There are three forts in the forest between Mexico City and Changsheng County, and the West India Council originally planned to name these three forts the 'Alva Line' in order to curry favor with the Duke of Alva, in order to take the meaning of impregnable.

However, within three months of the fort's preparation, the first bastion had not yet been repaired, and the two countries had already begun to sign a contract, and the three fortresses guarding the main road in the so-called Mingxi condominium were like a joke.

Now they are called the 'Bernal Line', which means vulnerable.

The seven planned fortresses have also become two simple log fortresses and one wooden and stone fortress, which consumes huge manpower and material resources, and the result is meaningless.

It's frustrating for anyone, but it's not the most uncomfortable.

In the military fortress, the old Duke of Alva, dressed in black satin-cut clothes, stared at the wall with his hands in his hands, and heard the monks sent to the border by the East India Affairs Council say: "Last week, seven more plantations were deserted, the lord of the manor fled the land with his family and slaves, three men bought land near Fort Bernal at a high price, and the other four, well, they went elsewhere to earn a living." ”

The old duke didn't frown, this was not the first time such a thing had happened, he just repeated softly: "This is a deserter, a deserter." ”

"Your Excellency, three months ago the Council of Indian Affairs issued a decree to all the territory of New Spain at your request to enter into a time of peace, and they have the right to leave here."

Ignoring the provocations from the Councillors who seemed to be defending their power, Alva simply asked, "You have found out, why do plantation owners keep giving up their land, is it because of the green cloaks?" ”

The border between Spain and the Ming Dynasty was born in the midst of war, and it seems that from the beginning of its birth it was accompanied by never-ending friction.

Friction is not necessarily only war, but confrontation without gunpowder is a test of people's will.

"Some people left out of hatred, and the two barons considered it a disgrace like the Moorish rule in Iberia nine hundred years ago, and they planned to go elsewhere to recruit mercenaries and explorers and wait for the third war with the Ming Kingdom."

The monk of the committee said with a helpless wry smile on his face: "This is not their speculation, after discussion among many monks in the committee, we unanimously judged that even if the contract is signed this time, it will only be delayed for a few years, according to Chen Mu's usual practice, when he is familiar with the situation here, we will still enter a state of war with the Ming Kingdom." ”

Hearing the monk say this, Alva's expression relaxed, and he slowly walked around the table and sat down, and said, "You are very right, when do you think the next war will take place?" ”

"Between five and ten years," the monk said, "although the Ming Kingdom took over the cities on the west coast, they maintained their native life on the land, and it seems that they came here for the purpose of farming, fishing, and raising geese, and they had almost no cost to maintain the new land, but they also produced very little. ”

"Our ransom captives say that they have brought back a lot of big tortoises from Acapulco this year, and that they have loaded some plants and animals that they have no plants and animals on board, and that they have cut down a lot of trees from the north that they don't know how to bring back, and that the few silver that have been brought back are still bought and sold with us."

"It's ridiculous, what the hell are they doing here?"

It was ridiculous indeed, because the Ming and Spain's very different approaches to the New World made it difficult for the West India Affairs Committee to understand.

"The Ming Kingdom is very strong, but no matter how much land they get, it will not produce enough benefits in a short time, but we can send silver and gold back to the country in a steady stream, recruit more legionnaires, we are ready for a few years, and the winner of the war again must be us."

There is little comparison between the actions of the two countries in the New World, Spain is a robber with a gun, does not treat the aborigines as human beings, and naturally has no psychological burden, backed by legions, plantation owners supervise the aborigines, and the cost of maintaining the colony is very high, but the income is also very high.

The actions of the Ming people in the New World looked more like peasants with cannons, and although the Beiyang Army was very combative, they came here to farm the land in a down-to-earth manner, and their income was handed over to less than 10% of the domestic ones.

The long military contact gave the West India Council some understanding of the Ming Dynasty, and they believed that the reason why the Ming won two wars in quick succession was because the Ming were too big and had enough strength, but there was no correct way to treat the new land.

Like them, ninety percent of the output is collected, and more is obtained.

"Does the Committee think so?" The Duke of Alva was noncommittal and asked, "So, why did the rest of the people leave?" ”

"Some people are cowards who think they can't protect the plantation, so they run to the vicinity of Bernalburg; There are also some who are unbearable humiliation, those Indians who were enslaved in the past entered the land of the Ming Kingdom and became Ming people, often appearing near the plantation to show off their might, and no one can stand it. ”

This matter was inexplicable to the people of the Ming Kingdom and the Spanish plantation owners on the border, and the Ming people could not restrain the desire of the newly naturalized aborigines to cross the border to swagger, and the Spanish plantation owners could not accept this situation calmly.

There have been many conflicts on the border, all because the plantation owners have detained, injured, abused, and killed the indigenous people, sometimes no one knows, and the matter has passed, and sometimes Lin Manjue's guerrillas will get the news and inform the villages to which the aborigines belong.

Then there will be dozens, if not hundreds, of armed civilians, led by one or more village captains, who will cross the border to rescue the people under their control, and if the people they want to save are tortured to the point of horrific or have their heads hung on the wall, conflict cannot be avoided.

This happened three times, and all three times ended with the liberation of the entire plantation.

The West Indies Council characterized this as a provocation to Spain, and reported the matter to Alva, and the Duke asked them to contact Chen Mu on their own, and they sent people to Chang Sheng, but they did not even see Chen Mu's face, and only received a salty and indifferent response.

For the first time, the doorman of the Toyo Military Office told their envoy five words: it has been recorded.

The second time, the doorman of the Oriental Military Mansion delayed an hour before reporting, and when he came out, he relayed Zhao Shizhen's words: The marshal knows.

The third time, their envoy finally saw Zhao Shizhen, who was wearing an official robe on the balcony on the second floor, and said to the envoy outside the gate of the military palace from afar: "Chen Shuai said, it's just three things, let Alva take care of your people, and then dare to hurt the people of my Celestial Empire, let you all go back to Iberia." ”

Since then, plantations on the eastern side of the border have been largely abandoned.

Alva was now indifferent to what was happening in the New World, and seemed to care only if the musket workshop in Mexico City could build him enough muskets in time to prepare him for victory in the upcoming Portuguese War.

But the old man's heart was like a mirror, and his fingers on the table moved, and he said to the monk without a clue: "Has the committee found that from the border east to the Caribbean coast, our new nobles are trying to leave, the Indians who have no human rights are fleeing westward, and the tribes are migrating to the other side of the border? ”

"The committee believes that the Third Minxi War, which broke out ten years later, has already begun, and there is no need for corps." Alva raised his hand and nodded his head: "Use this place to decide the winner." ”