Aztec Eternals

The northeast trade wind blows on the coast, with the fragrance of land plants and trees, stirring the sails that travel far away. Here the warm North Atlantic Current forks southward, forming the broad and slow Canary Current. The weather is favorable, the location is favorable, and it is so convenient to travel from the Kingdom of Portugal to the southern continent, which makes the hearts of the navigators fly away.

Dias raised his head and looked towards the south sky. The huge flamingos soared in the sea breeze, and their red wings were like throbbing flames, burning in the hearts of those who watched from afar. The flamingo symbolizes freedom and fantasy, and is also the sun bird in ancient Egyptian mythology. The royal steward thought for a long time before opening his mouth with a wry smile.

"Diogo, we Portuguese, we can only rely on ourselves. The Treaty of Windsor lasted for a hundred years, and although the Kingdom of England was our solid ally, it did not give us much support on land. King Henry and King Richard are gathering. Army, prepare for the final battle.

This long war for the throne has been going on for almost thirty years! The nobles of England suffered heavy losses, at least 50 noble families were wiped out, and more than a thousand nobles were killed in battle. The English are tired of war! No matter which king wins in the end, they will not be able to respond to us any time soon in a possible Spanish war. "

Diogo nodded solemnly. In the brutal English Civil War, thousands of nobles and knights were killed, and countless fiefs lost their owners. This greatly weakened the power of the allies, and he did not know where the future kingdom of England would be led.

"Dias, what about the attitude of the French, the neighbors of the Spanish? They should be wary of the Spanish kingdom that has become stronger after the merger? King Charles is only fifteen years old this year. The real head of the Valois dynasty should be the regent's eldest lady, Anne, the eldest princess of France. She is the least stupid woman in all of France!"

"Diogo, you are still well informed. The French kingdom is hostile to its powerful neighbor, the nascent Spanish kingdom, but the French royal family is in a divided confrontation. The Grand Lady of the Regent is suppressing the Prince of Orleans, who challenges the Regency. Louis. In After the annexation of Briandy, Anjou, Maine, and Provence, the French royal family has become too powerful. Now there are only three or four lords left with large fiefs, all of which are subject to the king's taxation and conscription."

Speaking of which, Dias looked longingly, and his words were filled with emotion.

"The eldest princess Anne has mastered the royal power and has just held the French third-level parliament in Tours. I heard that the representatives present agreed to limit the royal power, but no one dared to speak when they arrived at the venue. The third-level parliament finally became a large parliament. Madame's words have become a place to show the authority of the royal family, and it has become a tool to suppress Louis, Prince of Orleans!"

"Diogo, the monarchy of France has become so powerful that the rotten third-level council has become more and more dispensable. This is probably the last, influential third-level meeting."

Hearing this, Diogo nodded, his expression also a little longing. When the kingship is strong enough, it is no longer necessary to compromise with feudal lords and religious representatives, and make concessions in exchange for the support of all classes. In the eyes of European elites in this era, only a centralized autocratic monarchy is a symbol of power and advancement.

"Dias, Prince Louis can't be the opponent of the eldest lady. It's just that he has a special status, and the royal family will not really deal with him. The French still have enough power to check and balance the Spaniards on land."

"Diogo, having said that, the interest of the French kingdom was more concentrated in the rich Italian city-state. They wanted to go to the rich city of Naples to drink wine, not to go to the Pyrenees and play with the goats with the rude Spaniards. "

Dias blinked and made a vulgar joke. He continued.

"Don't forget, King Charles's grandmother was Mary, Duke of Anjou, and he still has a nominal claim to the throne of Naples and Sicily."

Diogo did not laugh. He replied sullenly.

"Bless Our Lady! Only a true fool would ignore the threat of the Spanish kingdom and rush into the quagmire of the Italian peninsula! This is a direct challenge to the Pope of Rome and the Emperor of Austria, and will inevitably distract the resistance of the world of God. Don't the French think Do you want to be a traitor to the world of God and join forces with the evil Ottomans?!"

Dias shrugged and said meaningfully.

"My old friend, if you can suppress the Spaniards, are you willing to join forces with the Moors across the strait?"

Hearing this sentence, Diogo's expression changed and he didn't answer for a long time. After a while, he asked in a low voice.

"Across the strait, is there any good news for the Moorish kingdom? They sit and watch their compatriots on the north shore, conquered by the Castilians?"

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid so."

Dias shook his head regretfully.

"Balat Palace low-key sent envoys to the south. Since the fall of the Marin dynasty, Granada has lost support across the strait. The nascent Wattas dynasty only controls the north of Morocco, and the interior is rotten. The court When the envoys returned, they said that they had neither the intention nor the ability to challenge the Spaniards, but were good targets for conquest.

The kingdom has never found a reliable ally, and now it can only pin its hopes on the king's plan. Of course, if there is a chance to get the Spaniards into the other side of the strait, or some other inescapable quagmire, the kingdom will also be happy to intervene in secret, causing our dangerous and greedy eastern neighbors to run into more trouble."

After hearing this, Diogo slowly exhaled. He looked towards the east reverently, and on his forehead, on his mouth, and in front of his chest, he traced a small cross with his thumb, and prayed devoutly in Latin.

"rsnnrs, nsnsrs, brns, nsnsr Dias, so it seems that the only one who is willing and able to help us deal with the Spanish threat is only"

"The Holy See."

Dias nodded and said affirmatively.

"Respected Pope Sisdu has always been friendly to the kingdom. The Pope signed an edict four years ago, ratified the Peace of Alcázohash, clarified the kingdom's maritime hegemony, and allowed us to end the Spanish throne with dignity. War. It’s just that this year, Pope Sisdu has not been in good health, and I’m afraid this will soon be the reason why the Portuguese Archbishop reported the news of the Elder John’s country to the Holy See and sent him to the Coptic Cross.”

Hearing this, Diogo nodded clearly. He clenched his fists in his chest, his emotions fluctuated, and he summed it up word by word.

"Once the Pope is summoned by the Lord, the new Pope's attitude towards the kingdom is still unknown. Only by finding the trail of the Elder John's kingdom and mastering the route of contact with the compatriots in the east can the kingdom truly have a lasting influence in the Holy See. !

And only by occupying unowned land by the sea, establishing key coastal strongholds, and mastering the trade routes of eastern trade, we Portuguese will have a strong and prosperous future!

Blessed Virgin! On this voyage, I will never stop, I will explore all the way to death! "

Dias looked at his old friend's determined expression and hesitated. There was an ominous foreboding in his heart. After a long while, he took out an ancient silver cross, carefully handed it to the other party, and said in a low voice.

"Diogo, there are too many irresistible evils in the land of the devils of the south! They will invade our bodies and take the lives of the people of God without knowing it. This is a holy relic left by my grandfather, send Take it with you. May it grant you God's blessing on your journey into evil!"

Diogo nodded gratefully, took the cross, and put it away solemnly. He thought for a moment and said in a deep voice.

"Dias, during my last voyage, I wrote a logbook detailing the routes and road signs along the way from the Gold Coast. At the equator, there is a difficult windless zone, and you must prepare enough. oars and food. And in the deep sea far from the coast, where the wind changes from time to time, and a new type of jib needs to be designed, I will give you the log when I go to the captain's room. If I don't come back this time, the later exploration I'll leave it to you!"

Dias stared at his friend for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Okay! Diogo, on this voyage, the king specially sent a new court advisor, a noble scholar from Nuremberg, an excellent cartographer, Martin Beheim. He will follow you and use Jacob's rod to measure. Latitude, record the specific route to the south. If you are unlucky, I will continue to explore and find the route to the east!"

The sea breeze blew silently, with a moist breath. The two were full of worries and did not speak for a while. After a while, Dias said with a smile.

"Diogo, the merciful Lord has always protected us Portuguese. His Majesty Joao is wise and wise, and the future of the kingdom is always bright! In the two years you last explored, His Majesty has shown the attitude of a great king. In addition to attaching importance to sailing, In addition to restarting the exploration plan, the king also promoted talents, hired consultants, and worked hard to revitalize the kingdom. He has done two great things!"

Hearing this, Diogo pondered a little and asked in a low voice.

"Two major events? Dias, you are His Majesty's confidant. When I came back, I heard that His Majesty executed Duke Ferdinand of Braganza last year and confiscated the Duke's territory."

Dias glanced at the deck and saw the people chatting not far away before saying with certainty.

"Yes. The Duke of Braganza is dissatisfied with His Majesty's interference in the inheritance of nobles, and secretly has correspondence with Queen Isabella. He is the most powerful noble in the kingdom, and the area of ​​the fief is also the largest. Only by concentrating the royal power can the kingdom be strong. The foundation of the wall of Christ, we cannot imitate it, nor will it last long.

His Majesty has made up his mind to concentrate the power of the royal family like the Kingdom of France. Next, in His Majesty's plan, there are still many real-power nobles who need to be dealt with. Of course, sailing families like us are His Majesty's most trusted direct descendants, so there is no need to worry about this. "

Hearing this, Diogo was silent and horrified. He thought for a moment before asking again.

"When His Majesty summoned me, he carefully inquired about the gold production around Fort Elmina and the surrounding tribes that owned gold. He also asked about the military strength of Songhai Kingdom and Congo Kingdom, and whether it was rich in gold, the second important thing, Is it coinage?"

"Diogo, my old friend, you really have the keen intuition of a navigator!"

Dias smiled in admiration.

"With gold obtained from the Gold Coast, His Majesty has restarted King Alfonso's coinage program. A new batch of Cruzado Crusader Gold Coins is in the works!

The kingdom's gold coins were prevalent in the Mediterranean countries and were even accepted by Arab merchants. And for every 355-gram Cruzardo gold coin minted, the kingdom can get at least 8 seigniorage and attract more foreign merchants. In the commercial city-states of the Italian peninsula, the influence of the kingdom is on the rise. Because there are enough sources of gold, the stability of the kingdom's gold coins is even higher than that of the Venetian Ducats. Ha, the treacherous Venetian merchants tickle our hatred teeth, but still can't do anything!

Diogo, you also know that the ignorant countries on the southern continent also have different exchange ratios for gold, silver, and copper than in the world of God. In addition to direct plundering and occupation, our merchant ships can also exchange the difference for different precious metals, and continuously obtain gold from the southern continent! The profit in this, the financial adviser of the palace has calculated in detail, enough to make the kings of all countries jealous! "

A smile finally appeared on Diogo's face. He reached out and patted his old friend on the shoulder.

"That's right! Dias, the kingdom's hope lies in the vast and fertile southern continent, on the eastern route to wealth! God bless us! Let us set sail again, to the unknown south, to find the holy kingdom and obtain the Lord Promised wealth"

Hearing this familiar prayer, Dias also held down his old friend's shoulder and recited it together.

"Under the guidance of the Lord, we will move forward bravely and spread His glory and mercy to the ignorant kingdom along the way! n"

The two smiled at each other and looked south together. That gaze is warm and bright, the cold gaze of the world of God, the light of judgment.

"sail!"

The letter flag was waved, and more than a dozen Caravel sailboats hoisted half-sails, lined up in a neat queue, and slowly sailed out of the port. The trade winds from the northeast never stopped, and the kingdom's fleet moved forward, soon full sail, and disappeared at the end of the sky.

"n! nn! Bullshit mathematicians, **** court advisors! Blatter Palace is full of idiots with eyes on their butts!"

At the port on the shore, there was a middle-aged man in his thirties, staring at the direction where the fleet disappeared, chattering angrily. He was tall and stocky, with a long nose and prominent cheekbones, blue eyes, and reddish-brown hair. He was wearing a set of washed white civilian black robes, and a worn and intact sailor's flat hat on his head. The only valuable thing was his pointed calfskin boots on his feet, polished with lard.

Although the clothes were shabby, the middle-aged man was straight and straight, with a stubborn light like a wild boar in his eyes. He roared angrily, until the last sailboat to explore disappeared in front of him, then slammed his head and squatted down, scolding in a low voice in frustration.

"n! The great merchant Marco Polo said it, and so did the astrologer Toscanelli! The world is round, and China is at the beginning of India, directly opposite Iberia and Ireland!

A group of idiots Only us city-states can see the truth of this world! I want to be a fleet commander, a nobleman, a governor across the sea! I will take my fleet from the west of the ocean to the rich east! "

The middle-aged man was still muttering to himself, but suddenly felt his shoulders sink. He raised his head angrily, and saw two tall Slavic men with a big axe around their waists, sandwiching him between them. And a small Jewish businessman, wearing a small round hat and a long beard on his chin, walked slowly to him.

"Columbus, this Portuguese voyage and exploration is not your part! The palace advisors of the kingdom have rejected your calculated voyage, and the last fleet has found the traces of Elder John's country. Your plan seems to be wrong. Here's your chance. Then it's time to count the money you owe me."

Having said that, the Jewish businessman took out a paper receipt from his arms and read it slowly.

"Six years ago, you borrowed 20 Ducats from me to pay for lobbying in various countries. Calculated at an annual interest rate of 48, the interest is accumulated into the principal, then you should pay me back today, um, 210 Ducats. Gold coins, plus 3 Grosso silver coins~www.readwn.com~ and 165 copper dinaos. Well, for the sake of our many years of acquaintance, this 05 copper coin will be waived for you! "

Hearing this, Columbus stood up suddenly. He waved his arms vigorously and growled angrily.

"n! r! Eleazar, you heretic who deserves to go to hell, a dwarf as greedy as a viper, don't let these barbarians touch me! You only gave me 15 ducats in total, and you let me pay them back. 210?!"

"It's 210 ducats in gold, 3 grossos in silver, and 165 in copper dinars. As for the deducted 25 advance payment, it's the industry's practice."

The Jewish merchant was unmoved, waved his hand, and smiled coldly.

"Columbus, my patience is running out! Are you obedient to pay now, or do you want to tie a stone and sink to the bottom of the sea?"

When the two Slavic strong men saw the order, they roared in unison, using both hands at the same time. They forcibly dragged Columbus out a few steps and set him up on the trestle of the berth, with his head down and aimed at the deep sea estuary.

Columbus finally had fear in his eyes. As he struggled, he shouted loudly.

"Eleazar, give me some more time! I will continue to lobby the monarchs of various countries, I will definitely succeed! The gold coins on my body have long been spent, and if you kill me now, you will get nothing. Arrived! But, but! If you have a little patience to wait, as long as I succeed in my voyage, you can get 210 Ducats!"

Hearing this, Eleazar narrowed his eyes and carefully looked at Columbus's upside-down expression. After a while, he nodded slowly.

"Okay! Columbus, I'll give you a little more time because of the relationship we've known each other for so many years. But"

Eleazar stretched out his hand and took out a business contract that had been prepared for a long time.

"You have to sign this!"