Don Juliomando looked at the letter that had just arrived in his hand, and there was a strange look on his face, which seemed to be sarcasm, and it seemed to be a little helpless, and his secretary, Olibe Grizaro, stood in front of him wordlessly, waiting for the chief senator to speak.

"So that's it?" Don Juliomando looked up at the secretary, "Don Bavi wants to negotiate terms with us, and he obviously thinks he has mastered Andalusia, and now is the time for him to make an offer." ”

"yes, the duke got a little carried away." Grizaro nodded in acknowledging the Chief Senator's view, both as secretary to the Senate and as a member of the Judah, that Don Bavi's actions were clearly a provocation, and that the purpose of Juana, which they had managed to manage, was to negotiate a showdown with Isabella, not to support Don Bavi's rebellion.

And from the very beginning of the cooperation with Don Bavi, the Council of Nobles has made it clear that they will support the demands of the Andalusian nobles against the royal family, but will not shake the rule of the Astamara family.

But now, as the situation in Andalusia changed, it became clear that Don Bavi had taken the initiative, and so his demands on the Council of Nobles became more and more intense.

He wanted to become the permanent consul of Andalusia, and at the same time demanded that the position be hereditary to his family, a condition tantamount to an uncrowned king, which was difficult for even the noble council to accept.

Don Juliomando was well aware of the current situation of the Parliament, and Toledo was disgusted by the old nobles for the removal of their aristocratic privileges by Isabella and his wife, which was the main reason why the entire Council decided to oppose them, but the Parliament would not agree to shake the rule of the Astamara family, because it was not only about the safety of the Kingdom of Castile, but more importantly, if the position of the royal family was in jeopardy, then the Council of the Nobles, which had a complicated but closely related relationship with the royal family, would also face a great challenge.

The emergence of a new aristocracy in the Reconquista has posed a great threat to the old aristocracy, and if Castile is again embroiled in a war of secession, the interests of the old nobility will be harmed and violated, regardless of the final outcome.

Don Juliomando did not want to see a new Isabella appear in Andalusia, and although Don Bavi was now respectful to the parliament and promised to respect Toledo's interests, no one could guarantee that he would keep such a promise in the future if he did gain power.

Like Isabella and his wife, they promised to repay the nobles who had contributed to the Reconquista, but after their victory, they took the opportunity to support their cronies and weaken the power of the old aristocracy, which was enough to make Don Julio Mando wary.

"Maybe you can have a good talk with the Pope," Grizaro said cautiously as he lowered his voice slightly, noticing Don Juliomando's unsightly expression at once, he straightened up slightly and took a step back, he knew that the Chief Senate was considering this suggestion that did not please him, but Grizaro was sure that he would be able to convince the stubborn man, "You know that the Pope is not in a good situation right now, and he probably will not return to the Vatican for the rest of his life." ”

"So you don't think he's a threat to us? Just like this Don Bavi? Don Juliomando asked, and seeing that the secretary only shrugged his shoulders and did not answer, he raised the letter in his hand and looked at it again, and then threw it aside in annoyance: "You must know that Rodrigo Borgia is a very greedy man, and if we cooperate with him, it is difficult to guarantee that he will not make more unacceptable conditions." ”

"It's hard to say, but at least now he's much easier to deal with than this Don Bavi, he's in a difficult situation, and he doesn't have an army in his hands, but this man," Grizaro said, gesturing to the letter on the table, "he has enough strength to negotiate terms with us, and the most important thing is that he can influence whether Juana succeeds to the throne." ”

"Oh, do you think he can do that?" Don Julio Mando asked, puzzled.

"According to some sources, Don Bavi is said to have publicly stated that he has the right to question Juana's succession, although it is not yet known why he said this, but we have to guard against what his intentions are, as for the Pope, a greedy man may not be liked, but such a person is at least much purer."

The secretary's words made Don Juliomando groan, even if Don Bavi had no so-called basis to question Juana's succession, but the army in his hands was enough to pose a direct threat, not to mention that if there was any evidence for what he said, then Juana, who was in the hands of the noble council, could really become a dead chess.

So, as Grizaro said, Alexander VI's greed was indeed not comparable to that of Don Bavi, and the status of the Iberian Church certainly could not be compared with the rest of the continent, at least whoever became king would not allow the Church to have the opportunity to confront the royal family.

Therefore, it is unlikely that Alexander VI would want to restore his influence in the Vatican in Iberia, and it would obviously be much more cost-effective to cooperate with Alexander VI when he thinks about it.

When Glisaro visited the Pope, Alexander VI was eating a dinner that he was quite satisfied with, and to his surprise, he actually ate the famous Valencian "chowder", a dish made of vegetables, rabbit, chicken, venison, mashed figs, and a part of the spicy and seasoning rhizomes of daffodils as the main ingredient, which was really stuffed under the hot wheat cake, and when the knife and fork fell, the hot wheat cake was cut, and the aroma of the chowder inside came out of the cut. At that moment, even the most critical person drools.

This Valencian dish is not often eaten even in the Vatican, and here, looking at the chowder in the small pot in front of him, Alexander VI is delighted and feels a completely different attitude from the Parliament.

When he met with the nobles of the council before, Alexander VI clearly felt their coldness, although they were respectful and polite, but the attitude of rejection of people thousands of miles away was still obvious in his bones.

Now, although this little dinner does not mean anything, the Pope is keenly aware of the subtle changes.

The Pope enthusiastically recommended Alexander's signature dish from his hometown, and as he watched Alexander's careful slicing of the wheat cakes on top, the Pope laughed at his "lack of knowledge" and raised his glass to greet Grizar, who had just walked in.

"I hope it didn't bother you, and I hope you have a good appetite, Your Majesty," the secretary bowed slightly to Weng and his son-in-law, and then sat down in the chair that the servant had pulled out for him and looked at the chowder brought to him, "To be honest, I don't like this very much, but I hope you can be satisfied." ”

"I'm very satisfied, it's authentic, and I believe that even in Valencia, this dish can be applauded by the locals."

Looking at the Pope who was in a good mood, Grizarro's gaze quickly skimmed Alexander, in fact, it was somewhat different from what he and the Chief Senate had said, Grizaro not only wanted to cooperate with the Pope, but also wanted to cooperate with the Duke of Roman Thesia.

The victory of the Duchy of Rome-Thessia in Italy could not but attract the attention of Judah, whether because he knew their secrets or because the fledgling duchy had already attracted their attention, and the people of Judah thought that it would be profitable to cooperate with the young duke in the future.

After thousands of years of evolution, the Judas have lived up to their ideals, and now they are only eager for greater benefits, even if all this is used as an excuse for faith, but this does not hide their pursuit of power.

It was a coincidence that the young Duke of Rome Thessia came into their sights, but that did not prevent them from seeing this man as one of their future partners, like Don Bavi and Cepes of Taransylvania, who had invested in both of them, but now it seemed that the strength of the Duke so far seemed to be more noteworthy.

Glusaro was not very optimistic about Don Bavi, and although the old nobles were willing to cooperate with Don Bavi out of their needs, Grizaro felt that this man might not be able to make it.

Even now, he is still not optimistic about Don Bavi's prospects, not only because the Andalusian coalition was defeated by Gonzalo before, but because Grizaro always believed that Don Bavi was not necessarily a match for Isabella and his wife.

But this young man named Alexandre Juliant Cambrai was different, his army had just won the victory against the French, and more importantly, the growing strength of the Free Trade Alliance in the Mediterranean was the real reason why the people of Judah valued him.

In addition, the status of the Pope's son-in-law is also a reason for the people of Judah to feel that he has a key role, if he can penetrate the upper echelons of the church, this is a goal that the people of Judah have always dreamed of but have never been able to achieve, even if Alexander VI is in such a situation now, but if he can contact the people around him, this is also a golden opportunity for Judas.

Or maybe because of their current situation, they can find a way to reach some kind of tacit agreement with the Pope himself, and if so, it would be even better.

"Your Majesty, you know that the situation of the queen is not good now, so the senators feel that it is necessary to propose that Princess Juana be regent at a critical time, and even consider whether she should be allowed to inherit the throne directly."

Grizaro noticed that the Pope's slightly stiff back seemed to straighten upwards as he said this, and then he was about to relax and continue tasting the wine in his hand.

"So the council is asking His Majesty to revise the sermon it precedes?" Alexander asked this question for the Pope.

"There is such a request, you know that it is a matter of Princess Juana's succession," Grizaro added, "but rest assured that all the losses you may suffer in Valencia will be compensated by the Noble Council, and you will be rewarded handsomely." ”

Alexander VI drank the wine in his hand without saying a word, and now he suddenly felt that it was really good to have a son-in-law who could speak well and could fight for him, although this son-in-law was sometimes very unreliable, and even habitually cheated his father-in-law, but thinking that this was the traditional skill of the Borgia family, he no longer cared about this little thing.

Alexander didn't speak immediately, he waited for the secretary to continue.

Sure enough, seeing that the pair did not react, Grizaro coughed and continued: "As for Princess Juana, I mean Enrique's daughter Juana, the chief senator thinks that it is still up to the council to decide the princess's status in the Astamara family. ”

With a "bang", the wine glass in the Pope's hand fell heavily on the table, and the spilled wine was everywhere, and Alexander VI stared at the lobbyist in front of him with a gloomy face, although he did not speak, but his actions fully explained how angry he was.

"Your Majesty, I think you should probably go and rest." Alexander whispered to the Pope, seeing that the Pope did not speak but nodded, he smiled apologetically to the secretary, and then accompanied Alexander VI out of the dining room.

After walking out of the door, the Pope's expression, which was originally full of anger, relaxed, and he whispered to Alexander as he walked: "These damn Castilians, they are so stingy and disgusting, don't they really know what we want, who cares about his little money, do they think they are calling Hanako?" ”

"I beg your pardon, if the sermon provokes Ferdinand, and you lose your property in Valencia, I think it may be 60 to 800,000 florins," Seeing the pope's stunned look on his face at this number, Alexander did not forget to add, "Of course, if you are willing to convert it to Radia, it may not be much, but I believe that soon this situation will pass." ”

"Wait a minute, I don't remember that I had such a large fortune in Valencia, tell me what you did," Alexander VI first stared at his son-in-law suspiciously for a moment, and then he had a look on his face suddenly, "The villa, tell me if it's because of the villa you asked me to build?" ”

"It's a lavish palace, and it's built in the name of Ferdinand's for you, which is a testament to how grateful the King is to you, and how important your sermon is, so I think it's enough to make the nobles of Toledo reconsider our terms."

Alexander VI had a smile on his face, he squeezed Alexander's hand hard, and at the same time whispered approvingly: "That's it, this is a Borgia, if we want to help them, we can afford to pay a price, Borgia is very expensive." ”

It turned out that he was really learning, nodded, handed the Pope to the servant who was waiting beside him, and then turned around and returned to the dining room.

Glusaro, who had been waiting impatiently, immediately stood up, he felt that dealing with the Duke was much easier than with the Pope, not that he felt that the young man was easier to deal with, but that both sides knew better what they needed.

"I beg your pardon the duke, I wonder if you want Princess Juana to inherit the throne of Castile?" Glizaro knew that Alexander should know who he was referring to this Juana: "I must say that this is not a good idea, if Juana does become king of Portugal, she will have to give up the throne of Castile, according to the agreement between the two countries for many years." So your plan is not going to work. ”

As he spoke, a trace of doubt rose in Grizaro's heart, he didn't understand what the two sons-in-law were so desperate to do for Enrique's daughter, and even if their plan succeeded, what would they get for themselves?

Alexander walked into the room and ignored Grisalo, he sat back in his seat, looked at the steaming chowder on the plate in front of him, picked up a knife and carefully picked up a piece of rabbit meat inside, looked at it, and put it in his mouth.

The unique flavor of the rabbit meat because it is stuffed with other ingredients has a unique flavor to chew, and although the craftsmanship of the people at this time is really not complimentary, this Valencian chowder is quite satisfying to Alexander.

Grimalo didn't bother Alexander, knowing that in whatever capacity he had, it could be a long negotiation.

"The Pope will not accept handouts, and perhaps he is not in a good situation, but if you inquire carefully, you will know that the kings are still full of reverence for His Majesty," said Alexander unhurriedly, his eyes fixed on the chowder in front of him, as if he were more interested in the food in front of him than in the topic being discussed. Astamara was a blood relative of Enrique IV and a member of the Orthodox royal family of Castile, while proclaiming that the princess was blessed by Pope Alexander VI. If you meet the Pope's request, you will get what you want. ”

"That's all?" Grizaro asked suspiciously, he always felt that there was some conspiracy in this, and it was obvious, but he really couldn't figure out the mystery, but after thinking about it, Grizaro decided that he should tell Alexander something in exchange for his favor with Judah, and that the news would soon spread: "Don Bavi wrote a letter to Don Juliomando, some of the conditions mentioned annoyed the chief senator, and now the relationship between Toledo and Andalusia seems to be a little delicate. ”

"Thank you, Secretary," Alexander tilted his head slightly, his eyes missed a large basket of flowers in the middle of the table, and looked seriously at Grizaro opposite, "Trust me, you will be rewarded for your kindness today." ”

Looking at the look on Alexander's face when he said this, Grisaro felt an indescribable strange feeling in his heart, which he felt like approval, but also with indescribable sarcasm, and at that moment he felt very uncomfortable in his heart.

The contents of Don Bavi's letter to Don Julio Mando soon leaked out, and the Toledo nobles showed their attitude with irrepressible anger and curses about the condition of being a permanent consul of Andalusia.

However, they also knew very well that Don Bavi was now in the ascendancy, and Gonzalo had been sent north to deal with the French and Portuguese, which gave Don Bavi a rare opportunity, especially after he regained control of the lower Gwadar River, and the support from the sea allowed him to not only quickly recover his previous losses, but also began to actively develop throughout Andalusia.

At the same time, Toledo also received the news that Isabella had sent an envoy to prepare peace talks with Don Bavi, which made the Toledo nobles a little nervous, and they were very worried about what agreement was reached between the queen and Don Bavi, if that case, Isabella would be merciless to Toledo once she was able to recover her strength.

For a time, from Barriaridade to Toledo, the most talked about was Don Bavi.

One day in September, a small canal cargo ship was heading downstream along the Tagus River.

The boat was filled with enticing golden oranges, a large fruit from the southern Andalusian region, and if you vigorously break open the rough skin on the outside, you can see the dark red flesh of the petals inside.

Now is the season of the harvest of this Andalusian orange, and some merchants can't help but look envious as they look at the staggered cargo ship.

"Further on, Torredo," said rosacea, to James, who was always vigilant on the deck, and he had been like this all the way, "who are we going to hand over that nun to?" ”

"Give it to someone who can make you all rich." James glanced back at the hatch that was obscured by a large number of oranges.

There's a Moorish nun inside, but that's not the most important thing.

The important thing is that this woman calls herself a prophet.

And she's just predicted that James was in big trouble.