My British Empire

"Damn the Englishman, dare to rob my treasure ship!"

Philip II has been on the throne for a long time, his authority has become more and more important, and his words and deeds have more and more influence on others.

For example, when he heard that England rejected Spain's request at this time, His Majesty the King frowned and snorted coldly.

The maids serving beside him immediately bowed their heads and bowed their heads, cautious in their words and deeds, their heads buried in their own broad stalwarts, not daring to pull them out easily.

Because the matter was so important, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance rushed over to help the king.

"Your Majesty, with all due respect, the strength of the English navy has been on the rise over the past few years, and new ships are launched every month. Today's strength is already comparable to that of the Portuguese!"

When the Prime Minister heard the words, he bent down slightly, and immediately echoed, and in the blink of an eye, he revealed the strength of the United Kingdom.

"Can it be compared to our navy?" Philip II smiled, his face slightly dignified. Although he knew that the strength of the British was getting stronger day by day, it was difficult to understand the specifics.

"This, I can't!" Your Excellency the Prime Minister was choked by the king's words. He felt a little inexplicable, but he still said truthfully:

"No, Your Majesty! However, the navy has reached half of our level! It deserves our high vigilance!"

Facing His Majesty the King's dignified face, the Prime Minister said solemnly, expressing deep vigilance against the rise of England in his words.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" the Chancellor of the Exchequer continued after the Prime Minister had spoken: "The English have intervened in the slave trade and made a lot of profits. And most importantly, we found that the Dutch have, in recent months, Possess a large number of muskets and other weapons!"

"We have imposed a ban on the Netherlands, and the German princes will definitely not be able to send weapons. At present, the biggest possibility is England!"

"Is what you said true?" Hearing this, Philip II couldn't believe it. Did that conservative Englishman do it? It was beyond his expectation.

More importantly, England dared to support the Dutch rebels, which was no less than challenging the majesty of the Habsburg family!

"The English are getting bolder!" Philip II sneered when he thought of the information he had ignored before.

"Edward VI! A fight seems inevitable between us!"

Commercial interests and political provocations made Philip II furious!

"Go, my lord, go and tell the English that, in view of their bad attitude, there is no need for an alliance between Spain and England!"

Your Excellency the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer glanced at each other, and then they agreed in unison with joy.

In this era, nobles are merchants, but merchants are not nobles. Among the huge interests, the nobles are the ones who benefit the most.

The rise of capitalists may have to wait until the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

The prosperity of England's business has caused an unknown number of pink eyes.

And at this time, London, Whitehall Palace.

In the haze of misty rain, His Majesty the King met two famous figures in history: John Hawkins and Francis Drake.

After a set of etiquette went down, Edward really had a conversation with them.

The content of the conversation was nothing more than the pirate career and ocean-going career of the two of them.

Knowing that both of them had private plunder licenses, His Majesty the King was even more satisfied, and his interest became even higher.

Although the privateer license allowed the robbery to be legal, it required half of the income to be paid to the royal family. Although most pirates would tacitly conceal most of the income, the remaining income turned over was still surprising.

As far as Edward knew, the issuance of the privateer license had brought £50,000 in income to the royal family in the past half a year. Given time, the future could be expected.

Then, talking about John Hawkins, His Majesty the King expressed his approval for his courage to break the slave monopoly of Spanish merchants.

It is precisely because of his bravery that he brought a lot of benefits to the English, created a lot of jobs, and made outstanding contributions to the construction of the kingdom.

In the end, it is natural to say that Drake found Magellan's route and found a new strait.

"Your Majesty, this strait is so wide that you can't see its edge. The waves are choppy and the wind is raging. Small boats can't pass through it! It's easy to fall apart!"

"Besides, there are constant icebergs, huge waves, and thunderstorms. One of my ships sank with a crew of 100. I walked hundreds of miles and dared not move on!"

When it came to the end, Drake couldn't help but feel a little frustrated and lost, but obviously he knew where it was, and immediately adjusted his mood.

"Has the chart been drawn successfully?" Edward asked quickly.

"All the mapping has been completed, including the newly discovered Barton Strait!"

Hearing that the route had been drawn, His Majesty the King breathed a sigh of relief.

However, when he heard Barton Strait. Don't be so awkward.

"Barton Strait? This name is not very good!" His Majesty the King shook his head and said softly. When the two heard this, they nodded immediately, saying that His Majesty was right, and asked His Majesty to rename it.

"Since it was discovered by you, Drake, let's call it the Drake Strait!" His Majesty the King stood up, pretended to think about it, and then said.

"However, this chart must be kept in a safe place, and no one else, including the English businessman, should know about it!" Turning his head, His Majesty the King said in a deep voice.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The two looked at each other, their faces darkened, and they agreed.

"Francis Drake, originally you robbed the Spanish treasure ship and committed a great crime, but you discovered the Drake Passage and made great contributions to the Kingdom in discovering a route to the east!"

Seeing the eager expressions of the two, Edward continued:

"So, I will confer you a lifelong knight and give you a thousand acres of land as a fief!"

"As for you, Mr. John Hawkins, thanks to your contribution to the kingdom's business, I think the House of Commons should need a talent like you!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty! It is our honor to serve you!" The two suppressed their excitement and bent down to salute.

After seeing the two off, His Majesty the King returned to his study in a good mood. When he was about to deal with some government affairs, the Foreign Minister and the Prime Minister suddenly asked for an audience.

"Your Majesty, the Spanish ambassador sent a letter of credence announcing that the treaty of alliance will be invalid immediately! He also warned us not to send weapons to the Netherlands!"

The Foreign Minister said out of breath, his face full of anxiety, while the Prime Minister was a little nervous, quietly waiting for His Majesty's reaction.

"In this case, we can only agree!"