King Louis XII of France walked steadily through the wilderness, and a group of courtiers and generals followed him, and when he saw that the king was blocked by a banner that had fallen to the ground, someone ran up and tore it aside.

Louis XII continued on his way, stopping to look at a destroyed cannon with interest, and then having a piece of the cannon picked up as a souvenir.

"Engrave the phrase 'Captured at the Battle of Bergamo, Lombardy, July 1499'." Louis said to his attendant, who was busy taking notes, and seeing that the attendant had written it down accurately, the king nodded in satisfaction and continued on his way.

The people immediately hurried to follow, and many were not familiar with the new king's temperament, so they had to be much more cautious in serving.

The French had entered Lombardy a few days earlier, and this time Louis did not accompany the Piedmontese army, as Charles VIII had done, but ordered them to act as rearguards to protect the rear and flanks of the entire expeditionary force.

Once in Lombardy, the French army was marching on enemy soil, and both Milan in the north and Genoa in the present ambiguous manner posed a considerable threat to the flanks of the French army.

Louis did not choose to enter either of the two cities directly, much to the surprise of many people, including his generals, and Louis explained this by a message sent back by Count Garol de Boweken.

"Now the Romans know that we are coming, but there is clearly a great difference in their attitude towards us, as can be seen from the letter of the Count of Borwicken, that they are afraid of us," the king's words caused a small laugh, and then the people immediately stopped and waited for the king to continue, "but they are still ready to resist, which we can understand," Louis XII smiled, but there was a sharp look in his eyes, "so we must teach them a clear lesson, They must be made to understand that any illusion of trying to resist in the face of our powerful army is ridiculous. ”

Louis said as he walked to the pile of flags that had been captured by the French in the Battle of Bergamo, and looking at the piles of banners with various patterns, Louis XII said to his generals: "We must defeat their army, capture their knights, destroy all their cannons and capture more banners to make them realize this, only one or two cities are really just to show off their personal prowess, and the complete defeat of the enemy's army is the key to victory." So I will not be tempted by the glory of Occupy Milan, because I will get much more than this. ”

The courtiers immediately uttered a well-timed burst of praise, admiring the king's wisdom and desire for true honor, and laughing at the folly of the nobles of the Italian city-states for daring to be an enemy of such a king and his army.

Compared with the positive welcome of the courtiers, the attitude of the generals towards the king's speeches was much more silent.

They looked at each other, with both mutual encouragement and deliberate dodging in their eyes, and it was clear that these generals had their own ideas,

Louis XII was certainly aware of the slightly ambiguous attitude of the generals.

He knew what these people were thinking, and he knew what the whole army was thinking, and for the soldiers to take the city meant a lot of loot, and for the generals, it meant much more.

Charles VIII's expeditions had received strong support from the French because he had promised a good future, promising them to bring back enough loot, in addition to staggering gold coins, as well as artistic treasures that dazzled the French.

And Charles did exactly that, and after quickly occupying several of Italy's famous cities, he sent back to France with so much loot that the nobles in Paris and the Loire Valley castles thought they were in fact country buns, but the beautiful clothes of various styles inlaid with old gems made the French ladies astonished that they were not much better than the village girls.

Charles did satisfy the French thirst for wealth, but he personally became the loser of the expedition.

Louis XII thought that his predecessor was so preoccupied with the cities, and so attracted by their luxury and prosperity, that he was so caught up in them, that his otherwise wise eyes were so distracted by the bizarre things that he even forgot the purpose of the expedition.

Louis accidentally found a letter written by Savonarola to Charles, in which the Florentine consul at the time expressed his indignation and disappointment at Charles's greed for the prosperity of Florence and did not actively march into Rome. If it seems to me that this is even a folly, because your enemies are out waiting for an opportunity to defeat your army, and you and your generals are still complacent about having something degenerate, come to your senses, do you not know that only by marching into Rome and expelling the man who has defiled the Holy See can you truly fulfill your mission as a messenger of God to save this fallen land? ”

Louis XII was not at all interested in Savonarola's religiously charged exhortations, but some of the things mentioned in the letter intrigued him and even moved him deeply.

The phrase "Your enemy is out there waiting for an opportunity to defeat your army" made Louis feel that this savonarola has a unique but accurate vision.

In Louis's opinion, it was only a matter of time before the city was captured, and the defeat of the enemy's army was the most important thing, and as long as the enemy army was completely defeated, then what kind of city could not be obtained.

In fact, Charles VIII was too greedy for the prosperity of Florence to linger, which led to the subsequent opportunity for the coalition forces to regroup and deploy, and in this regard, Savonarola did accurately foresee the crisis that the French army was about to face.

But Louis also knew that the emotions of the army needed to be taken care of, whether it was trophies, comfortable beds, delicious food and wine, or gentle women to comfort the tired body and mind of the soldiers covered in dust, which were indeed only available in the city, and these things were the key to maintaining the morale of the army.

But Louis thought that at least now was not the time to take those cities, and he knew that once he entered the city, it would be difficult for his army to get out of it again, and that during this time his enemies had enough time to assemble and prepare, and even to form new alliances to join him in the fight.

No, even if it is not now to seize cities and loot. Louis XII made up his mind, knowing that this might cause some of his generals and soldiers to resent him, but he was somewhat sure that he would be able to compensate them before they became widespread dissatisfaction.

Perhaps the soldiers would be grateful to him for being satisfied in time, but even if they were given a favor at this time, they might not be much grateful.

It was for this reason that Louis did not march directly into Milan after entering Lombardy, but quickly marched eastward, first stopping briefly on the outskirts of Saviliano, which he had quickly occupied but not entering, and then, when his enemies had mistaken him for a temporary halt in the small city, he suddenly sent his troops to raid a barracks not far from Bergamo where Milan and the Imperial army had sent reinforcements were entrenched.

Frightened by this move, the allied forces, mainly Milanese, immediately retreated without a clue, and then, realizing that the enemy had only a small force, they regarded this move as the solitary action of a small French force.

This clearly angered the Coalition forces, who were ashamed of their panic at the beginning, and then, in order to hide their timidity, decided to teach the French a lesson.

So, after some maneuvering, a coalition army of about 7,500 men began to attack the French army, which was obviously alone, and they tried to eat the enemy who came to the door in one fell swoop, and gave the French an unforgettable head-on blow.

But this time the coalition was wrong again, and when they found themselves not facing a lone army, but the main force of the French army, led by King Louis XII himself, it was too late.

The coalition forces were defeated far faster than the generals on both sides had expected, and many French generals couldn't help but feel a little strange while watching the Milanese flee in a hurry without even organizing a decent resistance.

Because it was here about two years ago, they were beaten and fled by the same enemy on the opposite side, so that the Piedmontese army later vaguely had the idea of breaking away from the French army and making peace with the coalition forces alone in order to survive.

But it was the same self, the same enemy, and even almost the same place, but the French army came up and gave the coalition a head-on blow with a devastating force, did they become stronger? Is the enemy weak? Or was the previous king not good?

Louis didn't pay much attention to the generals with different expressions, and in his mind he still admitted that his predecessor was a rare military talent, but perhaps too young to withstand the temptation of Italy's drunkenness to gradually lose his way.

Louie didn't think he would be like this, he was calm and knew how to get what he wanted as soon as possible.

The Milanese suffered heavy losses in the battle, with nearly 5,000 Milanese troops out of 7,500, which Louis estimated to be more than a third of the Milanese army, and less than 1,000 Milanese who escaped after the Battle of Bergamo, a loss Louis believed would have been enough to break Ludvico's bones.

Thinking of this, the heart of the King of France couldn't help but warm up slightly.

When Charles VIII gladly sent troops to Italy after receiving Ludvico's request for help, he may not have had the intention of taking the opportunity to annex Milan, but when he entered the most prosperous city in Lombardy, looking at the magnificent dome of the Milan Cathedral, looking at the beautiful garden palaces on the banks of the Dulus River, and the luxurious and dazzling art treasures that can be seen when you open the door of almost every house, Charles VIII was completely conquered by the city, and he brazenly tore up the agreement with Ludvico. The decision to admit that Milan was under the rule of the King of France greatly angered Ludvico, but for Charles, he could do anything against the honor of a monarch in order to get Milan.

Now that opportunity had reappeared to Louis XII, he felt he was more sure than his predecessor to seize it.

"How many troops does Ludviko have at their disposal now?" Louis asked casually in his heart.

He didn't expect anyone to answer his question, after all, the closed traffic and communication in this era were destined to make it difficult to accurately grasp the enemy's movements and strength, but what the king didn't expect was that when he heard his words, someone actually answered: "Your Majesty, if I am not miscalculated, the Duke of Milan still has about 6,000 to 8,000 people in his army after this loss, but this is already all the strength that Ludviko has, so the number of troops he can really mobilize should be far less than this number." ”

Looking at Henri de Charlon, a flash of interest flashed in Louis XII's eyes.

Louis had always been interested in this nobleman of the Savoy royal family, especially for his great interest in leading the French troops stationed in Rome to evacuate Italy when Charles failed repeatedly.

What made Louis realize that Charlen was not only a talent on the battlefield, but also that he had made an agreement with Alexander on his mission to Pisa.

This made Louis look at Charlain differently, and at the same time pinned hopes on his role in the royal family of Savoy.

"Are you sure of your judgment, General?" Louis asked after a slight groan, after all, Charlon's judgment would determine his next plan.

"Your Majesty, this number should be accurate, because this news comes from a man who has been in Milan for a while, and he has been with many Milanese nobles in those days, including Ludviko himself and his generals, so I think the news of this person is still worth believing."

Scharlon's words made Louis look quite interested, and he asked with some curiosity: "Is there another person like this, I don't know if you can tell me his name, he makes me a little curious." ”

"Your Majesty, that's a Moor," said Charlen in a respectful voice.

"A Moor, what a surprise," said Louis XII, surprised to the men next to him, and when he saw the expressions of the courtiers who were 'very surprised', the king continued curiously, "Is it possible for a Moor to do this, you are such a storyteller that I am curious, and now tell me what it is." ”

Just as Scharloon was about to continue his tales about the Moors, a somewhat hurried figure approached from a distance, and Louis was caught by the fact that he had simply stepped over several corpses because of his haste of travel, and the king frowned slightly and looked at the Count of Proswan, who had hurried over, and could not help but be slightly dissatisfied with his disrespect for the dead.

However, the Count of Garol de Bowicken apparently did not think there was anything wrong with his actions, and he did have a very urgent matter to report to the king.

Seeing the Count, the entourage around Louis immediately saluted and retreated, while Sharron closed his mouth and stood aside with a slightly indifferent expression.

"If nothing is of great importance, I will reproach you for your recklessness," said Louis XII to the Count, "and no matter what sins a man may have in his life, or how humble he may have been in life, even if he is our enemy, his soul should now belong to God, so we should have enough respect for the dead." ”

"Or may it belong to the devil," said de Bowicken, apparently disapproving of the king's attitude, but he duly expressed his remorse for his recklessness, and after offering to apologize for the construction of a church on the plain, where a bloody battle had just taken place, the count spoke of his purpose: "Your Majesty, there is a man from Naples who has asked to see you. ”

"Naples?" Louis looked interested, whether it was to fulfill the last wish of Charles VIII or out of the need to penetrate deep into the central Mediterranean, Louis XII was no less interested in Naples than his predecessor "Who is it?" ”

"A count of Naples, Nolmezzi of Giulipe," said Bauwicken excitedly, "this man is a distant branch of the Neapolitan royal family, and he brings very important news about Naples and Aragon. ”

"What is it?" Louis, who was originally a little concerned about Naples, heard that Aragorn was involved, and his expression became even more serious, as for when Aragorn would send troops, he and his generals had repeatedly deliberated, but because there was too much information at hand, they were never able to make an accurate judgment.

This annoyed Louis XII, and it can even be said that he was anxious to find the enemy for a decisive battle as soon as he entered the Lombardy region, in order to hope to solve the enemy in front of him before the Aragonese heard the news and sent troops, and then he could safely move south, otherwise once the army of Aragon entered the battle, then he would probably face the dilemma of a north-south attack.

But there was another reason why Louis was quite concerned about this Normezi from Naples, and that was that the news from an envoy from the Aragon court not long ago made him very puzzled by King Ferdinand's attitude.

The secret envoy revealed that Ferdinand did not seem interested in being an enemy of the French king, which made Louis suspicious of Ferdinand's generals, and now that he heard about Aragorn, Louis XII immediately showed a rare interest.

Normezi was only allowed to see the king after a careful search, and he showed no indignation at the near-humiliating act, which made Louis pay more attention to him.

Because of the importance of the matter, there were not many people who could stay with the king, and to Bowwicken's surprise, the king actually allowed the Sharon to stay, and let him stand not far from him.

"Your Majesty, I have news for you," Nolmezi saluted Louis and looked the French monarch in the eye, "but I must first state to you that I was forced to convey this news, and that it was my enemy who forced me, but the news is true." ”

A hint of surprise flashed on Louis XII's face, he glanced at Charron with some amusement, and said in a funny tone: "What day is today, is it because of a victory that so many people want to make fun of me, I just heard that a Moorish man has sent me information about the enemy, and now there is a man who said that his enemy forced him to come and give me a message, all right, Count, now tell me the story, tell me who your enemy is, and he asked you to bring me any news about the Aragonese." ”

Normezi nodded, he thought about what to say before he spoke: "Your Majesty, I have two enemies, but they are also enemies of each other," seeing the king nodded very understandingly, Normezi continued, "One of them is the Aragonese you already know, to be precise, it should be Ferdinand, King of Aragon, and the other enemy I don't know if you have heard of it, Alexandre Giulian Gombray, Count of Monttina. ”

Hearing Normezi talk about Ferdinand, Louis XII was a little surprised but didn't care too much, but when he heard Alexander's name, the corners of the king's originally smiling mouth suddenly stiffened slightly, and his eyes looked at Normezi fixedly, and that look couldn't help but make Normezi stop and look at the king waiting for his reaction.

"I know this man, I should say I know, this is a very interesting young man," Louis said, looking at Charlon, he remembered the incident when Charlen had been to Pisa before, "General, I think you are no stranger to our young friend. ”

"Actually, I was about to say this to you." Sharon looked at Normezzie with a strange expression.

"Oh, yes, you're not going to tell me that the Moorish you just talked about has something to do with this Gombray." Louis asked casually, but seeing Sharlon's expression, the king couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, "Well, I'm ready to hear more new things today than in the previous year, tell me what's going on." ”

"Your Majesty is wise, the Moorish I am talking about is indeed related to this Gombray, this Moorish is called Ulliu, the personal servant of the Count of Montina, and the court governor of the Duchess of Pisa, Estelles Juliant Gombray."

Listening to Xia Erlun's words, the faces of the people around him showed their own different looks.

And very close to Louis XII, Borwicken seemed to hear the king mutter, "Very good at tossing, young man." ”