"Capture. The throne of England? I'm afraid it's not legal, right? ”

William III obviously wanted it very much in his heart, but he was still saying "illegal". This is really a European military oligarch with a very good spirit of the rule of law!

"How can it be illegal?" The Earl of Shaftesbury, the leader of the Whigs, said, "Parliament is in our hands, the laws are made by us, and if we say you are lawful, you are lawful!" Not only legal, but glorious! You did not invade England to seize the throne for personal lust for power, you invaded England to defend the spirit of the rule of law in England and became king with the support of the British Parliament, this is not a despicable invasion, this is a glorious revolution! ”

The majority leader of the lower house of parliament is indeed able to speak well, and the dead can be said to be alive, and the smelly can be said to be fragrant.

William III, the consul of the United Republic of the Netherlands, is not good at governing in his own country, and he took tens of thousands of mercenaries across the sea to England to defend the spirit of the British rule of law, and the rule of law in Britain has nothing to do with him as a Dutch ruler? And in the process, he also drove away the king of England, and then became the king of England himself, which was not an invasion, but a glorious revolution!

That's a strange statement!

According to this standard, could Louis XIV also send troops to Madrid, drive away the foolish king of the Habsburgs, Carlos II, and then become the monarch of Spain himself? Is this a glorious revolution?

Can Emperor Zhu San on the Ming side send troops to invade Japan, "die, die", and then become the emperor himself, this is also quite glorious, right?

William III still seemed a little undecided, and glanced back at his wife, Princess Mary.

Princess Mary looked excited, blinked, and smiled: "Honey, of course this is a glorious revolution!" My uncle could have been a glorious defender of the spirit of the rule of law in England, striking Catholics on the islands of England, Scotland and Ireland with his royal power and sacred English law. But he was bent on siding with these vile Catholics, and wanted to give them the same power as the Anglicans. It is even possible that he himself had secretly converted to Catholicism and became a servant of the Pope of Rome. This was the greatest betrayal of the spirit of freedom and the rule of law in England, and all Anglican believers would oppose him, as long as we could come up with a strong army and give a certain amount of subsidies to the captains of the British navy, we would be able to successfully enter London. In the process, we will most likely not meet any resistance, because the officers of the British Army are almost always loyal Anglicans. ”

The confidence of this princess is not unreasonable, England in this era is not a beacon of civilization and progress, but a . The theocratic state was similar to that of Persia in later generations.

The powerful Protestants suppressed Puritanism and Catholicism very harshly, the former and Cromwell were in the same group, and they were also extreme, and when they were in power, they once banned all entertainment activities, so that the whole country lived a puritanical life, and now they can't stay in England itself, and they all go to the New World to massacre Indians. Later, through their hard work, they finally counterattacked and became the "beautiful father" of the British Empire.

The latter can continue to be a second-class citizen in the United Kingdom and does not have to be a second-class citizen for too long, after all, the spirit of the rule of law in the United Kingdom is constantly improving. Therefore, the discriminatory provisions for Catholics in the British legal system were later abolished, well, and finally completely abolished in 2013!

That's progress!

But it was still 1682, and the Catholics in England were still oppressed second-class citizens, the Protestants controlled Parliament by virtue of their numerical and financial advantages, and the English army, navy, and local militias, including the Catholic-populated Irish militia, were firmly under the control of the Protestants.

The English Protestants, who controlled the parliament, navy, and army, as well as the Whigs and Tories controlled by the Protestant aristocracy and capitalists, would never give Catholics a chance to turn over.

And if British Catholics (including Irish Catholics) want to turn over, they can probably only hope that the two sons of Charles I, Charles II and the Duke of York (James II in history), who "don't know where the head is", can see that everyone believes in a heavenly father (Roman heavenly father), pull everyone along, and give everyone an equal status, right?

So Charles II and the Duke of York are thorns in the side of British political and military circles. This king is also tired, and may be gone if he is not careful.

However, Britain's political and military circles are also fed up with Cromwell, and they don't want to produce another barbaric warlord who tosses the big guys to death by relying on the barrel of a gun and is hard enough, and their ideal monarch is someone who has both guns, blood, or Protestants, and preferably can bring a lot of capital and technology to Britain.

William III and his wife, Princess Mary, apparently fit all of the above!

Having received his wife's approval, William III had one last question: "And what about the Duke of York?" He is the first legitimate heir to the British throne! ”

That's a problem!

Charles II ran away, and there was a James II! That is, Princess Mary's father, now the Duke of York, is the official chairman of the Scottish Supreme Council, that is, the commission of Scotland.

"He's an almost open Catholic!" The Earl of Shaftesbury, the leader of the Whigs, gritted his teeth and said, "If he is made king, it will be Charles I!" ”

"But he's Mary's father after all."

William III looked at his wife, Princess Mary: "What should we do if the Duke of York mobilizes the British army of Scotland to fight us south?" ”

It's a tough thing to do!

It is certainly not appropriate to shoot to death! After all, he is the father-in-law of William III, and it is not good to beat people to death for the throne.

It's not appropriate to fight to the death, so it's best not to show mercy!

In particular, Wilhelm III was an invader after all, he was the ruler of the United Republic of the Netherlands, and led tens of thousands of German-speaking German mercenaries into England with the intention of seizing the throne, which was done cleanly, it was the Glorious Revolution! In case James II can't fight and can't run away, this momentum may rise.

At that time, the Glorious Revolution might have turned into a struggle against aggression by James II.

Princess Mary, the good daughter, smiled coldly and said to William III: "My dear, do you remember that John. Churchill? ”

"John. Churchill? William III nodded, "If I'm not mistaken, he's your father's confidant, right?" His sister seems to be your father's mistress, right? ”

"But he was also an Anglican Protestant," said Princess Mary, "and he was a wise man who knew how to take sides at a critical juncture in history!" ”

William III thought for a moment and asked, "My dear, are you sure?" ”

"Absolutely!" Princess Mary said, "If you can land England with a sufficiently strong army, he will judge the situation, take our side, and arrange for my father to flee to France." ”

"Good!" William III finally made up his mind and laughed, "I happen to have a strong enough army at hand, numerous, well-equipped, and well-trained. And I still have plenty of military spending! I can take both the army and the military money to England! ”

He was going to take the army and the military money borrowed from the bankers in Amsterdam, and run to England with his wife, Princess Mary!

Hearing this, the Whig leader, the Earl of Shaftesbury, immediately said to William III: "If the Tories leader and the bishop of Compton learn of this, they will give your full support to your cause!" ”

William III nodded: "Earl, then please tell them the decision of me and Mary, and by April at the latest, a glorious revolution will sweep through England, and after the victory of this revolution, the two maritime overlords of England and the Netherlands will become the co-monarchy alliance."

The world's first and second navies will be completely united, the sea will belong to us Britain and the Netherlands, and France and the Ming can only be suppressed by us forever on land! ”

The Earl of Shaftesbury, the leader of the Whigs, nodded heavily: "Great! That's what London is looking forward to! ”

The Whig leader had so much confidence in William III's entry into England because, on the one hand, the Protestant forces in England were extremely disgusted with Charles II and James, Duke of York; On the one hand, it was also because British capital was eager to join forces with the Netherlands - because the news that the Ming and France jointly formed the American empire and prepared to carry out East-West trade through the "Pacific-North American Continent-Atlantic" trade route made the London capitalists who also relied on overseas trade to accumulate wealth very anxious.

However, the strength of Britain alone was not enough to cut off this trade route across the Pacific, the North American continent and the Atlantic. A close alliance with the Netherlands and a joint naval force against the Ming and France is the most feasible and secure approach.

After all, Britain and France are separated by the English Channel, and the Netherlands is connected to France by land.

Therefore, France must have invaded Holland first and then considered invading England.

Once the Netherlands is invaded by France, Amsterdam's banking, shipbuilding, metallurgical industries, and abundant capital will surely flee to Britain, which hangs alone on the side of the European continent.

The desperate resistance of the Netherlands will greatly weaken Louis XIV's military strength, and wait for the Dutch to fight to the last man, and the British can still try to negotiate peace with Louis XIV. Britain doesn't lose anything!

Rome, Italy.

The situation on this side of Europe is really getting more and more chaotic!

Just when Forquansky and Fat Sofia were planning to "cross the Black Sea in white", and William III and Princess Mary were planning to help Charles II and James, Duke of York, "glorify", Rome, the stronghold of Catholicism, was once again occupied.

This time, it was not the army of France that "God brought filial piety" to Rome, but the army of Spain, the "true filial son of God", and it was also the Spanish Prime Minister Juan Brown. The army led by José himself numbered as many as 15,000, twice as many as the army led by the LGBT Duke Philip I last time.

But for Rome, which has a city but no defense, there is actually no difference between 5,000 troops and 15,000 troops, they are all the same to win without a fight and open the city without blood.

That "all generations have gone to hell" Juan. José, on February 14, 1682, appeared in a rage at the Vatican Palace, where Pope Innocent XI lived, and met a papal father who looked very depressed and seemed to have been greatly devastated in his spirit.

Originally, he came to Xingshi to ask about his sin, but he was also surprised to see a pope who had almost collapsed.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Juan. José asked, "Was it tortured like this by Louis XIV?" ”

When he spoke, his heart was already a little empty.

If the Pope's father couldn't stand the torture of Louis XIV, he was forced to say Juan. Jose's ancestors have been to hell for generations, so the fault of this is Louis XIV, he, Jose, led so many troops to coerce the Pope's father, will the father and brother be angry when they find out?

When he was really worried, the Pope's father, who looked very depressed, suddenly shouted loudly: "Heavenly Father is angry, Heavenly Father is angry"

Really angry?

Juan. José still believes in his Father and his brother—he's a Spaniard!

So when I heard the Pope say this, I was immediately frightened. But then the Pope's father began to cry again: "The Father has ignored me! I have no way to communicate with Heavenly Father."

Oh, it turns out that Heavenly Father and Heavenly Brother are angry with you!

Juan. José looked at the hateful Pope and said in his heart: Yes! How dare you say that my father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and uncle Gao have gone to hell, and now that Heavenly Father and Heavenly Brother don't want you, you should also go to hell!

Thinking of this, Juan, who was dressed in armor and accompanied by a group of German mercenaries who didn't believe in God very much. José said sharply to the Pope: "Innocent XI, since you cannot communicate with the Father, then you are no longer worthy to be the Pope. I command you to resign from the Pope at once! The Roman Catholic Church needs a pope who can be approved by the Father! ”

As soon as he said this, the halls of the Vatican Palace were in an uproar, and the entire College of Cardinals exclaimed.

"Prime Minister, what are you talking about?"

"You want to depose the Pope's father?"

"Father, the Prime Minister of Spain wants to depose your spokesman on earth."

"Prime Minister, you can't do this, please take back your life!"

These cardinals are actually hoping that the pope's father will return to the arms of the Father soon. Then they will have a chance to run for the new pope!

But the problem is, Juan. Jose wants to depose the Pope!

This is something that even Louis XIV would not dare to do! Juan. How dare José?

And Juan. As soon as José set this precedent, would Louis XIV also come to Rome to appoint another pope?

Isn't it a bit of a "deposed pope" for you, a Spanish prime minister and a French king, to lead troops into Rome to depose the pope?

Innocent XI's nephew, Cardinal Antonio. Otterskalch immediately stepped forward: "Prime Minister, you don't have the authority to do this, if you want the Pope to declare that your ancestors have gone to heaven, or if you want the Pope's father to declare that the Pope's meridian continues to be valid, just put it forward." But deposing the Pope will never do."

He was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly stopped, because he saw Juan with red eyes. José had already drawn his sword.

This is going to be murderous!

At this moment, Innocent XI, who was in a bit of a trance, suddenly shouted again: "Heavenly Father, Heavenly Father has spoken to me. He said I was guilty and should not continue to be the pope! ”

Juan. As soon as José heard the words of his Heavenly Father, he quickly put away his sword, then knelt down on one knee and made a cross on his chest to show his respect for the Father.

At this time, Innocent XI, who looked a little abnormal in his spirit, stood up, then took off his triple crown with his own hands, placed it on his throne, and then staggered to the outside of the hall of the Vatican Palace, shouting to the Spanish soldiers and Roman citizens who were guarding outside: "Heavenly Father says that I am guilty and should not continue to be the Pope!" I'm no longer the Pope."

At this time, a cardinal suddenly asked: "The pope's father is not the pope's father, so what should he be?" ”

"Be the Supreme Pope!" Cardinal Antonio. Oteskaci immediately took over the question, and then he said to Juan Skacc. José said, "Prime Minister, do you think that's okay? ”

Juan. Jose originally hated to chop Innocent XI, but Innocent XI was now dismissed by his Heavenly Father's spontaneous words, and it was not appropriate for him to chop people up to Heavenly Father and send them to his old man's house!

Maybe the Father didn't want Innocent to go up to meet him, which is against the Father's will, and he is going to hell!

Thinking of this, he nodded: "Okay, then let's start the process of electing the pope, I will wait here for the new pope to be elected!" ”

He had to wait!

Because the Pope is gone, no one can overturn what the Pope has announced on the throne unless a new Pope is elected

The news that the Spanish prime minister led troops into Rome and then "deposed" the Pope soon reached the ears of Louis XIV, King of France and Emperor of the United States East, who had returned to the town of Fontainebleau.

The news also took him by surprise.

He originally thought that Juan. At most, José forced the Pope to overturn his previous decision, but he didn't expect that the Spanish Prime Minister would play his cards unreasonably and depose the Pope and set up another Pope.

He couldn't sit idly by anymore, although the Pope wasn't of much use, but Juan. If José wants to rob, then he Louis XIV will have to intervene.

But at this time, there was another somewhat thorny problem in front of him - Britain on the other side of the channel was in trouble. Charles II's illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmoss, had just arrived in France and informed Louis XIV that the Dutch consul William III had assembled a large army and was about to invade at any time, and asked France to send troops to support Charles II.

On one side is the Holy See, and on the other side is London, England.

How should Louis XIV choose?

(End of chapter)