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"Your Majesty, the Chinese intend to dig a canal between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, and the Kingdom of Spain must join it. If the canal is successfully built, the trade voyage between the East and the West will be greatly shortened. At that time, our merchant ships will no longer have to make a detour to the Cape of Good Hope, and will go directly from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, and then into the Indian Ocean. In addition, the geographical location of Spain will be even more important. So, no matter what, we all need to join the program. Spanish Prime Minister Duke Valencia said excitedly. When the Chinese Foreign Minister Lin Zihao proposed the plan, the Duke of Valencia immediately recognized the opportunity.

"Yes, Your Majesty, this will be a great opportunity for the Kingdom of Spain. At that time, the Strait of Gibraltar will become an important transportation artery. And the Kingdom of Spain, which guards the Strait of Gibraltar, will have a higher status in the world. "Foreign Minister José. Morality. Salamanca also said. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that once the canal is opened, the passage from the Strait of Gibraltar through the Mediterranean Sea and then through the Guò Canal to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean will be the route that now detours the Cape of Good Hope. At that time, the importance of the Strait of Gibraltar will be greatly enhanced. And the Kingdom of Spain will also benefit from this.

"Opening a canal in Egypt? Is this possible? It was the territory of the Turkish Empire. Also, Muhammad of Egypt. Ali is not a simple guy either. Although Napoleon the Great also wanted to dig the canal, but in the end, it was not done? Francisco I said disdainfully. Napoleon the Great was one of Europe's greatest emperors. What even Napoleon the Great was not able to do, can the Chinese do it?

"Your Royal Highness, Napoleon the Great was not able to do it at the beginning. It was because the British besieged France in Europe. Now it is different, the strength of the Chinese Empire is strong, and it is not afraid of Britain at all. In addition, the Chinese Empire and the Kingdom of Spain were united, and France was even invited to join. With the strength of our three countries, it is quite possible to dig a canal. Even the British can't stop us. As for the Turks, as well as the governor of Egypt, if they do not know each other. Our army, will let them be honest. Said the Duke of Valencia. In his opinion, the alliance of the Chinese Empire, the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of France. It's enough to deal with the trouble of a qiē.

"Well, tell the Chinese that if the canal is to be opened, the Kingdom of Spain will join it with all its might. Your Excellency the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. It's up to you to take care of it. Other than that. In the construction of the canal and in its future operation, the interests of the Kingdom of Spain must be guaranteed! Queen Isabella II said. The canal will definitely require a lot of money. After the canal is opened, the annual toll will also be a huge profit, and these must be distributed in advance. The Kingdom of Spain must not suffer in the distribution of benefits in the canal.

"Yes, Your Majesty! The Chinese will soon go to France, and they will discuss this matter with France. When the time comes. I will represent the Kingdom of Spain in the negotiations. "José, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Spain. Morality. Salamanca said.

"Your Majesty, everyone. We seem to have forgotten a question. Let's not forget, the British also occupied Gibraltar. Even after the canal was opened, the British, who were guarding the Strait of Gibraltar, could still easily block the channel. Said Francisco I.

Suddenly, Queen Isabella II's face turned ugly. Gibraltar was occupied by the British, which has always been a disgrace to the Kingdom of Spain. Queen Isabella II, although young, did not forget this shame either.

In ancient times, Gibraltar was a Phoenician settlement in North Africa and was conquered by the Roman Empire in the second century BC. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, part of the Goths and the local Iberians and Moors (mainly Phoenician descendants) fought over the place. When the Arabs invaded the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century, they landed in Gibraltar, which became a stepping stone for the Moorish Moors of North Africa to invade Europe. A group of Moors formed a number of small states in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula (including the Gibraltar Peninsula) and accepted the coexistence of Christianity and Islam, and in the 11th and 15th centuries, when the Spanish and Portuguese resisted the invasion of North African Muslims who wanted to unify their faith, they joined forces with a part of the European Moors who were of mixed descent, Islamic, but tolerant of Christianity, to expel the invaders. Gibraltar was recovered by the Spanish in 1410 and officially incorporated into Spanish territory in 1501. After Spain became more powerful, Spain adopted a policy of expulsion or forced conversion of Muslim Moors in Gibraltar, and many were forced to move to Morocco in North Africa even after they were converted.

King Carlos II of Spain had no heir, and ordered the Bourbon family of France to inherit the throne of the West. After the death of Carlos II in 1700, Philippe, grandson of King Louis XIV of France, was proclaimed King of the West. However, Carlos II's nephew, Archduke Charles of Austria, also claimed to inherit the throne by blood of the Habsburg family. This led to the War of the Spanish Succession in 1701. Britain and the Netherlands supported Archduke Charles, and his coalition forces captured Gibraltar in 1704 and established a military fortress. In 1713, the warring parties signed the Peace of Utrecht, recognizing Philippe's position as King of Spain, but Gibraltar was ceded to Britain on exchange terms. After the British occupation of Gibraltar, the original Spanish residents were expelled, and a large number of immigrants from other places began, many Italians and British began to move in, and some Moroccans also returned to enrich the local population. In 1830, Gibraltar officially became a British colony and major naval base. Since then, the military and political affairs of Gibraltar have been overseen by the Viceroy appointed by the British Crown.

"Your Majesty, we have ordered six 'Western Zhou-class' warships from the Chinese. At that time, the strength of the kingdom's navy will be further enhanced. Plus the kingdom's increasingly powerful army. We will definitely be able to recover Gibraltar. Prime Minister Duke Valencia said.

"That's right, soon we will regain Gibraltar, and the British won't be complacent for long." Queen Isabella II said.

When the canal is opened, the strategic importance of the Strait of Gibraltar will be much higher, and when the time comes, the recovery of Gibraltar will help to improve the status of the Kingdom of Spain. Queen Isabella II also believed that the army of the Kingdom of Spain would be able to do this.

The visit of the Chinese Emperor Long Yufei to Spain was a success, and a series of agreements were reached between the monarchs and high-ranking government officials of the two countries. The most notable of these was the sale of six powerful 'Western Zhou-class' warships by the Chinese Empire to the Kingdom of Spain. This caused an uproar in European countries. During this time, the performance of the 'Xizhou-class' warships equipped by the Chinese Navy has been well known to all countries. Once the Kingdom of Spain is also equipped with such warships, I am afraid that the balance of naval strength of European countries will change dramatically. This has caused panic in many countries. This was especially true of England, the old rival of the Kingdom of Spain. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of the United Kingdom have repeatedly asked the Cabinet and the Admiralty to speed up the design and development of new warships, and to demand that the Royal Navy recover its strength as soon as possible.

On November 17, 1845, the Chinese fleet departed from Huelva, a seaport city in the southern part of the Kingdom of Spain, to continue Long Yufei's visit to Wèn. Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Spain, José. Morality. Salamanca also departed with the Chinese fleet, and he was to represent the Kingdom of Spain in negotiations on the opening of the canal. The French also showed great interest in digging canals. In addition, China, Spain and France will start further negotiations on this issue in Paris.

After the departure of the fleet from Huelva, it turned and entered the Atlantic. After passing through Portugal, sail north along the coastline of the Iberian Peninsula into the Bay of Biscay.

Four days later, the fleet entered the English Channel. One more day in the world, the fleet will arrive at Le Havre, located at the mouth of the Seine. There, King Louis of the Kingdom of France. Philip I will lead the French government to welcome the Chinese Emperor to France.

"His Majesty, King Louis of France. Philip I arrived in Le Havre. Our fleet is expected to arrive there around 11 a.m. tomorrow. Foreign Minister Lin Zihao said to Long Yufei.

"Hmmm! This time the Spaniards bought six 'Western Zhou-class' warships, I wonder how many the French will buy? Long Yufei said with a smile. A 'Western Zhou-class' battleship earned three million Chinese dollars, which made him very satisfied. It would be even better if France bought a few more.

"Haha, Your Majesty, the French are not as easy to deceive as the Spaniards. Their industrial base is much better than that of the Kingdom of Spain. As long as they have the design drawings and the relevant technology, they can build it themselves. I believe that the French must have wanted us to provide the design drawings. Rear Admiral Lu Haipeng, commander of the 5th Fleet of the Navy, said.

"Humph! It's not that easy to get our design drawings. At least they'll have to buy a few ships. Long Yufei said.

"Woo! Woo! Suddenly, a terrible alarm sounded. Rear Admiral Lu Haipeng, commander of the 5th Fleet of the Navy, changed his face greatly, and quickly rushed out of the cabin where Long Yufei was and ran towards the bridge.

"What's going on? What happened? Did the British come? Long Yufei asked. This is the English Channel, the territory of the British Navy. He had been speculating about whether the Chinese fleet would encounter the British after it entered the English Channel. But now it seems that it is still unavoidable. (To be continued......)