living in 16th century england

Chapter 21 Lord Matthew Hawkins

Seeing Matthew's black face, Henry only felt relieved and couldn't help laughing.

"Ah... well, Mr. Hawkins, I think you'll have to produce a...sample of a ship of a similar type to prove that it behaves as we imagined it would at sea."

Matthew's eyeballs moved, the shape of the ship was similar?

"No problem, my shipyard is building a 120-ton ocean-going sailing ship, which I'm sure is the most advanced ship on the planet. You can see it on the Thames in a month or two at most."

The most advanced on earth?Such a fashionable statement.

Henry VIII nodded, this Hawkins was obviously well prepared.Still, he said he would send a representative to oversee it.With so much money invested, it is impossible to ignore it, it needs a pair of eyes to watch.

Historically, in order to control the English Channel, Henry VIII built the Portland Castle fortress.It cost less than... £5000.

A lot of people will just tell you that this king spent a lot of money and spent all the huge wealth left by his father.Like wine flowing in a fountain or something.

However, there is a common sense you have to know.

~Never before has a king been able to strengthen an empire through frugality.On the contrary, locking up massive amounts of hard currency in warehouses is the greatest damage to the economy.

When a large oriental country describes the prosperity of a certain dynasty, it likes to say that in the treasury ~ "the ropes that wear copper coins are all rotten."It fully explained why it went downhill later.

Currency is not wealth, but it can leverage wealth.

Matthew didn't care at all, and he didn't expect to come home with thirty thousand pounds.If this is the case, it means that the king is stupid.

His small goal is actually [-] pounds, asking for a lot of money, and paying back the money on the ground.It is estimated that the young king felt that a state-of-the-art warship worth £[-] would earn him a steady stream of dividends later on.

Henry VIII suddenly asked: "What do you think of Spain?"

Matthew was a little surprised. When he looked up, he met Henry VIII.The handsome boy's eyes seemed to have no emotion, only scrutiny.

Matthew's reaction was to look around the door.

A smile appeared in Henry VIII's eyes.Sure enough... this guy was insincere before.

Matthew: "Spain will definitely be our enemy in the future, but not now."

The first sentence shocked Henry VIII.He walked slowly behind the table and asked, "What's the reason?"

Matthew: "Simple, we're an island nation. Spain controls the ocean. You wouldn't want a navy otherwise."

Henry: "..."

"With your father's emphasis on business, I don't believe he didn't see that."

Matthew pointed to the battleship model, his clothes fluttering: "So as an Englishman, I am willing to help you realize it. Because this is also my idea."

Henry VIII's eyes flickered: "...we are not an island country."

Matthew smiled: "The military investment in Calais is destined to lose money. If the French do it, it won't last long. So, I suggest you sell it for a good price."

Henry lost his voice: "Sell it at...a good price?"

Matthew: "They should be happy to buy it, and everyone can save a lot of military expenses. You can use it to build some small naval ships. They are much more useful than Calais."

Henry seemed in disbelief: "Are you suggesting a rapprochement with France?"

Matthew: "On the face of it, I don't recommend it. Maybe...it's better to retreat proactively after a few skirmishes now and then."

Henry VIII's eyes became dangerous, and he just stared at Matthew.

Matthew also said nothing, and the room was dead silent.

Henry VIII was hesitating, but he finally spoke up: "Do you think the French will fight the church to the end?"

Matthew: "England and France...or, the enemies of all the kings and monarchs are the same. I guess they would rather put the Holy See's tithe into their coffers. It's just...they have different choices. Some Some will work with the church, some will not. Whatever the future holds, the French are at war with the church at the moment and they need a stable rear."

"Europe can let them toss, and England only needs the sea."

Hell, is this guy saying the church is the enemy?

Henry VIII was not surprised, and was thinking about whether to kill this Hawkins.This guy actually sees the plan of our father and son, and also sees the dissatisfaction of various countries with the church.This is the son of a yeoman?It's unbelievable.

Spain is extremely powerful at this time, and it even has the command of the sea in the English Channel.The current feudal lord of the Netherlands is one of the heirs of Spain.Historically, he was the future King of Spain.From an economic point of view, fighting against Spain is undoubtedly seeking a dead end.His father saw it clearly, and he was also clear about the purpose of the French to support him.Between France and Spain, he finally chose Spain.

The weak can only stand in line.Therefore, marrying a sister-in-law is not absurd, but a sacrifice.

Of course Matthew knew that talking too much could be bad luck, but he was sure because he knew the history.

The Hundred Years' War between Britain and France was a feudal system war.After entering the 16th century, the Anglo-French-Spanish War was a war for sea power. The Thirty Years' War in the early 17th century was an out-and-out civil war between the feudal monarchy in the north and the Catholicism in the south, with 30 million deaths.Of course, you can also regard religion as the means of domination as the essence, and consider it a religious war.Or simply think that it is a battle for hegemony, which may be in line with some kind of European political correctness.

By the Seven Years War between Britain and France in the 18th century, it was already a "shit-stirring" behavior, the so-called balance of power on the mainland.

Don't think that this is a matter between Britain and France. In fact, it is the British-Prussian alliance against the French-Austrian alliance.Battlefields are spread across Europe, North America, Central America, the coast of West Africa, India and the Philippine Islands.The death toll exceeds one million.

In Churchill's memoirs, it is clearly recorded that the strategic thinking of the British "shit stirrer" appeared ~ more than 400 years ago.Very believable given his family history.Back in time, it was the Tudors.

Henry VIII, who has such a top-level strategic awareness, is a waste material who can only spend money extravagantly?
Some people say: Catholicism in medieval Europe practiced extremism in thought, terrorism in action, and theocracy in system.

Only a fool would think that the main conflict in Europe at this time is the war between kings and lords.

Britain completely became an island nation psychologically during the time of Elizabeth I.But Henry VII started preparations for the navy, Henry VIII started construction, Her Majesty the Queen ate the last steamed bun, and then killed the Quartet.

Without a consistent long-term strategy, Matthew doesn't believe in anything.The biggest feature of the navy is the world-recognized ~ century-old navy.

Was Martin Luther the first to carry out the so-called Reformation?Absolutely not.The reason why he was not burned to death was because he was saved by the feudal lords of Germany.

Martin Luther was German.

Whether it is the German lords who are behind the scenes, or they are protected after discovering this person.It can be seen that resistance to Catholicism is a common requirement of European feudal kingship.

The so-called Renaissance and Enlightenment are actually reducing all kinds of fanatics ideologically. Simply put, they are to open up the wisdom of the people and reduce the number of stupid people.

The opposite is also possible ~ to fool the people and reduce the number of smart people.

Even fools are public opinion.Even superstition is faith.Even if it is used, it is still power.

When you control the people's thinking, the so-called people are the driving force of history becomes unrealistic.The thousand-year darkness of the European Middle Ages is a terrible proof of the mind being controlled by religious means.

Henry VIII remained silent for a long time.He does have his father's shadow in his thinking.And Matthew Hawkins was the first to make it clear to him that the church was the ultimate enemy.

He suddenly had an idea, he had this understanding because of his father's teaching.What about this Hawkins?
He really wanted to hold this guy's hand and say: We are comrades now!

But as a sober king, he slapped the table: "You've drunk too much, you're talking nonsense. Be careful...send you to the Inquisition."

Matthew smiled and said, "...Yes, yes."

The church occupies one-third of the land in all parts of Europe, exactly the same proportion as England.Is it a coincidence?
If you take a look at the family background of the popes in the past.You can see why religion is just a tool for ruling and making money.Hmm... Maybe many people still think that the Pope has no father, no mother, no children, and no brothers.

On the way back, Matthew thought wildly.A little more adventurous today.However, this is the best way to quickly gain the king's trust.He found that there seemed to be no one in Xiaoyao Palace who could understand Henry VIII.

If you want to achieve the big goal of this trip, you can only say a little more.

Uh...why would Henry VIII call it Xiaoyao Palace?
Matthew suddenly smiled.

Within two days, a piece of news circulated in London that another businessman was conferred a noble title.However, when Henry VII was not dead, this kind of thing happened frequently, and it soon lost popularity.

However, there are many kinds of nobles.

Another news is that Henry VIII canceled the title of Prince of Wales, and the border earls around Wales were also cancelled.He was more ruthless than his old man.Since then, even if the Prince of Wales is restored later, it has become an empty title and has no real territory.

This is to consolidate the rule, and Henry and his son spared no effort in fighting the old untrustworthy feudal aristocracy.The strategic goal of integrating the British Isles started very early.The British monarchy is the most stable and powerful precisely because the royal family occupies the largest territory.

Britain and France fought the Hundred Years' War, but England didn't know to occupy the corner first?Henry and his son thought so too.At this time, the United Kingdom already controlled the Dublin area of ​​the island of Ireland.

"Robert, let me ask you a question. Where are the Isles of Scilly?"

Robert thought for a while: "I seem to have heard it there... I won't remember it for a while. Why are you asking?"

Matthew heheed: "Because this is my fief."

Robert's jaw dropped in shock.He knew that Matthew was going to be sealed, but there was actually a sealed territory?Is the king crazy?
In fact, when conferring nobles and granting territories normally, there will be special personnel to explain the details.It happened that there was no such thing as fiefdom for so many years, so there was no one left.

Matthew: "...you think about it again, or find someone to ask."

Robert wondered, "Didn't the king tell you?"

Matthew: "...Just say it was originally part of the Duke of Cornwall."

Robert: "Isn't that right in Devonshire?"

Matthew: "...How do I know, there are so many small islands, the ghost knows which one it is."

Irene brought a glass of beer: "Matthew, I heard from Danny that this island was taken over by a group of pirates."

Matthew wondered, "Occupied by pirates?"

Then he reacted, Falk!This Henry VIII is really stingy.Even suppressing bandits doesn't want to spend money.

Robert's face turned blue and white, and he didn't know what he was thinking.

A real baron by the king?Is this an exception?Definitely hereditary on record.

Generally speaking, if a freeman in England can be named a baronet, his ancestral grave is already smoking.Then the efforts of several generations may be able to go one step further.

Upgrading requires corresponding territory. The land cannot fall from the sky, and the king has to dig it out of his own territory. Under normal circumstances, the king is of course extremely stingy.

So don't think that the status of the baron is low, and there may not be many in Britain now.If it was the Middle Ages, the status of a baron was comparable to that of a bishop.

More importantly, barons can own knights.But because of the shamelessness of Henry and his son.The quantity has also been greatly limited.

Thinking of this, Robert immediately made up his mind.

He fell to his knees with a thud.No matter how small the number is, it is still the knight class.If you don't get ahead, it will be too late.

Matthew was stunned immediately, but after all, he has lived in this era for more than ten years, so he still has some common sense.He reacted quickly.

"Don't even think about it, I just have a manor, and it belongs to my father. How can there be any extra for you!?"

(End of this chapter)