Mary Su Stuart

1568 was an unprecedentedly bad year for King Philip II of Spain.

The first was the death of his eldest son.Don Carlos died at his residence, the Alcazar of Madrid, after years of mental disorders.The 23-year-old crown prince, although not liked by his father, is his only son after all; Philip II was really troubled by this for a while.

Then came a more serious blow.His beloved wife, Princess Elisabeth of France, suffered a rapid decline in health after hearing the news of her stepson's murder, causing her fourth pregnancy to end with an unviable male fetus.And Elizabeth's vitality was also exhausted, and she passed away in the early morning of the second day at the age of 23.

Family affairs are so unfortunate, and state affairs are not much better.Because of the decree promulgated in 1567, the residents of the territory are prohibited from using Arabic or keeping Arabic books; the Moors in southern Spain and Granada (they are all Muslim;;;;;; Lin) have finally risen up recently.

The flames of war ignited by the "foreign race" kept the king busy for quite a while.But that's not the only thing that upset the king.This year, another large-scale war broke out in the Netherlands.Probably because the Duke of Alva's suppression was too bloody, or because he levied too many new taxes, the fighting situation suddenly intensified compared to last year.Unexpectedly, the military salary borrowed from the Genoese banker encountered an English privateer (pirate) ship, which made the Governor of the Netherlands more and more stretched.

As for the privateer ship that returned home with a large amount of gold and silver, the Privy Council of England had a rather intense discussion.

"This is the compensation from Spain!" the Duke of Clarence talked loudly. "A few days ago, Captain Hawkins was attacked in the Gulf of Mexico and went through hardships before returning to his motherland; their fleet was in disarray, and even the government's investment was lost...Now our ships have returned to gold, which is It is compensation!" [Note [-]]

The Duke of Norfolk disagreed. "At this stage, openly robbing Spanish military salaries may directly lead to strong revenge from them. Don't forget that the threat to Plymouth six years ago happened in England itself!"

Of course, there is another point of view. The Duke of Norfolk was concerned about the "heretics" in the Privy Council, so he didn't say it: Spain raised military expenditures to suppress Protestants; out of belief, he and the regent should at least "support" One or two, it is even more inappropriate to grab other people's salaries.

The Earl of Pembroke chimed in: "Spain should not be underestimated. England's current strength should not annoy opponents and confront them head-on."

Bacon, the Keeper of the Seals, frowned, his tone full of uncertainty. "In the process of maritime trade between the two countries, some friction is always inevitable. This time, it can barely be regarded as a civil dispute...we will mediate..."

Dudley answered confidently: "Spain is mired in the civil war in the Netherlands, and may not have the strength to care about it. I think it is time to strike while the iron is hot and continue to consume our opponents until we have avenged our shame. And, those captains, Like Hawkins and Drake, didn’t they both swear revenge? More privateer licenses should be issued..."

Cecil was a little troubled.He looked at Mary and said, "What does the Regent think?"

The Minister of State was quite hesitant.Regardless of the consideration of interests or national sentiments, he hopes not to waste this opportunity to retaliate against Spain.After all, because of the regent, Spain is afraid of France, and it is unlikely to rashly attack the mainland again.

Because of this, her attitude will be very important.

Mary sighed. "The relationship with Spain needs to be considered in the long term. We are competitors with them in maritime trade; in the future, we may also adopt aggressive means of war. However, there is still a gap between the English navy at the moment. Then, the best way is to continue private plundering , to attack their forces and supplement our strength at the same time.”

This is what Elizabeth I did in history: taking advantage of her undecided marriage, changing ways to win over allies in Europe, and delaying the confrontation with Spain; .She finally withstood the large-scale attack of the "Invincible Fleet", became famous all over the world, became a national prestige, and survived the complete decline of Spain, and could no longer compete with England for the sea.

From Dudley's attitude, it can be seen that Elizabeth in this time and space probably follows the same idea.

Today, England and France are "natural alliances"; there is a high probability that Philip II will not want to go to war with them than in real history.Weakening Spain by private plunder seemed safe.

However, Mary is only the regent of England at the moment, and she still needs to beware of her husband, the Duke of Clarence, seizing power.Elizabeth may not be completely assured of her husband, but as long as she deals with the Queen of Scots, she will try her best to help him.Even if Mary is 99 points sure, she must handle it carefully to avoid any unexpected risks.

Mary pondered: "In short, Hawkins and the others should be allowed to use special methods to recover the losses. This is to achieve the greatest results at the least cost. However, it must be as secretive as possible to avoid angering Spain. After all, England urgently needs time to grow.”

"As for the batch that has been known to them and was brought back to the country recently, they will stay as compensation - the captains are eager for the government's encouragement, and they will continue to invest in capital. Philip II must be cautious in diplomacy Work around and coordinate with France when necessary..."【Note [-]】

Mary winked at the Duke of Norfolk. "Spain is an opponent that England desperately needs to catch up. The resistance of the Dutch people has benefited us a lot. So, consider helping a group of locals."

When the Duke of Norfolk hesitated, Cecil was the first to understand: "Yes, we withhold Duke Alva's military salary as a sign of support. We can also find the right time to provide some assistance secretly."

Mary smiled and nodded.

Here, Mary, like Elizabeth in history, has no intention of helping the people of the Netherlands.Although she really wanted to drag Spain down, as a Catholic, it seemed even more unreasonable for her to do this kind of thing-don't say that Francois I dared to form a gang with Ottoman Turkey; he was the only king of knights, at least France The territory has always been tidied up.As a female monarch, Mary has not yet gained a firm foothold in England, so she must be extra cautious in her reputation.

Not to mention military aid in particular.War is considered a continuation of economic means.To start or intervene in war is by no means a simple decision.Not to mention that Mary was born in a peaceful age and was quite war-weary.In naval confrontation, you can also consider competing for trade shares or something; in wars on land, looting and damage are often greater than benefits—unless it is a complete occupation and a long-term rule.Oh, the question is, the Netherlands clearly "has the master" at the moment; did this carelessness offend Spain severely?

Actually, Mary thought, the Lowlands are a really nice place.The people there are super good at doing business, have a very high reputation, and have a free spirit that is highly praised by later generations.Their mercantilism contains huge economic energy. If it can be incorporated into their own territory, it will be extremely beautiful-although the Protestants in the United Provinces (Netherlands, etc.) in the north are dominant, and the Catholics in Flanders and other places (now Belgium) in the south Quite a few, you can still "co-produce" with her.

However, considering the strength of the spirit of freedom in this land (80 years of resistance to Spain, and finally the establishment of a republic), rash intervention may not really win people's hearts.Moreover, from another point of view, their business and navigation industries are developed, and they will also compete with England for the cake in the future, so they have to guard against it.

With the help of meaning, just gain some popularity.She has many improvement plans inside and out, and wants to invest everywhere, and she is "short of money".At present, Spain's power in the lowlands is still deeply rooted, and its troops are strong and its horses are strong.When they both lose, she will try to mediate...

Think long term, think long term.

On the other side of the English Channel, in the Valois court, there was also a big discussion on how to deal with the Dutch uprising.

As the new king who has been in power for more than a year, Francois is extremely resistant to war.His sister Elizabeth passed away, and he and his mother were somewhat sad; but the nieces were really young (one was two years old and the other was one year old), and the warmth between Valois and the Spanish Habsburgs also faded.As an aspiring king of France, Francois' mood became a little subtle as he watched the situation change.

In the court, although the Cardinal of Lorraine gloated at Spain, he was unwilling to do any favors to the Protestant rebels in the Netherlands, and only suggested watching the fire from the other side.Both Lobitard and Montmorency believed pragmatically that even if the national treasury gradually became abundant, the finances would not be able to withstand the toss, and border peace would be more profitable than foreign wars.

Francois naturally agreed with the well-founded suggestions of these important ministers, especially the latter two.

However, Coligny, Montmorency's nephew, disagreed.

At the beginning of this year, the commander-in-chief of the royal family tried to save face and got him back the post of governor of the Picardy region.In exchange, the appointment of more cities or fortresses was authorized by His Majesty the King, leaving aside the personnel authority of the royal commander, and arranged by the Guise family to a group of people they trusted.As a result, Colini even aroused the idea of ​​"strive hard", hoping to do something worthwhile——

For example, in the name of border disputes, decisively intervened in the Dutch battlefield.

Coligny was eloquent, impassioned, and full of momentum: "... doing this is for the future of France. The Netherlands is a rich cow, and Philip II has already asked too much from it. If we help The people there will hopefully be rewarded generously!"

The 15-year-old Duke of Vendôme gazed at Coligny, as if overwhelmed by his charm.Then, following Coligny's line of sight, he looked at Henry, Duke of Guise, who was three years older than him—the guy had a stinky face, as if he was quite disdainful of the former admiral's remarks.Thinking of how insulting the Guise family had been to the Bourbon family, the young Henri de Bourbon suddenly had an impulse to "look at you coward, I want to fight".

However, before the Duke of Vendôme could speak, his younger brother, Charles, the Duke of Orleans, coughed twice. "I understand and respect your ambition, Coligny. But this concerns the position of the Kingdom of France, and only His Majesty can make the final decision."

Oh, thought the Duke of Vendôme, the Duke of Orléans, although he seemed weaker than his brother, always made a very firm appearance, and always expressed his support for his decisions, as if he were extremely loyal.With Francois II married for many years and childless, Charles is actually the number one heir to the French throne, and his attitude should not be underestimated.

However, the second heir of the kingdom, the Duke of Anjou, another Henry who is two years older than him and has the same name as him, seemed completely indifferent in the meeting-he also talked with the 13-year-old minor who was chartered to listen from time to time. Hercule, Duke of Alençon whispered.I really don't know what to say.Considering that the Duke of Orleans is not very strong and has no son; these two winking eyes may really have a chance to wear the supreme crown.

The Duke of Vendôme glanced at the only woman present, the Queen Mother Catherine in black, and felt a little pressure.This Italian woman is keeping a close eye on him. If she refuses to take the oath from Rome, the court probably won't let her go back to the fief of Vendôme or Navarre...

"Hey," the queen mother said, "intervention in the civil strife in the Netherlands is actually not pleasing to both sides. Spain certainly doesn't like our meddling, and those Protestant mobs may not be grateful. Your Majesty is willing to accept the opinions of his subordinates. From the perspective of the national economy Considering gains and losses is indeed a blessing for France."

Inside and outside the words, it also supports Francois' original plan: to maintain peace, stand still, and wait and see.

Coligny rolled his eyes. "Oh, how I wish that the heroic former king is still sitting here; I only wish to follow him wholeheartedly and make contributions to the great France! It is a pity that the former Duke of Guise, who was good at war, passed away early; and the equally brave Prince Condé— —”

He paused, and said, "But he was pushed out of this palace by some people."

Hearing this, the Duke of Nemours, the Cardinal of Bourbon and others sighed in their own way.The Duke of Vendôme, who admired his uncle Condé, made a silent note in his heart.

Montmorency gave his nephew a wink, signaling him to stop clamoring, and then smoothed things over: "In any case, His Majesty has made the safest decision, and the discussion should be enough. But, uh, Prince Condé was not able to attend this time. The meeting is indeed a pity. After all, among the royal family, he is the most outstanding person..."

Collini's fist was secretly clenched and then loosened.He took a few deep breaths, and finally he could calmly plead with the king: "Your Majesty, I obey your decision, which is the code of conduct for my subjects. I also believe that you are a magnanimous monarch. Prince Kong Dai has been treated coldly. After staying for a long time, he also reflected at home. Summoning him at the right time will make it easier for him to be loyal to you and the country..."

Francois frowned and looked at Coligny.He was almost starting to regret the political deal that brought the former admiral back to the court—although he had expected it, it was still very nerve-wracking for Coligny to actually jump up and down in front of him.And Condé—he would never forget how the two of them spread rumors about the queen.

Francois felt ruthless in his heart, he said coldly:

"Very good. If Prince Condé himself is willing to return to this court, I will not object. However, he must always keep in mind who is the master of France."

The author has something to say: For the safety of the French border, one day, the Netherlands will still have to be captured...

During World War II, the famous Maginot Line was broken through by the German troops from the Netherlands and Belgium.

In fact, after World War I, France thought about building the Maginot Line across the border, but the Netherlands and Belgium refused to cooperate with it.

[Note 1568] [Note 7] The various encounters between Philip and Spain in [-], refer to Du Niang Encyclopedia and "Story of Civilization [-]"