Rise of the 1630s South America

Chapter 2000 Independent Assurance

On November 1687, 11, the Republic of Genoa on the Mediterranean Sea welcomed a distinguished guest, Sheng Dehong, the ambassador of the Eastern China Republic to Madrid.

Sheng Dehong is in his forties this year, and he is in his prime of life in the Spring and Autumn Period.He was born in the intelligence system and is full of energy. He has made a lot of contributions in the State Intelligence Bureau. Now he is a deputy director-level cadre, and his future is optimistic by many people.This time he was transferred to Spain as the ambassador to Madrid, which is an important step in his official career. As long as he does not make any major mistakes during his work in Europe and does some work that his superiors can see past, then he can go back in a few years He can be promoted to deputy director general and become one of the most powerful people in the intelligence system, which is undeniably enviable.

Some people may ask, why is Sheng Dehong, an intelligence chief, transferred to the diplomatic system and also serves as the ambassador of such an important country as Spain?Well, in fact, Sheng's ambassador status is just a cover-up, and it is convenient for him to go in and out of various places, to spy and collect information.Basically, he doesn't need to do much essential work as a diplomat, so he will naturally have his assistants to help. His real job is to organize and maintain the intelligence network on the east coast in Europe - a network based on embassies, trading stations and agents ( Periphery) as the backbone of the network - and make it play its due role, serving the interests of the East China Republic.

In other words, when Sheng Dehong came to Europe, he was still engaged in his old job in intelligence.He will fully take over the work of the former intelligence chief who unfortunately passed away in office, rectify the intelligence front, improve work efficiency, and be responsible to Gao Wengang, the special envoy to Europe, to provide a basis for his decision-making.

No, Sheng Dehong has only been in Spain for more than three months, and he arrived in Barcelona, ​​​​the eastern port of Spain by land, and took a boat to the Republic of Genoa across the sea.Before leaving by boat, he stayed in Barcelona for a few days, not only to listen to the work report of the stationmaster of the Barcelona Mercantile Station, but also to wait for the repair of the ship-the Barcelona Merchant Station ordered a ship in Genoa* The galleys built by the company used to run short-distance transportation between Italy and Catalonia on weekdays. While delivering news to various trading stations, they also sold some goods by the way to subsidize various expenses.

Barcelona has been a little quieter in recent years.Although King Louis XIV of France has been secretly sending officials over the past ten years in the name of the Earl of Barcelona to spy on intelligence and instigate riots, they were all resolved by the central government of Madrid.Especially later, with the support of the people on the east coast, Madrid mobilized three infantry regiments to station in Catalonia, lifted the military power of the local nobles, and exiled some of them to the wild Germans. The general area of ​​Texas enriched the local wealth and population, which made the whole of Catalonia lose its voice for a while, and no one messed up anymore.

Because of the close relationship between the east and the west, people from the east coast lived in Barcelona, ​​an important commercial and handicraft city-don't doubt that when Castile was still raising sheep and horses, Catalonia was There are not many remaining handicrafts in Spain, which can well explain why in later generations, this area is still a relatively wealthy area in the Kingdom of Spain-it is more convenient to move, basically no one is in charge, and you can do whatever you want , so learned a lot of information, some of which, strictly speaking, could cause damage to Spanish sovereignty.

However, the people on the east coast have no territorial ambitions for the Kingdom of Spain, let alone any deep hatred, so they only record these news, and sometimes they even secretly revealed the Madrid court through some tortuous ways, so that they can prepare in advance.In short, the East Coast people basically only have commercial interests in the local area, and have no political or military interests. Therefore, the responsible reporting of the commercial station is mainly related to this issue.

"Businessmen from Genoa*, Tuscany, Lucca, Milan and other places have relatively strong influence here. These Italians open banks, set up shops, and operate handicraft workshops here. They are a local force that cannot be ignored. Economic strength. To be fair, these Italian businessmen are very shrewd and capable. Their education level is generally not low, they can endure hardships, and are good at making a living. The profits of the Philippines. Our business station has a lot of cooperation with them, such as importing cheese, wine, leather, furniture, sculptures, paintings, dresses, gold and silverware from Italians, and selling them to the inland areas of Spain. Not bad." The person in charge of the business station stood in front of Sheng Dehong and replied seriously: "However, the Italians lack a strong political backer, and they are treated differently in the entire Catalonia region. They are treated differently by local nobles and It is common for officials to apportion and extort, and it is natural to impose heavy taxes. Except for the Genoese businessmen who have a certain status in the country, they are not immune. Compared with them, the so-called difficulties that Chinese businessmen have suffered in Barcelona, That's really nothing."

"If you have money but don't have enough force to protect yourself, you will naturally be bullied." Sheng Dehong flipped through the documents and materials archived by the business station, and said, "Do you think the Republic of Genoa is strong? They may have some influence here because of their loans to the Spanish crown, but what is their ridiculous influence in the face of the French? They know nothing of real power! The prosperity of factories and manufacturing Prosperity, prosperity of commerce, bravery of the army, and stable and efficient system are the source of a country’s strength. The Republic of Genoa, with a population of less than 60, has only a narrow and cramped land along the Mediterranean coast , looking around is either the sea or the mountains, and the upper limit of the country can be seen. To put it bluntly, the French covet this small but rich country, but they really don’t have much interest in putting it on our east coast. This world Go to places that are better than Genoa* or even northern Italy, there are too many places to go."

It is said that the French are coveted by Italy, everyone can see it!If their expansion in Franche-Comté, Lorraine and other places is to push the country to the line of the Rhine River, coveting outside the German region, then their expansion ambitions for the Southern Netherlands and Northern Italy are purely fancy. local wealth.These two areas have been very developed in commerce, finance, and handicrafts since the Middle Ages, and they are not inferior in navigation. It can be said to be luck and accident.

Taking the Republic of Genoa as an example, do you think the last time the French dispatched a fleet from Montpellier to intercept their ships at sea was a whim?Actually not!The so-called building four warships for Spain is nothing more than an excuse. The reason why the French want to hate Genoa is not because the country's financial industry and commerce are very developed, and they want to annex it to supplement their somewhat empty treasury. !In particular, the Genoese have followed the east coast with all their heart these years, and their business has reached America and Africa, and the profits they have made are so amazing that this city already has the "War of Wealth" that their rival Venice once wore on their heads. City" honorary title, so it is normal for people to want to win it.

In the last incident, if the people on the east bank hadn't been tough, Baobuqi Genoa would have been bombarded by the French fleet just like in history, and then the supreme consul would be forced to go to Paris in humiliation, doing everything he could to do his best. Also lost a lot of money by the way.The French have always been very concerned about these areas that can provide a lot of wealth.Otherwise, why do you think he wanted to seize Casal Castle, a strategic location leading to the Duchy of Milan?Don't make plans for future military invasions!

Now in northern Italy, the Austrians stare, the French stare, it can be said that a pack of wolves is watching, and it is extremely dangerous.The Kingdom of Spain, which originally dominated here, has been declining in strength in recent decades, and has gradually been unable to stop others' ambitions for Northern Italy. It seems that a fight is coming, and the local area may become a battlefield.For this, the local Italians actually know it well, so over the years they have begun to look for backers to hold their thighs to ensure their status.

The Genoese have always had a close relationship with the East Coast, and have invested a lot in the East Coast itself and the colony of Xinhua Island. The government of the country has been cooperating with the East Coast people for many years to help the East Coast Republic expand its commercial interests in the Mediterranean , contributed a lot to this.For example, when I went to the Crimean Khanate to develop trade and import agricultural products, for example, this time I raised funds for the East Bank and gave loans to the Ottomans (the St. Introduced to the upper echelons of the Moroccan court, etc., with a very good attitude and a great contribution.

Therefore, for such high-quality allies, the East Coast people have always paid great attention to protection.The last time the French Navy's Eastern Fleet made trouble, the people on the east coast organized merchant ships to resolutely transport supplies to Genoa, which actually broke their blockade.At the same time, Lin Dingzhi, the ambassador to Paris, also urgently sought an audience with King Louis XIV of France, and reiterated to him the "special relationship" between the East Bank and the Republic of Genoa. country” to make any unfriendly moves.Although Louis XIV was conceited, he was plotting against the Rhine River Basin. He did not want to offend the people on the east bank at this time. He was afraid that overseas interests would be damaged, and he was even more afraid of losing a purchase channel (especially the goods on the east coast were cheap and good), so temporarily Holding his nose and enduring it, the previous state of peace with Genoa was restored, and the maritime trade between the two countries was also lifted again.

After going through this incident, the Genoese were able to realize the influence of the East Bank Republic in the Paris court, and became even more obedient to the East Bank.They even suggested that some warships could be stationed in their ports on the east coast. Genoa has strong shipbuilding capabilities and complete port facilities, which can provide first-class logistical support for the east coast fleet so that they can exert influence in the western Mediterranean. .Although this matter did not succeed in the end, it can also be seen from this that this country (and possibly some nearby towns) is really scared by the French, and has already fully surrendered to the east coast. After all, even the garrison has been raised. Come out, what else can I say?

This time Sheng Dehong traveled from Barcelona to Genoa*, one of the important tasks is to express an attitude to the country’s business circles and politicians, that is, the East Bank Republic of China and the Republic of Genoa*A are traditional allies, and the East Bank will not sit idly by. Na*ya's sovereignty was violated.If a hostile country invades, then the East Coast Republic does not rule out the option of joining the war and fighting alongside Genoa.

To be honest, when it comes to what the East Coast people said, it is not much different from the independent guarantee.No matter how conceited the French are about their strength and how coveted the wealth of Genoa, they still have to weigh it carefully, risking the loss of the Caribbean and North American colonies, and risking the trade line between India and China being cut off Is it worth it to go to war with a country on the east coast with such a powerful navy at the risk of losing their trading partners when they go to war with Britain and the Netherlands?Can the wealth obtained make up for the loss of the above benefits?Making too many enemies is not what France, an ambitious country that aims to use natural barriers as its borders, does.Maybe they can reconsider adopting a tougher policy towards Northern Italy when annexing the lowlands and entering the Rhine region, but definitely not now!The French are not stupid!

Sheng Dehong finally set foot on the land of Genoa* at the end of November, and immediately contacted the high society including consuls, business leaders, and political celebrities.During these many meetings, Sheng Dehong repeatedly reiterated the traditional friendship and special relationship between Dongdong and Genoa. If the forces invade, then the East Coast Republic of China will help them fight together.

If Sheng's words were not believed by many people in the past, they would take them as polite words, but now that he has just experienced a crisis and was rescued by the East Coast people, his words are very credible.In these meetings, whether it was the politicians in the ruling meeting or the business leaders such as the St. George Chamber of Commerce and the Doria Family, they all expressed their gratitude and joy.Especially when Sheng Dehong told them the latest news he had just received, that the 15 troops of the Russian Empire had been defeated in the city of Azov, and the people on the east coast could slowly withdraw their energy back to the Western Mediterranean—the most important task in the Black Sea area now is to The only thing left is to contact the Oirat Mongols and establish a country in the Don River and the North Caucasus-these Italians are even more excited.

Their security seems to be a level deeper!

(End of this chapter)