Isabel had wanted to refuse to attend a dinner party for her and William, which was set up for her and William by the officials of the town hall and representatives of the merchants. However, Captain Hawkins told her that since William Parr was a relative of Her Majesty the Queen, the dinner was at stake in the influence and status of the Plymouth councillors in the House of Commons of the London Parliament.

In addition, Captain Hawkins thought he could take advantage of Isabelle's trip to Plymouth. In other words, William's kinship with Queen Catherine was used to secure himself a higher position in the House of Commons. For example, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives in the lower house of the Parliament, as well as the positions in the Executive Office and the Secretariat.

By this time, Captain Hawkins had arranged the family's Protestant church as the shelter for Isabel and William Parr. As for how to arrange the hundreds of attendants brought by the two, the captain made use of the idle house and the woods and wild meadows near the family domain. Try your best to arrange for the attendants to rest in the house, and if you can't arrange it, set up tents in the woods and wild meadows for the attendants to eat and rest.

Captain Hawkins came to the church before dinner, and after requesting a meeting with the Earl of Essex, he went to Ripley's room to discuss some business with her. Isabel couldn't help but laugh softly after listening to Captain Hawkins' intention to entertain the two of them for a banquet, "Captain, your family is currently the richest and most powerful family in Plymouth, right?" ”

The captain modestly stroked his thick beard, nodded his head and smiled reservedly, "Your Excellency, without your generosity and kindness, my family would not have become the most wealthy family in the whole of Devon and nearby Cornwall. ”

Sitting on a bench in a very clean and tidy priest's room, Isabel gracefully picked up a glass of wine from Spain's overseas territories on the small table beside her and took a sip. Then, glancing at Captain Hawkins on the other side of the table, "Well, the most wealthy family. So, captain, do you want a higher position in the House of Commons now? ”

"Yes, Your Excellency. In fact, all the businessmen in Plymouth, including me, love to be involved in government life. Captain Hawkins paused, then smiled again, "Your Excellency, although my family and I already have a great deal of wealth and fame, I would love to make my family and my family known to all the subjects of the kingdom. ”

Isabel nodded, she understood what the other meant. Since ancient times, politics has symbolized power and strife, which is the embodiment of the human instinct that has evolved to the present day. Politics, big or small, international, national, or even local, is full of wrestling and playing with the interests of all parties, the use of power, the formulation of strategies, the choice of tactics, the accumulation of bargaining chips, the gains and losses of pros and cons, the well-being of the people, and the support of political power.

Those who participate in it can decide the ending to a certain extent, and watching it is like watching a spy movie with an intricate plot and even ups and downs, and the ending will never be frozen. It can be said that politics drives the wheel of history, determines the direction of the future, and is also related to the bits and pieces of people's lives. Men subconsciously need strength to win, protect women, and keep their families safe. It just so happens that politics psychologically offers men this possibility.

Isabel held the glass in her left hand and rubbed the rim of the rare glass with the index finger of her right hand, and said to Captain Hawkins, "Captain, I wonder if you wish you could get any other office besides the House of Commons of Parliament?" ”

"Other duties?" When Captain Hawkins heard this, he immediately leaned forward excitedly, "Your Excellency, what do you mean ......?"

At present, the Maritime Affairs Committee is controlled by Viscount Lyle alone, and his every move can affect the decision-making of the Committee and the construction, survival and development of the King's fleet. Therefore, if Isabel wants her power to infiltrate the Maritime Affairs Committee, she must break the dictatorship of Viscount Lyle and bring a balance between the forces.

This sudden idea was not a plan that Isabel had been planning for a long time. She simply believes that the Maritime Affairs Committee is not Viscount Lyle's personal domain, and any decision of the committee cannot be decided by Viscount Lyle alone. Of course, Viscount Lyle's rich and agile intellect and remarkable talent in leadership, strategy and tactics are still worthy of her admiration.

Therefore, a simple and crude method cannot be used to expel a good fleet commander from the Maritime Affairs Committee. However, it is necessary to control his growing ambitions in politics and power well. At this time, Captain Hawkins, who had a lot of wealth and fame, happened to stand up, intending to further seek a higher political status and status.

Isabel thinks Captain Hawkins can be a pawn of her and insert him into the rock-solid Chamber of Maritime Affairs. Pretending not to care, he glanced at the captain, whose eyes were shining with excitement, and said calmly, "Captain, if you were to choose between the position in the lower house of parliament and the position in the Maritime Affairs Committee, which one would you choose?" ”

"The Maritime Affairs Committee?! Well, is there anything this committee can do? Captain Hawkins stroked his beard and shifted his thoughts in the direction Isabel wanted to see.

"There's a lot you can do. For example, supervising all the docks in the kingdom, distributing food to the crew and guards of the fleet, and various weapons and artillery used by the fleet. Garrison sergeants, bunkers and fortifications were placed on every important coastline, and important ports were fortified, desilted and embankmentd. ”

"Your Excellency, I have heard of the Committee on Maritime Affairs. It's just that I didn't expect the committee to fulfill so many responsibilities. ”

Isabel held the wine glass in her left hand and gently swung it back and forth, admiring the Spanish wine in the glass in front of her, and said as she looked at the wine in the glass, "Captain, your family has made a fortune by trading overseas. You should know that only when the kingdom controls the sea can it use the sea power in its hands to defeat the invasion of enemies from the sea. ”

Captain Hawkins laughed with satisfaction after listening to her detailed explanation, "Your Excellency, you have said it very well. Only, the lower house of parliament ......"

Isabel put down her glass, put her hands on the armrests of the Gothic bench and replied elegantly, "Captain, you can enter the council first and become a member." Then, with my assistance, he took up the position of the Committee on Ocean Affairs. ”

With the possibility of becoming a member of parliament and entering a position in the important maritime affairs department, Captain Hawkins has a bright future before his eyes.