Chapter 1127: What? The Deadbeat Borrowed Money? (Please Subscribe)

Maria Teresa, the foremost beauty of Spain with her long face and double chin, had already retreated to the tent set aside for her rest and was shedding tears — the Prince Charming of her dreams had turned into a big-nosed little dwarf, truly heartbreaking! How had such a beautiful princess as herself ended up in the hands of such an ugly king?

And Louis XIV, who thought very highly of himself, could not yet reproach the "dim-sighted" Mazarin, because he still had to deal with a father-in-law whose brain was not quite right. But he took it better than Maria Teresa — he was an enlightened monarch of the Great Emperor class, and of course he knew that military and state affairs must take precedence.

Besides, he had a great many mistresses, every one of them at least ten times more beautiful than Maria Teresa, and they knew how to appreciate a handsome man — Louis could certainly sense that Maria Teresa found him repulsive. How could she do that?

So for now Louis XIV could still summon his spirits and, with a face full of smiles, keep company with King Philip, whose Latin was atrocious.

After a few pleasantries, King Philip of Spain suddenly put on a solemn expression and said, "Dear Louis, forgive my presumption, but I have a question I wish to ask you."

"Ask whatever you like," Louis XIV answered with a smile. He was a clever man, knowledgeable in a great many things, and absolutely would not be stumped by a fool like Philip IV.

"Tell me, do you love God?" Philip asked.

What? What did that mean? Louis XIV was taken aback, and for a moment did not know how to answer.

How could the King of France not love God? More than three hundred years earlier, King Philip IV of France had sent troops to "escort" Pope Boniface VIII to France and "see him to his end," and afterward had moved the papal court to Avignon in France; for the seventy-three years that followed, France had devotedly cared for the Pope, God's representative on earth!

Was there anyone in the world who loved God more than the King of France?

"Philip," the King of France said with some displeasure, "are you doubting my devotion to God? If you truly have doubts, I can have the Prince of Condé go to Rome and invite His Holiness the Pope to come to France to examine my devotion."

"No, no, no," Philip IV shook his head repeatedly. "That is not what I meant. You are of course devout toward God, and His Holiness the Pope need not come to France to issue you a certificate."

As if he would dare not issue one! The Prince of Condé was fierce!

The King of France nodded. "I think so too."

Philip IV went on, "What I mean is, could you and France perhaps give a little more for God?"

The King of France answered at once, "Devout faith is the finest gift the people of France have offered to God!"

God was for believing in!

Philip IV frowned. How could this son-in-law of his fail to understand the duties incumbent upon a Catholic monarch?

"Louis!" Philip IV said. "Do you know what has happened in Manila?"

"Manila?" Louis XIV felt a headache coming on. Of course he knew that Manila had been occupied by the Ming army!

After the main body of the Spanish forces had withdrawn, the Ming troops stationed in Success Bay had marched in and taken Manila without shedding a drop of blood.

When this news reached Europe it caused no small stir. Some believed this was an assault by the Eastern "Heavenly Principle sect" (which in fact did not exist) upon Western Christianity!

"In Manila, the banner of Heavenly Principle has replaced the banner of God!" Philip IV said gravely. "Devout Christians all over the world are weeping over the fall of Manila!"

What did that mean? Louis thought. I have not wept — does that mean I am not devout?

Louis remained silent for a while, then looked at Philip and said, "Manila is very far from Europe, almost on the other side of the world. And it has always been within the sphere of influence of the Eastern empire. Compared with Manila, should you not be more concerned about the tragedy unfolding on Crete?"

The Ottoman Empire's conquest of Crete was still ongoing! Most of Crete had already been occupied by the Ottoman Empire, leaving only the city of Chania still in the hands of the Republic of Venice's army.

And France had adopted a pro-Venice stance in this war; though it had not declared war on the Ottoman Empire, it had sent troops to Chania.

Philip shook his head. "Louis, the Great Ming and the Ottomans are both enemies of Catholicism. We cannot let the enemy near at hand make us let go of the enemy far away!"

Louis thought to himself: So... the whole world is your enemy! Not long ago, even I, who devoutly believe in God and am pure of heart, was your enemy too!

"Then," Louis said, looking at his somewhat addled father-in-law, "what do you need me to do?"

Philip smiled. "I hope that France will first put an end to its military cooperation with the Great Ming!"

Louis XIV looked very troubled — though in truth, after the Prince of Condé returned home, military cooperation between the Great Ming and France had already essentially ended, because the two sides had exchanged every technology and tactical method that could be exchanged.

"Very well!" Louis was silent for a good while before nodding heavily. "I think this is the only thing France can do at present!"

Philip IV, though somewhat dull, was not so foolish as to expect France to send troops to fight the Great Ming on Spain's behalf.

He smiled. "Louis, that is enough. I hope you will carry out this promise as soon as possible! Because Spain will soon launch a counterattack, and I would not want French military advisers still serving in the Great Ming's army at that time."

"Counterattack?" Louis XIV was somewhat surprised.

Europe's number one deadbeat had the money to organize an expeditionary force? Who on earth was so stupid as to lend money to Spain?

Louis XIV could rack his brains and never guess that the fool preparing to lend money to the Spaniards was none other than Johan de Witt, the Grand Pensionary of the Dutch Republic.

Ever since the news arrived that the Ming army had occupied Manila, this Grand Pensionary, who controlled the wealthiest republic in Europe, had lost his appetite and his sleep.

For the wealth of the Dutch Republic was to a great extent built upon its monopoly of the spice trade, and the Dutch monopoly was built upon colonial rule over the spice-producing Maluku Islands and Banda Islands.

The cloves, nutmeg, and pepper produced on these two island groups were shipped not only to Europe but also in large quantities to China.

Before the Westerners occupied those places, merchants from China, Arabia, and India had been the masters of those spice islands, and the Sultanate of Sulu, a loyal vassal of the Great Ming Empire, had profited handsomely from the spice trade.

Now the Great Ming Empire had seized Luzon, and the Sultanate of Sulu would surely throw itself into the Great Ming's embrace at the first opportunity. Led by the Sulu people, who knew the spice islands like the back of their hand, the Great Ming Empire's fleet might soon be bearing down on the spice islands!

As far as that cunning merchant Johan de Witt could see, the Ming Emperor was certain to push south! Even if he did not wish to tear open relations with the Dutch, he would not pass up this chance to send out his great fleet for a show of strength, after which he could extort the Dutch East India Company!

The spice trade was so enormously profitable — should the Great Ming Empire not be given a share?

So what Johan de Witt was now racking his brains over was how to stop the Ming from pushing south!

Deploying army troops on the several spice islands would be useless, because the Ming army did not even need to land; merely sending gunboats to station at Sulu Island would be enough to threaten the spice islands.

The Ming navy did not even need to show itself; simply arming the Muslim pirates on Sulu Island would be enough to make the Dutch East India Company vomit blood.

As for sending a fleet to occupy Sulu Island, that too was hardly feasible. Never mind that the Ming would certainly intervene — even if they did not, the Dutch East India Company did not have the spare strength to occupy Sulu Island.

The military power of Sulu was not particularly weak either! If they had been particularly weak, the Spaniards would have finished them off long ago — how could they have held out until now?

So after much deliberation, Johan de Witt hit upon a plan: let the Viceroyalty of New Spain step forward and play the villain. As long as the flames of war were lit on the American continent, the Great Ming Empire would not stretch its claws toward the spice islands.

And to make the Viceroyalty of New Spain step forward, he would have to lend money to those Spanish deadbeats.

(End of Chapter)