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Chapter 1059 Duchess
If the Duke of Buckingham wanted to persuade Charles I to accept financial assistance from the Ming Empire, it would not be enough to just talk. He had to find someone to reply to the Ming Emperor, and then return to Europe with the Ming Emperor's order before he could get this huge loan.

The Earl of Strafford probably didn't know about this private deal, and the Duke of Buckingham probably didn't want other ministers to know about it, so the Duchess of Chevreuse became the best messenger.

The reason why there are so many lovers and mistresses in European courts is not entirely due to physiological needs, but more to political needs. Many things cannot be said openly, but it is more appropriate to pass on information and spy on the truth through women.

If this is true, Cohen very much hopes that the Ming Emperor's plan can be implemented smoothly, because the Spaniards are the ones who suffer the most in the plan. As a member of the United Provinces Republic, no one wants to see the Spaniards suffer, no matter what the reason.

As for the French King Louis XIII's attitude towards this naval battle, in four words, he changed his mind according to the situation. From the French perspective, he certainly hoped that the Spanish would suffer misfortune, but at the same time he did not want to see the English gain too much advantage.

France also sent envoys this time, probably because it was afraid that the Spanish and English would reach some kind of agreement with the Ming Empire and exclude France.

As for the share of maritime trade in Asia, France did not care at all. Even if the Ming Empire had not stopped them, French merchant ships would not go to Asia, as they were already too busy in America.

The Queen invited the Duchess of Chevreuse to visit the harem, which was legitimate and in line with diplomatic etiquette. Even if the European negotiators had any suspicions, they could not raise them.

But when the Duchess arrived at the harem, she met not only the Queen, but also the only man who could enter and leave the harem, Emperor Jingyang of the Ming Empire. After a few pleasantries, the Queen left quietly under the pretext of personally selecting gifts.

"This should be the Duchess' first time in the East. Are you satisfied with the Empire's hospitality? Is the food to your liking? If you need anything else, please let me know. I will do my best to help you."

After the queen left, Hong Tao immediately changed from sitting upright to leaning casually, and at the same time lit a cigar. He puffed out smoke and squinted his eyes to look up and down at the Duchess, still speaking polite words, which was very inconsistent with his expression.

"Ah, the mysterious East is wonderful. The food is strange but delicious, especially this huge palace and its interior, which are so unique. All of this was unimaginable before I came here, especially your Majesty the Emperor..."

The Duchess of Chevreuse is not young anymore. More than thirty years of time have left obvious marks on her face. Coupled with the not-so-sparse freckles, her appearance is not particularly beautiful.

It's just that her skin is very white, shiny and elastic, with brown curly hair and gray pupils. When she smiles, she looks a bit like an elf, and when she is serious, she looks a bit like a nun.

What can attract men's attention most is the figure. The round parts are round, the slender parts are slender, the full parts are full, and the slender parts are slender. Except for the legs covered by the long skirt, all the parts within the visible range can score more than 9.5 points, which is basically close to perfect.

In addition, there are voice and pronunciation, the former is naturally magnetic, the latter is obviously strictly trained, with a good sense of rhythm, not too fast or too slow. Combined with the equally well-trained expressions, it always gives people a comfortable feeling.

"Me? Tell me, how did I fail to match your prediction?"

Hearing the Duchess mention him, Hong Tao immediately perked up, sitting up straight and leaning forward, moving his head closer, as if he was listening attentively, but in fact he was admiring the ups and downs from a high position. "Your Majesty is younger than I thought. He has been able to rule such a large empire for decades. I thought he would be a serious old man who never smiles, but in fact, Your Majesty is more humorous and more charming than King Louis XIII."

The Duchess clearly knew what the man was looking at, but she pretended not to notice. She half raised her face as if she was thinking, and occasionally rolled her eyelids. As she spoke, she smiled shyly, revealing her fairly neat teeth.

“When we talk about King Louis, we have to think of the war in Europe. I heard that Prime Minister Richelieu has declared war on Spain, and Marshal Valette’s troops are fighting the Spanish army in the Rhine region.

In this situation, it seems absurd and strange that King Louis sent you to participate in the negotiations between Spain, England and the Empire. Why is this? "

Seeing that the woman was beginning to show her seductive nature, Hong Tao suddenly shrank back, put away the obscene expression on his face, and the topic became serious.

This is one of his methods of dealing with women. Whenever the other party thinks that beauty is working, he will immediately hit them head-on and make them doubt their own abilities. Women are a strange kind of creatures, more emotional than rational. When the advantage they rely on the most does not work, their mentality will instantly become unbalanced and their minds will be confused.

"…If Your Majesty wants to talk about war, His Excellency the Duke of Medina-Sidonia should be more knowledgeable. He once led a legion to fight against the Swedes in Germany and won."

As expected, the Duchess was confused by the Ming Emperor's hot and cold behavior. She was already lustful, and seeing that there was another powerful man under her skirt, she suddenly found that the other party's eyes were clear. She was disappointed and angry at the same time.

"No, no, no. Between men, there is only business and war, so there is no need for too many words. But between men and women, it is much more complicated. There can be both verbal communication and emotional communication. In comparison, I prefer the latter, and I hope the Duchess will have the same preference."

Realizing that the woman was a little angry, Hong Tao immediately removed his serious expression and put on the proper demeanor he should have when facing a beautiful woman up close. His words also became much more ambiguous.

"…Your Majesty's question is easy to answer. King Louis's wife, Anne, is a Spanish princess. The king's mother's surname is Medici. There are different opinions in the French court on the issue of declaring war on Spain.

The war promoted by Prime Minister Richelieu did not fully represent the attitude of the French court. The King of Spain knew this, the Holy Roman Emperor knew this, and the Habsburg family also knew this.

King Louis and Queen Anne sent me here just to find out whether England and Spain had any private deals on the Asian issue. To be honest, the French court did not believe that the English and Spanish fleets had taken joint military action and were completely defeated by your fleet. "

The Duchess did not give a corresponding expression. The short half-hour communication made her feel very confused and powerless.

(End of this chapter)