"I didn't expect John to support slavery!" The Foreign Minister's daughter, Isabel, was in a bad mood. She held a cup of flower tea mixed with alfalfa honey and complained to her best friend.
"Are you mistaken?" Y'lisabet's best friend was her middle school and high school classmate in the UK. As friends for such a long time, her best friend's voice was quite surprised. It was the first time she had seen Isabelle talk about John in a long time. Farrell had such a disappointed look on his face.
Isabel sighed gloomily. That was not the image she had of Farrell. It was a spring afternoon twelve years ago. Isabelle, who was only twelve years old, followed her mother to play in the suburbs. Then she saw a beautiful garden on a small slope beside the road. Isabelle could only recognize a few of the gorgeous flowers in the garden. Most of them were species she had never seen before. Isabelle's mother and the other high-ranking officials' wives and children were all full of praise for the exquisite layout and the green vine entwined arches. Then, everyone ordered for the carriages to stop and go over to watch.
When the servants went to look for the owner of the garden, Isabelle, who loved flowers and life, ran all the way up the slope to the garden when the adults were not looking. When she walked to the door, Isabelle felt uneasy again. The children of these noble families had all encountered very fierce gatekeepers, vicious dogs, and gardeners. The more beautiful the garden was, the more fierce the guards were. With such a state of mind, Isabelle stopped at the archway and looked into the garden worriedly. Isabelle then saw a bench in the garden. A young man was leaning against the bench, quietly reading a book. He was so focused that he didn't even notice that someone had appeared beside him.
A half-grown golden retriever lay beside the young man's feet. Upon seeing Isabel appearing under the vine-wrapped arch, the docile and adorable guardian raised its head and looked at Isabel curiously for a moment before lying back on the ground, closing its eyes and dozing off. The breeze carried the fragrance of flowers in the garden and gently passed by Isabel. The young man who was reading was completely immersed in the book. He did not raise his head and did not leave.
For the first time in her life, Isabelle carefully observed a man. He wore a plain silk shirt, a light blue vest, and trousers of the same color. On his feet was a pair of white cloth shoes with rubber soles. A young scholar dressed in simple and unadorned attire, with a ponytail at the back of his head. He looked just like the young man in the sketch. This impression was deeply engraved in Isabel's mind, and she could still clearly recall it after more than a decade.
"John really doesn't oppose slavery at all!" Isabelle was very sure of this. Farrell also wanted to take advantage of the chaos in Brazil and collude with the Chinese to suppress the Brazilian Republican Revolution. Isabel was the daughter of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and had completed her university studies in England. Of course she could see that if the suppression was carried out, the Portuguese, in collusion with the local slave-farmers, would restore the evil and bloody system of slavery. John? Farrell would never oppose such a future.
"Even if he supports slavery, we no longer have slavery in Portugal. John wants to support slavery, but he alone doesn't have the ability to make Portugal re-enact laws that allow the existence of slaves. "Her best friend saw that Isabelle was emotional, so she smiled to ease Isabelle's dissatisfaction.
"He doesn't want to restore slavery in Portugal, but in Brazil." Isabel saw that her best friend didn't understand what was going on, so she simply told John Locke. Ferrell briefly introduced his actions to his best friend.
After listening to Portugal's plan to bring China in to attack Brazil, her best friend pondered for a moment and then said, "… Oh, John seems to be quite capable."
"What? Even you say that? "Isabelle frowned. She was really a little angry.
"Ellie, John seems to be thinking for Portugal. Furthermore, this matter involves so many people. Do you think he can do it easily? "Her best friend laughed.
This logic was quite in line with the facts. A Portuguese official actually calculated China, Brazil, and the United Kingdom across the vast Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean at the same time. If he could do it, this person had probably surpassed the limits of a small country like Portugal. In theory, this was impossible. However, Isabelle shook her head repeatedly. "You don't know John. He never makes decisions easily, but once he makes a decision, he will grit his teeth and do it to the end. If it was someone else, I wouldn't believe it. I always give John something to look forward to. I don't mean to criticize John. I just can't stand slavery. "
Her best friend didn't say anything for the time being. She knew Isabelle very well. Some part of Farrell was disappointed. Farrell was still the pride of Isabelle. It was very bad to speak carelessly without understanding this point.
After the meeting, Isabelle's best friend got into the car. The car arrived at a cafe on a busy street, and Isabel's best friend got out of the car and went in. In a private room, there was a man waiting for them. After listening to the girl's narration, the man did not speak. Instead, he took out a not too thin envelope from his arms and placed it in front of the girl. Then, he silently got up and left the cafe.
On November 19, 1889, at the British cabinet meeting, the intelligence department first briefed the cabinet on the latest situation in Portugal, and then waited for the inquiry from the cabinet members. To their surprise, the cabinet did not ask but directly asked the group to leave. The group could only obey the order and leave the cabinet office.
As soon as they left, the cabinet immediately discussed the content they were concerned about. "How are we going to deal with Portugal next?"
Cecil? Rhodes immediately said, "Of course, send a warship to Lisbon and ask the Portuguese government to publicly recognize the sovereignty and independence of Brazil and recognize the Brazilian republican government."
This proposal only went through a short discussion. The content of the discussion was still "How many battleships do we have in Europe now?" "Are there any captains familiar with Lisbon?" "What is the level of defense in Lisbon?" So the cabinet members agreed to take such a tough approach.
On November twenty-second, John? Farrell and the Minister of Foreign Affairs were meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to Portugal. The topic of discussion was, of course, Mozambique, even though both sides knew that Portugal had no ability to change the current situation. However, even if it was just for the sake of face, everyone had to talk about it. After spouting nonsense for a while, both sides stopped to save their saliva. John? Ferrell took the opportunity to ask, "Sir Ambassador, does China's fleet have the ability to reach Lisbon and help us transport troops to Brazil? Of course, help us land in Rio de Janeiro. "
As an ambassador in Portugal, the China ambassador was well aware of the relationship between Portugal and Brazil, as well as the recent events in Brazil. Therefore, even though he was very surprised, the China Ambassador could still maintain a minimum of calmness. Of course, a certain degree of stimulation was inevitable. No one would have thought that the Portuguese people would change from enemies to partners so quickly.
The Chinese Ambassador said, "Our fleet … This is something that can only be decided by our military commission. But could you explain it more clearly? "
John? Ferrell already had his own plan, so he immediately explained it to him. With the current strength of China, Portugal did not have the strength or intention to confront China. However, Portugal hoped that the Chinese Navy could first send capital ships to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, and then transport Portuguese soldiers across the Atlantic to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and help the Portuguese troops to land successfully. The only thing Portugal could guarantee was that after they recaptured Brazil, they would ensure a good relationship between Portugal and Brazil and China. In the future, China's fleet would be able to dock in the ports of Portugal and Brazil for supplies, and even enjoy such treatment during the war.
The Chinese Ambassador did not speak. This was not only because diplomats had received training in this area, and it was very impolite to interrupt the other party, but also because the Chinese Ambassador himself felt surprised. The Pacific, Indian, and Arctic Oceans. China had already entered these three main oceans on Earth, and gradually had its own dominance in these three oceans. However, the North and South Atlantic Oceans were areas that China could not intervene in.
It was difficult to intervene in the North and South Atlantic Oceans not only because there was a strong opponent like Britain, but more importantly, there were no ports that China could use. As long as the British gave the order, the ports of the North and South Atlantic Oceans would not be opened to China, and the British Fleet could sail all the way from London to Cape Town.
If Portugal and Brazil could open their ports to China, Chinese warships could run rampant at the junction of the South and North Atlantic Oceans. This meant that Britain's hegemony had been completely shaken. More importantly, if this could be achieved, the Chinese Navy could begin to wreak havoc on the East Coast of the United States, and even have the opportunity to cooperate with the Army to carry out landing operations. The benefits of this were simply innumerable.
Because of this, the Chinese Ambassador had no other choice but to keep his mouth shut. This was one of the diplomatic training. "If you really see a great opportunity, any rash performance will cause this opportunity to become negative. Since China's diplomacy does not pursue interests beyond ability, then those who need our help will come to our door again and again... "
Without waiting for John? When Ferrell finished speaking, someone walked in quickly from outside. It was the Foreign Affairs Minister's attendant. The attendant's face was pale. He whispered to the Foreign Affairs Minister for a moment, and the Foreign Affairs Minister immediately got up and left. John? Ferrell had no choice but to follow the Foreign Affairs Minister out of the China Embassy. When they reached the door and got into the car, the Foreign Affairs Minister immediately shouted, "To the British Embassy!"
When the car started, John? Ferrell asked, "Sir, what happened?"
"The British Fleet is now outside Lisbon and has sealed off the port. We don't know what the British specifically want, but it seems that Britain is serious! "The Foreign Affairs Minister replied angrily.
"Sir, could it be that the British got wind of something?" John Ferrell frowned as he spoke. Ferrell frowned as he spoke. Other than the news being leaked, he could not think of any other possibility for the British fleet to come to their doorstep.
"I... hope not," The Foreign Affairs Minister replied unhappily. As the Foreign Affairs Minister, it was not easy for him to accept John Ferrell's proposal. He did not expect that the British would come to their doorstep before they could even formally implement John Ferrell's proposal. The Foreign Affairs Minister originally had no opinion of John Ferrell. Ferrell's approval had now completely turned into disapproval. If it were not for such a policy, Portugal would not have been forced to this point by the British.
The two arrived at the British Embassy and were quickly led into the embassy. The British Ambassador had already received a telegram from home, so he went straight to the point and said, "Sir, my government has informed me that it requests your government to publicly state its position. First, publicly recognize the sovereignty and independence of Brazil. Second, recognize the existence of the Brazilian Republican Government and establish diplomatic relations with the Brazilian Republican Government as soon as possible. "
Sure enough, the British realized that something was wrong. The Foreign Affairs Minister of Portugal was unhappy. The British Ambassador did not care about the Foreign Affairs Minister's mood. He continued, "What follows is my personal opinion. I hope the Portuguese government can publicly state its position. The Portuguese government firmly supports the United States in resisting the invasion of China. Before the United States wins the anti-invasion war and recovers all the land including the west coast, the Portuguese government will not have any cooperation with China!"
"What?" The Portuguese Foreign Affairs Minister could not help but ask. And John? Ferrell's eyes narrowed subconsciously. The British were forcing Portugal to cut off the possibility of cooperation with China. When the British themselves did not have any "bias" towards the war between China and the United States, they wanted to force Portugal to the United States' position. This request was really too much.
John? Ferrell sadly found that he could not do anything about this development. The British battleships may not be as good as China's battleships, but the British battleships had a standard that European countries could not compete with. The British may not bombard Lisbon. The unprovoked slaughter of European civilians was a bit shocking for European countries and would only arouse strong opposition from European countries.
However, the British could completely blockade Portugal's ports, capture merchant ships, and sink warships. This practice was very normal in Europe. However, for a small country like Portugal, their economy could not withstand such a blow. Being blockaded by the British for a month or two, Portugal's economy would probably encounter major difficulties.
The British Ambassador was not prepared to engage in a protracted diplomatic negotiation. After explaining the British attitude and his own attitude, the British Ambassador let the Portuguese Foreign Minister and the Minister of Industry and Commerce leave. Outside the British Embassy, just as the Foreign Secretary was about to say something angrily, John Lennon, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was about to say something. Ferrell spoke first, "Sir, please return to the cabinet and report to His Majesty the King. I'll go to the China Embassy again. "
"Why are you going to the China Embassy? Do you want China to send a fleet to Lisbon to protect us? "The Minister of Foreign Affairs mocked John in a sharp tone. Farrell.
John? Ferrell was unmoved. He replied with a straight face, "Sir, you are right. I want to make such a request to China."
Under the dumbfounded gaze of the Foreign Affairs Minister, John F. Farrell got into his car and headed straight for the China Embassy. When the car disappeared from sight, the Foreign Affairs Minister also got in the car and went to report to the cabinet and the Congress what he had learned. However, the Foreign Affairs Minister's mind was not on his colleagues who were probably panicking, nor on the aging King who now wore the crown of the Kingdom of Portugal.
Now that the King was bedridden, even if he knew such news, His Majesty the King did not have the ability to preside over government affairs. Moreover, it was questionable whether the King had the ability to understand what had happened. Currently, the Foreign Affairs Minister's main thought was John Farrell. Could it be that John Farrell? Did John Farrell really have the ability to make China send troops? Did he really have the ability to make China send troops comparable to the British Royal Navy to Lisbon?
Thinking of this question, the Foreign Affairs Minister could not help but shiver. Even if a miracle happened and China was really willing to send troops, what would the situation be like in Portugal at that time? The Catholic Church was very strong in Portugal, and Catholicism saw China as a mortal enemy. At that time, as long as the Catholic priests instigated the Portuguese people, the Portuguese people might even dare to ask the government to install cannons to destroy the China Fleet together with the British.
Thinking of such a complicated and very terrible future, the Foreign Affairs Minister felt confused. He even began to regret. How could he have been fooled by John Farrell? Why did he believe John Farrell? Why did he believe John? What about the wonderful mirage of the future that Farrell casually outlined? What about recapturing Brazil! What about Portugal beginning a large number of immigrants to Brazil and beginning to implement state ownership of land within Portugal! What about temporarily feigning civility with the slave owners in Brazil and waiting for Portugal to control the Brazilian regime and army before launching a strike against the slave owners. Then carry out a reform of Brazil's political system!
Portugal is only a small country! A small country should have its own small country! We must not have too much ambition. Ambition is the business of a big country, a small country really can't afford to play with it! The Foreign Affairs Minister shouted in his heart. Even if Britain was no longer an opponent of China, Britain was more than enough to deal with Portugal. Whenever the British Fleet wanted to attack Portugal, they could attack Portugal at that time.
The Foreign Affairs Minister's car was halfway there when he suddenly heard a violent explosion near the port. At this time, Lisbon was already in a state of panic. When they heard the first explosion, people still showed a surprised expression. Then they heard the explosion one after another. Not long after, the panicked people began to run around the streets in fear. The running crowd blocked the road, and the Foreign Affairs Minister's car was blocked on the road.
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