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Chapter 1061 Anti-Hazakhstan Alliance
"If the King of France had a similar request, would His Majesty the Emperor agree to it?"

Although she didn't get the cash directly, the note in her hand still made the Duchess excited. Ten thousand pounds! No matter which noble family it is, it is a huge sum of money.

And this was only one-fifth of the loan. As long as King Charles I of England followed the not-so-demanding agreement, he would receive another 40,000 pounds. The most important thing was that this money did not need to be repaid. It was given away for free, which showed how rich the emperor of the Ming Empire was.

It is said that men love power and women love money. When faced with such a rich man who is not too old and not too ugly, which woman would not be tempted? At this moment, the Duchess felt that her lovers seemed to be useless.

"A similar request? That's too vague. The money I gave the King of England is not charity, but needs to be repaid with actual actions. The purpose is to eliminate possible enemies for the Empire within a period of time.

In my mindset, problems that can be solved with money are not big problems. But France does not have many interests in Asia, there is no conflict in this regard, and there is no need to waste money.

But things are always developing. If there is a major conflict between France and the Ming Empire one day, I hope the King of France is willing to sit down and talk. If economic aid can resolve the conflict, it is not impossible. "

The Duchess's question was a bit too stupid, but Hong Tao still answered it patiently. France is a traditional land power, and there will be no direct conflict of interest with the Ming Empire in the short term. But history may change its trajectory, and leaving a loose knot is also to lay the foundation for the future.

“Your Majesty may know that there is also a great empire in Europe similar to the Ming Empire, including the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Spain. Their rulers are all from the Habsburg family. The forces under the rule of this family are the ones that can truly threaten Asia.

They not only dominated Europe, but also had absolute advantage in the New World, only suffering some setbacks in Asia, which is ruled by Your Majesty the Emperor.

Given the Habsburg family's consistent style, they will certainly not give up. As long as the war in Europe stabilizes, they will send troops to Asia again to regain the interests they once lost.

By then, there would be an overwhelming Spanish fleet carrying tens of thousands of troops rushing towards Asian ports. A small fortress at Cape Luck would not be enough to stop them, and there would also be fleets and soldiers from the Governor of the New World on the east side of the Pacific.

If His Majesty the Emperor does not want to be attacked from both the east and the west, the best way is not to wait, but to join the current anti-Habsburg alliance.

While your fleets and armies cannot easily reach Europe to join the war, there are other ways to support the Habsburgs' rivals, such as France, Sweden, and England.

In fact, Your Majesty has been doing this for a long time. The muskets and artillery sold to Russia through the Dutch are no secret in the European courts. It is said that when Emperor Ferdinand II learned of this news, he cursed for a long time in the Austrian palace.

This approach seriously weakened the combat effectiveness of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, making it impossible for their army to devote itself to fighting the Swedes, and they had to transfer more troops to the border to guard against harassment from Tsarist Russia.

You see, even though there wasn't a single warship or soldier from the Ming Empire in Europe, your empire had been included in the Habsburg family's list of enemies.

Instead of doing this, it would be better to invest more resources to help France defeat Spain and severely damage the strength of the Habsburg family, so that they will not be able to retaliate in Asia in the future. "Hearing that the Ming Emperor did not completely refuse, the Duchess finally couldn't hold back her temper. She lowered her voice, sped up her speech, and explained the game behind the European war in one breath, and then made another request for assistance.

"Can I understand that your request has been approved by King Louis?"

Regardless of whether the Duchess was right or not, Hong Tao had to look at her with new eyes. It seemed that the rumors in history were not groundless sometimes, and this woman who was keen on power did have considerable power.

He could represent France in negotiations, seek benefits for the King of England, and had a mysterious relationship with the Queen Mother of France. He was also the personal lobbyist of the King of France. Not only did he have multiple roles, but he also moved between multiple forces, and these forces were complicated and it was hard to tell who was the enemy and who was the friend.

"...Of course!" Having said this, the Duchess no longer cared about hiding her multiple identities. She pursed her lips tightly, thought for a few seconds, and nodded heavily.

"Then the question is, what benefits will I get if I support King Louis? Not in the future, but now, the benefits will be reflected soon!" Can I satisfy the request of the Duchess of Chevreuse, or Louis XIII? Hong Tao has no objection in principle.

There is some truth in what she said just now. If the Habsburg family wins the war, severely weakens the strength of countries such as Britain, France, and the Netherlands, and subdues the German princes, then the Spaniards may indeed send a large army to try to enter Asia again.

The Cape of Good Hope is not a one-way journey. For Spanish captains who are good at sailing, they only need to establish a supply point on the west coast of Africa. They are fully capable of bypassing the southern waters of Africa and reaching somewhere on the east coast of Africa in one go.

The North Pacific Ocean was even more difficult to defend. The Spanish fleet from America could enter the empire-controlled area undetected through the Sea of ​​Japan, the Ryukyu Islands, and the many straits east of the Philippines, and launch a surprise attack on a key port.

Although the Spanish could not avoid the final destruction even if they attacked from both the east and west, the price the Ming Empire had to pay would not be small. After all, this war was fought at home, and the broken bottles and jars, damaged furniture, delayed farming, and mobilizing the army all cost money.

If, as the Duchess of Chevreuse expected, France's victory over Spain could be funded in advance, the Habsburg family's power would be weakened, making it too busy in Europe and America to care about Asia.

But expectations cannot always come true. Sometimes it is like gambling. You may have calculated that the chances of winning are high, but there are still variables after placing the bet, so losing is not impossible.

Hong Tao hates gambling the most, or rather, he hates all uncontrollable people and things, so analysis of the future alone is not enough to convince him. He must see real benefits before he can talk.

"…Doesn't the friendship of the King of France count?" The Duchess seemed much more at ease during the bargaining process, and she spoke in a tone of getting something for nothing, and she didn't feel it was excessive at all.

(End of this chapter)