New World 1620

The Kingdom of Spain, which has shipped precious metals from the Americas for more than a century, not only created the largest and longest inflation record in European history, but also created a record for the speed of the spread of sexually transmitted diseases by the aristocratic and bureaucratic group of a European kingdom.

The Kingdom of Spain, which was exploded overnight by the precious metals of the New World, has held the number of balls and banquets held by its royal family and nobles every year since the 16th century, which is almost equal to the sum of other European countries.

This court fashion record was not broken by Louis XIV of France until the mid-17th century.And those aphrodisiacs and hallucinogens that killed themselves more often than refreshed themselves also spread from the aristocratic class of the Kingdom of Spain, and spread like a flood to the entire European high society.

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Fernando, the top political officer in the Lisbon region of the Spanish government, made his diplomatic overtures to the "American business mission" known to all women and children in the city in just two days.

Such a development naturally gave Spanish officials and businessmen a semblance of dominance.Although the Portuguese aristocratic forces and certain chambers of commerce who know the inside story know that this does not prevent the United States and Portugal from reaching a series of cooperation contents in private, the Portuguese aristocrats, including Theodosio II, Duke of Braganza, still Feeling lost, and quickly backed away knowingly.

No way, who called the officials of the Kingdom of Spain to be the current legal rulers of Portugal?

But at least there is another advantage at present, that is, the Duke of Braganza and other Portuguese aristocrats have saved the funds for holding banquets. Spanish officials and businessmen in Lisbon have begun to arrange everything, and invitations to a grand ball have also been invited. The great Portuguese aristocracy with deep roots in Lisbon.

A big ball?If it hadn't been for Fernando's public and repeated emphasis that it was to entertain the "U.S. government business mission", it is hard to guarantee that some Spanish aristocratic officials would not be able to control what they made at the ball.

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The Spanish luxury carriage was waiting outside the manor in the afternoon, but the men and women in the manor did not pack up until an hour before the dinner dance.

This time it was rare that Su Zining and others had the same opinion, and the men and women who decided to beat the Spaniard out of their minds were well-prepared.

Su Zining and Yan Xiaosong, who had discarded their status as "members of parliament", wore constant suits and formal suits, and the military uniforms of Zhou Kemin and Zhu Xiaoli were deliberately ironed, and they also wore improvised ribbons, and their leather shoes were polished to a shine.Yang Wenwen and other three ladies designed and produced Victorian-style dresses with improved styles in Lisbon several days in advance.

In view of the fact that some fashion concepts could not be fully realized due to the haste last time, Yang Wenwen has put in a lot of effort this time.Royal sister style, ladylike demeanor, and princess beauty are still the choices of the three, but whether it is materials or details, they all use the best materials that can be found in this century.

"These three prodigal women..." Watching the three ladies checking each other's clothes, Yan Xiaosong twitched his face and complained to Su Zining, "Did you see that, just Yuan Xinyi's silk print shawl, I I bet that the above expenses are enough to fill a boat full of Ming Dynasty people to travel around the world!"

"Sometimes, they know how to control other people's attention better than we do." Su Zining didn't care, who is rich and powerful now, "We just want to give some country bumpkins a chance to slap their faces and make them fat. "

"You mean that Baron Moreira Lopez? A poor Portuguese..." Yan Xiaosong seemed to think of that Portuguese Lopez again.

It is said that this Baron Moreira has even sold several plantations of his family in Brazil in the Portuguese aristocratic circle, in order to allow Miss "Dear Yang Wenwen" to choose a beautiful sailing boat!

"Isn't it... If it wasn't for our tight time, I believe it won't be long before Yang Wenwen can bring a fleet back to Manhattan by herself. Of course, there are still a few ships of Portuguese people..." Su Zining's poisonous tongue was very smooth at this time, but After talking halfway, he quickly stopped, and then winked at Yan Xiaosong, "Look, our Katerina is not bad today, are you sure it's right to take her to the dance today?"

"If you lock me up in the manor again, she might throw us all into the sea on the way..." Yan Xiaosong smiled, and hurried towards Katerina who appeared in the living room.

The former Spanish lieutenant Catalina, who led a group of desperate loyalists, is now the acting captain of the Mayflower. This Spanish girl who appeared as a maid most of the time is now standing in front of Yan Xiaosong in a graceful and elegant dress. The face is red.

"Well, Yang Wenwen's design is good. This kind of headgear is just right for your short hair." Yan Xiaosong looked around and showed a satisfied smile.

"Then what will my identity be? Your maid, or the captain of the Mayflower, or a captive?" Katerina pouted, as if she felt a sense of her unclear identity after being "captured" by the other party. Tangled.

"Can you be a friend?" Yan Xiaosong thought for a while, and finally smiled perfunctorily.

Seeing that the time was almost up, everyone slowly walked out of the manor, among them Zhou Kemin was still carrying a large suitcase.There is his beloved accordion in the suitcase. This instrument was once brought on the customs anti-smuggling ship by him, and now it has become the only thing Zhou Kemin can express himself.

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Just like the banquet in a governor’s mansion in the Azores more than a month ago, the arrival of the American mission stunned the Spaniards and Portuguese in the ballroom of the richly decorated mansion.

Like the Portuguese who have dealt with Americans many times, even after the Renaissance, the aesthetics of people in this era is still severely lacking, and it still cannot stop Fernando and other Spanish officials and their families from feeling ashamed.

Seeing myself wearing a black and white striped high-waisted tutu skirt like a zebra, or a monotonous vertical skirt, or a long-tailed skirt with several layers of fabrics inlaid with gold and silver threads, I feel that I used to be self-righteous Wealth and status have become so rustic.

Several Spanish aristocratic families who exposed their two treasures in order to show the noble charm of women in the 17th century retreated into the side hall of the ball like cats fleeing after a moment of astonishment.

And those male aristocrats wearing leggings and monochromatic lines studded with gemstones like a circus tight waistcoat just stared at the simple suits and ties of Su Zining and Yan Xiaosong thoughtfully.

The Spanish officers, on the other hand, looked at the two American officers in straight military uniforms and ribbons, their eyes full of provocation after inferiority complex.

Renaissance European balls are full of various original artistic expressions. A large harpsichord stands on one side of the ballroom, and several cellists, violinists, small drummers and other musicians stand beside them.

The warm congratulations and personnel introductions took almost an hour. As the identities of the US mission personnel were revealed one by one, a few jealous eyes quickly disappeared.And more young and old began to squint their eyes to follow the figures of the three foreign ladies.

In the eyes of the Spaniards, these American men and women with oriental faces are all aristocrats of great status!Well, since they are nobles, they are all civilized people, so there is no need to care about the degree of civilization of each, right?Although I do have a bit of that...

Dance music accompanied by several uncontrollable classical instruments was absent in the living room, and Spanish and Portuguese noble men and women lined up with each other, dancing the "duck dance" that they considered to be the upper class.

Well, it is indeed too much like a duck dance, with legs bent, figure-of-eight steps, arms spread, squatting and walking... A few cross-travelers who have been dancing in the dance forest since they were in college were dozing off.Fortunately, Spanish or Portuguese nobles kept coming to interrupt the chat, otherwise Yang Wenwen and the other three ladies would almost have the idea of ​​leaving.

"These Yankees..." In the corner, Fernando was whispering to a businessman with an aristocratic background, and his eyes flicked from time to time, "Are you sure they hardly need our things?"

"No, they need a lot of things, and the amount is huge! But it's not what we think of as spices, gems, or sugar..."

The big Spanish businessman had a bitter face, as if he was very puzzled by the results of the previous negotiations. "My Lord Viscount, I dare say that they even plan to move all of Spain's horses, Seville cotton wool, and Bilbao ironware, but they only need less than a bushel of spices."

"Then what can we get?" Fernando didn't care what the Americans were going to buy, he just hoped that the Portuguese would not take away the biggest piece of meat.

"They claim that the United States can produce everything, including the unique ones in this world." The big Spanish businessman's eyes lit up at this time, "Glass! Mirror! There are also medicines that are said to be able to cure the plague. If these are true, all of them can make people Crazy stuff all over Europe!"

"In these matters, the Portuguese have already tasted the sweetness, you must keep an eye on it! This is the honor and interests of the entire Kingdom of Spain!" After Fernando finished speaking, he put on a bright smile and walked towards the Americans with his wine go.

On the other side, Yang Wenwen and other three ladies are getting together with a group of Spanish noble ladies. Even though all kinds of spice powders or perfumes with unknown formulas make the three modern ladies feel dizzy, Yang Wenwen is still full of energy and is selling them with a sweet smile. Her beauty fashion ideas.

"Hmm... Mrs. Fernando, your husband should equip you with a variety of foundations, liquid foundations, morning and evening makeup perfumes, especially eyebrow pencils and lipsticks of different specifications, otherwise your youth will be delayed by those vulgar men! "

"Miss Docio, I'm a little shocked. The gold necklace really stains your white neck. Why don't you choose a silk scarf with softer and richer colors? This is in the United States, only civilians wear gold necklaces, oh, Sorry, I have no other meaning!"

"Miss Anna, I can guarantee that as long as I bring the full-time tailor at home, you will definitely be able to wear an oriental court dress that looks younger than me! And it's the kind that is available all year round!"

The surprised Yang Wenwen fooled a group of Spanish aristocratic women into disgrace, all of them wished to go home immediately, and drive their own man who had no taste and even brought his own no taste out of the bedroom.If it wasn't for Yuan Xinyi's relentless hold, Yang Wenwen would probably talk about the theory to that old Spanish woman who is obviously over 50 years old...

Just when Su Zining and other "foreigners" dominated the fashion rhythm and interest topics of the whole ball, suddenly there was a sharp and crisp sound of objects breaking from a corner of the ball.

The whole ball scene was silent, only to see a European girl who clearly belonged to the American style of dress was huddled in the corner with horrified eyes, and the porcelain on the wooden shelf on one side was broken to the ground.

Not far away, a middle-aged man dressed as a Spanish military officer was staring at the panicked girl with a strange smile on his face.

"Oh, excuse me!" Yan Xiaosong saw that it was Catalina, nodded slightly to the Spanish officials around him, and then strode towards the unexpected crowd.

As soon as Yan Xiaosong moved, Su Zining and others surrounded him one after another. Everyone had a trace of undetectable worry on their faces, especially Yan Xiaosong who was walking in the front, his expression seemed a bit chill.

"This one..." Yan Xiaosong looked left and right at the party who was standing there staring at each other in a daze, and turned his head to the Spanish officer.

"Lieutenant Colonel Perez, Internal Affairs Officer of the Royal Spanish Navy's Fleet in Las Palmas Islands! Dear Senator Yan." The Spanish officer straightened his chest, and then looked at it with a strange smile while hanging his head. Catalina, "I seem to see someone familiar...Lieutenant Caterina de Aranzo, why are you here?"

Yuan Xinyi quickly translated it, and then suddenly covered her mouth with her hands.This action made the Spanish officer more sure of his guess.

Oops!Su Zining and Yan Xiaosong's expressions changed at the same time.

“西班牙海军卡特琳娜中尉，圣玛利亚号代理水手长，于1621年1月17日接替巴南斯上尉的水手长职务，在圣玛利亚号停泊拉斯帕马斯休整期间……1621年1月19日夜煽动水手谋杀了圣玛利亚号上的所有男性军官！”

Lieutenant Colonel Perez said, taking a few steps around the pale Katerina with great interest, and then raised his voice again: "It is now being jointly hunted down by the Las Palmas fleet and the port guards. middle!"

As soon as this remark came out, almost all the Spaniards and Portuguese present shouted, and even several Spanish guards outside the ballroom surrounded them with weapons in their hands.

"You clearly knew that it was them..." Katerina shouted suddenly, but after a few words, she closed her mouth again, trembling all over her body.

"As a junior officer, you openly contradicted your superiors, and even encouraged the crew to kill all male officers, including the acting captain and first mate, and finally snatched the battleship and fled. You have committed treason!"

Lieutenant Colonel Perez's smile gradually turned ferocious, and his gaze towards Su Zining and the others became more ferocious.

"Mr. Colonel, I think you must have misunderstood!" Su Zining stopped Yan Xiaosong who was about to go forward, and walked up to the Spanish officer who was a head shorter than him with a serious expression, "Miss Catalina is our American friend. , it was her desperate rescue at sea that saved us from the danger of our lives, can a person who has made great contributions to the friendship between the two countries be a traitor to Spain?"

"Dear Mr. Su, I don't dare to guess how the American mission came to Lisbon, but now I only care about where the Santa Maria is?" The Spanish officer narrowed his eyes, and then walked towards Wenfeng Fernando saluted, "Your Excellency, the Minister of State, I am very glad to attend the ball held by you, but I may use the name of performing military affairs to arrest this rebel and these liars who may pretend to be diplomatic envoys!"

"Lieutenant Colonel Perez, do you need sufficient evidence to prove these words?" Fernando was taken aback, obviously not believing that these Americans who behaved extremely noble were liars.

"The evidence is me, because I know her! And I even suspect that these so-called Americans are fake, they are probably pirates, and their wealth is all stolen!"

When Lieutenant Colonel Perez said this, the Duke of Bragança in Portugal, who had been keeping a low profile at the ball, was taken aback. lock up.

"Look... have you played too much..." Su Zining curled his lips at the silent Yan Xiaosong, expressing that he couldn't justify himself anymore.

"Then catch the thief first..." Yan Xiao tightened his tie, turned around and looked at the vigilant Fernando who was now in direct control of his own life, and then suddenly smiled.

"Your Excellency Fernando, this Lieutenant Colonel Perez seems to be questioning me? As the deputy envoy of the European Commercial Mission authorized by the US government, I am extremely puzzled by the unreasonable accusations made by the military officers of the Kingdom of Spain."

Then he turned to Lieutenant Colonel Perez, with disdain on the corner of his mouth, "Several leaders who instigated the sailors to rebel and killed the officer, and kidnapped Miss Katerina's fugitive, wounded them during the attack on the American mission on board. killed me, but with the timely help of Miss Catalina, these villains were killed by our soldiers, and the Santa Maria also sank due to heavy damage and fire."

This completely reasonable explanation immediately made the Portuguese nobles on the scene nod frequently, and many people breathed a sigh of relief.

"You made it up, right?!" Lieutenant Colonel Perez sneered, as if he had guessed that the other party would make it up.

"Now the Mayflower of the American Mission is at the port, and all the remaining sailors of the Mayflower and the former Santa Maria can testify! And there are also officials from the Port of Heroes in the Azores who can testify. A badly wounded diehard sailor-buccaneer has been handed over to the local sheriff!"

Yan Xiaosong walked back and forth unhurriedly, and he had expected Perez's reaction.

"Moreover, I also discovered that when we docked in the Azores for rest, many mysterious people had been following us, and even ships were following us after leaving the port... Maybe I was too sensitive at the time, but I think that a commodity that cannot be manufactured in the whole of Europe can be owned by a group of pirates as you call it?"

"Are you suspicious of the Royal Spanish Navy?" Yan Xiaosong changed the subject in such a way that even Fernando frowned.

At sea in this era, even the national navy will take part in the pirate business. There are various reasons for robbing, and they will even rob their own merchant ships in order to replenish fresh water, let alone a foreign merchant ship full of amazing wealth.

"I believe that the Spanish Royal Fleet of Las Palmas was indeed hunting down the rebels on the Santa Maria, and even followed them all the way to the Azores, but... a persistent military officer like you, and you were still a If you insist that Katerina is the one who killed the chief, don't you have any other concealment? Miss Katerina also said just now, you clearly know something..."

Regarding the inside story of the male officer of the Santa Maria trying to rape Catalina, Perez is of course very clear. In such an army that has been sowed for several months at sea, even if it was hyped up by some people in Spain Female lieutenants are also inevitably coveted.

Not only did Perez not treat this matter correctly, but he also unilaterally drove Katerina to a dead end. It must be said that it was also a crime of concealing the truth, especially for someone like Katerina who was received by the Pope.

"But she did cause the deaths of many officers..." Perez was a little flustered.

"That's your judgment, but what does it have to do with us in the United States? I only know that when my life was dying, it was Miss Catalina who stepped forward. She deserves to be a hero respected by the Kingdom of Spain and even our entire American people!" Yan Xiaosong was aggressive and excited, and the Spanish ladies around were moved to tears.

The shit!Pig brains!It actually caught the attention of the Americans!The situation turned around in an instant, and now even Fernando was a little angry.

"I'm sorry, Sir Viscount Fernando, I..." Perez never dared to tell the real inside story, otherwise the several bishops present would try to rape the "Sister Lieutenant" because of the male officer of the Santa Maria And burn him!

All the people who had made a false alarm all around looked at the poor Spanish lieutenant colonel with disgusted expressions.

"Lieutenant Colonel Perez, are you a nobleman?" Yan Xiaosong suddenly picked up a glass of wine from one side at this moment, and looked at the other party's pale face mysteriously.

"Oh... yes, my grandfather was an attendant to His Majesty King Philip II and was awarded a baronet..." Perez's mind was already in a mess, and he didn't know why the other party would suddenly ask such a question.

"That's good..." Yan Xiaosong nodded in satisfaction, then turned his head, and suddenly smiled mysteriously at Zhu Xiaoli who was beside him, "How accurate are pistols in the 17th century? I mean at night?"

Zhu Xiaoli was taken aback, looked around, and then lowered his voice: "I don't know about the black powder pistols of the 17th century, but I know that the modern pistols I am wearing now, unless I have received professional training, will The probability of hitting a human body with the first shot over 20 meters is not more than 10%... If it is a gunpowder pistol, I guess the target must be an elephant."

"Well, good, I happen to be in the shooting club, and I'm not an elephant."

After finishing muttering with Zhu Xiaoli like no one else was there, Yan Xiaosong turned around and walked in front of Lieutenant Colonel Perez, raised his hand with a smile, and splashed the wine on the other's face.

"Since this is the case... Lieutenant Colonel Perez has seriously insulted my personality and Miss Katerina's reputation just now. For the dignity of the Chinese American Republic and myself, I formally challenge you to a duel! As a gentleman, I choose a more conservative weapon, a pistol. You can do whatever you want...I implore His Excellency Fernando to be a witness to the duel between me and Lieutenant Colonel Perez, is the location, how about in the garden?"

After finishing speaking, Yan Xiaosong extended his hand to Zhu Xiaoli.The latter was taken aback for a moment, then slowly took out his pistol and handed it over.

"You're crazy!" Not only Yang Wenwen and the three ladies were startled, but even Katerina shouted loudly.