Daming Crazy Emperor

Chapter 984 The Mercenary King

Felipe IV didn't even know that Wallenstein had turned his back on him, let alone that he was being led into the pit step by step.

He only knows that the more colonies the better.

Now that Wallenstein actually asked them to abandon the North African colony, he was a little unhappy.

He was quite unhappy and said: "If we don't compete with the Ming Empire for North Africa, then don't we have enough resources?
How can we produce muskets and artillery if we don't have enough resources, how can we build ironclad warships? "

Alas, it's really hard to talk to someone with a low IQ like you.

Wallenstein really didn't want to fight the Ming Empire anymore, and fighting the Ming Empire would do him no good at all.

He can't win anyway, and if he loses too many battles, people will think he can't do it.

Even, if you are not careful, you will lose your life.

He wouldn't do such a thankless thing.

He thought for a while, then pretended to be helpless and reminded: "Your Majesty, you still have the governorship of New Spain, and you still have the indemnity for the anti-Habsburg alliance. What can't you buy if you have money?

Also, the factory that builds the ironclad battleship is now in Spain. Would the Anti-Habsburg Alliance dare not provide you with supplies?

At this time, the most urgent thing is the anti-Habsburg alliance. They are the defeated party, and they are also the ones who pay the compensation.

If they can't defeat the Ming Empire, they won't be able to stand up. "

When Felipe IV heard this, his eyes lit up.

Yes, he still has an annual compensation of 320 million pounds.

Moreover, the factories for building ironclad battleships are all built in Spain. If the anti-Habsburg alliance does not provide supplies, it will be impossible to build ironclad battleships.

If they don't have enough armored warships, they can't defeat the Ming Empire.

He really doesn't need to worry about this, after all, he can lie down and collect 320 million pounds of silver compensation every year.

What should be urgent now is the anti-Habsburg alliance, but they are burdened with an annual compensation of 640 million pounds.

Although the Ming Empire seems to be a bit stupid to lend them 500 million pounds of silver for a year, the problem is, if they want to pay off this loan, they must defeat the Ming Empire, otherwise, it will never be repaid!

Thinking of this, Philip IV couldn't help but nodded and said: "Yes, yes, we don't need to rush, and we don't need to compete with the Ming Empire for North Africa.

What should be urgent is the anti-Habsburg alliance. If they dare not provide us with supplies, they will never be able to stand up again! "

Alright, finally there is no need to go to war with the Ming Empire.

Wallenstein secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and then pretended to be careful to remind: "Your Majesty, there is another problem, we are short of soldiers.

After all, no matter how many muskets and cannons we build, or even armored warships, there must be talented people.

Now our military strength is only half of theirs. If they expand their army, we may not even be one-third of theirs.

At that time, if the anti-Habsburg alliance fights us again like before, no matter how much money we have, no matter how many weapons we have, it will be useless!

They just do one trick and waste their lives on us, we can't afford it.

They don't need to consume half the force and we're going to be exhausted. "

This is indeed a big problem.

They have recruited almost all the soldiers they can recruit, and they will not be able to expand their army in a large amount for at least ten years.

Will it take ten years to consume energy for 100 million horses?
This is obviously impossible, but their 60 troops were exhausted in less than two years.

If they only have this 100 million army, no matter it is the Ming Empire or the Anti-Habsburg Alliance, they really only need one move to deal with them.

Just spend your life crazy with them.

According to the speed of the African battlefield, 100 million horses will be exhausted in less than three years.

What will they do then?
Hearing this, Felipe IV couldn't help but anxiously said: "Do you have a solution to the problem of the source of soldiers?"

Hehe, finally entered the pit.

Wallenstein said calmly, "Your Majesty, if the Ming Empire can hire black slaves to fight, we can also hire people to fight.

Now our Holy Roman Empire actually still has a lot of soldiers. The problem is that the princes of Bohemia, Saxony, Brandenburg, Prussia and so on will not listen to our emperor.

Our emperor, His Majesty, cannot allow them to conscript troops to join the war.

However, it is different if we spend money to hire.

As long as there is enough money and food, a large number of people will come to fight for us.

We can even hire young men from Poland, Lithuania, and small countries in the Mediterranean. Anyway, as long as there is enough money and food, there are plenty of mercenaries.

Your Majesty, if you are willing to pay for food and money, I will hire you 50 or even 100 million horses.

And we can pull these people to the forefront to be cannon fodder, so that our own army will not suffer any losses. "

Great idea!

Felipe IV couldn't help but said happily: "Okay, I will provide you with money and food, and you can hire more cannon fodder."

How did he know that Wallenstein was also digging holes for him.

He hadn't crawled out of the pit dug by that old fox, Richelieu, and fell into the big pit dug by Wallenstein.

Wallenstein still has a name in later generations, that is "King of Mercenaries"!
The people hired by others are not fighting for the king and the emperor, the people hired by others are fighting for themselves!
The situation is now very clear.

The king of Spain and the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire couldn't do it. If the anti-Habsburg alliance hadn't been defeated by the Ming Empire, they would have been cleaned up long ago.

At this moment, the weakest of the three powers are Spain and the Holy Roman Empire.

He couldn't continue working with these two idiots, he had to take the opportunity to cultivate his power.

At that time, if the war in Europe resumes, he can at least rely on his strength to protect himself, and he can even win Bohemia and other places and become king.

Even if the Ming Empire came to fight, he could still rely on the Ming Empire.

Anyway, he was neither a king nor an emperor, so there was no need for the Ming Empire to deal with him.

If Felipe IV knew that Wallenstein had this idea in his heart, he would probably be like Ferdinand II in history and kill this guy without hesitation!

It's a pity that he doesn't know what people are thinking at all, and he is being led by the nose at the moment.

The final result of the discussion between the two was that Wallenstein took money and food to the western part of the Holy Roman Empire to recruit mercenaries, while Felipe IV sent the Prime Minister, Duke Goodman, to protest in the Lisbon Concession to see what the Ming Empire was. reaction.

It would be best if the Ming Empire could stop. If the Ming Empire didn't stop, then it would take advantage of the trend to lure the Ming Empire to attack East and South Africa!

As for Oquendo, he seems to have been forgotten by the two.

Felipe IV felt that this guy had something to do with the Ming Empire, so he didn't want him to be involved in this matter.

Wallenstein has his own plot to carry out, and he doesn't want this guy to interrupt.

Oquindo is very self-aware, he just stood there without saying a word!
At this time, Madrid to Lisbon is very convenient. The Spanish Continental Trading Company has specially expanded the road from Madrid to Lisbon for the convenience of transporting goods, and it has been repaired so that it is extremely smooth, and the horse-drawn carriage does not feel bumps at all.

The little Duke Goodman pretended to be a shareholder of the Spanish Continental Trading Company. His father was going to Lisbon, so he naturally arranged the best carriage.

This carriage was specially customized for him by Desilao. The axles were all processed in Daming. Not only are the workmanship fine, but also a lot of bearings are added inside. inside.

Duke Goodman arrived in Lisbon in seven or eight days in a luxurious and comfortable carriage under the escort of a group of cavalry.

At this time, Qi Panzong, who was sitting in Lisbon, had already received the news and prepared a luxurious meal for him.

Duke Goodman was taken aback by Lisbon's defenses, but when he saw the delicacies on the table, he couldn't put on a face to protest with others.

This table is really luxurious, such as caviar, venison, crocodile meat, roast suckling pig, mutton stew, steamed sea bass, etc., according to the current European prices, this table will cost at least a hundred pounds of silver.

Not to mention his mighty force, but still entertaining him so graciously, how could he have the nerve to put on face with him.

Qi Panzong didn't know what he was doing, he kindly greeted him to sit down, and ordered him to serve the most expensive old wine in Europe, and had a good meal with him.

Then he led him to the most luxurious guest room, ordered him to serve two cups of coffee worth as much as gold, and then asked with a smile, "Your Excellency, the Duke, came all the way to Lisbon for rent, what is the matter?"

This one.

Goodman listened to the translator's report, and said with embarrassment: "We Spain and your Ming Empire are allies, why do you support mercenaries behind the scenes to compete with us for North Africa?
This time we lost a full 60 troops and [-] ironclad warships.

Our Majesty the King is very angry, so he specially sent me to lodge a serious protest to your country. "

That's it?

When Qi Panzong heard this, he couldn't help being secretly surprised.

Of course he knew what happened in North Africa. Spain and the Holy Roman Empire really suffered heavy losses this time.

However, he didn't expect that they would simply make a serious protest.

Do protests work?
No matter how serious you protest, it's useless!
To be honest, he really didn't understand the use of protesting.

He pretended to be ignorant and said: "Oh, is your loss in North Africa so big?
I really don't know this.

You see, I am also in charge of the guard on lease in Lisbon and the supply of the Azores. I am very busy all day long.

I really don't have time to pay attention to things in North Africa, and I haven't heard that our Ming Empire is supporting some mercenaries to compete with you for North Africa. "

Uh, you don't know anything for such a big governor?
Duke Goodman was quite surprised and said, "Did no one inform you of what happened in North Africa?"

Qi Panzong shook his head without hesitation and said, "No, this is the first time I've heard you say it."

What else do you say?
Duke Goodman didn't know what to say.

He frowned and pondered for a while, and then said seriously: "Our King is so angry, you Ming Empire must give me an answer, right?

What's going on, you guys have to explain it, right?

Otherwise, how can I go back and explain to His Majesty the King? "

You have to explain, right?

Then wait slowly.

Qi Panzong pretended to be incredulous: "I really don't know about this, or if you rest here for a while, I will immediately send the Clippers to Dongdaying to ask our governor to see what's going on."

Are you kidding me?

It takes at least a month to go back and forth from Europe to America, right?

Duke Goodman said rather displeasedly: "How long will I have to wait?"

Don't worry about this, it will be almost done when we take down Ceuta.

Qi Panzong smiled slightly and said, "Your Excellency, do you still like the food and drink just now?"

What does it mean?
Duke Goodman nodded subconsciously: "The wine and food are very good, don't worry about it."

Upon hearing this, Qi Panzong said without hesitation: "Your Excellency, just tell me what you want to eat these few days, and I will try my best to arrange it for you."

This, eating like this every day, every day, he really can't afford it, and it seems that it is not bad for him to eat luxury meals for half a month for free.

The question is, he didn't come to enjoy the food, okay?

Duke Goodman hesitated and said, "You should know that I'm also a little busy."

Good food and wine are not enough, right?
Qi Panzong smiled again and said: "I don't know what you think the Portuguese ladies look like, I really can't appreciate this, so I didn't go to any dance they held once.

If Your Excellency the Duke feels bored, you can go to dance at night to relax.

Maybe there will be some kind of love affair.

At that time, I'm afraid His Excellency the Duke will be reluctant to go back. "

What he said was very cryptic, but Duke Goodman understood it as soon as he heard it.

They even arranged for him a beautiful lady!
This time he really didn't want to go back.

Good food and wine every day, as well as beautiful ladies, the key is not to spend money.

Where can such a good thing be found?
You can't appreciate the Portuguese lady, but I really want to appreciate it!
He pretended to hesitate for a while, then nodded slightly and said: "Okay, I'll wait here, you guys have to give me an answer as soon as possible."

Hehe, this guy is indeed a corrupt official who is greedy for money and lust.

All right, you wait slowly, when Ceuta comes down, someone will come to explain to you.

Qi Panzong had already received Taichang's will.

If the King of Spain sends someone to tell him about North Africa, just pretend not to know and delay for a while.

Anyway, as long as Ceuta takes down the African continent, Spain and the Holy Roman Empire will basically have nothing to do, and what they say will be useless.

(End of this chapter)