Mary Su Stuart

There are many reasons for being an enemy of Spain.First of all, a common enemy is conducive to the internal unity of the "British-French Alliance"-Habsburg is very suitable to be this enemy.However, this double-headed eagle has a deep foundation and great power, and the afterglow of its hegemony still shines on Europe; its Spanish department is still in the rising period of the "empire on which the sun never sets", absolutely, absolutely not to be underestimated.

How should we treat this enemy with caution?Breaking up the Cato-Cambrezzi Peace Treaty will not be easy.France, which rose in the seventeenth century, rolled up its sleeves and fought against the Habsburgs for 30 years in continental Europe.Although he has made a name for himself and occupied Lorraine's land, his own vitality has been seriously injured, and his finances are on the verge of collapse.As a result, the little king Louis XIV almost failed to secure the throne, and was once driven out of Paris by the Fronde.

Ahem, even Cardinal Richelieu's evaluation of his country is: "France is not suitable for war. The French are anticlimactic. They seem enthusiastic and brave at the beginning, but they lack patience and calmness at critical moments. In the end, they lose interest and become less interested. Women are weaker".

As for the British Isle - the long War of the Roses before the establishment of the Tudor Dynasty had caused a sharp decline in the nobility of England, and the civilian population suffered heavy casualties. , It also made the locals quite war-weary.

Therefore, after thinking about it, Marie concluded that it would be better to use the "Cold War" strategy to create a small-scale battlefield outside the mainland and strive to accelerate the collapse of Spain.

Sound familiar, ruthless and evil?No, between countries, there are no eternal friends, only eternal interests.

This decision is first and foremost based on economic considerations.

Well, the Valois royal family used to be heavily in debt, and the arrears are simply astronomical in this era (compared with the small deficits of England and Scotland).I really don't know how the former kings Francois I and Henry II could sleep at the beginning?

Although in recent years, France has worked hard to develop its industry and discovered many economic growth points, which has greatly improved its finances and gradually filled its treasury; but wars have almost always been a bottomless pit of burning money.

Still have to spend money efficiently.

Industry and agriculture are the foundation of a country.Even though the current manufacturing and sales of luxury goods have made the monarch gradually more financially affluent; but there are still many products with "money and scenery" that are in urgent need of a large amount of initial investment——

So is the silver mirror industry and the accompanying glass manufacturing.Mary, who hopes to improve the appearance of the flush toilet and further optimize the toilet experience, has recently focused on the ceramics industry: Limousin, which only produced enamel in 1574, is in need of a lot of money to improve product quality; a Protestant recommended by a minister, Barley Limoges’ soil is quite potential, and it can be developed into a porcelain capital in advance...

Oh, there are still many public facilities, road traffic, cultural, educational, medical and health services waiting to be fed... and then consider the impact on homeland security and social stability... The conflict with Spain is best resolved outside the mainland.

The "Spanish" Netherlands is one of the best battlefields.

Supporting the rebels in the Netherlands (or the people's uprising; the rebels) can drag down Spain, affect its tax revenue, and weaken its strength.Therefore, after the Valois court "pardoned" Collini's previous "disloyalty and disrespect"; He funded his private soldiers to fight, and also acquiesced to the new generation of Prince Kong Dai, who followed him to avenge his father.

This capricious performance also appeared in England.Under the suggestion of Mary pretending to be deaf and dumb and some members of the Privy Council, Robert Dudley, the former royal husband and Duke of Clarence, who enjoyed a high annuity, once again recruited soldiers in "personal name"; he even set foot on the land of the Netherlands , looking forward to making contributions.However, the reality is cruel. This brave knight who participated in the Battle of Saint-Quentin many years ago died in his own camp due to an accidental wound infection.

Publicly, the British and French governments refused to admit that they had interfered with the Netherlands on land—even though Spain knew it.And on the ocean, they also pretended to distance themselves from those privateers departing from Britain.

How hypocritical.

Just like the original history, England's "Royal Pirates" were elusive, sometimes plundering Spain, and sometimes returning home to recuperate.Hawkins and Drake robbed the Spanish merchant fleet of silver bullion off the coast of Panama, then ran back home to escape the limelight.The English government accepted the distribution of spoils, helped them hide, and even sent regular navy to learn their techniques and tactics.

These pirates, who are valued by the country, will also wait for the opportunity to harass the Netherlands.If the opponent was not that Don Juan, they might not only circle around the sea, but also directly invade several cities.

However, Spain has only one Don Juan.

When this young famous general was sent by his half-brother Philip II to take over the Netherlands, he was quite unhappy.He has been recognized as the Prince of Austria, and he still lacks an ideal fief, but the Netherlands can only provide the position of governor.He likes to crush the heretics quickly, and doesn't like to set up a fort against the educated lowland people.He was not satisfied with the results of the Battle of Lepanto, and he had been looking forward to returning to the Mediterranean to fight against the Ottomans again. 【Note [-]】

Compared with his predecessor, the Duke of Alva and his son, Don Juan is not doing badly now, and his reputation is better.But he himself, tired of this life of "suppressing bandits", wrote letters to his half-brother from time to time to express his inner dissatisfaction.

Philip II also felt bored.Faced with the blunt knives of Britain and France, the patience of the Spanish government gradually wore away; but from top to bottom, no one with a brain dared to clamor for war.After all, the current Anglo-French alliance appears unbreakable because of the marriage relationship; even Philip II, who does not cherish superficial peace in his bones, cannot hesitate without being cautious.

As a result, Spain "reciprocated courtesy" and promoted unrest in Ireland to disgust its opponents.

But their opponents are really cunning and insidious, and they even try to preemptively occupy the commanding heights of public opinion.The latest issue of "Lianhe Weekly" has used double standards with great proficiency.

"We heard that a foreign force is secretly aiding the Irish rebels. As we all know, this is against international law."

"Some people may say that this is obviously revenge - after all, the nobles of our country, because of their personal friendship and goodwill, have also helped the people of the Netherlands and made a passionate voice."

"But I would like to ask you people of insight to carefully discern how big the difference is."

"Contrary to the uncivilized and easy-to-provoke aborigines in Ireland, most of the lowlanders are civilized. They used to be rich and free, loyal and pious; now, because of the injustice of the local government, they are impoverished in their beliefs and are Overtaxed to the brink of bankruptcy, had to file a vigorous appeal..."

"And the aborigines in Ireland obviously enjoy the most lenient religious treatment - the kingdom has never even forced them to completely abandon those primitive worship customs; they have received a lot of cultural guidance - the kingdom has always encouraged them to work in British cities and even enter universities; Less production and material assistance - the kingdom is leading them to reclaim farmland and grow high-quality crops, and they have not even taxed them; they, however, believe in the instigation of some people with ulterior motives, are ungrateful, and create violent conflicts..."

"Ah, even now, we still hope that the Irish will open their eyes and finally understand the painstaking efforts of the kingdom. Of course, we will be cautious and patient until we guide them back to the right path."

"As for the neighboring Netherlands, we deeply regret the upheavals. We sincerely hope that the people of different faiths will be pardoned as soon as possible, the poor and destitute will be restored to dignity as soon as possible; harmony and tranquility will be returned to this vibrant land as soon as possible .”

"May the Governor of the Netherlands listen more attentively to the voices of the local people and build a bright future together with the civilized people."

"Our government will, as always, respect the Spanish king's sovereignty over the lowlands. We also ask relatives and friends of the Netherlands in France or the UK, while closely monitoring the situation, try to restrain their emotions and find a suitable way of expression..."

In the study of the Louvre, Mary listened to Miss Beeton read the long passage above to her; she looked at Lobitard sitting opposite, and sighed deeply.

Well, Mary regretted that she didn't pay much attention to current affairs and politics before time travel, and didn't learn the essence of official editorials.Although this article was co-authored by the justice and several "senior" editors, and she herself had carefully reviewed it beforehand, after it was actually published, she always felt that the wording was not perfect.

But Lobitard, who has been involved in the newspaper industry for a short time, can't quite understand the queen's regret. "Your Majesty, the new issue of "United Weekly" has received a lot of praise in Paris."

Mary couldn't bear to interrupt the old man's good feelings.In fact, he has tried his best, and she herself can't provide more help.In this era, journalism has not yet started, so at this level, it can probably last for a while...

Then slowly search and cultivate talents.

So Mary twitched the corners of her mouth, and only wrote lightly:

"Being recognized in China is a good start. I hope they can still have a positive influence internationally."

Then she waved her hand and simply changed the subject. "Ireland and the Netherlands, let professional military personnel take charge of it for the time being. We should consider the stability of the rear and financial health. Well, the Duke of Langeville said last time since the promulgation of the "Fontainbleau Pardon", The situation of the Protestants has improved, and the contradictions have eased. I think it is time to rectify the domestic Catholic organizations.”

"Ah," Lobitard looked surprised, "this..."

Mary could almost see the unspoken words on the justice's face—you want religious reform again?The queen is really capable of tossing around, and it didn't take long for her to stop.

"Sooner or later you have to take that step," she smiled. "Even if it's not now, we can still use newspapers to help people establish the concept of a secular kingdom and lay the groundwork for the future."

Lobitar nodded, and he seemed to understand a little bit - the soldiers and horses did not move, and the food and grass went first.No, it is before the reform, more blows.

At this moment, the high-spirited Mary regained her seriousness.The religious reform involves a lot, but in a kingdom like France with riotous soil, it must be very, very cautious.

More than ten years ago, she carried out reforms in Scotland. Since the country was small and remote, and was supported by her in-laws, France, the Holy See turned a blind eye to her actions of seizing her own power and suppressing religious authority. .On the other side of England, several generations of Tudor monarchs have laid the foundation, and it is not difficult for her to enjoy the success.Now, since she intends to free France from the shackles of religious thought as soon as possible, as Richelieu did 60 years later when she placed secular kingship over religious pretexts, she must be prepared for repeated setbacks.

Still, secular reforms are far from rootless.Not to mention the "relatively peaceful" evolution of the British Isles before; the later cardinal also led France out of the way; let alone the contemporary era, just around the Papal States, there are also objects for reference.

"Venice is a great example."

Mary said with emotion: "His Majesty the King and I talked about his trip to Rome more than ten years ago. Sometimes I regret that he never arrived in Venice to see with his own eyes the republic without a monarch and see those who are absolutely loyal to the Catholic Church." , but independent of the government and judicial system of the Holy See."

Italy in the Age of Discovery is generally believed to have begun to decline due to the shift in the focus of commerce and trade. "Art has fallen from the peak of Raphael and Michelangelo, and political thought has lost the depth and courage of Machiavelli." [Note [-]] After Copernicus died, Bruno Galileo and others will also suffer persecution.However, the ancestors are so brilliant, as long as you turn over a little bit, you can find bright pearls.

"The secularization of Venice is very stable. Catholic priests have to pay taxes and obey domestic laws. Without permission, it is forbidden to build shrines, monasteries, or transfer land to the Roman Church." Mary said enviously. "In this way, they also get along well with the Holy See."

"Compared to the misbehavior of individual monks; the church's occupation of land, privileges and tax exemptions, and abuse of judicial power... are the root causes that must be corrected. The Kingdom should help them establish a suitable system to legally restrict, control, and eliminate these ills."

The word "law" particularly favors Lobitard.So the excited judge said loudly: "Your Majesty, your extraordinary foresight is truly a blessing to the Kingdom of France."

Marie, who was used to hearing compliments, couldn't help being delighted by Lobitard's praise.However, she still has reason, and she emphasized: "For the time being, just focus on the study of land issues. The current national finances are still sustainable, and the discussion of tax-free privileges is put aside; the judiciary is also temporarily avoided... Always pay close attention to the Holy See. The reaction over there, after all, the order of succession of the royal family in the future may still need their support."

The author has something to say: Venice, since primary school, thought it was just a tourist city.It was only later that I found out that my ancestors were dazzling and brilliant.

[Note 7] [Note [-]] Quoted from "The Story of Civilization [-]"