On the afternoon of November 23, 1889, John F. Kennedy Ferrell was dressed in a fitted black suit, making him look lean and elegant. The people walking around him were all high-ranking officials and nobles, their wives and children, as well as their servants and attendants. Only the white robes embroidered with gold on the edges of the bishops and priests added some color to the environment of the mortuary.
No one in the crowd said anything to John Coltrane. Ferrell cast a difficult or reproachful gaze, which made John, who was originally a little anxious, uneasy. Ferrell felt much more at ease. He walked slowly up to the Bishop and the clergymen, who were chanting beside the King's coffin, and lighted a small, scented candle, which he placed on the stand which was already full of them.
In the light of candles and electric lamps, John F. Ferrell looked at the gray-haired old king lying in the coffin, his expression solemn, as if even death could not take away this man's dignity. This made John? Deep in his heart, Ferrell could not help but feel an urge to mock him.
As the Minister for Industry and Commerce, John F. Farrell was not present at the king's deathbed to witness his final breath. When he learned that King Louis the First was critically ill, he immediately rushed to the palace from the China Embassy and saw the King's body on the deathbed in the palace.
King Louis the First's hair was messy and dirty, probably because he hadn't bathed for a few days. His turbid eyes were still open, and his mouth was still half open. There were traces of dried saliva at the corner of his mouth and on his face. Later, according to the chamberlain, King Louis the First, who was already seriously ill, "British warships were blocking the port of Lisbon." Just when everyone was nervous and bewildered, the British warships launched a provocative bombardment. As a result, a rumor spread in the palace that the British were going to massacre Lisbon and capture Louis alive. Then, His Majesty the King died. This happened on the 22nd of November, 1889.
At that moment, John Coltrane suddenly appeared. Farrell saw the British Ambassador appear in the doorway, dressed in black. Whether it was a little earlier or a little later, all eyes in the mourning hall fell on the British ambassador. And 90% of these gazes did not have good intentions. The British ambassador ignored these gazes and walked towards Carlos, the son of King Louis I in the mourning hall. The young "king" in his thirties was stunned at first. When the British ambassador stood in front of him and stretched out his hand, he shook hands with the British ambassador.
Because of the distance, John? Farrell did not catch what the British ambassador said. Judging from the interaction between the two, it should be a common polite greeting. John? Farrell wanted to go over and listen, but he didn't want to. Even if he was not the mastermind, he was an important facilitator, and his position was irreconcilable with that of the British.
As soon as the courteous speech was over, John F. Farrell watched as the British ambassador said something to the king in a very serious tone. This time, the king's expression changed drastically. It was not anger, but nervousness. After saying this, the British ambassador shook hands with the future king of Portugal again, and then left the venue.
Several men leaned towards the would-be king. But not Farrell. While the King was talking with the British ambassador, the Foreign Secretary was by his side, and he only had to ask the Foreign Secretary later. At this moment, everyone looked at the door again. John? Farrell quickly turned his head, and then saw the Chinese ambassador, also dressed in a black suit, calmly walking in from the door. The British ambassador happened to be at the door at this time. After meeting, the two did not even greet each other and went their separate ways. The Chinese ambassador was led by his attendants to the future king of Portugal. When the two shook hands, including John F. Farrell, all the ministers leaned forward, wanting to know what the Chinese ambassador was going to say.
"Sir, we are also shocked to learn of the death of your father. So we are here to express our condolences to you and His Majesty King Louis I. "The Chinese ambassador was very polite along the way, and went straight to the point.
The future king, Carlos, also maintained the proper etiquette. He led the Chinese ambassador to see the remains of Louis I. He told the official explanation of the death. It was probably some nonsense about being summoned by the Lord.
John? Of course, Farrell was helpless. At least in the opinion of the court, although King Louis I. was not in good health, he would not die immediately. A large part of the reason for his death was that he was frightened by the British. But what was the use of looking at things in this way? The British Fleet did not retreat in the slightest because their military action had "scared" the King of Portugal to death. Not only did the British Fleet not retreat, but they also fired blanks from their naval guns outside Lisbon with the purpose of "expressing condolences to the deceased King Louis I." The sound of the cannons was earth-shattering, scaring the citizens of Lisbon. This was England's way of doing things. This was the decision of Europe's number one naval power.
I have to say, John? Despite his annoyance, Farrell admired the Englishman's decisiveness. If it weren't for the British's decisiveness in dealing with things and temporarily suppressing the Portuguese's movements with lightning speed, these operations would probably have gone further. Scaring a Portuguese king to death was no matter to the English.
After listening to the words "summoned by the Lord", the Chinese ambassador did not show the slightest surprise. Instead, he was sincerely comforted. This made John? Ferrell was really pissed off. The King had disappointed him too much. Colluding with China was one thing, but His Majesty the King should at least mention the issue of Mozambique! Even if they wanted to buy Mozambique, could Portugal seriously discuss this with China and find opportunities for Portugal to benefit from the discussion?! However, His Majesty the King was like a puppet. Apart from performing court etiquette and mourning, he did not move. Was this what a qualified King should do?
At this moment, the China ambassador spoke in a very clear voice, "Your Excellency, China believes that it is wrong for the British Fleet to block Lisbon at this time. The British Fleet's action of threatening Portugal is not just. If Portugal makes a request to us, we, China, are willing to consider upholding justice. "
These words were spoken in Chinese, so the translator and John Farrell were stunned. These words were spoken in Portuguese, so the translation and John Farrell were stunned. When the translator translated these words into Portuguese, when the King Carlos and the surrounding ministers clearly heard the China ambassador's announcement, the upper echelons of Portugal were shocked.
John? Ferrell lowered his head. He knew that if he continued to look up, others could clearly see the happy expression on his face. In John? Before Ferrell received the news of the King's ascension, he ran to the China embassy to discuss this matter. China was willing to confront Britain. John Farrell could immediately continue his action that was interrupted by the British. In other words, he would send troops into Brazil and unite the farmers who had lost their slaves to eliminate the Brazilian army and the Republicans.
These opportunities would not last forever. If such a task could not be completed in a short period of time, the boiling resentment in the hearts of the farmers would eventually subside. The military personnel involved in this matter generally believed that without the support of the Brazilian insiders, the Portuguese expedition would not be able to win.
He covered his mouth with his hand to hide his smile. John? Ferrell prayed in his heart, "Hurry up and agree! Hurry up and agree! Hurry up and agree! "
An hour after the China ambassador made his public statement, a wireless telegram was sent out from the telegraph room of the British embassy. A few minutes later, the telegram was received by the British Foreign Office and sent to the British Foreign Office in the shortest time possible. Then it was sent to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister immediately invited the Lord of the Admiralty.
"Sir, can the Chinese fleet really cross such a long distance?" The British Prime Minister could not accept this.
"Well … it's possible." The Lord of the Admiralty did not want to brag. After saying this, he continued, "Sir Prime Minister, as long as Portugal is really willing to provide port support to China, the Chinese Navy can sail from Madagascar to Portugal and then to Lisbon. They can even set off from Lisbon to attack Brazil with the help of the Portuguese. "
"We will never allow such a thing to happen. We will never allow Portugal to become China's military port in Europe!" The cabinet minister immediately made a decision.
"Sir, do you want us to launch an artillery attack on Lisbon?" The Lord of the Admiralty immediately proposed a naval plan. As long as Lisbon was shelled, the upper echelons of Portugal would probably be in chaos.
The cabinet minister waved his hand. "If we do that, Lisbon will probably desperately plead with China. Order the fleet to maintain pressure on Lisbon. I will contact the Spaniards now. "
The Secretary of the Navy admired the cabinet minister's strategy. After the Spaniards were driven out of the South China Sea by China, they hated China. Historically, there was a deep grudge between Spain and Portugal. Now, for Portugal, which might have colluded with China and invited the wolf into the country, the Spanish people's choice would probably not be friendly.
It was at this moment that John Coltrane's voice rang out. Farrell also asked the Portuguese Foreign Minister about what the British had said to the Portuguese King, Carlos. "I will visit you tomorrow, and I hope to receive your official reply to our request."
John? Ferrell was greatly displeased. This was blatant coercion. But John? Ferrell noticed that the Foreign Affairs Minister did not seem to care at all. John? Farrell understood the thoughts of these high-ranking officials who had no interest in changing Portugal. As the saying goes, "Every debt has its debtor." The British scared the King to death. This was Britain's responsibility. As for the British request, it depended on whether the heir was willing to accept it. If the heir was unwilling, he probably could not sit on the throne of the Kingdom of Portugal. In this matter, the ministers did not have to bear any responsibility.
This cabinet is really useless! John? Farrell thought angrily in his heart. These guys either stuck to the old ways and did not consider future development at all. Or they were as timid as a mouse and did not make any effort or breakthrough on the grounds that Portugal was weak. Portugal may be small, but Portugal had a truly glorious time! When the Portuguese navigators opened up the world, the British were still playing in the mud in the British Isles.
John? Farrell could no longer bear it. He went straight to the King and said to Carlos, who had a somewhat puzzled expression, "Your Majesty, are you free now?"
"Farrell, I just want to be alone now. I don't want to talk about anything." The King Carlos did not hesitate to refuse John Farrell's request. John Farrell's request to talk.
John? Farrell did not hesitate either. He shouted to Carlos, "Your Majesty, it is because the British fleet is blocking the gate of Lisbon that we need to cooperate with the Chinese immediately. Do you really think that the British will leave without achieving their goal? No, the British would never do such a thing. They will force you to agree to the demands of the English, and they will not withdraw until you have fulfilled your promise. Your Majesty, are you really willing to accept such a fate? "
His voice was very loud. Not only did King Carlos hear it clearly, but the high-ranking officials and ministers in the hall also heard it clearly. These people didn't think of John? Ferrell actually chose to break the stalemate and shouted out his thoughts so clearly. This meant that Carlos, the would-be king, had to respond directly.
Everyone turned to look at Carlos, who smiled bitterly and said loudly, "Mr. Ferrell, because of your words and actions, I hereby dismiss you from your position as the Minister of Internal Affairs."
John? Ferrell wasn't too surprised after hearing this. He didn't have any expectations for Carlos in the first place. The current Portuguese royal family really didn't have the elegance of their ancestors. Now that he has been relieved of his duties, John Farrell saluted Carlos and left the hall. He left a group of people who were stunned, surprised, happy, and uneasy inside.
Because of the anger in his heart, John? Farrell directly told the driver to drive him home. He chose to walk. At this time, the streets of Lisbon were empty. Since the morning, every few hours, the British Fleet would fire cannons. The rumbling of the cannons frightened the residents of Lisbon into not daring to go out. The usually crowded narrow streets were now unexpectedly spacious.
However, at the intersection of the street, a large group of people unexpectedly gathered. The one at the top shouted to the crowd around him, "Portugal will not prosper until the king is dead!"
As soon as this voice came out, some people in the crowd applauded. John? Farrell immediately knew that this was a group of Republicans. For more than a decade, with the continuous decline of Portugal, the Republicans began to rise. This group of Republicans put the blame on the king, believing that the monarchy was the root of Portugal's decline. John? Farrell couldn't accept this at all. So in terms of suppressing and attacking the Republicans, John? Farrell was never lenient.
But at this time, after being dismissed from the position of Minister of Industry and Commerce by the weak and incompetent King, John? Farrell found that the slogan "Portugal will not prosper until the king is dead!" actually resonated with him. Because you're in a bad mood, John? Ferrell simply stood on the periphery of the group of spokespeople and listened to what the one in the middle was promoting. Even if it was an unpleasant statement, John Dewey would not be offended. Ferrell was currently in a terrible mood, so listening to these unpleasant words might help him recover.
After the man in the middle expressed his complete rejection of the monarchy, he began to list the sins of the kings. Betraying national interests and humiliating the country? In the end, the speaker excitedly stated that only the abolition of the monarchy and the implementation of a republic could save the fate of Portugal and let Portugal walk on the road to prosperity.
For the same old propaganda, John? Farrell didn't care. He was actually very doubtful. If it was a republic, would it have the ability to solve such a situation? When Portugal was a kingdom, it could certainly maintain slavery and suppress the republicans in the name of the king. Although John? Farrell believed that the purpose of such actions was not a struggle of political ideology, but a simple struggle of interest. However, with the existence of a king, he could unite the conservative faction and maintain a foundation.
If it was before, John? Ferrell would think it was only right and proper. Now a sudden thought occurred to him, in John Maynard In John? Farrell's heart, the king and the monarchy were actually like a garbage dump, a dirty water tank. No matter what kind of evil, what kind of unreasonable things, they could be resisted with the words "long live the king". The monarchy was just John? Farrell believed that it was the most convenient system to maintain rule and achieve ambitions. If the republic could openly support John? If Farrell annexed Brazil and maintained slavery, John Maynard Jr. Ferrell would also wholeheartedly support the republic.
Thinking of this, John? Farrell couldn't help but reveal a self-deprecating smile. But there was only self-mockery and no self-blame in this smile. John? Farrell didn't blame his own morals. As long as Portugal could stand in the forest of the world as a powerful country, and not as a trampled weakling like it was now. Farrell didn't care that his hands were stained with blood.
"Sir in black, do you support the republic?" The speaker in the middle said to John? Farrell shouted.
John? Farrell didn't know how he attracted the speaker's attention. He first looked around, but didn't see the police on the street. It seemed that under the threat of the British Fleet, the police dared not come out. Or they had been transferred to other places.
Since there was no police, John? Farrell suddenly had an impulse. He had only criticized the republicans in private with his own standpoint. He had never faced the republicans in public like this. So he wanted to see if he could convince these republicans.
Walking into the crowd, John? Farrell noticed that the speaker was standing on a broken stool. He let the fellow down and stood on it himself. "Fellow Portuguese, I just heard this person recite the sins of the monarchy. I don't want to say that the monarchy is good, but I want to give a few other examples. Now, the two most powerful countries in the world, England and China, are both monarchies. They also have an emperor, a parliament, a parliament, and elections. Our Portugal is no different from these two countries. So why are these two countries so powerful, and our Portugal has fallen to such a state? Of course, we can use the monarchy as a reason, as an excuse. But I think it's not that simple. "
The person who spoke just now heard John's words. Farrell's words sounded like a royalist, so he immediately shouted, "Do you think the Portuguese monarch is not as good as the monarchs of England and China?"
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