Dominate the Country

"Is Wu Xi Zeng dead?"

Chen Ming was very surprised. Wu Xi Zeng was two years younger than Chen Hui, and his health was indeed not good, because he had the same bad habit as Chen Hui - excessive lust.

But he didn't die now, did he?

In order to survive, Chen Hui restrained her lust and took good care of her body for a while, and she is still alive and well. Wu Xi Zeng did the same as Chen Hui, and he has also survived until now. Chen Ming saw him at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet not long ago. Thinking back to that time, Wu Xi Zeng didn't look like a dying person.

This Wu Xi Zeng was one of Chen Hui's old team members, and he was the same as Ren Meng, Zhang Chi, Zheng Hongyu, and Wei Xiuzhi. When Chen Ming was canonized as the prince, it was Wu Xi Zeng who took care of it. Later, when Chen Ming was the regent, the person who sat in the key position of Shuntian Prefecture was Wu Xi Zeng, and he was also very discerning and submitted his resignation on his own.

Although the earldom above him was almost a "reward", Wu Xizeng's death also had a certain significance. Not in terms of influence on the court, but his death opened a precedent - the decline of meritorious officials.

This is the first meritorious official who died in bed.

In addition, Wu Xizeng's death should also be a blow to Chen Hui. "Queen, you should go to Yanshou Palace more often these days." In addition to Chen Hui, there is also an old lady Huang in Yanshou Palace. When you get older, it is easy to be "sad in spring and autumn", so don't think of yourself from Wu Xizeng.

The current environment is that Chen Han's rule is stable and the people's hearts are getting stronger. The old lady is like a mascot that people all over the country can see. The longer she lives, the better, and she is blessed and auspicious.

"Chen Ding's marriage can't be delayed any longer. Ask your parents more about their opinions on this matter."

Chen Ming's eyes were shining, and he gave up the right to choose. It depends on what the Li family and Yanshou Palace choose.

Is it civil or military?

The right to choose is in their hands.

Although Chen Ming has a lot of sons, he can see that no matter whether it is the old lady, Chen Hui or Gao, the one who likes Chen Ding the most is Chen Ding.

It is natural for the eldest son to be the eldest grandson. The initial "alone" time is also very important in the hearts of the three. At that time, Li Xiaomei often held the baby Chen Ding in front of the old lady, Gao and Chen Hui.

Later, Chen Ming had a son and a daughter. One after another, they kept popping up, but people also "treated them equally". Only Chen Ding took the lead and became the "special" one in the eyes of the elders.

Among the old people under Chen Hui, Zhang Chi had the best development. Now he still holds power. Chen Ming still recognizes him. Then there is Ren Meng. He has retired now, but he was one of the big bosses in the logistics department before. Then there are Zheng Hongyu and Wei Xiuzhi. The former served as the governor of Guangdong. If he had not been incompetent, he would have been a cabinet minister long ago; the latter was one of the few generals in Chen Hui's line who led troops and is now the second in command of the Northwest Military Region!

But these two can only be regarded as local powerhouses, and their weight in the central government is just a little bit less.

And where is Yanshou Palace, there are the Huang family and the Gao family. To be honest, even Chen Ming could not predict who his eldest daughter-in-law would be. There are not just one or two girls of the right age who meet the requirements...

Li Xiaomei's face was not confused. She did not expect that because of Wu Xizeng's death, the "thing" she had always hoped for would suddenly come true. But Chen Ming did say something about Chen Ding's marriage, but what did that mean?

Little Li soon entered the palace, and then returned to Li's house in confusion.

Li Laoxiucai and Li Shi did not understand this, but Li Kun pondered and felt a hint of deep meaning.

"Your Majesty has allowed us to establish a relationship with the Taishang family. The Huang and Gao families have shouted at the Grand Prince, but this is not enough for them to fully support the Grand Prince. It is true that the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager of Yanshou Palace are the pillars of the Huang and Gao families, but they cannot represent the entire Huang and Gao families."

The current emperor has many children, and almost every household has support behind the princes. Except for a few relatives such as the Yao, Feng, and Shi families who have long shown that they are not interested in the throne, no one else has said a word.

Although these people have many factions, they are still considered to be the subordinates of the current emperor, and these people and the people of the Taishang family are implicitly two major camps.

If the difficulty value of the integration of the Liu family [Liu Dezhao] and the Zhang family [Zhang Qiu] is 1, then the difficulty value of the integration of the Taishang family and the Zhang family is 2.

Of course, the Li family is definitely considered to be the current emperor's camp, but doesn't the Li family have an official pillar?

It depends on the specific choice.

"It's not that we have to take it all. We have to see what His Highness plans to do."

Li Kun thought about it and had a headache. Chen Ding's marriage is a big deal!

...

Mexico City.

In the prisoner-of-war camp, French Major Villers talked with a Spanish colonial prisoner who had "turned against the enemy" with the help of an interpreter. There were more than a dozen people waiting in the corridor outside the door. They were either from the expeditionary force or the French.

The war in North America is really over. The Spanish and the expeditionary force have signed a ceasefire agreement in Queretaro, and then the French jumped in impatiently. They are actively mediating bilateral conflicts and mediating the tense relationship between China and the West.

Not long ago, a rumor spread in Spain that a large number of Spanish prisoners were being brutally abused and persecuted by the Chinese. Then, during the ongoing negotiations in Querétaro, the Spanish proposed that China release the prisoners first to show its sincerity, which was directly rejected by China. Then the Spanish proposed that their personnel be involved in the management of Spanish prisoners of war and become a "supervisor", which was also rejected by China.

The French urgently stood up and said that as a non-party, they were neutral and could send an observation team to Mexico City.

The expeditionary force did not refuse again.

So, Villers was in a prisoner-of-war camp, but he was not a prisoner, which was completely different from those French soldiers captured in battle. As for those French prisoners of war, the French government did not admit that they were sent by themselves, but only said that they were volunteers, just like those French who actively supported the Thirteen States War of Independence from the beginning.

It was really a ghost that volunteers had a full-fledged cuirassier.

Not long ago, the envoy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent from Nanjing finally arrived in North America, and Chen Ming's latest instructions were quickly sent to Querétaro, but the envoy himself had not yet arrived in Querétaro. This brought new difficulties to the bilateral negotiations, and some conditions that had been reached with great difficulty were instantly overturned.

The French had to be diligent again.

Although many things seen by the French observation team were superficial. For example, they saw the looted church, which was really like a locust passing through without leaving any grass, and even the big bell was unloaded by the Chinese and transported away by truck. Because the big bell of that church was a bronze bell.

The expeditionary army did not set fire, and many places completely preserved the traces left by their violent treatment. This made some people in the French observation team very angry, but it was useless.

The purpose of the French entering Mexico City was very clear, that is, to observe the combat effectiveness of the expeditionary army at close range, and then see how strong the Indians were. It was just that in addition to this main goal, some other details also attracted the attention of the French. Just like this one in front of him-a Spanish colonial prisoner of war who took the initiative to "reverse".

This is a pure-blooded white man!

Villers was very curious, why would a white officer join a team dominated by Orientals? As for the translator, there were many people who could speak Spanish in the French delegation.

"Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo..., you are a captain in the Spanish army. I heard that you also participated in the last defense of Mexico City?" From a hero to a traitor now, is this transformation a bit too big?

"Of course, I am proud to have participated in that battle. We fought until the last moment, and only a quarter of the people survived. I am very lucky, God is blessing me, and the shot in the chest did not take my life." Calvo-Sotelo opened his shirt, and there was a scar as big as a gold coin on his chest.

Calvo-Sotelo did not hide his scars. He seemed to be very proud of his scars, and there was no shame on his face.

Villers was so curious. "Then it can be said that you are a hero in the Spanish army and a hero of the whole of Spain. Why are you now..."

Villers did not continue. Calvo-Sotelo looked indifferent, making him think he was talking to a hooligans without honor and shame.

"Mr. Major, you only found out about me, but did you find out about my family?"

Calvo-Sotelo looked at the Frenchman in front of him calmly, "I am a Criollo!"

That is, Criollo, which means native-born Europeans.

Chen Han called them Mexicans, and they and the Spaniards called them Criollos.

In the early 18th century, Carlos II of Spain died, and the Spanish Habsburg dynasty had no successor. After a war of succession, the Spanish Bourbon dynasty was established. The Spanish Bourbon dynasty was deeply influenced by Louis XIV. At the beginning of its rule, it was based on centralization and implemented all mercantilism. At that time, Philip V hoped to destroy the deep-rooted American aristocratic society "Criollo" and eventually weaken the Jesuits' control over the territory, so that in 1767, the Jesuits were expelled from Spanish America.

Criollo and the church were originally the two humeri of the Spanish colonists' rule over the American land. Now Madrid wants to break one of the humeri and split the other humeri, which may reduce Spain's rule in the Americas, but there was no China to intervene in the Americas decades ago.

There is a huge contradiction between Criollo and Madrid.

Calvo Sotelo's estate is not in Mexico City. When he decided to stay in the Greater Mexico City for the last battle, he did not plan to go back alive. Calvo Sotelo asked his personal servant to go back to his home to deliver a letter.

But the ending is so touching. Calvo Sotelo, who was determined to die in the battle, survived, but his family died.

A group of "defeaters" who fled from Mexico City looted the Sotelo family's estate, and all the people died.

The Sotelo family's estate is more than 200 miles away from Mexico City. The group of defeated soldiers fled so fast that Calvo Sotelo's servants rode back faster than the "defeaters" on their legs. This was an obvious loophole, but the local colonial government, police and garrison turned a blind eye.

He should be lucky that his servant was a truly loyal servant, otherwise Calvo Sotelo would not have known that all his family members had been killed. If he was really lucky enough to survive until the war, some truth might have been revealed earlier. Just lost in time.

His servant knew that Mexico City had fallen and that his master was either killed in battle or captured, and the possibility of death in battle was very high. But the man resolutely returned to Mexico City and was lucky enough to find Calvo Sotelo, who had just woken up from a coma.

The sudden bad news almost destroyed Calvo Sotelo's mind, leaving him lying in bed and dying. But the desire for revenge kept Calvo Sotelo alive.

"My manor was plundered by a wave of defeated soldiers who marched faster than my servants on horseback more than two months ago. All my family members were killed. Presumably even the manor has been moved to another place now. In the person’s name.”

The fire in Calvo-Sotelo's eyes frightened Villeret.

He patted the scar on his chest and said to Villers, "I once used my life to be loyal to my blood and to this kingdom. Then in the future, I will also use my life to recover Soter from Spain." The blood debt of the Luo family.”

Villers was in a bad mood. But he didn't try to defend the Spaniards, which was not uncommon.

In the midst of the war, disguised as rebels, defeated soldiers, or even bandits, they rush into the enemy's family. While seeking revenge, they can also seize most of the enemy's family's wealth in one fell swoop. Even with a flick of their wrist, it only takes a small amount of money. With money, you can transfer the enemy's property to your own name.

Such dark things are very dark when they are said, but many, many cannot be said at all.

If Calvo-Sotelo was lucky enough to survive the war, his life might have returned to heaven on his way back to his manor.

There is darkness everywhere.

In this world, where there is light, there are shadows. The brighter the place, the darker the darkness behind him. That’s not a bad thing, because it’s living proof.

The ugliness in the darkness is like the pustules on the body that are covered by the outer clothes. As long as they don't deliberately pick at the clothes, who can discover the darkness underneath them?

Just looking at the surface, it's all glamorous.

Eastern society is the same as Western society on this issue. The opium merchants active in London in the 18th/19th century seemed to be as polite as gentlemen, just like the scholar-bureaucrats in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. These people came from a certain place. - There is essentially no difference. The only difference is whether the clothes they wear outside the body are more beautiful and gorgeous.