Marin conspired with Julius II and Ferdinand II in the vault of the Lateran Temple for a long time, and in the end, all three of them looked satisfied. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

However, before leaving, Ferdinand II suddenly asked a question:

"Your Excellency, our Spain has withdrawn from the Savage Continent, so as the Spanish Savage Count, Marin, is also going to withdraw from the Savage Continent?"

Julius II was stunned, but quickly replied:

"He didn't have to quit because he sent troops to help Rome 'recover' Florence. Such a great credit was enough for him to continue to occupy those islands. ”

"Didn't you give him two episipal states as a reward?" Ferdinand II asked, confused.

"Are those two episcopal states so poor that they are comparable to the area of Florence?" Julius II asked rhetorically.

Ferdinand II was speechless, and Julius II was right, compared to Florence, which was prosperous in industry and commerce, Münster and Osnabrück were really poor and remote, and they were not equal at all.

"Then does he, the Wild Earl, still belong to Spain in the territory of the Wild Continent?" Ferdinand II asked with concern that this was a question of sovereignty, and he could not afford not to attach importance to it, even if it was nominal sovereignty.

"No, however, Morocco will be assigned to Spain in the future. Didn't he have a little oasis called Laayoune in the south of Morocco? You will make him Earl of Laayoune, and you will still be your vassal. Nominally, of course. ”

"That's a good idea...... So, Your Excellency, what will happen to the Savage Continent in the future? ”

"Whoever contributes greatly to the Holy See will be rewarded with a part. For example, if you give the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily to the Holy See, then I can give you all the wild continents......"

"Ahem, let's change the subject...... Ferdinand II regarded the two kingdoms as his lifeblood, so he was not willing to hand them over.

"Or, if you help me conquer Venice, I can also give you the ...... of the Savage Continent"

Ferdinand II rolled his eyes directly - Nima, Venice is so rich, if Lao Tzu can take Venice, he will definitely swallow it himself, and a fool will use it to exchange with you for a dangerous wild continent......

"Of course, help me retake the Rimini region, and I can also divide some of the territory for you. For example, a piece of land no smaller than the Iberian Peninsula......" Julius II tempted.

Ferdinand II directly diverted the topic, he was turning against France and needed to guard against the French counterattack. If you mess with Venice again, it will be difficult. You know, Venice is so rich, it's not a good stubble......

However, Marin reminded:

"Your Majesty, the spice trade was originally the interest of the Venetians, and you have offended the Venetians by sending people to snatch the share of the spice trade......

Ferdinand II thought about it, and in the past, the European spice trade was monopolized by the Venetians. Spain sent a ship directly to India to buy spices, isn't it just a tiger's mouth...... Moreover, because there was no Arab and Egyptian merchants in between, the Spaniards were much more profitable in the spice trade than the Venetians......

Historically, the Portuguese fought the famous "Battle of Diu" with the combined fleet of India and Egypt supported by the Venetians because of the spice trade.

The reason for this naval battle was simple: to fight for a monopoly on the spice trade.

Every year, 3.5 million pounds of spices flow from India to Europe. Most of the spices were transported by Arab merchant ships to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, and then overland through Egypt to Alexandria. Then the Venetian merchant ships rushed to Alexandria, where they packed spices and sold them all over Europe.

The windfall profits were shared between the Venetians, the Egyptian Mamluks, and the Arabs. The Portuguese, on the other hand, bypassed the African continent and went directly to India to buy spices, which was equivalent to directly linking the production area to the market and obtaining higher profits than the Venetians.

Moreover, Vasco da Gama was very lacking in virtue, and left behind five warships to intercept the merchant ships of the Arabs on the coast of India, causing public outrage. Later, the Venetians supported several Egyptian warships, which were broken up on the Mediterranean coast of the Sinai Peninsula and sent overland to the Red Sea, where they were reassembled for a decisive battle against the Portuguese in Indian waters.

It is a pity that the main fleet of the Venetians could not reach the shores of India. Moreover, the Venetian galleys, because of the oars on the side, were inconvenient for placing artillery. Therefore, only guns could be placed in the bow and stern of the ship, and it was not an opponent for the Portuguese warships.

Eventually, the Portuguese won the "Battle of Diu" and monopolized much of the spice trade...... Since then, the Portuguese have been able to make huge profits of more than one million gold coins in the spice trade every year......

Now, under the influence of Marin, the Spaniards have intervened, and the situation is even more complicated. But one thing is certain - there will inevitably be a naval battle in Indian waters.

Among other things, both the Spaniards and the Portuguese would have chosen to exterminate the merchant ships of the Arab merchants who went to India to buy spices. In this way, not only can you buy more spices, but you can also cut off the purchase channels of the Venetians. You know, the total amount of spices that flow to Europe every year is about 3.5 million pounds. For every extra pound that Spain and Portugal bought, there was one less pound on the Venetian side. Conversely, if the Venetians charge one more pound of spices, Spain and Portugal will receive one pound less. Even, because of competition, it will increase the purchase price of spices and reduce profits.

Therefore, the simplest and most brutal way is to send a fleet to destroy those Arab merchant ships and make the competitors disappear. In this way, Spain and Portugal will be able to swallow the 3.5 million pounds per year.

After Ferdinand II's departure, Marin and Julius II said that Julius II even intended to support Spain and Portugal in forming a combined fleet to completely cut off the Venetians' spice import channels.

Why? Because Venice occupied the Rimini region, it made the Pope unhappy. Anything that unlucky the Venetians, Julius II was willing......

Before that, though, the Holy See and Spain needed to get the Portuguese first......

Sure enough, after the first round of negotiations officially began, the conditions offered by the Holy See and Spain made King Manuel I of Portugal half angry. After reading the "humiliating treaty" in his hand with a blushing face, Manuel I did not speak for a long time......

After a long time, King Manuel I of Portugal, who was as blushing as Guan Gong, suddenly threw the draft treaty that Julius II and Ferdinand II had revised together on the table, and then roared bitterly:

"I'm not convinced!"