theoretically had the legal inheritance of the kings of England and Scotland, and more importantly, the Protestant sect that could be recognized by the English nobility.

No matter how you look at it, as long as you can help Charles I solve the problem at a critical moment, it is not impossible for Charles I to give up a title of king. And judging from the past ten years, the National Assembly of England has been extremely disappointed with the Stuart dynasty and Charles I himself, and it is entirely Charles I's own fault to get to this point. The hint given by Huamei is too tempting.

Frederick V can only be blind now, but in fact, if history had not changed, half a century later, it was the descendants of Frederick V's youngest daughter Sophia who would have taken over England and founded the House of Hanover.

……

Deep in the depths of Emden Palace, in another remote hall, Baroness Killarney of Ireland was sitting with her precious son, Dai Xinzhi, and several representatives of King Charles I of England who had arrived from Yorkshire.

"Honorable Lords and Ladies (for the most part, English barons are called Lords). I hope you will carefully consider the disobedience of the Irish Parliament and the Catholic Union, and His Majesty would like you to persuade them to give up. In addition, His Majesty the King is regrouping his army in Scotland and is now in dire need of your support. ”

A representative of the English royal family whispered the explanation of Charles I before leaving the door. Because of the successive defeats of the royal army in Wales, many elite troops were annihilated by Cromwell, and the situation suddenly deteriorated to the point of being caught off guard. And this time. However, Ireland broke away from the English royal family, which suddenly made the situation worse.

Charles I had to once again use his usual trick of unwarranted promises to seek the support of the Scottish Presbyterians and the nobility. The Scottish Presbyterians once again respected Charles I's position as king of Scotland, but barren Scotland had little financial resources to help Charles I raise the army he wanted.

"I have discussed this with the Dominion Council of County Cork, Munster, Ireland. We have decided to take a neutral stance on the resolutions of the Irish Parliament and the Catholic Union. And as far as I am concerned, although I am a Catholic, I am not in a position to raise objections before the Irish Parliament and the Catholic League. ”

Dai Qingqing lazily raised a hand. He made a slight gesture of refusal.

Qualification? Who doesn't know that the entire army of the Dominions of Killarney and County Cork is under your influence, and who else can threaten the Irish Assembly and the Catholic Union? Heard Dai Qingqing's explanation. Several representatives of the English royal family secretly rolled their eyes.

"If I am to maintain His Majesty's position in Ireland, I need to be able to negotiate with the Council of Nobles and the Catholic League. Do you think that one Baron Killarney plus one Baron Kenmare can overwhelm one qiē? Ireland is also a country of order. ”

As she spoke, Dai Qingqing gently touched the little head of her son, who was only seven or eight years old, and the expression on her face was extremely relaxed.

Several representatives of the English royal family looked at each other, and finally understood what the conditions that Charles I had secretly explained before. One of the old men slowly stood up and bowed deeply to Dai Qingqing: "Dear Lordess, this time His Majesty the King has brought me good news, His Majesty is willing to reconsider the engagement of Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth and Her Excellency Baron Kenmare, and the King's Court has also ruled ......that it is valid."

Princess Elizabeth, only seven years old, is the second daughter of Charles I, who died at an early age in history, and is living in fear with her father Charles I in Yorkshire.

"I'm sorry, neither Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth nor my son are underage, which is not in accordance with our country's Marriage Law." Dai Qingqing was deliberately stunned for a long time before sighing quietly, "If His Majesty agrees to the marriage contract and the ruling of the King of England's court is valid, then as their legal guardian of marriage and family, I hope to obtain custody of Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth at the same time, and go to school in Huamei with my son Baron Kenmare." ”

They exchanged glances with each other again, and the representative of the British royal family at the head hurriedly bowed his head: "Thank God, all of England expects His Majesty to make the most correct decision." ”

"I'm looking forward to it too...... In addition, I will actively prepare for the just cause of His Majesty the King. ”

Dai Qingqing pressed the excitement in her heart, and still said plainly on the surface, but the hand holding her son was trembling slightly.

I don't know when, the guests all left one after another, Dai Xinzhi was also taken away by the servants, and Dai Qingqing was the only one left in the hall drinking alone.

The door opened, and Dai Botong walked in with a slight smell of wine.

"Agreed?" Dai Qingqing glanced at her husband's slightly red cheeks and the smile on the corner of her mouth, and knew that the other party's negotiations with the Irish Parliament and the Catholic Union had made progress.

"The Irish Parliament is very good at saying that they are wall-to-wall. For the Catholic Union, I would like you to make your unequivocal support for Ireland's Catholic status. Anglican prayer books are banned. Dai Botong smiled and sat down beside his wife, rubbing his arm that was slightly sore from drinking, "They also want the same direct support from us as the Dominion of Cork. What about your side? ”

"I have good news here, Princess Elizabeth will be coming to our house soon. After completing the engagement, Ireland will be our son's, dear ......" Dai Qingqing smiled mysteriously and gestured triumphantly, "Prince of Ireland, as long as the noble council approves." He will also have the right of succession to the King of Ireland in the future. ”

"Hey, we're just such a kid......"

For his wife who has spared no effort over the years to climb up step by step with the help of the country's layout in Ireland, and even has to take his own flesh and blood, Dai Botong is very heartbroken. But he really loves Dai Qingqing too much, and every time he wants to oppose it, he can't bear to suppress it.

Ireland has always been just a gorgeous pawn on the European political map, and even if his son nominally owns the Kingdom of Ireland in the future, he will only be a gorgeous puppet follower, and his voice in the future will not be much worse than the current Frederick V.

"It's a big deal to have another one. He won't be lonely......" Dai Qingqing drank the wine in her hand in one gulp, and touched her husband's face with drunken eyes, as if talking to herself.

Seeing that his wife was different from the past, Dai Botong was a little stupid.

……

January 30th. The official wedding was solemnly opened, and as the father of the bride and the dual identity of the Chinese and American diplomatic representatives, Shi Wenbo gave the dowry and state gifts that made the diplomats from all over the world who attended the wedding envious.

Swambaugh's dowry for his daughter was a property in Atlantis Retreat in the Governorate of the Azores. Swenbo directly put the environment among the best. One of the largest villa estates was given to her daughter and son-in-law.

The national gifts sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Commerce of China and the United States on behalf of Congress are even more glamorous, directly five national standard 650 steam merchant ships that have been simplified and refurbished, with a declared value of 400,000 US dollars. Although they are all second-hand ships that have been in operation for more than 15 years. But the freshly painted hull was the envy of the European merchants watching the harbor.

With these steam merchant ships, which had an average speed of more than 8 knots and did not rely on wind currents, Frederick V's Chamber of Trade Agents was able to establish a trade route from Emden to Portugal and to the Azores with great ease.

In addition, Frederick V again received a long-term loan from the Bank of the Atlantic of China and the United States to consolidate the construction of the newly occupied territory. As for how much Frederick V promised in return, only a few people know at present.

According to the wedding plan, the newlyweds will go to the Azores for their honeymoon after the wedding ceremony, and Prince Rupert will also represent the Kingdom of Emden to participate in the tripartite truce peace talks between Emden, Sweden and Denmark, which are brokered by the United States.

As for the French representatives, who had been seeking the Kingdom of Emden to join the war against the Holy Roman Empire after the war against Denmark, they were directly rejected by Frederick V, and they returned empty-handed.

……

Just as the Atlantic Queen was once again leaving the port of Emden with raw materials and newlyweds in the spotlight, a Protestant uprising suddenly broke out in Bordeaux, a port city in southwest France, nearly 1,000 kilometers away.

After more than half a year of careful preparation, the Protestants in southwest France had powerful firepower that stunned the French royal army this time, and the Chinese and American military weapons obtained from various channels caught the local royal army off guard. According to conservative estimates, the uprising of the Protestants armed as many as 10,000 people, the ratio of flintlock pistols to more than 30%, and even a number of cannons, the main force of the French army is fighting in the north and Italy, Bordeaux, Rochelle and other southwestern towns soon fell into the hands of the Protestant rebels.

At the same time, as if agreed, the Kingdom of Spain launched a large-scale counteroffensive on the Italian battlefield. (To be continued......)