Queen Isabella II's brows were tightly furrowed, and although the words of the princess Francisco I were a bit extreme, they were not unreasonable. If the Kingdom of Spain continued to cling to the thighs of the Chinese Empire, it would inevitably be attacked by Britain and France. But if it gave up its closeness to the Chinese Empire and turned to Britain and France, how much benefit would the Kingdom of Spain gain?

Exchanges between countries always give the highest priority to their own interests. Although Queen Isabella II is a bit debauched by nature, she is not a fool. As the queen of the Kingdom of Spain, whatever policy she adopts, it must be in the interests of the Kingdom of Spain.

"Your Excellency, if we now turn to England and France, will it be in the interest of the Kingdom of Spain?" Queen Isabella II asked.

"Your Majesty, I don't mind that. The reason why the Kingdom of Spain was able to regain its strength now was entirely due to the support of the Chinese Empire. If we betray the Chinese Empire, not only will we no longer receive the support of the Chinese Empire, but we will also be attacked by the Chinese Empire. What's more, even if we turn to Britain and France, will the two countries really accept us? This is something we have to consider. On the other hand, if we continue to maintain good relations with the Chinese Empire, even if a future war breaks out, if the Chinese Empire wins the final victory, then the Kingdom of Spain will still be the victor, and we will share the benefits after the war. When the time comes, the Kingdom of Spain will become one of the most powerful countries in Europe! Said the Duke of Valencia.

"Your Excellency the Duke means that you are going to take sides. But, in my opinion. Although the Chinese Empire is very strong, but, don't forget. They are too far away from Europe. Now the center of the world is still Europe. Together, Britain and France would be much more powerful than the Chinese Empire. Even if a major war breaks out in the future, it will inevitably be Britain and France who will win. If the Kingdom of Spain is to guarantee its interests, it needs to be on the side of the victors. I propose that we strengthen the cooperative relationship with Britain and France, and that is the best choice. Francisco I said again.

"I can't agree with Your Highness. Only by insisting on relying on the Chinese Empire. The Kingdom of Spain will only develop in the future. If the Chinese Empire had achieved the final victory, however, they were too far away from Europe. If they want to maintain their influence in Europe, they have to rely on us. When the time comes, the Kingdom of Spain will become one of the great powers of Europe. On the other hand, if we turn to Britain and France. Even if Britain and France were victorious. Then, the Kingdom of Spain is still only a second-rate country in Europe, and we will never have a chance to restore the glory of the Spanish Empire! "Foreign Minister José. Morality. Salamanca said.

Queen Isabella II nodded, and then she looked at War Secretary Simon. Duke of Maria and Lord of the Admiralty, Duke Aquilado.

"Your Majesty, over the years, we have had a very pleasant cooperation with the Chinese Empire, the strength of the Kingdom of Spain. It is also constantly recovering. At this time, we should not betray our allies! "Simon. Duke Maria said.

"Yes. Her Majesty the Queen. Although the British Royal Navy is the first in the world, the navy of the Chinese Empire also has the strength to challenge them. And defeated the British Royal Navy a few years ago. Only by continuing to rely on the Chinese Empire could the Kingdom of Spain maximize its future benefits. Therefore, we should maintain the current foreign policy and even strengthen ties with the Chinese Empire! Lord Aquilado, Lord of the Admiralty, said. All the capital ships of the Spanish Navy were ordered from the Chinese Empire, which made the relationship between the Spanish Navy and the Chinese Imperial Navy also very close.

"Well, okay, I know everyone's opinion. From the present point of view, the foreign policy of the Kingdom of Spain is correct, then, we will continue to stick to it. I am confident that the future of the Kingdom of Spain will be bright and that we will be able to restore the glory of the Spanish Empire! Isabella II said.

"Your Majesty is wise!" The ministers said one after another. Only the eyes of the prince Francisco I flashed a trace of unwillingness.

"Your Majesty, the Chinese Empire proposes that in order to cope with future wars, we need to strengthen our armaments. Both the army and navy need to strengthen their strength. So that after the outbreak of war, we can hold out until the Chinese Imperial reinforcements arrive! Said the Duke of Valencia.

"Well, since we insist on cooperating with the Chinese Empire and strengthening our armaments, it is very necessary." Queen Isabella II said.

"Your Majesty, the Chinese Empire had a building, but I didn't agree." Said the Duke of Valencia.

"What is built?" Queen Isabella II asked.

"The Chinese Empire offered to be able to lease our military bases and deploy troops in Spain. In this way, in the event of a war, the Chinese* army would be able to resist the enemy's attack together with the Spanish army. Said the Duke of Valencia.

"Garrison in Spain?" Queen Isabella II frowned, this is a matter of sovereignty of the Kingdom of Spain!

"We can't agree to the Chinese's demands, they want to control the Kingdom of Spain, this is their ambition!" Francisco I cried out again.

"Your Excellency, we can't agree to this. The Kingdom of Spain has the strength to maintain its own security. Queen Isabella II also said.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The Duke of Valencia nodded.

"However, the Chinese have offered to provide us with equipment for the army and navy to expand our armaments."

"Well, Your Excellency Duke Maria, do you have any plans to expand the army?" Queen Isabella II asked.

"Your Majesty, at present, the army of the Kingdom of Spain has a total of 400,000 troops. However, 200,000 of them have been sent to North America, and only 200,000 are left in China, and the troops are relatively empty. The War Department plans to recruit another 100,000 troops, bringing the army's strength on home to 300,000. The army will focus on the north as a line of defense. If war breaks out, we can mobilize more troops. Armament, rifles and light artillery for the army, which our own arsenal can produce, but weapons such as heavy artillery and heavy machine guns, we need to import them to the Chinese Empire. "Simon. Duke Maria said.

"Your Excellency the Foreign Minister, and the Chinese have decided to import a batch of heavy artillery and heavy machine guns to the Chinese Empire, and the specific quantity will be discussed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the War Department." Queen Isabella II said.

"What about the Navy?" Queen Isabella II asked.

"Your Majesty, the Chinese Empire has proposed that it can provide us with powerful 'Eastern Zhou-class' warships. The performance of the 'Eastern Zhou-class' warships is also higher than that of the latest 'Nelson-class' warships in service with the British Navy. However, the price is a bit expensive, and it costs six million Chinese dollars to ship! The Duke of Valencia continued.

"Six million dollars? My God! When converted into pounds, that's 1.5 million pounds, which is 21 million pesos! This price, it's too expensive! Francisco I exclaimed.

"Your Highness, this price is not expensive. The 'Western Zhou-class' warships we purchased from the Chinese Empire before cost 5 million Chinese yuan. The performance of the 'Eastern Zhou-class' battleship is much stronger than that of the 'Western Zhou-class' battleship, and it is only one million Chinese yuan more expensive, which is already a very cost-effective deal! Lord Aquilado, Lord of the Admiralty, said.

"Your Majesty, the Navy has been able to build light ships on its own. However, such a powerful battleship as the 'Eastern Zhou-class' battleship, we have not yet been able to build it. In order to defend the kingdom's maritime borders and overseas interests, we need powerful warships like the 'Eastern Zhou-class' warships, the more the better! ”

Queen Isabella II hesitated for a moment, then said, "So, how about we order 4 'Eastern Zhou-class' warships from the Chinese Empire?" ”

"Majesty, four, the number is too small. The British already had two 'Nelson-class' battleships in service. Four more Nelson-class warships will enter service. And, according to the information we have received, the British will build 6 more 'Nelson-class' warships in the future. It's going to put a lot of pressure on us. Duke Aquilardo said hurriedly.

"Well, then buy 6 'Eastern Zhou-class' warships from the Chinese. The task of the Spanish Navy is to hold back the British Navy and buy time for the Imperial Chinese Navy, not to defeat the British Navy, which should be the task of our allies! Queen Isabella II said.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Duke Aquilado nodded, he was already very satisfied with being able to get six powerful 'Eastern Zhou-class' warships.

The next day, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Spain, the Duke of Valencia, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José. Morality. Salamanca again held talks with the Chinese Empire's Foreign Minister Lin Zihao, and at this meeting, the Kingdom of Spain offered to import 500 heavy machine guns and 500 105-mm light howitzers to the Chinese Empire to equip the troops, with a total price of 4 million Chinese dollars. In addition, the navy of the Kingdom of Spain ordered six 'Eastern Zhou-class' warships from the empire for a total price of 36 million Chinese dollars. The total amount of this arms sale is 40 million Chinese dollars.

Imperial Foreign Minister Lin Zihao's trip to Spain this time can be said to have successfully completed the task. On September 25, 1848, the Imperial Foreign Secretary, Lin Zihao, prepared to leave Madrid and leave Spain on a warship in Cádiz.

However, it was at this time that the unexpected happened. A telegram from China disrupted Lin Zihao's itinerary.

King Frederick of Prussia. Wilhelm IV died of a stroke, and the empire will send the crown prince Longhua to the Kingdom of Prussia on behalf of the empire to mourn Frederick. William IV, and congratulated Prince Wilhelm of Prussia on becoming the new King of Prussia. Foreign Minister Lin Zihao needs to meet the soon-to-be-arrived crown prince in Spain. (To be continued......)

PS: The first update arrives, asking for subscriptions, monthly passes and recommended tickets!