In the process of the rise of modern capitalism in England, there is an extremely important social change that is often overlooked: the traditional English aristocracy, under the impact of social wealth flow and new capital, the sale of official lords became a legal system, and opened up the once closed English aristocracy.

After the Hundred Years' War and the War of the Roses, a large number of traditional aristocratic families disappeared, and the number of nobles in England once dropped to only about 50, but the Tudor dynasty still adhered to the "high gold content" aristocratic feudal system, and the number of nobles increased extremely limited.

However, by the Stuart dynasty, socio-economic and political changes gradually deepened, and the royal family of England changed from the cautious approach of the Tudor dynasty in the past, and several kings began to give money on a large scale. In 1615, the number of English nobles exceeded 80, and by 1628 the number had increased to 126. The long-term emptiness of the treasury faced by the royal family is the primary reason for the increasing proliferation of officials and lords.

The first recognized sale of a title of nobility in the history of England occurred in 1615. Domore spent £10,000 to become Baron Domore of Weining. The Stuart Dynasty's policy of vassalage for the purpose of accumulating wealth destroyed the stability of the traditional aristocracy in England in terms of quantitative structure, allowed the emerging gentry class who controlled a lot of wealth to gain more political power, and also had a strong impact on the future socio-economic and political order of England.

……

Sunday, November 17, 1641.

On the rolling plains of the Irish grassy hills, clumps of cows and sheep wriggle like marshmallows, desperately gnawing on the yellowed and withered blades of grass for the coming winter. On the farms around Lake Rose, the last potatoes are being harvested before winter, and the huge and heavy plant roots are piled into the wagons, making the Irish farmers smile after a hard year's work.

After the Irish War. The restored peace of Killarney, Ireland, has once again attracted more poor Irish people from all over Ireland with its unique charm, and the investment of Chinese small and medium-sized private enterprises in Killarney has gradually increased. In order to reduce the cost of raw material processing and supply in China, Yang Wenwen and Dai Qingqing jointly invested in Ireland's first yarn mill was established last year, and since then, the flax and wool produced by Killarney will be directly made into hemp yarn and wool yarn and then exported to Huamei, at a price at least one-third cheaper than Huamei's domestic yarn mills.

The scale of the agricultural and livestock industry around the town continued to expand, and the vast majority of the primary agricultural and pastoral products were exported to the European continent or Huamei through the port of Kenmare in the south of Guò, and the "Killarney Rose Chamber of Commerce", which was controlled by Huamei behind the scenes. The demand for labour and the price of food, which is much lower than in other parts of Ireland, have caused the population of the countryside around Killarney to soar by more than 30,000 over the years, with an influx of at least 3,000 people a year.

The economy is recovering again. This makes Killarney the hottest economic centre in County Kerry, Munster, and the target of County Cork, which has gained self-government. Representatives of the Cork City Autonomous Council have been staying in Killarney all year round, maintaining close trade ties and using Killarney as another channel of communication with the backstage supporter, Huamei.

Despite the significant increase in expenses, the net income from the estate under the Rose Estate in 1641 was estimated to be $600,000. That's nearly double the number of years ago. In addition to the symbolic contribution to the English royal family, the abundance of funds enabled the local ruler, Dai Qingqing, to maintain a stronger local army. to defend the economic interests of Huamei in Ireland. There is no longer a penny of support in China and the United States. will be able to independently undertake the vast majority of assistance to the County Cork Home Council.

……

The church bells echoed over Killarney, and in a spacious, clean town that was very different from any other town in Ireland, the streets leading to the town church lined with well-dressed soldiers, all looking proud and unsquinting, as if they were being examined.

A silver yarmulme cap with feathers, a black uniform with snow-white tassels and bands, shiny boots, and an ornate Type 34A rear-loading flintlock rifle are the standard attire of the Killarney Guards today. The backbone of the guard came from the losers of the Chinese American Foreign Legion. They did not make it to the Foreign Legion, but instead became the core of the guard of Baroness Killarney in Ireland.

The entire Killarney Guard now numbered more than a thousand, well-armed and well-trained. It is the most powerful local aristocratic armed force in the territory of Munster Province in Ireland.

The doors of the church opened, and a group of richly dressed nobles and men walked out, accompanied by local Irish priests. At the head was a middle-aged man with a goat's beard and a haggard face, and not far from him was a Chinese lady in a dark red luxury dress, accompanied by a young boy about five or six years old. As for the others, they were quite tacitly a few steps away from the man and woman.

"Many thanks to His Majesty the King for the entitle to Frank, who will be a qualified heir to the Baron Kenmare...... Out of support and recognition of His Majesty's Majesty, I believe that Banco Nacional Nacional will take care of the funds needed by His Majesty and that it is only a matter of time before the mob rebellion in Scotland is resolved. Dai Qingqing smiled toothlessly and said to King Charles I of England, who was walking beside him, but his eyes were looking at the far south, "As for the question of Catholicism in Ireland, I believe you have seen that peaceful coexistence here will become a model for the whole of Ireland." ”

The Frank in Dai Qingqing's mouth is Dai Xinzhi, the only son of her and Dai Botong, and now he has officially obtained the title of baron of Kenmare Territory in the south of Killarney, and will legally inherit Dai Qingqing's title of Baron of Killarney in the future. And at a young age, he also had the title of Baron Hint, Marquis of Emden, Germany.

"Well, that's what the entire kingdom of England expects, and those damned Scottish thugs should have known long ago that I, as their king, deserve a bit of power to deal with the Scottish question!"

Dai Qingqing, who heard that he had received the benefits, was finally relieved, and Charles I's pale and haggard face actually flushed with a hint of ruddy. Another round of Scottish peasant revolt that began in 1640 once again emptied Charles I's few fortunes, and the merchant members of the National Assembly, who had managed to pay off the national war reparations of 1636, were clearly apprehensive about Charles I's reconvened long parliament, and resolutely disagreed with the increase in the war appropriations.

The defeat of the National Assembly in the Irish War of 1636 and the marginalization of many parliamentary party hardliners allowed Charles I to come back with another game. But the plight of the English royal family was never resolved. In order to deal with the royal debts, Charles I confiscated the precious metals entrusted to the London goldsmiths who were deposited in the Tower of London, raised the seigniorage again, and even paid the royal debts with obsolete and worn currency of insufficient value.

This typical default behavior of the royal family is extremely disgusting to the vast majority of members of the National Assembly. The refusal of many to attend the long parliament almost led to a bitter internal crisis, and the tensions between the royalists and the parliamentary party looked difficult to manage.

As for the Netherlands, the interest rate on the loan had risen to a formidable level, and Charles I was absolutely unwilling to touch the vampire Dutch bankers again. At this juncture, in addition to continuing to borrow funds from Huamei. Charles I was already having a hard time finding a suitable source of funding.

This time, Charles I took a trip to Ireland under the pretext of cheekiness to privately ask the big benefactor Dai Qingqing for a loan, and for this reason he did not hesitate to expand the business scope of Killarney's territory by thousands of acres again, and even gave Dai Qingqing's son a baron title.

The small church seemed to have been flooded with too many people, when Charles I and Dai Qingqing had already reached the end of the street. The church doors are still being walked out.

As the main person in charge of this trip to Ireland, Deputy Foreign Minister Swainberg naturally had to follow closely behind the King of England. And her eldest daughter Shi Anli is accompanied by another "personal follower". Walked at the end of the crowd.

The girl in the elegant dress will turn 18 in a month's time, and is now studying literature and art at a gorgeous Ivy League university, this time taking a leave of absence to accompany her parents to Ireland. She was flanked by a young European man dressed in the uniform of a Chinese Army officer with the rank of lieutenant.

This person is the 22-year-old Rupert, who met the "honorable Duchess of Santa Cruz" at the Chinese Consulate in Emden a few years ago. In order to pursue the best gorgeous Lori that was eye-catching back then, Rupert even took the initiative to apply to study at the Huamei West Point Military Academy and Ivy League universities.

Five years of Huamei settlement study. The intelligent and courageous Rupert earned the rank of lieutenant from the Chinese Army and a bachelor's degree in literature and art from an Ivy League university.

On the surface, Rupert's daily habits and conversation are not much different from that of a young Chinese European American, but his unattainable status as a European aristocracy. It also once caused a strong unrequited love among many European girls in Ivy League universities. But everyone knows that the girl Rupert loves is the daughter of the deputy foreign minister. Now that Rupert has finished his studies and is about to return to China, this time he accompanied Shi Anli to Ireland by the way.

"God forbid, Xiao Zhi looks like he's sick today." Shi Anli looked worriedly at the front of the crowd, quite concerned about the little boy who was frightened by his parents in public.

"Yes, he's too young, and he's been standing for at least two hours, and I won't be able to stand it." Rupert opened the carriage door for his goddess very kindly, and after obtaining the consent of a certain "stern elder" in the distance, he happily sat in the same carriage with Shi Anli.

"Rupert, when will you go to Manchester City again? I heard that your father is planning to let you go to Holstein (the northernmost part of Germany)? ”

The young people around her have left a good impression on Shi Anli since the day they met, especially the elegant artistic accomplishment of playing the gorgeous piano with one hand, which makes the girl who is just beginning to fall in love often think about it. Thinking of her father's ambiguous attitude of inexplicably keeping a certain distance between herself and the other party and not completely opposing, Shi Anli was secretly sad, thinking that her father did not agree with her relationship with Rupert to get closer. But his mother, Anna, had long been impatient to find a future husband for herself everywhere in the Spanish aristocratic circle.

Living with those vulgar Spanish countrymen who don't like cleanliness makes Annley feel disgusted just thinking about it.

"Well, Father hopes to recruit more reliable soldiers there to protect Emden." Rupert straightened his chest, but his gaze at the girl next to him was surprisingly gentle, "God testifies, even in Holstein, I miss Miss Julia's ...... all the time."

The young man's unmistakable confession made Shi Anli blush, and the two sat silently side by side in the carriage and headed towards the Rose Manor in the distance.

……

“…… Charles I estimated that it would be difficult to digest the shock we had on him. He doesn't seem to be mentally ready to set up a family affair for his daughter early in accordance with 'our tradition'. ”

There were no expensive electric lights in the living room of Rose Manor, and the classical candlelight surrounded the men and women present, and Svenbeaugh's fat body was sunk in the sofa, mocking the departed King of England in a laughing tone.

"Now the signs are clear, the English Civil War will break out in a year or two at the latest, and if we do the slightest trick, Charles I will inevitably be in a situation where he will not be caught, and soon he will recall the topic of today. At that point, he can't wait to pack his daughter and send it to Killarney! ”

Dai Qingqing pinched the wine glass and shook it gently, as if she was full of confidence in her baby son's plan to "occupy the magpie's nest". Because of the marriage of European nobles, the woman's use of territory, title and property as a dowry is the traditional rule of "recognition of consistency", and it is also a legal transitional means of property transfer and political power. Moreover, the King's Court of England allowed marriages under the age of 12, and there were records of how old a marriage agreement was obtained in Europe during the same period.

"The child is too young, Qingqing, it is not good for his growth. We should not sacrifice the happiness of our children to achieve political goals. Dai Botong was the only person present who showed a worried look, as Dai Xinzhi's father, he was anxious about his wife Dai Qingqing so deliberately letting a child less than six years old bear such a big historical burden.

"When he becomes Prince of Ireland, he will understand...... This is the preference and compensation that history has given him. Dai Qingqing bit her lip and replied to Dai Botong word by word.

"By the way, what about your daughter and Prince Rupert?" As if to change the topic, Dai Qingqing turned his head to Shi Wenbo again.

"They love being together and don't have to worry about it at all. Rather than let Rupert, a military genius, fall into the hands of Charles I, it is better to serve us. Hey, speaking of which, my daughter and I have been talking for far less time than before, and the woman is not left......" Shi Wenbo deliberately made a heartache look, so that Dai Botong and his wife couldn't help but show a disdainful expression.

"Mom, I'm scared ......"

Suddenly, the door of the living room opened, and I saw little Dai Xinzhi wearing pajamas and holding a big pillow in his arms. Probably frightened by the crowd in the church during the day, and now standing pitifully in the doorway shivering.

"What's wrong with honey?" Dai Qingqing hurriedly ran over a few steps, hugged her son into her arms, and looked up at the Irish nanny behind her son.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, he thought...... I want to sleep with you. The nanny quickly leaned down in panic.

"Come, Dad will sleep with you today." Dai Botong also walked over, held his son in his arms, and touched the other party's little face distressedly.

"Well, I'm going to sleep with my mom and dad." Xiao Dai Xinzhi turned his head and looked at his mother reluctantly, the tears on his face had not been wiped away.

"Well, I won't bother your family gatherings." Shi Wenbo touched his nose and missed it by the door, while squeezing his eyebrows at Dai Botong.

Looking at the far away Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dai Qingqing actually blushed. Because even if she married Dai Botong in the past few years, she has always stayed in her homeland or Ireland on the grounds of teaching her children, and she rarely meets Dai Botong. And Dai Botong, who has been away for a long time with heavy responsibilities, rarely has time to reunite with his wife and children.

"For my son's sake, let's rest together today." Dai Qingqing kissed her son, grabbed Dai Botong's arm with a smile, and the three of them slowly walked towards the depths of the corridor. (To be continued......)