December 25, 1629, Christmas Day, Tuesday.

Above the sea, the clouds were low, and looking east, the entrance to the strait on the side of the gloomy cliff was dim. In the fierce cold wind, two small sail galen ships were slowly sailing in the northeast direction at a speed of less than two knots, one after the other, and when they approached the mouth of the strait, the crew became nervous, looking at the blackened reef that continued to emerge between the undulations of the waves, and grasped the things around them one by one.

This is a Portuguese sailing ship, which departs from Porto Heroísmo in the Azores, and is carrying a special cargo and a number of men with even more special status. The destination of the voyage was Dales in Munster Province, southwest of the island of Ireland, a small fishing port that would be extremely inconspicuous even in the 21st century.

"Lieutenant Donasius, our destination is almost here! I can only dock here for a week at most, but I can guarantee that I will be able to unload all the goods. The Portuguese captain cautiously walked up to the officer of the Chinese Army and pointed to the end of the bay in the dark sky, "God forbid, it's really hard to get into, there are reefs everywhere." Maybe I should improve the route map a little more, otherwise I can't guarantee that I'll be safe next time. ”

The young man of Irish descent, who had only recently been promoted to lieutenant, did not express any disdain or dissatisfaction with the Portuguese captain who had been hired, but breathed a sigh of relief. As an officer of the Military Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of the United States of America, he has been waiting for this day for many years.

"Everyone can see clearly that this beautiful land is still under the control of the English, but this is only temporary! We are going to help this land and free it from the hands of the English! I am very grateful to the many comrades who were not born in Ireland, and now you still have time to regret it! ”

The hateful English have been holding beautiful Ireland in the palm of their hands by force, colonization and religious persecution for hundreds of years, not only the local Irish civilians live a life inferior to pigs and dogs, but the Irish aristocracy has also been divided and suppressed by the English by various means, although the "country" has constantly resisted the rule of the English. But it has also failed for hundreds of years.

Donnaxiu turned around, and saw a dozen men in ordinary clothes standing side by side on the deck, but everyone was on their backs, and at a glance they knew that they were well-trained soldiers. Like the Irish warriors who have gone on to come and go in history, no one flinched, and Donnahew finally smiled.

These are veterans selected by Donaxiu from the Foreign Legion, and like Donnahew himself, his family and children have lived and worked in peace and contentment in his homeland. But instead they have to leave their families behind and carry out a difficult operation here that could last for many years.

Their mission is to guide the development of local rebels in Ireland behind the scenes. Win over the local Irish aristocracy and form an Irish independence force supported by the Chinese American Republic behind the scenes.

Before it darkened, two Portuguese galleons finally docked at the small fishing port of Dales, joined by the Irish local resistance, an Irish Catholic rebel army that had been crushed to the death by the English royal family, who had maintained relations for nearly a year.

A total of 1,200 Type 21B flintlock rifles, several 12-pounder cannons, a large amount of ammunition, medicine and other military supplies, and 100,000 Spanish silver dollars. The unloaded cargo was towed by the Irish Resistance to a nearby cave to hide, while several locals resembling the leader gathered around Donahew.

"God testifies. The lads can't wait, and thank you so much for your support! Mr. Mario, today is Christmas, if you don't mind. Please join us for a small banquet and a distinguished guest from Cork City who would like to meet you! ”

The strong Irish man was very respectful to Donnacius, who was dressed in civilian attire, and smiled awkwardly as he watched the flintlock rifle that was famous in Europe being coaxed by his subordinates.

Donasius smiled and nodded. He knew that the distinguished guest was a native Irish nobleman of Munster with radical independence tendencies with whom the European Intelligence Division had secretly contacted Ireland.

In the eyes of the average Irish Resistance, Donasius did not reveal his true identity, and Mario was a Spanish surname. Thus everyone thought that this was the support of the Kingdom of Spain for the independence of Ireland. And his true identity is known only to the knight from Cork City.

……

Donahew never imagined that his enthusiasm would suffer a series of self-confidence blows in a matter of days. If you go back a few years, Donasee may not have been able to realize the terrible thing it was to organize an army of Irish fishermen, farmers, hunters, and even beggars.

Lieutenant Donashiu, as the top military adviser behind the scenes, could barely maintain his patience, but among the dozen or so non-commissioned officers of the Chinese Army he brought with him, several of his comrades of Irish descent all became grumpy, and in this respect, it was basically in line with the traditional feelings of the Irish.

In their eyes, such a powerful but extremely scattered army, or the "most powerful" Munster rebel army of all the groups that rebelled against English rule at present, it is no wonder that the English can bully the Irish until now.

No amount of shiny uniform leather armor and modern weapons could hide some of the seemingly hopeless shortcomings of such an army. They always swarmed and then retreated, and the internal quarrel far outweighed the hatred of the enemy. In the face of the English army, which was mainly organized by the Spanish phalanx in the 17th century, such an amateur army could only be defeated and annihilated.

Unlike the Irish knight from Cork City, who was still happy, Donasee finally felt how "compassionate" his commander was when he looked at his training.

"Sir, these Irish people are hopeless! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you! ”

A sergeant of German origin stood beside Lieutenant Donalshaw, shook his head at the Irish partisans in front of him, who had never been able to complete the normal formation, and suddenly remembered that his commander happened to be of Irish origin, so he apologized awkwardly: "I mean, it should be trained directly by us, they need whips and leather boots to know how to walk!" ”

"Well, I'll propose this to their chief. Sgt. Bellman, now that you're the chief instructor, I'll be writing out the new training syllabus in a few days. ”

Donasius finally looked away from the army in front of him. With the consent of the rebel leader, Donahew intervened in the training of the rebels, assigning his immediate subordinates to reorganize all the discipline and organizational structure of the local Irish partisan force in accordance with the original linear infantry array tactics of the U.S. Army in China.

The Type 21B flintlock rifles transported to Darles were of a more "original" model, with bayonet mounts, so Donnacius abandoned the archaic formation of the Spanish phalanx of spear infantry and arquebusiers in the front row, and instead used a straight line of flintlock infantry with a single line of flintlock infantry.

A series of new military training, such as array organization and command orders, confused the leaders of the Irish partisans, and they were not ignorant of the outside world, but the fact that a "Spanish officer" had taught them a strange line tactic that had not been seen in the whole of Europe could not help but make many people resist.

In their eyes. War without spearmen is unscientific. The thin layers of pure musket infantry lines, plus flintlock rifles that were much shorter than spears even if they were bayonets, were basically an act of death to fight the famous Spanish infantry phalanx. But Donashay wasn't going to explain too much, knowing that one day these fellow Irish people would see a whole new kind of war.

……

On January 1, 1630, the Barony of Killarney, in the western part of the province of Munster, Ireland, began to snow heavily.

Ireland has ushered in a bitter cold that is not seen in a century this winter, whether it is the rolling hills and meadows in the distance, or the black forests and mountains, all shrouded in a swaying snow curtain. Even the tranquil and picturesque surface of the Rose Lake is covered with a thin layer of ice at this time.

The increased taxes of the English crown to sustain the war in Europe, as well as the riots caused by famine, have swept through most of the island of Ireland in the past two years. The desperate Irish rioters left the Irish Governor-General, the Earl of Stratford, anxious, even last year. A group of radical Irish Catholics also blew up a barrel of black powder on the outskirts of Dublin and killed the Duke of Buckingham of England, who had come to "raise funds".

Arrests and repressions were an almost daily occurrence, with entire villages razed and burned down by the English army and all food confiscated, and displaced refugees pouring into towns and cities. It has also brought tremendous pressure to local law and order. For a time, whether it was the local Irish aristocracy or the English aristocracy, the various territories of Ireland fell into a kind of white fear.

Rumours and horrors are spreading. Inevitably, the winter snow drifted into the Barony of Killarney, but at this moment, Killarney showed a completely different picture.

The Rose Manor, which has been expanded and renovated several times, is more delicate and atmospheric, with thick snow covering the red manor buildings and neat rows of trees, beautiful and solemn. In the distance, the melodious bells of the church in the small town of Killarney were heard, and in the heavy snow, several ox carts full of goods were slowly staggering from the direction of the town towards the Rose Manor.

Firewood from the fireplace warms the 100-square-meter study, and the huge semicircular balcony is closed by huge glass windows, and between the wide open curtains on both sides, you can see the scenery of Rose Lake at a glance. Behind the long desk in the center of the study, a beautiful young woman in a gorgeous dress was sitting to sign a document, and a middle-aged man dressed as a housekeeper was standing next to the woman, respectfully handing a document in his hand to the young woman.

With a velvet shoulder draped over her delicate black dress, and a strange smile on her beautiful face, the young woman examined the paperwork in front of her and took the quill pen on one side.

“…… Today is the first day of the new year, and the Earl of Stratford can't wait, so let's send last year's revenue share in advance. ”

Dai Qingqing's jade hand swiped continuously, and her beautiful floral letter signature appeared under the quill pen, and a sum of 5,000 pounds of money was allocated in this way.

"The bigwigs in Cork City can't sit still, Eddie, arrange to bring them some food over later."

picked up another piece of paper, and after reading a few lines, Dai Qingqing generously signed it.

"His Majesty King Charles wants you to accept the title of Lord of Kenmare's Domain."

The faithful butler handed over a new paperwork, which was evidently the handwritten letter of the old-fashioned and indifferent King Charles I of England. And the so-called "reward" in the letter is still an unquestionable tone of "promotion".

Charles I, who was about to become impoverished, had issued many absurd decrees in the past year, such as the refusal of the local gentry and nobles to accept the title, which became a reason to pay taxes and fines. Now, the extinct Lord Kenmare next to the south of Killarney is already beckoning to Dai Qingqing.

"That's it. Am I not going to take care of 6,000 acres of territory? Dai Qingqing stretched out her arm lazily, and smiled and picked up the handwritten letter of the King of England with two fingers, with disdain in her eyes.

"The Killarney Territory has also been expanded, to be exact, now 8,000 acres." The butler bent down with a very professional courtesy, and a playful smile on his face, "The news has spread, and the people of Kenmare Harbor are happy. ”

"Since everyone is so optimistic, I can't refuse." The sound of his subordinates sounded, and Dai Qingqing wrote a reply on a blank piece of letter paper at a fast speed. "I can only repay the love of His Majesty the King in the most vulgar way. Eddie, do you think £10,000 is enough? ”

"Then His Majesty the King may consider handing over the entire County of Kerry to you." The housekeeper also made a joke, and then left the study with a large number of financial management documents that had been approved.

"Qingqing, you are so generous, it may cause unnecessary trouble." The door on one side opened, and a young man in a suit walked in and sat on the chair opposite Dai Qingqing, with his hands on the table. His gaze fell on the other party's wrist, "You have to spend an hour every day dealing with these trivial matters, and you are almost catching up with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs." ”

"Feeling bored? When the snow stops, I'll ask you to go hunting! Dai Qingqing winked mischievously. He took the wine from the side and elegantly poured two glasses, one of which was gently pushed in front of the young man.

As if he felt that it was a little rude for him to keep looking at the other party's little hands, Dai Botong turned to look into the other party's eyes. A look of concern: "Qingqing, do you plan to stay in Ireland all the time?" How many years have you not been back home......"

"Think I'm wasting my time? It's you, who ran here before Christmas. Do you have that much annual leave? Dai Qingqing took a small sip of wine, turned her eyes to the balcony, looked at the snow-covered lake, and the strange smile on the corner of her mouth did not fade, "There is always someone who wants to do things and do them well." Probably no one is better suited to handle Killarney's qiē than I am now, or even familiar with the island of Ireland. ”

"But it's not fair to you, and it's not fair to me!" After being silent for a while, Dai Botong drank all the wine, stood up with a little flush, strode to the balcony floor-to-ceiling window, and pulled the curtain even wider.

"I know, maybe in your eyes, I may not even have half of Zhou Kemin's merits." Dai Botong turned around, and the smile on his face turned into a wry smile, "I haven't given up my efforts." In Brazil, I keep writing to you every week, even though I know there will be no reply. I just wanted to prove ......"

Speaking of this, Dai Botong stopped and shook his head slowly.

"Want to prove that you love me more than Zhou Kemin?" Putting down the wine glass, Dai Qingqing's smile gradually solidified, and gradually dissipated, and finally lowered her head, "You should also know that I won't think about these things anymore, not to mention that Zhou Kemin didn't love me at the beginning, so you didn't have the point of comparing with him." ”

"I can wait!" Dai Botong suddenly raised his voice, and his face turned red, "He can't protect you anymore, but I can wait for you for the rest of my life!" ”

"You idiot, who wants you to wait for the rest of your life!" Dai Qingqing was furious, dropped the wine glass, and walked towards the main entrance, as soon as she opened the door, she happened to meet a maid pushing a dining cart and preparing to come in.

"Ahh I'm sorry, Miss Lord! The maid took a few steps back in a panic and bowed her head deeply.

"Entertain Mr. Dai for dinner, I won't eat, I'm going to relax!" Dai Qingqing glanced sideways at the back slightly, and then continued to walk towards the depths of the corridor.

A few minutes later, in an indoor shooting range somewhere in the Rose Manor, a gunshot rang out, Dai Qingqing held the revolver in both hands, gritted her teeth, and kept pulling the trigger, then changing the cartridge, and then pulling the trigger......

……

Killarney Territory has changed dramatically over the past four years or so. The small town of Killarney, which once had only a few hundred people, has regained its population over the years due to abundant job opportunities, and now has more than 3,000 Irish residents and a significant increase in town buildings. Together with the surrounding villages, the population of the entire Killarney Territory has exceeded 10,000, making it the most remote and prosperous western part of the province of Munster, Ireland.

More than 1500 acres of farms. and more than 2,000 acres of pasture, which have solved the local food and clothing problem in a few years, and the old copper mines of the Rose Lake Peninsula have been revived, smelting thousands of pounds worth of copper ingots every month. Timber, wool, wool, grain, potatoes, bricks, leather and other agricultural and animal husbandry products are even being transported and traded in large quantities.

The two Dutch-made Galen merchant ships eliminated from the Sino-American Import and Export Group have become the merchant ships of Dai Qingqing's "Killarney Chamber of Commerce", with the port of Kenmare south of Killarney as their home port, and they will sail once a quarter to the Azores Heroísmo to sell the specialties of Killarney's territory, and then buy back all kinds of industrial and agricultural commodities produced in China, and trade convoys from other Irish towns in the east. It has become a fixed scenery in spring and autumn every year.

In the past 1629 alone, Dai Qingqing imported a total of 2,000 tons of wheat and corn from Huamei Qingcheng in the name of the "Killarney Chamber of Commerce", and earned 10,000 pounds just by changing hands.

Killarney's territory has developed into a significant economic region in Munster, and the income from various industries and territorial taxes under Dai Qingqing's name reached nearly 40,000 pounds in 1629, making it the richest man in the entire British Isles, and the annual "donation" to the English royal family is no longer worth mentioning.

A place that was once obscure. Caught the attention of the Governor of Ireland, the Earl of Stratford, the Prince of Charles I, uninvited, appeared in Killarney's domain, shocked by the hectic and bustling landscape that was completely different from the rest of Ireland.

The Earl of Stratford came to "fight the autumn wind", and Dai Qingqing also understood it. In order to obtain a more relaxed environment for development in Ireland, Dai Qingqing promised to provide the Earl of Stratford with thousands of pounds of private funding every year. As a result, the usual land trade toll was greatly reduced for caravans from Killarney, and the few magnificent goods disembarked from the port of Kenmare quickly moved into the east and south of Ireland. The Earl of Stratford also entered the ranks of England's highest-paid aristocrats.

The people of Killarney's territory, who have no worries about food and clothing, have been completely impressed by the excellent territorial management ability of the lord "Miss Dai Lin". The magnitude of the benevolent lord made a huge difference in people's lives, making everyone in the area proud to be a resident of Killarney. Every time Miss Lord went to Killarney Church to pray. People almost fill the streets.

Now that Kenmare has gone from being a "de facto" part of Killarney Territory to a legal one, the residents of the Kenmare area, who have also benefited from Killarney's development, are eagerly awaiting the expansion of transportation from Killarney to Port Kenmall.

Prior to this, the local Irish nobles of County Kerry and County Cork began to frequently convey their goodwill to Dai Qingqing, and after several contacts, the radical independent Irish nobles entered the friendship circle of Killarney. Dai Qingqing, who has accumulated considerable contacts over the past few years, has gradually reached out to the side of Irish independence activists.

According to the long-term intelligence monitoring of the Military Intelligence Agency of the Chinese Department of Defense behind Dai Qingqing, another challenge to the English by the Irish radical forces in Munster is brewing. If there is still no one to help them, as they have done historically, then this force will be slaughtered by the English again.

As early as a few years ago, the Chinese and American cabinets had secretly formulated a plan to support the Irish independence movement, with the Military Intelligence Bureau of the Ministry of Defense as the core of decision-making, and the American Concession in the Azores and the Killarney Territory as the backstage support points, to secretly provide all kinds of help to the Irish rebels in Munster Province. As long as the uprising in Munster Province produces great turmoil and influence, the Kingdom of Spain, which has long been at odds with England, will also smell the smell and intervene.

After all, the Killarney Territory does not now have the financial resources to support the Irish rebels for a long time, and with the funds of the European Intelligence Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Military Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense, it can only raise a maximum of $400,000 a year to support it.

The greatest gain is to prepare secretly from now on, and wait until a few years later when the "Bishops' Wars" break out between England and Scotland, so that the English royal family and the National Assembly will never have a respite. (To be continued......)