Chapter 1246: Ardennes Forest

"I think we ought to send someone to meet with Charles, King of America... The situation over in the Americas, I'd say, is just like in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The Kingdom of New Spain has many people and broad lands, and with over a hundred years of development behind it, it's the Cao Mengde who holds the Mandate of Heaven. Our United States of New Continent and the Kingdom of Jiaqing, relying on high mountains and dangerous waters, and with the help of our father and elder brother's nation, have crack troops and ample provisions — we count as Sun Zhongmou of Jiangdong. And this King Charles of England was originally a stray dog, living under other people's roofs everywhere he went, yet today he's actually gotten himself a Kingdom of America — without a doubt he's an Imperial Uncle Liu. We absolutely must not take him lightly!"

The one speaking was Jia Bushi. Having spent a long time among the Manchu Qing, he had studied Romance of the Three Kingdoms quite a bit — that book was, after all, the Qing's military manual! So he had formed the habit of bringing up the Three Kingdoms the moment he opened his mouth.

Li Shaoyou was an ambassador with the rank of Vice Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and also the head of the Great Ming Empire's ambassadors to the various countries of Europe. Hearing Jia Bushi talk about the Three Kingdoms, he let out a chuckle and said, "Shopkeeper Jia, by your reasoning, shouldn't we also find a Sun Shangxiang to marry Charles II as his queen?"

Jia Bushi actually clapped his hands and laughed. "Brilliant! The Vice Minister is truly brilliant. Charles II isn't married yet... How did I not think of that!"

"You didn't think of it..." Li Shaoyou merely shook his head, thinking to himself: Even if you had thought of it, it would be useless! The Great Ming Celestial Dynasty and this Charles II are not people of the same circle — a marriage alliance is impossible!

Ren Zhen, the ambassador to England, was also a second-generation child of the Hard Struggle generation. His father had served as Deputy Guard Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and held an earldom. He himself was a diplomat who had graduated from Nanjing University, and had earlier been doing diplomatic work in the Ottoman Empire, so he knew a bit about the marriage customs of Europe. He shook his head at once and said, "That wouldn't quite work, would it? Charles II is a Catholic... And besides, the marriages of Ming princesses are not something we have any say in!"

"A Ming princess?" Jia Bushi was taken aback. "Ambassador Ren, you misunderstand. How could I presume to arrange a match for a princess? I was thinking of arranging a match for Hortense Mancini, the younger sister of the Son of Heaven's, er, mistress, Marie."

"Hortense Mancini?" Ren Zhen had barely heard of this person. "Would Charles II be able to marry her? And is she close with us?"

Huang Jiang cut in, "She's Cardinal Mazarin's niece. She just turned twenty this year and is very beautiful. Several years ago Charles II fell in love with her at first sight and proposed to her, but it didn't succeed because of Mazarin's opposition. Because of her sister Marie's connection, her relations with us are quite good... Every month she also receives a large allowance from the Mancini Tea Company!"

"Furthermore, her mother, Madame Mancini, wanted to marry her off as a consort to the King of the United States, and even arranged for her to correspond with the King of the United States. But that matter didn't work out. Now this Hortense is still unwed, and Charles II is also unmarried — it's the perfect opportunity for us to bring about a happy match."

Actually, the one who wanted to bring about the marriage of Hortense Mancini and the "Rich King" Zhu Hehao was Hortense's elder sister, Marie Mancini. Marie Mancini had put no small amount of effort into this, doing a great deal of matchmaking between the two, and had even had them exchange portraits. The happy event had seemed just about to succeed.

But Zhu Cilang did not approve of Hortense Mancini becoming Zhu Hehao's principal consort, and Marie was unwilling for her younger sister to be a "minor" wife like herself. So the matter fell through — though not completely. The Emperor, unable to withstand Marie's pillow talk, had agreed to arrange a match between Hortense and the "Rent-Collecting King"...

And this matter had still not succeeded, but it had delayed Hortense Mancini's marriage to the Duke de La Meilleraye, so Hortense Mancini still had not been married off.

However, these few in Europe did not know that Hortense might become the Princess of Fu — otherwise they would never have gone and spoiled the "Rent-Collecting King's" happy event. Hortense was a great beauty, after all!

"Can this matter actually be brought off?" Ren Zhen was still somewhat doubtful. "Although Hortense is Mazarin's niece, she's still a bit short of matching Charles II, isn't she? He's a man about to become King of America."

"Not short at all," Jia Bushi said, shaking his head. "She's a rich woman! Most of Mazarin's estate went to her, and she also holds shares in the Mancini Tea Company."

Hortense's shares were not given for nothing — she was a blazingly popular figure in French high society, the spokesperson for Mancini milk tea! That Mancini milk tea had swept through the French court and upper classes was in part her doing.

And the French court in this era was the source of all European fashion trends. Once the French dignitaries began drinking milk tea, the powerful and wealthy lords elsewhere in Europe were certain to follow suit... Of course, the Mancini Tea Company was not only in the business of selling black tea. It also sold wine, shipping French wine to China.

A good business is one where goods flow both ways!

So on the Ming side, the Mancini Tea Company went by the name Mancini Wine Company — equally a business rolling in wealth!

"Does she have a title of nobility?" Ren Zhen asked.

"Of course she does!" Jia Bushi said. "She is a countess of the United States of New Continent."

This countess title had been bought for her younger sister by Marie Mancini — genuine and internationally recognized!

Jia Bushi laughed. "A countess of the United States of New Continent marrying the King of the Kingdom of America, and bringing a dowry of several million francs besides — Charles II has no reason to refuse, does he?"

Ren Zhen asked, "But what benefit is there in it for us?"

Li Shaoyou smiled and took over the question. "Of course there's a benefit... Breaking up the alliance between the Kingdom of America and the Kingdom of New Spain would be benefit enough! But this matter can't be pushed through by us alone — we need Louis XIV to push it along with us."

"But how do we persuade Louis XIV?"

Jia Bushi shook his head. "The key isn't Louis XIV — it's Hortense herself! If she agrees, she can persuade Louis XIV on her own."

"As for Charles II's side, I'll go talk to him!"

Li Shaoyou shot a glance at Jia Bushi. "Shopkeeper Jia can actually get a word in with Charles II?"

"Of course!" Jia Bushi smiled. "He's invested quite a lot of money in my Jiale Market Bank!"

Charles II had actually put money into Jia Bushi's venture... In that case, there was no reason not to meet with him.

The place where Charles II and Jia Bushi met was in Calais, France, where Jia Bushi's Jiale Market Bank had a branch office and a dock.

According to the agreement Charles II had reached with the French, he and his English Royalist party would pass through French territory, then wait in Brittany for ships provided by France to take them to the Florida peninsula in the New World.

After a period of rest and refitting in Don Juan José's territory, they would march north to attack the ten English colonies on the east coast.

Charles II, who was about to become King of America, was of course also considering his own life's great matter — he had a pile of mistresses and a crowd of children, but all of them were illegitimate. As a king, he had to have a formal marriage and legitimate heirs born in wedlock!

Otherwise his throne would have to pass to his younger brother James and James's descendants...

And a wife for the King of America was not easy to find. She had to be a proper, bona fide noblewoman, and she had to be Catholic — but not too fanatically so... Those Spanish noblewomen were simply unbearable!

Moreover, the future Queen of America had to be wealthy enough to cover her husband's deficits with her own money. At the same time, she needed backing and connections — but that backing and those connections could not be too powerful, or else he, a King of America, might well end up a puppet.

And Hortense Mancini was suitable in every respect. The only thing that gave one pause was her relationship with the Celestial Empire.

Even the matchmaker was Jia Bushi, a great merchant from the Ming dynasty!

"Your Majesty," Jia Bushi said, his face wreathed in smiles, speaking fluent French, "your marriage to Countess Mancini is not only a union between you and France, but also a union between you and the United States of New Continent. To a certain extent, it can also connect you with the Son of Heaven of the Great Ming! Countess Mancini's elder sister is, after all, the Son of Heaven's royal mistress... I trust you would not refuse the friendship of the Great Ming Empire, the United States of New Continent, and the Kingdom of Jiaqing?"