Chapter 1560: The New Master of the Seas

As Louis XIV looked upon the son of Marie Mancini, the first love of his youth, he could not help recalling his own youthful days — truly an indescribable rush of emotion!

The boy king who had once been trapped in the Château de Saint-Germain by the Fronde of the stone-throwers, almost utterly without support, had now at last grown into the great emperor who would revive Rome.

And what this great emperor regretted most was, perhaps, having given up Marie Mancini and chosen Maria Theresa of Spain instead — what a colossal mistake that had been!

Had it not been for that mistake, the emperor's heir would not be that lazy, foolish, dull, and utterly disappointing Louis, but might perhaps be like this Henri before him — tall, handsome, and clever! At the very least he should have been like that very short but extremely intelligent François-Eugène...

Whether Henri or Eugène, either would be fully capable of succeeding to the Roman Empire that Louis had founded, but the lazy, foolish, dull Crown Prince Louis truly gave one no peace of mind!

What troubled Louis even more was that he had long ago arranged a political marriage for Crown Prince Louis — when the prince was only seven, he had been betrothed to Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria... She was said to be an ugly girl, and not in the best of health, and probably not very clever either.

Had he known he would become Roman Emperor, he should have followed the Ming dynasty's method and selected for little Louis, by examination, a crown princess from among the Mancini sisters!

If the crown prince is a little dull, he can still be ruled through a clever crown princess...

At these vexing thoughts, Louis XIV could only sigh softly and turn his thoughts back: "Henri, Hugo told me that you spent a great sum of money to purchase the office of Archduke of Austria from the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire?"

Zhu Henri answered with a smile: "Your Majesty, your foreign minister was not entirely correct... I purchased the office of Archduke of Austria from the Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire."

"The Eastern Roman Emperor?" Louis XIV frowned, appearing somewhat displeased. "That is utterly absurd... I will never recognize the Ottoman Empire as Eastern Rome!"

Zhu Henri smiled and said: "Your Majesty, the Sultan's rule over Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, Serbia, Transylvania, Moldavia, Bulgaria, and other lands in the name of the Eastern Roman Emperor does not require your recognition."

"But I will ultimately recover those regions!" Louis said. "The Roman Empire will ultimately recover all its lost territories, and no one can stop us!"

Zhu Henri nodded with a smile and said: "I believe you... but that is a matter for far in the future! Until then, Austria ought to have an archduke, ought it not?"

"Is this your father's idea?" Louis XIV asked.

"How could it be?" Zhu Henri shook his head. "He never imagined the Ottomans would actually occupy Vienna... it truly is astonishing!"

Louis XIV asked again: "So then, you acted on your own authority?"

"It is a good bargain!" Zhu Henri sighed. "Your mother was my imperial father's mistress... so I am a bastard son, and cannot receive a fief like the King of the United States. So I must find my own way, and purchasing the Archduchy of Austria is a fine opportunity. Besides, I do not even have to pay those three million pesos myself."

"Is that so? Who is paying for you?" Louis asked curiously.

"Aurangzeb," Zhu Henri said with a smile. "He will pay!"

"What benefit is there in this for him?" Louis XIV was somewhat puzzled. "Does he intend to turn Austria into an Indian colony?"

"Of course not," Zhu Henri shook his head and laughed. "He only wants India... all of India!"

"What does that have to do with Austria?" Louis XIV still did not understand.

"German mercenaries!" Zhu Henri said. "They are the finest mercenaries in the whole world... If two or three thousand cavalry, artillerymen, engineers, and officers from Germany were serving in Aurangzeb's army, then who could stop the Timurid dynasty from unifying India?"

"That truly is a fine bargain!" Louis XIV said, then frowned and looked seriously at Zhu Henri. "Why are you people so strenuously helping Aurangzeb?"

"Because my imperial father believes that this world must have a share for the people of India!" Zhu Henri explained. "No one can, for any length of time, turn India — with its vast territory and enormous population — into their own vassal state or colony.

Therefore he is willing to make the Great Ming Empire and the Timurid Empire of India firm and lasting allies!

And he also hopes that France — ah, now the Roman Empire — he hopes that you will adopt the same India policy."

Zhu Cilang's India policy had always been very "progressive" — he did not wish to colonize India, only to conduct large-scale and fair trade with it!

For in his view, India had so many people, and the land was not all that large, and there did not seem to be anywhere to colonize anyway.

Moreover, he opposed Li Jicheng's policy of plundering India — that was killing the goose that lays the golden eggs!

India is a very large market, and its own output is also considerable. If trade with India could be fully developed, it might even surpass the trade with Central Europe.

As the seedlings of capitalism in the Ming homeland grew ever sturdier, the Indian market would become more and more important in the future.

Therefore any attempt to "monopolize" or destroy the Indian market was something Zhu Cilang could not tolerate.

And Zhu Cilang also knew India's nature — without "enthusiastic" Western colonizers, India would never coalesce at all. Aurangzeb's efforts would ultimately be wasted effort.

"I understand!" Louis XIV nodded. "Neither Rome nor the Great Ming may conquer India!"

He knew that Zhu Henri was discussing with him the question of dividing up the world!

India was not on the list for division — considering the relationship between Zhu Cilang and Aurangzeb, "not dividing" was clearly to the Great Ming's advantage.

"Agreed," Zhu Henri said. "At the same time, in times of peace, neither side may damage or detain ships sailing to the Indian coast for trade!"

"That can be considered... What then of peace in the Americas?" Louis XIV asked. "Your people have already invaded the territory of New France!"

"That is no longer the territory of New France!" Zhu Henri said with a smile. "War has changed its ownership, and if I may be blunt, your population in New France is too small to sustain such an enormous colony for long.

Moreover, the confederation of Indian tribes there does not recognize French suzerainty."

New France was in fact nothing but map-drawn territory — it was not nearly that large. How much land could a little over ten thousand people actually hold?

Zhu Lundun, who had remained silent until now, interjected: "Your Majesty, our court's proposal is to delineate the core territories of the United States of the New Continent and New France, with neither side infringing upon the other's core territory."

The meaning of this was that contention outside the core territories would continue!

"How large would the core territories be?" Louis XIV asked.

"The specifics can be discussed slowly," Zhu Henri said, "but we should adhere to the principle of reciprocity — the core territories of the United States of the New Continent and New France should be equal in size."

This was to establish the principle of dividing the lands of the Americas so that the United States of the New Continent and New France would be of equal size!

Louis XIV raised no objection — after all, his New France had too few people... only a few tenths of the population of the United States of the New Continent.

"What of our captured personnel?" Louis XIV asked again.

"They may be ransomed." Zhu Henri smiled. "It will not cost much... let that also proceed slowly!

Today let us first discuss the great questions of principle!"

Louis XIV asked: "Then what other great questions of principle are there today?"

"There is also the question of Russia and Central Asia," Zhu Henri said with a smile, "and of course, the question of my conversion to Catholicism and my assumption of the office of Archduke of Austria."

"Russia is an ally of Rome!" Louis XIV continued, "But France's support for them also has its limits!

As for you... I can agree that Henri de Mancini, a believer in God, may assume the office of Archduke of Austria and temporarily rule the half of Austria occupied by the Ottoman Empire, until the legions of the Roman Empire march there."