Joanna, the former queen of Naples, was not tall and ordinary-looking, in fact, she was still related to the dead Ferdinand, as Ferdinand's distant aunt, she became a widow less than a year after marrying her nephew, and Alexander felt that this woman was indeed unlucky.

Although she was dressed in a black mourning dress with a solemn and oppressive appearance, and her hair was deliberately held high with wooden braces, the queen still did not look imposing, her face was pale, her eyes were tired, and even her tone of voice was not firm enough to maintain dignity when she spoke.

However, Alexander did not underestimate the queen because of this, he knew that she might be in an embarrassing situation now, but as a descendant of the royal family of Aragon, this woman was not necessarily as simple as she seemed.

"Your Majesty, allow me to express to you my gratitude for having your summons," Alexander bowed, his movements were very regular, and the high tuition fees were not paid in vain, at least in the past few days at the school, he had learned something to some extent, "His Majesty Ferdinand had summoned me before his death, and although I had not been fortunate enough to see him for a long time, it was still one of the most honorable things for me. ”、

Joanna nodded, according to the rules, she didn't need to say more after the greeting she had just received, and even the beginning of this audience often meant the end, as a monarch, all she needed to do was to stand there and listen to the courtiers say a few innocuous words of praise, and then she had to bow and retreat.

But now Joanne, because she was a little curious about the young man, wanted to know why he had come to see her.

And she had this idea because she was more or less aware of the contradictions between Alexander and Frederick, and for the former queen, the resentment caused by the change of circumstances gave her a faint idea that as long as she was Frederick's enemy, she was her friend's impulsive thought.

"So, you brought food to Naples?" Joanna asked a very meaningless question, but this was all she could say at this time, she could not easily express any dissatisfaction with Frederick, let alone a stranger.

"This is something that is equally worthy of my honor," Alexander saluted again, and though he was annoyed by the frequent bending and straightening, he was meticulous in his movements, for he knew that the queen should be watching him carefully at this time, and for such a sensitive woman nowadays, even the slightest negligence might cause her displeasure, and he did not want the opportunity he had so hard made to run away like this, "I thought that this would do my part for His Majesty Ferdinand, and that he would also be appreciated, But I didn't expect it to be like this. ”

Alexander's words made Joanna's eyes move slightly.

"This is also possible, and the prince will appreciate you and reward you for your contribution to Naples." The queen was still cautious and said that she did not know if she had guessed correctly, but the young nobleman's dissatisfaction with Frederick was indeed beyond words.

Alexander was a little bored, he hated this kind of nonsense that went around and around for a long time, and he believed that Joanna should be able to guess what his attitude was, so he decided to simply make it clear: "Your Majesty, I used to hope to be appreciated by King Ferdinand, but this idea has not changed, and now I want to do something for you, and this is also my respect for the former king." ”

Joanna looked at Alexander in surprise, she didn't expect this young nobleman to say these words so boldly.

This is not an oath of allegiance, but it is also a very bold act, after all, it is not very wise to give up the future king and make overtures to an outdated queen.

"So what are you going to do for me?" Joanna remained silent, telling herself to be careful, even though the man was so clearly expressing her ill feelings for Frederick.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me for my rudeness, I wish to offer you a meager amount of honor as a sign of my great respect for the former king and you."

Joanna was stunned for a moment, then her face turned red.

When she found out about Ferdinand's poor financial situation, the queen almost went crazy, she had no idea that her husband was now not only destitute but even in debt, and that the huge copies of IOUs made her faint at that time, and Joanna almost went as crazy as her husband at the thought that she might become the first Queen of Naples to be swept away for being unable to pay her debts.

But the pride of being a queen made it necessary for her to hold up the scene, even though she knew that she might soon have to dismiss a large number of men because she could not even pay the salaries of her servants, but she still tried to maintain the pomp, because neither pride nor status allowed her to back down.

It's just that when this embarrassing situation was broken, the blow caused by shame and humiliation immediately made her face red, and even Alexander's eyes became sharp.

Is this man here to humiliate me? Joanna thought indignantly in her heart, but looking at the young man who took the initiative to lower her head after saying it and didn't look at her embarrassed appearance, she didn't know how to answer this for a while.

Taking a tribute from a courtier made Joanna feel the urge to flee from the city at once, even if he thought about it.

This made her feel even more humiliating than her husband living in debt.

The attendant next to him was also surprised, he did get some benefit from Alexander.

The deal with Mordillo had swelled Alexander's purse strings, and now he was no longer the impoverished Sicilian who had just arrived in Naples, but on the contrary, he was already rich because he had in his hands the food resources that were vital to the Neapolitans.

So he stuffed a big money bag for the attendant who passed the message, but even so, the attendant was frightened by his words.

"This is rude, be careful with your words and actions." The squire came over and bowed hastily to Joanna, and at the same time stood in front of Alexander, who had decided to drive the man away at once, even if he had to bear the pain of returning the money bag to him, and he could no longer have anything to do with him, otherwise the errand might be lost.

Alexander ignored his attendants, but looked up at Joanna, who was still blushing, and said, "Your Majesty, please don't get me wrong, this is just my reverence for the former king, and there is nothing unreasonable about it. "And I think you are obliged to take the money, because as the queen of Naples you have a responsibility that no one can match, and this money is by no means a pleasure but a greater responsibility and a burden." ”

Joanna's flushed face looked a little better, and of course she knew that what the man said was pure nonsense, but whether it was a lame excuse or the reason he said to take on responsibilities that no one else could match, at least it sounded more pleasant to Joanna.

The queen hesitated, and finally motioned for her attendants to stand aside, and then she took a step forward for the first time, raising her hand slightly to signal that Alexander did not have to bow again.

"What you said about Yiwu and ...... What is responsibility? Joanna asked.

Alexander sighed secretly, and though he was sure that he would be able to convince the new widow who was facing a difficult situation, he could not guess for a moment how proud and stubborn the queen would be, and now it seemed that things were progressing.

"Your Majesty, King Ferdinand was the liberator of Naples, and that alone is enough for the Neapolitans to remember him forever," Alexander felt that his words seemed more and more comfortable with his words, which made him despise himself a little, "and it must be the king's long-cherished wish that you continue to do your best for Naples as his wife." Therefore, I take the liberty of offering you this money for your personal enjoyment, but in the hope that you will not have any other worries when you do your duty for Naples. ”

Joanna's eyes flashed with excitement, since her husband's death she had heard bad news every day, and the people around her were also depressed, but the young man suddenly told her that she was not done but that there was still a lot to do, which made Joanna's already cold heart can't help but be active again.

"And will you help me in these things?" The queen subtly agreed with Alexander's words, and at the same time quickly reciprocated herself.

No one would be foolish enough to think that someone else would help them for no reason, and Joanna knew it was time for her to show herself.

Alexander bowed slightly again, and then said: "Your Majesty, this is just my heart, if you need me in the future, I will definitely do my best for you without hesitation, and now allow me to retire to you." ”

Joanna was slightly surprised, then nodded in relief.

How could someone who would bet on her at this time only care about the little bit of return in front of her, not to mention that she really can't use anything decent as a bargaining chip now.

Looking at the back of Alexander, who had already walked away, Joanna clutched a sealed document in her hand.

This was given to her by Alexander as he was leaving, and although she hadn't looked at it, she knew it was a bill from a very old bank in Naples.

As early as the middle of the 12th century, banks were already in many parts of the Italian peninsula, with Venice and Genoa being experts in this money game, while in Florence there was a Medici family who started as loan sharks and eventually became the most successful bankers of the time.

Bankers in this era rely on the local credibility of their family members or the entire family to attract customers, and although it is inevitable that some people will make some tricks, most bankers can still maintain a good reputation that is respectable enough for them, because reputation is a guarantee for them whether the family business can continue.

However, because of this, people in this era did not trust the banks opened by foreigners, and they preferred to go to the banks of local merchants who knew the bottom line to deposit money, or simply give the money to the guild in which they participated in business, so that they could not only have a place in the guild, but also draw dividends from the guild at the end of the year.

Modillo was not stingy, at least he was generous in the purchase of food, or he felt that it was worth spending a sum of money to re-establish a good reputation as a savior in the eyes of the Neapolitans, so when he received news from Zhisa that Alexander had taken control of Agri and could then provide him with enough food, he only calculated how much florin he would have to pay, and then generously agreed.

Modillo's deal was indeed a good deal, he not only saved his reputation, but also successfully counterattacked and became the leader of the House of Nobles, as for the food that the Neapolitans needed, of course, he could not pay for it alone, in fact, except for the first batch of food, he spent a lot of money, and the later food was bought by the Neapolitans themselves.

And he took this opportunity to quickly find a few very good agents in the grain merchant guild in Naples, and then he started to secretly manipulate the price of grain.

It was a good deal, which was one of the reasons why Modillo was so skeptical about Alexander, he was still slow to come to a conclusion.

Such a caring young man, not to mention a nephew, even a son may not be so satisfying to him.

Of course, Modillo's monopoly on the Naples grain market was not something to be proud of, but he was more concerned with how to realize his great plan.

In addition, his bankers, whom people hate and fear, have a certain instinctive vigilance.

Mordillo always believed that bankers should have a greater purpose than money, and that even the most unambitious of them would not end up settling for counting their money.

So he was full of caution and wariness against them, and when he heard that Alexander had deposited a large part of his money in the bank, the Count kindly reminded Alexander not to be too careless.

Alexander did not know what the count thought of the "usurers", but he did know that the banking industry in the Italian peninsula was now very complete, especially in places such as Venice, which seemed to be born merchants, and which was developing rapidly.

Even the rules that many of these have laid down, even centuries later, are still the norms that the banking industry considers exemplary.

But Alexander would keep large sums of money in the bank, not purely for convenience, but for more than that.

The conflict with Gonzalo did not give Alexander much scruples, as Gonzalo was an Aragonese after all.

But the imminent accession of Frederick to the throne aroused his alarm.

Alexander did not feel that Frederick would be a magnanimous man, so he had to prepare for a possible crisis.

Alexander believed that if Frederick had not been a madman, he would not have been stupid enough to do such a foolish thing as openly annexing Agri.

For although he was canonized by Naples, Alexander had Agri, which was still different from being completely annexed by Naples.

Even the various powers of the whole of southern Italy would not allow Naples to occupy the Agri Plain alone.

In fact, Alexander's current leadership of Agri is no different from Cosenza as Agri's defender, except that Alexander's rule over Agri is more direct and effective than Cosenza's.

So Alexander didn't believe Frederick could do such a stupid thing, unless he was prepared to risk direct conflict with the city-states of southern Italy, including Taranto.

But not moving Agri didn't mean Frederick had no other way.

At least if he decided to confiscate Alexander's property at the risk of criticism, that alone would be enough to bring Alexander back to his original form.

It was with that money that the Bohèmes, the Cosents, and the Neapolitans were able to quickly infiltrate Naples from the remote part of Agri, while maintaining his existing men.

And when he asked Massimo to lead the grain team into the city, and did not hesitate to throw a lot of money at the lookout, he had almost nothing in his pocket except for a small sum borrowed from Kosenza!

Alexander's adventure succeeded, and when Naples faced famine, he exchanged wheat for enough wealth to make anyone blush.

But he also knows that it is precisely because of this that he has become a nail and fat in the eyes of some people.

At least for whatever reason, Frederick was willing to bite him.

It was with this in mind that Alexander decided to put most of his money in a bank that seemed to be reputable.

In the palace, Queen Joanna seemed to be relaxed, but in fact, she was secretly nervous sitting by a half-open window, her eyes glanced into the courtyard from time to time, and whenever she saw someone passing by, she immediately showed a look of attention, but then she slightly collapsed her shoulders in disappointment.

When she had returned from the palace, she ordered the money to be cashed, and though it was not a great amount, it was sufficient for a temporary solution to her immediate needs.

She needed to use the money to pay off her husband's debts, even if not all at once, because Joanna believed that if that Cambrai wasn't stupid, he should have understood that it was impossible to gain her trust with such a sum of money.

It's just that the person who sent out has been gone for a long time and still hasn't returned, which makes Joanna a little worried.

She believed that her people would not run away with the money, so there must be something wrong with the creditor.

At last, the man she had sent appeared in the courtyard in a hurry, and when the man came to the queen, who was already looking anxious, he took out the voucher with a slightly strange look.

"What happened?" Joanna asked in surprise.

"Your Majesty, that man won't take the money," replied the man strangely, "and he made a request." ”

"What is he going to do?"

"He said he wanted to see the owner of this ticket."