Alexander let out a comfortable moan as the steaming hot water poured down on him.

Lying in the huge pool dug in the middle of the courtyard, Alexander felt that his impression of the era had changed somewhat.

Whether it was the horrors of the Black Death in the past, or the sheer ignorance of unhygiene, Alexander remembered that this era was always associated with squalor.

Whenever he thought of those who had not touched a drop of water for years standing in front of him in clothes that might never be washed once, Alexander felt that sometimes the days were a little creepy.

However, it seems that this idea is obviously a bit excessive, and perhaps it is true that people in this era do not pay attention to hygiene, but at least for some nobles, keeping clean is not so much a physical necessity as it has evolved into some kind of fashion that compares with each other.

A sink with a wooden tank connected to a wooden trough creates a simple shower system.

The hot water was poured into the tank by the servants in buckets, and at the slightest command, someone would use a mallet to chisel a large wooden cork wrapped in coarse cloth, and the hot water would flow down, and when the skin was scalded by the hot water like boiled shrimp, Alexander let out a pleasant cry of "roar".

Jo Surnan sat on the stone bench on the porch of the open courtyard, his expression serene, although there was a hint of worry in his eyebrows, but he still waited patiently.

The guest himself may not have been a big man, but he was valued because of his status as a Sicilian emissary.

Chosurnan was in his fifties, and as a well-known Neapolitan scholar, he considered himself knowledgeable enough, but as a royal teacher, although he dutifully assisted the king, this was not enough.

Ferdinand, the current King of Naples, is a young, impulsive, stubborn, and even somewhat reckless man.

As a teacher, Jo Surnan was not prepared to shy away from these shortcomings of his students, and because he was well aware of them, he felt that they were even worse.

Ferdinand was a very stubborn and impolite young man, in fact, not only him, but also his father in Josurnan's opinion, and the previous king Alfonso II was not a proper ruler.

Josurnan looked at the lush landscape of the garden, but his heart was not at peace, and he even felt a little sad, because Naples had reached the point where he had to rely on those "distant relatives" in Sicily to maintain the status quo.

Chosurnan had just heard about the recent events in Sicily from some passing merchants, but the information he had heard was too vague, and many of them were not only contradictory, but often inconsistent with what one person said, so that he did not know for a moment which was true.

And out of caution, when he heard of the appearance of the Sicilian envoy, he did not immediately recognize the identity of the young man.

The last of Josurnan's doubts were dispelled, and the presence of Gondoza, Aragon's plenipotentiary envoy to Naples, convinced him that the young man was not a fake.

What's more, he knew he couldn't wait long.

Looking at Alexander coming from the garden, Josurnan stood up and nodded slightly, and then the two of them walked into the main court together.

The main court is not large, even including the courtyard, Chosurnan's home is not much larger than the homes of other magnates, or including the royal palace, the entire Kingdom of Naples seems somewhat "small".

Although the two Sicilies were brothers, it seemed to Alexander that the old king, who had divided a kingdom in two parts between his two sons, was somewhat biased.

At least the Kingdom of Sicily, based on the city of Naples, cannot compare in size and strength with the brother kingdom on the other side of the lighthouse.

"Let's toast to the brotherhood on both sides of the lighthouse."

Because of the size of the house, Alexander, who was cranky and thought of the strength of the country, raised his glass, and after exchanging greetings with his master, he drank the famous orchid juice in Naples.

Then he smiled and looked at Jo Surnan silently, until the king's teacher and chief thinker finally couldn't bear to speak first.

"Once again, I express my sorrow for the misfortune of the Prime Minister of Gomez," said Joe Surnan, nodding slightly, and then he looked straight, "but what I have to say now may be more misfortunate." ”

"Are you saying that Naples is going to run out of food?" Alexander's face was calm, and he even told this secret, which may be imminent for many people, but dare not say it easily.

Josurnan looked at Alexander in amazement, his eyes showing undisguised surprise, but he was more concerned not that the Sicilians had discovered the secret, but how they could know about it so quickly.

This made Josurnan even less convinced of Alexander's reason for being shipwrecked, and in his mind, the Sicilians must have infiltrated Naples earlier, and should have gotten the news from Sicilian spies in Naples.

This surprised Josurnan and made him wary, and he began to wonder if it was a wise move to let the Sicilian mix too much.

Of course, Jossurnan didn't know that he Alexander would guess this so-called secret, the real reason was not only the various bits and pieces of news that he had been hearing, but more importantly, his knowledge of this era.

While the Neapolitans rejoiced in celebrating the victory of the French being driven out, they, like everyone else, would not know that this short invasion and restoration war was only the beginning of a long battle.

The war would last for two or even three generations, and for the next half-century or so, different countries would be involved in what would later become known as the Italian War.

Although this war was not as long and protracted as the Hundred Years' War between Britain and France, it involved a wide range of countries and participated in a number of countries that could not be compared with the Anglo-French War, and some people even thought that the Italian War could be regarded as a world war at that time.

Because of this, few Italians now realize that the French king Charles VIII, whom they had just driven out, was preparing for a comeback.

Because of this, Charles VIII did not even think of returning to France when he withdrew from Naples, he was still ambitious to leave temporarily, and then wait for the opportunity to counterattack, so he ordered that in addition to looting all kinds of treasures of Naples, he also transported all the food he could take.

The coalition forces that followed into Naples were equally combative, whether it was the British, who had not long since the end of the Hundred Years' War with the French, or the Holy Roman Empire, which thought that the French had stretched their hands too long and should be taught a lesson, or Spain, which was on the eve of unification on the other side of the Pyrenees, and the city-states of Italy, large and small, which had been frightened by the French, all of whom thought that the arrogant French king should be taught a good lesson.

The result of this thought, in addition to the Battle of Foodino, Charlie almost hated the crushing defeat on the battlefield, was the equally unceremonious second ransacking of the granary of Naples in order to pursue all the way.

Then there was the return of the royal family, and the counterattack of the nobles who had fled from the desert with red eyes open as if they were returning to their hometowns.

It's just that the target of their liquidation is not anyone, but those who owe them breakfast, luncheon, dinner and supper because of their escape.

After the catastrophe, we met again for a banquet, and when I found a certain heirloom left by my ancestors, I wanted to have a banquet, because someone's doorman created a picture of "Pilgrim on the Road of Asceticism" against the background of the misery of the time when he fled.

In short, the nobles felt that they should be compensated for what they had been indebted, and the commoners were rejoicing in driving out the annoying French.

Gatherings of all sizes, large and small, devoured huge sums of food, from livestock to seafood, from fruits to all sorts of bread that God knows what was stuffed inside.

The Neapolitans celebrated their victory with this enthusiastic revelry and feasting.

Even in the midst of this carnival, not many people realize that Naples, a country surrounded by mountains and seas, does not actually produce food.

For the Neapolitans who live by the sea, the sea has so much to offer them that they are not aware of the potential dangers.

When Joe Surnan finally realized the urgency of the situation in front of him, he was faced with a fact that was difficult for him to accept.

There is a frightening shortage of wheat available, and the price of bread in the market has begun to rise quietly.

A variety of marine fish may be a delight, but it is never a substitute for bread.

When there is a shortage of wheat, which is used to make bread, famine is inevitable, even in cities near the sea.

Josurnan realized that the crisis was approaching, but he had no choice for a while, not to mention that the city-states that had just helped them recover their country might not be willing to provide them with food, and even if they did, most of those countries did not have much food production land because of the terrain.

When the news of the arrival of the Sicilian emissary came, Josurnan realized that perhaps an opportunity had come.

It was only after meeting Alexander that Jossurnan was undecided because of doubts about his identity, he was not afraid that he would be deceived, but worried that it would delay time, and there were some more important things in his heart that made him somewhat taboo about this Sicilian envoy because he did not know the truth.

That's how the man felt about the dispute between the king and his uncle.

It's just that the situation doesn't allow Josurnan to hesitate too much, and Gondoza's surprise visit to Alexander attracts Josurnan's attention, and when he thinks of the other Ferdinand behind these two people, Josurnan can't sit still.

But what he didn't expect was that just as he was pondering how to visit the Sicilian youth again without looking hasty, a button of a black pearl was delivered to him.

Instead of asking for help from Gondoza, Alexander turned to the king's teacher.

"Please take this," Jo Surnan gently placed the black pearl in Alexander's hand, "I can't help but admit that being young is indeed the greatest wealth, and this button must have some special meaning to you, and I bet it must have something to do with love." ”

His heart darkened slightly, and Alexander then thanked and cherished the black pearl.

"So how much food can Sicily provide us?"

After the politeness, Joe Surnan asked this question with some urgency, and this is what he really cares about now.

It was not only about Naples, but also about the stability of the king's rule.

Josurnan was well aware that the current support for Ferdinand was more out of long-standing dependence on the royal family, and that if they found that the king could not provide them with protection, it was likely that something would happen in the current state of restlessness.

Under Jossurnan's eager gaze, Alexander did not speak.

Alexander knew very well in his heart that he was not qualified to talk to the Neapolitans about this!

Before coming to Naples, Camus had already told him very clearly that as an emissary with the title of Lighthouse Keeper, he was more symbolic, and it was his attachés who really negotiated with the Neapolitans.

It's just that because his appointment seemed a little sudden, or Camus probably didn't expect them to act on Priest Alfonso so quickly, he sent Alexander away in a hurry, before he had time to send anyone else.

Although Camus had repeatedly promised before his departure that he would soon send others to catch up with him, Alexander did not hold out much hope.

Therefore, the current Alexander, except for a Moorish servant and the false monks who have now been added, is completely a bare pole messenger.

However, looking at Jossurnan's earnest eyes, Alexander felt that now was a rare opportunity.

He had a vague idea in his mind that he was still immature, and this thought made him think that there might be a chance to get more than just solve the immediate food crisis in Naples.

"My lord, if I can be summoned by His Majesty, I think I can do something for Naples." Alexander spoke.

Originally, it was normal to make this request as an envoy of Sicily, but Alexander knew that in the current situation, whoever introduced him would be on whose side.

This time, he chose the king.