When he heard Alexander speak of Hungary, Ulliu wondered for a moment if his master had the power of a prophet.

Although this thought was in great conflict with the faith of the Last Prophet, whom he had been taught since childhood, Ullius could not think of anything else that could explain this miracle.

However, the Moorish man still asked very carefully, he hoped that the old man could give a reasonable explanation, otherwise his faith might really face a huge challenge.

Fortunately, what he feared did not happen, and his lord was obviously still the Count of Montina and not the prophet Alexander.

"Didn't you hear the news from the messenger just now?" Alexander is a little strange, the Moors have always been very clever, why are they so sluggish today" news from Hungary, the price of copper has fallen again, it seems that we have to go to Hungary. ”

"Copper prices?" Uliu was a little stunned, he felt that he had become a lot of news closed after going to Naples, he didn't know when the lord suddenly became so interested in the price of copper, and even went to Hungary for this purpose?

Seeing Ulliu's confusion, Alexander motioned for him to accompany him as he walked slowly down the corridor on the second floor, looking at the bustling hall below.

"Did you know that the Fuggers bought the largest copper mine in Europe to date from the Emperor?"

"I've heard you tell you, master, that you have made a good deal with the Fugger family through this incident," Uliu immediately slapped his ass without a trace, "What, they got rich?" ”

"Not yet."

Alexander's eyes flashed with a strange light, his tone was a little dazed and seemed to be speculating and hesitating, seeing him like this, Ulliu's spirit immediately moved, and he had the impression that the old man must be thinking about something important.

"You probably don't know that the Fuggers themselves can't afford to take that large copper mine, after all, it is the largest mineral field in Europe today, and in addition to copper, there are silver, tin and coal, and any of these deposits can make people do anything for it."

"Are you going to take those deposits?" Uliu asked in a low voice, although he didn't know how much money the master had made, but he still vaguely felt that it was a bit risky.

"Of course not, I can't compare to a family like Fugger right now."

"It's just now, and you'll be richer than any of them in the future." The Moors hastened to say.

"Uliu, I didn't notice that you're good at sneaking around now." Alexander glared at the Moorish, "I want to hear about me, prepare that we are going to Hungary." ”

"Didn't you say you couldn't take the mines?" Ulliu, a little puzzled, asked, "Besides, you're going to marry Miss Barondy soon." ”

"But this is a really difficult opportunity, do you know what's going on, it's copper, the price of copper is falling right now, you know what that means?"

"We can buy cheap copper, but who do we sell it to?" Ulliu felt that his brain was a little too bad.

"Stupid, it's a cannon, we can make a lot of cannons."

"Cannon?"

Uliu's eyes lit up instantly, and he knew that Gompati would be overjoyed if he heard this, but he still didn't understand

"But sir, hasn't the Fugger family already taken those copper mines, but why does the price of copper keep falling?"

Hearing Ulliu's question, Alexander did not immediately answer, he stopped and looked down, and then turned his head to look at Ulliu.

"Tell me Ulliu, can I trust you?"

As if insulted, Uliu's face instantly sank.

"I'm sorry, I'm wrong," Alexander waved his hand to stop Ulliu's grumbling, "I mean, can I trust your vision, you know you're loyal, but if I want you to find someone for me who is equally loyal, it might be difficult." ”

"What are you going to do, sir?" Uliu asked cautiously, "You know I can still see some people, but I need to know what kind of people you need?" ”

"A clever person who doesn't get into trouble, at least if he's obedient."

"Oh, that's right," Uliuu nodded as he figured out something, "I really have such a person, and although he is not very honest, I can make him more honest." ”

"Listen now, then," said Alexander earnestly, "we may have a chance to make a fortune." ”

Milélanquillo finally went to Florence, and perhaps for him the only proof that he had finally been recognized by the Florentines and that he was able to leave his work in that city, was indeed a master.

Rome without Michelangelo did not show the decline of art, after all, it was an era of great masters and stars.

For example, a young man who is now emerging has shaken Rome with his talent that is younger than Michelangelo, but no less talented than the former.

Sandy Raphael is now one of Rome's most sought-after artists, and many people are amazed at the delicate and intoxicating brushwork of this slender teenager, and many people even wonder if Raphael may become a figure like the legendary Leonardo da Vinci.

Raphael was a little apprehensive at such a compliment, and he knew that he could not compare with Leonardo da Vinci, who was and would be his predecessors.

But whenever he saw his exquisite painting skills gradually displayed on the canvas, he couldn't help but secretly rejoice in his talent.

For this reason, Raphael once secretly expressed his fears to his only trusted friend Prato, hoping to one day become a master like Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo, but he was afraid that his goal would be too ambitious to achieve.

Prato felt somewhat hypocritical about Raphael's mind of gain and loss, and in his opinion, those masters were not necessarily so great from the beginning, so he kept encouraging his friends to pursue their ideals despite being bold.

After all, their lives are much better now than before, which is enough to prove Rafael's talent.

After having the privilege of meeting the Pope and receiving a fee promised by the Pope, Raphael contributed to the Sistine Chapel a small painting that showed his extraordinary skill.

This "Pope Praying at the Back", which later became an indispensable decoration in the office of successive popes, was regarded by many later popes as his own incarnation because he did not specifically describe his physiognomy, and under the delicate and realistic brushstrokes, only the pious pope kneeling in front of the altar with his back and Jesus Christ completely presented the positive divine image formed an unusually perfect picture.

This innovation, which was clearly different from most other painters, was highly praised by Alexander VI, and Raphael became one of the most highly regarded artists to be funded by the Pope.

Today, Raphael and Prato live in a room on the second floor of a house on a not-so-isolated street north of Rome, and in addition to two comfortable beds, they even have spare money for a few decent pieces of furniture.

Prato is now half of Raphael's agent, and Raphael's immature personality and not very concerned about money make Prato feel that if he can't help his friend, he is likely to spend extravagantly or get nothing in the end.

So Prato volunteered to take on Raphael's financial planning, and the money he earned from Raphael was invested in the exchange, which did bring him some personal benefits.

Raphael didn't care about this, he put his spirit into creation almost every day, for which he separated the originally small room into a small studio.

As long as he goes in, he will not take the initiative to come out except for eating.

When Ulius found Prato, Raphael's friend was staring at the pile of papers on the desk.

Prato the Moor was a little surprised, but he quickly calmed down, and it occurred to him that Ulius must have come to him for something, and he didn't want Raphael to know that he seemed familiar with the servant of the Count of Montina.

"It looks like you're not having such an easy time either." Ulius looked at Prato, who had hastily put away the papers.

"I'm worried about money, Rome is a place where the richest can become poor ghosts," Prato grumbled, "You know, the Pope is running out of money, but it seems that he has no intention of asking Sandy to continue painting." ”

"Of course, the Pope doesn't have time to care about those things right now," Ulliu's eyes swept over the papers, and he noticed that there were several of them that were supposed to be the list of exchanges, "There's something you might be willing to do." ”

"Well, I can still get a good job in Rome," Prato hastened "so if the pay is not very good, I would rather accompany Sandy in his studio." ”

"You must enjoy this errand," said Ulliu, affirmingly, "but you must first go to the Count, and do what the Lord will tell you." ”

"I'll be able to go." Prato grabbed his coat, in fact, he was already secretly nervous when Uliu first entered the door, and now that he heard that it was indeed an errand, his originally nervous mood was even more secretly excited.

He knew that he might find out sooner or later about investing Raphael's money, but the news he had heard about making a fortune from the exchange made him unable to help but put a sum of money into it.

In particular, the recent news about the price of copper in the market has plummeted, which makes him think that it is a good opportunity like many people, but he never expected that the result of continuous investment is that the price of copper seems to have not improved, which makes Prato not only spend all the money of the two people, but also borrow a loan shark with a lot of interest from the Jews who wander around the exchange all day like pervasive bloodsucking worms.

At this time, the appearance of Uliu made Prato, who was already at a loss, instantly feel that God really still favored him.

To Prato's surprise, the place where Alexander saw him was not Marino Palace, but the house of Lady Olgala.

Last time, on the recommendation of Ulliu, Raphael was paid a lot of money for his portrait of Lady Olgala, and Prato took the opportunity to meet many nobles and wealthy merchants in Rome here.

This time it was Mrs. Olgara who had met here, and Prato thought it was a good sign.

Although he already knew that Ulliu was looking for this Prato, Alexander still frowned inadvertently after seeing him.

Although it was easier for him to perceive Caesar's intention to kidnap Lucrezia because of this man's informant in the game, he never had a good impression of this person.

It's just that now it seems that this person is better suited to carry out his plan.

Clever and adaptable, and at the same time able to be in the palm of your hand, it all seemed like a good fit.

"I heard you owe a loan shark?" Alexander didn't want to waste too much time, as soon as he opened his mouth, Prato couldn't help but be stunned: "I know that you have invested a lot of money in the price of copper, most of which should be your friend Raphael's money, and you not only lost all his money, but also borrowed a large amount of usury from those Jews, so you are actually in debt now." ”

Prato looked at Alexander in a daze, he knew that he must not be able to hide this from the count, but he said this as soon as he came up, which made him a little worried about what the count wanted him to do.

"What I want you to do is very simple, that is, to do the deal you just lost before." Alexander continued.

"Buy copper? Do you want to buy copper, my lord? Prato was stunned and asked, "Please forgive me for saying a lot, at first everyone thought that the price of copper was already very low, so they were ready to buy some and wait until the price rose to make a profit, but a few months have passed, and no one knows why the price of copper has been falling. ”

"This is a bit unexpected, you would actually persuade me not to do this business, don't you know that if I listen to you, you may not have a chance in this job?"

In response to Alexander's inquiry, Prato just waved his head indifferently.

"I don't know why you want to buy copper, but I know you're different from the people on the exchange, so I'm not stupid enough to tell you it's a good deal for the sake of this job, it will only be hard for me, and I don't care what you decide."

Alexander looked at the man in front of him with amusement, and he couldn't help but admit that this man was a very qualified speculator, and that his previous failures on the exchange were only because, like most people, he had no idea what was going on behind the seemingly completely irrational copper market today.

And Alexander was one of the few who knew the truth.

Or rather, he is the only one who knows the truth other than the Fugger family.

Acquiring Hungarian copper mines and monopolizing the entire European copper market has always been the ambition of the Fugger family.

In order to realize this seemingly overly bold idea, the Fuggers went to great lengths to maneuver between the palaces of Emperor Maximian and King Vladislas II of Bohemia, now King of Hungary, and sent the most eloquent men of the family to Vienna and Prague with large sums of money, with the ultimate goal of obtaining the right to mine Hungarian copper.

However, as Alexander said, with the richness of the Hungarian mining area, even the Fugger family could not monopolize the entire region's mineral deposits, and in this case, the Fugger family could only unite with four other equally wealthy families and chambers of commerce, and together offered the emperor and the king of Bohemia a price that would appeal to anyone.

The price of 200,000 gold florins at a time, and the annual tax of no less than 150,000 yuan, was enough to tempt the kings, and this money was included in the treasury of the two courts even before the copper mines were in existence, and such a generous gesture finally impressed Emperor Maximian, who was worried about money, and at the same time made Vladislas II, who felt that his rule over Hungary was becoming more and more weakened.

With a contract, the Fogel and his partners formed a copper alliance that finally secured the rights to the Hungarian copper mines, and their next goal was to completely monopolize the copper price market throughout Europe.

It's just that at this time, a group of very mysterious sellers suddenly appeared in the market, these people seem to be specifically against the Hungarian Copper Alliance, they don't care about the low price of the sale, from the apparently freshly mined raw ore to the fired copperware, these people with their own goods swept the market with ultra-low prices that the Copper Alliance could not afford.

In order to counter this unexpected enemy, the Copper Alliance had to lower the price that had been too high in order to recover the cost of the mining rights as soon as possible, and at the same time they increased their mining work, hoping to defeat the mysterious opponent once and for all with the power of the Alliance.

As the largest members of the Copper Alliance, the Fuggers were able to distribute the most ore, and like the rest of the Alliance, they had to lower the price and put it on the market in the hope of defeating the strange enemy.

But for some reason, no matter how much the copper alliance invests, the other side can always hit them again and again with a seemingly inexhaustible large number of cheaper copper and raw ore, and the entire European copper price market is also unpredictable because of this bloodless battle.

"What I want you to do is to buy copper, the lower the price, the better," Alexander looked at Prato, whose face couldn't help but change, "Don't worry that you won't be able to sell because you have too many goods in hand, I just want you to buy the maximum amount you can buy." ”

"That's a lot of money," Prato asked tentatively, "are you going to let me do this?" ”

Looking at Prato's face, which seemed slightly distorted by nervousness and perhaps excitement, Alexander nodded.

"It's up to you to do this, as for the money you said I don't have right now," Alexander's words made Prato stunned, and seeing the stunned face, Alexander continued, "But you don't have to worry, after all, this matter requires some preparation time, I believe that this time is enough time to raise that money for you." ”

Prato nodded a little stunned, he always felt that things were not so simple, and just when he was dazed and wanted to ask something but didn't know where to start, Alexander spoke again.

This time his expression was serious, even with undisguised coldness and severity.

"Remember what you are told below, and if you make a mistake you will be punished most severely," Alexander said slowly and in a low voice, "you can recruit a group of people to buy bronze objects from those people for you, or you can do it yourself, but no matter what you do, one thing must be remembered, and that is that once you start doing this, don't let anyone know about our relationship, and don't associate with anyone you know, you are just a businessman who is optimistic about this business, and if you receive the order to stop, Don't delay at any time, deliver all the goods at hand immediately, and don't get entangled when you sacrifice funds when necessary, understand? ”

Looking at Alexander's solemn expression, Prato couldn't help but nod slowly.

"You'll get paid for all your debts and a decent balance, don't let me down and don't do anything stupid, or you'll pay for it."

Prato secretly glanced at Ulliu, who had been standing aside, and knew that Alexander's warning was not an empty threat, and if he dared to play clever in the future, it would definitely not be a good end for him.

Seeing the back of Prato, who had left with Ulliu, disappear outside the door, Alexander turned around and smiled at Lady Olgara, who had come to her.

"Madame, please tell your master that I want to meet him, and that I have a way to help him make Rotterdam rise as soon as possible."

A small smile crossed Orgara's delicate face, and then nodded slightly.

Looking at Orgala's beautiful face, Alexander was thinking about something else.

Only Alexander knew that the mysterious copper market seller was actually the Fugger family themselves.

With the ambition of monopolizing the copper market, the Fuggers did not hesitate to secretly throw their inventory into the market at an unreasonably low price, hoping to squeeze out the other partners.

Because the allocated raw ore is the largest share, the Fugger family will never worry about not having enough inventory, except for having to invest a huge amount of money for this, the Fugger family only needs to persevere to win this monopoly war.

The historical Fuggers were finally becoming the hegemon of the copper market in Europe during this period through this means.

Well, in that case, let me also get a share of this feast, Alexander thought.