Su He met with the Spanish ambassador at the Imperial Court.
The Spanish ambassador has been very active in the past two days, and the matter of the former ambassador Cedes has caused a stir in the capital.
The people were talking about this matter.
Su He adopted Prime Minister Wang Zhongce's suggestion and resolved the matter in the Great Court.
It will leave a reference template for officials at all levels to deal with diplomatic issues in the future.
The Spanish ambassador had just finished saluting at the court meeting, and he had not yet spoken out his request.
Maoxiang, a doctor in the Ministry of official affairs, stood up and said angrily: "I risk my life to remonstrate with Your Majesty. This person is not the Spanish ambassador, he is a fake ambassador."
Maoxiang's words stirred up a stir, and all the civil and military officials in the court couldn't help but talk about it.
"What? The ambassador is fake, and the ambassador can still be fake. Spain is so ambitious.
Why are they pretending to be ambassadors and are they trying to assassinate His Majesty?"
"The officials in the Ministry of Rites are so rubbish. They are responsible for diplomatic relations and they didn't even recognize the fake ambassador.
There is only one Spanish ambassador now. When there are more ambassadors in the future, it will be a joke if the ambassador is confused."
Su He saw the chaos in the court and asked calmly: Mr. Mao, what evidence do you have to prove that he is not the Spanish ambassador?"
Maoxiang replied loudly: "Your Majesty, I am well versed in the art of painting and have painted portraits of many well-known Westerners.
I remember very clearly that Ambassador Rubio has very special ears.
His ears are narrow and elongated, almost invisible to the naked eye.
This ambassador looks very similar to Ambassador Rubio. Without close contact with Ambassador Rubio, it is basically impossible to tell the difference between the two.
This man has larger ears, which he covers with his hair.
After observing for a long time, I realized that this person was not Ambassador Rubio.
I have a portrait that I painted for Ambassador Rubio in my home. If you compare the portrait with this person, you will be able to find out the truth."
After Su He heard Maoxiang's evidence, he immediately ordered: "Mr. Mao Xiang went home to get the portrait and let all the civil and military officials in the court take a closer look.
Inform the White Tiger Guards to seal off the Spanish Embassy and prevent anyone from escaping. The Qilin Guards will immediately control the Spanish Ambassador."
When the Spanish ambassador saw the Qilin Guard soldiers approaching him, he retorted in half-baked Chinese: "Your Majesty, the Emperor of Dahua, you cannot do this.
Ambassadors represent the honor of the Kingdom of Spain.
By arresting me, you are provoking the great Kingdom of Spain.
Attacking the Spanish Embassy is tantamount to declaring war on the Kingdom of Spain."
Su He said in a cold tone: "You, the Spanish ambassador, are really fake. Then there is no sincerity in Spain's establishment of diplomatic relations with our country.
You actually used this method to deceive me, and I will fight back at all costs."
The court will fall into silence, and everyone is thinking, what will happen next?
Prime Minister Wang Zhongce's expression did not change. He understood that Emperor Su He, Dahua and Spain would definitely have a war.
The emergence of this incident only brought the war forward for a period of time.
Su Xiong wanted to laugh, but he didn't dare to really laugh.
Dahua Dynasty took a break and showed its fangs again.
As the main militant, he has always promoted the imperial court's outward expansion.
As long as the imperial court chooses to take this step and continue to plunder colonies like Western countries, it will be difficult to stop.
Maoxiang took out the painting from his home as quickly as possible and rushed to the Jinluan Palace again.
He handed the painting to Eunuch Zhou Fangzhi.
Zhou Fangzhi held one end of the scroll with both hands, and he unfolded the painting for Emperor Su He to see.
Su He looked at this painting. It was a figure painting using Chinese realistic painting methods. The people in the painting were lifelike.
He looked carefully at the painting and the Spanish ambassador.
The faces of the two people are very similar, especially the hair color, eyes, nose and other features are almost identical.
The biggest flaw is the ears, not the people who are familiar with them.
It is basically impossible to tell the difference between the two people. At first glance, they are carefully prepared stand-ins.
Su He angrily slapped the dragon chair with his hand and said: "Take it down and let all civil and military officials see how the Spanish ambassador deceived the emperor and ignored his superiors."
Zhou Fangzhi handed the painting to the Qilin Guard soldiers.
He walked in front of all the civil and military officials.
In front of the first and second grade officials, he walked very slowly to let these people see clearly.
He just passed by in front of other officials.
Prime Minister Wang Zhongce stood up and said: "Your Majesty, the Spanish ambassador is a fake. We must find out where the real ambassador is now."
Cabinet Minister Wei Shiming immediately stood up and said: "Your Majesty, by doing this, the Spanish Ambassador is showing contempt for Your Majesty and China.
We must deal with this matter seriously and maintain the dignity of the Heavenly Kingdom."
Su Xiong said on behalf of the military: "Your Majesty, Spain has done this and destroyed the diplomatic relations between the two countries.
They chose to do this and were prepared to go to war with our country.
We must strike first and be stronger, and we must not respond passively.
Whether the Spanish want to attack Nanyang or the southern regions such as Guangdong and Guangxi.
If we respond passively, we will inevitably suffer huge losses in the early stage.
If you strike first and gain the upper hand, you can minimize your losses."
Officials put forward suggestions one after another, and the civil and military parties rarely had the same idea. They all believed that the Spaniards must be severely punished.
Su He ordered: "Arrest everyone in the Spanish embassy and detain Spanish merchants and ships at various docks.
Xuanwu Guard Commander Su Changsheng is responsible for investigating this matter in detail and reporting the investigation results to me as soon as possible."
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After Su He finished reviewing the memorial sent by the cabinet, he blew out the whale oil candle and was about to fall asleep.
Eunuch Zhou Fangzhi walked to the bedside and whispered: "Your Majesty, Su Changsheng, the commander of the Xuanwu Guard, would like to see you."
While Su He was getting dressed, he immediately ordered Zhou Fangzhi to bring Su Changsheng in.
He looked at Su Changsheng who was sweating profusely and asked, "Er Gou, has the matter come to an end?"
Su Changsheng said confidently: "Those Westerners couldn't bear the severe punishment of our Xuanwu Guards, so they tried everything.
Four days ago, Spanish Ambassador Rubio took the church's Bishop Bria, disguised as businessmen, and left Dahua by boat.
He ordered his stand-in to make as much noise as possible to prove that he was still in Dahua.
No one in the embassy knew why they left.
But before Rubio left, the embassy received a letter from Manila."
Su He thought for a moment and then ordered Zhou Fangzhi: "Notify the cabinet and the ministers of the Governor's Office to convene an emergency meeting."
After the emperor's decree was issued, the cabinet prime minister Wang Zhongce and other civil officials, as well as the governor Su Xiong and other military officers, rushed to Qianqing Palace overnight.
They sat in their respective seats, with the results of Su Changsheng's investigation on the table.
Everyone learned the information about Su Changsheng's investigation.
Chief of General Staff Li Fengming frowned and said: "Rubio left immediately after receiving the letter. He must have a reason to leave.
It can be seen from the testimonials of everyone in the embassy that Rubio left in a hurry without any preparation beforehand.
Chen speculated that he left at the risk because he felt it was more dangerous to stay in Dahua.
Westerners risk their lives by taking ships to come to the East, they do it for profit.
I guess the Spaniards want to attack Nanyang.
In the past, Nanyang only produced some spices, which were not worth the high cost for the Spaniards to compete for.
After the discovery of gold mines in Nanyang, the value of Nanyang changed dramatically, making it worth the risk of Spain to compete for it."
Prime Minister Wang Zhongce suggested: "Your Majesty, the Spanish have wanted to seize our steam engine technology before.
Chen believes that Rubio must have mastered steam engine technology through various means because he fled in a hurry.
Rubio got what he wanted, in order to prevent us from discovering what he did.
Then he ignored the diplomatic relations between the two countries and fled immediately.
The benefits of trade between the two countries are huge. I can't think of any other reasons besides steam engines and other important confidential technologies that would be worthy of giving up the diplomatic relations between the two countries.
I followed Commander Su Changsheng to introduce the details of the case and discovered a detail.
Rubio secretly acquired a small factory, and Bria and he often went to this small factory in disguise.
Rubio and Bria left together, which basically proves the accuracy of my guess."
Su He also listened to the suggestions of other ministers, except that the military's stance on war remained unchanged.
The civil servants were also divided into two factions, the war faction and the peace faction.
But this time the voice of the peace faction was very weak. This operation by the Spaniards had made both civil and military parties share the same hatred.
Su He figured out what the ministers were thinking, and he issued the decree: "Minister of the Navy Li Qingmu listens to the decree."
Li Qingmu stood up immediately. He saluted Su He with a military salute and listened to Su He's will.
"As the commander-in-chief, Li Qingmu will command the Second Fleet and the Fourth Fleet to attack Luzon Island and expel the Spanish colonists from Luzon Island. We want to control the entire Nanyang region."
Li Qingmu said sonorously and forcefully: "I accept the decree."
A smile appeared on his face, he finally waited for the opportunity to lead the army again.
If he can capture Luzon Island and expel the Spanish this time, he will most likely be crowned king.
Cabinet minister Li Zhisheng stood up and suggested: "Your Majesty, we are a kingdom in heaven. If we are not willing to conquer our country, we must have a distinguished army. I would like to ask you to write a memorandum."
A correct name means correct words, and a clear message is indispensable."
Su He understood what Li Zhisheng meant. When fighting, one must be honest and right.
In ancient times, transportation was inconvenient and there was no way to issue a declaration of war. Instead, declarations of war were usually announced to the world.
Su He said with a smile: "Luzon Island is a colony of the Kingdom of Spain, and we are not attacking the Spanish mainland, so there is no need to make it so grand.
When Westerners competed for colonies, they did not have the habit of declaring war on each other and notifying each other in advance.
When we join the struggle for colonies, we must first abide by their rules.
It won't be too late to declare war one day when we reach their homeland.
Attack colonies without declaring war, and cannon is the best declaration of war."
The Royal Council made the decision to attack the Spanish, and the cabinet and the Governor's Office immediately mobilized urgently.
Navy Minister Li Qingmu and the officers of the Metropolitan Governor's Office discussed which plan to choose for this battle.
The General Staff Department prepares multiple plans for possible wars.
The details of these preparations vary, including which army to mobilize to support the operation, how to evacuate in the event of defeat, and other details.
The commander-in-chief chooses the plan that is most beneficial to the current situation based on the situation of the war.
After Li Qingmu selected the combat plan, he took a steam speedboat south to Songjiang Prefecture overnight and went to the military port where the Navy's Second Fleet was located.
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4336 (1639 AD), July 29th.
Li Qingmu took a boat and rushed to Songjiang Prefecture and Wusong Port where the Navy's Second Fleet was stationed.
The area defended by the Second Fleet is a large area of the East China Sea to the Japanese Kingdom.
The steam propeller speedboat Li Qingmu was riding was very fast.
He immediately boarded the battleship Hanwu Emperor, the flagship of the Second Fleet, and met with Feng Sanqiu, the governor of the Second Fleet.
Feng Sanqiu saw Li Qingmu boarding the ship. After saluting the military salute, Feng Sanqiu said with a smile: "Commander Li is welcome to inspect the Second Fleet."
He thought that Navy Minister Li Qingmu was just here for a routine inspection.
Inspections are conducted once or twice a year. It is not the end of the year yet, but it is normal to conduct inspections in advance.
They received an order some time ago to put the Second Fleet into preparation for war. Unexpectedly, Li Qingmu attached great importance to this preparation.
Li Qingmu saw the officers and soldiers on the Han Wudi battleship still training as usual after he boarded the ship.
The officers and soldiers of the newly commissioned battleships are operating them and are familiar with formation operations.
Li Qingmu was rich in experience. Seeing the performance of these officers and soldiers, he nodded secretly. The quality of the soldiers was much better than before.
He asked in a serious tone: "Your Second Fleet has done a good job in preparing for the war issued by the Governor's Office some time ago.
The main warships of the Second Fleet are all on standby at Wusong Naval Port.
I don’t know if you can meet the requirements and sail out of the port immediately to fight.”
Feng Sanqiu was stunned for a moment. He did not expect that after Li Qingmu boarded the ship, he immediately asked their second fleet to leave the port for combat.
"Chief Li, did I hear you correctly? You asked us to leave the harbor immediately to fight."
Li Qingmu looked at Feng Sanqiu with dagger-like eyes, and confirmed again: "You heard me right, I order you to leave the harbor immediately to fight, can you do it?"
Feng Sanqiu saluted with a military salute and said firmly: "Sir Li, there is no problem with our Second Fleet.
Each warship has sufficient supplies and ammunition reserves and is ready for war.
Battleships in the military port can leave the port for combat at any time.
But the battleship Cao Cao and the battleship Li Jing formed a double battleship formation and were cruising in the waters of Japan.
The Second Fleet is not at full strength now.
The order to prepare for war was issued only a few days ago, and there is no way to recall these two battleships."
Li Qingmu nodded with satisfaction and ordered: "Two less battleships will have no impact on the battle situation.
On your Majesty's order, I command the Second Fleet and the Fourth Fleet to attack Luzon Island.
The military situation is urgent and we need you to set off immediately.
Let these two battleships stay in Songjiang Prefecture to guard against enemies who may attack the mainland.
The remaining battleships of the Second Fleet will immediately go to Guangzhou Naval Port to rendezvous with the Fourth Fleet, and we will send troops to Luzon Island."
Feng Sanqiu called Dong Heng and Hu Nanzhu to jointly review the imperial edict brought by Li Qingmu.
After confirming the authenticity of the imperial edict, they saluted Li Qingmu with a military salute.
"I will obey Commander Li's order."
The second fleet immediately set off from Wusong Military Port in Songjiang Prefecture, and the huge fleet moved southward in mighty force.
Li Qingmu stood on the deck of the Han Wudi battleship, his heart was ups and downs.
Taking command of the fleet again, we must fight more excitingly.
Li Qingmu has sent a steam speedboat to notify the Fourth Fleet.
He asked the warships of the Fourth Fleet to assemble at the Guangzhou naval port and wait for the Second Fleet to join them.
Nearly half of the navy's warships were dispatched to Luzon Island.
Li Qingmu believed that they simply could not stop the attack of the Royal Navy of China with only the navy in the Spanish Manila Port.
