monarch

On April [-], representatives of France and Spain signed the "Cato-Cambrezzi Peace Treaty" in the town hall of the town of Cato-Cambrezzi in Picardy.Given the fact that Spanish troops were already at the gates of Paris, King Henry II did not hesitate too long in agreeing to a humiliating treaty that handed over everything Spain had ever dreamed of.

The treaty stipulates that France can only retain five fortresses in Italy, Turin, Chieri, Pinerolo, Chivasso and Asti, and no soldiers or soldiers may be stationed in Italy. The Duchy of Savoy, conquered by France in 1536, regained its independence, Corsica was granted the Republic of Genoa, Siena and Piacenza were assigned to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, and Spain would rule including the Kingdom of Naples , the vast Italian territory of Sicily, Sardinia, Milan and the territories of Romagna in central Italy.France's 50-year expansion in Italy was wiped out, and Spain became the undisputed master of the Apennine Peninsula.

On the eastern border facing the German region, the Kingdom of France also made major concessions. The Duchy of Lorraine, which had almost been acquired by France, was spit out again, and France could only keep Thule and Metz in Lorraine. and the three dioceses of Verdun.Since the reigns of Charles VII and Louis XI, France has hoped to acquire all the land west of the Rhine and establish a "natural frontier" with the Rhine as its eastern boundary. Now this attempt has also been greatly thwarted.

Now that France has lost its eastern corner, it is inevitable that they will have the idea of ​​harvesting mulberry trees. During the negotiations, the representatives of Spain tried their best to guide France's expansion to the north of Britain. Britain went to war to take Calais, then it could get Spanish military assistance.However, the French were very indifferent to this proposal. King Henry II had just been humiliated by Spain. Shelved it.

Now that the peace agreement has been reached, Spain will naturally be free to deal with the rebels in the Netherlands. The Flanders Army launched a swift offensive against the Southern Netherlands, and it was only at the end of April that they had already approached Brussels. The city resisted for only three days before being forced to surrender.

According to the order of the Duke of Alva, the nobles and rich people who remained in the city and participated in the rebellion were burned to death in the square in the center of the city, and their properties were confiscated together with those of the nobles who fled to the north. Most of it went to the Spanish treasury, which was already on the verge of depletion, while the remaining property was used to subsidize ordinary citizens in the city. Each family received a month's worth of food and a large amount of relief money.Most of these citizens are Catholics. Although they briefly stood together with the nobles, although they are collectively called Netherlanders, they speak the same language and believe in the same religion, but the nobles wearing silk and the nobles wearing linen After all, the poor are not the same people.Now that the situation is reversed, the citizens have benefited from the downfall of the nobles, and naturally they have forgotten what happened in Antwerp, and they have become loyal subjects of the King of Spain again.The culprits who caused the destruction of Antwerp have been brought to justice, so why should ordinary people not enjoy this "peace under Spanish rule"?

The Spanish army advanced all the way, and by mid-May, the ten provinces of the Southern Netherlands had basically been recovered, but as expected by the Duke of Alva, the Spanish army's offensive stalled after entering the seven northern provinces.The Dutch army used water nets and fortresses to stop the Spaniards and forced them into a long siege.The Duke of Alva concentrated a huge force to besiege the Breda Fortress in a key position, but it seemed that the situation would remain in a stalemate for a while.

Spain's financial situation had initially eased, and Philip II resolved to pursue the Duke of Alva's plan, despite the opposition of his moderate advisers.The invasion of England was named "St. George" after the patron saint of England. St. George is famous for the legend of slaying dragons, and the symbol of Wales, where the Tudor family started, is precisely a red dragon.

The St. George's plan is an extremely risky gamble. This invasion will occupy the entire Spanish fleet for nearly a year. Once the Turks launch an offensive in the Mediterranean or some unexpected emergency occurs in the colonies, Spain will be unable to deal with it. dilemma.However, from another point of view, if this plan is successful, the benefits will be amazing. Due to its geographical superiority, Britain has gradually become a more troublesome trouble than France.A successful invasion of the British Isles would mean that Spain would have no challenger in Christendom, at least for a decade, and they would have the opportunity to create a new Western Roman Empire to compete with the Turks for dominance of Europe.

Personally speaking, Philip II had a bad impression of the Kingdom of Britain and King Edward VI.In order to form an alliance with Britain, Philip II had to accept a political marriage that he himself did not like and a wife who was older than himself and was already old and frail.But in the end everything became a farce, Spain and Britain turned against each other, and Philip did not get the heir he wanted from this marriage.

Philip saw King Edward VI, who now rules Britain, as an audacious blasphemer.King Edward VI had stopped hiding his damning relationship with Robert Dudley, and now he wouldn't even try to cover it up.Philip II lived in England for half a year. In his opinion, the luxurious and depraved British court is undoubtedly the contemporary Babylon, and Edward VI is the absurd and brutal tyrant Nebuchadnezzar.As a "pious Catholic king," Philip felt it was his duty to deliver the people of England from this godless tyrant, lest their souls be eternally tormented by hellfire.

Whether the advisers like it or not, the St. George plan is finally moving forward.There are already more than a dozen warships under construction in Spanish shipyards, and in early May, King Philip placed an order for another 25 warships. The armament and protection of these warships have been simplified as much as possible. The only requirement of the king is that they It must be completed by March next year.Under normal circumstances, the oak used for shipbuilding must be more than [-] years old. However, in order to meet the construction period required by the king, this batch of warships will be built using oak trees that are about ten years old.Because the wood is too young and contains too much oil and moisture, warships built with them will decay within a few years, but the king doesn't seem to care about it at all.

Philip II has made up his mind, so the next step is to find an excuse for war.When rulers are determined to go to war, it is not difficult to find suitable reasons.

On June 15, a treasure ship was attacked by a British privateer in the Florida Strait between Cuba and the American continent. Since it was only a day's voyage from Havana, the Spanish captain did not take sufficient precautions, so it took only 20 minutes After that, the Spanish sailing ship was forced to surrender, leaving the [-] ducats of gold and silver on it to the English.

The Spanish galleon was scuttled, and the surviving Spanish sailors were sent to two small boats. The British sailors provided them with clean water, dry food and a compass, so that they could return to the island of Cuba by themselves.The survivors disembarked in a bay in northern Cuba the next day, and two days later news of the attack on the transport was reported to the Cuban governor in Havana.

On July 20, Madrid received the news it had dreamed of: a transport ship had been attacked on the high seas by English privateers.Although this kind of thing has happened many times, and it is a bit of a fuss as an excuse to start a war, Philip II is too lazy to wait for the next opportunity.On the day he got the news, he sent a stern note to the British ambassador Robert Dudley, asking Britain to hand over the [-] florins and the captain of the privateer to Spain within one month.

This note was sent to London the next day as a diplomatic dispatch. Half a month later, the British Embassy received a reply from the Foreign Secretary.In fact, there is no need to wait for such a long time. Anyone can see that this kind of condition is completely impossible to be agreed by the Kingdom of Britain. Maybe there is still room for negotiation on the first clause, while the second clause would not be considered by any sane monarch.Moreover, even if Britain agreed to these two conditions, it would be impossible to fulfill them within a month.The privateer returned to the vast Atlantic Ocean after attacking the Spanish transport ship. It may be tomorrow, or it may be a few months before returning to Britain. Even if King Edward is willing to compromise, he is powerless.

On July 24, Britain's statement of rejection of Spanish conditions was sent to Philip II, and that same evening, a Spanish official in full dress and decorated with medals came to the British embassy and politely informed Robert Dadd Leigh, the King of Spain will summon him at eleven o'clock the next morning.

At 25:10 am on July 30, Robert arrived at the Royal Castle in a four-wheeled carriage decorated with the coat of arms of the Lion of England. An attendant waited for his arrival there, took him to the king's reception room, and said that Philip The king would come to see him after the day's prayers.

After about half an hour, Philip II returned to the room as the attendant said. The king looked in excellent condition, and even the blue-black shadows under his eyes faded a lot.

Minister of State Perez followed Philip II, and it seemed that the burden on his monarch's heart had been transferred to this minister, with a sad look on his face grayed out from lack of sleep, His bloodshot eyes looked watery.

The Minister of State is the strongest opponent of St. George's plan. In his opinion, what Spain should do now is to take advantage of the remaining power of France to shake hands with the remaining enemies in all directions, and even pay some price for this.If the English want Jamaica, and the Netherlands want autonomy, give them that, Spain needs a break, the weary kingdom needs a siesta (Spanish for siesta) rather than committing itself to a dangerous war To gamble.His insistence greatly angered King Philip, and the minister's somewhat restored family disappeared again, and his term of office has entered the countdown.

"Please sit down, Mr. Ambassador." Philip II pointed to the sofa in the center of the room.

After Robert took a seat on the sofa, Philip II cleared his throat, puffed out his chest, and spoke solemnly.

"If you remember, sir, on the 20th of July I sent you a note requesting your country to return the [-] florins stolen from us and to hand over to us those responsible."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"You sent me a reply letter from your country yesterday. According to my understanding, your country gave me a negative answer."

"That's not the case, Your Majesty, our government just wants to show you that what you're asking for needs to go through complicated discussions and legal procedures, so it's impossible within the time frame you're asking for." Robert replied neither humble nor humble.

"That's a rejection."

"If you must understand it that way."

Philip II snorted coldly.

"I think it's not the first time we've had a conversation about piracy in your country, and it's not the first time that our transport ship has been attacked by your country, but I've been restrained about it. Maybe it's given your country Some kind of false impression that I can only suffer from such despicable behavior."

"I have explained to His Majesty more than once that our country only enforces the compensation for the damage caused by your country in our country. This is our legal right."

"I would like to remind you, Your Excellency the Ambassador." Philip II said sharply, "Compared with a few months ago, the current situation is completely different."

"If you are referring to the signing of the peace treaty between your country and France, then I admit that this has greatly changed the situation, but His Majesty the King of our country is not an opportunist. His policy is consistent and will not be affected by outsiders. Some insignificant change in circumstances and a change of course.”

"I warn you," Philip II folded his arms, "that the king of your country will face dire consequences for being so stubborn."

Without a word Robert bowed slightly, as he would when challenged to a duel.

The Minister of State had been sitting there without saying a word just now. Seeing the situation was tense, he finally had to intervene.

"Your Excellency, our country does not want to be an enemy of your country. On the contrary, we have always hoped for peace and stability in Europe, but your country's various unfriendly practices continue to damage this stability." Secretary of State Determined to make a last-ditch effort for peace, he did not hesitate to risk Philip II's dissatisfied eyes, and abruptly inserted into the dialogue, "If your country is willing to make some concessions for peace, then I believe our country will reciprocate. The two sides may not necessarily be friends."

Philip II gave the Minister of State a hard look, but he didn't attack because he was in front of outsiders, so as to avoid the disharmony between the monarch and his ministers in front of foreign ambassadors.

Robert glanced at the Minister of State indifferently, "Many of your country's practices may not be called friendly."

"What exactly are you referring to?"

"For example, those warships in the shipyards of Cadiz, La Coruña, and Barcelona. Your Excellency, their construction sites can be seen by anyone. Who are these warships used against? Why is the rush so urgent? ?”

"It is to deal with the Turks. It is said that the Sultan is preparing to launch a new round of offensives against the island of Malta and the Venetian colonies in the Eastern Mediterranean."

"If that's the case, you should build more galleys, but all the warships being built in the shipyard are galleons suitable for operations in the Atlantic Ocean. Your country is already sharpening the knife, and this knife is prepared for Britain , Your Excellency, this is not what a friend should do from any point of view, is it?"

The Minister of State was speechless, and lowered his head resentfully.

"Now that we have talked to this point," Philip II squeezed his fists, as if he had made up his mind, "then I will tell you frankly that I have lost patience with your country's various unfriendly behaviors. Your Excellency Like temporarily ignoring the harassment of wild dogs, not because I can’t do anything, but because I’m too lazy to deal with it for the time being. I have repeatedly tolerated your country’s unreasonable provocations, and it seems that my brother-in-law has created the illusion that I am weak and bully. Then Well, all this is coming to an end today. Spain is the most powerful country. She deserves the respect and awe of other countries, including yours. If there is a country that does not believe in evil, then we will teach her a lesson. Like we did with the French."

"Is this a war threat?" Robert stood up.

"If you think it is, then it is." Philip II also stood up, "In order to let your country know that what I said is not an empty threat, I have to take action."

"From today, no English merchant or cargo ship can enter the port of Spain, not even a cargo ship carrying English goods. Even if there is a foot of English cloth on board, this ship will not enter the port. Our country is no longer with your country. It's business."

"The Foreign Secretary will issue your passport back to you. I declare you persona non grata. Please go back and pack your bags. The British Embassy closes in a week. You and your entourage will be escorted to The port of Cadiz. Please write a letter to London and ask them to send a warship to fetch you there."

Robert opened his mouth in surprise. He tried his best to appear calm and stern, but the corners of his mouth still curled up involuntarily, "You want to deport me back to Britain?"

"Yes, Your Excellency." Philip II snorted loudly through his nose, "Don't pretend to be insulted, I know you've been waiting for this day for a long time, and I know why, don't bother Explain it to me, and save your reasons to God after you die."

Robert stared at Philip II for a minute, and suddenly he burst into laughter, and even tears came out of the corners of his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Philip II was taken aback. "What are you laughing at? Is there anything ridiculous?"

"I'm laughing at myself, Your Majesty, I'm such an idiot to leave England." Robert stopped laughing and said seriously.

"I don't understand at all." Philip II's expression was very serious, but his eyes seemed more confused than before

"You made a mistake just now, Your Majesty." Robert shook his head, he no longer concealed the joy in his heart, so his whole body became radiant in an instant, "I have no intention of explaining anything to you, and there is no need to explain to you What are you explaining, Sire. You are not entitled to my explanations, not even God himself."

Philip II's face turned pale all of a sudden, he let out a cry, and took a step back.

"Blasphemy!" Philip crossed himself in horror. "How dare you say that? How dare you not feel guilty about your crime?"

"If God considers it a sin to love someone, then this Creator is not worthy of belief." Robert said firmly, "I have been away from Britain for nearly three years because of your mediocre rumors, and now I'm such a fool to think about it. You're like a swarm of flies, no matter what I do, the flies buzz around me, that's their nature, the only solution is to turn a deaf ear, or slap them with a book flat."

"You and other people in this world can treat us as aliens, and you can think of ways to deal with us. If we lose, then you can use any method you want to deal with us." Robert pointed with his finger Philip II walked forward step by step, while Philip II kept backing away until his back was against the wall.

"But if we win, Your Majesty, then no matter how much you dislike us and how much you hate us, you can only keep your mouths shut, because in this world power is justice. We live according to our own ideas, We don't need to explain to anyone that if anyone, not even your God, wants to stop us, it's their fault."

"Please ask your foreign secretary to send me the passport quickly. After all, in your country, everything arrives later than it actually is, and I really have enough of staying in this ghost place."

After speaking, Robert bowed and walked out of the room without looking back.

Philip II stared dumbfounded at the door closing in front of him. After half a minute, he realized that he turned to look at the Minister of State with disbelief on his face.

"He... how dare he speak to me like that?" King Philip's voice trembled with surprise and excitement.

The Secretary of State shrugged his shoulders.

"That's what he said, if I'm not mistaken."

Philip II's face turned pale, and he walked back to his study without saying a word. After a while, there was the sound of broken porcelain from the study next door, while the Minister of State remained where he was, with his face on his face. With a mocking smile.