March 1686, Kingdom of New Spain, Mexico City.

Today's Mexico City is the brightest pearl on the North and South American continents, the window of European civilization in the New World, and the political, military, and economic center of the vast Kingdom of New Spain.

Of course, this is also the central city of the entire New World. Compared with Mexico City, the colonies established by the English and French in the New World are not worth mentioning at all.

From the perspective of the current Vice-King (Governor) of New Spain, Marquis Sercio Mendoza, he dominates almost the entire North American continent - South America established the Viceroyalty of Peru in 1542 (but there are still many

People regard the Viceroyalty of Peru as part of New Spain), and another deputy king rules on behalf of the Spanish king. However, in North America, the deputy king of New Spain is still the most powerful person!

The Marquis of Mendoza sometimes even felt that he was more powerful than the King of Spain, because the territory directly governed by the King was far less than the area under the jurisdiction of his deputy king. The population directly governed by the King was also far less than that of him.

The people ruled by the deputy king. The financial revenue possessed by the king is not worth mentioning if you exclude the contributions of the two viceroyalties of New Spain and Peru.

Many times, the Marquis of Mendoza would have this idea - Spain is a New World country! Because there was an empire (colonial empire) first, and then the Kingdom of Spain... and the future of Spain also lies in its

A colonial country in the vast New World. If Spain was just a European country, it would not be considered a first-class power now. Because Spain's economy is very poor and its population is smaller than France, HRE, Rakshasa, Britain and

Poland and other countries.

But if Spain can transform into a New World country... it will be the vastest and richest country in the world, comparable to the Ming Empire on the west coast of the Pacific.

It's a pity that his idea was simply ridiculous to those Spanish princes and nobles who had never been to the New World.

In fact, before he arrived in New Spain himself, he could not understand its majesty.

Standing in front of the window of his office in the Governor's Palace, looking at the prosperous and prosperous Mexico City, the Marquis of Mendoza could only sigh.

"Dong dong dong..."

"Marquis!"

At this time, the secretary of the Marquis of Mendoza, the very pleasant-looking Garcia, knocked on the door of the office.

"Come in!" said the Marquis.

Then, he heard the creaking sound of the door opening.

"Marquis," a young Spaniard came in, "Raul Torres, the bishop of New Andalusia, has arrived."

"Oh, please come in."

The Marquis of Mendoza knew this Raul Torres. In their early years, they had fought together on the European continent against the enemies of the Kingdom of Spain, thus forming a deep friendship.

However, it was not because of their personal relationship that the Marquis of Mendoza invited Bishop Raul Torres to Mexico City.

Bishop Raul Torres was called to Mexico City because of a newly discovered "lost civilization" in the northwest of the New World.

"Raul, long time no see." As soon as Marquis Mendoza saw his long-time friend, he greeted him to sit down and asked with a smile, "Are you okay? I heard that you were almost beaten to death by those barbarians...

…”

Raul Torres smiled bitterly, "It is true that he almost died...but those people are not barbarians."

"Not barbarians?" Mendoza smiled. "They almost killed you, didn't they?"

"I was held to the head by a thousand musketeers with flintlocks..." Raul Torres said, "and there were only more than two hundred useless mongrels around me! Marquis, who do you think is the barbarian?"

"That's right..." Marquis Mendoza thought for a while, "Can they use those flintlock guns skillfully? In addition, do you know where they bought their flintlock guns?" Gu Jie

"They are well-trained soldiers!" Raul Torres said, "Not only can they use flintlocks skillfully and correctly, but they can also form very neat cavalry formations.

As for where they got so many flintlock guns? I think they either made them themselves or bought them from the Ming Dynasty across the Pacific."

"Build it yourself? Who are they?" Marquis Mendoza asked, "Are they some kind of lost Indian civilization?"

"No, they should not be Indians. They are probably Chinese!" said Raul Torres. "According to themselves, he was a merchant who left China more than 2,600 years ago and fled across the ocean to the New World.

Descendants of the dynasty.”

The bishop already had some idea of ​​what a "merchant" was. He found out this in Mexico City after asking the Cardinal's government adviser, a China expert who had returned from the Philippines.

"What?" Marquis Mendoza couldn't believe his ears, "More than 2,600 years ago? That was 1,000 BC? Isn't this too ancient?"

"It is indeed a bit ancient..." Raul Torres said, "Maybe I was deceived, maybe their ancestors really came from ancient China."

"You must have been deceived by them!" Marquis Mendoza said, "How could people more than 2,600 years ago cross the Pacific Ocean?"

"What you said makes sense. They are probably a group of scammers affiliated with the Nanyang Trading Company." Raul Torres quickly and respectfully stated his conjecture.

Although the Marquis of Mendoza and Torres partially guessed the answer, the deputy king of New Spain could not send troops to start a war based on this guess.

This is not only because the Marquis of Mendoza is a cunning bureaucrat, but also because the Kingdom of Spain has long been in decline.

The Kingdom of Spain could no longer afford a major defeat for its New World colonies!

"Raul," Marquis Mendoza looked at his old friend, "Is there a way to find out the truth?"

"Marquis, after I returned, I sent several groups of people across the desert to find out what was going on. But they were all driven back by the Shang cavalry guarding there!"

It turns out that the protagonist still has some brains and knows that he is likely to be fooled.

Raul Torres continued: "Maybe we should formally send a mission in the name of the king or deputy king... Only in this way can they arrive at the capital of the Shang Dynasty."

Although Raul Torres is a bishop, he is also a bureaucrat. A Catholic bureaucrat...so the solutions he can come up with are also very bureaucratic.

This is playing into Zhou Peigong’s plans!

The Marquis of Mendoza nodded, "Very good, Thor, then I will order you to serve as the envoy of the father of New Spain and go to the capitals of these people to pay homage to their kings and find out their true and false intentions."

The Marquis of Mendoza was a master at "kicking the ball" and kicked the ball directly to Bishop Raul Torres.

However, in the entire New Spain, only Raul Torres had contact with those merchants and could understand a little of their language.

If he doesn't go, who else can make this trip for the Kingdom of Spain?
Chapter completed!