Grilled capon, stewed cod, copper pot stew, king cake... the authentic Portuguese Christmas dinner was served, which satisfied Sebastian's stomach and warmed his heart.

"As for Brazil, it's easier to explain." But what warmed people's hearts even more was what Mr. Zhao said: "Just ask the people, if you exchange Guyana for Brazil, will they do it?"

"Of course I exchanged it." Sebastian said without hesitation: "Everyone knows that this is a good deal."

First of all, Brazil at that time was not as large as it is today. The Portuguese rule was limited to a narrow coastal strip from Saldova to Rio, and it was not continuous.

At this time, Guyana belonged completely to Spain and had not yet been torn apart by the great powers. So the Guyana mentioned by Zhao Hao was actually a geographical concept - the Guiana Shield. It included the five parts of Spanish, British, Dutch, French and Portuguese Guiana in later generations, that is, half of Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and the Brazilian state of Amapá.

If you don’t mention anything else, just look at the five companies competing for Guyana and you will know the attraction of this land.

First, of the regions of the Americas that have been explored so far, Guiana is closest to Europe and the Iberian Peninsula.

Second, ocean currents and monsoons meant that ships from Europe and West Africa always landed here in South America.

Finally, there is fertile and vast land and abundant natural resources.

Therefore, Guyana is a natural corner of the triangular trade and is very suitable for developing a plantation economy.

In comparison, the current Brazil is not only small and far away, but also has to pass through the terrible equatorial doldrums, which is the product of the compromise of the Pope's meridian. So for the Portuguese, being able to exchange for a bigger, closer and better Guyana is of course what they want.

The only problem is that Guyana is a Spanish territory...

When Sebastian raised this question, Zhao Hao laughed out loud and said, "It doesn't matter. We still have accounts to settle with the Spaniards. They will naturally pay the price when the time comes."

"In fact, we can directly ask for Guyana's, but firstly, it is farther away from us. Secondly..." After a pause, Mr. Zhao held up the tall wine glass, looked at Sebastian sincerely and said:

"We hope that your country will become a stronger ally, which is more in line with our interests. So we must not only unload your burdens and reduce your burdens, but also help you gain the foundation for becoming stronger again. Guyana is the best gift we can give to our allies, and of course your country's share is indispensable in international trade! Now, Your Majesty, can you believe that we sincerely want to help our friends?"

"Uh..." Sebastian's tears were streaming down his face. He didn't know if it was because there were too many onions in the dish or because he was so moved by Zhao Hao.

He was confused by what Zhao Hao said and felt that the other party was trying to fool him, but he also felt that what Mr. Zhao said made a lot of sense and he couldn't refute it.

At the instigation of the nobles, he mobilized the whole country to invade Morocco. Wasn't it because Portugal's maritime strategy of dispersing scarce manpower over tens of thousands of kilometers of shipping routes was somewhat unsustainable? So they wanted to change their national policy and concentrate on developing colonies like the Spanish, gain more wealth and manpower, become bigger and stronger, and create greater glory?

From this perspective, doesn’t this “Secret Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Assistance” just help Portugal achieve its strategic transformation?

Although it was forced.

But as Gongzi Zhao said, as long as he doesn't say it, who would know that he was forced? It seems that Gongzi Zhao doesn't care about his propaganda in China, so he can just flatter himself!

Thinking of this, Sebastian shed tears of emotion, raised his glass and clinked it with Zhao Hao's, choking with sobs:

"Thank you very much. You will always be my dear brother..."

"You will always be my dear brother." Zhao Hao smiled and clinked glasses with him, and they both drank it in one gulp.

As Sebadisian finally let go of his worries, the atmosphere of the banquet finally became cheerful. Sebadisian hadn't been so happy for a long time. After a few more drinks, he showed his unrestrained nature and jumped into the middle of the field to dance with the band.

Pinto followed the etiquette of the Ming Dynasty and brought a glass of wine to Zhao Hao to toast him.

Young Master Zhao stood up and clinked his glass with him, nodded to him meaningfully, and smiled with satisfaction.

Pinto suddenly felt as if he had eaten ginseng fruit; all the pores in his body felt smooth and unblocked. He quickly and respectfully drank the wine in the glass.

"Professor Ping, would you like to sit down and have a cigarette?" Zhao Hao handed him a cigar with a smile and picked up one for himself.

Pinto quickly picked up the lighter and lit a cigarette for the young master.

Zhao Hao gestured for him to light one for himself as well, and the two of them puffed away smoke while talking in low voices.

"Thank you for your hard work over the past year and a half."

"Obeying orders is the duty of the Coast Guard." Pinto said, sitting upright. He is a professor at the Coast Guard Academy, and he has three silver stars.

"Okay." Zhao Hao nodded with a smile and said, "The General Headquarters has decided that you will serve as the chief liaison officer between the Volunteer Fleet and the Portuguese Army, and together with the Fleet Commander, Police Commissioner, Marine Commander, and Police Commissioner, you will form the Front Committee."

"Yes." Pinto was so excited that his nose felt sore and he almost cried. He knew that he would be the liaison officer between the group and the king, otherwise he would not have tried so hard to persuade Xiao Sai.

But he didn't expect that the young master would include him in the list of members of the front committee. Pinto almost witnessed the entire process of the Coast Guard from scratch, so he naturally knew the organizational system of this army like the back of his hand.

He knew that whenever there was a major battle, Zhao Hao would set up a front committee to unify and lead all actions of the combat troops. Becoming a member of the front committee represented the commander-in-chief's absolute trust and respect for him... Obviously, the young master saw all his efforts.

"I will swear allegiance to the commander-in-chief until death!" Mr. Ping said with a strong nasal tone.

"Hey, you still have to be a good confidant of His Majesty Sebastian." Zhao Hao patted his shoulder gently and said, "I wanted to recommend you as the commander-in-chief of the coalition forces, but I was afraid that this would make Sebastian alienated from you. And I remember you said that Portugal attaches great importance to family background, and I'm afraid those great nobles will not obey you. So I won't say anything more about how Sebastian arranges you."

"You are so considerate, sir." Pinto said with emotion.

"I will hold a special meeting of the front committee to discuss the specific arrangements later. We will discuss them then." This is not a place for deep discussions. The two of them kept mumbling for a long time, and Xiao Sai would also mutter in his heart. Zhao Hao ended the conversation and said softly at the end: "Don't forget to remind your king to take medicine and do acupuncture on time."

"I understand." Pinto nodded, thinking that the young master really cared about His Majesty and even cared about the continuation of the family line.

Your Majesty is so lucky to be saved by the young master.

He stood up, saluted, and returned to his seat.

~~

The day after the treaty was signed, the fleet that was reviewing in Brunei Bay weighed anchor and set sail, carrying a hungover Sebastian to the Strait of Malacca 2,500 miles away.

Driven by the northeast wind, seven days later, the fleet sailed to the entrance of the Strait of Malacca and anchored in Xingzhou, the southernmost part of the former Johor Kingdom and now the Johor Governorate.

The Ming Dynasty called Xingzhou Temasek, which is Singapore in later generations. However, at that time, this most dazzling pearl in Southeast Asia was just a deserted island across the sea from the mainland of Johor.

This island located at the southernmost tip of the Malay Peninsula is a natural intersection of the East-West sea routes, and thus it rose to become a prosperous maritime trade center three hundred years ago. However, after the Portuguese occupied Malacca, they were unwilling to allow others to sleep beside their bed. They forcibly relocated the island residents to Malacca on the pretext of fighting pirates, and burned down the town dock. This place fell silent.

Although Johor was later established at the southernmost tip of the Malay Peninsula, it had no naval power and was naturally unable to recover Singapore.

However, the Johor Governor-General Muzasafah still mobilized the entire country to provide logistical support for the coast guard fleet.

This time, the coast guard dispatched troops to Malacca, which can be regarded as a revenge for his family's loss of their country.

~~

The Portuguese had many eyes and ears in the South Seas. In recent years, because of the outbreak of the South Sea War in Mingxi, they had increased their intelligence gathering efforts. Naturally, they had long known that the Coast Guard Fleet was coming straight to their lair.

Malacca Governor Bernardo, on the one hand, sent an emergency call to Goa, and on the other hand, ordered Malacca to enter a state of war. The Malacca fleet also left its home port and cruised in the nearby waters to avoid being blocked at home by the powerful Ming fleet.

Over the past seventy years, the Portuguese have invested heavily in the defense of Malacca, building strong walls with forts and a series of fortified acropolises. The fortress itself also controls the coastal stone bridge connecting the two parts of the city, as the city itself is divided into two parts by the river that flows into the Strait of Malacca.

Only through the defensive firepower of the bridge and the fortress could enemy ships enter the city's inner harbor and launch a landing operation.

It was this perfect defense system that helped the Portuguese, with only a few thousand soldiers, to remain standing firm under repeated attacks from surrounding enemy countries.

Even so, everyone in Malacca, from Governor Bernardo to ordinary soldiers, was filled with fear of the invading Ming fleet.

The Ming people just wiped out the Spanish Invincible Armada!

The Portuguese knew the strength of the Spanish better than the local emperors in Southeast Asia. No one knew better than them how terrifying the Invincible Fleet was.

The army that the Duke of Alva led to Portugal this year was not as powerful as the invincible fleet led by the Marquis of Santa Cruz last year.

However, the Duke of Alba conquered Portugal, but the Marquis of Santa Cruz was completely annihilated in Leyte Gulf...

Now that terrifying fleet was approaching Malacca, and the scale was even larger than the Battle of Leyte Gulf! How could the Portuguese not be afraid?

Many officers and soldiers in the city were already discussing privately whether to surrender as soon as the Ming troops arrived or to flee in advance...

In extreme agony, the Portuguese waited for the Ming messenger, but unexpectedly he was a native of the country with red hair and a high nose.

Some people also recognized the messenger, who was Colonel Pinto who was captured by the Ming people more than ten years ago.

What was even more unexpected was that Pinto actually brought a handwritten letter from Sebastian I.

Their king is still alive and has summoned the governor and the chairman of the local council to Singapore for a meeting!