The richness of the New World in North America has made an emerging country the hegemon of the century, and when people open the world geography books, they have to salivate over the wonderful numbers on this land.

When Columbus first set foot in the New World, his first words of emotion included admiration for the local vegetation, even if he had only settled on a small island.

Over the next few decades and hundreds of years, adventurers from Europe have landed on the North American continent one after another, and they have not found the coveted gold in the local area, but they have been shocked by the primeval forest that stretches as far as the eye can see. Compared to the European continent, which has been mature and developed for thousands of years, the primeval forests of the New World left a deep impression on the first Europeans.

“…… The forests here are terrifyingly wide, and a squirrel can go all the way from the east coast of New England to the Mississippi River! ”

An 18th-century European explorer wrote this in his diary, but it was not enough to describe the magnificent primeval forests of the North American continent at that time.

Compared to the 33% forest cover of the United States in the 21st century, the forest cover of the original North American continent is even more exaggerated. The Great River Plains and east of the Mississippi River are almost entirely impassable primeval forests, and the history of European colonizers on the North American continent is not an exaggeration to say that it is an unprecedented history of deforestation.

Indeed, according to a rough historical record, in less than 300 years from the beginning of the 17th century to the end of the 19th century, the United States deforested more than 1 million square kilometers of deforestation for agricultural development alone, which is almost equivalent to all the primary forests owned by China.

(Note: China began large-scale artificial afforestation at the end of the 20th century, becoming the world's largest planted forest country, and by the beginning of the 21st century, the forest coverage rate gradually recovered to nearly 20%, but the proportion of virgin forests accounted for less than half, while Europe has long lost more than 90% of the original forests.) Timber was one of the most important North American exports to Europe in the 17th and 19th centuries. It is also the material base for the number of shipbuilders in the United States to account for more than half of the world's total during the same period. ）

Such a lush primeval forest has naturally shackled the Indian civilization on the east coast of North America by geographical development, and the primitive and arduous fishing and hunting life has isolated them from the world, and its civilization development level is significantly lower than that of the Indian compatriots in the Great River Plain of Central America and the southwest and south of North America.

The maddening density of primeval forests and swampy wetlands covered almost the entire east coast of North America, a geography that also made the first batch of European colonizations in North America suffer. If you open the Historical Geography Atlas, you will find that many of the earliest European colonial strongholds are located in strange locations.

There are desolate sandbar islands, fragmented headlands, and flooded coastal estuarine wetlands, from today's perspective. None of these early colonies were clearly the best locations, and it would not be an exaggeration to say the worst. But if we go back to that time, it was one of the few places where Europeans could settle down on the coast of North America, and hundreds of years later, the prosperous areas of the East Coast of North America were the result of generations of colonists fighting their way out of the siege of nature.

Naturally, this situation has also become an important geographical constraint for Huamei's development in North America, resulting in Huamei's development being unable to spread out in a short period of time. The planning and establishment of each new town will make the survey department of the Ministry of Land and Resources run up and down, and the fine map data that will continue to be copied from later generations. In the 17th century, the relevance of the reference also decreased dramatically.

The pristine forest landscape also slows the agricultural expansion of every gorgeous town surrounded by forests. More than 20 years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, with a large amount of manpower and material resources, Huamei's total agricultural and animal husbandry land development in North America is less than one million acres.

The high degree of urbanization in China is not so much the idea of leapfrogging development in China. It is better to say that it is an unacceptable choice under the objective environmental conditions, after all, the top level of China and the United States has not imitated the determination of the Europeans to cut and cut down indiscriminately for hundreds of years.

……

If the limited swamps and meadow wetlands around Porter City and Jersey City in Songzhou could be drained and reclaimed to serve as the granary of Huamei's early development, then Haimen City in Haizhou (later Portland, Maine) would have little to do with agriculture.

As the forefront of the "approach strategy" to the Quebec region of France. Haimen City was established seven years ago, and after a difficult expansion, the total area of the urban area is less than 3 square kilometers. However, it has a permanent population of 10,500, and the urban population density ranks first in Haizhou.

In the 21st century, the forest coverage rate is as high as more than 80%, so that Haimen has left the traditional agricultural economy behind since the day it was founded, and the limited agriculture is only small-scale potato cultivation and livestock dairy, and it has been replaced by a large-scale forest industry adapted to local conditions.

Like many Huamei local towns, Haimen has a number of major local investors, the largest of which is Huamei Wood Group, which is based in the field of forest industry. In 1642, the group moved several of its most important processing and manufacturing departments from Porter City, Songzhou City to Haimen City, bringing a large amount of investment to the local area and creating at least 20% of the jobs, either directly or indirectly.

In addition to the vast forest farm purchased at a low price, Huamei Wood Group has a complete set of forest industrial production lines in the industrial park on the outskirts of Haimen City. Log processing, panel processing, furniture manufacturing, papermaking, wood distillation and other factories occupy more than half of the land in Haimen Industrial Park.

In just a few years, the total output value of Haimen's forest industry has entered the top three in the country, becoming the lifeblood of Huamei Wood Group, and even many urban construction and development projects in Haimen City are also contracted by the real estate subsidiaries of Huamei Wood Group.

Although the proportion of forest industry in the entire industrial system of Huamei is very low, in this city, with the eldest daughter of Deng Mingquan, chairman of the board of directors of Huamei Wood Group, marrying Zhou Bitang, the mayor of Haimen, the Deng family is like the emperor of the soil, and has a very high voice in the local business and political circles.

Since Haimen City became Haizhou's second trading port to open to the outside world, the Deng family not only monopolized most of Haimen's industrial capital, but also took most of Haimen's trade share with the French colonies of Quebec.

The vast majority of Quebec's import and export trade falls on the Haimen Import and Export Trading Company, which is controlled by the Deng family. Although Quebec's little import and export trade volume is better than nothing for Huamei, it is a small world for the Deng family that cannot be criticized by others.

In the Haizhou local council election after the New Year's Day in 1646, two state councilors from Haimen City were all from the Deng family's support objects, and even several state councilors from Qingcheng City had a lot of dealings with the Deng family.

……

Saturday, January 20, 1646, Great Cold.

Although it is a seaport city, Haimen City does have a typical continental climate. At this moment, the cold wind is bitter, the sky is full of ice and snow, except for the unfrozen harbor, the cold snow is gradually dyeing the whole city white at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The harsh winter weather almost prevented most of the port ships from sailing and loading and unloading at the wharf, and at a glance, the sparse small fishing boats leaned against the snow-white pier trestle, and several gorgeous or European merchant ships also quietly snuggled up and down the wharf, and it was difficult to see people around them, and the busyness of the past seemed to be blown away by the cold wind.

southeast at sea level. A few wisps of messy black smoke gradually appeared, and a steam fleet in a column was struggling to navigate the howling cold wind and undulating waves.

As the distance closed, a majestic fleet appeared in the eyes of the observers of the Maritime Administration at the lighthouse of Haimen City, and the leading battleship wore the general flagship flag of the home fleet of the Chinese and American Navy on the foremast.

The leading flagship is the Nuwa, the lead ship of the latest Nuwa-class second-class light cruiser to enter service last year, with a full load displacement of more than 4,200 tons, followed by the Xingtian, a ship of the same class. After that, there were three Peace-class third-class light cruisers with a full load displacement of more than 2,800 tons, namely the Mir, the Divine and the Dawn.

The three Peace-class light cruisers are a further improved and expanded version of the Princess-class light cruisers, or are they still traditional wood-hulled and iron-boned construction. The two pitch-black Nuwa-class light cruisers are the first generation of quasi-ironclad ships in Huamei.

Each one of them is the latest warship of the Chinese and US Navy. Each one of them is fully loaded and whitewashed. Every single one. They are all expensive capital ships that are usually reluctant to sail too much, and in addition to necessary training, they spend most of their time in their home ports as strategic reserves.

As the port approached, the fleet slowed down. The chief flagship of the pilot, Nuwa, sounded the whistle, and suddenly a large number of figures suddenly appeared in the originally empty port for no reason, and the head of the crowd was Zhou Bitang, the mayor of Haimen.

The main forces of the Chinese and American home fleets are slowly entering the port one after another. In a harbor crew hotel, several panicked European faces also appeared behind the windows of several hotel dormitories.

"God, it's the Yankees' fleet, it's amazing, these abominable and beautiful ships...... But what did they do to the north, isn't it their traditional winter break? A French captain looked at the light cruiser Nuwa in the distance in the darkness with a look of astonishment, and turned back to ask his companion.

"If Mr. Captain Peake could have linked the warship in front of him to the local officials' suspension of our departure permits, it would explain everything...... Damn, they actually think that the cloth and grain shipped to Quebec on the ship are prohibited for export! These guys who have gone back on their word, they have no guilt in violating the "Treaty of Friendship between the United States and France" signed with Cardinal Archbishop Mazarin! ”

A French royal agent specializing in the trade between China and Quebec took a vicious sip of wine, as if remembering the cold and awkward French of the customs officials in Haimen City.

"You're saying they're going to Quebec? God, is there an Atlantic pirate there? Or is what happened in Nantes true and they intend to retaliate in Quebec? ”

The French captain was once again taken aback, and although he had not returned to Europe for several months, the rumours from Europe were somewhat understood, and it was hard for him to imagine that the two countries, which had established close trade relations, would turn against each other because of the personal actions of a group of stupid lowly mobs.

"Maybe it's true, but they can't get more compensation from Quebec, right? There was nothing of value there except a bunch of beggars, frozen salted fish, and wood. Another young French fur merchant muttered.

"They forbade us to import cloth and grain into Quebec, and even forbade us to leave Hong Kong...... Gentlemen, we may be in a predicament like we have never seen before, but in any case, these troubles are caused by the bastard guys in Nantes, and we should contact the local people with status, or at least they should allow us to return to Europe. ”

"Yes, we should visit His Excellency the Mayor, it is said that the mayor's wife is from the Deng family, maybe we can get help from her!"

"What a clever proposition!"

The French in the room nodded their heads. The proposer was recognized.

……

The main force of the Huamei Home Fleet was stationed in Haimen Port, and then began slow and logical winter maintenance, but judging from the state of the whole fleet's preparation, this was definitely not a simple transfer or winter training.

After all, for many years, it is obviously unreasonable that no naval fleet of this size would come to the city of Haimen, which is close to the French colony of Quebec, to spend the winter.

At the same time, a small flotilla led by the light cruiser Princess Ainyi, the flagship of the American Caribbean Fleet, also appeared overseas in St. Augustine on the Florida Peninsula, causing alarm among the local French colonists.

During the French invasion of the former Spanish colony of the Florida Peninsula, this was the first time that the Chinese American Caribbean Fleet cruised to this area, and its significance naturally terrified the French who had occupied St. Augustinburg for many years.

All French merchant ships are prohibited from entering or leaving St. Augustine during the cruise. It was a notice issued by Rear Admiral Wang Zhihua, commander of the Huamei Caribbean Fleet on the Princess Anyi, and sent to the French by a messenger.

It is said that the Huamei Marine Corps has completed the final training and assembly in Jiangcheng, Jiangzhou, and may join the Huamei Caribbean Fleet at any time.

Is this going to compete with France militarily for the rhythm of Florida?

The rumors spread quickly and slowly, and the French in St. Augustine were even ignorant of what had happened in the port of Nantes a few months earlier. The hearts of the French in St. Augustinburg instantly rose to their throats.

And that's not all, the three Alfalfa-class frigates of the Chinese and American fleets have already set off from the U.S. Azores Naval Base at this moment, openly escorting a transport fleet of four ocean-going merchant ships, swaggering towards the port of Deportivo La Coruña on the northwest coast of the Spanish mainland.

After consultations with the Kingdom of Spain. The American fleet will be stationed directly in the port of A Coruña. This is the second time since the Irish War ten years ago that the Chinese and American navies have reached a military cooperation agreement with the Kingdom of Spain, deploying military forces to the Spanish mainland.

The merchant fleet, officially escorted by the U.S. Navy, was loaded with large quantities of civilian or military supplies, and sailed without any disguise. The Chinese and American Navy openly declared that the fleet would anchor in A Coruña. and ready to sail to the port of La Rochelle, which is besieged by the French royal army, and all supplies will be shipped to the local French Protestant rebel army.

From north to south, from east to west, beautiful navies appeared around French power on both sides of the Atlantic. This was probably the first time since the founding of the United States that China had treated a European country with great vigour, and it was currently the first military power in Europe, and its naval mobilization was completely larger than the Irish war against England that year.

Such gestures undoubtedly set the stage for the upcoming US-French diplomatic conference in Nantes. It seems that the Chinese and American military are about to lose patience with France's abrasive attitude in handling the Nantes incident.

Huamei showed a belligerent gesture towards France, and one country was ecstatic, the Kingdom of Spain. Spain had been hoping for many years to form a formal military alliance against France, and the perfect opportunity had come.

What kind of country is Huamei? Not to mention that it made its debut in the Irish War and demonstrated its strong naval war strength, it is currently the richest man second only to the Netherlands among European countries.

And what about Spain? Following successive failures on land and at sea, it has lost all strategic initiative and is now only relying on its old foundation to survive. The allied Holy Roman Empire was even more shattered by the Kingdom of Sweden and the Protestant allies, and the capital Vienna could be attacked by the Swedish army at any time, with little power to fight back.

In order to seize the opportunity, the Spanish royal family not only happily agreed to the request of the Chinese Navy to enter the port of A Coruña, but also appointed the Duke of Santa Cruz as the host of the reception of the Chinese American Navy.

Who is Duke of Santa Cruz?

It was a top Spanish aristocrat with half Chinese elite blood, whose father was the Chinese Foreign Minister Swenbo, and his new wife was Sophia, the princess of the prince of Emden, who was now in full swing in Germany! His sister Shi Anli is the wife of Prince Emden Rupert!

As soon as this messy kinship unfolds, it is an absolute heavyweight politician!

It is said that the Spanish royal family even intends to appoint the Duke of Santa Cruz as the commander of a Spanish legion, and as for how much military talent the young Duke of Santa Cruz has, the Spanish royal family does not think about it!

All of a sudden, from Lisbon to Seville, from Nantes to Antwerp, from Amsterdam to London, rumors were rampant that Huamei intended to go to war with France and officially enter the European war.

It is foreseeable that the Habsburg Empire, which ruled the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Spain, will certainly be greatly motivated, while the anti-Habsburg alliances such as France and Sweden, which have begun to conceal internal contradictions due to the division and conflict of interests in the later stages of the war, will inevitably loosen.

In Europe in 1646, in the final stage of war-weariness among the people at the bottom, there seemed to be a surprising possibility of variables. (To be continued......)