Forty-eight years of Qianlong

At 1794:10 in the morning on October 11, [-], eight members of the Spanish mission, led by two officers sent from the Kinmen base, arrived at the Kinmen Fortress on time.

The eight members include Archbishop Alonso Nunez de Haro Peralta, the head of the mission, who is also the representative of the Spanish Royal Supreme Council in the Americas, and the deputy head of the mission, California Governor José Joaquin de Captain Arrillaga, Brother Fermín de La Suén, President of the Franciscan Mission of California, Captain Bernardo Bonavia of the Provincial Western Command, and Juan de Bonavia, Secretary to the Provincial Governor. Arevalo, Brother Hilarion Diez, who served as translator, and two attendants.

Those who greeted them at the gate were Lu Qi, the governor of Kinmen in Beihai Town, his deputy Li Shi, and several young officers from the staff office; of course, Zhao Xin, who was known as "Liu Sheng", also came, and his identity was Beihai Negotiation envoy sent by the town.

Lu Qi was dressed like a thief today, wearing a brand-new and straight military uniform, with silver-gilt general stars on the shoulder straps shining brightly, and three rows of medals on his chest.The same goes for Li Shi, who was standing behind him. He was wearing a dark green military uniform and his dark leather boots were polished until the figure could be seen.

As for Zhao Xin, he didn't change into any formal uniforms. He just wore a desert camouflage training uniform without any military rank, and he didn't even wear a hat.With his short hair, big sunglasses, and beard, Li Shi couldn't help but laugh.

Everyone in the Spanish mission learned yesterday from Brother Diez that there would be a "special envoy" coming from China all the way to this negotiation.When they learned that this person could speak fluent French, everyone felt that communication would be much smoother.

To be honest, Brother Dietz's Cantonese Mandarin is pretty good, but the problem is that Lu Qi's Cantonese level is just okay for singing a few plastic Cantonese songs, and conversation is a disaster.And if it was through written communication, Brother Diez's writing skills were not very good, so the two had made a lot of jokes during their previous meeting.

So when the representatives of both parties exchanged greetings and saluted, Archbishop Peralta held Zhao Xin's hand, smiled and asked in French: "Monsieur, if I guess correctly, you are Mr. Liu who came all the way from China? "

Zhao Xin said with a smile: "Ouais. My name is Liu Sheng."

Peralta said: "Your Excellency speaks French so well! If it weren't for the fact that there were very few Chinese in Europe, I would have thought you had been living in Paris. Is your French teacher, like me, a servant of God?" "

The reason why he thinks so is because the Catholic monks who have been able to enter the interior of China in recent decades are all Jesuits, and most of these people are French.

Zhao Xin shook his head slightly and said: "No, I learned it from a Mr. Deguine. He is the representative of the French East India Company in Guangzhou. Speaking of which, Mr. Deguine is from Paris."

Peralta suddenly realized that this was important news, and he must write a letter to inform Manila when he returned.

In fact, Zhao Xin's ability to master French proficiently has nothing to do with Degene; apart from his own hard work, Lady Elizabeth is the biggest contributor.After all, the sheets can't be rolled out in vain.

Ever since he left France four years ago, he had wanted to master French.You must know that French is a necessary skill in the middle and upper classes of Europe in these days. People who do not understand French cannot engage in politics, let alone do business; because French is also the lingua franca of business in Europe and is used in all international trade contracts. All in French.

As far as Zhao Xin is concerned, since he rescued Louis Charles, helped the French Indian colonies fight against the British, and plotted Louisiana, he will definitely get involved in French politics in the future, and he will definitely not be able to play without knowing French.

On the other side, although Lu Qi also shook hands with the members of the mission with a smile, he deeply admired Zhao Xin for talking and laughing in French.

Look at people, they are busy all day and night, but they can speak English, French, Russian, and Japanese without speaking.How did he learn it?Alas, I haven’t finished memorizing the words starting with “a” in my list of commonly used Spanish words.

Thinking of this, Lu Qi also secretly made up his mind: "I have to work hard! I have to work hard! I will recite twenty Spanish words before going to bed tonight. Forget it, twenty is a bit too much, let's change it to ten."

Although it has been almost a year since Beihai Town occupied Kinmen, neither Lu Qi nor his officers and soldiers have just mastered some common Spanish expressions.

Even at the prisoner of war camp, the officers and soldiers in charge of guarding and the Spaniards never looked up or down. The most slippery words they could say were "No te muevas", "Agacharse", and "Levanta las manos", which means not to move and squat down. ,Put your hands up.

Spanish is said to be "the language of communication with God."Unlike English, Spanish does not have phonetic symbols. Beginners must first spend time mastering the spelling rules so that they can spell out all the words.Don't think this is enough, there are two big mountains behind - grammar and listening.

Not to mention that Spanish grammar is both numerous and complex. The most terrible thing is that Spanish people speak very fast. Many words are habitually abbreviated, and they are also accompanied by various dialects, swallowing, and portamento. Speaking of listening with ears, even if Lu Qi held a translator from another time and space, it would not work.

After the two parties exchanged greetings, they walked towards the conference room together.Only then did everyone in the Spanish mission have the opportunity to look inside the Golden Gate Fortress.

Not to mention how strange those container houses that looked like building blocks made the Spaniards feel strange. At this moment, on the playground in the middle of the fortress, a battalion of soldiers were conducting obstacle course training. The lively scene immediately attracted everyone's attention and they couldn't help but stop. Footsteps to watch.

Beihai Navy's obstacle course is actually a 400-meter obstacle course in another time and space.The venue is 100 meters long and 15 meters wide, and the runway is 300 meters long. The obstacles include five-step piles, deep trenches, low walls, high board jumping platforms, horizontal ladders, single-plank bridges, square windows and high walls, low pile nets, and turning flags. , nine items in total.

按照《北海军训练大纲》的要求，25岁以下的官兵在2分40秒内跑完合格，2分30秒内良好，2分20秒内优秀。

However, after watching for a while, everyone in the mission, including the two officers, felt somewhat disapproving. Even the captain named Bonavia raised the corners of his mouth slightly, with a hint of ridicule in his eyes.

Is this also called military training?It's totally like a circus sideshow!It's ridiculous that we would lose to such an opponent!

You must know that the most important thing in European infantry training in these days is the formation, and changing the pace under the command of different drum beats is the top priority of formation training.Only a dense and uniform formation can ensure the output of firepower behind the enemy. The skills of individual soldiers are insignificant in the tactics of lining up to kill; even the hunters, known as "light infantry", still have to line up to fight.

Seeing the two Spanish officers looking carefully, Lu Qi couldn't help but feel a little nervous, so he walked to Zhao Xin and said through gritted teeth: "You said, these guys can't see anything, right?"

Zhao Xin comforted him: "Don't worry! They can't understand what kind of weapons and what kind of training you use."

He has led troops for so many years and has fought against the Tsarist Russian army and the Dutch army. He has a very good understanding of the tactical laws of the European armies in the musket era and is confident that the Spaniards will never understand them.

It is said that the reason why the Beihai Navy practices this is very particular!Because according to the requirements of the "Northern Navy Tactical Outline", the distance from the attack position to launch a charge is 400 meters.

In previous battles, after several rounds of intensive artillery bombardment and infantry firing, both the Qing and European armies would basically enter a rout stage. At this time, the infantry would be required to charge quickly to completely annihilate or capture the enemy.If the starting position is too far away from the enemy, the physical energy consumption of the infantry after charging will be too great, and they may even watch the enemy run away.In order for soldiers to charge quickly within a distance of 400 meters and pass various obstacles, they must exercise their physical coordination and explosive power. The "400-meter obstacle course" has become a required training subject.

As expected, Bonavia soon lost interest in continuing to watch, and instead said mockingly to Zhao Xin and Lu Qi: "Haha, it's really eye-opening! Your soldiers are all very skilled. As nimble as the monkeys I saw in New Granada.”

This was said very rudely and was simply an insult.Although everyone in the mission remained calm, they were very proud of themselves.

Lu Qi didn't understand, so he blinked and looked at Zhao Xin, waiting for the other party to translate.Unexpectedly, the latter smiled slightly and burst out in French.

"Captain Bonavia, there is a term in China called "downhill tiger". By the way, I think you must have never seen a tiger. This kind of beast only lives in Asia, especially in China. There are many of them, like the Siberian tiger. , South China tiger, Xinjiang tiger, Javan tiger, Malayan tiger. As it happens, the Philippines does not have them.”

Bonavia frowned and interrupted: "Mr. Liu, are you wrong? As far as I know, Java and the Malay Peninsula are Dutch territories."

Zhao Xin slapped his forehead, pretending to be surprised and said: "Ah, I forgot to tell you that we fought a war with the Dutch in Java last year, and Governor Overstraten of the Dutch East India Company signed an unconditional surrender. , waiting for final confirmation by the United Provincial Council. So now, whether it is Java or the Malay Peninsula, it is China’s territory. Now in the waters of South Asia, your country is the only country that still occupies the Philippines. I am sure that your The Governor of Manila now has trouble sleeping and eating every day, hehehe~~"

Bonavia: "."

"Look, I'm going too far again. Let's talk about tigers. A tiger descending from the mountain is as powerful as a dozen strong men, and a group of tigers descending from the mountain can sweep thousands of troops. Regarding this, you can ask if you have the opportunity. Admiral Denawa, I believe he will have different feelings. Oh, as for the monkeys you mentioned, whether they are European monkeys or American monkeys, in the eyes of tigers they are just a dish, and they are not qualified to be stuffed between their teeth. Can you understand what I say?"

The Spanish people present who knew French seemed a little embarrassed after hearing this. They thought that this person was so bold in his words that he would not suffer any loss at all.Especially Captain Bonavia, whose face was white with red, and red with black, and his eyes were spinning, and he didn't know whether it was with hatred or shame.

The smile on Zhao Xin's face did not diminish, he looked at the other person with squinted eyes, and said in his heart: "Do you feel insulted? I want you to do something cheap!"

Lu Qi was scratching his head at this moment, eager to know what Zhao Xin said.It was obvious, looking at the Spaniard's face, that he must have been insulted by Zhao Xin, and not lightly.

He once heard Cao Peng say that Zhao Xin's ability to quarrel with others at the negotiating table was easy to come by. Whether it was a Russian or a Manchu, he could make the other party turn green with anger every time.Okay, before today's negotiation started, Boss Zhao showed off his power. He stabbed his butt with a knife and opened his eyes!
"Ahem~~" Archbishop Peralta said with a serious face: "Gentlemen, it's getting late, we should start talking about business. Holy Virgin Mary, don't forget, the relatives of those officers and soldiers Still waiting for them to go back.”

After speaking, he said to Zhao Xin: "Mr. Liu, I apologize for Captain Bonavia's rude remarks. Please don't mind. He didn't mean it."

"It doesn't matter. Come on, everyone, let's go to the conference room to talk." Zhao Xin shrugged and then made a gesture of invitation.

While leading the Spanish delegation to the conference room, Lu Qi found an opportunity to get close to Zhao Xin and whispered: "Boss Zhao, tell me what you said tonight, don't miss a word!"

After everyone entered the room and took their seats, Archbishop Peralta spoke first: "Gentlemen, the Governor of New Spain and the Royal Council are deeply concerned about the minor conflicts between you and us a few months ago. I am very happy today. Both sides can sit together and seek peace in California."

Zhao Xin listened and translated for Lu Qi in a low voice.Lu Qixin said that nearly ten thousand people came to attack us, and they still had a small conflict. Their skin was really thicker than the corners of the city wall.

As soon as Peralta finished speaking, California Governor De Arrillaga also spoke: "Mr. Liu, I would like to ask, why do you come to San Francisco? If it is to do business, as the governor, I welcome it very much. But why do you want to come to San Francisco?" Attack our fortress, expel our personnel, and demolish our churches? America is the America of the Spanish Empire and has nothing to do with you China. The dignity and sovereignty of the empire cannot be violated! Therefore, I ask you to withdraw from San Francisco immediately!"

Captain Bonavia then said: “As a representative of the provincial western military district headquarters, I request that you immediately release General Denava and the captured officers and soldiers, and compensate for the casualties caused in the previous battle. "

"On behalf of the Franciscan Mission of California, I would like to ask you to demolish the Chinese temple outside the fortress and restore our church."

The one who spoke was Brother Fermin de Rasuen, who was most concerned about the interests of the diocese.The North Korean navy demolished not just one church, but four; in addition to the one here in Golden Gate, adobe churches in San Jose Guadalupe, Santa Clara de Assis, and Santa Cruz were also demolished.This is no small matter. Basically, the California mission has been doing nothing for the past five years.

"What do you want to say?" Zhao Xin cast his eyes on Arevalo, the secretary who had been silent.

Arevalo, who was wearing a monocle, said in a calm tone: "Mr. Liu, as the secretary to the Governor, my duty is to record the content of this negotiation. As for the requirements, the Bishop and the Governor have already said ”

Zhao Xin nodded after listening and said: "Very good. I understand what you mean, and I will also express my opinion. What I want to say is that America is not only the America of Spain, but also the America of China! We’re here for a good reason!”

"Excuse me, what is your reason?!" Governor de Alila could not help but burst out in anger, saying that this was simply the most ridiculous reason he had ever heard.Everyone in the delegation present also had sarcastic expressions on their faces.

The corner of Zhao Xin's mouth curled up slightly, and he said calmly: "Before I tell you the reasons, I would like to invite a special witness."

After saying that, he nodded to Li Shi who was present, and the other party immediately stood up, pushed open the door of the conference room and walked out.

I'm coming!Lu Qixin said that the most exciting moment is coming!

Only 2 minutes later, the door of the conference room opened again, and Li Shi walked in with someone.When the people from the Spanish mission saw it, they were a little surprised. It turned out to be a Miwok Indian.

I could see that the Indian was wearing a beaver hat with three black feathers on his head, a sea lion skin waistcoat, and a leather apron like a miniskirt. You could faintly see the furry thing inside.In addition, he wore a large chain of necklaces made of polished abalone shells on his chest. His bare arms, thighs and face were covered with various black patterns painted with the ashes of burning poison oak branches and leaves, which looked very eye-catching.

Archbishop Peralta looked puzzled and said to Zhao Xin in a serious tone: "Your Excellency, why should the indigenous people participate in our negotiations? Please give me a perfect explanation!"