My life skills in Daming Liver

Chapter 519 Heretics are more hateful than heretics

"Netherlands" means lowlands (Low Countries). The old Netherlands included an area equivalent to the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and parts of northern France.

The Netherlands is the largest, wealthiest, and most powerful province in the United Provinces of the Netherlands.

In the early Middle Ages, the Netherlands was part of the Frankish Kingdom. After the Frankish Kingdom split, it belonged to the German Emperor and the French King.

In 1516, after the death of King Ferdinand of Spain, his grandson Charles V came to the throne. Charles had already inherited the Netherlands from his father (the son of the Holy Roman Emperor) in 1506, and at this time claimed the land as King of Spain.

From then on the Netherlands became a Spanish possession. That is, after the early 16th century, it came under the rule of the Spanish Habsburg family.

Philip II inherited the Netherlands from his father.

However, since the beginning of Martin Luther's religious reform, it has been increasingly influenced by the Protestant ideological trend. The Netherlands, which borders the German region, the stronghold of Protestantism, has also been increasingly affected by Protestantism.

Philip II and his son were both devout Catholics, and they naturally could not tolerate the Netherlands' conversion to Protestantism.

The "Bloody Edict" issued by King Philip II killed tens of thousands of people in the Netherlands, but it still could not stop the spread of Protestantism in the Netherlands.

After Philip II came to power, he established forty-two Catholic dioceses in the Netherlands, and each set up an inquisition to deal with heresy affairs in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands' financial industry and cotton and woolen textile industry were also very developed. Philip II and his son regarded themselves as guardians of Catholicism and launched many religious wars. Coupled with the Spanish royal family's extravagant spending, Spain's finances went bankrupt several times.

Philip II also increased taxes on the Netherlands, and even shamelessly declared the national debt invalid and no longer paid for the national debt purchased by Dutch financiers.

Such a result naturally caused widespread dissatisfaction in the Netherlands.

A sailing ship docked at the port of Amsterdam. It was a merchant ship flying the Portuguese flag, and a bald-headed Easterner got off the ship.

The Port of Amsterdam is also the most important port in the northern Netherlands, and it is also the grain trading center of northern Europe.

There will also be many foreigners here, and even Ottoman merchant ships.

But oriental faces are still rare, not to mention that this oriental has a bald head.

The owner of this ship is Captain Alfonso. This Portuguese businessman was the first foreigner to trade with the Southeast. He also gave Su Ze a lot of help in the early days of the establishment of the Southeast.

After Southeast became increasingly powerful, Suze once wanted to appoint Captain Alfonso, who was proficient in business, as an official of the Municipal Shipping Department, but was rejected by Captain Alfonso, who loved maritime adventures.

About half a year ago, Captain Alfonso returned to Portugal with the fleet with the goods purchased from the southeast.

These goods made Captain Alfonso a celebrity in Portugal, and his experiences were written into a book, which was widely circulated in Portugal. The Portuguese also learned about the mysterious eastern country from his books.

Even inspired by Captain Alfonso, more Portuguese people chose to go to East Asia, because Captain Alfonso's cargo made him a famous rich man in Portugal. He picked up his son and daughter and prepared to return to the Southeast Enjoy your retirement.

This is a positive story that fits the theme of the Age of Discovery.

The adventurer discovered a route full of gold, sponsored a fallen king, and gained the friendship of a future emperor of the empire.

He returned home laden with wealth and explained to the young people in his hometown the drastic changes that had taken place in the distant country and the excessive profits of the East Asian route.

Such a civilized, advanced and wealthy country has become the dream destination of young Portuguese navigators.

Captain Alfonso became so famous that he was even summoned by the Portuguese royal family.

The current king of Portugal is Sebastian I, who is only six years old.

Originally, the state affairs of Portugal were in the hands of the king's grandmother, Catarina of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty.

But two years ago, Cardinal Enrique, Duke of Vula, seized the regency from the Habsburgs.

Regent Enrique asked Alfonso about the fusion happening in the East, especially the whole process of the Portuguese losing Macau.

After understanding the strength of the East, Regent Enrique wisely wrote to the Portuguese Governor of the East in Goa, asking them to exercise restraint, do good trade with this big Eastern country, and not provoke war without authorization.

Alfonso was also awarded an honorary knighthood by Regent Enrique.

Alfonso was satisfied, but the Buddhist monk who came to Europe with him proposed to visit the Netherlands.

Alfonso was very confused. He introduced the religious policies of Europe to Monk Daguan many times.

Religious conflicts in Europe are very acute, especially in conservative Catholic areas like Spain, where heretics and heretics may be interrogated or even detained by the Inquisition at any time.

Even if Daguan is a messenger from the East, it is still very dangerous to walk on Spanish territory.

In addition, when the fleet sailed to Goa, Alfonso also learned about the Manila War in Southeast Asia in the Southeast Asia region, which means that Southeast Asia and Spain are currently at war.

Although the results of the war in Manila have not yet been reported back to Spain, once Spain is defeated, the optimistic monk with an oriental face will definitely be arrested.

In fact, Portugal is considered a religiously open area in Europe, but even so, Alfonso, who is used to being in the free East, is still not used to it, so he took his daughter and son to the East.

Daguan smiled and dispelled Alfonso's doubts. Captain Alfonso could only reluctantly take some southeastern goods and start sailing towards the Netherlands.

Looking at the depressed Amsterdam Port, Captain Alfonso was also a little confused.

When he was young, he once ran a route to the Netherlands. At that time, Amsterdam was the most prosperous port in the North Sea, full of berthed merchant ships.

But now the port is bleak and bleak, not even as vibrant as the ports he called at in South Asia.

"Master Daguan, why did you come to the Netherlands?" Captain Alfonso asked the question he had always had.

Daguan clasped his hands and said, "It was the Grand Governor who told me to come to the Netherlands to have a look."

"Grand Governor?"

Captain Alfonso was surprised. He was full of respect for this great ruler of the East.

What Captain Alfonso admires most is Su Ze's foresight, but why did Su Ze let Daguan come to the Netherlands?

Captain Alfonso was considered one of his own, and Daguan did not show off. He said directly:

"After we set off, the Grand Governor has launched a campaign against Manila. Captain Alfonso, do you know this?"

Captain Alfonso nodded. When he was in South Asia, he already knew about the war in Manila from businessmen, but he did not get accurate results. He only knew that the southeastern and Spanish fleets were at war.

Captain Alfonso was also a little worried about this.

Spain is not a small country like Portugal, it is a country with a huge fleet.

In particular, Spain has a huge fleet in South America. Once Spain and the Southeast compete for the Southern Ocean, it will also have a great impact on the Southeast's export trade.

Captain Alfonso is very aware of the importance of East-West trade to the Southeast. The development of two big countries will have a devastating blow to trade.

Especially a country like Spain, which has maritime hegemony.

Daguan said: "In fact, the Governor has already planned to seize Manila, and war with Spain is inevitable."

"So this time I came here to see the situation in Europe."

Captain Alfonso said doubtfully: "What's the situation in Europe? Then shouldn't you go to France? Or go directly to Spain? Why come to the Netherlands?"

Captain Alfonso was very confused. The center of the European continent was now Spain, France, and the Holy Roman Empire. What was the point of coming to the Netherlands?

The Netherlands' status on the European continent is even worse than that of Portugal. It is just a territory under Spain.

Captain Alfonso really didn't understand why Daguan wanted to take the Netherlands as his destination.

In Alfonso's view, if the Southeast wants to contain Spain, it should go to the British, French, or even the Ottomans instead of wasting time in the Netherlands.

Daguan did not answer Alfonso's question, but thought about the conversation Su Ze had with him before leaving.

In the Governor's Mansion, Su Ze said to Daguan who was about to set off:

"Spain's hands will reach into the Southeast Asia, and we will definitely have a war with Spain in the southeast."

"When you go to Europe this time, one is to examine the situation in the European countries, and the other is to find some allies you can win over to contain Spain on the continent."

Daguan quickly understood what Su Ze meant, but he was still confused as to why Su Ze would send him, a monk from the Taoist Department, to Europe.

Obviously, there are many talented people in Southeast Asia, and Shen Yiguan and Chi Hongmo achieved good diplomatic results in Annan.

Su Ze's answer was:

"You are sent because the most critical issue in Europe today is religious conflicts."

"Although religious conflicts are only superficial, the origin of all conflicts is religious conflicts."

"The religious conflicts within the European continent even exceed the pagan conflicts between the European continent and the Ottomans. After all, there is a dialect in the European continent that 'heretics are more hateful than heretics.'"

"The Netherlands in Europe is where the most intense religious conflicts are now."

Su Ze asserted: "This is also the place where revolution is most likely to occur."

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like