Aztec Eternals

The northeast trade wind is blowing on the coast, carrying the fragrance of land vegetation, agitating the sails heading for the distance. The warm North Atlantic current diverges southward here, forming a broad and slow Canary current. The weather is favorable, the terrain is favorable, and it is so convenient to go from the Kingdom of Portugal to the southern mainland, which makes the hearts of navigators fly far away.

Dias raised his head and looked towards the southern sky. The huge flamingo soars in the sea breeze, and its red wings are like dancing flames, burning in the hearts of the viewers. Flamingos symbolize freedom and fantasy, and are also the sunbirds in ancient Egyptian mythology. The royal steward thought for a long time before opening his mouth with a wry smile.

"Diogo, we Portuguese, can only rely on ourselves. The "Treaty of Windsor" lasted for a hundred years. Although the Kingdom of England is our stable ally, it cannot give us much support on land. Both King Henry and King Richard Assembling the army, preparing for the final battle.

This long war for the throne has been going on for almost thirty years! The nobles in England suffered heavy losses. At least 50 noble families were extinct, and more than a thousand nobles were killed. The English are tired of war! No matter which king wins in the end, they will not be able to respond to us in a possible Spanish war for a short time. "

Diogo nodded grimly. In the brutal English Civil War, thousands of nobles and knights were killed, and countless fiefs lost their owners. This has greatly weakened the strength of the allies, and it is not known where it will lead the future Kingdom of England.

"Dias, what about the attitude of the Spaniards' neighbors, the French? Should they be wary of the increasingly powerful Spanish Kingdom after the merger? When I came back, I heard the news of the death of the Spider King, and the new successor King Charles is only fifteen years old this year. The one who is really in charge of the Valois dynasty should be the Regent's "Madam", Princess Anne of France. She is the "least stupid woman" in France!"

"Diogo, you are still well informed. The Kingdom of France is hostile to its powerful neighbor, the nascent Kingdom of Spain, but the House of France, is in a divided rivalry. The Regent 'Grand Lady' is suppressing the challenger Prince Louis of Orléans .After merging Burgundy, Anjou, Maine, and Provence, the French royal family has become too strong. Now there are only three or four lords with large fiefdoms, all of which are subject to the king's taxation and conscription .”

Speaking of this, Dias looked longingly, but there was some emotion in his words.

"Princess Anne has mastered the royal power, and the French third-level parliament has just been held in Tours. I heard that the representatives present had unanimously agreed to limit the royal power, but no one dared to speak after arriving at the venue. The third-level parliament finally became' The grand lady's words have become a place to show the authority of the royal family, and even a tool to suppress Prince Louis of Orleans!"

"Diogo, the royal power of France has become so strong that the corrupt third-level parliament has become more and more dispensable. This is probably the last influential third-level meeting."

Hearing this, Diogo nodded, with some longing in his expression. When the royal power is strong enough, there is no need to compromise with feudal lords and religious representatives, and make concessions in exchange for support from all walks of life. In the eyes of European elites in this era, only a centralized monarchy is a symbol of strength and advancement.

"Dias, Prince Louis can't be the opponent of the 'Madam'. It's just that he has a special status, and the royal family will not really deal with him. The French still have enough power to check and balance the Spaniards on land."

"Diogo, having said that, the interest of the Kingdom of France is more concentrated in the rich Italian city-states. They want to go to the rich city of Naples to drink wine, not to go to the Pyrenees to play goats with rude Spaniards. "

Dias blinked and made a crude joke. he went on.

"Don't forget that King Charles' maternal grandmother is Mary, Duke of Anjou, who still has nominal claims to the throne of Naples and Sicily."

Diogo didn't smile. He replied sullenly.

"Holy Mother Bless! Only a real fool would ignore the threat of the Kingdom of Spain and rush into the quagmire of the Italian peninsula! This is a direct challenge to the Pope of Rome and the Emperor of Austria, and it is bound to disperse the resistance of the world of God. Do the French think Are you going to be a traitor to the world of God and join forces with the evil Ottomans?!"

Dias shrugged and said meaningfully.

"My old friend, if you can suppress the Spaniards, are you willing to join forces with the Moors on the other side of the strait?"

Hearing this sentence, Diogo's expression changed, and he didn't answer for a long time. After a while, he lowered his voice and asked.

"Across the Channel, is there any good news for the kingdom of the Moors? They just sit and watch their compatriots on the north shore, conquered by the Castilians?"

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid so."

Dias shook his head regretfully.

"The Bratt Palace sent envoys to the south in a low-key manner. Since the demise of the Marin dynasty, Granada has lost the support across the strait. The newly born Wattas dynasty only controls the north of Morocco, and the interior is rotten. The court envoys returned saying that they had neither the intention nor the ability to challenge the Spaniards, but were good targets for conquest.

The kingdom has never found a reliable ally, and now it can only hope for the king's plan. Of course, if there is an opportunity to make the Spaniards fall into the other side of the strait, or any other quagmire that is hard to get out of, the kingdom will also be willing to insert two hands in the dark, so that our dangerous and greedy neighbors in the east will encounter more troubles."

After listening to this, Diogo let out a breath slowly. He looked toward the east piously, traced small crosses with his thumbs on his forehead, mouth, and chest, and prayed piously in Latin.

"Per signum Sanctae Crucis, de inimicis nostris, libera nos, Domine Deus noster Dias, from this point of view, the only one who is willing and able to help us deal with the Spanish threat is only."

"Holy See."

Dias nodded and said affirmatively.

"Honorable Pope Sixtus has always been friendly to the Kingdom. The Pope signed an edict four years ago and approved the "Alcasovas Peace Treaty", which clarified the Kingdom's maritime hegemony and allowed us to end it decently. The Spanish throne war. It’s just that Pope Sixtus has not been in good health this year, and I’m afraid it will be soon. This is why the Portuguese Archbishop reported the news of the Presbyterian State to the Holy See as soon as possible and sent him to the Coptic Cross.”

Hearing this, Diogo nodded knowingly. He clenched his fists in his chest, emotionally fluctuating, and summed up word by word.

"Once the Pope is called by the Lord, we don't know how the new Pope's attitude towards the Kingdom will change. Only by finding traces of the Presbyterian John's country and mastering the air route to connect with the compatriots in the East, can the Kingdom truly have a lasting influence in the Holy See force!

And only by occupying unowned land by the sea, establishing key coastal strongholds, and mastering the commercial routes of eastern trade, we Portuguese will have a strong and prosperous future!

Blessed Mother! On this voyage, I will never stop, I will explore all the way until I die! "

Seeing his old friend's resolute expression, Dias hesitated to speak. An ominous premonition passed through his mind. After a while, he took out an ancient silver cross, carefully handed it to the other party, and said in a low voice.

"Diogo, there are too many irresistible evils in the land of the southern devils! They will invade our bodies unconsciously and take the lives of the people of God. This is a sacred object left by my grandfather. Send Take it with you. May it grant you the blessing of the Lord on your journey into evil!"

Diogo nodded gratefully, took the cross, and put it away solemnly. He thought for a moment, then said in a deep voice.

"Dias, during the last voyage, I wrote a logbook, which recorded in detail the route and road signs along the way after going south from the Gold Coast. At the position of the equator, there is a difficult windless belt, and you must prepare enough In the deep sea far from the coast, the wind direction often changes, and a new type of spinnaker needs to be designed. When I go to the captain's cabin, I will bring you the log. If I don't come back this time, the following The exploration is up to you!"

Dias stared at his friend for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Good! Diogo, for this voyage, the king has specially sent a new court advisor, a noble scholar from Nuremberg, and an excellent cartographer, Martin Beheim. He will accompany you and use Jacob's stick Calculate the latitude and record the specific route to the south. If you are unlucky, I will continue to explore and find the route to the east!"

The sea breeze blows silently, carrying a moist breath. The two were full of thoughts and did not speak for a while. After a while, Dias said with a smile.

"Diogo, the merciful Lord has always protected us Portuguese. His Majesty Joao is wise and wise, and the future of the kingdom is always bright! In the two years since your last exploration, His Majesty has shown the attitude of a great king. In addition to emphasizing navigation, In addition to restarting the exploration plan, the king also promoted talented people, hired consultants, and worked hard to revitalize the kingdom, and he did two great things!"

Hearing this, Diogo pondered a little and asked in a low voice.

"Two major events? Dias, you are His Majesty's confidant. When I came back, I heard that His Majesty executed Duke Ferdinand of Braganza last year and confiscated the Duke's territory."

Dias scanned the deck, saw the people who were chatting not far away, and then said affirmatively.

"Yes. The Duke of Braganza was dissatisfied with His Majesty's interference in the succession of the nobles, and secretly communicated with Queen Isabella. He is the most powerful noble in the kingdom, and the area of ​​​​the fief is also the largest. Only when the royal power is concentrated, is the kingdom Strong foundation. We cannot imitate the path of the Wall of Christ, and I am afraid it will not last long.

His Majesty has made up his mind to concentrate the power of the royal family like the Kingdom of France. Next, in His Majesty's plan, there are still many powerful nobles that need to be dealt with. Of course, seafaring families like ours are His Majesty's most trusted descendants, so there is no need to worry about this. "

Hearing this, Diogo remained silent, terrified in his heart. He pondered for a moment before asking again.

"When His Majesty summoned me, he inquired carefully about the gold production around Fort Elmina and the tribes that own gold around it. He also asked about the military strength of the Songhai Kingdom and the Kingdom of Congo, and whether they are rich in gold. The second most important thing, Is it coinage?"

"Diogo, my old friend, you really have the keen intuition of a navigator!"

Dias smiled and admired.

"Relying on the gold obtained from the Gold Coast, His Majesty has restarted King Alfonso's minting plan. A new batch of Cruzado 'Crusader' gold coins is being minted!

The kingdom's gold coins were popular in the Mediterranean countries and were even accepted by Arab merchants. And for every 3.55-gram Cruzado gold coin minted, the kingdom can get at least 8% seigniorage and attract more foreign businessmen. In the commercial city-states of the Italian peninsula, the Kingdom's influence was on the rise. Because it has enough gold sources, the kingdom's gold coins are more stable than the Venetian Ducats. Ha, the treacherous Venetian merchants tickle our teeth with hatred, but there is still nothing we can do!

Diogo, you also know that the ignorant countries on the southern continent still have different exchange ratios for gold, silver, and copper from the God world. In addition to direct plunder and occupation, our merchant ships can also obtain gold from the southern continent continuously through the exchange of different precious metals! The profits, which have been calculated in detail by the court's financial advisers, are enough to make the kings of all countries jealous and crazy! "

A smile finally appeared on Diogo's face. He reached out and patted his old friend on the shoulder vigorously.

"That's right! Dias, the hope of the kingdom lies in the vast and fertile southern continent, on the eastern route leading to wealth! God bless! Let us set sail again, to the unknown south, to find the holy kingdom, to obtain the Lord the promised wealth."

Hearing this familiar prayer, Dias pressed his old friend's shoulders and recited together aloud.

"Under the guidance of the Lord, we will forge ahead and spread His glory and mercy to the ignorant countries along the way! .amen"

The two looked at each other and smiled, looking towards the south together. Those eyes are warm and bright, like the world of God; those eyes are cold, like the light of judgment.

".sail!"

The signal flag was waved, and more than a dozen Caravel sailboats hoisted their half sails, lined up in a neat queue, and slowly sailed out of the port. The trade wind from the northeast never stops, and the kingdom's fleet moves forward, and soon with full sail, it disappears at the end of the sky.

"Vaffanculo! Che minchione! Shit mathematicians, shit palace advisors! The Blatt Palace is full of idiots with eyes on their asses!"

On the shore port, there was a middle-aged man in his thirties, staring at the direction where the fleet disappeared, chattering angrily. He was tall and well built, with a long, aquiline face, prominent cheekbones, blue eyes, and auburn hair. He was wearing a set of washed and whitish civilian black robes, and an old and complete sailor flat hat on his head. The only valuable thing was his calfskin pointed boots, which were polished with lard.

Although the clothes were shabby, the middle-aged man's figure was straight, with a stubborn wild boar light in his eyes. He roared angrily, until the last exploring sailboat disappeared in front of his eyes, then he crouched down with his head in his arms, and cursed in a low voice in frustration.

"Diamine! Cazzo! The great merchant Marco Polo said it, and the astrologer Toscanelli said it too! The world is round, and China is at the starting point of India, directly opposite Iberia and Ireland!

A group of idiots. Only we city-state people can see the truth of this world clearly! I want to be the commander of the fleet, become a nobleman, and become the governor across the sea! I want to take the fleet from the west of the ocean to the rich east! "

The middle-aged man was still muttering to himself, but suddenly felt his shoulders sink. He raised his head angrily, and saw two tall Slavic men with big axes pinned to their waists, sandwiching him between one left and one right. And a thin Jewish businessman, wearing a round cap on his head and a long beard on his chin, was slowly walking in front of him.

"Columbus, you are not part of the Portuguese voyage and exploration! The kingdom's court advisor has already denied the voyage you calculated, and the last fleet found traces of the country of Elder John. Your plan, it seems, is There's no chance. Then it's time to settle the money you owe me."

Having said that, the Jewish businessman took out a paper receipt from his pocket and read it slowly.

"Six years ago, you borrowed 20 Ducat gold coins from me to pay for lobbying in various countries. Calculated according to the annual interest rate of 48%, the interest accumulated into the principal, so you should pay me back today, 210 ducats Carter gold coins, plus 3 Grosso silver coins, and 16.5 denarius copper coins. Well, for the sake of our acquaintance for many years, the 0.5 denarius copper coins will be waived for you!"

Hearing this, Columbus suddenly stood up. He waved his arms vigorously and growled angrily.

"Vaffanculo! Merda! Eleazar, you heretic who deserves to go to hell, you snake-greedy dwarf, don't let these savages touch me! You only gave me 15 ducats in all, and you made me return 210?!."

"It's 210 ducat gold coins, 3 grossoso silver coins, and 16.5 denarius copper coins. As for the deducted 25% advance payment, it's an industry practice."

Unmoved, the Jewish businessman waved his hand and smiled coldly.

"Columbus, my patience is running out! Do you want to pay the money obediently now, or do you want to tie a stone and sink to the bottom of the sea?"

Seeing the order, the two strong Slavic men growled together and exerted force with both hands at the same time. They forcibly dragged Columbus a few steps, erected it on the trestle bridge at the port, let his head hang down, and aimed at the deep sea.

Columbus finally showed fear in his eyes. He struggled and shouted loudly.

"Eleazar, give me some more time! I will continue to lobby the monarchs of various countries, and I will succeed! I have already spent all the gold coins on me. Even if you kill me now, you will get nothing Yes! But, but! If you have a little patience to wait, as long as my voyage is successful, you can get 210 Ducats!."

Hearing this, Eleazar narrowed his eyes and carefully looked at Columbus' upside-down expression. After a while, he nodded slowly.

"Okay! Columbus, I'll give you a little more time for the sake of our years of acquaintance. But..."

Eleazar stretched out his hand and took out a business contract that he had prepared a long time ago.

"You have to sign this!"

Well, the two chapters of the great voyage are over, and we will continue to return to the world of Central America. (_), the amount of information in this chapter is relatively large, and many interesting details are hidden. Well, let's see who can find them all. The situation and policies of major countries such as Britain, France, Spain, and Portugal have been reviewed. Then there's the economy, trade, interest rates, and currencies of the period. The Italian in Columbus's dialect is a national curse, so I won't translate it. Different contexts have different objects, and interested book lovers can check the final ticket by themselves!