Paris, Palace of Versailles, Bull's Eye Room
King Louis was summoning his ministers, his face was gloomy and his brows were furrowed.
There’s a lot of bad news!
First of all, another urgent letter for help from the Marquis of Marina has been sent to Europe by the fastest sailing ship and was placed in front of King Louis.
The Marquis of Marina told Louis that the nomadic group of "Mongols" had split into two groups since the summer and continued to move south and southwest. Along the way, they continued to destroy safari tribes of Indians, plundering their horses, capturing their women and children, and killing their warriors. As a result, great panic arose throughout the central and southern parts of the Great Plains. The surviving Indian hunting tribes were fleeing south. Some of them fled to the Texas Governorate in New Spain; some of them fled to New France. Governor's District of Louisiana. Due to lack of food and shelter, these Indians also clashed with the New Spanish army stationed in the Texas Viceroyalty and the French army stationed in Louisiana.
On the Texas side, casualties were heavy on both sides. Don Juan Jose had to mobilize some troops from the Mexican front to stabilize the situation in Texas. But as the nomadic group moving southwest approached Texas, it was likely that Don Juan Jose would completely abandon this outlying colony in New Spain before the end of 1674.
As for Louisiana, because the Marquis of Marina mobilized thousands of French troops deployed in New Spain to New Rome in advance and purchased a large amount of food from New England, the situation was relatively stable. But it is not optimistic, because the "Mongolian cluster" heading south is likely to enter the Louisiana colony in the winter of 1674.
So the Marquis of Marina had to support Steel, the leader of the "Great Soviet Union" who followed him to flee from St. Louis to New Rome, to integrate the hunting tribes into Louisiana... But this process was equally bloody, so the entire Louisiana Governorate It's all a mess!
And as more and more hunting Indians were integrated into the "Southern Sioux Alliance", their livelihood issues were placed in front of the Marquis of Marina... There were not so many bison in the Louisiana area to hunt. Therefore, the Southern Sioux Alliance's way of survival must change from hunting to nomadism.
And this kind of transformation is not so easy to achieve. Herding cattle and sheep is also a craft! And the Indians don’t have that many cattle and sheep to graze!
The French in New Rome had to figure it out. They had to buy cattle and sheep from New Spain and New England, and they had to be taught step by step... The trouble here was huge, and a lot of money had to be spent!
Moreover, Marquis Marina is also very worried that once the "Southern Sioux Alliance" completes its nomadic reforms, will it become a "Great Soviet Khanate"?
In his letter to Louis, he mentioned that the Iron Chief asked him for advice on issues related to the Nomadic Khanate!
Louis also knew that this matter was not easy to handle, because the French population in North America was still too small. If he did not find ways to arm the Indians, New Rome would not be able to grow at all, and would be conquered by the nomadic "Mongols".
Therefore, building a "Great Soviet Khanate" is the only way to resist the Mongol invasion.
As for whether the Great Soviet Khanate will become the same threat as the American Mongols in the future... I can't care about it now!
The second bad news comes from Portugal and North Africa!
King Alfonso is back with the support of the Ottoman Empire, the Timurid Empire of India and the Ming Empire! Now advancing along the coastline of North Africa... To make matters worse, the Portuguese king, who was considered "infertile", is said to have received a "sacred oil" with strange curative effects in India, and has now regained his glory and married a new wife. A son was born together!
He is still the official king of Portugal and has a son... What should we do with the adulterous couple Prince Pedro and Maria Francesca?
Portugal is in Catholic Europe! It is not the East where one can become emperor with strong soldiers and horses. And even in the East, usurpers usually kill the original king to avoid future troubles! How can anyone usurp the throne and still be the cause of disaster? Moreover, they usurped the throne and did not usurp it to the end. They also left the crown on Alfonso's head and usurped a regent.
So now the Portuguese nobles don’t know what to do? Alfonso is the legitimate king, and he was obviously framed by his brothers and wife. How could they help the insidious adulterer and wife against the legitimate monarch?
Not to mention that the Portuguese nobles were at a loss, even Louis XIV himself didn't know what to do? He himself is a European monarch and must maintain the sanctity of monarchy. So we cannot openly support the usurper... What if his brother, the Duke of Orleans, turns around and conspires with his wife to depose him?
The third bad news comes from the Holy Roman Empire! The country does not seem to be as fragile as Louis imagined...
"Your Highness, do you think the Ottoman Empire cannot occupy Vienna?" King Louis asked the same question to Prince Condé again.
"No," Prince Condé gave a very definite answer. "The Holy Roman Empire also followed our country and carried out comprehensive military reforms... Flintlocks and bayonets were popularized, and the number of pikemen was greatly reduced. , the cavalry has become more flexible and lighter, and the artillery has been comprehensively improved. And with the efforts of Count Montecuccoli, they also established a field regiment similar to the French New Army, with a number of about three to four Between ten thousand.
Although we and the New Spaniards recruited many mercenaries from within the Holy Roman Empire, this did not affect their new army. Therefore, I judge that Count Montecuccoli will use his best mobile warfare to deal a heavy blow to the Ottoman army. "
"The Ottomans have 100,000 soldiers in the Janissary Legion alone!" King Louis said, "And they have also carried out reforms. Can they still not defeat the new Holy Roman Empire army, which only has 30 to 40% of its number?"
Prince Condé shook his head and said: "The Ottoman Empire's Yenicheri Army is too cumbersome...The purpose of their reforms is not to strengthen their field capabilities, but to strengthen their ability to attack difficult positions. So they have a lot of equipment The heavy artillery strengthened the engineers. However, there was no radical transformation of the infantry. The infantry of the Yenicherry Corps still used old matchlock guns. What is even more troublesome is that the officers of the Yenicherry Corps were too conservative and ignored Flintlock muskets equipped with bayonets bring changes to the battlefield. Recently, the Ottoman Empire’s ambassador also canceled an order for 20,000 flintlock muskets and instead purchased 2,000 Minin-style flintlock rifles.”
"Want to buy a flintlock rifle?" Louis XIV frowned. "Do the Ottomans want to use chasseurs to deal with the infantry of the Holy Roman Empire? Is it possible to win?"
Prince Condai said firmly: "No!"
Marshal Dureny also shook his head: "This is impossible... The rate of fire of the Minin rifle is too slow. It can only be used for sniping and cannot be equipped with line infantry. Moreover, the number of 2,000 is too small. It won’t do anything.”
Louis XIV sighed, looking a little disappointed: "It seems that there is no way for me to get Rome?"
"There is no way at the moment..." Prince Kongdai replied.
Marshal Duleni also said: "I'm afraid it won't work this time, unless..."
Unless Louis XIV is allowed to side with the Ottoman Empire and attack the Holy Roman Empire.
"This is not okay." Louis XIV shook his head, "I can't do this. After all, I still believe in God!"
Prince Kondai and Durenni looked at each other, both showing relaxed expressions.
Prince Condé said: "Since Your Majesty cannot attack the Holy Roman Empire from both sides, I suggest that you stand on the side of the Holy Roman Empire and oppose Ottoman aggression!"
Duleni also said: "This is also good for the Ottoman Empire. They obviously overestimated their power..."
Louis XIV thought for a while and nodded: "It seems like this is the only thing... before the war breaks out, what else can I do!
So...will the 2,000 Minin rifled guns be returned? "
"Give it," Prince Condé said with a smile, "their bid is very high, and we have enough inventory, why not make this money?"
Louis XIV smiled: "That's right... After all, we and the Ottoman Empire are still friends! If they don't invade, the friendship between the two sides can continue to be maintained."
